"Alas, it's just a wisp of flame!"
Xiao Yan was on the verge of tears. He had risked his life to save a Dou Emperor, broken into the lair of a Rank 6 magical beast, all for the sake of obtaining the Ten Thousand Beast Flame. He couldn't accept this outcome!
His heart felt weary; the Hall of Souls was truly a den of thieves.
Such a shady place!
Just as Xiao Yan was thinking about devouring it with the Flame Mantra, since it was still a wisp of Heavenly Flame and was better than nothing, a lion's roar sounded from behind him, triggering an intense sense of danger within his heart.
A young Amethyst Winged Lion King had appeared from somewhere and was lunging toward him with bared teeth and slashing claws.
"Shit!" Xiao Yan cursed. He had been distracted by the Ten Thousand Beast Flame and had let his guard down for a moment, not noticing the young Amethyst Winged Lion King approaching from another path.
'Dou Qi Cloak! Mad Lion Guard!' Clenching his fists, Xiao Yan summoned his Dou Qi Cloak, crossed his arms in front of him, and immediately activated the Dou Technique, Mad Lion Chant. An illusory head of a raging lion appeared, enveloping and protecting his entire body.
Boom! The young Amethyst Winged Lion King leaped and viciously struck the illusory lion with its claws. The terrifying strength of the peak Rank 3 magical beast sent him flying directly!
Xiao Yan crashed like a cannonball into a pile of gold and jewels nearby. Had it not been for his sturdy physique and the fact that he had cultivated the Mad Lion Chant, this blow alone could have been fatal.
"Eat my fist! Octane Blast!" Xiao Yan leaped into the air, his entire body surging with Dou Qi as he charged directly at the young Amethyst Winged Lion King, his right fist condensing the Dou Qi of the Octane Blast.
Roar! The young Amethyst Winged Lion King also struck out with a paw, meeting Xiao Yan's fist head-on.
Originally, Xiao Yan's cultivation had only reached the Dou Master realm, and in physical combat, he was naturally at a disadvantage against the Rank 3 young Amethyst Winged Lion King. As such, he was sent flying once again.
'Hidden force, erupt!' Xiao Yan sneered coldly. The eight layers of hidden force erupted in succession, catching the young Amethyst Winged Lion King off guard and sending it flying as well.
When physical strength was lacking, Dou Techniques would make up for it.
'Huh? Is that Purple Spirit Crystal hanging around its neck?!' Xiao Yan stood up and noticed a string of purple gemstones around the neck of the young Amethyst Winged Lion King. These gemstones were identical to the Purple Spirit Crystal that Yun Yun had described.
It turned out that the Amethyst Winged Lion King had anticipated that Yun Yun wouldn't let things rest and suspected she and Xiao Yan might sneak into the lair to steal the Purple Spirit Crystals. Therefore, it had turned all the Purple Spirit Crystals into a necklace and hung it around the neck of the young Amethyst Winged Lion King, who remained hidden in a dark corner of the treasure vault, waiting for Xiao Yan, the thief, to arrive.
However, the Amethyst Winged Lion King hadn't expected that Xiao Yan's main target was the Ten Thousand Beast Flame and that he possessed the Nihility Devouring Flame, which directly swallowed the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence whole.
'This old lion is too cunning! I can't get the Purple Spirit Crystals without defeating the young Amethyst Winged Lion King first!' Xiao Yan inwardly cursed the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
Roar!!! A scorching stream of Amethyst Flame erupted from the mouth of the young Amethyst Winged Lion King. Although it wasn't as powerful as that of a Rank 6 Amethyst Winged Lion King, the flame was absolutely capable of incinerating a Rank 3 magical beast!
"Mao Wu!"
Xiao Yan immediately summoned Mao Wu, who mimicked the action and opened its mouth to spit out a stream of black flames.
Boom! The two pillars of fire collided, and the terrifying heat incinerated all the spiritual fruits and medicinal herbs around them. The temperature inside the stone room skyrocketed to the point where even the coins within the room began to show signs of melting.
'This won't do, my current resistance to fire can't compare to the young Amethyst Winged Lion King!' Xiao Yan was sweating profusely. If it weren't for the special material of his Soul Robe, he might have been burnt to a crisp by now.
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan took out a pill bottle from his storage ring, which contained the Fire Rising Pills he had recently refined.
With a grin on his face, he shook the pill bottle and said, "You know what these are, right? This bottle contains several 3rd-tier Fire Rising Pills that can increase the fire attribute energy within your body. The effect is definitely no less than your Amethyst Birth Essence. Let's make peace. I'll give them all to you."
Sure enough, the young Amethyst Winged Lion King could understand human speech. Upon hearing his words, it immediately withdrew its flames, its eyes greedily fixed on the pill bottle in Xiao Yan's hand.
It was currently a Rank 3 magical beast suited to consume 3rd-tier medicinal pills. The Fire Rising Pills were indeed perfect for it.
"I'll leave the bottle here; you come and get it, and I'll leave." Xiao Yan placed the pill bottle on the ground. As long as the young Amethyst Winged Lion King moved to pick it up, it would clear the path to the cave entrance, allowing him to escape using his Purple Cloud Wings.
The young Amethyst Winged Lion King couldn't fly yet.
Xiao Yan slowly shifted his position while the young Amethyst Winged Lion King also moved toward the pill bottle inch by inch. It was as if both parties had reached a mutual understanding.
Roar!!! The young Amethyst Winged Lion King suddenly turned and pounced toward Xiao Yan, its eyes seeming to say: Adults make choices; I want it all!
Xiao Yan looked at the charging lion cub with disdain and sneered, "You think I didn't know what you were thinking?"
A bottle filled with Ice Spirit Cold Fountain appeared in his hand. His intention was never to trade with the lion cub but to make it move away from blocking the entrance.
Playing tricks, scheming, being cunning—who can outwit humans?
With a loud bang, the bottle struck the lion cub, and the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain inside instantly burst open, releasing a terrifying burst of cold that froze the lion cub in an instant.
Xiao Yan did not seize the opportunity to deliver a killing blow, knowing well that the freezing effect of the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain wouldn't last long, likely just about ten seconds.
'No time to waste.'
After tearing off a piece of the Purple Spirit Crystal, Xiao Yan placed his right hand on the Amethyst Stone Platform and rapidly circulated the Flame Mantra, absorbing the wisp of Ten Thousand Beast Flame into his body. With no time to refine it, he unfurled his Purple Cloud Wings and fled as fast as he could!
Xiao Yan's speed was like a gust of wind with his Purple Cloud Wings fully deployed. His figure blurred as he burst out of the tunnel, flying frantically toward the cave's exit.
However, shortly after he exited the passage, an angry roar echoed behind him.
The Ice Spirit Cold Fountain hadn't even held out for ten seconds!
Xiao Yan rushed out of the cave entrance with a whoosh. He had no time to utter a word. He summoned the Heavy Xuan Ruler and executed the Di Class Dou Technique, Flame Splitting Tsunami!
With a single sweep of the Heavy Xuan Ruler, a streak of black flame split the air. All the Rank 1 and Rank 2 magical beasts at the entrance of the cave were instantly incinerated by the Nihility Devouring Flame. No ashes were left behind. Even Rank 3 magical beasts could not withstand it and had to dodge its edge.
"Damn it! How dare you hurt my son. I will not forgive you today!" The roar of the Amethyst Winged Lion King thundered across the area as intense purple flames furiously spewed from the sky.
"Hmph." With a cold snort, Yun Yun twisted her jade-like hand slightly in front of her, creating a wildly spinning green tornado that blew away the overwhelming purple flames and covered Xiao Yan as he escaped.
When Yun Yun saw Xiao Yan's safe escape, she did not bother to continue the fight and flew straight into the sky.
"Despicable humans!!!" Although the Amethyst Winged Lion King was furious, it did not dare chase after them. It couldn't leave its territory, especially with its son still inside the cave.
Ultimately, the Amethyst Winged Lion King managed to contain its seething rage, turned around, and returned to the cave. Relieved to find its son unharmed, it calmed down. However, upon discovering that the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence had been stolen, it let out a long howl to the sky.
"Damned humans!!" The mountains around the cave trembled continuously with its thunderous roar.
Dang dang dang. The bottle of Fire Rising Pills slowly rolled to the Amethyst Winged Lion King's paw due to the tremor.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King looked at the bottle in confusion and asked, "Son, who gave you this medicine?"
"Roar, roar~"
"Was it that man with the black flame? Is he an alchemist? Could it be!" The Amethyst Winged Lion King frowned as it looked back at the Amethyst Stone Platform. Sure enough, the wisp of Ten Thousand Beast Flame that had been sealed inside was gone.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King began to recall details about Xiao Yan and finally muttered to itself, "Could that alchemist have come for the Ten Thousand Beast Flame in the Beast Tomb?"
Xiao Yan had triggered a hidden quest!