Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

After ten days of wandering, Xiao Bai stood atop yet another cliff, staring down at… nothing.

"Kid, you sure this Tian Can Zi didn't scam you?" Yao Lao's earlier calm was gone. His time was limited—he needed to get back to guide Xiao Yan. If Xiao Bai stubbornly lingered in the Magical Beast Mountain Range after checking every mapped cliff, Yao Lao would be at his wit's end.

"No way," Xiao Bai muttered, his confidence wavering. My luck can't be that bad, can it? Pulling out the map, he saw only three unvisited cliffs remained.

He made up his mind: if these three yielded nothing, he'd give up. The cave held a flight Dou Technique, useful for now but nearly worthless past the Dou Wang realm. The Pure Lotus Demon Fire remnant map was irrelevant to him.

"Don't worry, Senior. These are the last three. If we don't find it, we'll head straight for the Heavenly Flame," Xiao Bai assured Yao Lao.

"Good. By the way, what's in there that's got you so hooked?" Yao Lao's curiosity flared. Xiao Bai seemed indifferent to most things, even Heavenly Flames, which others coveted, alchemist or not. Yet Xiao Bai had traded a flame for his inheritance without much care. Is there something more valuable than a Heavenly Flame in there?

"Just a flight Dou Technique," Xiao Bai said flatly.

"A flight Dou Technique? What do you need that for? Is it some rare skill?" Yao Lao asked, puzzled. Flight techniques tempted most attributes, but lightning and wind cultivators, who excelled in speed at Dou Wang, rarely cared.

"It's a technique that lets you fly at the Dou Zhe stage. Not precious, just uncommon," Xiao Bai clarified.

"What? You came all this way for that?" Yao Lao was floored.

"Got one, Senior?" Xiao Bai shot him a sidelong glance.

"No, but…" Yao Lao trailed off, stumped. He didn't lack such techniques because they were rare—he'd just never bothered with them. What's the point? They just take up space.

"Forget it. Search if you want," Yao Lao sighed, memories surfacing. Long ago, before he could fly, he'd envied those who soared. He'd forgotten that youthful yearning until now. Xiao Bai, despite his mature demeanor, was still a teenager of sixteen or seventeen, no different from other boys dreaming of flight.

Xiao Bai eyed Yao Lao warily as the old man gazed at him with an oddly kind expression, almost paternal. What's this old coot up to?

"What's that look, kid?" Yao Lao grumbled, annoyed.

"What's your look, old man?" Xiao Bai retorted, exasperated.

"Old man, huh? Dropping 'Senior' now, are you?" Yao Lao growled, stroking his beard.

"When you prank me, you don't act like a 'Senior'!" Xiao Bai snapped, eyes narrowing at the memory of the Joy Apes.

Bickering, they headed for the next cliff.

"This is the last one," Xiao Bai murmured, gazing at the final cliff in the distance. If this wasn't it, the opportunity wasn't his.

"Kid, if you find it on the last try, is your luck good or bad?" Yao Lao teased from the ring, chuckling.

"I've decided—if this isn't it, I'll stay in the mountains until I find it!" Xiao Bai shot back, seething.

Come on, let's hurt each other! He was already fuming. If he found it at the last cliff—his planned route—he'd lose it.

"No skin off my back. It's Xiao Yan who suffers. I'm his teacher, but he calls you Brother Bai. Can you bear to see him stuck with the Xiao Clan's mediocre techniques?" Yao Lao floated out, striking a sage-like pose.

"Heh," Xiao Bai sneered. As if I don't know about the Flame Mantra. Yao Lao needed someone to master it to craft his revival body—he's the one who can't afford to dawdle. Despite his calm act, he'd be the first to panic if they got stuck here.

Xiao Bai held his tongue. Revealing that would rile Yao Lao up—it was his biggest secret.

"Let's go. Last one, then we're done." Lightning sparked under Xiao Bai's feet, and he darted toward the cliff, each step covering meters.

Yao Lao followed, a faint smile on his face as he trailed the youth's back.

"Heh, it's really here!" Xiao Bai exclaimed, reaching the cliff. No soul scan needed—the cave was right there on the cliff face.

The sheer wall was dotted with old trees and shrubs. A small platform, barely wide enough for two, jutted out, hidden by branches. Through the gaps, a dark cave loomed behind.

Xiao Bai stared, his emotions tangled. My luck's so bad, it's the last one—the only right answer. He questioned his choices.

"Huh, it's real. But, kid, looks like someone beat you to it," Yao Lao said, floating beside him.

Xiao Bai frowned. He didn't need soul force to sense someone inside, though their cultivation seemed weak. A rope was tied to a gnarled tree on the cliff, its other end dangling to the platform below.

Is it her? Xiao Bai wondered, puzzled. Why's she here so early? He prepared to scan the cave with his soul force.

Suddenly, a figure burst out, panicked, glancing back repeatedly. After checking something, they cautiously grabbed the rope on the platform and scrambled up.

Xiao Bai watched, amusement in his eyes, a smirk forming. Unhurried, he dusted his robe, sat cross-legged by the rope, and waited leisurely for the climber to reach him.

Yao Lao, catching Xiao Bai's expression, found it odd. Not like he's here to rob them—more like he's waiting for an old friend. "Kid, you know who's down there?"