Before Xiao Ze's eyes, the System Panel appeared, displaying several lines of text.
[Current Mission: Reject Nalan Yanran for the third time and refuse to join the Misty Cloud Sect again.]
[Mission Reward: Three White Treasure Chests, from which rewards may be drawn.]
Three days later, escorted by Yun Yun, Nalan Yanran left the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
Now that they had reached the foot of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Nalan Yanran still could not quite put her mind at ease.
Although her teacher possessed the strength of a Dou Emperor, the Amethyst Winged Lion King was also a Dou Emperor. Even her teacher would gain no advantage against it.
Nalan Yanran was still very worried.
Yet Yun Yun solemnly emphasized, "Yanran, you do not need to worry about me."
"Even if I cannot defeat that beast, you need not worry about my safety."
"Your teacher still has the ability to protect herself." Yun Yun spoke with a serious expression.
Then, looking at Nalan Yanran, she said, "There are two reasons why I am sending you away now. First, this place is dangerous. If you remain here, I will have to divide my attention to protect you, making it even harder to obtain the Purple Spirit Crystal."
"Do not forget the Three-Year Agreement challenge you made with Xiao Yan of the Xiao Family. I do not want you to lose to him either."
"If you truly lose to him then, you will have to serve him as a slave or maid according to the agreement. Would the Misty Cloud Sect have any dignity left?"
Yun Yun said.
"Teacher, I..." Nalan Yanran suddenly lowered her head.
Then she immediately stressed, "Do not worry, Teacher. I definitely will not lose to that trash Xiao Yan."
Yun Yun continued, "As for the other reason, after you leave the Magic Beast Mountain Range, I want you to refrain from returning to the Misty Cloud Sect for now. Go to Wutan City instead and try once more to convince Xiao Ze to join our Misty Cloud Sect."
"Huh?"
Nalan Yanran froze for a moment before quickly speaking.
"Teacher, I already invited Xiao Ze twice before, but he does not seem very interested in joining our Misty Cloud Sect."
"Will inviting him again really have any effect?"
Nalan Yanran asked in confusion.
Yun Yun immediately replied, "Tell Xiao Ze that if he joins the Misty Cloud Sect, I, Yun Yun, Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, will personally teach him Dou Qi cultivation and accept him as my student."
"As a direct disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect Master, he should understand the weight of that status. Surely he will not refuse again?"
"What? Teacher, you want to accept him as your disciple personally?"
Amid her surprise, Nalan Yanran secretly nodded as well.
For a young man with talent as astonishing as Xiao Ze's, it was no wonder her teacher valued him so highly.
Nalan Yanran was not jealous. Instead, she felt that Xiao Ze was truly outstanding.
If the marriage agreement made by the elders of their two families back then had been between her and Xiao Ze, perhaps there would not have been any annulment of the engagement today.
The man Nalan Yanran married had to be someone as outstanding as Xiao Ze.
As soon as Nalan Yanran thought of this, she immediately nodded.
"Alright, Teacher. Do not worry. Leave this matter to me. I will handle it."
Nalan Yanran said, "Since you are willing to accept him as your disciple, Teacher, I think he should not refuse this time."
Before leaving the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Nalan Yanran was still somewhat worried.
She hoped her teacher would remain safe. Whether Yun Yun obtained the Amethyst Winged Lion King's Purple Spirit Crystal to aid her cultivation did not matter much.
As long as her teacher was safe and did not get hurt because of this, that was all Nalan Yanran wanted.
Although the Purple Spirit Crystal could help her cultivate and greatly improve her Dou Qi level.
Nalan Yanran felt that even without it.
Given Xiao Yan's current strength of merely three stages of Dou Qi, for him to catch up to and defeat her was simply a fool's dream.
Nalan Yanran left the foot of the Magic Beast Mountain Range and headed directly toward Wutan City.
On the road to Wutan City, Nalan Yanran's heart was filled with anticipation. "How will Xiao Ze answer me this time?"
"Teacher has personally said that she is willing to accept him as her disciple. He should not refuse again, right?"
"Yes, he definitely will not refuse again! Teacher is a Dou Emperor expert."
Wutan City.
After entering Wutan City, Nalan Yanran went directly to the Xiao Family. After asking around, she learned that Xiao Ze was cultivating on the family's Back Mountain.
Nalan Yanran then made her way to the Xiao Family's Back Mountain.
After searching for a while, she saw Xiao Ze near the edge of a cliff.
He sat beside the sheer precipice, eyes closed, cross-legged in meditation as he cultivated in silence!
After several days of cultivation, Xiao Ze had made tremendous improvements and progress.
It had to be said that Xiao Xuan's Panel System possessed truly terrifying talent and cultivation speed.
After he opened his eyes, a line of notification immediately appeared on the System Panel.
[Current Mission: Cultivate for two hours.]
[Reward: Five-Star Dou Shi realm.]
[Mission complete. The host's current strength has increased.]
Slowly exhaling, Xiao Ze opened his eyes.
He discovered that his strength had risen to the Five-Star Dou Shi realm.
Across the Douqi Continent, a mere Five-Star Dou Shi might not amount to much.
Especially in the Central Plains, where Dou Saints were everywhere and Dou Venerates were as common as dogs, it was even less significant.
But in the present Jia Ma Empire.
Especially compared to Nalan Yanran, someone of his generation, who possessed only the strength of a Three-Star Dou Zhe.
Even though she had improved recently and reached the Four-Star realm, it was still not much.
Compared to Xiao Ze's Five-Star Dou Shi realm, she was undoubtedly still far too insignificant!
When Nalan Yanran saw that Xiao Ze's strength had actually risen by another level, her expression was filled with shock.
"How is his realm advancing so quickly? Wasn't he only at the Four-Star realm last time?"
Nalan Yanran was utterly stunned. At that moment, she could only marvel in disbelief, too shocked to speak.
Xiao Ze withdrew from his cultivation state.
His attention returned to reality and settled on Nalan Yanran before him.
Nalan Yanran said in surprise.
"Xiao Ze, I did not expect your Dou Qi level to rise again after only a few days apart?"
"Do you need something?" Seeing Nalan Yanran appear here, Xiao Ze spoke in an indifferent tone.
Nalan Yanran was the future successor of the Misty Cloud Sect.
She was also Yun Yun's only direct disciple and the eldest young lady of the Nalan Clan in the Jia Ma Empire.
Her grandfather, Nalan Jie, was a Dou Wang-level expert.
Not only did she have the support of a Dou Wang family, but her teacher was also a Dou Emperor-level expert.
She could be considered one of the favored daughters of heaven in the Jia Ma Empire.
Yet when it came to Xiao Ze's astonishing cultivation talent, Nalan Yanran still felt very small.
She could not even feel proud in front of him anymore, and she even felt somewhat inferior.
Seeing Xiao Ze treat her so coldly, Nalan Yanran felt defeated for the first time, even somewhat inferior.
"Xiao Ze, I came this time to tell you something. You should not be unfamiliar with my teacher, Yun Yun, right? She is one of the Top Ten Experts of the Gama Empire."
Before you continue