Although Yun Yun really wished she could just pass out, her stomach had other plans. Before long, it let out a loud growl, forcing her to open her eyes. With her Dou Qi sealed, she had also lost the ability to suppress hunger. If she didn't eat something soon, she'd likely starve before she even had a chance to die from her wounds.
Tormented by hunger, she glanced up at Xiao Yan. From what she could tell, his cultivation wasn't at the level where he could skip meals either. She had assumed he would eventually cook something—but he remained focused on the map in his hands, showing no such intent. In the end, she awkwardly cleared her throat and said, "Um… Mo Han, aren't you planning to eat?"
"I'm not a pig. I don't spend my life doing nothing but eating and sleeping." Xiao Yan set aside the parchment and gave her a sidelong glance. "If a cultivator can't even endure this much suffering, you might as well find a rope and hang yourself."
"…"
"What's the matter? Hungry?"
"Yes… Do you have anything to eat?"
"Of course I do," Xiao Yan rubbed his fingers together meaningfully and smiled. "The usual deal. Sign the contract."
"…"
Fifteen minutes later, Yun Yun stared at the roasted fish before her and sighed softly. Even though the flavor, aroma, and presentation were all impeccable, she simply couldn't summon any excitement. At this rate, she was going to end up mortgaging the entire Yunlan Sect just to cover her growing debts.
Xiao Yan, quite satisfied, tucked the new IOU away into his storage ring. Watching Yun Yun nibble on the grilled fish, he stood up and said, "I'm heading out for a while. Stay here and don't wander off. If anything happens, I won't be responsible."
"Where are you going?"
"Obviously to drive off the nearby magical beasts." Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. "After the ruckus you made in the mountain range, you don't seriously think that Purple Crystal Winged Lion won't send scouts, do you? If I don't take care of the surrounding area, you'll be roast lion food in no time."
Yun Yun blinked in surprise. That… was a point she hadn't considered.
"I might be gone a while. There are still some roasted fish wrapped in lotus leaves over there—eat those if you get hungry again. I'll draft your next IOU when I return." With that, Xiao Yan vanished from the small valley, leaving Yun Yun sitting in stunned silence.
Despite how righteous his excuse sounded, Xiao Yan wasn't actually planning to deal with any magical beasts. In truth, he had already sealed off the entire space around the valley. Even a seventh-tier beast like the Purple Crystal Winged Lion wouldn't be able to break through, let alone the lesser ones. If Xiao Yan exerted his full strength to set up spatial locks, even peak eighth-tier beasts would be helpless.
Thanks to his time spent studying the ancient map and scanning with his soul perception, he had finally located the position of the so-called "Great Beast Den" that Ye Xiaolian had mentioned. The burial ground of magical beasts piqued his interest—there was likely to be a wealth of rare beast blood that could aid the evolution of his Nine Nether Flame Wings.
"This is the place…" Xiao Yan soon arrived at a serene lake. According to the map, the Great Beast Den was hidden beneath its waters. His soul perception confirmed faint fluctuations of space beneath the lake—clearly indicating the presence of a hidden realm, perhaps similar to the Lost Realm of the Void.
With a light motion of his palm, Xiao Yan released a torrent of soul power. The once-calm lake surged violently, forming a spiraling water column that shot up into the sky.
Such a grand scene would normally have attracted numerous beasts, but under Xiao Yan's overwhelming soul pressure, even a king like the Purple Crystal Winged Lion wouldn't dare approach—let alone the lesser beasts.
In just a few breaths' time, the entire lake was drained dry. At the bottom, a swirling vortex of space gradually revealed itself.
"So it really was a hidden realm." Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly as he examined the swirling void. Without the map and his soul strength at the Spirit Realm level, even he wouldn't have known there was a spatial gate hidden beneath this lake.
But something didn't sit right with him. According to Ye Xiaolian, this was where dying high-tier magical beasts came to rest. But if the entrance was so well-hidden, how did those beasts find it?
Moreover, if it was truly a place for beasts to die, then they wouldn't have come out again. So who drew this map? Such detailed work could only have come from a human—unless there was a cartographer magical beast that crawled back from the grave and happened to be good with ink and parchment…
As Xiao Yan frowned and considered turning back, his Nine Nether Flame inside suddenly surged with intensity. It reacted violently to something within the vortex, as though something deep inside was calling to it. Even when he'd encountered the remains of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix, his flame hadn't reacted this strongly.
This could only mean one thing—there was something extremely rare within, something that could potentially trigger the evolution of the Nine Nether Flame.
Faced with this, Xiao Yan sighed softly. He clenched his fists and stared down at the spatial vortex. He wasn't someone who hesitated when opportunity knocked. If there was even a chance that this place could help him strengthen his Heavenly Flame, then he couldn't afford to ignore it.
In his past life, if he'd sensed such a chance, he would've dived in headfirst without thinking. Even if danger lurked within, he would've risked it all. But now… maybe it was because he had more people to care about, but he found himself hesitating. It made him sigh again.
'I really have changed a lot since I was reborn…'
With a shake of his head, he put the thought aside. Xiao Yan leapt into the swirling vortex below.
As his body vanished into the spatial distortion, the massive water column lost its soul-force anchor and collapsed in an instant, flooding the lakebed once more. Just as nearby magical beasts began to stir from the fading pressure and approach, a fresh space barrier suddenly shimmered into existence, sealing off the entire area again with eerie silence.
(End of Chapter)
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