Infiltration

"No way. You're only an Eight-Star Dou Zhe. The Lion King could kill you with a fart."

"Hey! What kind of talk is that? What do you mean, kill me with a fart?"

Their heated argument echoed through the Mountain Cave.

The reason was simple: Xiao Fan wanted to accompany Yun Zhi and sneak in to steal the purple spirit crystal while she fought the Lion King.

Naturally, Yun Zhi vehemently opposed the idea.

Yun Zhi believed Xiao Fan was too weak, and that recklessly entering the Lion King's territory would be far too dangerous. She wanted him to stay here while she went alone.

Their argument dragged on without either yielding, until Xiao Fan brought it to an end with, "Even if you don't take me, I'll sneak over there myself."

Before they set out, the two stood at the entrance to the Mountain Cave. Yun Zhi turned to Xiao Fan and said, "I have a secret technique that can temporarily raise you to the Dou Shi realm. Since my attribute is wind, it can also greatly increase your speed. Come here."

"All right."

Once Xiao Fan agreed, Yun Zhi extended her delicate hand and pressed a finger to his brow. A powerful surge of energy flowed from her fingertip into the top of his head, quickly filling his meridians.

As Yun Zhi poured her energy into him, Xiao Fan's aura steadily rose. Soon, it broke through the limits of a Dou Zhe and entered the Dou Shi realm.

When Yun Zhi finished transferring her Dou Qi, Xiao Fan clenched his fists, feeling the abundant Dou Qi within him. "So this is the power of a Dou Shi!" he exclaimed in surprise.

He felt that his current self could easily beat his former self to a pulp. Advancing to Dou Shi brought such an enormous improvement.

"This power can only remain in your body for four hours. Be careful." Seeing Xiao Fan's delighted expression, Yun Zhi reminded him how long the technique would last, lest something happen to him.

"All right. Let's go!"

With that, Xiao Fan reached out and wrapped his arms around Yun Zhi's waist.

Yun Zhi, who had been about to take flight, abruptly froze. Even the circulation of her Dou Qi nearly went awry.

She turned and roared at Xiao Fan, "Where did you get the nerve?"

Xiao Fan put on a pitiful expression. "I can't fly as fast as you, so of course you have to carry me. If I make my own way there and run into one or two fourth- or fifth-rank magical beasts, won't I be done for?"

Yun Zhi shot Xiao Fan a fierce glare and slapped his hands away. Grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, she lightly fluttered the Dou Qi Wings on her back and shot toward the Lion King's territory.

"Aaaah!"

Only Xiao Fan's anguished screams as he struggled remained, slowly fading away.

They landed on a small hill not far from the Lion King's territory. Once they touched down, Yun Zhi stressed to Xiao Fan, "Remember, if it can't be done, give it up. Staying alive comes first."

His hair in disarray, Xiao Fan stared resentfully at Yun Zhi. "Don't worry. I know my life comes first. Keeping the Lion King occupied won't be easy for you either. Be careful."

"Mm!"

Yun Zhi nodded with feigned indifference. She glanced back at Xiao Fan, then flew toward the Lion King's abode.

"Lion King, come out and fight!"

The moment Yun Zhi's voice rang out, a beast's furious roar rose from the peak where the Amethyst Winged Lion King lived.

"Roar!"

"Human, you actually dared to return."

Yun Zhi's gaze sharpened, and her calm voice drifted outward.

"As long as you give me what I want, Lion King, I'll leave immediately. You have my word."

"Hmph! You overestimate yourself, human. This time, I won't let you escape."

With a flash of movement, the Amethyst Winged Lion King's enormous body appeared in the sky.

The Lion King's eyes burned with chilling rage and hatred.

A month ago, although the Lion King had avoided Yun Zhi's fatal strike, one of the horns on the Lion King's head had been completely severed. Even after a month of healing, it showed no sign of recovery.

"Wind Dragon Flash!"

Seeing the Lion King appear, Yun Zhi launched an attack, then tried to seize the opportunity to lure the Lion King away.

Boom!

The Lion King easily blocked Yun Zhi's attack. Seeing her fly high into the sky, the Lion King flashed after her, leaving only a furious roar behind.

"Human, you won't be as lucky as you were a month ago. I'll tear you apart with my own claws!"

Soon, violent booms thundered from high in the distant sky.

Clearly, the Lion King and Yun Zhi had begun fighting.

Hidden in the shadows, Xiao Fan stared at the sky overhead. Listening to the fierce sounds of battle from above, he forced down his worry and whispered, "Be careful..."

Then he turned toward the peak where the Lion King lived.

The enormous peak stood there, a place even the Lion King's subordinates were normally forbidden to enter.

Carefully checking his surroundings, Xiao Fan took the Shadowless Mask out of his storage space and gently placed it over his face. With the Dou Shi-level strength Yun Zhi had bestowed upon him, his aura soon vanished from the spot.

Carefully avoiding the magical beasts that had already been thrown into an uproar, Xiao Fan cautiously approached the peak where the Lion King lived.

Many of the Lion King's subordinates had originally gathered and made their homes around the peak, but Yun Zhi's intrusion had now scattered almost all of them.

Few magical beasts dared remain near a clash between Dou Emperors. After all, a moment's carelessness could turn them into casualties of the battle's shock waves.

Only a handful of magical beasts remained, and most were low-ranked. The few fifth-rank magical beasts had also disappeared when Yun Zhi and the Lion King flew into the sky.

Now was the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the Amethyst Winged Lion King's abode.

With a flash of movement, Xiao Fan carefully slipped through the blind spots of the few magical beasts and easily entered the Lion King's territory.

The moment he entered the mountain, Xiao Fan clearly sensed that this place was extraordinary.

Compared with other places, the temperature here was several degrees hotter.

Xiao Fan briefly examined his surroundings and found that the fire-element energy in the air was unusually active. No wonder the Amethyst Winged Lion King had chosen this place as an abode.

"The fire-element energy here is so dense. It looks like this place was built above earthfire."

Xiao Fan carefully analyzed the situation based on what he knew.

Earthfire formed when exceptionally active fire-element energy deep underground gradually gave rise to subterranean flames. Over time, the sustained heat of earthfire also had a chance of producing natural treasures, which were highly beneficial to the cultivation of fire-attribute demonic beasts or cultivators.

Unfortunately, he did not have enough time. What mattered on this trip was obtaining the purple spirit crystal. Completing the system's mission would earn him an earth-tier spear dou technique, which was what Xiao Fan needed most right now.

Following the mountain path, Xiao Fan soon discovered the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave abode. The scorching heat emanating from within was even more intense.

Knowing that the Lion King's young offspring was inside, Xiao Fan did not recklessly charge into the cave. After carefully investigating and finding no signs of magical creatures moving within, he took out some knockout drugs, part of what he had found in Yao Lao's Ring.

They would have little effect on the Amethyst Winged Lion King, but they were still very effective against earth-tier magical beasts.

He blew them into the cave from the entrance, waited a little longer, and only then stepped into the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave.