"Who is it? How dare you follow me for so long?"

The elder was just about to release his Qi angrily, leaping towards the group of rocks where Nan Lun was hiding, Chi armor forming rapidly on his right leg.

"Fine! Since you refuse to reveal your identity, then I won't hold back!"

Sure enough, the elder of the Wu family unleashed a massive Mountain Shattering Leg Kick towards the rocks where Nan Lun was hiding. This Mountain Shattering Leg Kick was considered the pinnacle of the Wu family's martial arts techniques.

"I never expected this old guy to be so powerful..."

*Boom!*

Before Nan Lun could finish pondering, the Mountain Shattering Leg Kick landed heavily on the rocks behind him. In an instant, Nan, the patriarch of the Nan family, felt a sweet taste in his throat and was sent flying five zhang away, while the rocks behind him turned to dust.

"You?"

Wu Zesheng fixed his gaze, pointing his finger in surprise.

"Nan Lun, the head of the Nan family, what are you doing here?"

Nan Lun quickly straightened his robes and smiled craftily as he spoke to Wu Zesheng.

"Hehe, congratulations to the senior of the Wu family for reaching the Nine Hearts level. I'm just here to make a big deal with the senior, a mutually beneficial transaction between us."

"A transaction?"

As a senior of the Wu family for many years, Wu Zesheng was naturally a discerning person. The kind of transaction he mentioned must have a little connection with these small fries on the second floor.

Although dealing with the boundary-free patriarch of the Wu family made him a little headache and unsure, at least with the support of the Nan family, he wouldn't end up as miserable as before.

*Ah-choo!*

Yuanhui slowly woke up from his dream, only to see his master beside him glaring.

"You deceptive old man!"

"Sigh! It's all my fault. I shouldn't have taken such a big risk."

At this moment, Yuanhui was both angry and helpless, unable to contain his frustration. Thanks to some immortal wanting to provoke the Empire, could he finally rest assured now?

"Kid, in the martial world, who doesn't stumble and fall sometimes, huh?"

"....Hey, where is this?"

The surroundings consisted of primitive walls, filled with the unique charm of an ancient town.

Yuanhui immersed himself in the rich scent of aged wood around him, paying no attention to what the immortal said.

"Hey, are you even listening to what I'm saying?!"

The immortal was already trembling with anger.

"I'm listening. Don't strain yourself. Just act as if I never existed, okay?"

"You...!" The immortal was even more furious.

"And don't waste time chatting with the people here!"

Yuanhui smiled at the immortal beside him. "Old man, you can just stay here and be a good mercenary."

"What? You dare talk down on my mediocre mercenaries?!" The immortal shook his head helplessly.

"We are running out of time. Find the master of the Moonlit Valley as soon as possible. We need her help..."

Before the immortal could finish his sentence, Yuanhui's mood suddenly surged.

"Oh, I get it!"

He suddenly realized, jumping up from the bed.

"Won't the valley master just be some beast? Let me... kill..."

*Slap!* The immortal's hand landed on Yuanhui's forehead.

"You fool! I want you to visit her, we need her help with our herbs!"

To the still puzzled Yuanhui, the immortal explained everything about the Moonlit Valley in as much detail as possible.

The Moonlit Valley was formed during the opening of the continent and was named because the sun was said to never be visible in the valley. Due to the cool climate in the valley all year round, it was home to the Yin-attribute Ice Demon Grass.

This grass possesses the power to suppress fire-related effects!

It was said that over three thousand years ago, when Wusha Dong recaptured the Yanrain Stars, he had to swallow three pieces over a period of six hours before he could subdue it.

"So that's how it is... Speaking of which, master..."

Yuanhui widened his eyes, filled with curiosity.

"The Yanrain Stars are gone. What's the use of that grass now?"

The immortal chuckled and then patted Yuanhui's shoulder.

"Child, always seeking quick success and instant benefits. Do you only see the value of that treasure? Keep in mind, that grass not only neutralizes fire but also serves as an antidote."

Of course, Yuanhui was far from mastering such abilities.

"Its purpose for lower-level martial artists is to resist toxins!"

Leaning against the railing, the immortal slowly reached out and touched Yuanhui's forehead.

"Resist toxins?"

"Yes, look."

With a wave of his hands, a three-dimensional image of a purple four-leaf clover appeared before Yuanhui - this was the antidote.

The road to the Moonlit Valley was treacherous, but with the antidote, they could approach the Venom King's toxic body!

Despite that, the journey to the Moonlit Valley still spanned a month. Legend had it that the valley was a miracle created during the opening of the continent. Those without sufficient strength would surely perish in the poisonous arrays. Moreover, the Moonlit Valley was one of the Eight Great Sects with three boundary-free masters presiding over it, said to be as famous as the exalted Immortals!

...

"Elder Xunyin, someone named Wu Xian is outside seeking an audience."

"Is it the Immortal Wu Xian?"

The news came from outside the door, but the recipient was not the dignified elder one would expect. Instead, there stood someone with colorful floral braids, speaking in an unpleasantly high-pitched tone, quite unlikable.

"Old man, surprised to see you still alive. I was just about to rally the reclusive heroes to avenge you."

Elder Xunyin glanced at him and asked, "Are you in soul form?"

The teacher nodded helplessly.

"Granny Xunyin still looks so young, but isn't the makeup a bit too heavy?"

"Follow me."

With a wave of his sleeve, he continued, "It's the Blood Clan causing trouble again, those half-human, half-ghost beings... sigh!"

Elder Xunyin continued walking ahead, the aura of gloom intensifying as they proceeded. After activating a mechanism on the wall, a research laboratory appeared. Elder Xunyin inquired, "What's this?"

Wu Xian hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

Meanwhile, Yuanhui heaved a sigh, listening to Wu Xian speak.

"There's an opportunity now. During the Ninth Heart Recovery, there will be a disruption of unique power. I need to quickly recover to make progress and minimize negative impacts, but it's risky due to potential ambush!"

Indeed, there was no other way. Far too useless...

"Child, don't worry about me. With the aid of the Crimson Dragon Emperor, I should be fine even if something happens to you."

With that, the teacher handed him a magic talisman and a storage device.

"You are already a Ninth Heart level martial artist, manipulating ether should be easy for you. Take this, it's a manual I compiled along with corresponding level techniques."

Elder Xunyin approached, handing a thick book - wider than a long - to Yuanhui.

"This is an overview of the Sonic Demon Arts. Once you've mastered this, you should be able to handle boundary-free spiritual beasts. Remember, don't overuse..."

Elder Xunyin's ramblings were more annoying than grandpa's!

Although he said a lot, Yuanhui, focused on solving matters at hand, had no time to care.

Looks like... time to cool off!

*Crack!*

Yuanhui nodded. Miraculously, these fruits were commendable, resembling sweet potatoes.

He suddenly stood up, "I want to become the... no, the Dark Emperor's man. As long as I learn the Sonic Demon Arts..."

"Haha, impossible. Even if you fully master the Sonic Demon Arts, you wouldn't beat any of the Four Emperors."

"Huh? Then what's the point of me learning it?"

Yuanhui was extremely puzzled; wasn't the ultimate goal of such a thick book to study alone?

"Hey, by the time I finish reading it, won't I be sixty or seventy years old?"

Looking at the nearly thousand-page manual, he almost felt like giving up.

"Well, Xunyin started practicing the Sonic Demon Arts at twenty and fully mastered it at a hundred and twenty years old. So, you are now..."

...

Finally, he was back where he used to play in this attic.

"Hello, Juxi." A woman in her early twenties with blue hair stepped out. "The kid has grown up! And still embraces cross-dressing."

Cross-dressing? Lowering his head, he realized he was dressed in blue pants and a pink jacket, feeling embarrassed.

"Aunt Yilan, let me explain..."

Yuanhui took out his jade pendant, and an image gradually appeared before him; it was his father.

"After living in Capital for so long, not sure if it's the change of environment, but now I... Ah-choo!"

Yukari couldn't control another sneeze, unaware of the different climatic conditions, thus catching a severe cold.

Now confined to bed all day without proper rest, Juxi found it challenging with Yukari's disturbed sleep.

"Juxi, I'm hungry!"

"Yes, I'll go get you a snack..."

"Wait, pour me a glass of water before you leave."

"All right, your water."

That's how it went. Besides the daily cultivation and exercises, Juxi found himself constantly at Yukari's beck and call, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"Things are really different here from our place. Apart from the humid air, the lack of water in the food makes me dehydrated."

"Yeah..."

Despite the apparent cordial atmosphere between Juxi and Yukari, most of the time, he found it challenging to communicate properly with her.

Moreover, acting as both a housekeeper and martial arts disciple landed Juxi in trouble with a dignified martial arts instructor from a local dojo, resulting in him resolving the conflict.

"Why is it always me settling things for you?"

"Cough, how do I usually teach you?"

"Teach me?"

"Yes, after sustaining a grave injury, the person needs both emotional support and physical assistance."

"...Speechless."

Unable to endure any longer, Juxi finally expressed his grievances to Yukari.

"These recent severe injuries have taken a toll on me already; another one would be too much. Besides, doesn’t it seem like my injuries are worse than yours?"

"Uh-huh..."

Yukari, lying in bed, sheepishly giggled, "Your shy expressions make me feel like we've gone back in time..."

"Let's not dwell on the past, those clichés... Unexpectedly, you're quite a troublesome person!"