After wandering around for ten days, Xiao Bai stood atop a cliff, looking down at nothing but emptiness below.
"Xiao Bai, are you sure you're not being fooled by that so-called 'Tian Can Tu Dou'?" Yao Lao, who had initially been calm, was now growing impatient. His time was limited, and he needed to return soon to guide Xiao Yan.
If Xiao Bai insisted on staying in the Magical Beast Mountain Range after checking all the marked locations on the map, he would be in trouble.
"It shouldn't be like this!" Xiao Bai was also starting to doubt himself. Could his luck really be this bad?
He pulled out the map and looked at it. Only three marked cliffs remained unchecked.
Xiao Bai made a decision in his heart. If he couldn't find anything in these last three, he would stop looking. After all, the only useful thing to him inside was the Flying Dou technique.
The Flying Dou technique was only a temporary tool—it would become practically useless once he reached the Dou Wang realm. As for the fragment map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, it didn't hold much value to him either.
"Don't worry, senior. There are only three left. If I can't find it, we'll just leave and go after the Heavenly Flames!" Xiao Bai reassured Yao Lao.
"That's good. By the way, what exactly is in that cave that has you so determined?" Yao Lao was genuinely curious now. In his eyes, Xiao Bai seemed indifferent to many things. For example, most people would treasure the Heavenly Flames, even if they weren't Alchemists.
But Xiao Bai was different. Even though he had exchanged the Heavenly Flames for some things, Yao Lao felt that Xiao Bai didn't care about them.
Was there something more valuable than the Heavenly Flames?
"It's just a flying combat technique," Xiao Bai replied casually.
"A Flying Dou technique? Why do you want something like that? Is it a precious technique?" Yao Lao asked, puzzled.
Flying Dou techniques might be highly tempting to other attributes, but for lightning and wind attributes, they wouldn't be of much use. Once one reached the Dou Wang realm, both speed and flight would be extraordinary.
"It's just a Dou technique that allows one to fly even in the Dou Zhe stage. It's not particularly precious, just rare," Xiao Bai clarified.
"What? You came all the way here just to waste time for something like that?" Yao Lao was somewhat shocked.
"Do you have it, senior?" Xiao Bai asked, glancing at him.
"No, I don't...," Yao Lao was at a loss for words. He didn't have one not because it was rare, but because he had never seen the value in it. What was the point of such a skill? To take up space?
"Sigh, forget it, forget it. If you want to look for it, go ahead!" Yao Lao suddenly remembered how, before he couldn't fly, he had envied those who could.
It felt like such a long time ago, so long that he had forgotten the longing he once had for flight.
At this moment, he realized that even though Xiao Bai usually acted mature, he was still a young man, only around sixteen or seventeen. Like other young people, he also longed for the ability to fly.
Xiao Bai glanced at Yao Lao, unsure of why the old man was suddenly acting so kindly, looking at him with a gentle expression. He even thought he saw some kind of affectionate feeling in his gaze.
Xiao Bai was suspicious, wondering what the old man was up to.
"What kind of look is that?" Yao Lao asked, slightly displeased.
"Old man, what's with your look?" Xiao Bai retorted with a roll of his eyes.
"You've stopped calling me 'Senior,' huh?" Yao Lao stroked his beard, pretending to be stern.
"You didn't act like an elder when you tricked me last time!" Xiao Bai rolled his eyes, still gritting his teeth at the memory of that incident.
The two bickered as they made their way to the next cliff.
—
"This is the last one!" Xiao Bai murmured, staring at the distant cliff in the distance.
If he couldn't find anything here, then this opportunity was just not meant for him.
"Xiao Bai, do you think your luck is good or bad if you actually find something at this last one?" Yao Lao, in the ring, teased with a grin.
"I've decided. If I don't find it here, I'll just stay in the Magical Beast Mountain Range until I do!" Seeing the old man teasing him, Xiao Bai declared fiercely.
¡Come on! Let's hurt each other!
He was already filled with frustration. If he ended up finding what he was looking for at the last location, he felt like he would die of annoyance—after all, he was the one who had planned the route on the map.
"Whatever! It's Xiao Yan who's being delayed. Although I'm his master, he also calls you 'Brother Bai.' Can you bear to see him stuck practicing those low-tier techniques from the Xiao family?" Yao Lao floated out, putting on the airs of a wise master as he spoke nonchalantly.
"Heh heh~" Xiao Bai let out a cold laugh. Did the old man think he didn't know about the Flame Mantra? Why was he acting so calm and collected in front of him?
The old man was desperate for someone to successfully cultivate it so that he could help him refine a body for resurrection. There was no way he could stay here indefinitely.
Despite his current calm demeanor and his claims of not caring, if they really ended up stuck in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he would be the first to lose his temper.
However, Xiao Bai didn't voice this thought. If he revealed it, the old man might get defensive. After all, this was probably his biggest secret.
"Let's go! This is the last one. Once we're done, we'll leave!" As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Bai's feet flashed with lightning, and he took steps several meters long, heading toward the cliff.
Yao Lao watched his retreating figure with a faint smile and floated after him.
"Heh heh~ So it really is here!"
When Xiao Bai reached the top of the final cliff, he didn't even need to use his soul power to scan the area. He immediately spotted the cave on the cliff face.
The cliff was steep, with some old trees and shrubs growing on it. A small platform, just large enough for two people to stand on, was hidden behind a horizontal tree trunk.
Through the gaps in the trees, a dark hollow could be seen behind the platform.
Xiao Bai stared at the cave, his expression complicated. He began to doubt his earlier decision. Could his luck really be this bad? The only correct answer had been left for the very last location!
"Huh? There really is something here. But Xiao Bai, it seems someone got here before you!" Yao Lao floated beside Xiao Bai and remarked.
Hearing this, Xiao Bai frowned. He didn't even need to use his soul power to scan the cave to know that someone was inside. However, this person didn't seem very strong.
A rope was tied to a crooked tree on the cliff, with the other end hanging down to the small platform in front of the cave.
"Is it her?" Xiao Bai wondered silently.
But he was a bit puzzled. How had she arrived here so much earlier than expected? As he pondered this, Xiao Bai was about to use his soul power to check the situation inside the cave.
Suddenly, a figure rushed out of the cave, looking panicked. The person kept glancing back as if checking for something. After confirming it was safe, they carefully picked up the rope on the platform and began climbing up in a hurry.
Xiao Bai watched the figure with a playful glint in his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He didn't seem the least bit anxious. Instead, he shook his robes, sat down cross-legged by the rope on the cliff edge, and waited leisurely for the person below to climb up.
Yao Lao, observing Xiao Bai's expression, found it strange. It didn't seem like Xiao Bai was planning to rob the person below. Instead, it looked like he was waiting to meet an old friend. Did this kid know the person down there?