Chapter 13

"Being the head of the sect, are you going to allow such things to happen?"

In a secluded place of the Xuan Yun Sect, Chu Ziyun stood under a huge rock, her face cold and distant.

"Hehe, Ziyun has grown up!"

Chu Yunkong, the current head of the Xuan Yun Sect, looked at her with affection, showing no trace of the authority of a sect leader, more like a father looking at his daughter.

However, their conversation revealed that their relationship was not as harmonious as that of a father and daughter, but rather seemed to have a gap between them.

"Don't evade the issue. I'm asking, are you going to handle this matter or not?"

Chu Ziyun's face remained cold, and for some unknown reason, they treated each other this way.

"According to what you said, if that boy hadn't acted that way, would you have come to see me about this? Or, if that boy was just an ordinary waste, would you be standing here now?"

Chu Yunkong, being the person he was, had already guessed the gist of the matter from her words.

"Don't call him 'that boy.' They are my friends who have shared hardships with me. If they are bullied, especially by people within the sect, are you going to ignore it?"

A flush appeared on Chu Ziyun's face, and she turned her head in anger.

As she said, after the battle with the wolf pack, everyone had developed a strong bond. But if she were to fall in love with a stranger just because of that, it would be too frivolous for someone of her caliber.

"A fledgling eagle that stays under the old eagle's wings will never have the courage to fly into the sky!"

Chu Yunkong did not get angry. His deep eyes gazed into the distance.

"Fledgling eagle... old eagle... wings... sky... courage..."

Chu Ziyun was stunned, muttering to herself. After a long silence, when she looked up, Chu Yunkong was already gone. Two tears slid down her cold eyes. "Is this why you abandoned us back then? Then why did you bring me back?"

The cold wind blew, autumn had arrived, and the chill grew stronger, adding to the sorrow of the world.

...

At the foot of the mountain where the Xuan Yun Sect was located, in the South Courtyard where the named disciples lived.

"Hey, you're still a kid, and you want to go out and seek treasures? Afraid of being eaten by a monster?"

A short, middle-aged man looked at Li Chen with disdain. He was the manager of the named disciples, responsible for their daily life and martial arts training.

To get such a lucrative position, one had to have strong connections. Otherwise, how could he exploit these half-grown kids?

He knew the situation of the named disciples well. Li Chen was just a fifteen-year-old, at the second level of the Condensing Breath Realm, a complete waste, not worth paying attention to, only to be oppressed and exploited.

"This is the lower-grade Condensing Breath Pill I just received. I offer it to the manager, hoping you will accept it. I have an urgent matter at home!"

Li Chen suppressed his anger but knew that without the other's consent, he would never be allowed to leave. He had to make up a story.

"Is that so? I'm not an unreasonable person. Since that's the case, you can go, but remember to return within a month!"

Feng Luming took the jade bottle. He was at the sixth level of the Condensing Breath Realm. Although he didn't need it himself, he had family members who could use the lower-grade Condensing Breath Pill.

The Xuan Yun Sect did not prohibit disciples from going out, but they had to report monthly. Those who failed to do so would be severely punished.

Firstly, it was to protect the disciples, and secondly, to keep track of their general situation, especially for named and outer disciples.

As for inner disciples, who had some self-protection abilities, they had to report every three months. As for the elite disciples, who were already True Cultivation disciples, they rarely ventured into dangerous places.

They were the hope of the sect, and the Xuan Yun Sect would naturally protect them strictly.

"Thank you, Manager, for your understanding!"

Li Chen bowed and hurriedly left.

"Waste!"

Feng Luming sneered as he watched Li Chen leave, then turned to shout at the half-grown kids to practice their martial arts.

...

Whoosh!

A ghostly figure flashed through the dense forest. A few breaths later, a gentle breeze blew, showing how fast the person was.

After advancing several dozen feet, Li Chen carefully crouched beside a withered tree stump. His disheveled hair covered his bright black eyes, which shone with determination. His nostrils flared slightly.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. With a powerful thrust of his waist, his body leaped like a cat, landing on a few large rocks ahead.

Squeak!

A fiery cloud fox darted out from the rock crevice, baring its teeth and claws, pouncing at Li Chen. Its speed was also considerable, especially its sharp white teeth, which glinted in the sunlight.

The Fire Cloud Fox, a first-stage monster, could be judged by the color of its single tail. Judging by its appearance, it was at the mid-first stage.

In an instant, Li Chen recalled all the information about the Fire Cloud Fox. Over the years, as a medicine slave, he had never been idle. Moreover, Old Li, his father, had been a sixth-level Inner Breath Realm expert, with considerable knowledge.

In mid-air, he exhaled and extended his right hand backward, then fiercely punched forward.

At this level, the Fire Cloud Fox had no other moves besides pouncing and biting. It was natural to overpower it with brute force.

Three years of physical training had made Li Chen's strength far beyond that of an ordinary person. With the support of Inner Breath, this punch had tremendous force, creating a dull explosion in the air.

Bang!

Seeing the danger, the Fire Cloud Fox, relying on its agility, twisted its body and swiftly dodged to the side.

Whoosh!

The powerful punch created a gust of wind, and Li Chen, without stopping, used the Wind Walking Step, moving like a cat, engaging the Fire Cloud Fox in a fierce battle.

From a distance, it looked like a fiery cloud and a gray shadow entwining, a beautiful sight.

The Fire Cloud Fox seemed to dodge every punch at the last moment, but if one looked closely at Li Chen, they would see that his eyes showed no signs of struggle.

Each punch and step seemed to be in perfect sync with the Fire Cloud Fox, as if they had agreed on it. He was clearly using the Fire Cloud Fox to hone his martial arts!

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a flash of determination appeared in Li Chen's eyes. His punch suddenly changed, extending and contracting, then fiercely pressing inward.

The Fire Cloud Fox, relying on its speed, managed to dodge most of the attacks, but after such a long battle, it was running out of energy. Li Chen's heavy punch caught it on the side, and it let out a shrill cry, falling to the side.

"Die!"

Seizing the opportunity, Li Chen changed his punch to a claw, striking at its neck.

Crack!

Instantly, the sound of bones breaking was heard, and the Fire Cloud Fox twitched a few times before going silent.

"Too weak!"

Li Chen's chest heaved as he picked up the Fire Cloud Fox and quickly moved behind a rock crevice. A few steps away, he found a pile of small stones, and among them, a lush spirit herb emitting a faint, enticing aroma.

Seemingly unsatisfied with the grade of the spirit herb, Li Chen used a jade shovel to dig it up and put it away. Checking the sky, he saw it was already evening.

He immediately cleaned and skinned the Fire Cloud Fox, then built a simple stove with stones to roast it.

In the bright firelight, Li Chen turned the golden-brown meat, his eyes filled with contemplation.