Chapter 117: Journey to Li You (a little filler, setting the stage, feel free to skip)

Jama Empire, the Xiao family royal line.

"Big brother, the Xiao family is counting on you."

Xiao Li looked at Xiao Ding before him, and a hint of guilt appeared in his eyes.

Which youth hasn't imagined roaming the world; from Xiao Ding's own venture to form a mercenary corps one can see a bit of that. Though part of it stems from a desire to look after Xiao Yan, there are also youths who wish to fight on their own.

But now, Xiao Li must go out to seek the strange thunder, and Xiao Yan, having obtained the Fallen Heart Flame, will eventually step into a broader realm.

Among the three Xiao brothers, only Xiao Ding is most suited to stay and protect the Xiao family.

It indirectly crushed his elder brother's ambition, and Xiao Li still feels a bit guilty.

Xiao Ding smiled indifferently, "Go ahead and venture forth; everything at home is under my care."

A warmth rose in Xiao Li's heart; he said no more, turned, and left.

Regarding Little Medicine Immortal, Xiao Li also gave instructions: the E'nan Poison Body won't erupt until Little Medicine Immortal breaks through the high-level Fighting Sect; given his strength, Xiao Li has about two more years.

Yao Lao knows little about the Li You Empire; he only came here originally to seek a path to unusual fire, knows only a rough outline from many years ago, and thus cannot offer Xiao Li more assistance.

He stuffed the many pills Yao Lao gave into his Naji, Xiao Li fell silent; Yao Lao truly treated him as a junior, imparting various knowledge that helped him immensely. Xiao Li added in his mind a goal to help Yao Lao find a body and resurrection materials, then turned and left.

…

The Li You Empire, located near the Central Plains, is worlds apart in strength from the Jama Empire; its emperor has reached the Fighting Venerable realm, and the nation boasts countless sects and towering noble families.

All this was information Yao Lao told him, but when the Li You sects were mentioned, a flicker in his eyes caught Xiao Li's attention; Yao Lao said no more, and Xiao Li asked nothing further.

Because some regions of the northwestern continent are weak, many nations lack things like spatial wormholes, so Xiao Li can only rely on himself to reach the Li You Empire.

Nevertheless, Xiao Li doesn't consider it a waste of time; after all, his goal is to find the strange thunder and a cure for the E'nan Poison Body, so a bit of travel is welcome.

From the Jama Empire to the Li You Empire, the route crosses three nations: Chu Yun, Jin Xiang, and Tian Ying.

The top combat power of the three countries hovers around the Fighting Sect level, as Li You's restrictions make development somewhat difficult.

Chu Yun Empire…

At this moment, the Chu Yun Empire is in complete chaos; Scorpion Bi Yan is dead, the Ten Thousand Scorpions Sect is severely damaged, becoming a second‑tier force of Chu Yun, and former enemies have all turned against it.

The royal family's inaction only worsened the situation; along the way, because Xiao Li wore Jama Empire attire, he faced considerable hostility, even attacks.

Of course, in the end all their lifelong savings were taken by Xiao Li.

After a surprisingly safe crossing of the Chu Yun Empire, Xiao Li's previously thin purse was refilled; cheerfully he changed clothes, and this fishing‑like enforcement earned him several hundred thousand gold coins.

It couldn't be helped; the Chu Yun Empire's hostility toward Jama Empire people was too great. Had Xiao Li not later earned a fearsome reputation, his earnings might have exceeded a million.

Jin Xiang borders Chu Yun, and its strength is not to be underestimated; its current emperor reaches a five‑star Fighting Sect level. Now Xiao Li begins to doubt whether the Jama Empire truly can survive surrounded by so many powerful nations.

It seems the survival relied on mutual checks among the nations; otherwise Chu Yun would have eliminated them long ago. A nation only at the peak of Fighting Emperor cannot contend with Chu Yun, which has a two‑star Fighting Sect Scorpion Bi Yan.

"Please stop and submit to inspection."

Several soldiers appeared before Xiao Li; they possess strong aura‑sensing abilities, tasked with searching for powerful entrants to prevent enemies of the state from moving in.

Hearing this, Xiao Li halted his movements, obediently stopping his steps; as a newcomer, it's best to follow the local rules.

Because this direction borders Chu Yun, the Jin Xiang soldiers mainly search Xiao Li for any poisonous aura or trace.

They wield strange creatures that feed on poison; any slight movement would summon a strong individual to block Xiao Li's entry. However, they found nothing, so they let him pass.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

The Jin Xiang soldier straightened his back; he could sense Xiao Li's strength is great, comparable to the high‑ranking figures of Border City, and stopping him imposed considerable mental pressure on them.

Fortunately, they encountered a "good‑tempered" Xiao Li.

Xiao Li gave a slight nod, stepped into the city; the Jin Xiang soldier behind him exhaled in relief once Xiao Li passed.

"The oppressive aura on this person is truly strong; at least he's a high-level Fighting Spirit, right?"

"And more, the scent of blood is thick, comparable to those…"

The Jin Xiang soldier paused; for a moment he could not find anyone comparable to Xiao Li.

"He looks so young; he should be a renowned prodigy, yet none of us recall him—probably a foreigner. Should we report him upward?"

"Hmm, this blood‑killing aura is astonishing; at least we should file a report first."

With that said, a soldier left; shortly after, a subtle aura followed Xiao Li ahead.

At this moment Xiao Li had arrived at a tavern in Border City, seeking information; such a place where cloud dragons mingle is naturally most suitable.

Leisurely eating his dishes, Xiao Li listened attentively to the various sounds inside the tavern.

"Did you hear? The Li family's daughter found a fifth‑grade medicinal material and intends to present it to the Li family head as a congratulatory gift."

…

"The western mountains have again shown signs of a beast uprising; I fear Border City will face another wave of beast tide."

"Someone in the city says this beast tide likely stems from the lord's decapitation plan; the beasts couldn't stand it and launched an attack."

…

"Last night I saw that Li Xiu, that scoundrel official, go to the Yi Hong Pavilion; * damn, that guy is the one gilded in the army. Every time a beast tide comes, he's the only one who dodges quickly, then after the fight he rushes in to claim credit."

…

"I heard the Imperial Capital has gathered another batch of geniuses to be sent to Li You's sects for cultivation; I wonder which of them can join those prestigious schools."

After listening around, he finally caught some useful information.

"Beast tide…"

Xiao Li frowned; it seemed he needed to leave here early, and could head to the Jin Xiang Imperial Capital to inquire about Li You.

Leaving Border City, he sensed the subtle aura fading; Xiao Li's nerves relaxed a bit, realizing the aura was from Border City agents, likely still a bit uneasy about him.

Having someone watching, Xiao Li left quickly; avoiding incidents is the true way.

I'm back! After the college entrance exam ended, I returned home to help harvest wheat—eight or nine hundred mu of fields, which kept me busy for over two weeks, my hands blistered, and I literally couldn't type. I rested for two days, and yesterday the exam results came out (don't ask me my score!), so I delayed until today. But there shouldn't be any more issues ahead (probably), so I will resume updates and post more! Thank you all for your strong support; I was on hiatus for twenty days, my average subscription rose from 550 to 850—teary‑eyed, truly grateful for everyone's support. I coded a chapter in the early morning, and will post more tomorrow.

Thank you for the support!

(End of chapter)