Cultivation

One month later.

In an empty, secluded valley, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a bluestone with his eyes closed, cultivating. A bottle of Qi Recovery Pills lay before him. From the slight rise and fall of his chest, as well as the streams of energy and turbid air constantly flowing in and out around his nostrils, it was clear that he had reached a critical point in his cultivation.

"Whew!" Xiao Yan opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them. "I've finally broken through to a five-star Dou Zhe."

Nearby, Yao Lao was working intensely on the Black Demon Cauldron before him.

While controlling the Bone Chilling Flame in his hand, Yao Lao continuously tossed in all kinds of dazzling medicinal ingredients. A dark red pill was taking shape inside the medicine cauldron. As the pill gradually formed, muffled rumbles began to echo from the clouds above the small valley.

With a deafening boom, the sound shook the heavens and earth.

Another bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, followed by rolling thunder as storm clouds gathered. The silent clouds once again spat out a dazzling, violent blaze of light, and thunder exploded.

"Is this Pill Lightning formed when a high-tier pill takes shape?"

Xiao Yan murmured as he looked at the thunderclouds overhead.

"Yan, get away quickly. The pill is about to form."

Yao Lao spoke anxiously to Xiao Yan.

By the time Xiao Yan flew out of the small valley in a bedraggled state, he looked back to see Yao Lao already engulfed by thunderclouds and lightning.

"Teacher!"

Xiao Yan stood anxiously outside the valley, shouting. He wanted to step forward and help, but he felt that there was nothing he could do.

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

Yao Lao's vigorous voice rang out from the valley again. The lightning descending from the thunderclouds collided with the fiery energy unleashed by Yao Lao's Dou Technique, and the clash continued for a long time without subsiding.

After less than half an hour, the thunderclouds finally began to slowly disperse. Yao Lao also staggered out from within them.

"Ow, that nearly cost this old man his life."

"Teacher, what tier pill were you refining? How did it actually attract thunderclouds?"

Xiao Yan hurried into the valley and went to support Yao Lao, helping him find a place to sit amid the small valley that had been ravaged by lightning and fierce winds.

"I was refining a Tier 7 Pill—the Human-Shaping Pill. Fortunately, this Human-Shaping Pill is only a low-tier Tier 7 Pill. Otherwise, I truly wouldn't have been able to withstand those thunderclouds today. These old bones of mine have been put through quite a torment." Yao Lao plopped down onto the ground as he spoke.

"The Human-Shaping Pill... Teacher, did you prepare it for when we go meet the Amethyst Winged Lion King?" Thinking of this, Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao with slightly misty eyes.

"Heh, Yan, don't try that on me. Over the next stretch of time, I'll be giving you special training. You'll have plenty to suffer through then." Yao Lao sneered.

"Understood, Master." Xiao Yan chuckled.

The next day.

Swish! Swish!

Xiao Yan held his Wind Chaser longsword as he practiced the Gale Swift Sword.

Wind Gallop Cloud Roll!

Xiao Yan raised Wind Chaser and performed a clean, decisive sword move. However, Yao Lao was not satisfied by what he saw.

"Yan, remember that the essence of Wind Gallop Cloud Roll lies in racing like wind and lightning, with no one knowing where it came from. Clouds roll and unfurl, with no one knowing where they go. Come, perform it again."

Wind Walk Lightning Strike!

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

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

On the lake in the small valley, Xiao Yan stood lightly atop wooden stakes that barely protruded above the water.

"If you want to master the Gale Swift Sword Dou Technique, you must first train your movement technique well. These Plum Blossom Hidden Stakes are your best choice." Yao Lao floated directly above Xiao Yan with his hands behind his back.

"In a moment, I'll strike you with bursts of force. You must complete a full circuit of these Plum Blossom Hidden Stakes quickly under those conditions, and you are not allowed to fall into the water. Otherwise, you won't be allowed to eat."

After hearing this, Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao, the corner of his eye twitching.

"Hehe, then let's begin."

Yao Lao suddenly gave a mischievous smile, and powerful bursts of force immediately began striking Xiao Yan again and again.

"Quick, run! You must finish one hundred laps tonight, and you're not allowed to fall into the water!"

"Nooo, Teacher!"

Two months later.

Prajna Palm!

An angry shout rang out from the valley, followed by a massive golden palm print smashing into the mountain wall behind it. Xiao Yan looked delightedly at his Xuan-Tier Advanced Dou Technique, Prajna Palm, which had achieved initial mastery.

"Alright, Yan. Over these past two months, you've honed your Dou Techniques well enough, and your cultivation has also broken through to an eight-star Dou Zhe. It's time to go out and gain some real combat experience."

Yao Lao walked over as he spoke.

"Yes, Teacher."

Xiao Yan looked at the enormous palm print on the mountain wall and began to look forward to actual combat.

Within a dense thicket.

Eight Extremities Collapse!

With one clean elbow strike, Xiao Yan knocked unconscious a first-tier magical beast, a Cloud Leopard, which had tried to ambush him.

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

Prajna Palm!

Another perfect ambush. Xiao Yan finished off a second-tier magical beast, a Light Chasing Marten, with a single Prajna Palm.

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

"Gale Swift—damn it! Teacher, save me! This White-Headed Eagle is a third-tier magical beast! I can't handle it!"

Xiao Yan spread his Purple Cloud Wings and led the White-Headed Eagle in circles through the sky. Unfortunately, the White-Headed Eagle continued pursuing him relentlessly, and danger followed danger in the air.

"Hmph, let's see if you're still so arrogant now."

Yao Lao followed the man and beast unhurriedly. Only after the White-Headed Eagle had tormented Xiao Yan badly enough did Yao Lao act and kill it.

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

"Yan, we've remained here for nearly four months. It's time to set off for the next place." Yao Lao said with a smile.

"Yes, it's time to leave."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan packed up their belongings. After taking one last look at the small valley, he strode away without looking back.

"Teacher, that ahead should be the territory of the Amethyst Winged Lion King, right?"

Xiao Yan noticed that as they drew closer to the central region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the magical beasts they encountered became far fewer. At the same time, the magical beasts grew much stronger, and each of them had an extremely strong sense of territoriality.

At that moment, as Xiao Yan quietly passed through the area, beast roars rose and fell all around him. The magical beasts capable of producing such roars were certainly no ordinary creatures.

"Yes, the Amethyst Winged Lion King's territory is not far ahead. We must be careful."

As Xiao Yan continued venturing deeper into the area, Yao Lao gradually became more serious as well.

"That's the place. I can already sense its aura."

As he spoke, Yao Lao had Xiao Yan stop nearly a hundred meters away from the entrance of an enormous cave.

"Teacher, do we really need to stop this far away?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

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

Yao Lao spoke solemnly.

"It's getting late today, and meeting the Amethyst Winged Lion King at night would be somewhat dangerous. Let's find a place to rest first, then go look for the Amethyst Winged Lion King tomorrow."

Yao Lao raised his head and looked at the sky as he spoke.