Magical Beast Mountain Range

Over the past six months, under Yao Lao's secret guidance, he had progressed by leaps and bounds, already reaching Seventh Stage Dou Qi.

When he heard that Xiao Yuan was leaving to train in the outside world, his heart inexplicably tightened.

"You're going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range?" Xiao Yan asked, worry hidden in his voice.

"Yes. I plan to visit Qingshan Town first." Xiao Yuan looked at him and smiled faintly.

"Staying in the Xiao Clan won't let me make any more significant progress."

"It's dangerous there." Xiao Yan frowned. "I..." He desperately wanted to offer to go along, but he was only at Seventh Stage Dou Qi. His strength was far too meager, so he could only suppress the impulse.

"Be careful, whatever you do."

"Don't worry." Xiao Yuan nodded. "You don't need to push yourself too hard, either. Take care of yourself while you train. Two and a half years from now, on Misty Cloud Mountain, I hope to see a Xiao Yan whose brilliance shines in all directions."

Looking into the youth's clear, resolute eyes, Xiao Yan felt warmth fill his heart. He nodded firmly. "I'll wait for you to return."

The next day, dawn had barely broken.

The city gates slowly opened. A silver-robed figure carrying a simple pack left Wutan City, where he had lived for ten years, and rode toward the distant Magical Beast Mountain Range wreathed in clouds and mist.

Whoosh!

Tap!

Swish!

The sounds of something slicing through the air rang out incessantly.

Xiao Yuan drove the Dou Qi within him, using the extreme speed granted by the movement Dou Technique Thunderflash to dart along thick tree trunks like a blurred silver shadow.

His toes lightly tapped the branches, borrowing their support to spring into the air. Each flash carried him several dozen feet, so fast that only an afterimage remained.

Lightning curled around his feet, faint thunder crackling in tiny bursts and shattering every thorn and loose stone in his path.

Far from Wutan City's sparse spiritual energy, the closer he drew to the mountains, the richer and more vibrant the energy between heaven and earth became. It rushed toward him, mingled with the scents of vegetation, decaying soil, and the wildness of fierce beasts.

At the edge of his vision, that vast mass stretching for a thousand miles in an unbroken chain finally shook off its veil of clouds and mist, revealing itself in full.

Verdant mountains rose in overlapping layers, countless trees flourished, and dense shade blotted out the sun. Mist cloaked the distant peaks, while deep shadows hid within the nearby woods. The boundless dark-green sea of forest rolled in heavy waves, like a primordial beast that had lain dormant for countless ages—vast, desolate, and concealing endless dangers.

This was the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a perilous region of the Dou Qi Continent renowned throughout the Jia Ma Empire.

With one final flash, Xiao Yuan landed lightly atop a towering rock outcrop. He reined in his Dou Qi, and the tiny arcs of lightning surrounding him quietly faded.

"Phew... finally here..."

He bent slightly, bracing both hands on his knees, and slowly exhaled a long breath of stale air. A thin sheen of sweat covered his temples, but his breathing remained steady and deep, without the slightest irregularity.

Over the past few days, he had used his Dou Technique to travel as efficiently as possible. Finally, on the third day, after crossing three hundred kilometers of mountain trails, he had safely reached the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Xiao Yuan leaped onto the trunk of a tall, sturdy ancient tree.

The branch beneath his feet was thick and solid, standing dozens of yards above the ground and offering an exceptionally broad view.

He stood in the wind and gazed far across his surroundings.

Before him lay a boundless sea of forest stretching for countless miles, its depths impossible to fathom. As far as he could see, there were no way stations, nor any trace of a mercenary town. It seemed he had strayed slightly from his planned route and missed Qingshan Town.

Fortunately, before setting out, Xiao Yuan had already prepared himself to spend at least a year in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

His Storage Ring held everything he needed: dry rations, clean water, healing medicine, and a simple tent, all supplies he had prepared back in Wutan City. Together with the Gold Coins Xiao Zhan had given him before his departure, they ensured he would not be caught at a loss.

Leaning against the rough tree trunk, he reached his right hand into the faint glow of the Storage Ring on his index finger and withdrew a walnut-sized Tier 1 Wind Attribute Magic Core shimmering with pale azure light.

His five fingers slowly tightened.

Crack—

Fine cracks rapidly spread across the magic core's surface. A surge of pure, violent wind Dou Qi broke free of its restraints and flooded outward like a bird escaping its cage.

Xiao Yuan half-closed his eyes and activated the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art.

Within his dantian, the Dou Qi vortex slowly rotated. The cultivation art meticulously broke down the wind-attribute energy, transforming it into pure Origin Dou Qi that flowed gently through his meridians, replenishing the enormous amount he had consumed through repeated uses of Thunderflash.

Wind passed through the leaves, and beast roars echoed in the distance, but Xiao Yuan seemed to hear none of it. His mind had sunk entirely into cultivation.

Within a few short breaths, all the energy inside the magic core had been extracted. Its crystalline shell lost its luster and crumbled into a handful of fine ash, scattering on the wind through the gaps between his fingers.

Xiao Yuan slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them.

The Dou Qi within him, which had nearly run dry, was now more than half replenished.

This was a new use for magic cores he had developed during his six months in the Xiao Clan. The Source-Dividing Art's domineering absorption efficiency, paired with the violent natural energy inside magic cores, allowed him to replenish his Dou Qi whenever he wished.

Its restorative effect rivaled that of a high-grade Qi Recovery Pill.

"Next, I'll find some low-tier magical beasts to practice on, then get some magic cores."

With his current cultivation as a Nine-Star Dou Zhe and two Xuan-tier Dou Techniques, even an ordinary Tier 2 Magical Beast would not be able to get close to him.

A sharp light flickered in Xiao Yuan's eyes. He lowered his body slightly, concealing his silver robe in the shadows of the dense foliage.

He spread his Nine-Star Dou Zhe senses to their fullest extent. Dou Qi flowed slowly through his meridians, ready to erupt at any moment.

The most common creatures on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range were Azure Wind Wolves and Steel-Mane Wild Boars. Both were Tier 1 magical beasts, with combat strength roughly equivalent to Three- to Seven-Star Dou Zhe, making them perfect for honing his practical combat experience.

Before long, rustling came from the bushes below.

Eight Azure Wind Wolves, each nearly half a meter tall at the shoulder, were nosing through piles of rotting leaves for insects. A faint wind shimmer played over their blue-gray fur, and their pointed ears constantly swiveled as they vigilantly checked their surroundings.

Here they come.

Xiao Yuan hesitated no longer. He stamped his foot hard against the tree trunk!

Thunderflash!

Whoosh—!

A silver shadow plunged from dozens of meters above. Tiny arcs of lightning crackled around his right fist, with Thunderclap Finger poised to strike.

His swift descent threw the air currents in the woods into chaos, sending the leaves overhead trembling and rustling.

All eight Azure Wind Wolves jerked their heads up almost simultaneously, a vicious, cold gleam instantly surfacing in their amber eyes. The pack leader, noticeably bulkier than the others, gave a low warning growl. Pale azure wind Dou Qi swirled around it, and several palm-sized wind blades shot upward with sharp whistles.

But Xiao Yuan was faster still.

Thunderflash activated again!

His figure twisted slightly in midair, shifting sideways by twenty feet without any foothold. The wind blades skimmed the hem of his silver robe, slicing apart a few dead leaves and striking empty air.

Thud!

His lightning-wreathed right finger struck the top of the pack leader's skull with brutal precision!

A low thunderclap suddenly erupted as lightning attribute Dou Qi surged savagely through his fingertip into the wolf's body. Its hard skull gave a muffled crack that set the teeth on edge. Before the pack leader could even cry out, its massive body pitched forward. Its limbs twitched twice, then fell still.