Before the amethyst stone platform, Xiao Yan gazed at the purple orb, his eyes burning with desire.
Inside it was a tremendous amount of energy, enough to raise the young Amethyst Winged Lion King by an entire tier.
If he had it all to himself, even if he could not absorb it completely, surely he could at least advance several stars in succession?
Glancing at Xiao Yan, Xiao Chen handed him the sharp piece of purple spirit crystal.
"Break it open."
Swallowing, Xiao Yan stared fixedly at the purple orb and asked uncertainly, "Ancestor, do I just smash it open like this?"
"Yes."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded and drew a deep breath. He stepped forward, gripped the purple spirit crystal tightly, and struck the purple orb hard.
Behind him, the Amethyst Winged Lion King immediately looked as though its heart were bleeding and silently turned away.
Xiao Yi Xian patted it comfortingly.
Crack.
The companion amethyst source broke open, and purple liquid flowed out.
With sharp eyes and quick hands, Xiao Chen swiftly took out jade bottles and caught the purple liquid.
Although the orb was large, the purple liquid inside filled only seven small jade bottles.
Watching Xiao Chen bottle the last drop of amethyst source at the bottom of the orb, Xiao Yan looked at the liquid spilled over the stone platform, his lips trembling with heartache.
After staring for a moment, he actually flung himself onto the platform. Then, before their dumbfounded eyes, he licked all the amethyst source from the little hollows in the platform into his stomach.
"Holy shit... you're something else!"
At the sight of Xiao Yan, even the speechless Yao Lao swore.
After licking the amethyst source off the platform in a few mouthfuls, Xiao Yan casually wiped the bits of dirt from his mouth. Turning back to see their dumbfounded expressions, he scratched his head awkwardly. "Wasting things is shameful, you know."
"It certainly is... shameful."
Xiao Yi Xian nodded in somewhat helpless agreement.
Xiao Chen sighed and shook his head. "Yao Chen, help him out in a moment."
Xiao Yan looked utterly bewildered.
But Xiao Chen offered no further explanation, turning to lead Xiao Yi Xian out of the cave.
An hour later, Yun Yun slowly descended from the sky.
Looking at the mysterious young man before her, Yun Yun wasted no words. She took out four scrolls and a Storage Ring. "These are two advanced Profound Tier cultivation techniques and two advanced Profound Tier Dou Techniques, along with more than twenty kinds of rare herbs."
Xiao Chen looked at the things in Yun Yun's hands and fell silent.
Yun Yun's heart tightened. Was it not enough?
Just then, Xiao Chen slowly spoke.
"Thousand Wind Gale."
"Extreme Wind: Setting Sun Radiance."
"Wind-Splitting Whirlwind Dance."
"Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill."
As Xiao Chen's voice rang out, Yun Yun's expression grew increasingly shocked.
This mysterious young man even knew about these?
But Xiao Chen's next words made her eyes suddenly widen.
"I want all these Dou Techniques. And I want that inner armor you're wearing, too."
His calm words reached Xiao Yi Xian's ears, leaving her looking equally shocked.
She did not know what those Dou Techniques were, but inner armor-wasn't that something a woman wore against her skin?
Why did Teacher want Yun Yun's inner armor?
Before Yun Yun could speak, Xiao Chen waved a hand. "If you're unwilling, then leave."
Although the purple spirit crystal was not worth so much, since Yun Yun needed it, she could not blame him for raising the price on the spot.
This was an exchange of equal value!
Xiao Chen felt that the purple spirit crystal in his hands was worth that price!
Yun Yun sighed softly. Without saying anything more, she merely shook her head and flew away.
Once Yun Yun had flown far away, Xiao Yi Xian looked at Xiao Chen and asked, "Teacher, why do you want the Misty Cloud Sect Master's inner armor?"
Xiao Chen rubbed Xiao Yi Xian's little head and smiled. "That Heart of the Sea Armor is made from a strange metal produced inside the belly of a sixth-tier sea magical beast, the Three-Tailed Blue Whale. Its defensive strength depends on its owner's power. I intend to give it to you."
Xiao Yi Xian's heart trembled. Looking at Xiao Chen, her eyes gradually grew wet. "Teacher, I..."
"Don't cry. You won't look pretty with a runny nose." Xiao Chen smiled gently and reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of the girl's eyes.
"Sect Master Yun seems to have given up." Only after a long while did Xiao Yi Xian recover and say with a soft laugh.
Xiao Chen gazed at the distant sky and smiled. "Perhaps."
By then, Yun Yun had already flown out of the depths of the mountain range.
Quite apart from the fact that those four Dou Techniques were among the sect's finest and could not be passed on to outsiders.
The close-fitting inner armor she wore alone was something she could not simply hand over to a man.
But just as Yun Yun was about to fly straight out of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, she suddenly stopped in midair, her expression shifting uncertainly.
Nalan Yanran's figure appeared before her, and her gaze gradually softened.
Gritting her teeth, Yun Yun finally found a secluded spot and slowly descended.
Biting her red lip lightly with her pearly teeth, she cautiously swept her gaze around, and then a blush rose over her lovely face.
Her slender, delicate fingers slowly undid her plain dress.
As Yun Yun's fingers slid downward, a perfect, exquisite body, as though carved from beautiful jade, was laid bare in the dense forest, its intimate beauty fully exposed.
Gracefully removing her clothes, Yun Yun gently took off the pale blue metal inner armor that shimmered with a strange light.
Then, with a hint of bashfulness, she hurriedly put her dress back on.
Holding the metal inner armor in both hands, Yun Yun carefully folded it, then took a deep breath, turned around, and retraced her route.
An hour later.
Watching the green wings behind Yun Yun flutter slightly as she soared gracefully into the sky with the purple spirit crystal in hand, Xiao Yi Xian's eyes were full of astonishment.
The deal had actually gone through!
Three days later.
When Xiao Yan gradually woke from his deep sleep, he discovered that he had somehow been laid on a bed.
Slowly opening his eyes, he gently moved his fingers. The intense pain he had imagined did not arrive as expected.
Instead, a substantial sense of power flowed continuously through his body.
That comfortable feeling of fullness made Xiao Yan let out a long breath.
Turning his head slightly, he saw a sheet of paper lying there.
Looking at the paper, Xiao Yan first froze, then abruptly sat up.
His gaze hurriedly swept his surroundings, but he found no sign of Xiao Chen or Xiao Yi Xian.
The next instant, alarm slowly crept over the young man's face.
"Where are Ancestor and the others?"
The ring trembled slightly, and Yao Lao slowly floated out. Circling Xiao Yan once, he suddenly said, "Check your current strength."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan paused, then obediently closed his eyes slightly and swiftly swept his awareness through his body.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and said in astonishment, "Five-Star Dou Master? How did I jump two stars? Was... was it because of that amethyst source?"
"That's right. All thanks to me," Yao Lao said calmly.
"What do you mean?" Xiao Yan asked, taken aback.
"The amethyst source certainly contains tremendous energy, but its power is far too overbearing. If you let the purple flame raise your strength unchecked, the vortex inside your body would eventually burst from the strain. The reason Amethyst Winged Lion Kings can advance an entire tier directly is that their bodies are powerful, so they have no need to fear a backlash from the purple flame. But you, heh heh-if you relied on the purple flame to advance too much, you would probably be devoured by it and reduced to a pile of ashes on the spot," Yao Lao said, smiling.
Wiping away his cold sweat, Xiao Yan finally understood that even good things could not be eaten indiscriminately.
No matter how good a tonic was, once it exceeded what the human body could withstand, it would become a deadly poison.
"Then what about Ancestor and the others?"
"They went to Poison Cloud Mountain. Read what's on that paper, and you'll know."
Before you continue