Lu Bu: *I'm Afraid of Heights...*

By the time Lu Bu put away the puppet talismans and returned, everyone from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group except Hemon was already lying on the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, their eyes wide open in death.

"Feel better?" Lu Bu asked with a chuckle, taking Xiao Yi Xian's hand.

"Mhm..." Xiao Yi Xian nodded and discreetly pulled free.

"What are you planning to do next?" Lu Bu asked with a smile, unconcerned by Xiao Yi Xian's resistance.

"I plan to cultivate in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for a while." Xiao Yi Xian looked into Lu Bu's eyes. "Would I be welcome?"

Lu Bu froze for a moment. He seemed to remember that Xiao Yi Xian had once found a small valley rich in medicinal herbs and overflowing with natural spiritual energy.

"With me?" Lu Bu asked. He was currently with Xiao Yan, and adding Xiao Yi Xian to the mix would be inconvenient. If possible, he did not want her to meet Xiao Yan.

"No, I'm taking you somewhere nice." Xiao Yi Xian smiled. As she spoke, she took out a small bamboo flute and placed it to her lips, gently playing it. A sharp yet rhythmic sound drifted through the air.

"What is that... for?" Lu Bu asked in confusion.

"My companion." Xiao Yi Xian smiled. "Come on, let's go welcome her."

With that, she tapped off the ground first and, after several leaps, arrived at the highest point in Qingshan Town. Lu Bu hurriedly followed. Before long, a massive blue eagle swept toward them, carrying intense wind pressure.

"This is Little Blue, my good friend. I saved her once, so she's very grateful to me. She's a Second-Tier Magical Beast," Xiao Yi Xian explained. "Come on, let's get on."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Yi Xian kicked off the ground and leaped onto the blue eagle's back with Lu Bu.

The blue eagle spread its wings and soared away, rapidly climbing higher as it sped toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

On the blue eagle's back, Lu Bu looked at the white clouds rapidly falling away beside him and immediately shuddered. Reaching out, he pulled Xiao Yi Xian, who stood before him, into his arms.

"Y-you... what are you doing?" Xiao Yi Xian's delicate body trembled as she asked shyly.

"I'm afraid of heights..." Lu Bu said in a trembling voice as he held her soft body, terrified beyond measure.

Xiao Yi Xian was speechless. Someone with a Flying Dou Technique was afraid of heights? He really was a lecher!

Yet Xiao Yi Xian did not struggle free. Instead, she shifted slightly, found a more comfortable position, leaned against Lu Bu, and gently closed her eyes.

"Uh..." Lu Bu was at a loss for words. Fight back! If you don't fight back, how am I supposed to take advantage of you?

Led by the blue eagle, the two arrived at a basin. The moment they entered, Lu Bu sensed the abundant natural spiritual energy within.

"Well? My place is pretty nice, isn't it?" Xiao Yi Xian asked with a soft laugh.

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a blessed sanctuary," Lu Bu said with a nod.

"Little Blue discovered this place by accident," Xiao Yi Xian said. "From the sky, it's covered in clouds and mist, so its exact location is impossible to make out. From the ground, the terrain is rugged and steep, with no path leading in. It's perfectly hidden."

"Very good. Then we'll cultivate here," Lu Bu said with a smile.

"That's the grass hut I built. We can rest there," Xiao Yi Xian said, pointing at a patch of lush flowers and grass not far away.

"Not bad." Lu Bu nodded. "But before that, I have a question for you."

Xiao Yi Xian tilted her head in confusion. "Go ahead."

"What are you planning to do after leaving here?" Lu Bu asked solemnly.

"I..." Xiao Yi Xian's expression stiffened. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "I... I want to travel through the Cloud Empire before making any other plans."

"You won't come with me?" Lu Bu asked softly, taking her hand.

Next, he planned to make a trip to the Tagor Desert to search for Heavenly Flames and obtain the Pure Lotus Demon Sage's map. It would not be impossible for Xiao Yi Xian to come along.

"I..." Xiao Yi Xian hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I have the Calamity Poison Body. The poison can erupt easily, and everyone hates and fears me..."

As she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian's gaze dimmed. The vicious curses and furious faces of Qingshan Town's mercenaries remained vivid in her mind. She was truly afraid that Lu Bu would face such situations because of her.

This time, they had only been ordinary mercenaries at the Dou Zhe level. What if next time it was a group of Da Dou Shi? Or Dou Ling and Dou Wang experts?

A trace of fear appeared in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. That kind of scene was too terrifying.

She did not care about herself. From the moment she awakened the Calamity Poison Body, she had already prepared herself to face this. But... she did not want to drag Lu Bu down, and she feared even more that he might be poisoned because of her.

Lu Bu was speechless. She really had been traumatized...

As expected of an attack that killed the heart. It was truly ruthless!

"Xiao Yi Xian, you don't need to worry about me." Lu Bu sighed. "I'm very strong. In the Jia Ma Empire, the number of people who can defeat me can be counted on one hand. Staying by my side would be good for you. We can cultivate together."

"That would hurt you..." Xiao Yi Xian bit her lip and gently shook her head. She had awakened the Calamity Poison Body only three months ago, yet her cultivation had surged all the way to the Dou Master realm, from a one-star Dou Zhe to a one-star Dou Master.

Even she found such speed terrifying. Mu She had struggled for most of his life and was only a Two-Star Dou Master, while she had achieved it in merely three months.

Rapid Dou Qi growth meant poison accumulated just as quickly. Once it erupted... everyone around her would be harmed. Xiao Yi Xian did not want to hurt Lu Bu.

"You..." Lu Bu was thoroughly exasperated. "You distrust me that much?"

"I distrust myself," Xiao Yi Xian said seriously, shaking her head.

Lu Bu: "..."

This is so infuriating!

"Let's leave it at that..." Xiao Yi Xian smiled, her expression lonely and self-mocking. She did not even dare get close to her only friend.

Smack!

"Ah... what are you doing?!" Xiao Yi Xian covered her backside, her pretty face flushed red with anger.

"I'm hitting you!" Lu Bu snorted. "You don't even trust me. If I don't hit you, who should I hit?"

As he spoke, Lu Bu raised his hand again as though he were about to strike her.

"Little Bu... don't force me." Xiao Yi Xian looked as if she were about to cry, her voice pitiful.

Seeing this, Lu Bu let out a long sigh. Damn Mu Li, damn that heart-killing attack!

"Fine, do as you wish." Lu Bu said helplessly. "But I'll find a way to help you resolve your Calamity Poison Body. You have to believe me. Don't casually seek death like you did in Qingshan Town before, understand?"

"I don't want to work so hard to find a solution, only to find that you're gone."

"Don't worry, I won't," Xiao Yi Xian said, wiping the corner of her eye with a hint of happiness.

"Alright, go do whatever you need to do." Lu Bu said irritably. "I'm going to gather some medicinal herbs."

With that, Lu Bu tapped off the ground and flew into the basin. Next, he needed to begin refining the Purple Fire. Once he finished refining it, it would be time to leave the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Though Spirit Fire was useful, it consumed a great deal of soul power.

Medicinal herbs and pills capable of restoring soul power were difficult to refine, so after weighing the pros and cons, Lu Bu decided to begin refining the Purple Fire. After all, he could not let the Dou Qi and Purple Fire inside his body go to waste.

But... speaking of which, Lu Bu also had a flame called Azure Nether Fire in his Ring. It was a flame seed he had extracted from Yun Yue.

Lu Bu had found it rather mediocre, not even comparable to Purple Fire, so he had given up on refining it.

"Perhaps trading it for something from Xiao Yan... would be a good choice," Lu Bu murmured. At that thought, the corner of his mouth curled up.

Perfect. He could scam... ahem, trade again!