In the final chamber, the Little Amethyst Winged Lion huddled in its nest, trembling with its rump sticking up and its head tucked out of sight.
Despite being a magical beast with combat strength comparable to a Da Dou Shi, it had only the mind of a human toddler, making it look rather comical.
Xiao Yan did not disturb it. Looking at the mountain of purple spirit crystals, he opened his Storage Ring and casually took two large chunks.
Normally, a fist-sized purple spirit crystal counted as one portion. Each of the two chunks Xiao Yan took was as large as a human head.
Still, he did not take too much. Purple spirit crystals took ages to form, and Xiao Yan would not drain the pond to catch every last fish.
Just one of those chunks was enough to refine ten batches of pills, more than enough for his needs.
Just as he was about to leave, Xiao Yan spotted a purple spirit crystal pedestal roughly a square meter in size amid the enormous pile. A perfectly round Purple Orb rested on it.
The orb was purple all over and gave off a soft glow. It seemed to contain a liquid of an exceptionally deep hue.
"What is this?"
The Purple Orb itself gave off little warmth. In fact, it felt somewhat chilly.
Yet he could sense that the liquid within it contained terrifyingly scorching energy.
Although Xiao Yan did not recognize it, he was certain it was a treasure. There were so many purple spirit crystals here, yet only a single orb, which spoke volumes about its value.
Xiao Yan wanted to take the orb, but purple runes flickered across its surface, looking very much like the seal that had bound Yun Zhi earlier.
"Damn it, this thing seems to have a seal on it." Xiao Yan felt rather helpless. He was only a Da Dou Shi. How could he possibly break a seal laid by a tier six magical beast?
Still unwilling to give up, he tried to force the seal open or simply take the orb away.
For some reason, however, the orb was incredibly heavy. Xiao Yan could not move it at all.
"Do I really have to leave this treasure here?"
Unwilling to accept that, Xiao Yan began to think. This was the cub's sanctuary, so everything here should have been left for the cub.
That being the case, the cub surely had a way to break the seal.
Xiao Yan looked around, considering how the cub might do it.
Yet there was nothing here apart from piles of purple spirit crystals.
Suddenly, inspiration struck him. As the saying went, the original broth helped digest the original meal. Perhaps these purple spirit crystals were the key to opening the seal.
With that thought, Xiao Yan found a small purple spirit crystal nearby.
He pressed it against the orb. Sure enough, a gap opened in the seal surrounding it, and a drop of pure purple liquid seeped out and fell to the ground!
"So that's how it works!"
Overjoyed, Xiao Yan immediately took out several jade bottles, then used the purple spirit crystal to undo the orb's seal.
Drop after drop of purple liquid fell, and Xiao Yan caught every one in his bottles.
"Don't say I swept through like a swarm of locusts. I'll leave half for you."
In the end, Xiao Yan filled three jade bottles and tucked them into his Storage Ring with satisfaction. Roughly half the purple liquid remained inside the orb.
With the goods secured, Xiao Yan lingered no longer. He turned and fled.
Following the Dou Qi marks he had left on the way in, Xiao Yan quickly rushed out of the deepest part of the Cave Abode and reached its entrance.
Up in the sky, Yun Zhi sensed Xiao Yan's presence and made her decision.
[Early Earth Tier-Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill]!
Hearing this technique being unleashed, the Amethyst Winged Lion King instantly braced itself for a formidable foe. Even its horn, the hardest part of its body, could not withstand that attack. If it struck its head, it would surely die on the spot.
At that thought, the Amethyst Winged Lion King swiftly retreated, swaying its body back and forth to keep its head from being hit.
What it did not expect was that Yun Zhi's attack was merely a feint. She withdrew the green longsword in her hand, plunged downward, and grabbed Xiao Yan.
"Let's go!"
Seeing someone emerge from its Cave Abode, the Amethyst Winged Lion King flew into a rage. "Despicable humans! I'll slaughter you!"
The Amethyst Winged Lion King let out a sky-shaking roar, then began gathering a triangular pillar of light once more.
Had Yun Zhi prepared in advance, she could have avoided the attack. But with Xiao Yan in tow, her speed had dropped, making it difficult to dodge.
"Let go of me, quick! If that hits us, we'll both die!"
Anxious, Xiao Yan hurriedly urged Yun Zhi to release him.
"Do you take me for someone who forgets kindness and clings to life out of fear of death? Besides, there's an abyss ten thousand fathoms deep below us. You'll die if you fall. That attack might not even hit us."
Yun Zhi tightened her grip on Xiao Yan's hand. Even as the triangular pillar of light neared completion, she refused to let go.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan decisively opened his Storage Ring and handed Yun Zhi one of the purple spirit crystals. "Trust me. I know a Flying Dou Technique. I won't die if I fall. Take the purple spirit crystal and go ahead. Once I get back, I'll come find you at the Misty Cloud Sect."
With that, Xiao Yan tore himself free of Yun Zhi's grip and plummeted downward.
Freed of Xiao Yan's weight, Yun Zhi regained her usual speed and easily dodged the Amethyst Winged Lion King's Amethyst Seal.
Xiao Yan, however, continued falling until he vanished into the layers of mist below.
To avoid being pursued by the Amethyst Winged Lion King, Xiao Yan deliberately refrained from activating his Flying Dou Technique too soon. If it saw that he could fly, it would surely come after him.
If he let it believe he had fallen to his death, he could escape disaster instead.
Watching Xiao Yan's figure gradually disappear, Yun Zhi still could not help worrying. Yet as long as she remained nearby, she would inevitably keep the Amethyst Winged Lion King on alert.
Only by leaving could she make the lion king believe Xiao Yan was dead.
"I'm sorry. And thank you." Yun Zhi pushed her Dou Qi Wing Transformation to its limit, becoming a streak of green light that flew dozens of miles in an instant and vanished into the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
"Please don't die. I'll wait for you at the Misty Cloud Sect!"
The Amethyst Winged Lion King pursued her with all its might, but still failed to catch her and could only return in frustration.
"Despicable human! Lucky for you, you fled fast enough!"
It glanced down at the abyss ten thousand fathoms below, gave a cold snort, and returned to its Cave Abode.
A mere Da Dou Shi could not possibly survive in a place like that, even if the fall did not kill him. It had no interest in the dead.
Xiao Yan had no idea how long he had been falling. He felt himself dropping faster and faster. If he did not activate his Flying Dou Technique soon, he really might fall to his death.
He channeled Dou Qi into his back, and a pair of Eagle Wings spread out to counter the force of his descent.
Yet streams of astral gale swept through the depths of the abyss. His Flying Dou Technique could not halt his fall.
Xiao Yan could only do everything he could to steady his body, then keep gliding with his Eagle Wings, slowing his descent little by little.
After struggling in midair for more than ten minutes, Xiao Yan finally landed safely, face-first in the dirt.
It was hardly graceful, but at least he was not badly hurt.
"Whew, I finally stopped. Now I'll just sneak out of here."
Yet before Xiao Yan could take even a single step, the point of light bearing a soul imprint on the Heavenly Flames coordinate map he carried suddenly began to flash!
Before you continue