On their journey, Ding Fan taught He Qianyao some fist techniques, and they also encountered some Yuan beasts. After all, this was deep in the forest, so running into Yuan beasts was not surprising. Some of the Yuan beasts Ding Fan encountered were used for He Qianyao's fist technique training. Obviously, those used for training were low-rank Yuan beasts, perfect for He Qianyao to practice.

As for those Yuan beasts above the Fourth Grade, Ding Fan handled them. Clearly, such beasts were not something He Qianyao could deal with, but for Ding Fan, they were very simple. Ding Fan gave some of the beast crystal cores to He Qianyao, as they had little value to him, but for He Qianyao, it was different. Even though they were useless to Ding Fan, they were valuable to He Qianyao.

Those Fourth and Fifth Grade beast crystal cores were rare treasures for He Qianyao. Those beasts were equivalent to Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, and even Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivators might not be a match for them. For He Qianyao, this was an immense wealth. Even if He Qianyao didn't sell these beast crystal cores and consumed them herself, she would benefit greatly.

He Qianyao felt very grateful to Ding Fan for this. It wasn't that Ding Fan only gave what he couldn't use; Fourth Grade beast crystal cores could fetch a good amount of Spirit Stones in the market. Although Ding Fan wasn't lacking Spirit Stones at the moment, no cultivator would think they had too many Spirit Stones.

However, there was an instance where He Qianyao directly slew a Fourth Grade Yuan beast, which surprised Ding Fan. He didn't expect He Qianyao to slay a Fourth Grade Yuan beast, as such a beast was equivalent to a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. Even a Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivator would find it challenging to slay such a beast.

But He Qianyao, an Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, managed to slay it, and it pleased Ding Fan greatly that He Qianyao used the fist technique from the stele he taught her to defeat the beast. Ding Fan noticed that He Qianyao had gained some understanding of the fist techniques from the stele and had made small achievements.

However, He Qianyao was not entirely satisfied, as she could only grasp a simple part of the fist technique. Although she could apply it in practice, she hadn't mastered the first move, unable to perform it. That first move was Ding Fan's signature technique, "Golden Dragon Emergence!"

He Qianyao was personally delighted to obtain a Fourth Grade beast crystal core and continued on the journey with Ding Fan.

At this time, Ding Fan noticed that He Qianyao felt quite proud, which he understood. It was impressive for an Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivator like He Qianyao to slay a Fourth Grade Yuan beast, a feat that could astonish others. Such a beast was equivalent to a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, meaning He Qianyao had effectively surpassed her rank to defeat a much stronger opponent—a remarkable accomplishment in the Cultivation World.

As they continued, He Qianyao became noticeably more talkative, evidently enjoying her sense of achievement and happiness. When Ding Fan and He Qianyao arrived at a part of the forest, Ding Fan suddenly stopped.

"Someone needs help over there,"

Ding Fan said, frowning slightly. Clearly, his Divine Sense had detected some unusual activity. His Divine Sense was incredibly powerful, allowing him to observe others from afar, an advantage he found extremely valuable and remarkable.

This time, Ding Fan discovered the cries for help from two children not far away in the forest. Since they were children, he decided to intervene; normally, in the Cultivation World, it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble. The children appeared to be a boy and a girl, both in alchemist's attire, which Ding Fan recognized.

The important thing was, Ding Fan believed that although the Cultivation World was dangerous, children tended to be innocent and usually didn't lie. Ding Fan could strongly sense that their cries for help were genuine, not a trap. He quickly said to He Qianyao:

"Two children are calling for help over there in the woods, let's check it out."

"Let's go, quickly!"

Upon hearing Ding Fan's words, He Qianyao understood that he had detected the children's cries for help. With a kind heart, He Qianyao couldn't ignore such a matter, and she was even more eager than Ding Fan, trusting his judgment completely. She was well aware of the strength of Ding Fan's Divine Sense, having seen it demonstrated many times before.

Ding Fan and He Qianyao cautiously approached the area he pointed out. Under his Divine Sense, Ding Fan saw that a male and female cultivator had tied up the two children. One had an Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, and the other was at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, both fairly strong. Meanwhile, the children were only around eight or nine years old and obviously had no cultivation.

Ding Fan couldn't fathom why these cultivators wanted to kidnap children, who certainly didn't possess any treasures. But this thought felt out of place, and after a moment of consideration, Ding Fan understood something. He had already noticed the children's alchemist attire, perhaps hinting they were carrying some kind of Medicine Pill.

Perhaps the children harbored some secret or item that attracted the attention of these cultivators. Regardless of their motives, Ding Fan decided to intervene.

Soon, Ding Fan and He Qianyao appeared in front of the two cultivators. The male and female appeared quite shocked to see others in this remote forest, especially two Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivators poking their noses into this affair. Did they not fear for their lives?

This is simply unbelievable. At this moment, the male cultivator has the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, while the female cultivator is at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. The male cultivator's face looks quite handsome, yet between his brows there's a hint of seductive charm. Ding Fan could tell with just one glance that this man is definitely not a good person, certainly one of those hypocritical and insidious guys.

"What are you trying to do?"

At this moment, the female cultivator at the Early Nascent Soul Stage looks quite ordinary compared to He Qianyao, lacking by countless measures. Evidently, as she looks at He Qianyao, there is a hint of jealousy in her expression, and she speaks unfriendly words to Ding Fan and his companion.

"What are we doing? That's what we should be asking you!"

He Qianyao, hearing the other's words, retorts coldly.

"Help us brother and sister..."

"Help, help..."

At this moment, two children, seeing Ding Fan and his companion, urgently call out to them in desperation, clearly demonstrating their fear from significant fright.

"Shut up! Or I'll kill you right now!"

The Nascent Soul Middle Stage man, hearing the children's cries, orders with an evil expression on his face.

"Ha, it's true that the world is vast and full of wonders. You two Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivators actually dare come here to seek trouble. It's ridiculous!"

The woman speaks to He Qianyao with disdain, evidently considering He Qianyao not her match. He Qianyao, hearing the other's words, reveals a teasing smile and responds to the disdainful woman:

"Since you think you're so great, how about we have a contest? Whoever loses will kneel and kowtow three times to the ground!"

The woman, hearing He Qianyao's words, hesitates for a moment, surprised that the other person dares to make such a challenge. Although she is in the Early Nascent Soul Stage, she is at the peak of that stage and has never encountered someone at the same stage who could defeat her, with her strength being undoubtedly impressive.

"Fine, since you overestimate yourself, just don't regret it later."

The female cultivator at the Early Nascent Soul Stage replies directly. She is quite confident, being the most outstanding female disciple of the Nanmen Sect, and she doubts the possibility of losing to He Qianyao. The man beside her, witnessing the scene, only softly advises, "Be careful."

Ding Fan obviously has no objections, trusting He Qianyao completely. After all, Ding Fan knows well that even though the woman shares the same Nascent Soul Early Stage as He Qianyao, He Qianyao is the daughter of the Dayang Sect's master. The gap in martial arts proficiency and personal combat skills is not something ordinary people can match. Most importantly, Ding Fan knows He Qianyao has gained considerable understanding of the fist technique he taught her, practicing along the way with Yuan Beasts. She would definitely not miss such an opportunity.

Ding Fan understands He Qianyao's mentality very well, thus he has no objections.

Immediately, He Qianyao steps forward, and the woman simultaneously takes a step forward. Suddenly, a longsword appears in the woman's hand, and she fiercely slashes at He Qianyao, feeling disdain for her opponent and wanting to end the fight quickly. As He Qianyao sees the longsword in the opponent's hand, she swiftly dodges the sword skillfully, then chooses a side of her opponent and delivers a punch powerfully.

The woman, witnessing this scene, can't help but feel shocked, not expecting her opponent to evade in such a seemingly miraculous manner!