Breakthrough!

Ye Xiu took a bag of gold coins out of his Storage Ring and tossed it onto the counter.

"Count it."

Hai Bodong didn't even glance at the bag. The five hundred thousand was just a number he had thrown out; money wasn't what he lacked. He put the bag away and stared at Ye Xiu, remaining silent for a long time.

Ye Xiu tucked the map fragment into his Storage Ring and turned to leave.

"Wait." Just then, Hai Bodong suddenly called out to him.

Ye Xiu stopped and looked back at him. "Is there something else?"

Hai Bodong hesitated for a moment before saying, "You... since you know this map is just a fragment, you should know that having this one piece is useless."

"I know."

"Then why buy it?"

Ye Xiu looked at him and said, "I have my own methods."

Hai Bodong opened his mouth and asked, "Do you really know what this map fragment is for?"

"If you're trying to fish for information, don't waste your breath." Ye Xiu turned and walked to the door, but suddenly remembered something and stopped again.

"That seal of yours—do you want it broken?"

Hai Bodong was stunned and stood up abruptly. "You can break it?"

Ye Xiu glanced back at him. "A Tier 6 seal isn't difficult for me. But I don't have time right now; we'll talk about it when I return after finishing my business."

Hai Bodong's eyes lit up. "You... you're willing to help me?"

Ye Xiu said, "It depends on my mood. Of course, there will be conditions."

With that, he pushed the door open and stepped out.

Hai Bodong stood behind the counter, staring at the door, motionless for a long time.

After a good while, he slowly sat back down in his chair, touched the scar on his face, and felt his mind still reeling.

He had naturally seen the Tier 4 Alchemist emblem on Ye Xiu. To be both a Dou Wang and a Tier 4 Alchemist at that age was simply terrifying.

However, to break his seal, one would need a Tier 6 Alchemist to refine a Po'e Pill.

Hai Bodong wondered skeptically, "Can this kid really break my seal?"

When Ye Xiu returned to the inn, Little Doctor Fairy was waiting for him in the room.

Seeing him enter, Little Doctor Fairy stood up. "Master, you're back?"

Ye Xiu nodded and sat down in a chair.

Little Doctor Fairy leaned in and asked curiously, "Master, where did you go just now?"

Ye Xiu didn't hide it. Having spent so many days together, he had developed deep trust in Little Doctor Fairy, so he said, "I bought something."

He took the map fragment out of his Storage Ring and handed it to her.

Little Doctor Fairy took it and looked it over, frowning. "Master, what is this? It looks like a map, but it's all tattered."

Ye Xiu said, "It's a fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame."

"Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame?" Little Doctor Fairy was startled. "Is that the Heavenly Flame you mentioned, Master?"

"Although it is a Heavenly Flame, this is a different one. It isn't my target this time."

Little Doctor Fairy looked at the fragment in her hands, her eyes sparkling. "Master, regardless, doesn't this mean we're one step closer to a Heavenly Flame?"

Ye Xiu smiled slightly. "I suppose so."

He took the fragment back and placed it into his Storage Ring.

Ye Xiu continued, "On the Dou Qi Continent, there are twenty-three types of Heavenly Flames. One of them, called the Nether Poison Flame, is perfectly suited for your Woe Poison Body."

Little Doctor Fairy was slightly taken aback. "Oh, is that so!"

Ye Xiu nodded. "If there is an opportunity in the future, I will help you subdue this Heavenly Flame. It will be of great benefit to your constitution."

Little Doctor Fairy was instantly delighted. "Mm, thank you, Master!"

After saying this, Little Doctor Fairy sat down nearby, propped her chin on her hand, and started chatting about other things. "Master, did you run into any trouble when you went out just now?"

Ye Xiu said, "What kind of trouble could I run into? I just had a chat with an old man."

"A chat?"

"Yes," Ye Xiu said. "We started chatting, and then we ended up fighting."

Little Doctor Fairy: "..."

She looked at Ye Xiu and, seeing that he didn't have a single scratch on him, felt relieved.

"So, did Master win the fight?"

Ye Xiu looked at her. "What do you think?"

Little Doctor Fairy giggled. "You definitely won. Master is the strongest."

Ye Xiu didn't reply; he stood up and walked to the window.

Outside, the sky was nearly dark, and the distant desert glowed red under the setting sun.

Little Doctor Fairy followed him, standing by his side.

"Master, when are we going to that Snake-Person Race tribe?"

Ye Xiu said, "Wait a few more days."

"Wait for what?"

Ye Xiu turned to look at her: "Wait for me to have another breakthrough. Besides, it's not 'we' going to the Snake-Person tribe, it's me. It's still too dangerous there for you."

Little Doctor Fairy felt a bit dejected, but she still nodded and didn't ask any further.

The two of them stood by the window like that, watching the sky outside darken bit by bit.

After a long while, Little Doctor Fairy suddenly whispered, "Master, tonight... are we still going to cultivate together?"

Ye Xiu glanced at her.

Little Doctor Fairy's face flushed red, but she didn't look away, just kept watching him.

Ye Xiu said, "Let's go, come into the room with me."

Little Doctor Fairy lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curling up.

The last ray of light outside the window vanished into the horizon, and night fell.

Three days later, morning.

In a room at the Mo City inn, a surging aura suddenly exploded!

Ye Xiu opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. The Dou Qi within his body was significantly more profound than before, flowing with absolute smoothness.

Finally, a four-star Dou Wang.

Opposite him, Little Doctor Fairy also opened her eyes, her face flushed, and the aura on her body was much stronger than it had been three days ago. She had also broken through by one star.

"Master!" Little Doctor Fairy was so excited she nearly jumped up, "I broke through! I broke through too! Cultivating together is really so fast!"

Ye Xiu nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad."

Not bad? Little Doctor Fairy's mouth twitched. She had been stuck at this realm for several years, and after just three days of cultivating with Master, she had broken through! How could he call that just "not bad"!

However, she didn't dare say anything, just let out a small giggle.

Ye Xiu stood up and stretched his limbs. The sunlight from outside the window shone in, lighting up the entire room.

"The time is about right," he said, "I should be going."

The smile on Little Doctor Fairy's face instantly froze.

She opened her mouth, but in the end, she just lowered her head and gave a soft "Mm."

Seeing her like this, Ye Xiu didn't say much. He walked to the table and took several items out of his Storage Ring to place on the table.

Two jade bottles, a scroll, and a pouch of gold coins.

"These two bottles are tier four healing pills and Qi Recovery Pills. Keep them safe; while I'm away, watch your safety," Ye Xiu said. "That Dou technique is a low-level Xuan-tier Green Python Poison Palm. I obtained it in Wutan City, and it pairs quite well with your Poison Scripture. Practice it when you have time. Keep the gold coins to spend; don't skimp."

Little Doctor Fairy looked at the items on the table and nodded heavily.

She walked up to Ye Xiu and looked up at him: "Master, when will you be back?"

Ye Xiu thought for a moment: "If it's fast, ten days or half a month; if it's slow... it's hard to say."

Little Doctor Fairy nodded, bit her lip, and suddenly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him.

Ye Xiu was stunned for a moment, feeling the softness in his arms, and didn't move.

Little Doctor Fairy buried her face in his chest and said in a muffled voice, "Master, you must come back safely."