First Encounter with Yun Yun

Xiao Yan felt a tremendous force surge into his body, and his expression turned a little strange. The Dou Qi he had just exhausted filled up again, while a warm current entered his meridians and flowed throughout him.

His whole body suddenly felt lighter.

This Rainbow Flight Art put every so-called movement technique to shame.

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. With a gentle leap, he drifted onto an ancient tree as lightly as a falling leaf.

Two pale golden patterns gradually appeared on his bare back. They trembled, then formed a pair of golden wings.

"Hum..."

With the slightest flutter of his golden wings, Xiao Yan flew several miles. He looked back at the valley in astonishment.

If he pushed the technique to its limit, he could probably rival the Dou Qi Transformation Wings of a Dou Wang or even a Dou Huang expert. A Dou Zong was another matter; their spatial movement was practically cheating.

But at the rate he was progressing with the Rainbow Flight Art, even a Dou Zong might not be able to catch him once he advanced to Dou Ling.

"..."

So this was what having a cheat felt like?

Xiao Yan clenched his fists, brimming with excitement.

At least for now, he could run circles around a Dou Wang. Forget catching him—a Dou Wang would be fast just to glimpse his trail. Of course, it was still best not to provoke a Dou Huang like Yun Yun.

He also needed to get to work on the staff technique, the Vajra Art, and the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.

He longed for the terrifying power of Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation and its other divine abilities. Unfortunately, his cultivation was still low, and he had only just reached minor mastery of a staff technique.

He returned to the valley.

Stripping off his clothes, he stepped beneath the nearby waterfall.

Against the crushing torrent, he split the curtain of water with the dark iron staff in his hands, swinging it with fierce momentum. The Old Lord's phantom watched from beyond the waterfall, satisfaction on his face as he stroked his beard. Such talent and insight were rare indeed.

"Huff, huff..."

Xiao Yan shook out his short hair, his face alight with excitement. Feeling the Dou Qi in his body grow denser and his cultivation rise bit by bit was addictive. It was not that ordinary people disliked hard work; they struggled to keep going when they could not see results.

That was the difference between a genius and everyone else.

The former received immediate rewards, while the latter had to put in dozens or even hundreds of times the effort for the slightest gain.

His staff technique was nearing major mastery. By Xiao Yan's estimate, this Mystic Staff technique could reach the threshold of a Heaven-rank Dou Technique. With his current cultivation, going all out would only let him unleash the power of a three- or four-star Da Dou Shi, but its upper limit was frighteningly high.

"Again!"

Beneath the waterfall, a bare-chested young man wielded the Mystic Staff, cleaving through the crashing water.

Two months later.

In the valley.

An enormous snow-white Snow Ape with sharp fangs and a savage face charged along with one hand clutching its backside and the other braced against the ground, chasing the handsome young man ahead.

The golden wings on the young man's back fluttered. He flew a short distance, then stopped, took a huge bite of the Crimson-Gold Fruit in his hand, and watched the Snow Ape behind him with a teasing look as juice sprayed everywhere.

The Snow Ape's eyes were bloodshot, but all it could do was roar helplessly.

It was a Third-Order Magical Beast, ruler of the surrounding territory. Apart from the true master of the Magical Beast Mountain Range and the Fourth-Order Magical Beasts at his side, no one dared cross it. But this man...

He had appeared out of nowhere, used his movement technique to snatch the Spirit Herb it had spotted first in the pool, then eaten it right in front of it.

"Roar!"

He had even launched a sneak attack, scorching its backside with a Fire Dragon.

"You beast, you still dare chase me?" Xiao Yan grinned and stopped fleeing, mischief glinting in his eyes.

It was time to test the results of the past two months!

"Coiling Dragon Staff!"

At his shout,

the dark staff grew scorching hot. Flames gathered around it, taking the shape of an Ink Green Fire Dragon.

As the Fire Dragon roared forth, the Snow Ape's expression changed. Sensing how terrifying the strike was, it turned to flee, but it was too late. Its injured body could no longer move with its former agility.

The Ink Green Fire Dragon caught up and swallowed it whole.

"Roar!"

With a final scream, the Snow Ape's massive body vanished amid a sizzling hiss of corrosion.

"Tch. This Netherworld Poison Flame really is vicious."

Xiao Yan glanced at the spot where the Snow Ape had been. Not a trace of its body remained, only a snow-white Third-Order Magic Core.

The Mystic Staff in his hand had turned black again.

That was the effect of infusing it with the Netherworld Poison Flame. Combined with the Coiling Dragon Staff Technique, it had let him crush a Third-Order Magical Beast while he was only a Five-Star Dou Master.

Ordinarily, a human cultivator needed to be at least five or six stars into the equivalent rank to stand against a Magical Beast of the same order. Killing one took seven or eight stars.

By his estimate, he would not be at a disadvantage even against a seven- or eight-star Da Dou Shi.

In that case... Xiao Yi Xian's food should be ready soon.

Xiao Yan grinned and prepared to head back.

But his body suddenly stiffened. His gaze sharpened as he looked toward a distant valley.

A furious roar shook the sky.

"Woman, get out!!!"

Yun Yun?

Xiao Yan's pupils contracted. Two figures faced each other high in the sky. One was a huge, imposing purple lion with wings and a single horn. The other was a stunning woman, much smaller but no less powerful in presence.

Her bearing was cool and commanding. Though her features were delicate, she carried an authority that brooked no refusal.

She was the leader of a sect, after all. But...

Xiao Yan's expression turned odd. Was the cave scene about to happen?

Hidden among the trees, he parted the thick leaves. The two had already started fighting. Both were Dou Huang experts; neither would back down easily.

"Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!"

Yun Yun frowned slightly. Realizing how difficult the Amethyst Winged Lion King was to deal with, she stopped holding back and used her trump card.

Caught off guard, the Amethyst Winged Lion King lost his horn to the strike.

Pain surged through his body. His eyes turned bloodred, and he unleashed his own trump card... the Great Sealing Technique.

"Watch out!" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed.

His voice rang across the sky like thunder.

He had casually learned Mad Lion's Roar on the principle that he might as well take what was available. It could not intimidate a Dou Huang expert, of course, but it warned her in time.

Yun Yun dodged the thick purple beam by a hair.

Gratitude flashed in her beautiful eyes as she looked toward Xiao Yan.

The Amethyst Winged Lion King flew into a rage and lunged at Xiao Yan, but Yun Yun moved straight into his path.

"Hold him off a little longer. I need the Purple Spirit Crystal in his cave. Once I get it, we can split it in half." Xiao Yan grinned. The cave held Companion Amethyst Source, a material valuable enough to refine a Fifth-grade Pill. He could hardly pass that up. Besides... it was the perfect bait for Cai Lin.

No transformed Heaven Swallowing Python could resist Companion Amethyst Source.

Yun Yun paused in surprise. She watched Xiao Yan turn into a streak of golden light and enter the cave. Though she wondered whether a Dou Huang expert who looked so young was wearing a disguise, she instinctively held off the enraged Amethyst Winged Lion King.

After missing with his ultimate move, he was nearly out of Dou Qi.

That made holding him off easy enough.