Battle Between Dou Huangs

The black-robed figure was slightly taken aback by Xiao Yu's words, then said, "Mm, I only came here to retrieve something."

Hearing the black-robed figure's words, Xiao Yu had to admit that having strength was impressive.

The Magic Beast Mountain Range was fraught with danger, yet this person had merely come to pick something up.

He could come whenever he wished and leave whenever he pleased. Xiao Yu wondered when he would ever reach such a level.

"I see that you are still quite young, yet you are already a high-level Dou Fighter. With such talent, why did you enter the perilous Magic Beast Mountain Range alone?"

As Xiao Yu roasted the meat, the black-robed figure spoke again.

Xiao Yu hesitated slightly. The first time, he could have passed it off as a joke, but now the other person had asked again. If he spouted nonsense once more, it would seem as though he were deliberately making fun of him.

If the man got unhappy and slapped him to death, not even Medicine Elder and the others could save him. After all, Xiao Yu could not hide inside a storage ring for decades like Medicine Elder.

Xiao Yu could only say, "This junior is named Xiao Yu. I was being pursued by mercenaries outside, so I had no choice but to hide in the Magic Beast Mountain Range."

See? Everything he said was supported by reason and evidence.

His real name. He had been hunted outside, and only then had he been forced to hide in a nest full of magic beasts that devoured people without even spitting out their bones.

It was not that Xiao Yu did not want to use an alias. The main issue was the recent wanted notice in Green Mountain Town. If this senior happened to come from there, would he not discover that Xiao Yu had lied to him?

If the man took a dislike to him, one slap would be enough—even if they tried to dig him out of a tree, they would not be able to.

After hearing Xiao Yu's words, the black-robed figure said nothing more. It was unclear whether he believed him or not.

Xiao Yu also followed the principle that the less he said, the fewer mistakes he would make. He stopped talking and focused on roasting the meat in his hands.

After a long while, an enticing fragrance drifted from the roasted meat. Xiao Yu took out seasonings from his storage ring and sprinkled them over it, then handed a portion to the black-robed figure. "Senior, please."

As he spoke, afraid that the mysterious person might suspect him of poisoning it, he took a bite first to prove his innocence.

While roasting the meat, Xiao Yu had actually wanted to use the system's favorability panel to check the mysterious person's identity.

But what it showed was:

[Black-Robed Figure] Favorability: 55. Stranger.

When he asked the system, he learned that it would not reveal identities the host had yet to identify. Only after the target's identity had been confirmed would a name label appear.

Xiao Yu could only abandon the idea of relying on the system's convenience to get acquainted with powerful figures.

At the very least, though, he could be certain that the black-robed figure bore him no ill will.

The black-robed figure accepted the roasted meat from Xiao Yu and began eating it with evident enjoyment.

The broad robe concealed his head. Although he was eating, Xiao Yu still could not see his face. He only felt that the man's manner of eating was rather delicate.

Perhaps it was simply the other person's habit. Xiao Yu liked taking big bites when he ate; it was comfortable and relaxing. He had no desire to impose all sorts of restrictions on himself while eating.

Before long, after the two had eaten their fill, the black-robed figure suddenly asked Xiao Yu, "Do you know what place this is?"

Xiao Yu asked curiously, "Where is this?"

Seeing Xiao Yu's clueless expression, the black-robed figure laughed. "You truly aren't afraid of death. You dared run around everywhere without even knowing where you were."

"This is the territory of the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, a sixth-tier magic beast."

"!!!"

"The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King?"

The black-robed figure had expected Xiao Yu to show fear upon hearing the name Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, but Xiao Yu unexpectedly revealed a delighted expression instead.

The figure then asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid? The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King is a sixth-tier magic beast, equivalent to a human Dou Huang expert."

Xiao Yu blinked, coughed, and said to the black-robed figure, "Forgive my foolishness, Senior. I was merely curious."

"Has Senior noticed any great battle nearby lately?"

"???"

Though the black-robed figure said nothing, for some reason Xiao Yu could still sense the figure's confusion.

He coughed and continued, "Then has Senior seen anyone come to cause trouble for the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King?"

Hearing Xiao Yu's words, the black-robed figure narrowed their eyes slightly and asked, "What do you mean by that? Could someone be looking for trouble with the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King?"

Could?

Xiao Yu's mind stalled slightly when he heard those words.

After blinking twice, as if he had thought of a possibility, Xiao Yu carefully asked, "After all this time, I still do not know Senior's honorable name."

The black-robed figure hesitated for a moment before slowly uttering a name.

"Yun Zhi."

Xiao Yu: ...

Unable to conceal his shock, Xiao Yu sprang to his feet.

"Yun Zhi? Your name is Yun Zhi?"

At this point, how could Xiao Yu not understand? He had actually been asking about Yun Yun's whereabouts right in front of Yun Yun herself?

Who was it in his previous life that said anyone could see through her disguise from nothing but a black robe? Come out here—I swear I won't beat you to death!!!

Seriously, it was just a black robe. Xiao Yu had not recognized her as Yun Zhi at all. He had not even considered that she was a woman, since even her voice did not sound feminine.

"What? Have you heard my name before?"

Yun Yun's cool voice rang out again.

Xiao Yu smiled awkwardly. "It's nothing. I once had a friend named Yun Zhi as well. I was merely surprised by the coincidence."

The next day, while Xiao Yu was still cultivating, a tremendous rumble suddenly jolted him awake.

Xiao Yu's eyes snapped open. These past two days, he had been fully prepared in case Yun Zhi suddenly fought the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

The instant he heard the booming sound, Xiao Yu knew that Yun Zhi and the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King had definitely failed to agree on terms and begun fighting.

He took the Shadowless Mask from the system space and skillfully put it on. Xiao Yu immediately rushed toward where the battle had broken out.

The journey was completely unobstructed, which was only natural. In a clash between Dou Huang-level experts, ordinary magic beasts would not dare show themselves. Moreover, this was the Lion King's territory. Normally, no magic beast dared intrude, since magic beasts were extremely territorial, and casually entering the domain of a high-level magic beast would be considered a provocation.

Although there were few magic beasts in the Lion King's territory, Xiao Yu still encountered many fleeing in every direction. Some were the Lion King's usual underlings, while others had been thrown into panic by the battle's aftershocks and fled without regard for direction.

Yet none of the magic beasts capable of surviving in this place were opponents Xiao Yu could defeat.

Fortunately, the Shadowless Mask concealed his aura. Otherwise, he would not even have made it past these magic beasts, let alone approached the center of the battle.

Once he had advanced far enough, Xiao Yu could go no farther.

The terror of Dou Huang experts was no exaggeration. If not for the powerful physique granted by the system and the mask's concealment, Xiao Yu could only have fled as far away as possible from a battle like this.

Xiao Yu climbed to the crown of a towering tree and hid amid its dense branches. Through a gap in the foliage, he observed the clash between two Dou Huang-level powerhouses.