BTTH : Emperor Yang

Wei Yang stood amidst the ruins of a hall, now in shambles, broken, and on the verge of collapse.

"Not bad."

Lowering his gaze to his palm, he grinned.

This test of Furious Lion Roar had yielded surprisingly satisfying results.

A High-Level Xuan-Grade dou technique, paired with a compatible cultivation method.

He had likely only unleashed a mere tenth of Furious Lion Roar's true power, yet it was already this terrifying.

Wei Yang stepped forward, bent down, and picked up a ring from the debris-covered ground.

It was Mu She's ring.

A massive blade, covered in cracks, was embedded askew not far away.

As for the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group—his body had already been reduced to dust.

"Yeah, this is the feeling."

Wei Yang closed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curling into a satisfied smile.

The sensation of completely overwhelming his enemies intoxicated him.

This was the right way to do things.

Absolute power, crushing the enemy with ease, obliterating them without a chance to resist.

A pure one-sided domination.

Crossing realms to fight?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible. He would never fight against stronger opponents—he only wanted stronger opponents to fight him.

The best enemy was one that could be crushed effortlessly.

Fighting uphill battles was too exhausting. How much more enjoyable was it to steamroll over his foes?

"The Wolf Head Mercenary Group… I recall they had a second-in-command. Was his name Gan Mu?"

"Didn't see him. Either he wasn't there, or he ran off when things went south."

"Forget it, just a minor character."

Wei Yang couldn't be bothered to look for him. At most, Gan Mu was just an eight or nine-star Dou Zhe.

Tossing the ring in his hand, Wei Yang turned and left.

The carriage departed from Qingshan Town.

Inside the cabin—

"Young Master, are you alright?" Ye Xian'er gazed at Wei Yang with concern in her beautiful eyes.

Wei Yang waved a hand dismissively, his tone casual. "I'm fine. It was an easy win. What could possibly happen to me?"

Hearing this, Ye Xian'er covered her delicate lips with her slender hand, her face filled with astonishment.

The infamous Wolf Head Mercenary Group… easily crushed?

Staring at the young man before her—who was only a few years older than herself—Ye Xian'er's eyes gleamed with admiration.

Wei Yang noticed this, and with a playful glint in his eyes, he seized the opportunity. Winking at her, he said, "With me around, anyone who dares to bully you, I'll beat them up."

Ye Xian'er's face instantly flushed red. She lowered her head, her lips pressing together in a sweet, shy smile. Quietly, she poured him a cup of tea and responded softly, "Mhm."

Then, glancing toward Qingshan Town in curiosity, she asked, "What about the rest of them?"

"I wiped out most of them. Only their second-in-command, Gan Mu, wasn't there," Wei Yang said, sipping his tea and shrugging. "Just a minor character, so I couldn't be bothered to look for him."

Reaching into his robe, Wei Yang pulled out the ring and infused it with his soul force. Since Mu She was dead, the residual soul imprint inside was no longer an obstacle. Wei Yang's powerful soul force easily bypassed it.

Inside was a storage space of about five square meters. Scanning through the contents with his soul force, Wei Yang soon pulled out a few books and scrolls.

Wind Blade Dance – Low-Level Xuan-Grade dou technique.

Phoenix Soaring Steps – Low-Level Xuan-Grade movement technique.

Wind Dance Art – Low-Level Xuan-Grade cultivation method.

Gale Thrust – High-Level Huang-Grade dou technique.

Among everything in the ring, these piqued Wei Yang's interest the most.

The rest—gold coins, magic cores, herbs, miscellaneous items—held little value in his eyes. Too lazy to inspect them further, he simply tossed the silver-white storage ring to Ye Xian'er.

"Here, take this low-grade storage ring. It's yours."

"Huh?" Ye Xian'er caught the ring in surprise, then quickly tried to return it. "I can't accept this… it's too valuable."

Storage rings were incredibly rare.

Ye Xian'er thought for a moment.

Even if she sold herself by weight, she probably wouldn't be worth as much as a storage ring.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Wei Yang took the ring back, grabbed her delicate hand, and slipped it onto her finger.

Her hand was soft and smooth, slightly cool to the touch, feeling like fine jade—so delicate it seemed almost boneless.

Unable to resist, he lowered his eyes to take a closer look.

Fair, slender, with a hint of pink at the fingertips—simply beautiful.

Ye Xian'er was stunned.

The warmth from Wei Yang's palm sent a tremor through her slender body. A rosy blush instantly spread across her face.

Especially since this annoying guy was staring straight at her hand, his heated gaze seemingly burning into her skin, making her whole body go weak.

Ye Xian'er's eyes glistened with moisture. Her breathing grew rapid, her soft lips parting slightly as her chest subtly rose and fell.

She tried to pull her hand away, but she was too weak to break free. Utterly flustered, she turned her face to the side, avoiding his gaze.

Wei Yang's throat felt a little dry as he looked at her. He took a deep breath and carefully slipped the ring onto Ye Xian'er's slender right ring finger.

He tried adjusting it, but the size wasn't quite right—it felt a bit loose.

"Is it done?" A voice as soft as a mosquito's whisper reached his ears.

Wei Yang looked up and met a delicate face, one that could be both playful and angry. Her beautiful eyes carried a trace of embarrassment and annoyance.

"Ahem." Wei Yang reluctantly let go of her hand, cleared his throat, and awkwardly sat back down.

"Hmph." Ye Xian'er let out a light snort, quickly retracting her hand and tucking it into her sleeve, covering it with warmth. She bit her red lips lightly, her expression a mix of shyness and frustration. Then, she turned her body away from him, showing him only the back of her head.

The atmosphere inside the carriage became somewhat awkward yet intimate, with a faint sense of ambiguity lingering in the air.

For a moment, even the air itself seemed to fall silent.

After a while...

"Ahem, well, the size is a little off."

Wei Yang awkwardly scratched his nose and said, "Once we get back, I'll teach you how to cultivate. After you generate Dou Qi, you'll be able to use it to activate the storage ring. Once you've refined it, you can slightly adjust the ring's size to fit your finger better."

Ye Xian'er's slightly chubby cheeks turned even redder. She puffed them up slightly, resembling a little bun. Shooting him a sideways glance filled with mild annoyance, she pursed her lips and ignored him.

Seeing this, Wei Yang felt a little awkward. He could only force out a dry laugh, inwardly blaming himself for being too impatient and upsetting her. To divert his attention, he casually picked up the martial techniques and Dou Techniques they had obtained and began studying them.

Mu She wasn't entirely useless—among the loot were three Low-Level Xuan-Grade cultivation and Dou Techniques, as well as a High-Level Huang-Grade Dou Technique called Gale Thrust. Unfortunately, they were all wind-attributed.

It wasn't that Wei Yang couldn't cultivate them, but since his attribute was different, he wouldn't be able to unleash their full potential.

The cultivation method and the Wind Blade Dance technique weren't particularly useful to him—at most, they could serve as references.

However, the movement technique Phoenix Soaring Steps was worth learning. If he used his fire-attributed Dou Qi to execute it, he could still bring out around seventy to eighty percent of its power, making it almost comparable to a quasi-Xuan-Grade technique.

As for the Gale Thrust, it was also a decent technique. It could be used with a spear, sword, or even with fingers.

After studying it, Wei Yang decided to practice using it with his fingers, adding another offensive technique to his arsenal.

With that decision made, he eagerly immersed himself in his studies.

After a while...

Ye Xian'er secretly glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw that he was deeply engrossed in his reading. She let out a soft breath, then, for some reason, turned away again with mild frustration.

Another moment passed.

"Hey." Ye Xian'er suddenly called out, her voice carrying a hint of displeasure.

"Hmm?" Wei Yang shifted his gaze away from the scroll and looked at her.

"Didn't you say you'd teach me how to cultivate?" Ye Xian'er glared at him with slight annoyance.

"Yeah, I said I'd teach you when we got back," Wei Yang replied with a nod.

"I want to learn now." Ye Xian'er declared.

Her tone carried a subtle hint of coquettishness.

"Oh, okay." Wei Yang was momentarily stunned, but then a realization seemed to dawn on him. He quickly nodded in agreement.

Putting down the scroll, he eagerly moved over to sit beside Ye Xian'er.

"You… You're not allowed to take advantage of me! And you better not bully me either!" Ye Xian'er shot him a warning glare.

"When have I ever?" Wei Yang protested, adamantly denying any wrongdoing.

"Hmph." Ye Xian'er snorted.

"The early stages of cultivation involve refining Dou Zhi Qi… At this stage, the focus is on strengthening the body and building a solid foundation…" Wei Yang carefully explained.

Ye Xian'er listened attentively, her small face filled with seriousness. Occasionally, she would ask questions, and Wei Yang would patiently answer them.

However, as he continued speaking, his mind started to wander.

With such a lovely girl sitting beside him, her faint fragrance lingering in the air, he couldn't help but get distracted.

Wei Yang stole a glance at Ye Xian'er, who was still listening earnestly. He hesitated for a moment before slowly inching closer to her.

He then used his peripheral vision to observe her reaction.

Ye Xian'er merely bit her red lips lightly, showing no signs of resistance.

Wei Yang's spirits lifted instantly.

He carefully shifted again, closing the distance between them until their arms brushed against each other through the fabric of their clothes.

Ye Xian'er's body trembled slightly. She lowered her head, her face turning red, but she didn't say anything.

Wei Yang took a sip of tea to maintain his composure, continuing his explanation while his left hand subtly moved.

Eventually, his arm gently wrapped around her slender waist.

Ye Xian'er's body trembled again, yet she still didn't resist. Her face, however, turned an even deeper shade of red.

Seeing this, Wei Yang no longer held back. He exerted a little force with his arm, causing Ye Xian'er's shoulder to lean into his embrace.

A soft and delicate body nestled against him, while the faint fragrance of her hair lingered at the tip of his nose. Wei Yang couldn't suppress the joy bubbling in his heart.

Of course, he didn't intend to do anything inappropriate. For now, he was simply enjoying the feeling of holding her.

After all, Ye Xian'er was still young.

Love needed to be nurtured from an early stage, right?

"You're bullying me again." Ye Xian'er's voice was soft, almost imperceptible, as she whispered with her head lowered.

Wei Yang glanced down, unable to see her expression clearly. All he could see was a reddened side profile and her delicate pink ears.

"I'm not! I'm just hugging you, I promise I won't do anything else." Wei Yang defended himself in a hushed voice.

"Hmph, I don't believe you." Ye Xian'er snorted softly.