Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter Twenty-Eight: Who Gives Whom a Sense of Security

"I'm being serious here—if you want, I'll call my little sister over right now!"
"My little sister has a third-grade bloodline! Don't miss out, this is a rare opportunity!"
Bear Wind shoveled several mouthfuls of rice into his mouth, ignoring Pure Sun Virtue's murderous glare, and tossed out his offer once more.
Before Li Yu could respond, Pure Sun Virtue gritted his teeth and cut in,
"Don't let him trick you. The stronger the Bear Clan bloodline, the more brawny and robust they become after the bloodline’s awakening!"
"And what's wrong with being brawny and robust? Is she eating your rice?"
Bear Wind hastily swallowed his food and shouted back.
Li Yu interjected, "Brother Bear Wind, you're still eating..."
Pure Sun Virtue burst out laughing, and Bear Wind scratched his head, finally dropping the subject, much to Li Yu's relief.
After all, he was still young—not yet of age!
And seeing Bear Wind's arm, nearly as thick as his own waist, he couldn't help but recall what Pure Sun Virtue had said: the purer the bloodline, the more sturdy and formidable the physique...
He listened with great interest as the two discussed the upcoming Grand Assembly of the Hundred Clans and shared their personal thoughts.
From their conversation, Li Yu gleaned that these two were both direct heirs of their respective families, generations-long allies, and comrades who’d fought side by side many times. Their bond ran deep.
Their earlier bickering was nothing more than the playful banter of close friends.
When the meal ended, Bear Wind finally revealed the real reason he had insisted on inviting Li Yu to dinner.
It was all about the little sister he’d just mentioned. Though he didn't know why his father was willing to send her out this time, it didn't lessen his concern for her.
Especially since the only representative from the Duke of Pure Clan’s line was Li Yu, and despite Bear Wind being from the Bear Clan, their families were neighbors—and, notably, his little sister seemed to pay special attention to the Pure Clan.
Knowing Li Yu’s abilities, Bear Wind had set his mind on entrusting her safety to him.
"Don't worry. If there's anything I can help with, I surely will!" Li Yu replied without hesitation, not thinking much of it.
Once inside the secret realm, who would help whom was still uncertain!
The Bear Clan had few enemies, and there was always room to maneuver for personal interest. But for Li Yu, it was different—if there truly was a Snow Fox Demon Vine in the secret realm, he would turn the place upside down to claim it.
"My little sister's cultivation has reached the peak of the sixth grade—she won't be a burden!"
Li Yu shook his head at that. "Brother Bear Wind, you speak too modestly!"

Still, a thought occurred to him—if her cultivation was indeed formidable, perhaps she could help shoulder some of the pressure.
Certainly more reliable than Pure Yuan.
Bear Wind nodded. "With your promise, I can rest easy. When the Grand Assembly is over, you must come to the Bear Clan for a few more drinks! Our fruit wines are beyond count!"
The Bear Clan's fruit wine was famous. During the meal, Li Yu had tasted a few cups himself, and he had to admit—these wines were surely brewed from rare and precious fruits.
Even with his fifth-grade cultivation, he could feel the vast spirit energy concentrated in a single sip.
The three soon parted ways.
There was still much to coordinate between the two armies, and unlike Li Yu, who had someone to see to his every need, Pure Sun Virtue and Bear Wind had no such luxury.
"You've been drinking, sir?"
Xiao Cui hurried to support Li Yu as he returned, reeking of alcohol.
"It's nothing. Go get some rest," Li Yu reassured her. He knew his own limits—just a bit of lingering wine, not much at all.
But as Xiao Cui moved, he noticed her awkward posture and frowned slightly.
Judging from her movements, the wound at her waist from the dagger was still not fully healed.
"Why is your recovery so slow?" Li Yu asked.
Xiao Cui opened her mouth to answer, "There was poison on the blade, so it's normal for the healing to be slow."
A flicker of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but Li Yu didn’t notice. He simply nodded, "Rest more, it’s the only way to heal faster."
He then sat cross-legged in his carriage, refining the spirit energy from the fruit wine within his body.
This spirit energy seemed to have undergone some special process, making it attribute-less—usable by cultivators of any affinity. While this energy would still need to be converted for one’s own use, the sheer volume made up for any inconvenience.
At every meal, Li Yu consumed some thunder-element spiritual plants to replenish his inner reserves, but compared to this wine, he’d have to eat nonstop for three days and nights to match its volume!
‘Excellent wine. There can’t be much of this stuff left, can there?’
Li Yu mused inwardly.
His Thunder Bloodline, obtained through the ritual, gave him an innate advantage in converting such energy—it was nearly lossless. This single drinking session equaled weeks of arduous cultivation.
Elsewhere—
Pure Sun Virtue had Bear Wind in a headlock. "Out with it—what are you really plotting?"

"My little sister, of course!!" Bear Wind struggled desperately, throwing himself at Pure Sun Virtue’s mercy. "Word is, there are changes to the combat trials at this year’s assembly—they’ve added a secret realm. I’m truly worried for her."
"This wine—your clan can’t have more than five bottles left, right? If I didn’t know you were obsessed with protecting your sister, I’d think you were trying to poach talent from my family!" Pure Sun Virtue released him with a sigh. "And stop fishing for my information. All I can say is, the changes this time are related to demons. I don’t know anything more."
At the mention of "demons," Bear Wind fell silent.
Both men had their worries about the upcoming Grand Assembly. Especially demons—they were the very source of the current turmoil. Both came from great clans and had access to their own intelligence.
But one thing was the same: they both knew how terrifying demons could be. For such a thing to be involved in the Assembly now…
"Enough, enough. When the soldiers come, we’ll deal with them; when the waters rise, we’ll build the dam," Pure Sun Virtue said. "Let’s focus on planning our route for now."
…
Li Yu had no idea what weighed on their minds. It didn’t matter—he had his own troubles to deal with now.
"Sir, should I ask her to leave?"
Xiao Cui lifted the curtain and peered outside at the girl.
"No, let her be." Li Yu forced a smile, feeling no urge to speak.
Who could have guessed—a girl who looked so cute, head cocked playfully at the carriage window, would, when warned of the danger, stand straight up and reveal a towering, muscular frame nearly two meters tall!
She stood a head above the carriage!
And then, with an adorably sweet voice, she asked, "Are you the Thunder Bloodline my brother talked about?"
No matter how hard Li Yu tried, he couldn’t keep his mind from drifting to the image of a certain burly, rough-around-the-edges Nezha.
He almost leaned out the window to ask, “Does your father always catch blades with his bare hands?”
Luckily, he stopped himself in time. This was another world, after all, and the "little girl" before him was surely Bear Wind’s little sister.
‘Does someone like her even need protection? She looks like she could be my bodyguard!’
Li Yu could only sigh inwardly.