Chapter 77: Seeking Ice and Fire, Arriving at Heaven Dou City
Dragon City, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, Sect Master's study.
Yu Yuanchen faced his grandfather, Yu Boxuan, and stated his thoughts calmly yet firmly: "Grandfather, this grandson wishes to travel abroad to seek Opportunity and obtain my ninth Soul Ring."
Yu Boxuan stroked his beard and pondered. Although there was worry in his eyes, it was overshadowed by trust and expectation for his grandson's strength: "The level 90 Bottleneck has been broken, and the spirit core has formed; your strength is indeed sufficient to traverse the Continent. The ninth Soul Ring concerns your future Dao path; ordinary Soul Beast are no longer of much use, so seeking Opportunity abroad is the right path. Where do you plan to go?"
"This grandson plans to go to the Sunset Forest first," Yu Yuanchen replied. "Although the Family has sent people to search previously without success, perhaps the Opportunity has not yet arrived, or there were oversights in the search. This grandson wants to try his luck again. If nothing is gained, then I will head to the Star Dou Great Forest or the Extreme North."
"Sunset Forest..." Yu Boxuan nodded slightly. "That is fine. The distance is not too far, and with your abilities, you are sufficient to deal with the risks within. Does the Family need to send anyone to accompany you?"
"No need," Yu Yuanchen shook his head. "This grandson can travel alone; it will be faster and more discreet."
Just as the grandfather and grandson were discussing the details, a soft knock came from outside the study door.
"Come in," Yu Boxuan said.
The door was pushed open, and Ye Zhilan walked in carrying a pot of freshly brewed calming tea. She first bowed to Yu Boxuan: "Grandpa Yu." Then she gently placed the teacup on the table and turned her gaze to Yu Yuanchen, her eyes carrying a trace of imperceptible anticipation and hesitation.
Yu Yuanchen looked at her and smiled gently. Yu Boxuan also laughed: "Zhilan came just in time. Yuanchen is about to go out for training to seek his ninth Soul Ring."
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhilan's beautiful eyes brightened slightly. She put down the tea tray, her hands clenched slightly, seemingly having made up her mind. She raised her head, looking at Yu Yuanchen with clear and firm eyes, and said softly: "Brother Yuanchen... on this trip, could you... take me with you?"
Yu Yuanchen was slightly stunned. Yu Boxuan also looked at her with slight surprise.
Ye Zhilan's cheeks flushed slightly, but her tone was exceptionally serious: "I know Brother Yuanchen is going out for official business, and my cultivation is still shallow, perhaps I will be a burden... But," she paused, then continued, "I am already level 64 and not without the ability to protect myself. 'Mountain Splitting Force' is also proficient; an ordinary Soul Emperor might not be able to get the better of me in close combat. Moreover... Brother Yuanchen, you have said that for a Soul Master to Cultivate, one cannot always stay behind closed doors; one needs to experience wind and rain to see the World. I... I also want to go out and see the World, to train."
She looked at Yu Yuanchen earnestly: "I will not disturb your search for a Soul Beast. On the road, perhaps... I can still help. Gathering herbs, identifying paths, or... in case you get injured, I can always provide timely healing..." Speaking to the end, her voice grew smaller, carrying a trace of shyness, but the intention to travel with him and contribute her own strength was fully revealed.
Yu Yuanchen looked at the girl with firm eyes before him, his heart moved slightly. He had indeed hoped she would have more training rather than always staying in a greenhouse. He had previously refused to let the Family send anyone to follow because he felt no one could keep up with his pace, making them a burden instead. But Ye Zhilan was different...
He pondered for a moment. With his current strength, he was enough to roam the Continent, and he had no life-and-death enemies (after all, the life-and-death enemies were all dead). He then smiled: "Alright. In that case, you shall come with me."
Ye Zhilan was overjoyed, starlight seemingly lighting up in her eyes: "Really? Brother Yuanchen, you agreed?"
"Yes," Yu Yuanchen nodded, his tone carrying unquestionable confidence. "With my current strength, I have more than enough to keep you safe. As you said, traveling itself is also a form of cultivation. Your medical skills and knowledge of herbs might truly be helpful. And..." He looked at his grandfather, "With Zhilan accompanying us, we can look out for each other, and Grandfather can rest easier."
Yu Boxuan looked at the pair before him and stroked his beard while laughing heartily: "Good! Good! What Chener said is very true! With Zhilan going along, this old man can indeed rest easier. Zhilan, listen to Yuanchen's words on the road and pay attention to safety."
"Yes! Thank you, Grandpa Yu! Thank you, Brother Yuanchen!" Ye Zhilan replied happily, her Face filled with a radiant smile.
The matter was settled. The two made some preparations and packed their luggage. Yu Yuanchen specifically prepared a high-grade storage soul tool, inside which he stocked enough fresh water, food, gold coins, and some supplies that might be needed.
Before leaving, Yu Boxuan handed a box to Yu Yuanchen and said: "This is the Family's Legacy treasure, which can greatly increase combat power. You are the most outstanding descendant the Family has ever had, and I believe you can lead the Family to unprecedented glory. Since it will be yours sooner or later, giving it to you early is no harm. You must remember, you carry the future of the Family on your shoulders!"
Yu Yuanchen realized what this was and wanted to decline, but under Yu Boxuan's gaze that brooked no refusal, he could only accept it.
Three days later, the morning light peeked through.
Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan bid farewell to their Family, left Dragon City, and stepped onto the road to Sunset Forest.
Yu Yuanchen did not choose to rush at full speed. Since he had promised to let Ye Zhilan train, he deliberately slowed down and concealed his powerful aura, simulating fluctuations of roughly a Soul King level. He changed into ordinary cyan attire, looking like an ordinary Sect disciple escorting his Junior Sister out for training.
Ye Zhilan was still in that water-blue long dress, her temperament gentle. Her Soul Emperor level cultivation was not deliberately hidden, and because of this, it attracted quite a few gazes.
The two walked side by side, the man handsome and steady, the woman beautiful and refined. As they traveled, they were like a beautiful painting, but they also attracted quite a bit of trouble.
Just as Yu Yuanchen expected, Ye Zhilan's appearance and temperament, combined with her revealed Soul Emperor cultivation, inevitably aroused the covetousness of some wealthy young masters who relied on their status or strength when they stopped to rest in some towns.
This day, in a tavern in a small border town called "Maple Leaf Town," the two were dining. Several young men dressed in luxurious clothes, who were clearly children of local wealthy families, walked in. The leader's gaze swept across the hall and was immediately attracted to Ye Zhilan.
He walked up with a bit of drunkenness, swaying, and acted dashingly: "This Young Miss is very unfamiliar; you are not a local, right? This one is the son of the Lord of Maple Leaf Town. I wonder, what is the Young Miss's name? May I have the honor of having a drink with you?" He completely ignored Yu Yuanchen, who was sitting across from her with "only Soul King cultivation."
Ye Zhilan frowned slightly, put down her chopsticks, and said coldly: "Sorry, it is inconvenient."
Seeing her refusal, the Lord's son couldn't hold back, and his tone became tough: "Why must you keep people at a distance, Young Miss? In this Maple Leaf Town, no one dares not give me Face." As he spoke, he actually reached out to grab Ye Zhilan's wrist.
Just as his hand reached out, Ye Zhilan moved.
She did not stand up; she just reached out with her right hand as fast as lightning, striking first to gain the upper hand, and precisely grabbed the opponent's wrist. Her seemingly slender fingers applied a little force.
"Crack!"
A faint sound of bone cracking rang out!
"Ah—!" The Lord's son let out a pig-like scream. His wrist bent at a weird angle, and the sharp pain instantly sobered him up!
The guards behind him were shocked to see this, immediately releasing their Soul Rings, and were about to rush up.
Ye Zhilan's expression did not change. She slapped the table with her left hand, and an ordinary bamboo chopstick used for eating popped up, which she pinched between her fingers. The next moment, her wrist flicked!
"Swish!"
The bamboo chopstick turned into a blurred cyan shadow, instantly piercing the shoulder blade of one of the Spirit Ancestor guards rushing at the front, bringing with it a spray of blood, and pinning him firmly to the wall behind him! The whole process was as fast as lightning; the guard didn't even react!
The remaining guards froze in place, cold sweat dripping, not daring to move again. They saw clearly that the woman's attack was ruthless and decisive, and her strength was far beyond their imagination!
Ye Zhilan then let go of her hand and looked coldly at the Lord's son who was holding his wrist and screaming: "Get lost. If you disturb my peace again, it won't just be your wrist that gets crippled."
Her voice remained soft, yet carried an unquestionable chill.
The Lord's son was scared until his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, not even daring to say harsh words. Supported by his subordinates, he scrambled out of the tavern.
The tavern was silent. Everyone looked in shock at the blue-skirted girl who was still sitting quietly, not expecting that beneath her beautiful appearance, she had such formidable strength and ruthless methods.
Yu Yuanchen did not make a move from beginning to end, just drinking tea leisurely with a trace of approving smile in his eyes. It seems that his Zhilan was not a flower that needed constant protection; she already had thorns to protect herself and even hurt others.
"Handled well," he said softly.
Ye Zhilan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head embarrassedly: "It's because he was too annoying... And, Brother Yuanchen, you taught me that to deal with such people, you have to scare them once, otherwise it will be endless."
Yu Yuanchen smiled and nodded: "That is exactly the point."
After this incident, Ye Zhilan seemed to have opened up a bit. Along the way, when encountering places with beautiful scenery or simple folk customs, she would take the initiative to suggest stopping for a while. She would even find places where commoners gathered in towns and set up simple stalls for free clinics.
Her medical skills were superb, her attitude was approachable, and she often charged nothing for the poor, quickly earning her the reputation of "Fairy Physician." Yu Yuanchen would silently guard by the side, watching her focus and gently treat people, his eyes full of softness. This process was not only doing good deeds but also excellent training for her medical skills, Heart-Nature, and even control of Soul Power.
The journey was not always smooth. They also encountered real bandits and villains, among whom there was no lack of desperate criminals at the Soul King and Soul Emperor levels. For these people who truly deserved to die, Yu Yuanchen did not let Ye Zhilan practice.
Often, just as the opponent revealed malicious intent, or even before their Soul Ring was fully raised, only a flash of purple-gold lightning would be seen. Immediately, those bandits would be like being struck by heavenly thunder, instantly turning into charred remains, without even having time to scream.
When Ye Zhilan first saw Yu Yuanchen's true Thunderous Fury and his indifference to life and death, although she was a bit shocked, she felt no fear or disgust. She knew the rules of the jungle in this World, and understood that Yu Yuanchen's move was to protect her and eliminate the scourge.
In this way, the two traveled slowly, sometimes galloping, sometimes stopping, watching the customs, and experiencing the hundred states of the Mortal World. Ye Zhilan's horizons became wider, her practical combat experience and understanding of human nature also improved a lot, and her Soul Power became more refined during the training, with signs of breaking through to level 65.
Although Yu Yuanchen did not deliberately Cultivate, his spirit core operated on its own, absorbing the energy of heaven and earth all the time. His Foundation was also constantly being consolidated, and his control over power became more exquisite and subtle.
This day, from afar, the outline of a huge city, more magnificent and grand than Dragon City, appeared on the horizon. The towering city walls were like a giant dragon coiled, exuding an ancient and majestic aura.
Heaven Dou City, had arrived.
"Brother Yuanchen, we have arrived," Ye Zhilan looked at the giant city in the distance, her eyes filled with a trace of expectation and curiosity.
"Yes," Yu Yuanchen nodded, "Let's go, enter the city. Let's find a place to stay first."
His gaze swept across Heaven Dou City, his heart calm and waveless. The destination of this trip was Sunset Forest; Heaven Dou City was just a place to pass through. He did not intend to have any intersection with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect here, at least active contact was not in the plan.
The two followed the crowd and walked toward the gate of the Empire's imperial capital.
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