"This little woman still has other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Yun Yun said this as she prepared to leave. Although Xiao Fan was only in his teens, the Dou Qi Continent respected the strong above all.
In her eyes, he might have other things to do. If she stayed any longer, she would be acting without knowing her place.
Just as Yun Yun turned slightly, Xiao Fan called out to her.
"Miss, please wait. I've never left Wutan City and know nothing about the outside world. Would you be willing to tell me a little about it?"
Yun Yun's eyes widened slightly. She didn't know why a powerful expert like him would ask such a question.
But the chance to make the acquaintance of someone this powerful was precious. How could she begrudge him a little of her time?
So she began to slowly tell Xiao Fan about the situation in the Jia Ma Empire.
"The Jia Ma Empire has several major powers. The foremost is the Misty Cloud Sect, located on Misty Cloud Mountain in the empire's north. It has several Dou Huang experts and a number of Dou Wangs, as well as the sixth-tier alchemist Pill King Gu He to hold down the fort."
"The Jia Ma Imperial Family rules the empire, and its palace is in Gama Holy City. It is guarded by Jia Xingtian, a Peak Nine-Star Dou Emperor, and also has the sixth-tier magical beast Deep Sea Python. The Mu Clan and Nalan Family are its affiliated clans."
"The Alchemist Guild is the holy land of alchemists in the Jia Ma Empire. Its headquarters are in Gama Holy City, and its president, Fa Ma, is a Seven-Star Dou Huang expert. The guild has great influence and can recruit many powerful experts."
"The Jia Ma Empire also has three great clans: the Nalan Family, the Mu Clan, and the Mittel Family. Their headquarters are all in Gama Holy City."
Hearing these detailed intelligence reports, Xiao Fan nodded to himself. Although the original story had mentioned some of this, it hadn't been nearly detailed enough.
Yun Yun really does tell me everything she knows. Thanks to her, I have a much clearer understanding of the Jia Ma Empire.
After listening to all that, Xiao Fan summed it up in a single sentence: In the Jia Ma Empire, I, Xiao Fan, am invincible!
The two walked through the woods of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, chatting as they gradually grew more familiar with each other.
A series of startled exclamations rang out.
"What? You're really only fifteen?"
Yun Yun's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.
"That's right..."
Xiao Fan nodded slightly, his expression calm.
"That's incredible."
She couldn't help praising him.
One had to know that in the Jia Ma Empire, countless people dreamed only of becoming Dou Huangs. Yet this youth had reached the end of countless people's dreams!
Just who was he? Could he have come from the legendary Central Plains?
Yun Yun had never met a prodigy like him. Driven by curiosity, she asked him to spar.
"Master Xiao Fan, please forgive my boldness, but I'd like to spar with you. Would that be all right?"
Xiao Fan readily agreed.
"If you're in the mood, Miss, then I'll gladly oblige."
"Master Xiao Fan, be careful..."
Yun Yun began attacking Xiao Fan with Dou Techniques, her spirited shouts ringing out one after another.
"Great Wind Hand Seal!"
"Rift Wind Whirl Dance!"
At first, Yun Yun had been afraid of hurting Xiao Fan, so she used only weaker Dou Techniques. But gradually, she realized that no matter what Dou Technique she used, he knocked her attacks apart with a single palm.
And he relied entirely on his physical strength, without using even a trace of Dou Qi.
The sight left Yun Yun deeply frustrated. I can't even make him use his Dou Qi. Just how powerful is he?
With a sheen of sweat already on her forehead, Yun Yun decided to stop holding back. First, she warned Xiao Fan:
"Be careful. This move is very powerful!"
She decided to use her ultimate move.
"Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!"
Yun Yun cried out and swung her long sword down.
In an instant, a brilliant ray of light shot from the blade, streaking across the sky like a meteor.
Wherever it passed, the air was torn apart with a sharp whistle.
Faced with this razor-sharp attack, Xiao Fan remained at ease.
"Be careful, Miss Yun..."
Not wanting to discourage this older sister too much, he yawned with one hand and gently struck out with the other.
With that single palm, he drew on the energy of heaven and earth, forming an enormous hand.
Yet this seemingly ordinary strike gave Yun Yun a sense of mortal danger.
Pfft!!
The palm easily shattered Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill. Yun Yun's delicate body shuddered, and she was slapped straight into the ground.
A gigantic handprint formed in the earth.
But Xiao Fan had shown great restraint. Once he blocked Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill, he dispersed most of the force and didn't injure her.
Even so, the blow sent Yun Yun's blood surging, leaving her face flushed and her clothes disheveled. Her whole body tingled with weakness.
She no longer had the strength to stand.
With no other choice, Xiao Fan went to the huge hand-shaped crater and gently lifted Yun Yun into his arms.
"Sorry. I hit a little too hard."
Held in his arms, Yun Yun didn't know whether she was embarrassed or if her blood was still racing.
Her face flushed red. Turning away, she murmured:
"This isn't your fault. I was the one who insisted on sparring with you."
Xiao Fan had no choice but to set her down somewhere clean so she could rest properly.
Much later, as the two were about to part, Yun Yun finally introduced herself properly. "My name is Yun Yun, and I'm the Misty Cloud Sect Master. If you have time, come visit me at the Misty Cloud Sect."
She gently smoothed her slightly tousled hair and gazed quietly at Xiao Fan, as if waiting for him to speak.
Xiao Fan smiled faintly and replied, "My name is Xiao Fan. I'm from a small family in Wutan City. If you have time, you can come visit Wutan City too."
With that, Xiao Fan transformed into a streak of light and departed.
Yun Yun quietly watched him leave, recalling the moment when he had just carried her in his arms.
For some reason, a strange feeling stirred in her heart.
"Xiao Fan... from the Xiao Clan in Wutan City?"
Wasn't there a marriage engagement between her disciple, Nalan Yanran, and some young man from the Xiao Clan?
That was wonderful. The Xiao Clan, which could produce a Dou Huang in his teens, surely wasn't as simple as it appeared. Her good disciple would be getting a great deal by marrying into such a clan.
Humming a little tune, Yun Yun flew toward the Misty Cloud Sect.
After returning to the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Yun sat in her study, recalling her encounter with Xiao Fan. She couldn't help smiling softly.
Just then, Nalan Yanran came to report on some matters. Seeing that her sect master and teacher was in such a good mood,
she couldn't help asking curiously, "Master, what happened today to make you so happy?"
Yun Yun smiled and shook her head. "I just met an interesting person."
Seeing that her sect master didn't want to say more, Nalan Yanran tactfully took her leave.
After leaving, Xiao Fan also returned to Wutan City.
As soon as he got home, Xiao Yan came over and asked curiously, "Brother, did you find anything on your trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"
Xiao Fan smiled and briefly told him about what had happened in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
When Xiao Yan heard that Xiao Fan had broken through to Dou Huang, envy and jealousy washed over him.
Damn it... once, his dream had been nothing more than breaking through to Dou Huang and throwing his weight around in the Jia Ma Empire.
Then, when he heard about Xiao Fan's spar with Yun Yun, Xiao Yan's eyes widened. "Brother, Yun Yun is the Misty Cloud Sect Master, and she's incredibly powerful. You actually beat her that easily?"
"Of course. I'm a future Great Emperor..."
"Any enemy is nothing more than a stepping-stone on my Emperor Path."
Xiao Fan lifted his chest slightly, his expression calm.
As he spoke, he patted the envious-looking Xiao Yan on the shoulder. "Xiao Yanzi, you need to work hard at your cultivation. One day, you can become a powerful expert too."
"And there's something else..."
He lowered his voice.
"I think I know why your Dou Qi has been declining..."