In the cave, the somewhat urgent and heavy breathing gradually faded after a while. Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and sat down on a stone behind him, deep in thought. The vast and mysterious hall he had seen earlier must have been the enigmatic Soul Palace. He could only attribute his ability to enter there to the effects of the soul fire imprint left by Pharmacist Elder. The terrifying souls that appeared in the shattered space were probably the guardians of the Soul Palace. Whether or not they were the lord of the Soul Palace, Xiao Yan was unsure. All he knew was that even with his greatly increased strength, he was still no match for those mysterious powerhouses.
“Indeed, the Soul Palace is filled with strong ones. From the terrifying aura of that soul, even Guard Wu may not be comparable…” Xiao Yan muttered softly. After a moment, he rubbed his forehead, feeling relieved. No matter how unfavorable the situation was, at least he knew Pharmacist Elder was still alive! As long as he lived, there was always a chance for everything.
“Teacher, your disciple will come for you…” Xiao Yan clenched his fist slowly, a resolute look emerging in his eyes. He stood up, took a deep breath, and the surging, mighty Dou Qi within him gradually drove out the chill. Now, he was truly a formidable Battle Emperor, and he was still young. Given enough time, Xiao Yan believed that when he next encountered that terrifying soul in the Soul Palace, he would not be so utterly defeated without a chance to fight back!
Slowly banishing the distracting thoughts, Xiao Yan moved and slowly approached the cave entrance blocked by boulders. Soon, he extended his hand and gently placed it on a large rock, then shouted, “Break!”
With his shout, a thunderous noise reverberated through the cave. Shattered rocks shot out from the cave entrance, and in the swirling dust, the cave was opened once more!
Xiao Yan stepped out slowly, squinting against the glaring sunlight. He stood at the cave’s mouth, stretching out his hands and letting the warm rays of the sun shine upon him. A warm, cozy feeling spread through his limbs, relaxing his expression.
After standing in the sunlight for a while, Xiao Yan walked out leisurely. His gaze swept over the deep valley, eventually resting on the massive purple light cocoon. Although he had already known that this girl’s evolution was not yet complete, seeing it with his own eyes still made him shake his head. Her advancement was truly difficult.
“Where is Cai Lin? Did she go out?” Xiao Yan’s gaze moved from the light cocoon, frowning slightly as he looked around, but he couldn’t find Meidusa’s figure. Just as he murmured to himself, his gaze landed on a scroll on a large rock not far from the light cocoon.
He waved his hand, drawing the scroll into his palm. With a hint of confusion, he slowly unrolled it and scanned its contents. After a moment, he furrowed his brows and whispered, “It seems the Snake-people Clan is in trouble. But according to her, she will return after resolving the matter. Could it be that it’s still not settled?”
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan’s expression changed slightly. If even Meidusa couldn’t resolve it quickly, it seemed the Snake-people Clan was indeed in serious trouble this time. After understanding the situation, Xiao Yan put the scroll back into his Storage Ring. Glancing at the light cocoon, he shook his head helplessly.
“Alright, I’ll guard you for some time. It wouldn’t be safe to leave now. Besides, I just broke through to Battle Emperor and need some time to familiarize myself with my Dou Qi…”
With that, Xiao Yan moved and appeared atop another large rock, closing his eyes slowly.
Xiao Yan had successfully broken through and entered the Battle Emperor realm, but considering the reason for Xiao Zi Yan, he did not leave alone. Instead, he chose to stay in the valley, taking care of Zi Yan and also using the time to refine his newly surging Dou Qi…
Time in the valley continued to pass quietly, but the valley was more lively now than before, thanks to the loud noises caused by Xiao Yan’s practice sessions.
In the process of refining his new strength, the days slipped by quickly. Unconsciously, half a month had passed. And during this time, the motionless light cocoon finally showed changes that delighted Xiao Yan. The surface of the cocoon was not only glowing more intensely, but faint cracks were also spreading, revealing traces of purple luster. It seemed that Zi Yan’s emergence was not far off.
In the sky above the valley, a figure in black robes floated. At that moment, his hands were rapidly forming complex seals. As the speed of the formation increased, a slight shadow trailed behind them.
Xiao Yan watched the rapid hand seals with a solemn expression, his face flushed, and beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Clearly, these seals were extremely taxing on his Dou Qi.
At one point, the moving seals suddenly solidified, and Xiao Yan roared, “Tidal Seal!”
With his roar, Xiao Yan’s hand sealed into a strange arc and thrust towards the sky. A surging amount of Dou Qi erupted, enveloping his hand. In the midst of this, a layer of bright green keratin quietly formed. The green keratin swiftly wrapped around his hand, and in an instant, a green crystal light seal the size of his hand shot out!
This light seal, like a sculpture of green crystal, was exceedingly beautiful, but the immense energy it contained was terrifying. Where it flew, even space twisted, and the air compressed into a distinct curve.
The green crystal seal flashed through the air, striking the spatial barrier directly. There was a deafening crash, followed by a sudden gust of wind. Waves of force spread out from the impact point, and the spatial barrier, created by Meidusa’s all-out effort, was breached, creating a hole a few meters wide!
Looking up at the breach in the twisted space, Xiao Yan breathed a long sigh of relief. This Tidal Seal, the second seal in the Emperor Seal Technique, was indeed more powerful than the Mountain Splitting Seal. It was truly a formidable technique requiring a Battle Emperor to master. For the past half-month, Xiao Yan had mostly practiced this seal, but this was the first time he had successfully launched it. Even though it was incomplete, it was already this powerful. Imagine what it would be like if he mastered it fully?
When he practiced the Mountain Splitting Seal, Xiao Yan had experienced the difficulties of the Emperor Seal Technique, so he was prepared. The Mountain Splitting Seal was barely under his control now, but the Tidal Seal was still far from perfection. In future battles, it might not be very effective. He needed to train harder. If he faced a Battle Sect, the Tidal Seal could surprise and overcome them.
Clasping his hands, Xiao Yan muttered, “It’s getting late. I should stop for today.”
He looked up at the sky, smiled lightly, and was about to land when the whole valley suddenly shuddered violently!
Feeling the sudden tremor, Xiao Yan was startled. His gaze shifted downward, and he saw that the purple light cocoon in the center of the valley was emitting a brilliant glow!
“Is she about to break through?” Seeing this, Xiao Yan’s excitement grew. Finally, this girl showed some movement.
As the light from the cocoon grew stronger, there was a faint cracking sound, and the small cracks on the cocoon began to split open. A blinding purple light shot into the sky, but thankfully, the spatial barrier kept it from attracting too much attention.
More and more cracks appeared until a large chunk of the cocoon fell away. This triggered a chain reaction, and the cocoon rapidly fractured. A pillar of purple light burst out, colliding with the spatial barrier and causing ripples.
Xiao Yan’s eyes fixed on the massive purple light pillar, and with his keen vision, he could see a faint human silhouette inside.
The light pillar dimmed after a while and finally dissipated, revealing the figure clearly to Xiao Yan’s eyes.
The figure was naked, surrounded by a faint purple light, making her appear enchantingly ethereal. Long, flowing purple hair cascaded down, reaching her perky hips, and her mature, hourglass figure was nothing like the little girl she once was. But the familiar, adorable face was unmistakably Zi Yan, now grown up!
“Is this Zi Yan?” Xiao Yan was dumbfounded, staring at the voluptuous, mature girl. He found it hard to believe that the little brat had developed so well and enticingly.
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