In the distance, Xiao Yan saw Ye Hao appear.
Standing face to face with Xun Er.
He said something, but it was too far away for him to hear.
However, he clearly saw Xun Er's expression suddenly dim, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
Xiao Yan's heart ached terribly. Rolling up his sleeves, he rushed over in a fury.
He grabbed Ye Hao by the collar.
"Kid! You dare bully a girl? Are you even a man?!"
Ye Hao had been thinking about when to reveal his identity to her.
But,
at that very moment,
a self-important Xiao Yan suddenly charged over.
And even laid hands on him.
And asked whether he was a man?
He wanted to know, did he?
Ye Hao did not hold back. With a swift counter, he executed a clean over-the-shoulder throw, slamming Xiao Yan to the ground.
Immediately after, he kicked Xiao Yan in the abdomen.
Xiao Yan's body slid along the ground for over ten meters before crashing into the opposite wall and stopping.
During the brief physical contact, Ye Hao noticed that the Dou Qi within Xiao Yan's body was slightly stronger than the last time they met, when he had been at Third Stage Dou Qi.
It seemed that the old master within the ring had awakened.
With the help of that old master, even though Ye Hao had already reached Eight-Star Dou Grandmaster within this month, he still did not have absolute confidence of victory.
Otherwise, that kick just now would not have merely injured him.
It would have killed him on the spot.
Xiao Yan struggled to his feet, feeling humiliated in front of Xun Er.
He immediately shouted in his heart, "Teacher, help me kill this bastard! I want him dead without a burial place!"
"Xiao Yan, you must not!" the old master hurriedly stopped him.
Xiao Yan was puzzled. "Why?!"
The old master said solemnly, "This boy is about your age, yet he has already reached Eight-Star Dou Grandmaster. He is certainly no ordinary person. There may even be powerful experts hiding in the shadows! If I act now, not only might we fail to kill him, but my existence will be exposed. We might even both perish here!"
What?
He… he is actually an Eight-Star Dou Grandmaster?
How is that possible!
Xiao Yan trembled with jealousy.
The old master continued, "Remember, as long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood."
"Moreover, with me here, his temporary lead does not mean he will always be ahead."
The old master might lack confidence in other matters, but he was very confident in his alchemy skills.
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth.
Three years ago, before the old master began absorbing his Dou Qi, he had promised that one day he would at least stand among the top experts of the Jia Ma Empire.
He believed the old master would not deceive him.
Xiao Yan glared viciously at Ye Hao.
"Just you wait. Thirty years on the east bank of the river, thirty years on the west bank. Do not bully a poor youth! Today's humiliation, I will repay a hundredfold in the future!"
After leaving those harsh words behind, Xiao Yan cast one last reluctant glance at Xun Er before departing unwillingly.
"I am sorry for causing you trouble."
After speaking, Xun Er took one more deep look at the blacksmith shop and walked a few steps.
Then she suddenly turned back to look at Ye Hao's unfamiliar face.
…
Over the next few months,
Ye Hao did not simply wait for the system to refresh the simulation count without doing anything.
During the day, he honed his alchemy skills.
The medicinal ingredients required for refining, as well as the gold coins used to purchase them, were all provided by the Jia Lie Clan.
Not long ago, Jia Lie Bi had succumbed to his severe injuries after prolonged suffering.
As for Jia Lie Ao, he was treated as a sinner. Jia Lie Nu broke his legs and locked him in a room, where he starved to death.
After draining the Jia Lie Clan of all their wealth, Ye Hao fed their bodies to the magical beasts outside the city.
In between, he returned to the Miteer Auction House to purchase necessary medicinal ingredients.
He also gathered information within Wu Tan City.
At night, Ye Hao continued cultivating Dou Qi on the second floor opposite the blacksmith shop.
After several months of diligent cultivation, his strength had reached Two-Star Dou Spirit.
However, on several nights, Ye Hao sensed that an Eight-Star Dou Emperor had come near him, staying only briefly before leaving.
Each time, he used his powerful soul strength to conceal his true cultivation, preventing the other party from seeing through him.
Afterward, he guessed that it might have been Ling Ying sent under orders to search for someone.
Since he was wearing a mask, he was not recognized.
At the same time, during these months, Nalan Yanran never gave up searching for him.
She even requisitioned members of the Ao Ba Clan to conduct a carpet-style search throughout Wu Tan City.
Yet they still failed to find him.
Ge Ye was overwhelmed with worry. He tried to persuade her repeatedly but could not, and he did not dare forcibly take her back to the Yunlan Sect.
Even when they received news claiming that Ye Hao had already left Wu Tan City, Nalan Yanran refused to believe it and stubbornly remained in the city for several months.
After failing to find him, she instead blamed Ge Ye, and if he had not stopped her, she would have rushed to the Ao Ba Clan to scold them.
Their handling of matters was utterly unreliable.
At this point, she had no choice but to leave Wu Tan City.
However,
she had already made up her mind.
After returning to the Yunlan Sect, she would not only ask her teacher to send people to search, but also mobilize the Nalan Clan's resources.
She refused to believe that,
with the influence of both the Yunlan Sect and the Nalan Clan within the Jia Ma Empire, they would fail to find her Hao Ge.
But there was still one more matter she had to complete before returning to the Yunlan Sect.
On the city wall of Wu Tan City,
Ye Hao stood with his arms crossed, watching as Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye rode away.
"Finally gone. Nalan Yanran truly acts without regard for consequences. What a headache."
Ye Hao looked at the countdown timer for simulation attempts on the system interface.
It would refresh at midnight tonight.
He could hardly wait to see what this fourth simulation would be like.
Soon, night enveloped the land.
Wu Tan City gradually quieted after its bustle.
On the second floor opposite the Ye Clan Blacksmith Shop,
Ye Hao fixed his gaze on the system countdown.
As the numbers turned into a string of zeros,
the available simulation count changed to one.
"System, use one simulation."
[Ding. Simulation opportunity used successfully.]
[Initiating simulation…]
[Overwhelming good fortune accompanies you.]
With good fortune in hand, the world is mine.
They say nothing happens more than three times. (TL/N: It's not explosive anymore i guess lol.)
The first three simulations had not reached the Dou Saint realm. This time, there should be a breakthrough.
[You are born in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.]
[This time, your luck is extremely good.]
[You are not human.]
"??"
"System, what kind of nonsense is that? Who are you calling not human?!"
"Is that how you talk?"
[You have become a young Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.]
[You were originally the crown prince of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.]
Ye Hao fell silent.
So it was a magical beast.
Say that clearly.
Wait.
This Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, could it be that one?
Or is it its ancestor?
[Not long after your birth, your parents failed while advancing to become Seventh-Rank magical beasts and both perished.]
[You became an orphan, but blessed with great fortune, you inherited a large amount of cultivation resources left by your parents.]
"This system must be sick."
"And seriously sick at that."
Ye Hao was speechless.
However, it also made him understand that the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King in the simulation was not the same one as in reality.
[You worry that news of your parents' deaths will spread and threaten your life.]
[You begin to reduce your outings, cultivating diligently during the day, and sneaking out at night to forage while other magical beasts rest.]
[You grow up amid fear and anxiety.]
[One day, a powerful magical beast arrives in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.]
[When you prepare to return home, you discover that your cave dwelling has already been occupied.]
[Due to the vast gap in strength between you, you choose to avoid confrontation and retreat to the outer region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.]
[You find a small valley rich in medicinal herbs and settle there.]
[Not long after, other magical beasts discover you.]
[They frequently bully you. Unable to defeat them, you are forced to live a life of constant hiding, without a fixed residence.]
[You secretly swear that one day you will return.]
[You will make those magical beasts who bullied you bow in submission, and force the one who seized your cave to kneel and beg for mercy.]
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Bonus chapters every 200 Power Stone!