Nonsense! How could my adopted son be a villain?

After carefully selecting the magical artifacts he could use, Xu Lingguang changed into the most defensive robes, took the Chenghuang Horn given to him by Lan Jian, the Cloud Piercing Crossbow given to him by You Yu, and also put all the pills he had refined himself, the teleportation talismans he bought from Qianjin Tower, etc. into his Sumeru Ring before taking Muyun with him to descend the mountain.

When the cubs learned that he had gone down the mountain with Mu Yun but not with them, they were naturally very dissatisfied and grumbled and complained, saying that they wanted to go too.

Xu Lingguang gave them a long explanation, saying that he was taking Muyun to find her relatives and that it was a serious business. He also promised to bring gifts for the cubs when he returned. Only then did the cubs reluctantly let go of his paws and watch him eagerly as he led Muyun down the mountain.

Xu Lingguang glanced back and saw the three cubs looking dejected, their fur not as fluffy as usual. Youyu, who was standing behind them, hadn't said a word from beginning to end, but he also looked very downcast.

Xu Lingguang felt a pang of reluctance. If he weren't genuinely worried about the danger of revealing the cubs' identities at the spirit pet exchange meeting, he would actually love taking the cubs out with him.

After thinking for a moment, he went back and hugged each of the cubs, instructing them, "While I'm away, make sure to feed the donkey and chickens on time, and remember to collect the eggs from the nest and put them in the basket. Also, remember to water the vegetable garden in the backyard when the soil gets dry... There's also a jar of lychee rice wine hidden in the kitchen cabinet; you can take it out and drink it, but don't drink too much at once..."

He talked on and on, then glanced at Youyu who was listening attentively, and said, "I'll be back as soon as I'm done with my business. I'm leaving the house to you. Take good care of it."

Having received his instructions, the cubs clearly felt that they also had a great responsibility to stay at home, and immediately perked up.

Yu Rong said with great fighting spirit, "We will take good care of the house!"

Xu Lingguang waved goodbye again before turning and heading down the mountain.

Mu Yun nestled against his chest, peering back. At first, he was a little smug that Xu Lingguang had only brought him along, but after walking for a while, he felt itchy all over and snuggled in Xu Lingguang's arms, muttering, "So boring."

Xu Lingguang had already seen through his little scheme, pinched his ear and said, "It's more lively with more people, isn't it?"

Mu Yun thought for a moment and nodded her little head: "Hmm."

Xu Lingguang said, "We'll get to Fengling City as soon as possible. We'll ask Dongyang Li to help us find out if we can find your uncle or grandfather. If we do, we can come back sooner."

Mu Yun agreed.

A person and their child descended the mountain, stepping through the swaying shadows of the trees.

Behind them, Lan Jian followed at a leisurely pace, his expression somewhat disdainful.

The sun was a bit strong, and the mountain paths were quite dusty.

He frowned and wondered, "Does Xu Lingguang always come down the mountain like this?"

Exhausted and dirty, he began to reflect on why he had come along.

I thought about it for a while, but couldn't come up with a reason.

I just felt I had to follow along.

Although the sun overhead made his fur scorching hot, and his smooth, freshly groomed fur was now covered in dust and fallen leaves, seeing Xu Lingguang ahead of him... he felt he could look at him a little longer.

Lan Jian flicked its tail and followed after them.

After descending the mountain, the road became flat, and Xu Lingguang used the flying boat. Originally, Youyu wanted him to use the carriage from last time, but Xu Lingguang was worried that he wouldn't be able to control the spirit horse, so he decided to use the flying boat, which directly consumed spirit stones.

The airship isn't luxurious, but it's very practical. Once filled with spirit stones, it can fly day and night.

Moreover, because it travels in the air, it can save a lot of friction and trouble on the ground.

He used a communication talisman to contact Dongyang Li, and the two agreed to meet at Li Huo City at the foot of Xiao Xu Mountain.

Jiuzhuan Manor is located halfway up Xiaoxu Mountain, occupying Xiaoxu Mountain and a continuous mountain range in the surrounding area, while Lihuo City was established based on Xiaoxu Mountain, and the two have a close relationship.

Five hundred li south of Lihuo City lies Fengling City, where the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor is located.

Originally, Dongyang Li invited Xu Lingguang to visit Jiuzhuan Manor, but Xu Lingguang's Sumeru Ring still contained the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Jiuzhuan Manor had spent to bid for the giant crossbow. In fact, it was Dongyang Li's master who personally went to bid for that giant crossbow. He felt guilty and thus politely declined Dongyang Li's kind invitation.

The flying boat traveled day and night for seven or eight days before arriving at Li Huo City.

Before the airship even landed, Xu Lingguang, who had emerged from the cabin, was thrown off balance by the sonic boom below.

He and Mu Yun lay on the flying boat, looking down. They saw people coming and going, a bustling scene of noise. Guards were shouting into the air, "Flying magical artifacts are not allowed to hover! Violators will be banned!"

Xu Lingguang quickly tucked Muyun into his clothes, maneuvered the flying boat to land, and followed the queuing crowd into the city.

Li Huo City is located in the southeast of Shangyang Continent. It is rich in cloud iron and red fire rock, so the surrounding mountains are black and red, and the whole city gives people a lively feeling of fiery energy.

While waiting in line, Xu Lingguang sent a message to Dongyang Li, telling him that he had arrived.

Before he even got to the front of the line, Dongyang Li rushed over in a flurry, tossed a sign to the guard, and said, "Guests of Jiuzhuan Manor." Then he grabbed Xu Lingguang and left.

Xu Lingguang followed him out of the crowd and exclaimed, "Li Huo City is so much bigger and more lively than Qing Yu City!"

The most bustling time in Qingyu City was during the Hundred Refinements Competition. But even at its peak, it couldn't compare to a tenth of the bustling atmosphere in Lihuo City. He had just carefully observed the cultivators queuing up and found that most of them were at the Transcendent Realm, with quite a few even at the Divine Treasure Realm. There were even some cultivators whose realms were unclear, their divine light restrained, yet every move they made exuded an indescribable pressure. Xu Lingguang secretly guessed that these cultivators' realms might be above the Divine Treasure Realm.

Dongyang Li revealed a proud expression: "Although it can't compare to the capital Fufeng, it's not bad either."

He gestured towards the crowd queuing at the entrance: "Nine Revolutions Manor won this year's Hundred Refinements Competition, and its reputation has soared. People from outside have been coming to ask for magical artifacts ever since."

Xu Lingguang asked in surprise, "With so many people, can Jiuzhuan Manor manage?"

He still remembered how Dongyang Li was worried that if he lost the Hundred Refinements Competition, his contribution to the Earth Fire Vein wouldn't be enough and he would be assigned a large number of forging orders, so he tried every means to recruit him.

The few dozen spots available for the Hundred Refinements Competition are nowhere near as many as the people queuing up at the gates of Fire City right now.

Dongyang Li said, "Of course we're too busy, but Jiuzhuan Manor won't accept every order."

He pointed to the shops on both sides of the road: "See these shops? They are all weapon-refining shops. Most of the shop owners are outer disciples of Nine Revolutions Manor. After learning some weapon-refining techniques, they came to the city to run shops, passing it down from generation to generation. They make a living by refining weapons and selling Cloud Iron and Crimson Fire Rock. Many ordinary cultivators are short of money, so these small shops are enough for them."

"As for those cultivators with higher cultivation levels, they are the ones who come to Nine Revolutions Manor to place orders, but whether they are accepted or not depends on luck."

Xu Lingguang exclaimed in amazement, "No wonder it's a big city!"

Dongyang Li led him to a restaurant: "You've traveled a long way, let's have a welcome feast to wash away the dust."

After taking his seat, he looked around and then realized that something was missing from Xu Lingguang's side. He asked, "Why didn't your brother and the family's spirit pet come with you?"

Xu Lingguang said, "I've come here on important business, and I need your help with that as well."

He pulled his shirt open a little, revealing half of Mu Yun's head: "Mu Yun's uncle has gone missing. It's said he was abducted by humans. He might appear at the Spirit Pet Exchange Meeting. If you have any news, please let me know, and I'll take Mu Yun there to confirm."

Dongyang Li frowned upon hearing this: "My missing uncle... is he like Muyun...?"

He looked around to make sure no one was listening, and didn't utter the words "treasure-hunting rat".

Xu Lingguang nodded.

Dongyang Li said, "That's troublesome. Every year, many rare spirit pets are sold at the Spirit Pet Exchange Meeting. They are quite valuable. If you catch one, the chances of it appearing are high, but it will be difficult for you to snatch it."

Xu Lingguang knew this too, and sighed, saying, "Let's try to find out first. If we can find out any information, we'll think of a solution."

Dongyang Li thought about it and agreed: "That's right, let's gather information first."

Xu Lingguang didn't pursue the question further, but instead asked him, "Why are you alone? Isn't Chai Feng going this time?"