Time Flies

Half a year later, deep within the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

A lake with breathtaking scenery lay like a sapphire embedded among the verdant mountains, its water clear and reflecting the sky, clouds, and the craggy rocks surrounding it.

Not far from the lakeshore sat a simple yet elegantly maintained small courtyard, forming a strange harmony with the rugged environment.

At this moment, Ning Chen was sitting cross-legged on a smooth boulder by the lake, his eyes slightly closed.

Crimson Dou Qi surged and swirled around his body like tangible flames, causing ripples to spread across the nearby lake surface.

The air distorted slightly as an increasingly powerful energy fluctuation radiated from him as the center.

Suddenly, a low, muffled thud echoed from within his body. The crimson Dou Qi around him retracted abruptly, only to explode outward again, becoming even more solid and refined than before!

Five-star Dou Wang!

"Phew—it seems that even without the system, my cultivation talent isn't low at all."

Ning Chen exhaled a long, stale breath. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes, and a satisfied curve tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Just then, a scent mixed with the faint bitterness of herbs and an indescribable, lingering fragrance quietly approached from behind.

Ning Chen didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Congratulations on another breakthrough."

A soft voice rang out.

Ning Chen turned, and what met his eyes was Little Fairy Doctor, or rather, Ye Qingxian.

The half-year of time had left few traces of hardship on her face; instead, due to the relatively stable living environment, her complexion was much rosier than it had been back in Qingshan Town.

She was still wearing a simple, elegant light cyan dress, though the fabric seemed of better quality and the tailoring was more form-fitting, making her figure appear even more slender and graceful.

Her waterfall-like dark hair was simply tied behind her head, with a few stray strands brushing against her fair cheeks in the breeze.

The most obvious change was perhaps her bright eyes, which had once been filled with vigilance and unease, but were now much calmer.

Only when she looked at Ning Chen would a soft light occasionally flash through her eyes, so quickly that even she herself failed to notice it.

"Mm, at least this half-year of peace wasn't wasted."

Ning Chen stood up and stretched his limbs, his gaze falling on the bamboo basket she was carrying, which was filled with some freshly picked, high-quality medicinal herbs.

"Went herb-gathering again? Although I've cleared out the high-level magic beasts nearby, there are still plenty of low-level ones. Be careful."

"I know, didn't you give me protective medicinal powder and signal flares?"

Little Fairy Doctor curled her lips slightly and placed the basket on a clean rock nearby with natural, practiced movements.

She walked to the lakeside, cupped a handful of cool water to wash her hands, and then sat down naturally on the edge of the rock where Ning Chen had just been meditating.

This half-year of reclusive life in the mountains—simple, peaceful, and even somewhat monotonous—had strangely smoothed out many of the creases in Little Fairy Doctor's heart.

They had built a small cabin by this beautiful lake and cultivated a small herb garden.

Ning Chen spent most of his time cultivating or occasionally going out to handle unknown matters, but he would always bring back daily necessities, books, and even some rare medicinal herb seeds or low-level magic cores.

At first, Little Fairy Doctor had remained guarded, observing Ning Chen with caution.

She discovered that this man was extremely mysterious; his strength seemed far beyond that of a mere Dou Wang, and he possessed an incredible amount of knowledge, sometimes speaking as if he were intimately familiar with the Central Plains and even more distant lands.

He was somewhat lazy and casual by nature, occasionally playing pranks on a whim to startle her.

But whenever she was truly frightened or encountered difficulties, he would put aside his jokes, patiently guide her, and even go so far as to expend his own Dou Qi to help her clear her meridians.

This contradictory nature—mysterious, powerful, occasionally mischievous, yet meticulous and gentle—was like water dripping through stone, slowly melting the ice in Little Fairy Doctor's heart.

She began to get used to preparing a simple breakfast for him in the morning, even though he often missed it due to his cultivation.

She grew accustomed to subconsciously checking for injuries when he returned from his outings, even though he never noticed.

She grew accustomed to his presence—either sitting quietly or reading nearby—while she studied the Poison Scripture or cultivated her Dou Qi.

If she could, she would truly want to live this stable life forever.

However, the Woeful Poison Body was like an unavoidable shadow that always loomed in her heart.

She had collected many of the necessary poisonous herbs and mastered a vast array of poison-making methods, yet she had hesitated to take that final step.

The fear still existed.

The fear of unknown pain, the struggle of potentially becoming a "poisonous entity" completely, and... the reluctance to let go of this current peaceful time.

"I..."

Little Fairy Doctor looked at the shimmering lake, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her dress, her voice lower than usual.

"The materials I've collected are almost enough."

Ning Chen was using his Dou Qi to dry his sleeves, which had gotten wet during his cultivation. Hearing this, his movements paused, and he turned to look at her.

"Have you decided?"

"Mm."

Little Fairy Doctor raised her head, her gaze meeting Ning Chen's without flinching.

"I have to face it eventually. You're right; whether it's a curse or a source of power depends on me. I don't want... I don't want to be a burden who always needs your protection."

Ning Chen looked at her for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Then go and do it. Remember the guidance techniques I taught you, proceed step by step. Don't worry, with me here, nothing will go terribly wrong."

Little Fairy Doctor curled her lips upon hearing this and couldn't help but blurt out, "You sound so confident. If—and I mean if—I can't control my poison body in the future, or if it attracts powerful enemies, like... a Dou Huang expert coming to kill me, can you still cover for me?"

After asking, she felt it was somewhat laughable herself.

Ning Chen was, after all, only a Dou Wang; how could he possibly contend with a Dou Huang?

Ning Chen heard this, raised an eyebrow, and put on an exaggerated expression of surprise.

"A Dou Huang? Aren't you underestimating me a bit too much?"

"Forget about a Dou Huang, even if a Dou Zong came, they wouldn't be able to touch a hair on your head. With me here, you can just set your heart at ease."

Little Fairy Doctor was slightly stunned. Looking into Ning Chen's eyes, which were so close and filled with a teasing smile, her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

Of course, she didn't believe these words, taking them as Ning Chen's usual, slightly exaggerated rhetoric meant to comfort her.

But even so, this stance of unreserved support still felt like a warm current pouring into her slightly chilly heart.

It made her nose sting a little, and her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.

"You only know how to talk big."

Little Fairy Doctor turned her face away to hide her slightly flushed cheeks and muttered softly, though the corners of her mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

Ning Chen laughed heartily and said no more, simply casting his gaze back toward the vast lake surface.

Let alone a Dou Zong, even if everyone on this Dou Qi Continent combined to kill Little Fairy Doctor, he would simply sink the Central Plains if it came to that.

The lake breeze blew, fluttering their robes.

Little Fairy Doctor gazed at Ning Chen's upright back, her heart rippling with soft waves like falling flower petals, the smile on her face becoming increasingly sweet.

The road ahead might still be fraught with obstacles, but at least for this moment, she was not alone.

"Ahem... I'll go prepare those poisons first."

Sensing a faint, lingering trace of ambiguity permeating the air, Little Fairy Doctor coughed lightly to hide her fluster and turned to walk quickly toward the small courtyard, leaving behind only a faint, lingering fragrance.

Watching that slightly hurried yet undeniably graceful figure disappear behind the fence, Ning Chen shook his head with a chuckle, then sat cross-legged once more on the smooth boulder.

In the mountains, time passes without count; one doesn't know the years as winter ends. Half a year had passed, and his Surprise Points had accumulated enough; it was time to continue being a gambler.

"System, open the panel."

With a thought, the panel unfolded before his eyes.

[Host: Ning Chen]

[Age: Eighteen]

[Cultivation: Five-Star Dou Wang]

[Techniques: Nine-Layer Phoenix Fire Art]

[Skills: Phoenix Wings Soaring, Great Sun Heaven-Burning Sword, Nirvana Shield, Phantom Fire Body...]

[Items: Three-Star Dou Zong Experience Card (3 seconds), Tiangang Sword Formation Diagram (Fragment), Eagle Wings Flight Skill Scroll, Chi Xin Fire (Tier 5 Beast Fire)...]

[Current Status: Indiscriminate 50-50 Domain (Passive effect active)]

[Surprise Points: 299,000!]