Yun Zhi

After wiping it clean, Xiao Yao immediately sprinkled healing powder over the wound and wrapped it with clean cotton cloth. Once he was done, he softly said to her, "All right, the wounds have been treated. Just change the medicine once more tomorrow." Xiao Yao's voice was low and warm, giving her an inexplicable sense of reassurance. Smiling faintly, he turned and sat down some distance away.

The woman inspected the bandaging around her wound. After making sure there were no problems, she raised her head and looked at the handsome young man. Judging by his face, he seemed one or two years younger than her, only seventeen or eighteen.

She could not help feeling somewhat moved. Such a young boy had actually come alone to the Magic Beast Mountain Range. A trace of curiosity rose in her heart, and she softly asked, "What is your name? Where are you from?" Her voice was gentle, carrying a hint of anticipation.

Xiao Yao turned around and looked into her clear eyes, his heart stirring slightly. He answered, "Shouldn't you tell me your name first?"

His voice was low and magnetic, giving her an inexplicable sense of attraction.

Hearing this, the woman smiled brightly at Xiao Yao and said, "Then let's get acquainted now. My name is Yun Zhi. And you?"

Upon hearing that name, Xiao Yao thought, As expected, this woman is Yun Yun. I thought she would tell me her real name, but she actually used Yun Zhi as an alias. Since she's using an alias, I'll use one too. Heh heh.

Xiao Yao fell silent for a moment, as though recalling something. Then he slowly said, "Yun Zhi, my name is Yao Xiao."

After hearing Xiao Yao's words, a smile spread across Yun Yun's eyes. "Yao Xiao. Not a bad name."

Xiao Yao lit a pile of dry firewood. Watching the blazing flames, he began considering what to eat that night.

He recalled that there seemed to be a Tiger-Headed Leopard corpse in his Storage Ring from some time ago. He took it out and looked at the fresh ingredients, marveling that the Storage Ring rewarded by the system really was different.

Xiao Yao began dissecting the Tiger-Headed Leopard's corpse. His movements were practiced and precise, as though every action had been carefully considered.

He carefully removed the Tiger-Headed Leopard's hide and fangs, which could be used to make weapons. Thinking that he could exchange them for some resources at an auction house after returning, he then cut off meat from the leopard's thigh, skewered it, and roasted it over the fire.

The heat gradually seeped into the meat, turning it golden and tempting. The aroma of roasted meat made his saliva flow continuously. Xiao Yao searched through the sauces he had previously taken from the supermarket in his Storage Ring. Looking at the many options—black pepper barbecue sauce, orange barbecue sauce, honey barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, and others—he hesitated over which to choose. Forget it, honey barbecue sauce it was. Girls liked sweet things, after all.

Looking at the golden, mouthwatering roast, Xiao Yao evenly brushed honey barbecue sauce over it. Under the flames, the sauce slowly soaked into the meat and released a rich fragrance of grilled meat.

Meanwhile, Yun Yun quietly watched him bustle about. Smelling the rich aroma of roasted meat, her throat began to itch slightly. She could not help swallowing, and her stomach started rumbling as well. Seeing Xiao Yao's focused expression as he tended the meat, she found it rather amusing and silently scolded herself.

"Hmph, a man can actually cook better than a woman, and he even roasted the meat so fragrantly. He's making me embarrass myself in front of him."

Xiao Yao heard Yun Yun swallow and turned toward her. With a disdainful smile at the corner of his lips, he said, "A dignified Dou King can actually feel hungry? No matter how high your cultivation is, before the delicacies I make with my own hands, you're just a weak little woman, Yun Zhi. Here, taste this roasted meat I made myself." As he spoke, he handed the cooked meat to Yun Yun.

Yun Yun looked at the golden roast and inhaled its fragrance. Her face reddened slightly as she reached out with her slender hand and accepted it. Taking a gentle bite, the savory juices burst across her mouth, making her let out a satisfied moan.

Yun Yun looked at Xiao Yao, admiration gleaming in her eyes. "Yao Xiao, your roasted meat is delicious. I never expected a man like you to have such excellent cooking skills. I've never eaten anything this delicious."

Hearing Yun Yun's praise, Xiao Yao could not help feeling a little pleased with himself.

Seeing Yun Yun's satisfied expression, he said, "As long as you like it, Yun Zhi. By the way, what are you doing in the Magic Beast Mountain Range? And why did you provoke the Purple-Gold Winged Lion King?"

"I came to the Magic Beast Mountain Range to train. My cultivation has reached a bottleneck, so I came out to see if I could find a fortuitous opportunity. What about you?"

Yun Yun paused her meal, raised her exquisite face, and looked at Xiao Yao as she answered.

"Mm, more or less the same reason. I come from a small Lineage, after all, and don't have many resources. I can only rely on myself." Xiao Yao shrugged helplessly.

Yun Yun looked at the Tiger-Headed Leopard, a peak third-tier Magic Beast, and obvious astonishment flashed across her face. Then an indescribable charm curled at the corners of her lips as she teased, "A man who has only just become a Great Dou Master can hunt a Magic Beast at the peak of the Great Dou Master level. Are you really from a small Lineage? I'm becoming more and more curious about your background."

After hearing her words, Xiao Yao nearly burst out laughing. He inwardly complained, The first time I tell the truth, no one believes me.

He deliberately put on a mysterious expression and looked at Yun Yun with a smile. "Yun Zhi, are you testing my patience? My origins cannot be explained in just a few words. But since you're so interested, I'll tell you about my background."

Hearing that, Yun Yun's eyes immediately lit up. She quickly finished the meat in her hand, washed away the grease covering her fingers, then sat properly in front of Xiao Yao and looked at him with great expectation.

Thus, Xiao Yao began telling her his fantastical story.

He described how, at the moment of his birth, the heavens and earth underwent strange changes. Ancient phenomena appeared throughout a hundred-mile radius. For example, green lotuses bloomed from the sky across the surrounding hundred miles, swaying gracefully in the air like a vast sea of flowers, brimming with vitality. It made people feel as though they had arrived in the era when heaven and earth were first created. Chaos aura even shrouded the area, hence the name Chaos-Seeded Green Lotus.

Xiao Yao paused, as though recalling the magnificent sight from his birth, and continued, "There were also phenomena such as Bright Moon Rising Over the Sea, Stars Shining on the Azure Sky, the Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Diagram, Immortal King Arriving in the Nine Heavens, and more. The appearance of these phenomena drew many ancient Lineages into the world in succession."

As Xiao Yao told Yun Yun the story he had woven, Yun Yun covered her mouth and smiled. Her delicate jade hand hooked a loose strand of hair beside her ear as she leaned slightly closer to Xiao Yao and softly whispered beside his ear, "Hehe, Yao Xiao, do you think I would believe that story?"

A soft breath brushed against Xiao Yao's ear, making the tip of his heart itch faintly. The tips of his ears immediately reddened a little.

Seeing this, Yun Yun smiled and teased, "Even though it's fake, your story is genuinely good. The scenes you described felt very real and immersive. I was almost completely captivated."