Beside the waterfall, the warm morning sunlight shone upon the rising mist, casting a dreamy, rainbow-like glow.
A black-robed figure stood at the entrance of a cave, hands clasped behind his back, silently watching the scene. Thinking about how, after finishing today's task, they would part ways, he couldn't help but feel a hint of melancholy.
"Let's go!" A graceful figure emerged from the cave behind him. Her beautiful eyes lingered on the silver-haired man ahead for a brief moment before she spoke in a cool and elegant voice.
Hearing this, Xiao Bai turned around and examined the woman before him, a glimmer flashing in his eyes.
Yun Zhi had changed into a plain dress of green and white. The long, silky strands of hair that had been lazily draping over her shoulders in recent days were now neatly gathered, styled into a phoenix hair ornament.
Her delicate face exuded an air of elegance and composure, completely devoid of the fragility she had shown before. Her tall, slender figure radiated grace and nobility, a cold aloofness tinged with a hint of pride, making others feel unworthy in her presence.
"Not bad! Not bad! Now this is the demeanor of a Dou Huang expert!" Xiao Bai stroked his chin as he looked her up and down, nodding in approval.
Yun Zhi's composed and elegant expression instantly wavered. She rolled her eyes at him in exasperation—what did he mean by "now this is"? She had always been a Dou Huang!
After spending the past few days together, she had come to understand this man a little better. He was domineering yet not overbearing, somewhat lecherous but disciplined, gentle and meticulous when taking care of others, and occasionally a bit of a rogue.
He showed no fear toward her status as a Dou Huang. In fact, he didn't seem to regard it as anything significant at all!
Even her threats appeared to hold no weight with him. If she put on a stern face while speaking to him, he would respond with an even colder expression!
His temper was arguably worse than hers—one might mistake him for the real Dou Huang!
As the leader of the Yun Lan Sect, no man had ever dared to put on a sour face in front of her. Yet, this little rascal acted so recklessly around her, and she couldn't do anything about it!
She shot him a slight glare before stepping forward, her graceful movements mesmerizing.
"Be careful on this journey. Don't act recklessly—your own safety must come first!" She lifted her beautiful eyes, gazing at his handsome face as she softly reminded him, "I will do my best to stall it, but you must hurry. That beast's intelligence is no lower than a human's!"
"Got it! You be careful too. Don't get sealed away like last time!" Xiao Bai nodded, amusement flashing in his eyes.
"Jinx!" Yun Zhi glared at him and scolded.
"Haha, let's go!" Xiao Bai laughed as he saw her slightly annoyed yet charming expression.
"Mm." Yun Zhi gave a small nod. A pair of green-esmerald energy wings extended from her back as she prepared to take flight. Just as she was about to soar into the sky, she felt a hand grabbing her arm. She turned in confusion to look at Xiao Bai.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Xiao Bai asked, his gaze deep.
Yun Zhi furrowed her slender brows, lost in thought. Just then, she caught sight of his outstretched hands, as if he were about to embrace her. She immediately took a step back, slightly flustered. "What are you doing?" she asked, annoyed.
"It's such a long distance—are you expecting me to run all the way there?" Xiao Bai widened his eyes, looking at her in disbelief.
Only then did Yun Zhi remember that he couldn't fly. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she sighed inwardly. Lowering her gaze, she gave a small nod.
The corners of Xiao Bai's lips curled up slightly. He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Yun Zhi's delicate body stiffened, then gradually relaxed, though she trembled slightly, her heartbeat quickening.
"Let's go," Xiao Bai murmured, his breath warm against her ear.
Feeling the gentle heat at her ear, Yun Zhi shuddered violently, her legs turning weak. Her voice trembled as she scolded, "Don't speak near my ear!"
Then she threatened, "And behave yourself, or I'll drop you from the sky!"
With that, her wings flapped, an green glow flashed, and they soared into the sky.
Yun Zhi kept a stern expression throughout the flight, increasing her speed to the maximum. Noticing that Xiao Bai's hands didn't wander and that there was even a slight distance between them, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing her expression of relief, Xiao Bai chuckled faintly. "Afraid I'd take advantage of you? Don't worry, I'm not that despicable!"
He only wanted to build a closer relationship with her, not merely indulge in fleeting pleasure—what he sought was her heart.
Hearing his somewhat arrogant remark, Yun Zhi thought about their past few days together. Indeed, his pride was evident; he never lowered himself to do anything disgraceful. If he had such intentions, she would have already been taken advantage of long ago.
With that thought, her expression gradually softened. She wanted to say something but hesitated, her lips moving slightly before she ultimately remained silent.
"Are you feeling a little guilty for doubting me just now?" Xiao Bai keenly caught the fleeting emotion in her eyes and smirked mischievously.
Yun Zhi's face flushed. Her flight wavered slightly, and the teasing look on his face made her both embarrassed and annoyed. "Shut up! Stop talking to me!"
"Haha..." Xiao Bai laughed at her reaction, but before he could enjoy it for long, he suddenly felt as though he was falling. His expression changed instantly as he shouted urgently, "Hey, Yun Zhi, hurry up and fly straight! Don't crash!"
"Hmph! Let's see if you dare to laugh now!" Although she didn't know what "crash" meant, seeing his panicked expression instantly put Yun Zhi in a great mood. She then channeled her Dou Qi and continued flying forward.
"I don't dare! I don't dare anymore!" Xiao Bai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. This woman had actually taken him on a free-fall ride in the air.
Seeing him breathe a sigh of relief as if he had just survived a disaster, Yun Zhi's rosy lips curved up, and her eyes were filled with amusement. This little guy had been provoking her these past few days—she had finally gotten her revenge today!
Moments later, they arrived at their destination. Yun Zhi landed silently on a rugged mountain peak, and Xiao Bai gently let go of her, his gaze falling on a faintly visible cave at the summit of the opposite mountain.
"That's the Amethyst Winged Lion King's lair!" Yun Zhi followed his gaze, then surveyed the surroundings and said in a soft voice, "The defenses have become much tighter. Looks like that guy has become more vigilant!"
Xiao Bai nodded, sensing the area around them. He detected the presence of three rank-five magical beasts positioned in a triangular formation guarding the cave, along with numerous lower-ranked beasts.
"I'll try to kill or injure those high-rank beasts later. You look for an opening and find a safe route to sneak into the cave!" Yun Zhi instructed.
With a flick of her ring, a cyan longsword appeared in her hand. Just before taking off, she turned her head slightly and whispered to Xiao Bai, "Be careful!"
"Got it! When you engage that big lion, don't fight it head-on. Just stall it with your wind attribute advantage. Don't be reckless! Wait until I retrieve the Amethyst Spirit Crystal before making any moves!" Xiao Bai waved his hand, urging her to go.
Yun Zhi looked at this guy who was teaching her how to do things, shook her head with a smile, and said nothing more. She gripped her sword tightly and turned into a cyan streak of light, swiftly heading toward the opposite mountain cave.
Xiao Bai glanced around, ignoring the magical beasts. He chose the shortest path, and with a flash of yellow lightning beneath his feet, he dashed toward the mountain.
Yun Zhi didn't bother concealing her presence. The moment she appeared above the cave entrance, a chorus of beastly roars echoed throughout the area.
As she swung her longsword, streaks of cyan sword light slashed through the dense forest surrounding the cave. Terrified beastly wails rang out as magical beasts scattered and fled in panic.
"Human woman! How dare you show yourself again? Today, I will avenge my broken horn!"
Just as Yun Zhi was cutting through the lower-ranked beasts like slicing melons, a violet streak of light shot out of the cave, accompanied by a furious roar that shook the sky.
In an instant, two figures—one cyan and one violet—clashed and soared into the sky, reaching a thousand meters in the air. The originally light blue sky was soon dyed with cyan and violet energy, radiating intense energy fluctuations.
Xiao Bai took a brief glance at the battle above but quickly withdrew his gaze. As he advanced, any magical beast that didn't block his path was spared, but those that charged at him were instantly incinerated into charcoal by the yellow lightning extending from his feet.
He walked leisurely, appearing slow, but with each step, he traveled ten meters forward. Gradually, a massive cave entrance came into view.
Two rank-three magical beasts were curled up under a large boulder at the cave's entrance, trembling under the immense pressure radiating from the battle above.
One of them seemed to notice a flickering figure approaching and let out a low growl.
Standing at the entrance, Xiao Bai cast a glance at the two beasts that were growling at him. Instantly, they stiffened, their eyes glazed over, and they collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
After dealing with the two beasts, Xiao Bai stepped into the cave. Surprisingly, the interior was not as dark as he had expected. Embedded at regular intervals along the walls were violet crystals, emitting a faint purple glow.
As he walked deeper into the spacious tunnel, he observed the surroundings. The cave, adorned with these amethyst crystals, appeared incredibly beautiful. He couldn't help but marvel, This lion really has good taste—it sure knows how to enjoy life!
After passing through the long tunnel, he arrived at a fork in the path. Without hesitation, he disappeared into one of the passages. As for the other passage, that was where the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence was located.
Reaching the final and largest chamber, he found the entire cave encrusted with the same violet crystals from outside, illuminating the space with an unusual brightness.
His gaze settled on the center of the cave, where a slightly smaller Amethyst Winged Lion King was sprawled atop a massive amethyst slab, deep in slumber.
"Hey, wake up! Go sleep somewhere else!" Xiao Bai walked up and nudged the young lion with his foot. He had sensed that the Amethyst Spirit Crystal Yun Zhi needed was right beneath this lion, hidden under the amethyst slab.
The young Amethyst Winged Lion King groggily opened its eyes, staring in confusion at the uninvited guest before it. Suddenly, it jolted awake, instantly on guard—it could feel a dangerous aura emanating from this human.
Hurriedly retreating a few steps, the clear beastly eyes glared angrily at Xiao Bai, letting out a tender lion's growl.
"Hehe… this little thing is actually quite cute!" Xiao Bai noticed that the little creature seemed to want to roar at him fiercely, but the sound it produced was soft and immature, nowhere near as loud as the one outside.
Squatting down, Xiao Bai lifted a purple crystal slab from where the small Amethyst Winged Lion King had been lying. Under its furious gaze, he retrieved a fist-sized, radiant purple spirit crystal.
"So this is the Purple Spirit Crystal?" Xiao Bai examined the irregularly shaped, sharp-edged crystal in his hand, sensing the heat emanating from it. He shook his head—this thing was only useful for Dou Shi and Da Dou Shi; beyond that level, it had little effect.
After storing it in his spatial ring, Xiao Bai turned his gaze back to the small Amethyst Winged Lion King. After a moment of thought, he beckoned, "Come here!"
The small Amethyst Winged Lion King had the potential to reach the sixth rank. Though currently only at the third rank, its intelligence was higher than that of ordinary third-rank beasts. It understood Xiao Bai's meaning, but it didn't want to comply.
However, the moment it hesitated, an overwhelming pressure descended upon it, nearly forcing it to collapse.
That feeling was there for only an instant before it disappeared. Seeing the human beckon once more, it didn't hesitate this time, slowly and reluctantly stepping forward. It understood—this human had just given it a warning.
"That's right, good child! Obedient kids live longer, got it?" Xiao Bai ruffled the little lion's head with a grin.
The small Amethyst Winged Lion King trembled and, in an attempt to curry favor, rubbed its head against Xiao Bai's palm, letting out soft whimpering sounds.
"Come on, let me plant something good in your head!" Xiao Bai extended his palm, placing it on the little lion's forehead.
A sense of foreboding instantly arose in the small Amethyst Winged Lion King's heart, but it didn't dare resist and could only stare at him pitifully.
Xiao Bai ignored its expression. His soul power surged from his palm, planting a soul seal within the little lion's mind.
Ever since reaching the peak of the Mortal Realm in soul power, his proficiency in using soul seals had improved greatly. Now, he no longer needed to form hand seals—he could complete the seal with just a thought!
"Too weak!" Xiao Bai sensed the small Amethyst Winged Lion King's soul sea. Its soul strength was so fragile that he had to be careful not to accidentally crush it with too much force.
Magical beasts were inherently weaker in soul power compared to humans. Moreover, this little lion was only at the third rank, which was equivalent to a Da Dou Shi in human terms. Its soul power was truly feeble.
However, its physical body was quite formidable—strong enough to contend with a nine-star Da Dou Shi without fear.
"Alright! Follow me, I'll take you to your father!" Xiao Bai patted the little lion's head with a smile before standing up and walking toward the cave exit.
Bringing the small Amethyst Winged Lion King with him, he stepped out of the cave and looked up at the battle in the sky, narrowing his eyes.
Yun Zhi didn't seem to be fully focused on the fight. Her gaze would occasionally flick toward the cave entrance. When she saw that familiar black-robed figure, she let out a sigh of relief, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes.
However, when she noticed the small Amethyst Winged Lion King behind him, her brows furrowed. She hadn't realized there was a young one in the cave, and concern crept into her heart.
"Human woman! You dare get distracted while fighting me?!" The Amethyst Winged Lion King roared in fury, preparing to unleash its ultimate move—Amethyst Seal—to trap her once and for all.
"Hey! Big lion up there! Don't you want to see who this is?" Xiao Bai, seeing Yun Zhi in danger, quickly shouted. His voice, infused with Dou Qi, boomed across the mountain range like thunder.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King turned toward the source of the voice, only to see another human sitting leisurely at the cave entrance, casually stroking its son's head.
In an instant, panic surged through the beast. "Human! Release my son!"
Ignoring Yun Zhi, it flashed downwards, landing near the cave with fury burning in its eyes.
Yun Zhi took the opportunity to follow, landing beside Xiao Bai, her expression tense as she watched the Amethyst Winged Lion King with vigilance.
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