Listening to Jiang Yun's praise, Zi Yan immediately lifted her head, nostrils flared, and said haughtily, "Of course! Let me tell you..."
While listening to Zi Yan recount her experiences in the Magical Beast Forest, Jiang Yun skillfully manipulated the flames, refining the medicinal ingredients one by one into pills that suited Zi Yan's taste.
His heart was filled with tranquility. Just then, the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame within him trembled slightly, a fleeting sensation.
A flicker of an inexplicable emotion passed through Jiang Yun's eyes as he refined the ingredients, but he quickly returned to calmly helping Zi Yan refine the medicinal ingredients.
It must be said that although Jiang Yun, as an Alchemist, was somewhat limited, only knowing a few types of pills, his skill in refining medicinal ingredients had soared under Zi Yan's continuous 'feeding' over time!
As the eastern night slowly gave way to dawn, Jiang Yun, who had been refining ingredients all night, put away the last pill.
Despite working overtime all night, he appeared refreshed and energetic, without a hint of fatigue. This amount of work was too trivial for him.
Looking at Zi Yan, who was sweetly asleep, clinging to his leg like a sloth, a gentle smile appeared on Jiang Yun's lips.
Last night, Zi Yan, tired from talking, had fallen asleep on Jiang Yun's lap. Jiang Yun raised his hand to wipe away her drool, wondering what beautiful dream she was having.
Jiang Yun took out a fragrant pill and placed it near Zi Yan's mouth. At the familiar scent, Zi Yan's brows furrowed in her sleep, her nostrils twitched slightly, and a small, delicate tongue quickly darted out, precisely hitting the pill in Jiang Yun's hand.
"Crunch—" In a few bites, the pill was consumed. Zi Yan then woke up, opening her bright, large eyes, like purple gems.
"Jiang Yun, you're done refining!"
"If I didn't finish, my pants wouldn't be safe!" Jiang Yun said with a smile, handing a storage ring to Zi Yan.
Zi Yan then noticed the drool on Jiang Yun's pant leg, and her face flushed slightly. She retorted loudly, "Your pants aren't as valuable as my drool! Although I don't know what kind of magical beast I am, I'm definitely not ordinary. Maybe... maybe my drool can also be used in medicine. Consider these your test subjects!"
By the end, Zi Yan even nodded sagely, praising her own cleverness.
Jiang Yun looked at Zi Yan's 'nonsense' with a strange expression. This time, she might have stumbled upon the truth.
What was Zi Yan's true form? Zi Yan didn't know, but how could he not? She was the supreme Ancient Void Dragon of the Magical Beast Realm. In that case, Zi Yan's drool would indeed be dragon saliva!
He wondered what use dragon saliva had on the Dou Qi Continent. If it could be developed, wouldn't he strike it rich?
Watching Zi Yan 'eating' heartily, Jiang Yun dismissed the strange thoughts in his mind and chuckled, "You should research that yourself! I have no interest in researching other people's drool."
With that, Jiang Yun took out a jade bottle from his storage ring. The bottle was somewhat warm, and the liquid inside glowed faintly white, as if it were moving.
"Zi Yan, where did you find this?" Jiang Yun asked Zi Yan, holding the jade bottle in his hand.
The contents of the jade bottle were naturally not ordinary. It was the Earth Core Tempering Milk, which in the original story, Zi Yan had failed to obtain.
In the original story, Zi Yan had returned empty-handed because she couldn't defeat the magical beast guarding the Earth Core Tempering Milk. But now, for Zi Yan, defeating a Snow Devil Sky Ape that could temporarily burst to a five-star Dou King was effortless.
"Oh, you mean this! This stuff tastes really good!" Zi Yan paused her eating, looked at the jade bottle in Jiang Yun's hand, and first praised it with a nod.
"As for where I got it, let me think..."
This was one of the few things that left a deep impression on Zi Yan, not because the Blood Devil Sky Ape had impressed her, but because of its taste.
This was one of the few drinks that Zi Yan praised highly without needing any refining, so she thought of bringing some back to share with Jiang Yun.
"Ah—I remember now! It was that big gorilla's stuff!" After a moment, Zi Yan clapped her hands and said excitedly.
Earth Core Tempering Milk: It is the essence of pure earth power, compressed over ages. It forms a mist after a hundred years, and a liquid after a thousand. The highest quality is called Earth Core Tempering Milk, possessing the miraculous effect of cleansing marrow and refining bones.
It is a treasure coveted by countless Dou Spirits, capable of increasing the success rate of breaking through to Dou King. It is even greatly beneficial for Dou Kings breaking through to Dou Emperor.
"Then let's go again!" Seeing Zi Yan remember, Jiang Yun smiled, a very happy smile. The Earth Core Tempering Milk could help him quickly cross the Da Dou Shi stage and reach the Dou Spirit stage, so it couldn't be missed.
"This stuff does taste good, but I've already drunk it all!" Zi Yan became a bit shy, saying with some embarrassment.
"Just trust me!" Jiang Yun didn't explain, but instead took Zi Yan's hand and slowly walked outside.
Out of trust in Jiang Yun, Zi Yan allowed him to lead her out.
However, as they were leaving, they encountered a small problem.
Looking at the tall man with a grim face before him, Jiang Yun felt a bit helpless. Was it really a case of 'beating the younger, bringing the elder'?
"This senior is...?"
"Feng Wuhen!" the man said flatly. It was indeed Feng Wuhen, second on the Strong Ranking, a half-step Dou King.
"Senior Feng wants to avenge Xue Zhen?" Knowing the person's identity and recalling the relationship between him and Xue Zhen that he had heard about yesterday, Jiang Yun asked curiously.
"No!" To Jiang Yun's surprise, Feng Wuhen denied his guess. "It was his own lack of skill; I wouldn't go so far as to do that. I merely wanted to see what kind of monster the Inner Court's famous genius was."
"And now?"
"Well-deserved reputation!" Feng Wuhen fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I'll wait for you in the Strong Ranking Competition."
With that, a sharp, domineering aura erupted from him, like a hibernating snake awakening!
That domineering aura was directed straight at Jiang Yun!
"Hey—you big oaf, are you done or not? Jiang Yun and I still have to go find something delicious. If you don't move, I'll hit you!"
Jiang Yun hadn't reacted yet, but Zi Yan said impatiently. She and Jiang Yun were supposed to go find food together. Not only was this big oaf blocking their way, but he also dared to threaten someone she protected. He clearly didn't put Zi Yan in his eyes.
"Hmm?" Feng Wuhen's aura faltered. He frowned, looking at Zi Yan. So this was the little girl rumored to dare shout at the Grand Elder. She seemed rather ordinary, aside from being cute!
"I don't like your gaze." Zi Yan frowned at Feng Wuhen, saying coldly, her fists clenching with a cracking sound. "If you want to challenge Xiaoyun, take one punch from me first."
With a shout, Zi Yan charged forward directly. Her speed was incredibly fast, and her explosive power even stronger. As she unleashed a punch, gusts of wind rippled outwards, causing Feng Wuhen's pupils to constrict instantly.
"Boom—"
Feng Wuhen took a sudden step, and a pale golden Dou Qi erupted. His entire body shimmered with golden light, like a War God. He raised his hand and punched towards Zi Yan.
Feng Wuhen's Dou Qi was actually a metal-attribute Dou Qi, a relatively rare type of Dou Qi, extremely proficient in attack and defense, with only slightly inferior speed.
However, when unleashed at close range, Feng Wuhen's speed was not slow. With a single punch, a brilliant golden light burst forth like a torrent.
Feng Wuhen was indeed worthy of being second on the Inner Court's Strong Ranking. He was already extremely close to becoming a Dou King; perhaps he could break through after this Heart Flame Body Tempering. Unfortunately, he had now encountered Zi Yan.
"Rumble—"
The two fists, one large and one small, collided with a thunderous explosion that shook the area for a hundred meters. The result of the collision was Feng Wuhen being sent flying directly.
Fortunately, they were already near the outer perimeter of the Inner Court, and there weren't many people here. Otherwise, who knows what kind of shock they would have received.
"Uh—" Feng Wuhen looked at Zi Yan in disbelief. His arm was still trembling violently, and fresh red blood slowly flowed down it, yet he felt no pain at all. His entire arm had gone numb.
"Dou King—"
Feng Wuhen looked at Zi Yan, clenching his jaw, and stammered out Zi Yan's strength.
At this moment, the disregard in his eyes from earlier was completely gone. Who could have imagined that a seemingly harmless little girl possessed such terrifying power, and was even a Dou King expert?
She was the goal that those ranked in the top ten of the Strong Ranking pursued.
"What? I can't be a Dou King?" Zi Yan raised her small fist somewhat triumphantly, making Feng Wuhen's eyelids twitch.
He only now realized that Zi Yan hadn't even released any Dou Qi earlier. Her pure physical strength had rendered him utterly defenseless. Feng Wuhen was certain that Zi Yan was definitely not an ordinary Dou King.
"No wonder the Grand Elder thinks so highly of you. Indeed, compared to you, what kind of geniuses are we?"
The moment Zi Yan's strength was exposed, Feng Wuhen immediately connected many things: why Zi Yan didn't need to participate in the Fire Energy Capture Competition, why the Grand Elder had such an attitude towards Zi Yan. It truly seemed that with talent, one could do whatever they wanted.
Feng Wuhen felt dejected at this moment. Zi Yan's punch had almost shattered his confidence. He walked away dejectedly towards the distance.
"What's wrong with him?"
Watching Feng Wuhen leave, Zi Yan looked up at Jiang Yun with some confusion, large eyes, small question marks.
"He probably got hit hard by you!" Jiang Yun chuckled, rubbing Zi Yan's head.
"Hmph—I only used one-tenth of my strength, and he's already so disheartened? He's not that great then! I used to get beaten up by magical beasts all the time for food, but I never got discouraged. Later, I beat them all back severely."
Zi Yan enthusiastically recounted her past experiences. Her lighthearted tone contained the life-and-death crises of her weaker days.
Jiang Yun felt a pang of heartache. Looking at the lively and cheerful girl before him, it was hard to imagine that as a princess of the Ancient Dragon Clan, she would have such a childhood.
And yet, she could maintain such a mindset. Zi Yan was truly'strong'!
"Don't worry! I'll be with you from now on. If anyone bullies you, I'll help you beat them. Let's start with the Magical Beast Forest outside the Inner Court!" Jiang Yun took Zi Yan's hand and slowly walked towards the Magical Beast Forest.
"Hmph—you're not as strong as me yet, so I should protect you! In the Magical Beast Realm, the boss has to protect the subordinates. Besides, those few weaklings outside are no match for me."
Jiang Yun's words brought a warmth to Zi Yan, but she still raised her head haughtily.
The morning light spilled down, stretching the shadows of the two walking side by side, gradually merging the two shadows into one.
An endless, vast forest sea. A gentle breeze blew, swaying the branches, creating waves of green through the forest, like surging, turbulent waters.
This was deep within the boundless forest outside the Jia Nan Academy's Inner Court. This vast forest sea contained many powerful magical beasts, and even Dou Spirits venturing here could easily encounter danger.
A figure clad in purple Dou Qi wings, carrying a slightly larger figure, landed on a small hill.
Jiang Yun unashamedly climbed down from Zi Yan's embrace, looking at the terrain before them and asking, "Are you sure you haven't mistaken it?"
"I would absolutely never mistake something delicious!" Zi Yan was displeased by Jiang Yun's doubt. He could doubt her in other aspects, but he absolutely could not doubt her obsession with delicious medicinal ingredients.
Jiang Yun nodded, carefully examining the valley before them. It was a small valley nestled against a mountain, with a gourd-shaped entrance.
"Let's go, let's go see your old friend!" His soul force spread out, and soon Jiang Yun smiled, leading the way inside.
Zi Yan followed closely behind Jiang Yun, her small hand naturally clutching a part of Jiang Yun's sleeve.
Soon, the two arrived at the end of the valley. Inside a cave, over ten meters high, lay a sprawling, snow-white figure.
Observing its size, this Snow Devil Sky Ape was at least three to four zhang long. The white ape exuded wisps of cold air, lying on the ground, snoring loudly in its sleep. Heavy breaths escaped its enormous nostrils, like two plumes of white smoke.
Its arms were quite long, and its claws, like black iron, were the size of two adult heads. In its sleep, an unconscious swipe of its hand would send out several powerful gusts of wind, cleaving nearby boulders into scattered fragments.
"Want to go say hello?" Jiang Yun saw the main target and chuckled to Zi Yan.
"Although this big gorilla is a bit fool, it still has some tricks!" Zi Yan's eyes became serious at this moment. Although the opponent was not her match, a lion uses its full strength even against a rabbit, and with Jiang Yun also present, she dared not be careless.
Just then, the magical beast seemed to sense something. Its coarse nose twitched slightly, taking two deep breaths, then a pair of blood-red eyes locked onto Zi Yan's position.
"It's you again." Looking at Zi Yan, the Snow Devil Sky Ape's pupils first constricted, and its body trembled uncontrollably. Soon, it looked at Jiang Yun.
"Human?"
"You actually brought a human to my territory, you traitor to the magical beast race!"
The Snow Devil Sky Ape's body moved, standing up directly. Powerful energy erupted from its tall body, and its blood-red eyes overflowed with rage and disgust, glaring fiercely at Jiang Yun and Zi Yan.
If it weren't for Zi Yan's 'memorable' strength, it would have already charged up and torn the two of them in half.
"How dare you curse me!" Zi Yan was instantly so angry that her ponytail stood on end, and her eyes burned with fury. "It seems the lesson I gave you last time wasn't enough. Watch how this granny teaches you a lesson!