Xiao Yan Flees to Qingshan Town! (Please Follow)

The pursuit through the Monster Mountain Range clung to Xiao Yan like a disease in his bones, showing him what true despair was.

The Earth-Splitting Stone Bear and the Wind Wolf pack's siege had seemed like only the beginning.

Over the following days, he encountered all kinds of Magical Beast attacks—elusive Poisonous Pythons, swarming Poisonous Scorpions, and even bizarre plants capable of controlling vines.

These Magical Beasts seemed to have received the same command. Their target was clear, and they feared no death—they were determined to kill him.

Xiao Yan fled for his life, accumulating more and more injuries, each worse than the last.

A claw wound deep enough to expose bone on his left shoulder had been left by the Earth-Splitting Stone Bear, while his right leg had been pierced by a Poisonous Scorpion's tail stinger.

Although Han Feng had temporarily suppressed the poison with Soul Power, the entire leg remained swollen and purple, making movement difficult.

There were also several wounds across his chest from wind blades. They were not deep, but they burned painfully.

The Dou Qi in his body had long been exhausted. He could only barely escape death because Han Feng occasionally used Soul Power to frighten off powerful enemies and forcibly stimulate his potential.

However, the consequences of such overexertion were extremely severe. He felt as though his meridians were like parched, cracked earth. Every forced circulation of Dou Qi brought tearing pain, and the damage to his foundation had reached a critical point.

"Teacher, if this continues, even if the Magical Beasts don't kill me, I'll be worked to death..."

Xiao Yan leaned against a large tree, panting violently. His face was pale as paper, his lips cracked, and his eyes dim.

His clothes had long since been reduced to rags, stained with blood and mud until their original color was unrecognizable.

Within the ring, Han Feng's soul fluctuations also carried weakness and irritation.

Repeatedly using Soul Power was extremely detrimental to his recovery.

He said grimly, "We can't stay in the depths of the mountain range any longer! These beasts have gone mad! Head for the outskirts and find a town where humans gather!"

This was their only path to survival.

Only on human territory would those High-level Magical Beasts have some reservations and not dare launch a large-scale invasion so easily.

Xiao Yan no longer had the strength to argue. His instinct to survive supported him as he used the Black Heavy Ruler as a crutch.

After determining the direction, he dragged his nearly numb injured leg and limped toward the outskirts of the mountain range.

Every step pulled at the wounds across his body. The piercing pain made cold sweat stream down his face.

He did not dare take the main roads and could only struggle onward along the rugged edges of the forest.

When thirsty, he drank mountain spring water. When hungry, he could only forage for wild fruit, and had even gnawed on bitter grass roots.

During this time, small groups of Magical Beasts continued to catch his scent and pursue him, though most were only first- or second-tier Low-level Magical Beasts.

Relying on sheer willpower and his last scraps of strength, along with Han Feng's occasional guidance, Xiao Yan barely managed to repel or shake them off, though several more wounds were added to his body as a result.

He spent three whole days walking a mere few dozen li of mountain road.

When he saw the outline of Qingshan Town's low walls in the distance, Xiao Yan nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

Forcing himself to hold on with his last breath, he covered his face with a scrap of cloth, lowered his head, and blended into the crowd entering and leaving the town. Staggering, he entered this small town bordering the Monster Mountain Range.

The moment he entered town, the relatively safe surroundings caused his tightly wound nerves to suddenly relax. Intense weakness and agony surged over him like a tide.

His vision went dark, and he could no longer hold on. His body went limp as he fell forward.

Just as he was about to hit the ground, a gentle force caught him.

A crisp female voice, slightly surprised, rang out by his ear:

"Hey! Are you all right?"

Xiao Yan barely raised his head and, through his blurred vision, saw a delicate face filled with concern.

The young woman was only around seventeen or eighteen. She wore a simple, elegant dress, possessed a gentle temperament, and carried a faint fragrance of medicinal herbs.

"I..." Xiao Yan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat was too dry to produce a complete sound. His consciousness sank into darkness once more.

When Xiao Yan woke again, he found himself lying on a clean bed, his wounds already carefully bandaged.

They still hurt, but the scorching sensation had eased considerably.

He looked around. It was a simple yet tidy room, and the air was thick with the scent of medicine.

"You're awake?"

The door was pushed open, and the delicate young woman from before entered carrying a bowl of medicine. When she saw Xiao Yan's open eyes, a faint smile appeared on her face.

"You fainted on the street and were badly injured. This is Myriad Medicine House, and I'm a physician here. You can call me Xiao Yi Xian."

"Xiao Yi Xian, thank you for saving my life."

Xiao Yan struggled to sit up, but Xiao Yi Xian gently pressed him back down.

"Don't move around. The Scorpion Poison in your leg hasn't been completely removed yet, so you need to rest." Xiao Yi Xian handed him the bowl. "Drink the medicine first."

Xiao Yan accepted the bowl and stared at the dark medicinal liquid inside, his vigilance not entirely gone.

His experiences in the Monster Mountain Range had made him wary of everyone.

Seemingly seeing his hesitation, Xiao Yi Xian smiled and said gently, "Don't worry. It's just ordinary medicine for detoxification and healing. Myriad Medicine House has a fairly good reputation in Qingshan Town."

Xiao Yan looked into her clear eyes before finally draining the bowl in one gulp.

The bitter medicine slid down his throat, yet it brought a warm, gentle energy that slowly nourished his damaged body and meridians.

"Your injuries are quite strange," Xiao Yi Xian said casually as she gathered the bowl.

"Besides the obvious external wounds and Scorpion Poison, your meridians seem to be seriously damaged, as if you overexerted your potential.

And while you were unconscious, traces of several different Magical Beast auras still lingered on you. They were very mixed. Did you encounter something in the mountain range?"

Xiao Yan's heart tightened. He had not expected Xiao Yi Xian to be so observant.

He did not want to reveal too much and merely answered vaguely, "Yes, I ran into some trouble and was chased by several groups of Magical Beasts."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded thoughtfully and did not press further, only reminding him:

"Stay here and recover peacefully. We can discuss the cost once you're better. However, the damage to your meridians cannot be healed in a day. You need to recuperate slowly, and you must not forcibly circulate Dou Qi again, or the consequences will be unimaginable."

With that, she carried the empty bowl out of the room.

Xiao Yan lay on the bed, feeling the terrible state of his body. His expression was frighteningly grim.

His meridians were damaged, his Dou Qi unstable, and he was still poisoned...

This trip into the Monster Mountain Range had not only failed to improve his strength much, but had instead left him in such a miserable state.

"Teacher, what exactly is going on? Those Magical Beasts..." he asked unwillingly in his heart.

Han Feng's cold voice carried a trace of exhaustion and gravity.

"Even this old man does not know the specifics. But such a large-scale, targeted pursuit is absolutely abnormal! Someone must be controlling it from behind the scenes! Have you recently offended any expert capable of commanding Magical Beasts?"

Gu Long's figure instantly flashed through Xiao Yan's mind, but he immediately felt it was impossible.

Gu Long might be mysterious and powerful, but surely he was not capable of ordering all the Magical Beasts in the Monster Mountain Range to hunt him down, was he?

He shook his head and suppressed the thought. "No."

"Hmph. Whoever it is, this old man will remember this grudge!" Han Feng said sinisterly.

"The urgent matter is to recover from your injuries and restore your strength as quickly as possible. This little girl's medical skills are quite good. Stay here and stabilize your injuries first.

Once you've recovered somewhat, find a way to gather information about the Heavenly Flames. As long as we find a Heavenly Flame and the Flame Mantra evolves, every problem will be resolved."

His voice carried its usual temptation, but as Xiao Yan listened, a faint trace of doubt arose in his heart for the first time.

Could it really solve every problem?

He felt that his body was like a container covered in cracks. Could it still withstand the violent energy of the Heavenly Flames?

Yet he had no other choice now.

His desire for strength, his hatred for Nalan Yanran, and his fury toward the possible mastermind behind everything sustained him, compelling him to continue onward.

He closed his eyes and began carefully guiding the faint Dou Qi within his body according to Xiao Yi Xian's instructions, attempting to repair his damaged meridians, though the process was slow and agonizing.

Qingshan Town became his temporary refuge.

But the turmoil outside, as well as the killing intent lurking in the darkness, did not subside because of his escape.

On Gu Long's chessboard, this piece had temporarily escaped the predetermined killing zone, yet it still remained under his control, struggling to survive.

And what changes would Xiao Yi Xian of Myriad Medicine House, this woman he had encountered by chance, bring to his fate?

Everything remained unknown.