Walking the Air Without Wings

"It seemed the Magical Beast Mountain Range was unusually lively today..."

Yao Lao hovered in midair, his gaze fixed beyond the cave as he spoke gravely.

"Kid, gather everything in the cave. Don't leave anything behind. Come with me and see what's happening..."

Yao Xuan nodded at his words. After carefully scanning the cave and confirming that nothing had been missed, his figure flickered as he darted out of the quiet cavern.

The moment Yao Xuan and the other stepped outside, an overwhelming tidal wave of energy erupted from the deepest core of the Magical Beast Mountain Range!

Rumble—!

A deafening explosion tore through layer after layer of mountain forest.

Immediately afterward, a domineering and violent lion's roar thundered across the heavens.

Yao Lao's expression abruptly darkened, his gaze locking onto the source of the energy disturbance. His voice carried a trace of surprise.

"This roar is deep and tyrannical, carrying the pure power of the Amethyst Winged Lion bloodline... It's actually a Sixth-Order Peak Magical Beast—the Amethyst Winged Lion King!"

After a brief pause, a sharp glint flashed through Yao Lao's eyes.

"Judging by the trajectory of those colliding energies, a human Battle Emperor Realm expert must have set her sights on the lion king's treasure."

Following Yao Lao's gaze, Yao Xuan looked into the distance at the raging energy churning deep within the mountain range.

He already understood what was happening and could not help muttering to himself.

"The human Battle Emperor Realm expert who came here should be Yun Yun, the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect..."

"But according to the timeline, this shouldn't be when Yun Yun entered the mountains to obtain Purple Spirit Crystal..."

Still, Yao Xuan did not dwell on it. Some deviations in the timeline were perfectly normal.

Thus, Yao Xuan turned to Yao Lao beside him and spoke slowly.

"Uncle Chen, this Amethyst Winged Lion King should be the strongest overlord in the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"We entered the mountains for Beast Flame in the first place. In my view, this Sixth-Order lion king may possess the opportunity we seek. We might as well go try our luck..."

Yao Lao nodded slightly and spoke leisurely.

"You are only a Dou Spirit now. Your physical speed is limited. At such a distance, if you travel there on your own, the battle will probably be over by the time you arrive."

"For now, let me take control of your body for a while."

Yao Xuan understood and nodded.

The next instant, Yao Lao's soul turned into an incomparably condensed streak of light and slipped without obstruction into the sea of consciousness between Yao Xuan's brows!

At the same time, vast and icy Bone Chilling Flame silently emerged, wrapping layer upon layer around Yao Xuan's body and perfectly concealing all his aura.

Then, white light flashed around Yao Xuan. His entire body transformed into a streak of white light and shot toward the core of the Magical Beast Mountain Range in an instant!

In only a few breaths, Yao Xuan appeared at the edge of the energy standoff.

Looking up, he saw that the once clear and azure sky stretching for thousands of miles had been forcibly split apart by two utterly opposing terrifying energies!

Half the sky surged with scorching, tyrannical violet-gold Dou Qi...

The other half of the heavens swirled with clear, gentle jade-green Dou Qi...

Beneath that violet-gold radiance, an enormous magical beast with overwhelming presence occupied the air.

Its entire body was covered in layers of glittering violet-gold scales.

Two pairs of massive wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky, while savage light shone from its lion eyes.

It was the strongest magical beast in the Magical Beast Mountain Range—the Sixth-Order Peak Magical Beast, the Amethyst Winged Lion King!

On the other side, enveloped by jade-green Dou Qi, a graceful and peerless woman stood suspended in the air.

Her elegant white dress fluttered wildly in the wind. Her figure was slender yet upright, her curves exquisite and alluring, revealing the unique full-bodied charm of a mature woman.

She was Yun Yun, the current sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect!

Thanks to Yao Lao's Bone Chilling Flame concealing his aura,

neither the beast nor the human locked in confrontation in the sky noticed Yao Xuan's presence at all.

The atmosphere above the heavens had grown heavy to the extreme.

Yun Yun was the first to speak, her attitude relatively peaceful.

"Lion King, I have no intention of fighting you. Could you lend me a Purple Spirit Crystal from your body?"

The Amethyst Winged Lion King narrowed its massive lion eyes slightly, looking down upon the human Battle Emperor Realm expert before it. A low, mocking laugh rumbled from its throat, full of disdain and arrogance.

"Purple Spirit Crystal?"

"My Purple Spirit Crystal is a natal scale crystal shed only after the Amethyst Winged Lion Clan spends twenty years tempering its bloodline. It is incomparably precious. You think you can take it away with a casual request to borrow it? How naive."

Yun Yun did not grow angry at the lion king's refusal. Her expression remained calm as she spoke again in a low voice.

"If the Lion King is unwilling to lend it without compensation, I can offer heavenly treasures that you need and exchange them at equal value."

"An exchange?"

The Amethyst Winged Lion King abruptly threw back its head and burst into wild laughter, its voice full of mockery and arrogance.

"Since you insist on making an exchange, then I shall give you an opportunity!"

"I am currently at the critical stage of transformation. I need a seventh-grade Transformation Pill to assist me and stabilize my transformed foundation. If you can produce a Transformation Pill, I will offer this Purple Spirit Crystal with both hands!"

From the shadows, Yao Lao's voice sounded with a faint chuckle.

"A Transformation Pill? This old lion certainly knows how to scheme. Its appetite truly isn't small."

"A high-grade seventh-grade pill—looking across the entire Jia Ma Empire, I'm afraid no one could refine one..."

Yao Xuan deeply agreed. His eyes remained fixed on the Amethyst Winged Lion King in the sky as he spoke quietly.

"Uncle Chen, the Purple Spirit Crystal is itself an unparalleled treasure. If cultivators below the Dou Wang level refine it, they can directly break through their cultivation bottleneck and stabilize their realm without any backlash. Its value is extremely high."

"Not only that, this old lion king also contains pure high-grade Beast Flame. That is precisely the purpose of our trip."

"Given the current situation, it is certain their negotiations will collapse. Before long, they will fight fiercely. We can wait for an opportunity and reap the benefits."

Yao Xuan knew very well that Yun Yun sought only a Purple Spirit Crystal, solely to help Nalan Yanran break through her realm.

Yet no one knew that deep within the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave lay another once-in-a-millennium treasure—the Companion Amethyst Source!

It was the core fire seed nurtured by the lion king's natal origin, containing pure Purple Flame.

Yao Xuan would never let such an immense opportunity slip away...

Yao Lao smiled faintly at his words, his tone filled with absolute confidence and composure.

"Purple Spirit Crystal, high-grade Beast Flame... This trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range has indeed not been in vain."

"But kid, remember this: only the weak need to wait for opportunities and reap the benefits."

"Now that I have taken control of your body, although my full strength is not what it was at my peak, dealing with these two Battle Emperor Realm experts is more than enough."

"If you want an opportunity, why hide like a rat? Just take it directly!"

The instant his words fell, the intensely restrained, pale-white Bone Chilling Flame around Yao Xuan abruptly dispersed!

The aura that had been completely concealed erupted without reservation!

Buzz—

A terrifying pressure far beyond the Battle Emperor Realm, one that towered above this world itself, instantly swept across the entire sky!

The concealment effect vanished completely, and Yao Xuan's figure was openly exposed amid the clouds high above.

Yun Yun and the Amethyst Winged Lion King, who had been confronting each other in the air, stiffened at the same time. Their vast Battle Emperor Realm Dou Qi surged abruptly in unison as they turned in horror toward Yao Xuan's direction!

"Who is it!?"

The Amethyst Winged Lion King roared furiously, its eyes filled with vigilance.

"Who is hiding here? Get out before this king!"

At this moment, Yao Lao had completely taken control of Yao Xuan's body.

Yao Lao let out a soft sigh.

"The foundation of this body is solid. It truly is an excellent vessel for cultivation..."

Yao Xuan slowly asked, "Uncle Chen, how much of your strength can you use now?"

Controlling Yao Xuan's body, Yao Lao raised the corners of his lips in an utterly indifferent smile and slightly lifted his eyes.

"Don't worry. I have yet to put two mere Battle Emperor Realm experts in my eyes..."

His words ended.

Within Yao Xuan's originally black eyes, flecks of glimmering white cold flame suddenly began to flow...

Yao Xuan lifted his foot lightly. With only a leisurely step, his figure stood steadily upon the vault of heaven.

One step forward, and he walked through empty air!

Witnessing this utterly shocking sight, Yun Yun's delicate body trembled violently in the sky.

Almost at the same time, both Yun Yun and the Amethyst Winged Lion King spoke with a faint tremor in their voices.

"Walking through empty air... Hovering without wings..."

"A... a Dou Zong expert!?"