The boundless azure sky was dotted with lazy, drifting clouds, which occasionally moved slightly as a gentle breeze blew. The sunlight poured through the clouds and shone warmly upon the towering mountains below. Amidst the tranquil sky, a sudden gust of strong wind could be heard, and then, at the edge of the horizon, tiny black dots appeared. In a moment, the black dots came closer, transforming into over a dozen fierce flying demonic beasts, roaring as they swooped by…
Perched on the head of the leading flying demonic beast sat a young man in a black robe, his legs crossed. A faint greenish energy enveloped his body, warding off the fierce wind. With no distractions, he entered a state of deep cultivation. After a long while, Xiao Yan’s eyes fluttered open, and he scanned the distant, minuscule ground below. Turning to the group behind him, he asked, “Where are we now?”
At Xiao Yan’s question, Xiao Li, who had been chatting and laughing with Lin Yan and the others, turned around. He quickly pulled out a map from his storage ring and replied with a smile, “We’re in a small country called Wan Yan. We’ve left the Black Corner Region far behind. At our current speed, we should be able to reach the border of the Jia Ma Empire in just about a month.”
“Another month, huh…” Xiao Yan muttered, glancing at Lin Yan and the others. Despite the occasional rest stops during the past month, most of their time had been spent atop these tiger eagle beasts. Such a monotonous journey was not for the faint of heart. However, fortunately, most of the company were strong and could pass the time through cultivation.
“Sigh, if this journey lasts for a few more months, I fear we’ll all go mad,” Lin Yan said helplessly, noticing Xiao Yan’s gaze.
Xiao Yan smiled, looking around. “Where’s Zi Yan? Did she run off again?”
“Yes, that girl can’t sit still and has already darted ahead, but Medusa is with her,” Xiao Li nodded, approaching Xiao Yan and exclaiming, “It’s surprising that the cold woman gets along so well with Zi Yan, even offering to protect her.”
“Let them be. With Cai Lin around, Zi Yan should be safe,” Xiao Yan smiled, surveying the several tiger eagle beasts behind him. “Everything going alright?”
“Everything’s fine. Though, having such a large group fly through the air often causes a commotion when we encounter local forces. If there are strong practitioners, they sometimes come to check things out. And some, seeing how formidable our group is, even invite us down for a chat,” Xiao Li chuckled.
“Try to avoid any conflict with these forces. We’re just passing through. Don’t get involved, and decline any invitations,” Xiao Yan nodded, musing for a moment. The journey from the Black Corner Region to the Jia Ma Empire was vast and riddled with various forces. Getting entangled in trouble would delay their already urgent return.
“Of course, and I’ve already informed Gu He and the others to treat any inspectors politely and send them away,” Xiao Li assured with a smile.
Xiao Yan nodded, standing up to gaze at the distant southern sky. After a while, he sighed, “I wonder how big brother and the others are doing…”
Xiao Li fell silent for a moment before patting Xiao Yan on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Although big brother isn’t as strong as us, he’s cunning and resourceful. It won’t be easy for the Yun Lian Clan to capture him.”
Xiao Yan nodded, sighing, “I hope so…”
“By the way, have you felt any progress toward Battle Emperor during your recent cultivation?” Xiao Li switched the topic, sensing the heavy atmosphere.
“Not quite,” Xiao Yan shook his head with a wry smile. Despite his efforts for nearly a month, the feeling of breaking through to Battle Emperor still eluded him, much to his frustration.
“Can’t you use medicinal pills to boost your level? I remember Dou Wang practitioners can usually take a Soul Pill to increase their strength by one star. With your current strength, one pill should be enough to break through, right?” Xiao Li stroked his chin, asking.
“While the Soul Pill can boost a Dou Wang practitioner by one star, it won’t work for me. Besides, it can’t help those at the peak of Dou Wang to break the barrier, otherwise, everyone at that level could just take a Soul Pill and easily become Battle Emperor,” Xiao Yan explained, shaking his head.
“If the Soul Pill doesn’t work, what about other pills?”
“I can’t rely on external forces for this breakthrough,” Xiao Yan shook his head. The two years underground had greatly boosted his power but also left him with some hidden dangers. Though he was working to eliminate those, using external force again to rapidly increase his strength would only complicate future advancement.
“Then we’ll have to take it slow. You can’t rush things,” Xiao Li sighed, realizing he couldn’t be of much help.
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, acknowledging that he was indeed feeling impatient…
Just as Xiao Yan and Xiao Li were talking, a whizzing sound came from ahead. Two figures flashed by, landing on the same tiger eagle beast. They were Zi Yan and Medusa.
Seeing Zi Yan’s happy face, Xiao Yan sniffed and detected a faint medicinal aroma in the air. Surprised, he asked, “You went to gather herbs?”
“Hehe, your nose is sharp,” Zi Yan grinned, flipping her hand to reveal several intricately crafted jade boxes. She handed them to Xiao Yan, grinning, “You can keep some for Cai Lin, but you must make the rest into pills for me. No eating them all!”
Xiao Yan took the boxes, opening each one, his surprise growing. “This… is Jade Dragon Saliva? Extreme Cold Ginseng? Where did you find these?”
He wasn’t surprised for no reason; these herbs were needed for the Resurrection Pill, which he had discussed with Medusa.
“Zi Yan has a natural affinity for these medicinal herbs. Finding them is easy for her,” Medusa explained, ruffling Zi Yan’s hair.
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, remembering Zi Yan’s special ability. He’d need to bring her along in the future when searching for herbs.
“But these herbs don’t seem fresh. Did you… steal them?” Xiao Yan suddenly frowned, realizing something.
“Hehe,” Zi Yan giggled, whispering, “These are from some forces’ stores. Cai Lin said they’d be wasted anyway, so we took them quietly…”
Xiao Yan’s jaw dropped, his face turning pale as he stared angrily at Medusa. “You let her steal herbal medicine?”
“I handle my own affairs. These herbs are needed for the Resurrection Pill. I don’t want to miss the deadline because you can’t find all the ingredients,” Medusa shrugged, unfazed.
Xiao Yan’s eye twitched, stunned by the pair’s audacity. Fortunately, they hadn’t been caught. Otherwise, their journey would have been far from smooth.
“Tell them to speed up!” Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Li, his face grim.
“Okay.” Xiao Li sighed, flapping his Dou Qi wings and heading to the other flying beasts.
“Without my permission, you two are not allowed to leave!” Xiao Yan sternly reprimanded Zi Yan and Medusa once Xiao Li left.
Zi Yan stuck out her tongue discreetly, while Medusa scowled, but under Xiao Yan’s angry gaze, she stayed silent.
Suppressing these troublesome duo, Xiao Yan breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He looked at the jade boxes, shook his head, and stored them in his storage ring. After this incident, the group sped up, traveling faster than ever. They maintained this pace for several days, far from the scene of Zi Yan and Medusa’s mischief. Only then did Xiao Yan relax, slowing their speed slightly. Time passed like sand slipping through fingers, and the group drew closer and closer to the border of the Jia Ma Empire…
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