"Hong Kui, do you think you can defeat the Amethyst Winged Lion King?" Xiao Se asked hesitantly.
Hong Kui nodded at first, then shook her head, saying, "I should be able to, but the laws of this world are strange. I'm only a soul body, so I can't exert my full strength. At most, I can display the power equivalent to a peak human Dou Huang."
"What if you attach yourself to me?" Xiao Se continued to ask.
Hong Kui smiled bitterly and shook her head, saying, "Your current physique and soul can only bear a small portion of my power. In some ways, it might even be easier for me to fight alone."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Se suddenly understood and smiled, "Then let's not waste energy. Even though we aren't afraid of fighting, it's better to use strategy when we can. If we deplete your precious soul energy just for that beast's treasure, it wouldn't be worth it."
"Okay, I'll listen to you," Hong Kui nodded with a smile.
Xiao Se then spoke seriously, "Even though I've activated the Vast Sea Barrier, which conceals our presence and form from the Amethyst Winged Lion King, there's a limitation. If I move over long distances, my internal Dou Qi will deplete rapidly. So, I'll need you to fly me over there."
"Got it," Hong Kui nodded solemnly, lifted Xiao Se, and swiftly flew towards the lion king's lair.
Lying in Hong Kui's arms, Xiao Se's face blushed slightly. Being held in a princess-carry by a girl was a little embarrassing.
They flew right over the Amethyst Winged Lion King's head without being noticed. Even the beasts guarding the entrance, who were no higher than fourth rank, were oblivious.
With Hong Kui's embrace, Xiao Se entered the lair. It was a naturally formed cave, illuminated by numerous amethyst crystals embedded in the walls, emitting a bright purple light.
Xiao Se marveled at the natural beauty of the cave, but quickly shook his head, not having time to appreciate the scenery. He whispered, "Hong Kui, let's go inside. If we encounter any forks, take the left path."
"Understood," Hong Kui nodded and accelerated deeper into the lair. With the Vast Sea Barrier concealing them, they didn't need to worry about being detected.
After passing through several passages, they finally reached a fork. Without hesitation, Hong Kui took the left path as Xiao Se had instructed.
Before long, a stone platform made of piled amethysts came into view. On the platform sat a purple sphere the size of a basketball.
"Is that... the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence ?" Xiao Se's breath quickened at the sight of the purple sphere, which radiated intense heat.
"Is this what you need, brother? Should I help you open it?" Hong Kui asked, noticing Xiao Se's excited expression.
Xiao Se shook his head, "Using brute force won't work. This thing absorbs attacks and can't be broken. Only the Purple Spirit Crystal, shed by the Amethyst Winged Lion King, can break it. Let's go to the other fork and retrieve the crystal. The lion king's cub should be there, and it's likely guarding the Purple Spirit Crystal."
"Okay," Hong Kui nodded again, then carried Xiao Se toward the other path.
Moments later, the passage opened up into a wide space. In the center of the lair, a smaller Amethyst Winged Lion was lazily sleeping.
Xiao Se smiled slyly at the sight of the much smaller lion. He reached to his waist, and a pale purple fruit appeared in his hand. Without hesitation, he tossed it just outside the range of the Vast Sea Barrier, landing beside the cub.
"Brother, what's that?" Hong Kui asked curiously as she watched Xiao Se toss the purple fruit.
"Hehe, it's a Purple Smoke Fruit. Fire-type magical beasts love this stuff. I've added a special sleeping potion and juice from the Appetite Flower. Once this little guy eats it, it'll be out for at least an hour," Xiao Se grinned.
A regular sleeping potion wouldn't affect a third-rank Amethyst Winged Lion cub much, but a potion made from a thousand-year-old herb was a different story.
As soon as the Purple Smoke Fruit left the barrier, it emitted a unique fragrance. The cub, enticed by the smell, woke up, ready to devour the fruit. Just as it was about to swallow it, a strange red light flashed into its forehead, and the cub collapsed, unconscious.
Next to him, Hong Kui's melodious voice sounded, "Brother, putting it to sleep wasn't that necessary."
"Uh…" Xiao Se glanced at Hong Kui, who was withdrawing her hand, and gave her a thumbs up, "Nice!"
Xiao Se walked over to where the cub had been lying and knocked on several smooth amethyst stones. Finally, a hollow thud echoed from one at the edge.
Hearing the sound, Xiao Se's eyes lit up. He quickly lifted the amethyst slab, revealing a dazzling light. The brilliance was so intense that Xiao Se had to squint.
Once the light faded, a diamond-shaped purple crystal, about the size of a fist, appeared before them.
"This is the Purple Spirit Crystal? It has a lot of energy, but it's not quite as potent as the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence ," Hong Kui said as she examined the crystal.
"Yes, let's hurry. Before the creatures outside notice, let's go get the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence ," Xiao Se urged.
With Hong Kui's help, they returned to the lair holding the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence . Without hesitation, Xiao Se grabbed the Purple Spirit Crystal and struck the purple sphere on the stone platform.
Crack!
The sound of breaking crystal rang out as a crack spread across the sphere's surface. After a brief pause, the crack expanded until it burst open, creating a small hole.
Purple liquid began to flow out of the hole, and Xiao Se quickly collected it in several jade bottles.
Meanwhile, outside the lair, the Amethyst Winged Lion King, who had been resting, sensed the disturbance inside. Its eyes shot open, and it let out a deafening roar before rushing into the lair, moving as fast as lightning.
"Who dares trespass into my territory? I'll kill them, kill them all!" the lion king roared, its speed increasing as it spoke.
Driven by a sense of familial duty, the lion king first checked the fork where its cub was. Seeing the cub unconscious but unharmed, and noticing the missing Purple Spirit Crystal, the lion king let out a relieved sigh. But then, as if realizing something, it roared in fury, "The Amethyst Lion Birth Essence !"
With an enraged bellow, it charged toward the other fork in the lair.
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