Without lingering in Wind Valley, Li Xiaoyao made his way to the top of the canyon.

Standing there and looking down into the vast gorge, he saw hundreds of people either walking or running, while others were locked in fierce combat—a truly magnificent sight. And this was only a small part of what his eyes could see, perhaps less than one-tenth of the entire canyon. He could imagine that there were at least several thousand, if not tens of thousands, of people in Wind Valley. This was the true foundation of a sect.

While walking along the canyon, Li Xiaoyao encountered familiar faces—it was none other than Han Kui and Jingxiang.

"Hey, Li Xiaoyao!" Jingxiang spotted him and called out, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Jingxiang, you've gotten even prettier," Li Xiaoyao complimented with a smile. Compared to a few days ago, there was indeed an additional layer of charm about Jingxiang, which Li Xiaoyao guessed might be due to the beauty-preserving elixir.

Jingxiang blushed at his words, lowering her head and murmuring, "No way."

"Haha, Li Xiaoyao, Jingxiang is just shy," Han Kui laughed heartily as he approached. "We were actually planning to come find you, but we bumped into you here."

"Looking for me? Is there something you need?" Li Xiaoyao asked.

"Li Xiaoyao, after taking the Qi Yuan Pill, have you made any breakthroughs?" Han Kui looked at him expectantly. This guy killed a Hell Wolf at the seventh stage of Qi Martial Realm, so if he had a breakthrough, he would surely be even more terrifying.

"Yeah, just broke through. What about you guys?" Li Xiaoyao smiled.

"As expected! I knew if someone as slow as me could break through, you'd have no problem," Han Kui grinned. "But Jingxiang is still a little short. Perhaps after some more cultivation, she'll get there. As for Qing Jiu, he hasn't come out yet, so I think he's close to a breakthrough too."

Li Xiaoyao nodded. Han Kui, despite his carefree attitude, was indeed stronger than Jingxiang and Qing Jiu, so it was only natural that he was the first to break through.

"Han Kui, you still haven't told me why you were looking for me," Li Xiaoyao reminded him.

Han Kui scratched his head awkwardly, which made Li Xiaoyao chuckle.

"Well, Li Xiaoyao, I'm now at the eighth stage of Qi Martial Realm and want to train in Wind Valley. But with my current level, I'd probably just get beaten up. I was hoping you could lend a hand. Of course, as long as the opponent doesn't go too hard, you don't need to step in—I've got thick skin," Han Kui explained with a grin.

Li Xiaoyao immediately understood. For these rare friends, he wouldn't refuse such a simple request.

"When?" Li Xiaoyao asked directly.

"Tomorrow. I'm planning to get a few masks," Han Kui said, feeling even more admiration for Li Xiaoyao. This guy not only had monstrous strength but also no arrogance and was incredibly loyal to his friends. During their hunt in the Black Marsh Forest, Li Xiaoyao had taken down most of the demon beasts, yet he shared the spoils equally with them.

"Alright, just call me when you're ready," Li Xiaoyao agreed readily. Many people entering the canyon chose to wear masks because fighting there often meant either losing face or making enemies, but with a mask, neither would be a concern.

"I want to go too! Li Xiaoyao, you have to protect me," Jingxiang chimed in, her sweet voice making Li Xiaoyao pause as both he and Han Kui stared at her.

"What are you looking at?" Jingxiang pouted, stamping her foot lightly.

"Nothing, nothing," Li Xiaoyao laughed, while Han Kui also chuckled. They both found it strange to see Jingxiang acting so coy, especially Han Kui, who now had a rather teasing look in his eyes. Jingxiang's request for Li Xiaoyao to protect her sounded far too sweet.

"You can come, but we'll need to keep a low profile," Li Xiaoyao thought for a moment before nodding. Wind Valley was full of powerful warriors, even inner disciples, though they were generally too proud to bother with outer disciples. With his strength, Li Xiaoyao was confident he wouldn't face any major difficulties in the canyon.

The trio parted ways after making their plans, and Li Xiaoyao returned to his room to continue cultivating. The events of the day had only strengthened his resolve to grow more powerful.

The next morning, Han Kui came to fetch Li Xiaoyao, and the two went to meet Jingxiang. The sect was vast, and the outer disciples' residences were spread across several regions.

When they arrived at the agreed spot, they found Jingxiang looking upset, with a young man standing in front of her, talking.

"Jingxiang, what's going on?" Li Xiaoyao asked as he walked over.

"Get lost, you trash! Can't you see I'm talking to Jingxiang? Who do you think you are to interrupt?" The young man sneered at Li Xiaoyao, recognizing him from his acquaintance with Li Ming.

"Li Xiaoyao, you're here," Jingxiang smiled at him, brushing off the young man.

"Yeah, let's go," Li Xiaoyao said coldly, giving the young man a dismissive glance before turning to leave with Jingxiang.

"Wait! Jingxiang!" The young man reached out, trying to grab her hand.

"Get lost! Who do you think you are?" Li Xiaoyao waved his hand, unleashing the powerful Ninefold Wave. The force sent the young man, a seventh-stage Qi Martial Realm fighter, flying. He spat out blood and looked at Li Xiaoyao in shock.

"Trash," Li Xiaoyao shot back the insult without missing a step, leaving the young man fuming with humiliation. Since when had this "trash" become so strong?

"That guy doesn't know his limits. Jingxiang, who is he?" Han Kui asked as they walked away.

Jingxiang frowned before answering, "He said he saw Han Feng's body in the Black Marsh Forest—killed with a single sword stroke. Now Han Feng's brother, Jing Yan, is looking for Han Feng. He came to threaten me."

Han Kui paused in surprise. No wonder Jingxiang seemed so distressed.

"Whatever's coming will come. We'll take it as it comes," Li Xiaoyao said nonchalantly.

"Exactly. As long as he's not an inner disciple, he won't dare touch us in the sect. Still, we should be careful in Wind Valley," Han Kui nodded.

Before long, three masked figures descended from the sky on iron cables, landing in Wind Valley. The trio was, of course, Li Xiaoyao, Han Kui, and Jingxiang.

They landed near an earthen fortress—a massive structure, as large as several dozen ordinary houses combined. Though made of earth, it was incredibly solid, weathered yet unmoved by the elements. There were many such fortresses in Wind Valley.

Han Kui ran his hand along the surface of the fortress but found no dust clinging to his fingers. He couldn't help but wonder how it had been built.

At that moment, a masked figure emerged from the fortress, glanced at the trio, and then quickly left, causing them to pause.

The three soon understood why. They exchanged smiles—no one in Wind Valley was weak, most being at least at the seventh or eighth stage of the Qi Martial Realm. And with martial artists unable to sense each other's true strength, it was no wonder the stranger had fled. Who knew if the three of them had come to gang up on him? Such things were common in Wind Valley.

"Looks like we should spread out a bit," Li Xiaoyao chuckled, stepping back. After all, this was Han Kui's chance to gain experience—Li Xiaoyao only needed to watch from the sidelines.