The Mystical universe

It didn't take long for the group from the Yun Clan to arrive. What they saw left them speechless. 

All around them, the scorched battlefield was littered with broken trees, shattered rocks, and crumbled hills. At the center of all the chaos, the massive corpse of the bronze gorilla lay motionless, its once-furious presence now reduced to a lifeless husk. 

Meanwhile, the victorious squad of young warriors was strewn across the battlefield, completely exhausted. The brutal battle had clearly taken its toll. 

Kaeln, who had pushed himself beyond his limits, finally sat down, reaching into his storage ring for a spirit stone to accelerate his recovery. Normally, it wouldn't take him long to recover from this level of exhaustion, but this time was different—he had burned his blood essence to surpass his limits. 

In truth, the only reason they won this battle was that Kaeln had held off the gorilla alone long enough for the others to inflict substantial damage. Even with his incredible potential, crossing two whole grades through normal means was nearly impossible. 

As he absorbed the pure qi from the spirit stone, Kaeln focused inward, using his internal vision to assess his condition. 

His meridians and blood vessels were strained and bruised, interwoven chaotically due to the surplus of blood pressure and the violent surge of energy from his explosive blood qi. 

But Kaeln wasn't an ordinary human. 

He was a descendant of dragons. 

Those majestic Divine Beasts, known for their unmatched physical prowess, stood at the peak of countless ancient worlds. While Kaeln wasn't a pureblood dragon, the strength of his lineage granted him an exceptionally high growth ceiling. 

Even in these early stages, his recovery ability far exceeded ordinary cultivators. 

As Kaeln examined his condition, his sharp gaze shifted toward the new arrivals. 

He quickly analyzed everything—their numbers, faces, attire, and general aura. 

His eyes landed on their robes, specifically the cloud patterns woven into their fabric. 

"Cloud pattern?" he muttered to himself. 

It didn't take long for him to connect the dots. 

"I have a few guesses about who they are." 

Kaeln exhaled, steadying himself before pushing off the ground. Despite his wounds, he stood tall, his Blood-Swallowing Spear firmly in hand. 

To say he looked beaten up would be an understatement—his body was covered in bruises, cuts, and bloodstains, but thankfully, he wasn't actively bleeding anymore. 

The Yun Clan members gasped at the sight. 

They looked at the battered yet composed young warriors, then at the colossal corpse behind them. 

"Heavens… these young ones did this?" someone murmured in disbelief. 

At the front of the Yun Clan group, a young master stepped forward, accompanied by a tall, imposing middle-aged man. 

Kaeln met them halfway. 

The Yun Clan's young master took in Kaeln's appearance, his sunken green eyes slightly widening as he assessed him. 

The two locked eyes, analyzing each other in silent evaluation. 

After a moment, the young master extended his hand, a faint smile appearing on his tired face. 

"Hello, I'm Yun Che." 

Kaeln returned the handshake, offering a slight smile of his own. 

"Hi, I'm Kaeln. Nice to meet you, Yun Che." 

As they released their grip, Kaeln's gaze flickered over Yun Che's followers, then back to his distinct attire. 

"You… could it be that you're the Yun Clan's young medicinal master?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Yun Che's expression shifted in mild surprise. 

"Yes. How did you know?" 

Kaeln nodded in understanding, retrieving a mission slip from his storage ring. 

"Me and my squad were assigned a mission related to your venture here." 

He handed the scroll to Yun Che while subtly glancing toward the man standing behind him. 

That middle-aged man… 

Strong. 

Kaeln could tell immediately—his aura was beyond Intent Materialization, making him the strongest presence in the group. 

As for Yun Che himself… 

Despite his focus on alchemy, Kaeln could sense that he wasn't weak. 

While Kaeln examined Creed, the latter was also examining him. 

Creed's sharp eyes swept over the entire battlefield, lingering on the five young warriors. 

"They look even younger up close," he thought, stroking his long beard. 

Kaeln, noticing the elder's scrutiny, offered a respectful bow. 

"Greetings, Senior." 

Creed let out a deep chuckle, stroking his beard as he nodded. 

"Good! Very good. You're all impressive—but you, especially." 

His admiring gaze lingered on Kaeln. 

"I was watching your battle from afar. That was an excellent display of strength and coordination." 

Kaeln remained humble, bowing once again. 

"We still have a long way to go, Senior." 

Creed shook his head, smiling. 

"No need for false modesty. You're already beyond most of your peers in the Southern Desolate Continent. Even within the Coiling Dragon Empire, there are few teenagers who could compete with you. You're already on par with talented young adults." 

Kaeln laughed lightly, shaking his head. 

"Then I'll take Senior's praise to heart and continue striving to be even stronger." 

Creed nodded approvingly. 

As the rest of the squad approached, their curious eyes swept over the new arrivals. 

The Yun Clan's young men, in particular, couldn't help but admire Xue Qing and Su Yao's unparalleled beauty. 

Meanwhile, a familiar voice rang out. 

"Well, well. If it isn't the pill-cultivation-crazed young master of the Yun Clan, Yun Che." 

Tang Hao strode up confidently, flashing a grin. 

Yun Che's brows lifted, turning toward the voice. 

"Hm?" 

His sleep-deprived green eyes locked onto Tang Hao. 

A smirk crept onto his lips. 

"Oh? So, it's you, fatso." 

His eyes roamed Tang Hao's figure, noticing the weight loss and increased definition. 

"Well, you've lost a few pounds. At least now, you look slightly more like the prince you claim to be." 

Their gazes clashed like lightning, a silent battle of wills igniting between them. 

Clearly, these two had history. 

Tang Hao puffed up his chest, pointing at himself dramatically. 

"Of course! This prince will become the greatest Coiling Dragon Emperor in history! Naturally, I need to look the part!" 

Yun Che snorted, folding his arms. 

"With your poor skills? Don't make me laugh." 

Then, he turned toward Kaeln, shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment. 

"Brother Kaeln, I see you have a soft spot for weirdos, considering your friends with this guy." 

Kaeln scratched the back of his head, letting out an awkward chuckle. 

"You're just as weird as him," he thought silently. 

Yun Che's expression shifted, his excitement returning. 

"So, you guys were meant to assist in my journey? Perfect! We were planning to turn back, but with your strength, we can push deeper into the forest!" 

Kaeln raised an eyebrow. 

Something about Yun Che's eager expression felt unnerving. 

Nearby, Raizel sent a telepathic message to Xue Qing. 

"Hey… what's this guy's deal?" 

Xue Qing sighed before responding. 

"He's been obsessed with alchemy since childhood. Whenever rare herbs or treasures appear, he goes crazy." 

She paused, then added. 

"He's ridiculously talented, though. He'll likely become a Mystic Alchemy Emperor in the future… But right now? He's just an addict." 

Raizel blinked. 

"Oh…" 

With their goals aligned, the two groups set off deeper into the forest, their new alliance marking the beginning of an unforeseen journey. 

"Well, now that our group has grown stronger, we can proceed. I see that you guys will need some time to recuperate so we can set up camp." Said Yun Che. 

"It would be best yes." Kaeln nodded in agreement. 

"Let's not do it here, the damage may attract attention, and the field is two open to prying eyes." He added. 

"No problem, let's find a more secluded place ahead." With that, the two groups both headed deeper into the forest. 

While they walked, Tang Hao and Yun Che would occasionally throw glances at each other, not hiding their hatred at all. Like a cat and dog. The others introduced themselves to everyone. The members of Yun Clan were all amazed by the beauty of the girls and the strength of everyone, so they were respectful despite them being young. 

"So, you guys are students of the Free Immortal Sect?" Seeing their attire, Yun Che assumed. 

"Obviously zombie." Tang Hao took the opportunity to hit. 

A vein appeared on the inquisitor's forehead as irritation filled his face. 

"Who are you calling zombie fatso!?" He shouted back, his appearance was due to his excessive time researching mystic pills and countless medicinal formulas which was out of choice, but he still cared about his appearance. Naturally, he wouldn't take the diss. Especially not from Tang Hao. 

As such, the two sides exchanged words as they walked. No one willing to back down, their insults grew more elaborate as they argued. 

"Ahaha, seems like you two are good friends." Thorin jokingly said. 

"Friends? With this dude?" Both responded while pointing at each other. 

With the two groups combining, they were now considerably noticeable. Occasionally some powerful beast of the four or fifth grade would appear but be scared off by the aura unleashed by Creed. 

After about an hour, they had journeyed far enough away, and the scenery was now as before, with full and thick foliage, large ancient trees, weird plants, and lifeforms. 

The place where they were was near a small lake, bright violet in color thanks to the violet spirit lilies underwater. It was simply gorgeous. 

"The western wilderness certainly is a sight to behold, the diversity of life and fauna is most likely the highest of all the continents, causing magnificent scenes and wonders.." Kaeln said to himself. 

"Here's a good place to settle for a while." Kaeln he then said to the group. 

"Good, then we shall camp here." Yun Che agreed. 

The Yun Clan members all brought out a different material and quickly formed comfortable tents. 

A few large tents were made for Kaeln and the others, where each recuperated within.