Chapter 115: Let Zi Yan Fly for a While!
At the entrance of the Gourd Valley, Zi Yan floated in the air with her arms crossed, her tiny figure hovering while her pouty face showed her frustration.
Even though she had eaten something delicious, she wasn't happy. Things hadn't gone the way she had imagined.
The ground and rock walls at the valley's entrance were riddled with pits and craters, not a single intact spot left. Inside a massive pit, the Snow Demon Sky Ape lay half dead, blood trickling from its nostrils. Its once pristine white fur was scorched in patches, leaving it in a pitiful state.
Despite its sorry condition and weakened aura, the beast was still alive, its chest faintly rising and falling to show signs of life.
Not far away, the black puppet stood motionless like a steel tower. It didn't move unless the Snow Demon Sky Ape did. But the moment the ape dared to move, the puppet ensured it wouldn't dare try again.
When alive, the puppet's strength had been at the two star Dou Huang level. After being refined into a puppet through the Devouring Ancient Talisman, its stage hadn't technically improved, but with the devouring power, a flame infused into it, and its immunity to pain, it could easily match a seven or eight star Dou Huang.
A mere newly adult Snow Demon Sky Ape wasn't much of a challenge for it.
Before long, rustling noises emerged as Lu Bu walked out of the valley, a faint smile playing on his lips, clearly pleased with his gains.
When Zi Yan saw him, she puffed up her cheeks even more, growing more upset.
"It's done. Let's go," Lu Bu said, flapping his Purple Cloud Wings as he glanced at the defeated Snow Demon Sky Ape, deciding to leave it alive. He wasn't one to kill unnecessarily, and since he had already taken the Earth Core Tempering Milk, he saw no need to take its life.
Zi Yan rolled her gem like eyes in frustration and flew off first. She knew Lu Bu must have gotten something valuable, but the deal had already been made, and she couldn't take it back.
Still... even though she knew this, she couldn't help but feel annoyed.
I've come here so many times, but it's never been mine!
But just as she was flying, an enticing fragrance drifted over from behind her. The alluring scent was so captivating that she instinctively turned around.
It smelled amazing just the scent alone told her it must taste incredible!
Turning her head, she saw a small jade bottle being held out toward her. The bottle contained a viscous, emerald green liquid. It was no more than the size of a thumb, a tiny bottle, but the sight of it made Zi Yan's jet black eyes light up with excitement.
"Here, a little share for you," Lu Bu said with a smile.
"Really?" Zi Yan's face lit up with delight. "You're such a good person!"
Lu Bu reached out to ruffle her messy hair, smiling as he asked, "Feeling better now?"
"Mm hmm!" Zi Yan grinned from ear to ear, her chicken nest like hair bobbing as she nodded energetically.
"Let's go…" Lu Bu chuckled, but Zi Yan didn't follow him immediately. When he turned around, he saw that she had already opened the bottle and was cautiously licking the Earth Core Tempering Milk with her soft pink tongue.
"Ugh… It's so bitter and astringent!"
Her tiny face immediately scrunched up like a wrinkled ball as she stretched her neck, gritting her teeth to swallow the small amount she had tasted.
"Ahhh… It looks so pretty, smells so good, but why does it taste so awful?!" Zi Yan's voice carried the cry of a truly aggrieved soul.
Lu Bu rolled his eyes. Of course, it tasted bad it wasn't meant to be eaten raw.
There's a common saying in Chinese: The tasty stuff is in the recipe book, the bad tasting stuff is in the pharmacopeia, and the stuff you can't eat is in ancient legends. Generally speaking, things used as medicinal ingredients don't taste great.
"Give it to me. I'll refine it into something better for you to eat," Lu Bu said, holding out his hand with a smile.
Zi Yan hesitated for a moment, her guard briefly rising. But when she heard his offer, her dark eyes sparkled with anticipation. "You can refine it? You're an alchemist?"
"Doesn't it look like I am?" Lu Bu chuckled.
"Hehe… You do, you really do!" Zi Yan's big eyes narrowed into happy crescents. "Lu Bu, if I find more ingredients in the future, can I ask you to refine them for me?"
"Of course," Lu Bu replied with a grin as he summoned his cyan flame. The Earth Core Tempering Milk in the bottle was soon engulfed in the flame, its texture growing thicker and richer. After thinking for a moment, he added some honey to balance the taste, then divided the milk into portions. Before long, small emerald green beads, resembling jade pearls, appeared in his hand.
"Here, try one."
Zi Yan eagerly grabbed one and popped it into her mouth. Chewing on it, her face lit up with delight. There was no bitterness, only the sweetness of honey, and the energy within it was still intact.
"Ah… It's so good!"
Zi Yan beamed with joy, her eyes curving into crescents as she cheerfully patted Lu Bu on the shoulder. "Not bad, not bad! I knew I wasn't wrong about you. From now on, if anyone bullies you in the inner courtyard, just tell me, and I'll beat them so hard even their own parents won't recognize them!"
"Alright, I'll definitely come to you if I need help," Lu Bu replied, ruffling her hair again. Despite the chaotic mess it looked like, her hair was surprisingly soft and silky to the touch.
"Then… can you lend me that big puppet of yours?" Zi Yan blinked her big eyes at him, giving him a pitiful look. "I need lots of ingredients to grow up quickly!"
Lu Bu's expression darkened. "No."
With a flick of his finger, he gave her a light forehead flick.
"Ah!" Zi Yan yelped, clutching her forehead and pouting in frustration.
If it were anyone else, she'd have punched them already. But she couldn't hit Lu Bu. He was a good person he gave her tasty food and was a talented alchemist. If she broke him, who'd make her pills?
Lu Bu rolled his eyes again and pinched her cheek. With her mischievous nature, he could already imagine what she'd do with the puppet. By the second day, the entire forest around the inner courtyard would probably be turned upside down.
That wasn't a problem in itself, but the puppet bore a striking resemblance to a certain figure from the Eight Gates faction. Zi Yan might not recognize it, but others would, and that could lead to some unnecessary trouble.
"Fine, don't give it to me!" Zi Yan made a face at him before flapping her wings of Dou Qi and flying toward the inner courtyard.
Lu Bu chuckled, shaking his head as he followed at a steady pace, flying toward his dorm.
There was no rush to ask Zi Yan for her blood essence. It wouldn't be wise to demand something so precious on their first meeting. Even with her carefree personality, such a request might arouse suspicion. Besides, Zi Yan was highly sensitive about her identity as a magical beast.
Better to wait a while… let her fly freely for now!
For now, he decided to head back to his dorm to check if it had been repaired.
Flying over the inner courtyard, Lu Bu didn't stop, instead using the opportunity to study its layout. The inner courtyard was built in a massive basin, with the black Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower buried deep in the center.
The Jia Nan Academy was a major power. While it didn't have overwhelming top tier combatants compared to the other factions in the Black Corner Region, its sheer number of Dou Wangs and Dou Lings was unmatched.
Maintaining so many experts required immense resources, and most of the academy's wealth came not from student tuition but from the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
The academy had created the virtual currency "Fire Energy," which allowed it to profit greatly from the inner courtyard students while simultaneously providing them with the resources they most needed cultivation strength.
It was a mutually beneficial system that had created the prosperity the academy enjoyed today.
As Lu Bu thought this over, he arrived above his dorm, finding it restored and in good order. The new students were all smiling happily, while Wu Hao, Xiao Yan, and the others seemed to be in the middle of an intense discussion.
"Hmm… Are they planning to start their own faction?" Lu Bu stroked his chin thoughtfully.
That sounds fun. Maybe I should mess with Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er a little...
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