Return to the Black-Corner Region (41k)

At present, if Liu Yu wanted to travel to the Eastern Continent, he had only two choices: cross the Sea of Death or use the Gong Family's space wormhole.

Comparing the two, Liu Yu felt that the Gong Family's space wormhole was somewhat more reliable. The Sea of Death had both gray mist and Gray Beasts, and rumor had it that there were even Dou Zun-level experts within it. Before beings like Dou Zun, who manipulated spatial power with such practiced ease, the spatial jumps he currently possessed could essentially be considered "ineffective."

In other words, it seemed he could only reach the Eastern Continent through a space wormhole. Surely the guards stationed at the wormhole's Eastern Continent entrance would not be Dou Zun experts? Even the Central Plains was not so extravagant as to have Dou Zun guarding doors!

Besides that, there was another very serious question: once he reached the Eastern Continent, how would he get back?

After careful deliberation, Liu Yu's reason told him that the best choice was to withdraw for now and visit the Eastern Continent once he was stronger.

Exploring an unknown continent for a Heavenly Flame when there might be no way back was still very dangerous. He definitely was not afraid of dying; he was afraid something might happen to Zi Yan. After all, he had promised Su Qian that he would take good care of her...

Having made his decision, Liu Yu returned to the inn. The moment he entered the room, he saw Zi Yan rolling around on the bed.

Seeing Liu Yu return, Zi Yan immediately sat up and asked in a bored voice, "Boss, what are we doing next? I'm so bored!"

"Returning to the Black-Corner Region," Liu Yu replied flatly.

"Huh! Going back? Then wasn't coming here a waste of time?" Zi Yan pouted. What an unreliable boss.

"There's nothing we can do about it. East Nether City's space wormhole is broken, and crossing the Sea of Death means we'd inevitably encounter mutated magical beasts at sea. The Ghost-Faced Sharks there are not only powerful, they love eating children! Especially ones like you." Liu Yu explained, taking the opportunity to frighten Zi Yan.

"Hmph, I don't believe you. You're obviously the one scared of those Ghost-Faced Sharks, boss. Besides, I'm not little! I only look like a little girl because I ate transformation grass. If we really compared ages, I'd definitely be older than you. You should be calling me big sister!"

Zi Yan bristled a little. She hated it most when people called her a child. Thoroughly indignant, she took a bottle of pills from her storage ring, poured out a green pill, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed "viciously." She would eat more pills, grow up quickly, and then teach this rotten boss a lesson!

"All right, all right, you're not little. You're the biggest! We should get going." Liu Yu could not be bothered to argue with a little brat like Zi Yan. It would be beneath his dignity.

Above an endless plain, Liu Yu stood facing the wind on the back of a huge blue Flying Magical Beast, while Zi Yan sat on its back, munching mouthfuls of pills.

With nothing else to do, Liu Yu checked the system panel he had not looked at in quite some time.

[Name: Liu Yu]

[Race: Human Race]

[Age: fourteen]

[Cultivation: Nine-Star Dou Emperor]

[Soul: middle Spirit Realm]

[Cultivation methods: Myriad Forms Divine Art, Origin-Nurturing Art, (Middle Earth Tier) Flame Mantra, (Middle Earth Tier) Divine Flame Art]

[Dou techniques: Twelve Divine Wheels, Profound Heaven Soul Art, Thousand Illusion Body (minor mastery), (Earth Tier Low Grade) Wind-Evolving Spirit-Slaying Finger (minor mastery), (Earth Tier Low Grade) Heaven-Burning Palm (minor mastery), (Earth Tier Low Grade) Ten Thousand Serpent Calamity (minor mastery), (Middle Profound Tier) Mountain-Splitting Finger (major mastery), (Middle Profound Tier) Ethereal Step (major mastery), (High Profound Tier) Flame Spear (major mastery), (]

[Treasures: Profound Lotus Ice Flame (fused), Thousand-Mechanism Fan]

[Achievements: Little Devil, Restless Little Hands, Spoiled Brat, First Steps, Alchemy Master, Empty-Handed Master, Shamelessness, Little Star]

[System Space: Thousand-Mechanism Fan]

The system panel had become normal again. That "Little Silver" entry that had left Liu Yu speechless was gone.

Without realizing it, he had turned fourteen. He had thought he was only thirteen... In fact, Liu Yu was not wrong about that. Just a few days ago, he had still been thirteen.

Nine-Star Dou Emperor. The bug that let multiple cultivation methods cultivate automatically had brought him within a single step of the Dou Zong realm. Once he reached the Black-Corner Region, he could casually pop a pill and become a Dou Zong.

His soul realm had also broken through to the middle Spirit Realm. He had to admit that the Profound Heaven Soul Art was quite efficient at absorbing spiritual energy.

While Liu Yu was pondering this, Zi Yan tugged on Liu Yu's brocade robe and smacked her little lips. "Boss, I'm almost out of pills!"

"Hm?" Liu Yu froze. There had been a hundred bottles of pills! How much time had passed? It had not even been a month.

Seemingly noticing Liu Yu's doubts, Zi Yan explained, "Boss, I'm still growing! You told me to eat one bottle a day, but that's nowhere near enough. I need at least three bottles a day. I can digest exactly that much, and I can feel that I'm about to advance!"

Hearing Zi Yan's words, Liu Yu released his vast Soul Power and sent it straight into her body. After examining her, he discovered that she really was showing signs of advancing. With some more energy, she should be able to break through.

"Boss, what are you doing!" Enveloped by Liu Yu's soul power, Zi Yan felt as though he had seen every inch of her. She could not help covering her chest, a faint blush spreading across her little face as an almost imperceptible trace of embarrassment flashed through her purple eyes. So the boss was that sort of person...

"Heh!" Liu Yu was amused. He was examining the inside of her body, not looking at its surface. With how utterly unremarkable she was, even a dog would not look!

"I already have someone. I'm not interested in a little brat like you. Why are you flattering yourself?" As he spoke, Liu Yu even glanced at Zi Yan's flat chest, making no attempt to conceal the disdain in his eyes.

Those "icy" words made Zi Yan's little face turn bright red. Gritting her teeth, she stared at Liu Yu with "fierce" purple eyes, then suddenly lunged at him.

Already prepared, Liu Yu willed his immense Soul Power to restrain Zi Yan. He moved the immobilized girl in front of him and kneaded her adorable cheeks, chuckling. "Lost your temper and want to get rough with your boss? You're still too green!"

After struggling and discovering that she could not escape that Soul Power, Zi Yan's expression changed. She put on an adorable, ingratiating smile. "Boss, I was wrong!"

"A child who admits her mistakes and corrects them is a good child." Hearing her words, Liu Yu did not make things any harder for her. He set her aside and withdrew his Soul Power.

The instant Zi Yan felt herself freed, however, she turned into an afterimage and charged at Liu Yu.

"Bang!" "Ah!"

A sharp sound suddenly rang out, accompanied by a scream, as Zi Yan was sent flying by an invisible barrier.

The Flying Magical Beast beneath Liu Yu's feet was startled. Its eyes stole a glance at the figure flying away before it continued diligently flapping its wings and flying forward.

Its lot was rather miserable, really. It had happened to fly past the Great Thunder Mountain Range, only to be suddenly stopped by two people, one big and one small. If the man's aura had not been so terrifying, it would definitely have made a meal of them!

After leaving the Flying Magical Beast's back, Zi Yan spread the Purple Wings behind her and hovered high in the sky, baring her teeth and covering her smooth, slightly reddened forehead.

"You didn't knock yourself stupid, did you?" Liu Yu looked at Zi Yan with a half-smile. What a naughty child, saying one thing and doing another. Slamming into that invisible barrier formed from Soul Power could not have felt good.

"Boss, you're bullying me. Waaa..." Tears swam in Zi Yan's eyes as she spoke in a rather choked voice.

Uh, perhaps that was a little too much...

Seeing Zi Yan like that, Liu Yu softened. Composing his expression, he hurried to comfort her. "All right, how about I refine some pills for you to eat?"

"No. My head hurts!" Zi Yan replied, sounding aggrieved.

"Then shall I rub it for you?"

"Mm," Zi Yan answered softly and slowly flew over to Liu Yu.

Just as Liu Yu reached out to rub Zi Yan's reddened forehead, she seized the opportunity to dart closer. Her little arms wrapped straight around his neck, and she bit him on the face!

Liu Yu stiffened. The faint pain in his face made it clear that his handsome features were being ravaged. Suppressing the urge to slap Zi Yan away, he gave up struggling and treated it as being gnawed on by a dog.

Fortunately, Zi Yan controlled the strength of her bite, leaving only rows of tooth marks on Liu Yu's face before stopping at the right moment.

There was no trace of those swimming tears in Zi Yan now. Her purple eyes were full of slyness, and she felt rather pleased with herself for fooling Liu Yu. Still, it was not entirely a trick. Her forehead really had hurt when she struck that invisible barrier!

"Satisfied now?" Liu Yu touched his uneven cheek, where glistening traces of moisture still lingered, his expression somewhat helpless.

"Mm." Zi Yan giggled, then asked curiously, "Boss, do you like big ones?"

"Big ones?" Big what? Liu Yu was somewhat "confused."

Zi Yan said nothing, merely thrusting out her flat chest. The corner of Liu Yu's mouth twitched, but he answered quite seriously, "I'm not sure whether I like big ones, but having none definitely won't do!"

"What do you mean, none? They're right here!" Zi Yan thrust out her chest with all her might, stopping just short of stripping to prove it.

Liu Yu ignored her. He sent the Dou Qi within him surging out to dry the moisture on his face, then began kneading his "pitted" cheeks. Some marks, such as tooth marks, could be removed through kneading.

Seeing Liu Yu ignore her, Zi Yan thought he was simply looking down on her small chest. Rather disgruntled, she muttered, "Boss, you do like big ones! If I hadn't accidentally eaten transformation grass before, mine would definitely be big!"

"It's a good thing you accidentally ate transformation grass. Otherwise, you'd still be in beast form. Big? You wouldn't even have breasts!" Liu Yu corrected Zi Yan's mistake.

Zi Yan froze. That made so much sense... Then she immediately began acting shamelessly, pounding Liu Yu's chest with her little fists and declaring imperiously, "I don't care! Hurry up and refine little pills for me. I want to grow up!"

"If you don't get off me, how am I supposed to refine little pills for you?"

The Black-Corner Region, Black Seal City, Feather Pavilion headquarters.

Inside a spacious, brightly lit hall, Yun Yun sat in the main seat, handling Feather Pavilion's affairs.

Just then, the space inside the hall rippled, and a tall man appeared, holding a petite girl in his arms.

Yun Yun raised her head slightly, and the person she had been missing suddenly appeared before her eyes. But when she noticed the little purple-clad girl in Liu Yu's arms, her lovely eyes narrowed slightly.

"Boss, is this your territory?" Zi Yan rose from Liu Yu's arms, looking around with wide eyes. When her gaze turned to Yun Yun in the main seat, her little mouth fell open. So big!

"Mm." Liu Yu answered casually and looked at Yun Yun. Noticing her strange gaze, he hurried over to her, gave her a general explanation of Zi Yan's circumstances, then beckoned Zi Yan over.

Zi Yan looked at the graceful, noble woman before her, particularly that pair, which made her terribly envious. Before Liu Yu could introduce them, she spoke first. "Big sister, you're so pretty! And those are so big, too. No wonder the boss isn't interested in me."

"You're very adorable too, little sister!" Yun Yun was stunned for a moment by Zi Yan's unfiltered childish remarks. Once she recovered, she gently drew Zi Yan to her side and smiled.

Beside them, Liu Yu was smiling, but inwardly he had already cursed Zi Yan countless times.

"Big sister, you have to stand up for me. The boss keeps bullying me when we're out." Glancing at Liu Yu, Zi Yan spoke directly to Yun Yun.

"Oh? How does he bully you?" Yun Yun asked with some curiosity. After all, she had shared a bed with Liu Yu. They had done both what they should and what they should not...

She considered herself fairly familiar with Liu Yu. He should not be that sort of person. Although the little girl before her was adorable, she was ultimately far too "ordinary" in every respect.

"He's always pinching my cheeks and patting my head. Now I can't grow taller." Zi Yan glanced at Liu Yu and answered truthfully. Although she loved playing around, she understood that some things could not be joked about.

"That only means you're too adorable. Liu Yu rarely treats girls like that," Yun Yun said with a light laugh.

Zi Yan was clearly interested in her boss's past and began asking Yun Yun about it.

Seeing the two females chatting so happily, Liu Yu had no interest in being a third wheel. With a movement, he disappeared from the hall.

In a quiet little pavilion, three figures sat at a stone table: Liu Yu, the Snake-People Tribe's Grand Elder, and its Second Elder.

"Grand Elder, how has our Snake-People Tribe been developing in the Jia Ma Empire?" Liu Yu took a sip of tea and asked softly.

"The Snake-People Tribe has been developing very well..." The Grand Elder began recounting things to Liu Yu in detail.

During the year and more that Liu Yu had been away from the Jia Ma Empire, the Snake-People Tribe had entered a period of rapid development, particularly in the alchemist talent it had relatively lacked. Besides some people from the Alchemist Guild, other alchemists had also become retainers of the tribe's Alchemy Hall. The most famous among them was none other than the Misty Cloud Sect's elder, Pill King Gu He!

Liu Yu was not particularly surprised that Gu He had become a retainer of the Snake-People Tribe. To some extent, the man could be considered a pure alchemist. Once he learned that the tribe possessed a legacy of high-level alchemy, and given the special relationship between the Misty Cloud Sect and the Snake-People Tribe, his becoming the Alchemy Hall's chief retainer was almost inevitable.

As for the notion of him being a "romantic rival," Gu He had presumably given up long ago. His only remaining pursuit was high-level Alchemy.

Aside from the famous retainer Pill King Gu He, Liu Yu learned from the Grand Elder of someone all four elders greatly admired: the Alchemy Hall's second retainer, Xiao Yan! This second retainer had both the greatest talent for alchemy and the greatest diligence in the Alchemy Hall. His pill output exceeded even that of the chief retainer, Gu He, and he had contributed considerably to the Snake-People Tribe.

Thanks to Han for the tip.

Thanks to I Am a Policewoman and White Paper Tells of a Thousand Autumns for the monthly votes.

Also, let me clarify: the Queen will appear shortly before the trip to the Central Plains or upon arrival there. After that, the story will basically focus on the Queen.