A Night Visit

By the time Xiao Yan arrived, the blue silhouette had already vanished, leaving only the scorching greenish-white flames lingering between heaven and earth.

"That is..." Xiao Yan looked toward the huge crater ahead and discovered a charred man curled up inside.

He withdrew his Purple Cloud Wings, slowly descended to the ground, and walked into the crater.

"Dou... Dou... Dou..." The charred man was completely naked, his flesh burned beyond recognition by the flames. He was already on the verge of death.

Xiao Yan's eyelids twitched in surprise.

Was his Fire Lotus really that powerful? That once-arrogant Dou Huang expert had now become little more than a corpse.

"I wonder how Elder Yu Gongtian is doing." Looking at Wa Ke in his current state, Xiao Yan could not help worrying about the Jia Nan Academy elder, whose personality was strange but who had treated him quite well.

Just then, three figures descended from the sky and landed behind Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan turned around and saw Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, and Fa Ma. He greeted them, "Old Jia, Old Hai."

"What happened here?" Jia Xingtian frowned as he surveyed the devastation around them and asked Xiao Yan.

The three of them had been interrogating Yan Li when a massive explosion and terrifying energy fluctuation suddenly erupted, giving him quite a fright. He had thought some Dou Huang had gone berserk and was about to tear down Jia Ma Holy City!

Xiao Yan briefly explained what had happened to the three of them and pointed out that the charred man unconscious in the crater was Wa Ke, the mastermind behind it all.

"Who would have thought that the second strongest fighter of the Chu Yun Empire Royal Family would end up like this?" Fa Ma sighed.

"His strength was hardly weak. To defeat him so easily, that Yu Gongtian must be at least on the same level as Queen Medusa." As though recalling something, Hai Bodong could not help shuddering.

Back then, he had seemingly been a Five-star Dou Huang as well. He had foolishly challenged Queen Medusa, only to be "mercifully" sealed by her for decades. Even now, his strength had yet to fully recover.

"What should we do with this man?" Fa Ma turned to Jia Xingtian.

As the guardian of the Jia Ma Imperial Family, Jia Xingtian held the greatest authority in the empire. Wa Ke's actions this time could be considered a matter of national importance, so naturally, Jia Xingtian had to decide his fate.

"The Chu Yun Empire has suffered quite a loss this time." Jia Xingtian laughed twice before continuing, "I'll cripple his Dou Qi and throw him into the dungeon. When they come asking for him, we'll squeeze them for a hefty ransom."

Fa Ma and Hai Bodong both smiled and voiced no objection.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll take this fellow and be on my way." Jia Xingtian walked to the crater, lifted Wa Ke up, spread the yellow Dou Qi wings on his back, and turned into a fierce gust of wind before vanishing.

"Little friend Yan Xiao, come with me for a moment. There's something I'd like to discuss with you." Leaning on his cane, Fa Ma walked toward a secluded corner nearby.

Xiao Yan pondered for a moment before slowly following him.

A while later, Xiao Yan returned in silence. There was neither joy nor sorrow on his face, as though nothing had happened.

"What is it?" Hai Bodong asked doubtfully.

Xiao Yan shook his head and said softly, "Nothing. President Fa Ma merely reminded me of a few things regarding the final round of the competition. And Yan Li, the vice president of the Chu Yun Empire Alchemist Guild."

"Little fellow, this is all I can do. I hope you win! Otherwise, I'll have suffered a terrible loss!" Fa Ma smiled at him, then spread his Dou Qi wings and departed as well.

Only after the old man had gone far away did Hai Bodong continue, "Did you use that terrifying Fire Lotus again?"

Xiao Yan froze, then nodded with a bitter smile. At the time, he had practically been prepared to die. He had thrown away all his important belongings, intending to perish together with Wa Ke.

As a result, he had spent a long time searching the ground for his Pitch-black Ring.

"You madman! Your Soul Power was badly damaged last time, and you still haven't recovered from it. Yet you used it again this time. If it causes permanent damage that can't be healed, where am I supposed to find my Purple Cloud Restoration Pill?" Hai Bodong scolded him indignantly.

Xiao Yan smiled and scratched his head. "This time, I wasn't struck directly by the Fire Lotus explosion, so I merely used up too much energy. It didn't damage my foundation. My strength will naturally recover in time. Rest assured, Old Hai. I will definitely refine the Purple Cloud Restoration Pill successfully and place it in your hands."

Only then did Hai Bodong let out a breath of relief, and his expression improved considerably.

"All right, take me back. I still have a match tomorrow, and there's some time left tonight for me to recuperate and adjust my condition," Xiao Yan suggested.

Hai Bodong nodded, grabbed the youth by the back of his collar, spread his icy-blue Dou Qi wings, and shot straight into the sky.

"Does it have to be this thrilling?!" Xiao Yan could not help shouting.

It was only after midnight that the bustling atmosphere of Jia Ma Holy City grew somewhat quieter. A half moon hung slanted in the night sky, its clear moonlight streaming through the open window and falling upon the Black-haired Youth meditating on the bed.

The youth was bare-chested, his hands forming seals before his chest as wisps of wandering Green Dou Qi emanated from between them. Beneath his skin, black lines spread continuously through his body along his veins.

"Cough, cough, cough!" The youth suddenly began coughing violently, spraying a mouthful of black blood onto the floor.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."

The floor was continuously corroded by the black blood, until several pitch-black pits had formed.

The Black-haired Youth slowly opened his eyes, and some color returned to his pale face. Looking at the marks on the floor, he could not help smiling bitterly. "Good thing I forced the poison out. Otherwise, my recovery would have run into serious trouble this time."

After returning to his room, Xiao Yan considered how to quickly restore his condition. In the end, he thought of the Brand Poison he had absorbed from Old Man Nalan Jie.

Although it was a forbidden substance that most people would not dare touch, Xiao Yan possessed Heavenly Flames and could clear and control its toxicity. So long as the poison was dealt with, the Brand Poison that had absorbed Nalan Jie's Dou Qi for so many years would be the finest cultivation nourishment available to him at present.

"I'll deal with this along with everything else once Master awakens." Xiao Yan touched the black spot on his chest, the gathering place of the Brand Poison.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Xiao Yan paused. He did not know who would come looking for him at this hour. It was probably the Shop Assistant.

Without thinking much about it, he pulled on a white shirt and went straight to open the door.

The instant he opened it, his eyes widened in astonishment.

The pink hair that had been tied into three sections with ribbons during the day now fell loose around her shoulders, making her seem less lively but adding a touch of quiet grace. Her blue academy robe had been replaced with a white inner garment, which, paired with her lovely figure, looked somewhat alluring.

"Miss Gongsun?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion. "Why are you here?"

Liuli raised her head, glanced inside, and said, "Let's talk inside."

"This..." Xiao Yan hesitated. Leaving aside the fact that it was the middle of the night, it was already inappropriate for a beautiful Young Girl to enter a man's room. Besides, both of them were dressed rather lightly!

"I have something important to tell you." Liuli did not quite understand Xiao Yan's expression and frowned slightly.

"Miss Gongsun, isn't it somewhat improper for you to enter my room like this?" Xiao Yan still felt awkward and reminded her.

Liuli lowered her head to inspect herself, then looked back up in puzzlement. "What's wrong with it?"

This outfit was already very conservative. Nothing that should or should not be exposed was exposed, and since it was late autumn, it was rather thick as well. Wearing this, she did not even need a blanket to sleep.

"All right. Since Miss Gongsun doesn't mind, come in." Xiao Yan could only helplessly let Liuli enter.

After entering, Liuli curiously looked around the room and naturally noticed the corrosion marks on the floor. However, she pretended not to see them, pulled over a chair, and gently sat down.

Seeing how unceremonious she was, Xiao Yan did not hesitate further. With his back to her, he buttoned up his shirt, then pulled over another chair and sat opposite her.

"Miss Gongsun, what urgent matter brings you to me so late at night?" Xiao Yan asked, voicing his doubts.

Liuli twirled a loose strand of hair around her fingers and thought for a moment. She took a small Jade Bottle from the Storage Ring she wore and placed it on the table beside her. "This is a Fifth-grade Pill, the Spirit Healing Pill. It can allow anyone below the Dou Wang realm to quickly recover to peak condition. My Aunt asked me to give it to you."

Xiao Yan was startled. He stared at the Jade Bottle for a moment, then gently shook his head.

"What? You don't want it?" Liuli seemed to have anticipated his thoughts.

"We have only met a few times and are not familiar with one another. Please forgive me, but I cannot accept such a generous gift." Xiao Yan politely refused.

"We've already gone through life and death together. Are we still strangers?" Liuli said dryly, with a trace of dissatisfaction in her voice. She pushed the Jade Bottle toward Xiao Yan.

"Even so, I still cannot accept this gift. You've already helped me a great deal. If you do any more, I'm afraid I won't be able to repay it." Xiao Yan smiled and pushed the Jade Bottle back.

"Then if I told you that if you don't recover to peak condition before tomorrow, you might very well lose this match, what would you choose?" Liuli paused before finally speaking the youth's true name.

"Xiao Yan!"