"I can't believe it… it's actually the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud! This thing is basically a life-saving artifact!" Hearing the system's notification in his mind, Xiao Se couldn't help but mutter to himself.
With a wave of his hand, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud emerged from his system space, and immediately, the entire room was bathed in a brilliant glow.
As the glow gradually faded, a translucent, radiant blue gemstone appeared before Xiao Se's eyes.
It was a triangular gemstone, about the size of a palm. Ripple-like patterns resembling water danced across its surface, radiating circles of shimmering blue light, as if the gem were alive, emanating a mystical brilliance.
Sensing the immense energy within the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, Xiao Se smiled. He used a knife to cut a small cut at the top part of his forearm, squeezed out some blood and let it fall on the gem of Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
As soon as the blood touched the gem, it was instantly absorbed.
In the next moment, a faint blue light emitted from the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, entering Xiao Se's forehead. Finally, the shield itself followed, embedding into his forehead.
The moment the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud entered his brow, Xiao Se felt a connection forming with it, and even his spiritual power seemed to surge slightly.
At the same time, four abilities appeared in his mind: Vast Sea Protection Shield, Cosmic Binding Shield, Vast Sea Tidal Wave, and Cosmic Demon-Breaking Strike.
Xiao Se ignored the last two skills, but the first two were different. The Vast Sea Protection Shield could completely hide one's body, breath, and even physical presence, while the Cosmic Binding Shield could immobilize anyone with spiritual power three times weaker than his. Though it wouldn't harm them, it would allow him to steal treasures and escape easily.
This made it a truly invaluable treasure, especially for those at the Douhuang and even Douzong level.
"I've struck gold!" Xiao Se exclaimed in excitement.
"Brother, what's making you so happy?" Hearing Xiao Se's voice, Long Kui floated out from the magic sword and asked with a smile.
"Hehe, I just got my hands on something good. Long Kui, tomorrow you and I are going treasure hunting," Xiao Se chuckled mischievously, gently caressing Long Kui's soft cheek.
"Huh??"
Long Kui tilted her head in confusion, full of question marks.
The next morning, the sun shone brightly.
Inside the wooden house, Xiao Se let out a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
Through the door, he could smell the delicious aroma of food from the living room. With a quick leap, Xiao Se landed on his feet, put on his boots, and swiftly walked out of his room.
In the living room, several small dishes were already placed on the table. At the entrance, Xiao Yixian carefully carried in a small pot, placing it on the table before pulling her slightly reddened hand back, blowing gently on her burned fingertips.
"Look at you, getting burned. You should've let me handle this," Xiao Se smiled and shook his head as he walked over to Xiao Yixian. Taking her hand, he applied some healing ointment from his storage ring to her red skin.
Feeling the warmth of Xiao Se's hand and the coolness of the ointment, Xiao Yixian's cheeks blushed slightly, and she softly smiled. "I saw you weren't up yet."
"Heh, sorry about that. But next time, just kick open my door— I rarely sleep at night since I mostly use cultivation instead," Xiao Se smiled, applying the ointment evenly before corking the bottle and handing it to her. "Take this ointment. Such beautiful hands shouldn't be hurt."
"Pfft." Xiao Se's compliment made Xiao Yixian chuckle. Taking the bottle, she smiled, "Then I'll gladly accept it."
With the ointment stored away, the two of them sat down and enjoyed their breakfast together, as always, in a warm atmosphere.
"I'm heading out in a bit. Wait for me here," Xiao Se said casually after taking a sip of porridge.
"Have you reached Dou Shi level?" Xiao Yixian was shocked, her eyes filled with disbelief. It had only been a little over a month since Xiao Se broke through to the Nine-Star Dou Zhe . Even in such an energy-rich valley, advancing to Dou Shi so quickly was unheard of.
"What are you saying? It's not that fast. I'm just heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to find something. Once I get it, I should be able to break through to Dou Shi," Xiao Se smiled.
"How long will you be gone?" Xiao Yixian nodded slightly, though a hint of reluctance flashed in her eyes.
"If all goes well, I'll be back before evening." Xiao Se roughly estimated the distance to the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave and gave an honest answer.
"Evening?" Xiao Yixian murmured softly, her delicate face showing a gentle smile. "Alright, I'll wait for your return."
"Once I break through to Dou Shi, I'll take you to explore the Dou Qi Continent and search for the materials to cure your Woeful Poison Body," Xiao Se said with a smile after finishing his porridge.
With Xiao Yixian watching him, Xiao Se spread his purple wings and flew out of the small valley. He had already informed her about the items in the other two stone boxes in the cave, so there was no need to hide anything.
Once out of the valley, Xiao Se retracted his Purple Cloud Wings and resumed his journey on foot. Since he hadn't reached Dou Shi yet and his cultivation technique was only at the Yellow Tier Intermediate level, he didn't have much Dou Qi to waste.
Travelling quickly, Xiao Se reached the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range by noon. He slowed down, using his energy concealment technique to suppress his aura, and landed atop a towering tree.
Raising his head slightly, his gaze swept over the majestic mountain range in the distance. At the peak of the range, a massive cave entrance came into view.
Through the trees, the faint outline of a large, horned lion's head was visible near the cave entrance.
"Brother, is that the Amethyst Winged Lion King's lair?" Long Kui's soft voice suddenly sounded in Xiao Se's mind.
"Yes, once I activate the Vast Sea Protection Shield, you'll help me enter the cave, and we'll clean out its nest," Xiao Se nodded, grinning mischievously.
"Hehe, be careful, Brother. That magical beast is very powerful. It might be better to let Hong Kui handle this. If anything unexpected happens, she can protect you better." Seeing the playful grin on Xiao Se's face, Long Kui knew the Amethyst Winged Lion King was in for trouble.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud slowly emerged from Xiao Se's brow, rising above his head and releasing a layer of azure light. In an instant, it enveloped his entire body.
"Hong Kui, you can come out now."
As Xiao Se spoke, the magic sword on his back flashed with brilliant white light, and Hong Kui, with her fiery figure, appeared before him.
"It's been a while, Hong Kui," Xiao Se smiled warmly, opening his arms to her.
It had been four months since Hong Kui last appeared, and Xiao Se couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
"Hmm, it has been a while, Brother." Blushing slightly, Hong Kui opened her arms, and the two embraced.
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