Cultivation

A month later.

Inside a vast, secluded valley, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a bluestone, eyes closed in cultivation, with a bottle of Qi Recovery Pill placed before him. Judging by his slightly heaving chest and the rhythmic flow of energy and turbid air cycling through his nostrils, he had clearly reached a critical juncture.

"Hoo!" Xiao Yan opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance flickering within them. "Finally broken through to a five-star Dou Practitioner."

Nearby, Yao Lao was exerting himself before his Black Demon Cauldron.

While controlling the Bone Chilling Flame in his hand, Yao Lao continuously tossed in a dazzling array of medicinal herbs; a dark red pill was taking shape within the cauldron. As the pill solidified, muffled rumbles began to echo from the clouds above the small valley.

"Boom!" A heaven-shaking sound erupted.

Another bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a rolling thunderclap as the storm clouds gathered. The silent clouds spat out a blinding, fierce flash of fire, and a thunderbolt struck.

"Is this the Pill Lightning formed when a high-grade pill takes shape?" Xiao Yan murmured, staring at the thunderclouds overhead.

"Xiao Yan, get out of here quickly! The pill is about to form!" Yao Lao shouted at him anxiously.

By the time Xiao Yan scrambled out of the small valley, he looked back to see Yao Lao already shrouded by the thunderclouds and lightning.

"Teacher!" Xiao Yan stood guard outside the valley, shouting in distress, feeling helpless as he realized he could not assist.

"Earth-tier Dou Technique: Flame Splitting Wave-Severing Ruler!"

Yao Lao's resonant voice rang out from within the valley once more. The lightning striking from the clouds collided with the fiery energy unleashed by Yao Lao's technique, the clash lingering for a long time.

Half an hour later, the thunderclouds finally began to dissipate, and Yao Lao drifted out, swaying unsteadily.

"Ouch, that nearly cost me my old life."

"Teacher, what grade of pill were you refining? How could it summon thunderclouds?" Xiao Yan hurried into the valley to meet him, helping Yao Lao sit down in a spot within the devastated, wind-swept valley.

"I was refining a tier seven pill—the Human-Shaping Pill. Fortunately, it is only a low-grade tier seven pill; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to withstand those clouds. It really wore out these old bones of mine," Yao Lao said, plopping onto the ground.

"The Human-Shaping Pill... Teacher, did you prepare this for our encounter with the Amethyst Winged Lion King?" Xiao Yan's eyes grew slightly moist as he looked at Yao Lao.

"Heh, kid, don't you try that on me. For the next period, I'm going to put you through special training. You're going to suffer," Yao Lao scoffed.

"Understood, Master," Xiao Yan chuckled.

The next day.

"Swish! Swish!"

Xiao Yan held his Wind Chaser sword, practicing his Gale Swift Sword.

"Wind Gallop Cloud Roll!"

Xiao Yan raised Wind Chaser and executed a clean, crisp sword move. However, Yao Lao was not satisfied.

"Xiao Yan, remember: the essence of 'Wind Gallop Cloud Roll' lies in the speed of the wind and the unpredictability of the clouds. You don't know where it starts, and you don't know where it ends. Come, do it again."

"Wind Walk Lightning Strike!"

"Wrong again. Do you know what you did wrong this time? Look here, right here."

After practicing sword techniques in the morning, he began training his movement techniques in the afternoon.

On the surface of the lake in the small valley, Xiao Yan stood lightly atop a series of wooden stakes that barely broke the water's surface.

"To master the Gale Swift Sword, you must first master your footwork. These Plum Blossom Hidden Stakes are your best choice," Yao Lao said, floating directly above Xiao Yan with his hands behind his back.

"I will strike you with Qi energy, and you must complete a full circuit of the Plum Blossom Hidden Stakes without falling into the water. If you fall, you don't eat," Yao Lao said sternly.

Xiao Yan's eyelid twitched as he looked at Yao Lao.

"Heh heh, let's begin."

Yao Lao suddenly flashed a wicked smile, and a series of powerful bursts of Qi energy began to strike Xiao Yan.

"Faster! Keep moving! You must finish a hundred laps tonight, and don't you dare fall in!"

"No, no, Teacher!"

Two months later.

"Prajna Palm!"

An angry shout erupted from the valley, followed by a golden, glowing palm print that slammed into the mountain face at the back of the valley. Xiao Yan looked on with delight at his Profound-tier high-grade Prajna Palm, which was now showing initial success.

"Alright, kid, you've polished your techniques well enough over these two months, and your cultivation has broken through to an eight-star Dou Practitioner. It's time to go out and get some real combat experience," Yao Lao said, walking over.

"Yes, Teacher."

Xiao Yan looked at the massive palm print on the mountain, beginning to look forward to his own real-world battles.

Deep within a dense thicket.

Eight Extremities Collapse!

Xiao Yan delivered a clean elbow strike, knocking the Tier 1 Magical Beast Cloud Leopard that had attempted to ambush him unconscious.

"Let's go, next one, Teacher."

Prajna Palm!

With another perfect ambush, Xiao Yan finished off the Tier 2 Magical Beast Light Chasing Marten with a single strike of his Prajna Palm.

"Let's go, next one, Teacher."

"Gale... damn it! Teacher, save me! This White-Headed Eagle is a Tier 3 Magical Beast; I can't handle this!"

Xiao Yan unfurled his Purple Cloud Wings, circling through the sky with the White-Headed Eagle in pursuit. Unfortunately, the White-Headed Eagle remained hot on his heels, leading to one perilous situation after another in the air.

"Heh heh, let's see you be arrogant now."

Yao Lao followed the man and beast at a leisurely pace. Only when the White-Headed Eagle had thoroughly exhausted Xiao Yan did Yao Lao finally step in to dispose of the creature.

A month later, the master and disciple returned to the small valley where they had previously stayed.

"Little Yan, we have stayed here for nearly four months; it is time to set off for the next location," Yao Lao said with a smile.

"Indeed, it is time to leave."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan packed their belongings. He took one last look at the small valley before striding away without looking back.

"Teacher, is that the territory of the Amethyst Winged Lion King up ahead?"

Xiao Yan noticed that as they drew closer to the heart of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the number of magical beasts they encountered began to decrease significantly. At the same time, the strength of the beasts increased drastically, and each possessed an extremely strong sense of territoriality.

The area Xiao Yan was currently sneaking through echoed with a continuous chorus of beast roars; it was clear that the beasts capable of such sounds were by no means ordinary.

"Mm, the territory of the Amethyst Winged Lion King is just ahead. We must be careful."

As Xiao Yan ventured deeper into the range, Yao Lao also began to grow serious.

"That is the place. I can already sense its aura."

With that, Yao Lao instructed Xiao Yan to stop nearly a hundred meters away from the entrance of a massive cave.

"Teacher, is it necessary to stop this far away?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.

"It is better to be cautious. The spiritual senses of magical beasts are far sharper than those of us humans."

Yao Lao said solemnly.

"It is getting late. It is somewhat dangerous to deal with the Amethyst Winged Lion King at night, so let us find a place to rest first and seek out the Amethyst Winged Lion King tomorrow."

Yao Lao looked up at the sky and said.