The wind howled, a sharp sound of air being torn apart flashed by, and a figure flashed out from the horizon, then hovered in mid-air.
"Right here?" Yao Yan looked at a mountain peak not far away and asked Zi Yan in his arms.
Zi Yan was much smaller now than she would be a dozen years later, like a little girl who had just been weaned. Her rosy face gave her a porcelain doll-like appearance, but her purple eyes revealed a hint of fierceness, making it hard to associate her with a human little girl.
Zi Yan looked in the direction of the voice, nodded, and said quite seriously, "It's here. That big guy was very fierce; he almost killed me!"
She spoke with great seriousness, clearly the Snow Demon Sky Ape had left a considerable shadow on her young mind.
"If your father knew what happened to you when you were young, he'd probably slaughter the entire Black Corner Region..." Yao Yan muttered to himself. Knowing Zhu Kun's personality, he really was capable of such a thing. But looking at the little baby in his arms, he smiled. Raising a super divine beast cub didn't seem so bad.
"Then I'll avenge you today and help you kill him!"
Yao Yan chuckled and flew directly towards the cave, making no attempt to conceal his movements. With his current strength, almost no one below the Dou Zong level could pose a threat to him. A mere Snow Demon Sky Ape, comparable to a fifth-tier magical beast, was something he could easily manipulate.
Zi Yan blinked upon hearing Yao Yan's confident words, glancing at him. This was the first time someone had been willing to stand up for her, and she felt a strange unease.
"Whoosh~"
Yao Yan's speed was incredible; in just a few breaths, he landed directly at the cave entrance.
Almost the instant he landed, the Snow Demon Sky Ape, sensing the presence of outsiders, rushed out. Its ferocious aura was like that of a bloodthirsty beast. With a roar, it leaped directly from the cave entrance and landed heavily in front of Yao Yan. Its massive body, several meters tall, resembled a mountain, its shadow completely engulfing Yao Yan and Zi Yan.
The white ape exuded a sharp, icy aura, its heavy breaths escaping from its large nostrils like two plumes of white smoke. Its arms were quite long, and its claws were the size of two adult heads. Its
blood-red eyes revealed killing intent and savagery as it coldly stared at the two tiny figures beneath it.
"Roar~"
Its blood-red maw slowly opened, revealing ferocious fangs. A violent killing intent surged forth instantly. That posture made Zi Yan instinctively tighten her grip on Yao Yan's clothes, a hint of tension appearing in her eyes.
"You're too noisy~"
Yao Yan looked up at the enormous creature and said softly, then kicked out. His not-so-strong long leg unleashed terrifying power, even creating a sonic boom. He didn't give the Snow Demon Ape any time to react, and his kick landed heavily on its abdomen.
"Boom!"
Immediately, the white ape, which was more than ten times larger than Yao Yan, suddenly soared into the air, flying back at an even faster speed than before, and crashed heavily into the rock wall, its body completely embedded in it, raising clouds of dust. With a
whoosh
, a beam of azure light condensed in Yao Yan's raised palm. Wherever it passed, space distorted slightly, seemingly unable to withstand the beam's intense heat. It instantly pierced the Snow Demon Ape's heart.
A one-hit kill. A
swift and decisive kill.
The Snow Demon Ape, whose strength rivaled that of a fifth-tier magical beast and even possessed a berserk bloodline, couldn't even withstand a single move from Yao Yan.
As Yao Yan's strength grew, his Xuan-rank combat skill—Blazing Blade—gradually revealed its versatility, displaying new variations. Perhaps thanks to the numerous anime he watched in his previous life, he could now employ many similar techniques.
Zi Yan watched this scene, her mouth slightly agape, her purple eyes filled with astonishment. She clearly hadn't expected the powerful creature that had previously posed a threat to be so utterly vulnerable.
Yao Yan carried Zi Yan over, only to find that the Snow Demon Ape hadn't died immediately. Its eyes even held a hint of struggle, as if it wanted to make a last stand. Unfortunately, his earlier kick had broken its spine, rendering it unable to rage. It could only struggle and then lose its life, its eyes quickly dimming.
Looking at the dead Snow Demon Ape, Yao Yan instinctively wanted to cover Zi Yan's eyes, but then remembered that this little one wasn't an ordinary infant. He paused, then put the Snow Demon Ape's corpse into his storage ring, intending to dissect it back at the inner courtyard of Canaan Academy. Even if that didn't work, its flesh would be quite nutritious, good for nourishing Zi Yan. After
doing all this, he led Zi Yan into the cave.
"You're amazing!" Zi Yan murmured softly. She hadn't seen Su Qian fight, but she felt Yao Yan's performance today was incredibly impressive.
"Because I've grown up. When you grow up, you'll become very powerful too."
Yao Yan chuckled. With Zi Yan's talent, given enough resources, her cultivation speed would be incredibly fast. After all, she was one of the few in the original story who could keep up with Xiao Yan.
"Mm."
Zi Yan nodded firmly, without suspicion.
The two had already entered the cave. As the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame rose in their palms, the surroundings instantly brightened. He surveyed the area, his soul power emanating from between his brows. But before he could explore further, Zi Yan pointed in a direction, her eyes flashing with purple light, and said, "There!" He
almost forgot that Zi Yan possessed the Treasure-Seeking Rat ability… Yao Yan was taken aback, then thought to himself and walked towards the location she pointed to.
As the two went deeper, the ground around them gradually became littered with the white bones of many unknown magical beasts. Clearly, these beasts had been killed by the Snow Demon Sky Ape, and even their corpses had been devoured, adding a touch of gloom to the cave.
Fortunately, Yao Yan and Zi Yan were not ordinary people, so they didn't feel anything.
After walking for several minutes, they arrived at a nest. Clearly, this was the home of the Snow Demon Ape. It was quite large, otherwise it wouldn't be able to accommodate the Snow Demon Ape. Inside the cave, rocks were scattered everywhere, and white fur was visible all over the place.
"Down there," Zi Yan sensed for a moment and then pointed to a spot covered in white fur.
The place had a strong stench, filled with the fishy smell of the Snow Demon Ape.
Yao Yan raised his hand and released a wisp of Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire, burning away all the filth covering it. Soon, a dark cave entrance was revealed, and the surrounding dust seemed to be collapsing downwards as it lost its support.
Image
"It's inside!"
Zi Yan's expression also showed a hint of excitement as she tugged at Yao Yan's clothes and exclaimed. She could sense something good inside, something that seemed to offer her considerable benefit. The closer they got, the stronger the feeling became, but she hadn't had a chance to get close before. The adult Snow Demon Ape was far too ferocious for her; she, in her infancy, couldn't possibly handle it.
Yao Yan nodded, and his Purple Cloud Wings appeared behind him, carrying Zi Yan downwards. At his speed, it didn't take long before they penetrated deep into the area, and soon a beautiful stalactite world appeared before them.
This was an underground world filled with stalactites. As far as the eye could see, milky-white stalactites stretched endlessly, emanating a pale white light that dispelled the darkness. Stalactites formed everywhere, some hanging from the mountaintops, some even reaching hundreds of meters in length.
Looking out, the mountaintops were covered with enormous stalactites, and occasionally drops of white liquid would fall, splashing milky-white water on the ground.
In the center...
A stalactite, one end connecting to the mountain's dome and the other hanging vertically downwards, was a massive structure, a hundred meters long and as thick as two people could hug. A pale white light surrounded it, making it resemble a crystal pillar. This stalactite was undoubtedly the largest in this underground world, its size like that of a king among stalactites, receiving the homage of countless others around it.
Beneath this stalactite lay an enormous blue stone.
A large portion of the stone was buried underground. At its top, there was a groove less than half a foot deep, directly opposite the tip of the stalactite above. Within that groove was a two-inch-deep milky liquid, upon which floated a faint white mist. This mist was quite peculiar; no matter how it drifted, it never dissipated.
At this moment, Yao Yan could clearly feel that Zi Yan in his arms was a little excited, like a baby seeing milk, constantly swallowing her saliva, seemingly wanting to rush up and drink a few mouthfuls. It was a physical craving, like a thirsty person seeing a clear spring.
"Go ahead and drink if you want,"
Yao Yan smiled, putting Zi Yan down and saying casually. He hadn't come here for the diluted Earth Core Tempering Milk below.
"...Don't you want it?"
Zi Yan blinked cutely, asking uncertainly.
Yao Yan reached out and ruffled Zi Yan's hair, smiling as he said, "That's not what I want."
"Then I'll drink it~"
Zi Yan's tone became much more cheerful, revealing a sweet smile. Then, she ran towards the pool on her bare feet, and then lay down on it, beginning to gulp down the milky white liquid, which flowed into her body like milk. Her
foodie nature was on full display.
"Aren't you afraid of getting a stomachache?" Yao Yan chuckled at the sight. His gaze then fell upon the stalactite above the pool. Compared to the diluted Earth Core Tempering Milk below, its contents were truly valuable, a rare find even within the Yao Clan.
This stuff was a rare and precious natural treasure capable of enhancing cultivation aptitude, without the many restrictions of the accompanying Purple Gold Source, making it usable by anyone.
Standing beneath it, he looked up as if gazing at an inverted mountain. After
a moment's contemplation,
Yao Yan retrieved a piece of warm jade from his storage ring, burned it with the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, and after a few moments forged it into a small dagger. He then examined the massive stalactite and cut into its base.
Enveloped in battle aura, the jade piece became extremely sharp. With just a light touch, the tip of the jade piece pierced into the crystal-like stalactite with a soft hissing sound, the faint hissing echoing in the quiet high sky.
"Crack!"
Accompanied by a snapping sound and a blinding white light, Yao Yan removed a section from the massive stalactite. With the sharp break, a viscous, jade-colored liquid entered Yao Yan's vision.
This liquid seemed to possess a spirit, slowly flowing within the stalactite, but its movement remained confined to the vicinity of the circular opening, never exceeding a single line. The concentrated energy it emitted was dozens of times greater than the body-tempering milk in the pool below.
At this moment, Zi Yan also saw Yao Yan's actions, and her 'milk-drinking' motion stopped. A trace of white liquid clung to the corner of her mouth as she stared blankly at the stalactite in Yao Yan's palm—more precisely, the Earth Core Tempering Milk within it. A hint of longing appeared in her eyes, and she suddenly felt that what she had just drunk didn't taste so good anymore.
"This stuff can't be swallowed raw; it's too wasteful,"
Yao Yan explained softly, noticing Zi Yan's expression. He then put the real Earth Core Tempering Milk into his medicine bottle, but he didn't take it all. He left a few drops in, because if he took it all, the stalactite would immediately lose its spirituality, and this rare treasure would be ruined. It was better to leave it, so that when he was strong enough in the future, he could move the entire mountain range.
"Oh~" Zi Yan reluctantly looked away, then lowered her head to continue 'drinking milk.' If she couldn't get anything better, this would be acceptable for now.
Yao Yan wasn't interested in the diluted Earth Core Tempering Milk below, letting Zi Yan waste it. After she'd had her fill, he smiled and said, "Let's go back. I'll make you something delicious. These rare treasures aren't meant to be swallowed whole like this."
"You said it! Don't lie to me!"
Zi Yan wiped her mouth, looking somewhat happy as she spoke to Yao Yan.
"I never lie to little kids,"
Yao Yan chuckled.
Hearing this, Zi Yan pouted slightly, saying in a cute but fierce tone, "I'm not a little kid! I just grow slowly. I used to be huge!"
As a member of the Ancient Void Dragon Royal Clan, Zi Yan's true form was obviously not small; at the very least, she was a giant several meters long.
However, Yao Yan had clearly never seen her before. He simply smiled upon hearing this, walked over, picked her up, and transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the cave's exit. Before leaving, he made sure to collapse the entire cave to prevent any foolish magical beasts from entering the underground world and destroying the Earth Core Tempering Milk.
Having done all this, Yao Yan carried Zi Yan towards the inner courtyard.
(End of Chapter)