Wind Sesame Sunflower Ointment, Xiao Yi Xian!

Xiao Yan flicked his finger. "Follow this pill formula and fetch several sets of ingredients."

Nalan Yanran grabbed the pill formula, gave it a cursory glance, and her eyes widened.

"They're all extremely common ingredients. Can they really help with cultivation?"

"This is a Tier 5 Pill Formula. If you don't believe me, give it back."

"I believe you, I believe you!"

Nalan Yanran was delighted. This mysterious young Dou Ling clearly had a favorable impression of her.

Otherwise, why would he show her such an important pill formula?

"You..." Yao Lao's mouth twitched.

"I've long wanted to try and see whether I can truly refine a Tier 5 Pill. I can't bear to experiment on my clansmen. Now that I've finally come across a lab rat, it'd be a waste not to use her," Xiao Yan said blandly.

"You're going to cause a huge disaster by fooling around like this!" Yao Lao's face darkened.

If that dangerous ointment failed, Nalan Yanran would very likely die on the spot.

If it succeeded, Nalan Yanran's cultivation speed would increase severalfold.

But this was by no means a gift!

Once the proud Nalan Yanran learned that the breakthrough speed she took such pride in actually came from the person she hated most—

It would be strange if her resolve did not collapse!

Besides.

No matter how hard Nalan Yanran struggled, she would only fall farther and farther behind Xiao Yan.

When the hopeful Nalan Yanran realized that after suffering so much and enduring so much hardship, she still could not compare to even a single hair on Xiao Yan's head—

She would probably go mad on the spot!

"What does that have to do with me?" Xiao Yan replied indifferently.

He did not care what Nalan Yanran thought, just as Nalan Yanran had never cared about him.

About seven minutes later, Nalan Yanran returned.

Xiao Yan took the ingredients and casually tossed them into the pill cauldron, refining them into ointment.

"This is Wind Sesame Sunflower Ointment. It is refined from Wind Spirit Mushroom, White Dragon Sunflower, Purple Cloud Vine, and Sky Blue Grass. Applied to the body, it can rapidly increase Dou Qi!"

Xiao Yan tossed several bottles of sticky blue ointment to Nalan Yanran.

Then he turned and left.

"Senior, where are you going?"

Nalan Yanran hurriedly said, "My master is in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. If you need anything, my master can help!"

Without realizing it, Nalan Yanran had developed a great deal of goodwill toward this mysterious man in black robes.

Even though she had never seen his true face.

"You only need to take care of yourself."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan had already left the room, leaving behind a bewildered Nalan Yanran.

"He definitely likes me!" Nalan Yanran's pretty face flushed red.

Wasn't this the feeling of free love she had always longed for?

Wasn't that why she had gone to the Xiao Family to break off the engagement?

Pouring out the ointment from the bottle, Nalan Yanran removed her clothes, revealing her snow-white skin.

Creak!

The door opened.

Xiao Yan stared at the naked Nalan Yanran for a moment, slightly stunned, then reached out and drew the pill cauldron left behind through the air.

"I didn't see anything."

Nalan Yanran held the ointment in her right hand and blankly stared at the closed door.

She...

Had been seen completely naked?

"I..." Nalan Yanran was utterly dumbfounded.

What baffled her even more was that if it had been anyone else, even a Dou Wang, she would have drawn her sword and chased after them to fight for her life.

Yet now, she was not angry at all?

Splash!

The ointment slipped through her fingers and dripped onto her thigh, making Nalan Yanran cry out softly in pain.

"Do I really have to apply this ointment all over my body?"

After struggling for only a moment, Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth and poured out more ointment.

"Hiss..."

As the ointment was applied to her skin, Nalan Yanran's pretty face twisted, sweat pouring down in torrents.

"Xiao Yan, all the pain I'm suffering is because of you!"

"You're an 8-Star Dou Zhe, and so am I!"

"Three years from now..."

"I'll definitely surpass you!"

Under the intense stimulation of the ointment, Nalan Yanran kept letting out pained gasps.

To her delight, as the medicinal power seeped in, her Dou Qi gradually grew stronger.

"One month?"

"No! In just a few more days, I'll have the confidence to break through to Dou Shi! Xiao Yan, I've already left you far behind!"

Pills refined with Heavenly Flames possessed several times the potency of those refined with ordinary flames.

The burning pain they brought was also far more intense.

Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth in agony, enduring the humiliation as she imagined Xiao Yan's comical look of terror and shock when he saw that she had become a Dou Shi!

At the entrance to the town.

By the time Xiao Yan arrived nearby, quite a few mercenaries had already gathered there.

"All Three Great Mercenary Groups of Green Mountain Town are here? Is something major about to happen?!"

"Look, Captain Mu She of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group!"

"Captain Fei Lei of the Blood Battle Mercenary Group!"

The mercenaries erupted into chatter. For all Three Great Mercenary Groups to gather, this was certainly no small matter.

Clap! Clap!

Mu She clapped his hands and smiled. "Everyone, we've just discovered a patch of over a thousand Flame Marrow Flowers in the Magical Beast Mountain Range!"

The moment Mu She said this, the mercenaries burst into an uproar.

Even the lowest-quality Flame Marrow Flower sold for five hundred gold coins each.

More than a thousand Flame Marrow Flowers meant a guaranteed minimum of five hundred thousand.

An astonishing sum!

A bored expression flashed across Xiao Yan's face as he turned to leave, but Yao Lao suddenly spoke.

"Xiao Yanzi, your luck isn't bad. Follow them."

"Why?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Where Flame Marrow Flowers grow, Flame Scale Pythons are bound to be found. These magical beasts choose places where Flame Marrow Flowers grow densely to mate. When their emotions reach their peak, they will inevitably produce Beast Flame..."

Beast Flame!

Xiao Yan's heart burned with excitement. Hadn't he traveled all this way to the Magical Beast Mountain Range for this very thing?

"Based on our investigation, we can conclude that there is a Second Order Flame Scale Python deep within the Flame Marrow Flower Sea!"

As soon as Mu She finished speaking, the hearts of many mercenaries turned cold.

A Second Order Flame Scale Python was equivalent to a human Dou Shi.

It could kill them as easily as slaughtering chickens!

"Second Order?"

Yao Lao snorted with laughter. "A Second Order Flame Scale Python can't possibly produce a thousand Flame Marrow Flowers. If this fellow really dares lead people in there, unless half of them die, none of them should even think about getting out alive!"

Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan grew even more excited.

First and Second Order Beast Flames were already of very little use to him. What he needed was a higher-order Beast Flame.

"So, anyone who wants a share and isn't afraid of dying, come with our Three Great Mercenary Groups!"

"Me!"

"And me!"

The instant Mu She finished speaking, many mercenaries desperately raised their hands.

"Anyone who wants to come with us must be at least a Five Star Dou Zhe. Line up for inspection!"

While the mercenaries lined up and waited, Xiao Yi Xian looked around in every direction.

"Xiao Yi Xian, are you looking for me?" Mu Li shamelessly sidled up to her.

Everyone in Green Mountain Town knew that he had coveted Xiao Yi Xian for a long time.

Unfortunately, Xiao Yi Xian had always been cold toward him.

"Xiao Yi Xian, you're a physician. I'll definitely protect you properly!" Mu Li patted his chest in assurance, the flattery on his face plain to see.

Yet just as he was doing his utmost to ingratiate himself, Xiao Yi Xian suddenly smiled brilliantly.

That captivating smile left Mu Li momentarily spellbound.

Xiao Yi Xian was smiling for him?

Ecstasy instantly flooded Mu Li's face, but before he could react, Xiao Yi Xian walked straight past him.

She made her way through the crowd.

"Young Master Xiao Yan, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Xiao Yi Xian."

The smile on Mu Li's face abruptly froze!