Allbeast Mountain Range, deep in the forest.
In a remote thicket, a rabbit was chewing on tender juicy grass. Suddenly, the rabbit straightened its ears and bolted.
A moment later, a black hand extended out from the ground followed by the slow crawl of the little beggar. But as she was crawling, she was flung out with a loud sound, as if a palm had slapped her.
"Get out already!"
Zhuo Fan scowled and came out after the beggar flew. He was just as filthy as the beggar and looked as if he had crawled through a cramped coal mine.
The tunnel was winding and almost half a mile long, it was also damp and smelled of rot. He couldn't understand for the life of him what was so great about playing in this place as kids?
Xue Ningxiang got on her feet, rubbed her rear and then glared at him, "You're the worst. I show you the way and this is my thanks?"
"Yes, I'm a scoundrel!"
Zhuo Fan didn't argue with her and had his eyes peeled, scanning the surrounding as he heard the seldom roar of spiritual beasts. He now knew that this was indeed Allbeast Mountain Range.
Looking at his filthy appearance, he shook his head and turned to Xue Ningxiang, "Hey, is there any river nearby?"
Rolling her eyes, Xue Ningxiang began walking, "Follow me!"
Zhuo Fan smiled and followed her.
Fifteen minutes later, the sound of water reached their ears. He perked up and sped.
His eyes were soon rewarded with the sight of a wide river flowing with clear water and small fishes.
With a shout, Zhuo Fan leapt in despite a female's presence. His clothes then flew out.
Xue Ningxiang whipped her body around in shame and snapped, "You rogue, what are you doing?"
"What do you think, bathing!"
Zhuo Fan snorted as he bathed with no regard to her presence, "I'll get out after I finish. Do what you want! If you wish, we can bathe together, I don't mind!"
"Damn you, who wants to bathe with you?" Xue Ningxiang didn't turn around, only mumbled with irritation, "Shameless!"
Zhuo Fan heard her loud and clear though. [If demonic cultivators cared about reputation, what are righteous cultivators then?]
A quarter of an hour later, Zhuo Fan came out of the river and put on a new robe from his ring. He patted Xue Ningxiang's shoulder, "Let's go, where is the Diamond Sand going to appear?"
Xue Ningxiang was a bit nervous seeing Zhuo Fan wanted to leave. She stood there in hesitation and was too embarrassed to speak.
Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow, "What? Show the way. Didn't we have a deal?"
"B-but…" Xue Ningxiang muttered shyly, "I haven't washed yet!"
Zhuo Fan's eyebrow twitched and he exposed an enigmatic smile, "I told you to wash but you refused! Since you haven't then that's that. I won't avoid you either way!"
"B-but…"
Xue Ningxiang was even more embarrassed now. She put on a disguise to run away from home. But she was a girl, and girls loved beauty, so how could she allow herself to stay dirty?
Zhuo Fan knew this too, but he was just teasing the hell out of her. [Who told her to deceive me?]
Xue Ningxiang was swaying from one foot to the other but didn't speak. But when she caught Zhuo Fan's faint smile she knew he was teasing her.
Pissed, she threw her hat in his face and walked to the river.
But after a few steps, she turned to warn Zhuo Fan, "Y-you better not peek!"
Zhuo Fan mocked as he left, "I'm not interested in unripe fruits!"
Unripe?
Xue Ningxiang was startled, then looked down at her chest and pushed it out unconvinced, "Humph, where am I unripe?"
But Zhuo Fan had already disappeared among the trees.
Xue Ningxiang pouted and returned to the river with a gloomy heart.
Half an hour later, Zhuo Fan was laying carefree on a bush, holding a straw in his mouth and contemplating his next course of action. The bushes around him moved at that moment and Zhuo Fan looked over with a smile.
"Oh, you're finally done! Little miss, can we go now?"
"Y-yeah!"
With a shy reply, the bushes were pushed aside. A white-clothed delicate girl slowly walked out. She wasn't gorgeous, but she had a lively air about her.
She was like a bouquet of fresh and pure flowers!
Even Zhuo Fan was startled by her image. He didn't think that the dirty little beggar from before would transform into a gentle swan.
Xue Ningxiang reddened a bit from his constant staring. She coughed and Zhuo Fan smiled embarrassingly.
"Um, lady Xue, please lead the way."
Changing his mannerism after encountering a belle, Zhuo Fan started to despise himself a bit, [Since when have I become so shameless?]
Yet the end result was that he found it refreshing walking side by side with a belle…
Two hours later, Xue Ningxiang brought him to a hilltop. Zhuo Fan was puzzled, "Since the Diamond Sand is coming out, there should be plenty of people around. Why is it deserted?"
Xue Ningxiang shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Brother Zhuo, I thought you were smart. How come you are so stupid all of a sudden?"
Zhuo Fan watched her skeptically.
"If we go in right now, we will be caught. That is why I led you here!"
Xue Ningxiang pulled Zhuo Fan's hand and went higher up the hill and pointed, "That is the place where the Diamond Sand will erupt!"
Looking over, Zhuo Fan saw many figures, fifty in number, defending a pond. The pond seemed to be connected to a hot spring as it was bubbling.
In the centre, on a stone rising from the water, sat a grey-robed white-haired elder with his eyes closed. The air was warm around him but the steam from the hot spring vanished the closer it got to him.
So much so that not even his hair was wet!
"Such deep cultivation. Is he a Profound Heaven expert?" Zhuo Fan frowned in panic.
Suddenly, that elder snapped his eyes open and looked in Zhuo Fan's direction. His eyes were sharp and landed like lightning on his position.
"Get down!"
Zhuo Fan pulled Xue Ningxiang to lie on a rock as cold sweat ran all over his body, "Such a sharp instinct, he is a Profound Heaven expert for sure!"
"Correct!"
Xue Ningxiang nodded, "He is Hell Valley's elder overseeing Blue Expanse City for the past dozen years. Last month he found that the Golden Spring Pool released a lot of Diamond Sand and has stood watch here ever since. The 50 people around him are also Bone Tempering experts!"
Zhuo Fan nodded.
Before Diamond Sand erupted, it would cause the Flowing Gold Tide. But the Flowing Gold Tide would only contain trace amounts of Diamond Sand. But three months from then, the Diamond Sand would erupt for sure.
[To get all the Diamond Sand before others, they placed guards. But who is to say the Diamond Sand would erupt from here?]
Zhuo Fan frowned as he thought. With his power, he had no hope of stealing the Diamond Sand, unless…
His eyes flashed and pulled Xue Ningxiang off the hilltop.
"What, you have a way?" Seeing Zhuo Fan confident, Xue Ningxiang was startled.
She was already shocked that he could beat her family, but could he also have the power to win against a Profound Heaven cultivator and a team of Bone Tempering experts?
Zhuo Fan shook his head, "If you can't beat them, outwit them! Let's go, I want you to find a little pet for me!"
Xue Ningxiang was puzzled.
In the Golden Spring Pool, the elder's eyes were filled with confusion, "Did I sensed wrongly…"
At the same time, in Blue Expanse City, Xue Wanlong took Xue Lin's dirty figure home. In the main hall of the Xue clan sat a wizen old man in the seat of honor, watching the two. Then he suddenly jumped to his feet.
"How was it? Did you bring Ning'er? Did you deal with the culprit that harmed Gang'er?"
Sighing, Xue Wanlong shook his head, "Dad, I let them go! That kid is not bad, so I entrusted Ning'er to him. As for him injuring Gang'er, he did not know any better. As long as he takes care of Ning'er, I do not mind it."
"What, that man is Ning'er's…" The old man spouted in shock.
Nodding, Xue Wanlong said, "That kid said Ning'er was his. Ning'er was also willing, so we can assume so!"
"Fool!"
The old man slapped the table with a howl, "Wanlong, no matter who the kid is, even if you disregard what he did to Gang'er, Ning'er can never ever be taken away. You know that if she leaves, our Xue clan…"
Even though he was angry, his eyes revealed sadness.
Xue Wanlong looked at his father with firm eyes as he said, "Dad, let Ning'er go. I will take full responsibility!"
"You take shit! Can you keep the young and old safe?"
The old man roared, "Wanlong, I know you love your daughter, but you think I don't? But Xue clan…"
Sighing, the old man's face hardened, "Where did they go?"
Xue Wanlong was vexed, but still spoke as he closed his eyes, "Allbeast Mountain Range!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, the old man vanished…