Return to Wutan City, Ya Fei's Surprise

This achievement would have been enough to shake the entire Xiao Family a year ago.

But now, Xiao Yan felt only anxiety.

Nalan Yanran's Three-Star Dou Practitioner figure loomed over his heart like an insurmountable mountain.

Three years.

He had only three years.

"Ah!"

Xiao Yan roared, clenching his fists as he let the waterfall pound against his body.

"Not enough! Far from enough!"

Without resources, his cultivation progressed far too slowly.

The Xiao Family's wealth simply could not support him in relying on pills to advance at such a frenzied pace as before.

And constantly using Xiao Xun'er's things filled him with waves of guilt.

If I had agreed to Master Xuan's request back then, would things have been different...

Unfortunately, there are no ifs.

At that moment, within the valley.

Xuan Jin rose from the bluestone and called out to Xiao Yi Xian, who was washing herbs by the stream.

"Xian'er, pack up our things."

Xiao Yi Xian turned back, looking at him with some confusion. "Brother Xuan Jin, what are we doing?"

A faint smile appeared on Xuan Jin's face.

"We've been cooped up for too long. It's time to go out for a walk."

"I'll take you to see the splendor of this world."

The sun set in the west, and the evening clouds blazed like fire.

A massive azure Lan Eagle carried two figures as it soared into the sky from the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, flying toward Wutan City.

After nearly a year of being fed pills, Xiao Lan had grown even more imposing than before, and its aura had surged to the Second-Order Mid Stage, comparable to a human Five-Star Dou Master.

As for Xiao Yi Xian, her strength had now reached the Five-Star Dou Grandmaster level.

That was only because Xuan Jin had deliberately suppressed her progress. Otherwise, Xiao Yi Xian might have risen from a Dou Zhe to a Dou Ling, or even a Dou Wang, within a single year.

One had to know that in the original work, when Xiao Yi Xian obtained the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, she had merely been an ordinary person incapable of cultivation. Yet five years later, her realm had directly reached the Four-star Dou Ancestor level!

Five years! Only five years!

Such advancement was simply horrifying. The Calamity Poison Body was far too powerful.

"Wow..."

Seated on the Lan Eagle's back, Xiao Yi Xian watched the mountains and rivers rushing past beneath her, her eyes filled with novelty and awe.

This was the first time she had looked down upon the world from such a great height.

The evening breeze lifted the strands of hair by her temples and fluttered her pale white dress.

She secretly glanced at Xuan Jin's straight, upright back before her, and an unprecedented sense of safety welled up in her heart.

"Brother Xuan Jin, where are we going?"

"Wutan City," Xuan Jin replied. "To see a friend."

Naturally, he meant Ya Fei.

A year had passed. With the Mite'er Family's resources, she had surely gathered almost everything by now.

Wutan City, Miter Auction House.

Within the elegant private courtyard on the top floor, Ya Fei was reviewing the documents in her hands.

She now wore an even more luxurious and elegant dark red gown, its hem embroidered with intricate phoenix patterns in golden thread. It added several degrees of majesty to her already seductive charm.

After becoming an elder of the Mite'er Family, the authority in her hands had increased more than tenfold.

Yet there was not much joy on her face. Instead, a trace of melancholy often surfaced there.

Ya Fei set down her pen and took out the Jade Slip Xuan Jin had left her from her Storage Ring.

The Jade Slip felt icy in her hand, yet she seemed able to sense the power contained within it, power sufficient to destroy heaven and earth.

"Young Master, where are you now..." she murmured.

Over the past year, she had mobilized nearly every channel available to the family, frantically searching for the rare medicinal ingredients listed in the pill formula.

She had found leads on most of them, and had even obtained some already.

Just then, a sudden commotion and cries of alarm came from outside the courtyard.

"Who goes there?"

"A magical beast has broken in!"

Ya Fei frowned, just about to rise and rebuke them.

A powerful gust of wind pressure descended from above the courtyard.

She abruptly looked up and saw a massive azure Lan Eagle folding its wings as it descended straight toward the courtyard.

The guards were badly startled by the sudden development. They drew their weapons one after another and nervously aimed them at the Second-Order magical beast.

But when Ya Fei saw the all-too-familiar black-robed figure on the eagle's back, her whole body froze.

The Jade Slip in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

Time seemed to stop at that instant.

She simply stood there in a daze, watching as the figure leaped from the eagle's back and lightly landed before her.

A year.

She had waited an entire year.

After landing, Xuan Jin looked at the woman before him, who was clearly somewhat flustered, and the corner of his lips curled upward.

After a year apart, this little wildcat seemed to have become even more alluring.

He then glanced at Xiao Yi Xian on the eagle's back and extended his hand toward her as she jumped down as well.

Xiao Yi Xian shyly placed her hand in his, and he steadily helped her down.

This scene fell clearly into Ya Fei's eyes.

Her long, narrow peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze lingered for a moment on Xiao Yi Xian's fresh and unworldly face.

But she quickly restrained all her emotions, stepped forward swiftly, and bowed deeply to Xuan Jin.

"Y-Young Master!"

Ya Fei's voice trembled slightly, both with excitement and joy.

"Mm."

Xuan Jin merely answered faintly, then turned sideways and introduced the two women.

"This is Xiao Yi Xian, my younger sister."

"Xian'er, this is Ya Fei of the Mite'er Family, my..."

Xuan Jin's words trailed off as though he were considering a suitable term.

Steward? Maid? Or...

Ya Fei looked at him, her seductive peach-blossom eyes shimmering. She was exceptionally perceptive and instantly understood Xuan Jin's predicament.

With graceful steps, she took the initiative to move forward. She gave Xiao Yi Xian a slight bow, a captivating smile on her face and a voice soft enough to melt bone.

"Hello, Sister Xian'er. I am Ya Fei, the Young Master's... maid."

A maid?

Xiao Yi Xian froze for a moment. This woman before her was peerlessly beautiful, with such noble bearing that Xiao Yi Xian felt somewhat inferior, yet she actually called herself Brother Xuan Jin's maid.

She looked at Xuan Jin again. When she saw that he did not deny it, she immediately understood.

Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly imitated Ya Fei, bowing lightly to her as well. Her voice was still somewhat awkward.

"Hello, Sister Ya Fei. My name is Xiao Yi Xian, and I am Brother Xuan Jin's... maid."

Two peerless women, one seductive and enchanting, the other fresh and unworldly, had actually both claimed to be maids in unison.

Xuan Jin rubbed his nose, finding it somewhat amusing.

So be it. A maid it was.

He nodded, tacitly accepting the title.

"Alright, don't just stand there. Let's go inside and talk."

Xuan Jin took the lead, walking toward the courtyard beside Ya Fei's.