Xiao Fan had no idea whether Yun Yun believed what he had said, but he had only himself to blame for not realizing it sooner.
The Magical Beast Mountain Range, the Amethyst Winged Lion King's territory, an unfamiliar powerhouse-with clues that obvious, he had somehow failed to connect her to Yun Yun. Then again, she had concealed herself far too well.
The loose black robe completely hid Yun Yun's figure, and she had clearly disguised her voice on purpose.
"What did you mean about a battle between powerhouses?"
Just as Xiao Fan's thoughts were running wild, Yun Zhi suddenly spoke.
Xiao Fan wanted to slap himself twice across the face. Why did I have to stir up this mess? How am I supposed to patch up my story now?
Feigning surprise, Xiao Fan said, "Oh, nothing much. A few days ago, while I was running for my life, I heard the sounds of a fierce battle deeper inside. I thought there might be some powerhouses in there, so I got curious and came to take a look while I was at it."
"I never expected to meet you here, Sen... you."
Xiao Fan no longer knew what to call her.
Keep calling her Senior? He felt that Yun Yun would not mind, but now that he had recognized her, he found it hard to get the word out.
Xiao Fan scratched his head and could only explain, "Um... please don't take offense. It's mainly because of that friend I mentioned. Since you have the same name, calling you Senior feels a little awkward..."
After hearing his explanation, Yun Zhi said, "It's fine. A name is only a label."
Xiao Fan only dared to take a mile after being given an inch because he had system affection to rely on. He knew Yun Yun's affection toward him was not that low, and she had a gentle disposition.
Had she been a powerhouse he knew nothing about, Xiao Fan would never have dared court death like this. If he addressed some other powerhouse by name at their very first meeting, he would have to keep smiling apologetically even after they slapped him into a wall.
While Xiao Fan was still eating meat, Yun Zhi suddenly stood up and said, "It's too dangerous to stay here. Since we're both of the Human Race, and I've eaten a meal you provided, let me offer you some advice: leave this place as soon as possible."
Hearing Yun Zhi's words, Xiao Fan guessed that she was about to go looking for trouble with the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
But how could he join her?
Xiao Yan had happened to save Yun Yun after the Amethyst Winged Lion King sealed her power. Only after they spent some time together in a mountain cave had Yun Yun taken Xiao Yan along.
But the Yun Yun he had met now was at full strength. Tell her I want to help her?
What a joke. A puny Dou Zhe telling a Dou Emperor, "I'll help you"? Anyone would think he was sick in the head.
Besides, this was their first meeting. He could not even be sure Yun Zhi believed the pack of nonsense he had just fed her.
Xiao Fan could only tell Yun Zhi, "All right. I'll be careful."
It was their first meeting, after all. He could not rush things.
She would not succeed on her own anyway. He would stay here a little longer and see whether anything changed later.
Not long after Yun Zhi left, Xiao Fan also departed. He planned to find a secluded cave to use as a hiding place first. Otherwise, once Yun Yun and the Amethyst Winged Lion King began fighting, magical beasts would be everywhere throughout the Magical Beast Mountain Range. If they discovered him, he would be done for.
After searching for quite a while, Xiao Fan finally found a secluded little valley nearby and located a cave. Inside lay the foul-smelling dung of some unknown magical beast.
Judging by its condition, though, the beast had not returned in a long time. It had probably abandoned this den.
Xiao Fan spent some more time throwing all the dung out of the cave, even scraping a layer off the rocks.
Otherwise, the stench had soaked so thoroughly into the cave that no one could possibly live there.
After cleaning the cave, Xiao Fan added some simple camouflage around its entrance.
As long as nothing came too close, it would remain undetected. He then scattered some powder that magical beasts hated around the valley, further reducing the chances of them discovering the place.
For this, he had to thank the experience he had absorbed from Yao Lao. Even the powders had come from Yao Lao's Storage Ring, and Yao Lao had specifically sorted and labeled them for him.
With somewhere to stay, Xiao Fan now waited for the great battle between Yun Yun and the Amethyst Winged Lion King. Unfortunately, two straight days passed without it. There had barely even been any fights between magical beasts.
Xiao Fan decided to take this opportunity to hone his Dou Techniques in the valley.
Beneath a waterfall in the valley, Xiao Fan stood bare-chested, spear in hand, thrusting precisely at the small stones tumbling down amid the water.
This was a training method from Yao Lao's memories. There were already few places to plant one's feet beneath the waterfall.
To strike tiny stones accurately amid the rushing waterfall, he not only had to stand firm on slippery rocks, but also needed keen perception to spot the stones. His spear thrusts also had to overcome the force of the falling water.
One careless move, and the falling stones would batter him until his skin split and his flesh tore. It was an extremely effective way to temper a cultivator's willpower and perception.
Xiao Fan jumped aside to dodge a stone. Seeing more stones about to smash into him, he immediately circulated his Dou Qi and escaped from beneath the waterfall.
"Damn it!"
"This training method is such a damn trap. It hurts like hell!"
Looking at the bruises covering his body, Xiao Fan threw back his head and shouted at the sky.
If not for the recovery pills in Yao Lao's ring, Xiao Fan would have thrown down his tools and quit long ago.
I want to cultivate, not gamble with my life!
After applying the medicinal liquid Yao Lao had prepared and resting briefly, Xiao Fan placed the stones he had readied upstream of the waterfall, then returned beneath it to get beaten again.
Before long, the boy's curses and pained howls rang out from the waterfall once more.
On a mountaintop not far from the valley, Yun Yun stood draped in her black robe, watching the boy take a beating beneath the waterfall.
Xiao Fan's strange attitude when they met that day had forced Yun Yun to become a little wary.
Obtaining the purple spirit crystal was important, and she had to guard against anyone interfering. Yet after observing him for several days, she discovered that Xiao Fan truly was a genuine Seven-Star Dou Zhe.
His training methods even stirred a trace of admiration in Yun Yun.
She had thought herself hardworking enough. Otherwise, she would not have become a Dou Emperor at such a young age and taken up the position of Misty Cloud Sect Master. Yet several days of observation had left her feeling a measure of respect for this diligent boy.
He was already a Seven-Star Dou Zhe at such a young age, yet remained neither arrogant nor impatient, still able to keep himself disciplined. Moreover, when Xiao Fan occasionally refined medicinal herbs on his own, Yun Yun noticed that he could make basic medicinal liquids. Though they required little skill in alchemy, it still showed that he had a talent for it.
Yun Yun realized that she seemed to have discovered a promising seedling.
At that thought, the corners of Yun Yun's lips seemed to lift slightly. Unfortunately, hidden beneath her black robe, the smile went unseen.
Since nothing here was aimed at her, she needed to put the search for the purple spirit crystal back on the agenda at once.
With that thought, Yun Yun glanced once more at the boy training beneath the waterfall. Azure Dou Qi wings slowly stirred behind her, and she vanished into the distance in a flash.
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