Chu Rou and Zhi Die were moved to tears upon hearing this.
The Spirit Emperor’s words were more enlightening than ten years of study. Although the two of them didn’t know Yelan’s actual cultivation level, the might of the Asura Clan was undeniable. Gaining some insights into cultivation from them could only benefit their progress, with no drawbacks.
The two women consumed the peaches of immortality and, under Yelan’s guidance, quickly settled into meditation.
Zhao Li silently watched from the side, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Noticing that Zhao Li had remained quiet, Yelan anxiously scurried over to her once the others were deep in meditation. “Li’er, are you angry with me?” she asked nervously.
Zhao Li looked puzzled.
Why would I be angry?
But then, she immediately understood why Yelan had asked such a question.
In her past life, her love had been so humble that her heart had inevitably grown somewhat selfish. She had been fiercely jealous, growing upset whenever she saw someone getting close to Qing Tong.
Being someone who wore her heart on her sleeve, her emotions were always plain to see.
Back then, Qing Tong had noticed her jealousy but had never bothered to console her properly, dismissing her with just a few words.
In truth, a large part of the reason was that Zhao Li had been afraid of losing her. No matter how resentful she felt, she hadn’t dared to confront Qing Tong. It wasn’t that a few words could placate her—she had simply been too afraid of pushing Qing Tong away to press the matter.
Through her illusionary powers, Yelan had naturally witnessed these memories.
Zhao Li couldn’t help but feel amused. Did Lan Lan still think she was that immature, petty girl from before?
She knew better than anyone that Yelan’s heart belonged solely to her. If Chu Rou and Zhi Die came to admire Yelan, Zhao Li would be happy for them.
Besides, it had been her own suggestion for Yelan to guide the two of them—otherwise, she wouldn’t have halted the young spirit-winged dragon.
In truth, Zhao Li had never been a selfish person in her past life either. She had only developed those tendencies because Qing Tong had wounded her so deeply, never giving her a sense of security.
Having lived through the apocalypse in this new life, Zhao Li had cultivated a meticulous and thoughtful nature. She no longer dwelled on trivial matters.
Her focus was always on long-term gains.
If they wanted to harvest the peaches of immortality as efficiently as possible, splitting up—with Niu Tai and Zhu Qing taking separate paths—would have been the fastest and safest method.
But Zhao Li also knew that the two brothers were eager to forge closer ties with the Asura Clan.
Under normal circumstances, minor clans like theirs would never have the chance to even approach the Asura Clan, no matter how hard they tried. Now that such an opportunity had presented itself, how could they let it slip away?
And Yelan would never leave her side—nor did Zhao Li want to be apart from her.
That was why Zhao Li hadn’t proposed the most efficient approach. She wanted to give the brothers a chance to interact more with Yelan and build rapport.
The same went for the Rabbit Clan and the Butterfly Clan.
As subordinate clans of the Flower-Fruit Mountain, aiding them was tantamount to strengthening the mountain’s forces.
Though these minor clans were weak now, Zhao Li had no intention of letting them remain that way. She was confident that, in time, these humble allies would rise to become powerful factions—key supporters of the Asura Clan.
This was also why, despite having the power to destroy Qing Tong now, she wasn’t rushing to exact revenge. Instead, she was steadily building external alliances for the Asura Clan.
Revenge was inevitable but Yelan was the one who mattered most to Zhao Li’s heart.
Seeing Yelan growing increasingly nervous, Zhao Li couldn’t help but laugh. “Silly Lan Lan, I was the one who asked you to guide them and give them a chance to talk to you. Why would I be angry?”
Chu Rou and Zhi Die had already entered a meditative state, completely detached from their surroundings. Unless their cultivation was disrupted, they wouldn’t be aware of anything happening around them, let alone hear Zhao Li and Yelan’s conversation.
“Lan Lan, come here.” Zhao Li beckoned, urging Yelan to move closer.
As soon as Yelan stepped near, Zhao Li planted a quick peck on her lips.
“This is your reward.”
Yelan froze for a moment before wrapping her arms around Zhao Li’s waist, pulling her entirely into her embrace.
“…Not enough. I want more.”
Zhao Li’s eyes curved with amusement as she teased, “But Brother Niu and Brother Zhu could return anytime. Wouldn’t it be bad if they saw me taking liberties with you?”
She had expected Yelan to back off at the playful challenge, but instead, Yelan gave a quiet command. The young spirit-winged dragon spread its wings, enveloping the two of them entirely within its massive feathers, shielding them from any prying eyes.
Zhao Li stared in astonishment. Well, alright then—you win.
Yelan stood there calmly, as if the clever trick had nothing to do with her, blinking innocently like a well-behaved child asking for hugs, pets, and kisses.
Zhao Li’s heart melted at this rare display of cuteness, touching the softest part of her soul. She opened her arms and pulled Yelan into a tight embrace, their lips meeting in a deep, lingering kiss.
…
The kiss was tender and warm.
Reluctantly pulling away, Zhao Li leaned back against the spirit-winged dragon’s resting form, sitting side by side with Yelan, their fingers intertwined as they quietly watched over Chu Rou and Zhi Die’s cultivation.
Thanks to Yelan’s guidance, the absorption of the Peaches of Immortality had gone smoothly. Both girls had advanced by three levels and were now focusing on the meditation techniques Yelan had taught them to stabilize their newly gained spiritual energy.
“These two have decent talent,” Yelan remarked suddenly.
It was the first time Yelan had ever instructed juniors in cultivation.
She had never been stingy with guidance, but in the world of spirit masters, a Spirit Emperor was the ultimate authority, no one dared to ask one for advice. Even her most loyal Twelve Asura Guardians had never ventured to seek the Patriarch’s teachings.
Standing at the pinnacle for so long, Yelan had always felt a deep, icy loneliness.
The stronger one became, the more they yearned to pass on their knowledge to the next generation. This wasn’t unique to Yelan—even Yinglong, the Dragon Emperor, and Huangfu Yu, the Human Emperor, had felt the same after reaching the Spirit Emperor realm.
The difference was, those two at least had descendants to teach, ensuring their techniques stayed within the family while filling the void in their hearts.
But Yelan was alone, with no such outlet.
Now, Zhao Li’s thoughtful gesture had, in some small way, eased that lingering regret.
Zhao Li smiled warmly. “Because you taught them well. Without your guidance, even a hundred-year Peach of Immortality might not have been enough to raise them three levels at once.”
For those with poorer comprehension, gaining even a single level from such a peach would already be considered a success.
Yelan smiled before saying, “You’re in such a hurry to help those two levels up. It’s not just to curry favor with the ape tribe, is it?”
Zhao Li was slightly surprised.
Not because Yelan’s insight was so sharp, but because she had said it at all.
The old Yelan would have been too cautious, afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting her, and would never have spoken so bluntly.
It seemed her attitude toward Lan Lan had truly opened her heart.
She resolved to treat Lan Lan even better in the future.
“Mm. Lan Lan, I want to recruit a human for the sake of improving our clan’s overall strength in the future. His name is Qin Feng. Though his spiritual power is only at level 54, his research on spirit techniques and elemental affinities is unmatched in the entire Wuji Realm. Unfortunately, the Qin family isn’t valued by the Human Emperor, and Master Qin Feng’s grandfather offended the Chi family, the leader of the Eight Immortals, so they’ve been ostracized by all the major human clans. That’s why they had to leave the Immaculate City and establish their own sect in the southeastern region.”
Due to the deliberate exclusion by the Chi-led clans and the Huangfu family’s passive indifference, the world never recognized Master Qin’s talents.
It wasn’t until ten thousand years later, when Zhao Li and the Flower Clan explored the ruins of various races, that they discovered his masterpieces in the Qin family’s southeastern ruins.
It was only after reading his works that Zhao Li had an epiphany, not only raising her spiritual power to level 65 in one leap but also mastering the spells of other races through affinity principles.
“Because his innate spiritual root grade isn’t high, he can’t break through the minor bottleneck at level 55. But the academic theories he’s mastered can help many spirit masters grow into prodigies. If our small clans want to rise to the ranks of the Wuji Realm’s top families, Master Qin’s knowledge is indispensable. I heard that Master Qin’s only disciple intends to participate in this year’s Spirit Combat Youth Hero Tournament, but the tournament requires teams of seven. Unfortunately, because of the Chi family, no one is willing to team up with Master Qin’s disciple. Coincidentally, I also plan to join this year’s tournament—me, Xiyou, Brother Niu, and Brother Zhu still need two more members. Chu Rou and Zhi Die would be perfect. That’s why it’s necessary to level them up now.”
She paused before continuing, “If we want to improve our clansmen’s strength, relying solely on the Peaches of Immortality isn’t enough. We urgently need Master Qin Feng’s expertise. I believe that with my silver tongue and helping his disciple fulfill his dream, he’ll be willing to share everything he knows.”
“If you want your race to grow strong, merely leveling up isn’t enough. You’ll also need a large supply of weapons and equipment. Only with spirit weapons that match your affinities can you learn various spirit techniques.”
If spells can only unleash 100% of a person’s power, then equipping spirit weapons can unleash 150%. With divine-grade spirit weapons and the right techniques, one might even reach 200%.
These small clans lack spirit weapons and techniques, relying solely on their racial spells, making it hard for them to stand alone. If they encounter spells that counter theirs, they can only be at the mercy of others.
Take Qingqiu, for example. The fox tribe only knows foxfire as an offensive spell. Against the ever-changing spirit techniques, a single attack spell is woefully inadequate. Even paired with charm magic, it isn’t enough to restrain enemies for long.
Unless it’s a spell as formidable as the Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame.
Zhao Li said, “I’ve already thought about this issue. Our Qingqiu’s secret realm produces the most essential material for spirit weapons—sacred crystal stones, while the Rhinoceros Tribe excels in forging. Our two tribes can collaborate to forge specialized armaments for our people in the future. Though they may not compare to divine-grade weapons, they will be more than sufficient to equip our clansmen.”
The materials required for divine-grade spirit weapons were extremely rare and stringent, and without a master smith of divine craftsmanship, it was impossible to forge such divine-grade spirit armaments.
As for legendary spirit weapons like the Asura Blade, Zhao Li didn’t even dare to dream of them.
Yelan smiled faintly, about to praise Zhao Li for her foresight, but just as the words were about to leave her lips, her expression suddenly turned grave as she looked toward the north.
Noticing the sudden change in her demeanor, Zhao Li quickly whispered, “They’re here?”
Yelan nodded.
A smirk curled at the corner of Zhao Li’s lips. “Then let’s give them a good game.”
Before long, a wind blade came slashing toward them, and Yelan swiftly pulled Zhao Li out of harm’s way.
Three hippogriffs appeared in the northern sky.
The leader of the group grinned with a sinister expression, glancing down at Zhao Li, who feigned panic.
“You damned fox, we’ve searched high and low for you, and here you are, delivered right to us without any effort.”
Zhao Li narrowed her beautiful eyes and said coldly, “Hei Zhe, what do you want?”