Chapter 43

**Chapter 43: Yun Yun Arrives!**

"Oh?"

Xiao Ning raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to challenge him again, but the surprise quickly faded.

Reflecting on the timeline, he realized it was about the time when Xiao Yan would have successfully mastered the low-level fighting skill, «Flame Devouring Wave Ruler».

Xiao Yan's newfound confidence must have stemmed from that achievement.

But Xiao Ning wasn't concerned.

With the inheritance of the Desolate Emperor, he was far beyond the reach of Xiao Yan's challenge.

The moment he surpassed Xiao Yan, it became clear that Xiao Yan would never be able to catch up with him in this lifetime.

The gap between them would only widen.

"With my current strength, cousin Xiao Yan, I'm afraid you won't be a match for me," Xiao Ning said politely, declining the challenge.

"I just want to measure the gap between us, cousin.

Please, I ask for your guidance," Xiao Yan responded earnestly.

"In that case, let's follow the old rules and place a small wager," Xiao Ning agreed, thinking that since they were both members of the Xiao family, it wouldn't hurt to entertain Xiao Yan.

After all, Xiao Yan had Yao Lao by his side, and Xiao Ning still had uses for him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's face lit up with excitement. He quickly retrieved a Qi-Reviving Pill from his storage ring and swallowed it.

Within a minute, his body surged with renewed Dou Qi.

Xiao Yan stood up, positioning the massive black ruler in front of him.

Taking a stance, he declared solemnly, "Cousin Xiao Ning, please!"

Without hesitation, Xiao Yan began to gather his energy. Red lines appeared on the dark heavy ruler, and soon, a wave of heat radiated from it.

Xiao Ning smiled slightly.

Facing Xiao Yan, whose strength was still below his own, he saw no need to interrupt his cousin's momentum.

With a thought, Xiao Ning placed his left hand behind his back, while his right hand formed a sword gesture,index finger extended, middle finger clasped against his thumb, and the other fingers folded into his palm.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, determination flashing in his eyes as he shouted, "Flame Devouring Wave Ruler!"

Simultaneously, Xiao Ning uttered a low command: "Thunder!"

A red arc of Dou Qi, as wide as a foot, shot out from the black heavy ruler, growing in size as it flew.

The heat it carried was so intense that the flowers and plants on the ground dried up and spontaneously ignited.

On the other side, a thunderball the size of a human head suddenly materialized in front of Xiao Ning.

It crossed the space in an instant and collided with the red arc!

"Boom!"

A massive explosion erupted in mid-air, creating a crater seven or eight feet deep on the ground.

The red arc struggled against the thunderball for a moment before it was shattered completely!

The thunderball then continued its trajectory toward Xiao Yan.

In his horrified gaze, it whizzed past him, plunged into the nearby river, and exploded, sending a water column three to four feet high into the air!

"Conceded," Xiao Ning said casually.

It was only then that Xiao Yan snapped out of his shock, a bitter smile crossing his face before it faded away.

In his storage ring, Yao Lao was equally surprised.

When the thunderball struck the ruler, he nearly yanked out a strand of his beard in disbelief.

"This Xiao Ning... he actually possesses earth-level fighting skills? Who is this kid?" Yao Lao found himself questioning everything.

The scene before him was too astonishing.

Xiao Ning, who had once been easily defeated by Xiao Yan, had rapidly risen in power.

In a single day, he had gone from being beaten to defeating Xiao Yan, and his achievements had since skyrocketed, even to the point of killing a Da Dou Shi!

His physical strength was inhuman, and now, his mastery of earth-level fighting skills surpassed Xiao Yan's «Flame Devouring Wave Ruler».

The realization left Yao Lao feeling a bit shaken.

'Could it be that the Xiao family's ancestors married a high-level magical beast, and Xiao Ning has somehow inherited that bloodline?' Yao Lao's thoughts grew increasingly erratic.

What he didn't know was that Xiao Ning had only scratched the surface of the Thunder Emperor's treasure technique, unable to fully wield its power.

"Cousin Xiao Ning, you're truly amazing! I really admire you!" Despite feeling a bit disheartened, Xiao Yan forced a smile and tried to remain positive.

"No, cousin Xiao Yan, you've made great progress.

That last move of yours really gave me a scare," Xiao Ning replied with a friendly chuckle.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xiao Ning steered the conversation in a different direction.

"Cousin Xiao Yan, how did it go with the refining process I asked you to undertake last time?"

Xiao Yan scratched his head sheepishly. "Cousin Xiao Ning, although you provided me with many medicinal materials, I lacked some of the supplementary ingredients. I had to go to Qingshan Town to gather them.

But it's only been a few days since I started, and I've only managed to refine two bottles so far."

Xiao Ning's face brightened at this and he extended his hand. "Then hand them over."

Xiao Yan nodded, and with a flash of light from his ring, two small jade bottles appeared in his hands.

"This product is called *Burning Blood Powder*, a fifth-grade elixir.

It has a very strong body-tempering effect, but it does have one drawback," Xiao Yan explained as Xiao Ning inspected the fiery liquid inside the bottle, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

"What drawback?" Xiao Ning asked nonchalantly.

"It's very painful during the tempering process," Xiao Yan replied, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Is that all? No matter," Xiao Ning dismissed the concern easily.

Pain was something he could endure.

Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, and then his face showed admiration.

Not long ago, when he had practiced the «Flame Devouring Wave Ruler», Yao Lao had used the fourth-grade elixir *Burning Blood* to temper his body.

The result had been excruciating pain, so intense that it nearly became a nightmare for Xiao Yan.

"Here," Xiao Ning's voice interrupted Xiao Yan's thoughts as a large sack was tossed in front of him, exuding a strong medicinal fragrance.

"Cousin Xiao Ning?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.

"You just lost to me, so this is fitting.

While exploring the depths of the Monster Forest, I found many medicinal herbs.

Like before, I need you to refine them into body-tempering medicine, I'll come back for them after a while," Xiao Ning instructed.

Without giving Xiao Yan a chance to refuse, Xiao Ning's Ziyun Wings flared to life, and he shot up into the sky, disappearing from sight, leaving Xiao Yan behind with a resigned smile.

Xiao Ning soon returned to Misty Valley, where he reunited with Xiao Yixian and resumed his peaceful life in the valley.

One day, while Xiao Ning was soaking in the monster blood pool, red liquid medicine coating his body, he prepared to enter meditation.

Suddenly, two powerful auras converged in the sky above, startling him.

In an instant, Xiao Ning leaped out of the wooden barrel, his Ziyun Wings emerging as he flew toward the horizon to investigate.

From a distance, it looked as though the sky was being split in half by the surging of Dou Qi!