In the northwest province of the Jia Ma Empire, there lies the city of Daling. Though it may not rival the grand metropolises of the capital, it still stands as a formidable sight compared to the humble city of Wutan. Its proximity to the expansive and perilous Magic Beast Mountain Range, which spans nearly half the empire, makes it a bustling hub for adventurers and merchant caravans, infusing the city with a constant stream of vitality.
At the northern gate of Daling, the crowd was so thick that it nearly blocked the entrance. Just beyond the gate, the endless expanse of the Magic Beast Mountain Range stretched out. Groups of mercenaries, resembling ants in their relentless movement, continually entered and exited the forest. Occasionally, a group would emerge from the woods, a cart laden with the corpse of a magic beast and a trail of dust, drawing envious gazes from onlookers. To hunt a satisfying prey in the Magic Beast Mountain Range was no easy feat.
“Damn, today’s been a real drag. We lost two brothers, and after all that, we only managed to kill a second-rank magic beast, but it turned out to be a stone egg without any treasure,” a group of bloodied men cursed as they emerged from the forest. On the cart behind them lay the sizable corpse of a magic beast, but upon examining its opened head, they found nothing but brain matter and blood—no trace of the precious magical core. In mercenary slang, such a beast without a core was called a “stone egg without treasure.”
“If this damn thing had a second-rank core, we could have saved up enough money to buy a middle-grade Huang rank martial art at the auction,” one of the men said with evident frustration.
“Middle-grade Huang… sigh, damn, those arts cost eleven thousand gold coins. It’s like dealing with a vampire,” the leader spat, his voice laced with bitterness.
“Hehe, you know, the Yunlan Sect issued a wanted notice. Anyone who provides information can get a Xuan rank martial art, and might even be taken in as a disciple. Maybe we should try our luck; it’s better than risking our lives to buy an art,” a scrawny man suggested, his eyes gleaming with greed as he spoke of the Xuan rank martial art.
“Slim Monkey, are you an idiot? Do you not know who the Yunlan Sect is hunting? Xiao Yan! The anonymous champion of the Alchemist Competition, who twice invaded the Yunlan Sect, killed the Dou Wang-level Yun Leng, and escaped from the Battle Sect-level Yun Shan unscathed. How could we possibly tangle with someone like that?” the leader retorted coldly.
“Hehe, I’m just joking. What are the chances we’d encounter someone like that?” the scrawny man defended, his expression sheepish. “But I heard the Yunlan Sect has posted the wanted notice nationwide. With such tempting rewards, it’s hard not to be tempted. Even if Xiao Yan manages to escape the Yunlan Sect’s pursuit, he’ll find it nearly impossible to move freely in the Jia Ma Empire.”
“Does any of this concern us? Stop daydreaming. Even if you did meet him, do you think you could stop him with that rusty knife of yours?” the leader sneered. “Enough chit-chat, let’s get back to the city. Rest for a day, then we go back to work. At the rate we’re going, relying on our mid-grade Huang rank martial arts, when will we ever reach the Dou Shi level?”
With that, the group of blood-stained men grumbled and reluctantly made their way toward the city gate. As they passed, a figure clad entirely in black robes slowly emerged from the depths of the forest. He scanned the area, then lowered his hood, revealing half his face.
“Starting a nationwide manhunt, huh? Yun Shan really spared no expense,” the cloaked figure mused, his voice tinged with disdain. The familiar features revealed beneath the hood were none other than Xiao Yan, who had recently escaped the Yunlan Sect’s clutches.
After Yun Yun had let Xiao Yan escape, he followed the map given by Yaphira, making a wide detour through the forest for nearly ten days before finally shaking off his relentless pursuers. After a day of rest, he continued his journey toward the northwest border of the Jia Ma Empire, following the map through the Magic Beast Mountain Range. It took him another seven or eight days of travel to reach the city of Daling, which lay near the empire’s northwestern border.
According to the map, once he crossed Daling, he would pass a few more checkpoints before reaching the border of the Jia Ma Empire. Once he was outside the empire, the Yunlan Sect’s pursuit would lose its effect. While the sect still held some sway abroad, it was far less influential than within the Jia Ma Empire. Other factions would not care about the Yunlan Sect’s pursuit.
Over the past month, Xiao Yan endured great hardship traveling through the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Although the presence of the Swallowing Heavenly Python kept ordinary beasts at bay, the vast range was home to many terrifying creatures. Other beasts feared the python, but these did not. Despite eluding the Yunlan Sect, Xiao Yan was still hounded by these monsters.
Though his journey was fraught with danger, the most exciting news was that after half a month, the damaged soul of Pharmacist Elder had finally recovered. This brought great relief to Xiao Yan, as having Pharmacist Elder’s support meant he had a powerful card to play. Additionally, during his month-long flight, the residual medicinal power in his body had allowed him to make another breakthrough. This subtle improvement became more pronounced after he narrowly escaped a Dou Wang-level beast, and Xiao Yan had suddenly advanced to a Four-Star Great Dou Shi.
If the earlier drug-induced growth in the cave was included, Xiao Yan had surged by three stars in strength over the month. Such progress was truly remarkable, driven by the intense experiences and remaining medicinal effects. His talent for cultivation was even praised by the seasoned Pharmacist Elder.
Moreover, Xiao Yan had made significant progress in mastering the “Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Changes,” a secret technique of the Flame Valley. With guidance from Pharmacist Elder, he finally grasped the technique’s intricacies. Despite initial failures, his power had surged, and he was confident that given enough time, he could fully master the “Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Changes.” At that point, he would likely have no rivals among the Great Dou Shis.
In summary, the past month’s tribulations had been highly beneficial to Xiao Yan. Grinning, he thought of his gains, ignoring the curious glances from passersby. He pulled his hood down, concealing his face in shadow, and made his way toward the crowded city gate. It was best to leave the Jia Ma Empire as soon as possible. For now, he had no means to settle the score.
As he approached the gate, Xiao Yan joined the queue, scanning the surroundings. His gaze halted on a poster pinned to the gate, featuring two distinct portraits: one of his current appearance and the other of his former guise as Yan Xiao. Clearly, the Yunlan Sect feared he might use this identity to escape the empire.
“Yun Shan has certainly put a lot of effort into catching me,” Xiao Yan thought, his gaze drifting to the guards at the gate, who were meticulously checking the identities of everyone entering. Each person was cross-referenced with the portraits.
“Is the Jia Ma Royal Family also helping the Yunlan Sect?” he muttered, frowning. “With the Emperor’s cunning, he must know that if I escape, it will create a formidable enemy for the royal family. And the relationship between the royal family and the Yunlan Sect isn’t exactly friendly.”
“Damn Mosang, what’s he, just a city guard? Acting so arrogant, like he runs Daling. He’d better hope he doesn’t actually run into Xiao Yan, or he’ll be dead in a flash,” a man ahead in line grumbled impatiently.
“Shh, keep your voice down. While the Jia Ma Royal Family isn’t involved in the pursuit, Mosang is from the Yunlan Sect. He’s taking advantage of his position to impress the sect,” a companion whispered, pulling the man back.
“Arrogant fool,” the man spat, but he fell silent, clearly wary of Mosang.
“So, he’s from the Yunlan Sect,” Xiao Yan mused, listening to their conversation. The Yunlan Sect’s influence was vast, with many disciples holding positions of power in the empire. With the order to capture him, they could quickly set up a dragnet across the Jia Ma Empire. Now, Xiao Yan began to realize the extent of the Yunlan Sect’s power, and why even the Jia Ma Royal Family was wary of them.
Deciding to avoid the gate, Xiao Yan quietly slipped away, heading for a secluded part of the wall. He glanced at the drowsy guards, then, with a subtle tremor, his Purple Cloud Wings emerged. Bending his knees, he launched himself upward, his feet touching the wall as he shot over, a black shadow streaking across. He landed on the other side just as the guards turned, and quickly hid behind a building. With a wave of his hand, the wings vanished, and he calmly walked into the city, ready to gather more information on the Yunlan Sect’s activities.
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