Journey to the Magical Beast Mountain Range

"Master, that Xiao Yan from the Xiao Clan—the one whose engagement I went to dissolve before—I heard that not long after I called off the engagement, his cultivation suddenly plummeted overnight."

"And it hasn't recovered for three years. Even now, he's still at the third stage of Dou Qi. Do you think this might have something to do with me dissolving the engagement?"

In her room, Nalan Yanran sought out Yun Yun and voiced her worries.

After dissolving the engagement three years ago, she had nearly forgotten about Xiao Yan.

It was only when she recently returned to the Nalan family and heard Nalan Su and Nalan Jie mention Xiao Yan's situation that she learned of it.

"How could this have anything to do with you? You merely went to dissolve the engagement; it's not as if you did anything to him," Yun Yun comforted her.

"Don't tell me you think dissolving the engagement affected his state of mind? Didn't you say that Xiao Yan himself had been perfectly willing to dissolve it back then?"

"And even if it did affect him, at most it would have caused his cultivation to stagnate. How could it possibly make him fall directly from Dou Zhe to the third stage of Dou Qi?"

"There must be some reason of his own behind this," Yun Yun continued to reassure her.

She did not want her most beloved disciple to torment herself over something like this.

"Mm, I understand, Master. I was just overthinking things," Nalan Yanran said.

"All right, don't think about it so much. By the way, how has your cultivation been lately?" Yun Yun quickly changed the subject.

Otherwise, this silly girl would keep getting tangled up over it.

"I've already broken through to a three-star Dou Zhe. My goal is to break through to Dou Shi within this year," Nalan Yanran said.

"Not bad. There's hope for this year," Yun Yun said with great satisfaction.

Nalan Yanran's talent had indeed shown itself exceptionally well over the past two years. She still maintained the top position among disciples her age.

"Master, Elder Gu He mentioned to me some time ago that there's a kind of Purple Spirit Pill that can improve my cultivation."

"But refining a Purple Spirit Pill requires a material called Purple Spirit Crystal. This material can only be found on the Amethyst Winged Lion King, and our sect has yet to collect any," Nalan Yanran said, her tone carrying a slightly pointed drawl.

"All right, all right, I know what you're trying to say." Yun Yun saw through her act at once.

"The Amethyst Winged Lion King... It's a sixth-rank magical beast, the overlord of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Obtaining its Purple Spirit Crystal won't be easy."

"I'll see about finding time to help you seek out the Amethyst Winged Lion King and see whether I can trade for a Purple Spirit Crystal."

"Hehe, thank you, Master!"

Nalan Yanran happily threw her arms around Yun Yun.

"All right, all right. Who told you to be my favorite disciple?"

Yun Yun's gaze held both indulgence and helplessness.

If it had been anyone else, she might not have agreed to help.

But Nalan Yanran was her only disciple.

At first, Yun Yun had taken Nalan Yanran as her disciple in order to bring the Misty Cloud Sect and the Nalan family closer together.

But after all these years together, she had come to like this disciple as well.

So clever and pretty, and she would occasionally act spoiled with her.

Who wouldn't like a disciple like that?

It was like raising a daughter.

This was also related to Nalan Yanran having lost her mother at a young age.

She had never experienced a mother's love as a child, and Yun Yun treated her so well that she transferred her dependence on her mother to Yun Yun.

There were many things she might not tell Nalan Su, but she would tell Yun Yun.

"By the way, Master, there's something else I've wanted to tell you recently."

"What is it?"

"It's just... lately, I feel like it's getting a little swollen here. It's uncomfortable." Nalan Yanran pointed to her slightly raised chest, her cheeks flushing faintly.

It was a very private matter for a girl, so she still felt a little embarrassed saying it aloud.

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Yanran, you're growing up. It's normal."

Although Nalan Yanran was still young, she already had an excellent figure and was growing into a lovely young woman.

Yun Yun remembered that when she had been around Nalan Yanran's age, her figure had not been nearly this good.

"Really? That's good."

"Hehe, my goal is to grow as big as Master's."

She suddenly hugged Yun Yun, buried her face against her chest, and rubbed against her, enjoying Yun Yun's softness.

"You little brat!" Yun Yun lightly tapped her on the forehead in mock annoyance.

"Hurry back now. I still need to meet with the elders later."

"All right."

Nalan Yanran reluctantly let go of Yun Yun and left the room.

After Nalan Yanran left, Yun Yun's cheeks suddenly flushed faintly. She turned to look at the Evergreen Sword beside her.

"Senior Sword Spirit, were you peeking just now?"

Wu Changqing chose to pretend to be asleep.

Of course, he had seen Nalan Yanran taking advantage of Yun Yun.

Two beauties, one older and one younger, doing something like that...

It was quite pleasing to the eye.

"Senior Sword Spirit, I know you definitely aren't asleep!" Yun Yun said.

"Ahem, you were both facing away from me just now. How was I supposed to see anything?" Wu Changqing coughed lightly, then quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, Yanran just said she wants Purple Spirit Crystal. When do you plan to go?"

Purple Spirit Crystal, the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the Amethyst Winged Lion King.

That was a major plot point!

He had finally reached this step!

"I'll see when I have time later. I've been quite busy recently, so I don't have time to go somewhere that far away for now," Yun Yun said.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range, where the Amethyst Winged Lion King lived, was still some distance from the Misty Cloud Sect. It was not somewhere she could simply go whenever she wanted.

Besides, she still needed to prepare something to trade with the Amethyst Winged Lion King.

"Yun Yun, I actually have something I want to tell you too." Wu Changqing transformed into human form.

"What is it?"

"I want to leave the Misty Cloud Sect for a while and travel around."

He had been here for a long time already.

Before, it was because he had not yet transformed. A sword flying around outside would easily frighten people.

But now, he had consumed Transformation Grass and could take human form.

And after three years of effort, his cultivation had risen to a three-star Dou Huang. The amount of time he could maintain human form each day had reached eight hours.

That was enough time for him to do many things.

"Senior Sword Spirit, you... are leaving?" Yun Yun froze, her expression turning dazed.

For all these years, Wu Changqing had always been by her side. She had long grown used to every day with him around.

She had actually wondered what she would do if Wu Changqing left one day.

But she had not expected that day to come so suddenly...

"Why are you making that face? I said I'm only leaving for a while to have a look around, not that I'm never coming back." Wu Changqing rolled his eyes at her.

"And I'll probably be heading toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I'll take in the scenery outside first. Maybe we'll run into each other there."

"Oh, so that's how it is..." Yun Yun sighed in relief and patted her heaving chest.

"I really thought Senior Sword Spirit was going to leave me."

She made no effort to hide the tenderness in her eyes, a tenderness she showed only to Wu Changqing...