Thousands of meters away from the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave, on a distant hill, two figures were closely observing the battle between two Dou Huang powerhouses.
Xiao Yan, witnessing firsthand the terrifying might of such high-level combat, finally realized that the legendary tales of one person fighting against ten thousand were not just myths. He also started to understand just how powerful his teacher must have been!
And this was only a Dou Huang. His master, when alive, had reached the Dou Zun level—an existence beyond imagination.
"What? Are you feeling shocked?" Yao Lao suddenly chuckled upon seeing Xiao Yan's stunned expression.
"Watching their battle, I now understand why the strong hold such an exalted status on this continent. Before this, I was like a frog at the bottom of a well, only seeing a tiny part of the sky!" Xiao Yan bitterly smiled and nodded.
"Heh, keep working hard! You have great potential. One day, when you reach that level, you'll discover just how vast and exciting this world truly is!" Yao Lao said with a knowing smile, pleased with Xiao Yan's realization.
At that moment, a thunderous voice echoed across the area. The combatants in the sky vanished from their line of sight in an instant.
"Teacher, was that Brother Bai's voice just now?"
Xiao Yan thought his ears were playing tricks on him. That voice sounded incredibly familiar—very much like a certain someone he knew. But how could that guy be here? And was he actually interfering in a battle between two Dou Huang?
"That's right."
Yao Lao's expression was also quite strange. After hearing that voice, he had probed with his senses and confirmed it was indeed Xiao Bai.
But why did it feel like, in the Jia Ma Empire, anywhere there was a Dou Huang, this kid was somehow always involved?
This was already the second time. If he counted them all, Xiao Bai had encountered more Dou Huang in just these two instances than the entire Jia Ma Empire probably had altogether.
"Based on the timing, Jia Nan Academy's departure is tomorrow. Shouldn't he be at home preparing? What's he doing here instead?" Xiao Yan muttered, exasperated.
"Why don't you just go ask him yourself?" Yao Lao responded, speechless. He, too, was curious about why Xiao Bai had shown up here and why he seemed to be in direct conflict with the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
"Can we really go over there?" Xiao Yan's eyes brightened. After being away for days, he was feeling a little homesick. Now, suddenly encountering someone he knew—especially Brother Bai—made him eager to reunite.
"I've told you before, in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, you can do whatever you want. Just remember, unless you're in a life-or-death situation, I won't intervene."
Stroking his beard, Yao Lao spoke with a faint smile. He wanted Xiao Yan to develop independent decision-making and adaptability, rather than relying on him for every little thing.
Xiao Yan recalled the numerous Magic Beasts he had seen fleeing earlier—ranging from first to third-tier, and even a fourth-tier one. His face hesitated for a moment before he gritted his teeth and said resolutely, "Let's go!"
Hearing this, Yao Lao nodded in satisfaction. He knew Xiao Yan wasn't lacking courage; he just needed to improve his decisiveness. This was precisely why they were here—to gain real-world experience.
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At the entrance of the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave.
The atmosphere was tense, but Xiao Bai remained indifferent, casually ruffling the little lion cub's head. A strange look flickered in his eyes—just now, he had sensed a faint soul force spying on him. It was a peculiar aura, alternating between hot and cold, and it felt oddly familiar.
"That brat… what's he doing here?" Xiao Bai's gaze flickered with curiosity.
"Human, release my son! Otherwise, I will ensure that you never leave the Magic Beast Mountain Range alive!"
The Amethyst Winged Lion King glared at Xiao Bai, rage surging in its heart. Yet, despite its fury, a trace of apprehension flickered across its massive leonine face.
It knew its son well. If this human hadn't been capable of easily taking its life, there was no way the little one would be sitting so obediently in his grasp. Even though it couldn't discern Xiao Bai's strength, the fact that he could threaten its cub meant he was dangerous enough to be feared.
"Hah, such arrogance! I'd love to see exactly how you plan to stop us from leaving the Magic Beast Mountain Range!"
Yun Zhi, seeing Xiao Bai momentarily lost in thought, worried he might be afraid. She took a step forward, positioning herself in front of him protectively. Raising her long sword, she pointed it at the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
At the same time, she slightly turned her head and spoke in a gentle voice, "A'Niu, don't be afraid! I will get you out of here."
Xiao Bai snapped back to reality. Upon hearing her words, he was momentarily stunned. Looking at the woman shielding him, a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.
This was the second time a woman had told him, "Don't be afraid."
The first… had been Xun'er.
"Humans, you are here for the Amethyst Spirit Crystal, aren't you? Since my son has appeared here, I assume you've already taken it. If you release him, I promise not to pursue this matter, and I will allow you to leave unharmed. How about it?"
The Amethyst Winged Lion King looked at its cub, a trace of tenderness flashing through its eyes. Then, it turned back to the two humans, trying to negotiate.
The Amethyst Spirit Crystal took twenty years to shed even a small fragment from its body, and it was highly beneficial to its son. However, compared to its child's safety, the crystal was insignificant.
"Ah Niu, what do you think?" Yun Zhi kept her gaze fixed on the Amethyst Winged Lion King, not turning her head, and asked softly.
She did not trust the Amethyst Winged Lion King, but with the little lion in their hands, their retreat would be much easier!
Although she had already made up her mind, she still wanted to hear Xiao Bai's opinion. After all, he had risked his life to obtain the little lion. If he had any special thoughts about it, she would respect his decision and support him!
Letting go of the little lion, Xiao Bai stood up and walked over to Yun Zhi, gently pressing down the hand that was holding her long sword.
Yun Zhi looked at him with some confusion, then seemed to recall something. She checked with her senses and found that the little lion was sitting obediently behind them. Only then did she let out a breath of relief and scolded, "Why are you coming up here? Go watch over the little lion!"
"It's fine," Xiao Bai replied with a gentle gaze. The little lion had already been sealed by him—it couldn't escape!
Then, he turned to the Amethyst Winged Lion King and said, "Acknowledge me as your master, and I won't kill you!"
Hearing this, both the Amethyst Winged Lion King and Yun Zhi were momentarily stunned, wondering if he had lost his mind!
"Haha… Human, are you joking with me?" The Amethyst Winged Lion King was so enraged that he laughed. Looking at this human, although it couldn't determine his exact strength, judging from the way he and the human woman had coordinated earlier, he was definitely weaker than her. Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to sneak around—they would have stormed in openly and taken what they wanted by force!
As long as this human was weaker than the woman, it had nothing to fear. Submit to him? This human must be dreaming!
"Ah Niu, you…!" Yun Zhi blinked her beautiful eyes, wanting to say something but hesitating. She couldn't understand Xiao Bai's actions. She couldn't even defeat this big lion, yet he wanted to make it submit? And he even claimed he wouldn't kill it? Was he delusional?
Frankly speaking, even if he used the little lion to force it into submission, wasn't he afraid of retaliation?
"Little one, go to your father," Xiao Bai ignored their reactions and instead spoke words that sent the Amethyst Winged Lion King into a frenzy of joy.
"This human really has a problem with his head!" The Amethyst Winged Lion King suppressed its excitement and let out a low growl, urging its child to come over.
It feared that the human woman might intervene, so it wanted to get its child back before she could react.
"Don't worry," Xiao Bai said softly, sensing Yun Zhi's slight anger, though she remained silent with a cold expression. He reassured her gently.
Yun Zhi was indeed a little angry, but since the little lion was captured by him, it was ultimately his decision on how to handle it. She couldn't interfere. Still, she felt somewhat stifled—she had helped him so much, yet he seemed indifferent.
Once the little lion reached the Amethyst Winged Lion King, it quickly examined its child. Seeing that it was unharmed, it immediately shielded it behind its body. Then, looking at the two humans, its beastly eyes flashed with a cold gleam as it sneered, "Human, thank you for returning my child. Rest assured, as gratitude, I will make sure you two die a very painful death!"
As it spoke, its body surged with a dazzling purple radiance, preparing to strike.
Yun Zhi, despite being upset with Xiao Bai's actions, knew that things had reached a critical point. She quickly tried to pull him behind her. However, she failed to move him and anxiously said, "Get behind me now! Stay far away when the fight starts!"
"Don't worry! Nothing will happen," Xiao Bai shook his head and patted her jade-like hand that was gripping his arm. He remained still and chuckled lightly, "A father and son reunion—such a touching scene. Why not take some time to have a little chat?"
The Amethyst Winged Lion King didn't understand the meaning behind his words and sneered, "No need to worry. Once you two are dead, my child and I will have all the time in the world to talk!"
However, just as it finished speaking, the little lion behind it reached out a small paw and patted the Amethyst Winged Lion King, letting out a few soft, childish roars.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King turned around and reassured its child, "Don't worry, my son. Once I deal with these two, I will avenge you!"
"Roar!"
"What?!?!"
"Roar!"
After exchanging a few more roars, the Amethyst Winged Lion King conducted a thorough check on its child. Then, with a look of shock and fury, it turned back toward Xiao Bai, roaring in anger and fear, "Human, what did you do to my child's soul?!"
Through its brief exchange with the little lion, it had finally understood why this human had so calmly returned its child. It turned out that he had done something to it—something related to its very soul! This realization enraged it beyond belief, yet at the same time, it felt utterly helpless.
Magical beasts were born with powerful physical bodies but weak souls. Even though it was a sixth-rank magical beast, it had no way of detecting what had been done to its child's soul. Let alone itself—even most human Dou Huang experts wouldn't have much understanding of soul-related techniques unless they were Alchemists.
For a moment, a deep sense of both fury and fear surged within it!
Now, it felt like its previous mockery of this human was nothing more than a joke!
No wonder this human had been so confident in saying that it should submit, or else he would kill it. With such mastery over the soul, the Amethyst Crystal Winged Lion King even began to suspect that this human might be an Alchemist or some kind of supreme expert!
"Just a small trick, nothing worth mentioning," Xiao Bai said with a faint smile before his expression turned cold. "Now, you have two choices—submit or die. Make your decision!"
"But be quick about it. My patience is limited!"
After speaking, Xiao Bai no longer paid attention to the beast. Instead, he noticed the unfamiliar look in Yun Zhi's eyes and sighed. She suspected that he had been hiding his true strength and deceiving her.
"If you want to know something, just ask. Don't look at me like that—it's quite hurtful," Xiao Bai transmitted his voice to her.
"Your cultivation? Your age?" Yun Zhi, noticing his transmission, glanced at the Amethyst Crystal Winged Lion King before responding in the same manner, her tone slightly cold.
"Five-Star Dou Ling! Eighteen years old!"
"Then you..."
"I just happen to know a little about soul techniques," Xiao Bai said, blinking playfully.
The coldness in Yun Zhi's beautiful eyes faded. She had suspected that Xiao Bai had been lying to her earlier, making her think he was weaker than he really was. He had even claimed that he couldn't fly, leading her to worry about his safety. Now, she felt a bit frustrated.
Someone who could tamper with another's soul? Even Gu He, a sixth-tier Alchemist, couldn't do that. How could such a person be weak?
Now that she knew his true cultivation, her anger dissipated, but her shock only grew—eighteen years old and already a Five-Star Dou Ling?
She had always known he was talented, but she hadn't expected his talent to be this monstrous!
At the same time, many of her doubts were resolved. No wonder this guy had shown no reverence for her strength—if she had reached such a level at his age, she wouldn't have been in awe of this realm either.
"You really have no background? No master? Just a bit of luck, and the rest was all your own cultivation?" Yun Zhi's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she stared at him.
"None!" Xiao Bai shook his head. Yao Lao had guided him in Alchemy, but when it came to his cultivation, he had always trained on his own—no one could teach him, as his cultivation technique came from the Talisman.
"Heh..." Yun Zhi's elegant, noble face suddenly curved into a strange smile. She didn't say anything.
"Hey, Yun Zhi, don't look at me like that—it's terrifying!" Seeing her eyes light up and the corners of her lips curl into a mysterious smile, Xiao Bai felt uneasy.
He wasn't worried that Yun Zhi would do anything harmful to him—he trusted her character.
On the other side, the Amethyst Crystal Winged Lion King looked conflicted. It couldn't examine its cub's soul and was beginning to suspect what Xiao Bai had said. However, this was its child's safety at stake—it couldn't afford to take risks!
"Human, undo whatever you did to my son! I agree to submit!" After a long hesitation, the beast finally spoke with a hint of defeat in its voice.
"I can remove the control, but I will leave something in your spiritual sea. After all, I've already seen how trustworthy you are," Xiao Bai said skeptically. Was this beast really submitting so easily?
The Amethyst Crystal Winged Lion King felt uncertain. It had only been testing Xiao Bai's resolve earlier—it hadn't expected him to truly have the means to control it.
"Heh..." Xiao Bai chuckled coldly before unleashing his powerful soul force, pressing it directly onto the lion.
This beast wouldn't give up unless it experienced his power firsthand. If it wanted to test him, he would make sure it felt it!
In an instant, the Amethyst Crystal Winged Lion King felt a tremendous spiritual pressure descend upon it. Under this force, its soul was completely helpless. It had no choice but to mobilize its entire energy reserves, using the full might of a sixth-rank Magical Beast just to barely withstand it—managing not to collapse onto the ground in humiliation.
Yun Zhi, sensing the clash of their auras, slightly parted her red lips in shock. She immediately dismissed the idea she had just entertained—of capturing Xiao Bai and forcing him to be her disciple.
This kid was simply abnormal—she... couldn't handle him!
"I agree!" The Amethyst Crystal Winged Lion King gritted its teeth, struggling under the overwhelming soul pressure. The immense force convinced it—whatever method this human had used on its cub's soul was beyond its ability to undo. It no longer dared to call itself "this king."
"Good!" Xiao Bai smiled. This beast might be useless in the future, but for now, it would do a fine job guarding the place.
Walking up to the Amethyst Crystal Winged Lion King, he placed a hand on its massive head. "Don't resist!"
Immediately, the beast felt something enter its spiritual sea. Its sharp perception dulled as if something had covered it like a veil.
"This is... a seal?"
It was all too familiar with such techniques—it had used one on the woman standing not far away.
Yun Zhi's eyes flickered with a strange light. She hadn't expected his method to be a soul seal—this was the first time she had ever heard of such a technique!
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