Aladdin had been on his way back to Old Bao for ten days now. With the speed he was going, and by carefully avoiding unnecessary fights with spirit beasts, just three more days would be enough.
But on the tenth day, his spiritual senses picked up something near a mountain cliff that caught his attention. He slowed down and moved cautiously in that direction.
It was an injured little winged monkey beast. Its life force was faint, barely holding on. Though it didn't make a sound, its silent, pitiful cries reached him clearly.
It wasn't like Aladdin hadn't seen other injured beasts on his way, there had been several of them, but monkeys had a soft spot in his heart.
This little winged monkey reminded him of his monkey, Abu, back in Agrabah. The memory softened his gaze.
He walked closer and knelt beside the creature, carefully taking it onto his lap. He inspected it closely. Its wings were broken, limp and torn, and there was an open wound near its ribs that was still bleeding.
Aladdin frowned gently. "Hang in there, little one… I've got you."
Without wasting time, Aladdin gently carried it under a big tree a few steps away, settling down on the grass. He placed the creature on a dry patch of ground and began channeling a bit of his essence into the monkey's body. The energy slowly stabilized what little life force it had left.
"You're tougher than you look," he muttered, watching the monkey's chest rise a little more steadily. "Just hold on a bit longer."
Once its breathing calmed slightly, Aladdin reached into his spatial ring and took out some injury treatment herbs. He crushed them between his fingers and applied the mixture carefully to its wounds, making sure not to cause more pain.
"There we go… this should ease the pain," he said quietly. "You're going to be okay."
After applying the herbs, the little winged monkey seemed to relax. The tension in its small body faded, and its breathing grew steadier. Slowly, its eyes drooped, and it began to fall asleep.
Aladdin gently patted its head, watching it settle. A small smile touched his lips.
"Maybe I'll keep you," he murmured. "Just like Abu."
---
Three days later, the familiar wooden hut came into view—the same place where Aladdin had first met Old Bao. It sat quietly at the edge of a cliff, surrounded by still air. But there was no sign of Old Bao himself.
Aladdin slowed his steps, his instincts on alert as he approached the hut.
Then, without warning—
"Crimson Flame Palm!" a voice thundered from above.
A burning wave of energy exploded toward him. The heat surged through the air, and the fiery palm carried enough force to incinerate or send any opponent flying.
Aladdin barely had time to react. His hands formed the Dragon Scale Brace formation, summoning a thick, shimmering wall of Qi in front of him. The flaming strike collided with the shield in a blinding flash.
The impact shattered the wall and sent Aladdin flying backward. He crashed against the ground with a grunt, blood slipping from the corner of his mouth.
Before he could even catch his breath—
"Shadow Moon Slash!"
Old Bao's voice rang out again.
His figure vanished into a blur. Then, in a flash, he reappeared midair, swinging his sword. A crescent-shaped slash tore through space, nearly invisible, aimed directly at Aladdin's chest.
But this time, Aladdin was prepared.
As the attack closed in, Aladdin's saber was already in motion, crackling with thunder and wind Qi. Energy surged through the blade as he met Old Bao's strike head-on.
The collision sent out a shockwave that ripped through the air. Both fighters were thrown back, their feet skidding across the ground. Dust swirled. Sparks crackled. But this time, both managed to stabilize.
Old Bao landed lightly, a wide grin on his face.
"You've gotten stronger," he said, eyes gleaming with approval. "I can't believe you blocked two of my high-rank sneak attacks."
Aladdin steadied his breath and gave a faint smile.
"Didn't you send me to Arkania Valley to get stronger?"
Old Bao laughed heartily.
"Yeah, that's right. Come here—let me take a good look at you."
Aladdin stepped forward.
Old Bao studied him closely, nodding with satisfaction.
"Peak Martial Adept," he said with pride. "Good, good, good. And not just your level—you've stabilized your foundation too. You haven't let me down."
"You've also started cultivating the thunder attribute," Old Bao said, noting the faint crackle of energy still lingering around Aladdin. Then he gestured toward the hut. "Come. Tell me everything about the mission."
The two of them walked slowly to the wooden hut and took their seats just outside, where the breeze rustled the dry grass and the old wood creaked softly beneath them.
"I've accomplished the mission you gave me," Aladdin said after a moment, his tone calm but firm. He reached into his spatial ring and placed five glowing Thunderroot Camellia flowers on the table between them.
Old Bao blinked. For a long second, he said nothing. He simply stared at the flowers, his brows tightening.
Five?
He had only wanted Aladdin to gain some experience—test his courage, face danger, and see the brutality of the world beyond safety. He never truly expected him to bring back even a single flower. After all, the Thunderroot Camellia was fiercely guarded by a Rank 4 Thunderclaw Drake Lizard, a powerful demonic beast that even Old Bao would hesitate to face head-on.
His gaze slowly shifted from the flowers to the boy in front of him.
"Did… you kill the Thunderclaw Drake Lizard?" he asked, unable to mask the disbelief in his voice.
Aladdin didn't answer right away. Instead, he calmly reached into his spatial ring once more and pulled out the beast's demonic core. He handed it to Old Bao without a word.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I killed it."
Old Bao took the core with both hands and examined it closely. The aura was dense, unmistakable. There was no doubt—it belonged to the very beast he had sent Aladdin to encounter.
He looked up again. "You did this alone?" he asked, searching the boy's face.
"I did," Aladdin replied, steady and sure.
For a moment, there was only silence between them—Old Bao still holding the core, and Aladdin sitting across from him, calm and unmoved.
Then finally, Old Bao let out a low breath and chuckled under it.