"Deal."
Gu Changqing agreed to the Amethyst Winged Lion King's terms without hesitation.
Taming the Amethyst Winged Lion King was something he had thoroughly considered. In the Jia Ma Empire, appearances matter, and having a tamed sixth-tier magic beast as a mount would make life a lot easier. Walking around with a Dou Emperor-level beast as a steed made everything more convenient.
He needed to establish his presence if he wanted to bring the Jia Ma Empire under his control and use its power for his own purposes. And as the young master of the Gu Clan, having a seventh-tier beast as a mount wouldn't be out of the question. A mere sixth-tier beast was more than reasonable.
Black Rock City was located in the eastern part of the Jia Ma Empire and was one of the largest cities in the region. Its grandeur far surpassed Wu Tan City, making it one of the empire's top-tier cities. Its city lord was a Dou King, considered a top-tier expert, though only by the empire's standards.
On this day, a handsome and elegant young man rode into Black Rock City atop a young, purple-colored lion.
The purple lion, though clearly still immature, emitted the aura of a third-tier magic beast, comparable to a Dou Grandmaster.
The sight of the lion and the young man atop it attracted the attention of many mercenaries and pedestrians.
"Whoa! Check that out. Who is this young master riding a third-tier magic beast?"
"Look closer! That purple lion isn't fully grown yet. If it's this strong already, it's bound to become a fifth-tier beast when it matures!"
"And that young man... He's too good-looking! I'm getting a bit flustered just looking at him."
"Incredible!"
Similar whispers spread through the crowd as the young man and his mount passed by.
That young man, of course, was none other than Gu Changqing, who had just emerged from the Magical Beast Mountain Range with his young Amethyst Winged Lion King. Since taming the lion king, Gu Changqing, along with Xiao Yixian, had scoured the mountains for rare herbs and poisonous creatures.
When Gu Changqing decided to leave the mountain range, Xiao Yixian chose to stay behind, preferring to focus on her studies and cultivation. In her words, she was still too weak and would only hold Gu Changqing back. She wanted to brew more poisons and improve her strength before venturing out into the world again.
Gu Changqing understood and didn't press her to come along. Xiao Yixian had only recently started cultivating, and she had just learned how to control the Woeful Poison Body. It made sense for her to focus on her studies. He left her with many medicinal texts from Yao Chen's Bone Flame Ring, as well as Scorpion Biyan's corpse and all its treasures, enough to keep her busy for a long time.
Leaving the elder Amethyst Winged Lion King behind to guard Xiao Yixian, Gu Changqing brought the young lion with him into human territory.
"Xue Mei, look! There's a young master over there!"
On the city wall, a curvy girl dressed in purple tugged excitedly at the arm of a cold, aloof woman beside her.
The girl was around twenty years old, maybe even younger. Her delicate face was undeniably attractive, with just the right blend of cuteness and beauty. Though her body was small, it was also strikingly well-developed—curvaceous in all the right places. Her form-fitting alchemist robe only enhanced her allure, giving her an air of noble refinement. Though she wore the attire of an alchemist, there was no badge indicating her rank on her chest.
Her long black hair was tied back with a purple ribbon and cascaded down to her slender waist, swaying lightly as she moved. As it brushed against her perfectly rounded hips, it drew more than a few lingering glances from the nearby men.
"What young master? You've been staring at the Magical Beast Mountain Range too long, Lin Fei."
The aloof woman, Xue Mei, turned her flawless face toward the young man her friend pointed out. She raised a delicate hand and lightly tapped Lin Fei on the forehead. However, despite her nonchalant tone, her icy gaze still followed the direction of Lin Fei's gesture.
That single glance caused ripples in Xue Mei's usually calm heart.
"What a handsome young man!"
Xue Mei swore she'd never seen anyone like him in her life. The way he carried himself—riding a majestic purple lion—was simply extraordinary. His ethereal aura and perfect features made him a sight she would never forget.
"Xue Mei... Xue Mei!"
Lin Fei, noticing her friend's dazed expression, shook Xue Mei's arm and called out playfully.
"Huh?"
Snapped out of her thoughts, Xue Mei blushed deeply, her snow-white face turning crimson in an instant.
"Hmph! You were calling me a lovestruck fool, and now look at yourself! Couldn't take your eyes off him, could you?"
Lin Fei teased her friend, smirking with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"You're the lovestruck one! Don't think I don't know your secret. You've been sneaking around researching breast enhancement potions! That's why you've gotten so... busty."
Xue Mei shot back, glancing at Lin Fei's unusually full chest.
"Hmph! Exposing my secrets, are you? Don't think I don't know yours, Xue Mei. You're still... hairless. And weren't you secretly researching potions to fix that?"
Lin Fei's teasing continued unabated, but she barely managed to finish her sentence before Xue Mei, mortified, clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Are you crazy?! Keep talking, and I'll tell everyone about you secretly using aphrodisiac potions!"
Flustered and embarrassed, Xue Mei glared at her friend, knowing full well how Lin Fei's loose lips could cause trouble.
Lin Fei wrestled Xue Mei's hand away and retorted, "Hah! Don't pretend you're all innocent. Weren't you the one who said you'd become someone's girlfriend if they surpassed your alchemy skills? Are you sure you weren't just eager to find a man?"
"Rubbish! That was only because you kept pushing me! But fine, since you're so eager to bet, let's make one right now. If I become a first-tier alchemist before you, you'll have to become someone's girlfriend. Do you dare?"
Xue Mei tried to steer the conversation back on track, anxious to stop Lin Fei from revealing any more embarrassing secrets.
"Fine! But if I become a first-tier alchemist first, you'll have to kiss a man in front of me. Do you dare?"
Lin Fei crossed her arms defiantly, meeting Xue Mei's challenge with a bold counter.
The tension between the two was palpable, though it was clear their bet was more of a friendly competition than a serious grudge.