It was astonishing that Ye Tian was able to cultivate the First Form of the Flowing Cloud Step to such a high Realm in so little time.
Before, he never would have been able to do this. It would have taken him at least three to five days. This was all thanks to the Dragon Pearl inside him.
Ye Tian continued his Cultivation for a while longer before stopping. It was nearly noon. After a full night of desperate practice, he was drenched in sweat and felt a little thirsty.
Not far away on the back of the mountain, there was a massive waterfall. The water crashed down from a great height with immense force, and its thunderous ROAR could be heard from a distance.
A vast, deep pool had formed at the base of the waterfall. Although the current was swift, the water was exceptionally clear. Ye Tian had noticed it on his way up and now planned to get a drink, wash up, and then continue his Cultivation.
Ye Tian walked toward the deep pool. From a distance, the sight of the white waterfall cascading down was truly breathtaking.
Before long, Ye Tian reached the edge of the pool. Just as he was about to cup his hands for a large drink, a flash of green in his peripheral vision caught his eye. It was a pile of clothes not far away.
Ye Tian's heart skipped a beat. 'Those look like a woman's clothes. Why would a woman's clothes be here? Could someone be bathing?'
The thought instantly crossed his mind. He shot to his feet and carefully scanned the area around the deep pool.
Ye Tian's sight and hearing were much sharper than before. And so, despite the thick mist kicked up by the waterfall, he saw it all clearly.
He saw a beautiful woman bathing in the deep pool, her long, flowing hair spread out on the water's surface like a cascade of silk.
Anyone else in Ye Tian's position would have had trouble seeing clearly, but he could make out every detail. The woman was slowly combing her fine hair with her slender hands, completely unaware that someone had approached the pool.
The woman was none other than Ye Feifei, the one who had helped him before. The realization terrified him. If Ye Feifei were to find out he had accidentally seen her bathing, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Of all the stratagems, retreat was the best. His only option was to get away as quickly as possible before she noticed him. Ye Tian scrambled around and bolted.
Perhaps because he was so terrified, he stumbled and made a noise. Ye Tian scrambled back to his feet and ran for the mountain without a single glance back.
However, Ye Feifei heard the sound of Ye Tian's fall. She looked in the direction of the noise and saw a young man running for his life. A dreadful premonition surfaced in her mind.
'It seems he saw me bathing. It's a disaster for my pristine body to be seen by a man.'
If word of this got out, it would be a catastrophe. She had to find a way to resolve this. Ye Feifei quickly got back to shore, threw on her clothes, and chased after him in the direction he had fled.
She had already resolved to kill the one who had spied on her. 'Anyone who would peep on me is no good person. It doesn't matter if it was intentional or not.'
How could she let her reputation be ruined by a stranger? And so, she pursued him with frantic urgency.
Fearing Ye Feifei was in pursuit, Ye Tian scrambled desperately toward the summit. His mad dash kicked up a trail of dust, giving Feifei a clear target to follow.
"You brat, you run pretty fast! But I swear I'll take your life today!" Ye Feifei was growing furious.
As he ran, Ye Tian executed the Flowing Cloud Step. The more he ran, the more natural the movements became. His mastery of the First Form grew, the practical application far more effective than his Cultivation on flat ground.
Ye Feifei pursued Ye Tian with all her might. At first, the distance between them shrank, but she gradually realized that the gap was starting to hold steady.
In other words, the person ahead was slowly getting faster. This frustrated her to no end. But she was determined not to stop until she had killed him, and she pushed herself to run even harder.
Ye Tian wanted to stop and rest. After all, this frantic sprint was consuming a great deal of his Dragon Spiritual Power. But when he glanced back down the mountain, he saw Ye Feifei rapidly closing in.
The sight terrified him. He was sure Ye Feifei hadn't gotten a clear look at his face, but with her strength at the One Vein Seventh Layer Realm, it would be easy for her to catch him.
So, he had no choice but to run even more desperately. Before he knew it, he had crested one summit and was now sprinting toward the one on the other side.
"That damn fool, why is he running toward that mountain? That area is frequented by Demon Beasts! He must have a death wish," Ye Feifei said, exasperated.
Ye Tian had no idea that the opposite mountain was home to Demon Beasts. Demon Beasts were some of the most ferocious creatures on the Celestial Dragon Continent.
The strength of some Demon Beasts was comparable to that of a Second Vein or even a Three Veins expert. When humans encountered such creatures, they would give them a wide berth and stay far away.
Of course, some people specifically hunted Demon Beasts. Their hides, bones, and meat were all extremely valuable. Furthermore, some Demon Beasts possessed an Inner Core, which was the very essence of the creature's Energy—similar to a Divine Dragon's Dragon Pearl.
A Demon Beast Core could be absorbed directly, which was far more effective than absorbing Spirit Stones. However, obtaining one was incredibly difficult.
Demon Beasts that possessed an Inner Core were all extremely powerful—far beyond what the current Ye Tian could ever hope to challenge. But Ye Tian was completely oblivious to the danger that lay ahead.
His only thought was to shake off Ye Feifei as quickly as possible as he raced toward the opposite mountain.
Ye Feifei stopped when she reached the summit. "Since you're so eager to become a Demon Beast's lunch, I won't chase you any further. I don't have the time to waste on you."
Ye Feifei stopped, but Ye Tian kept running frantically. Before he knew it, he had reached the foot of the opposite mountain, where the path disappeared.
The weeds were thick and overgrown, some even taller than a man. His progress slowed considerably, and it was easy to trip if he wasn't careful.
Only then did Ye Tian look back for Ye Feifei, but he saw no sign of her. She must have given up the chase after a while.
Ye Feifei slowly started back down the mountain, feeling puzzled. 'Even though he was far away, the back of the person who spied on me looked familiar. I just can't place who it is right now. But it's definitely someone I know.'
Ye Tian was utterly exhausted. Seeing the lush bed of weeds, he simply sat down and began to circulate the Dragon Spiritual Power in his body to recover.
By the time Ye Tian had fully recovered his strength, night had fallen. It was impossible to head back now; he would have to spend another night out here.
The calls of birds returning to their nests echoed through the mountains from time to time, punctuated by the roars of wild beasts, creating a hair-raising atmosphere.
Ye Tian felt a surge of frustration. He had brought his Fine Steel Sword with him up the mountain this time, but because he had wanted to focus on practicing the Flowing Cloud Step first, he had hidden it in a large tree not far from his training clearing.
But now, the roars of wild beasts echoing around him gave him a very bad feeling…