Swiftly Clearing the Secret Chamber, Only to Find the Way Blocked

After dealing with those five mercenaries, no one else foolishly came looking for trouble with Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan found an inn, checked in, and rested properly for a day.

He had traveled on foot from Wutan City to Green Mountain Town for several days. Though his body did not feel tired, it had been a long time since he had enjoyed a comfortable night's sleep.

The next day.

Xiao Yan left the inn and arrived outside the Ten Thousand Herb Pavilion.

Before long, Xiao Yi Xian appeared as well and came to Xiao Yan's side.

Xiao Yan said, "Let's go."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded, then asked, "Young Master Xiao, what is your strength? Should we hire some mercenaries under the excuse of gathering herbs?"

Xiao Yan did not reveal his true combat strength. He merely exposed his Dou Qi cultivation. "Not much. Seven-Star Dou Master."

"Seven-Star Dou Master?!" Xiao Yi Xian's mouth fell open into a round O.

The strongest people in Green Mountain Town were only low-star Dou Masters, yet Xiao Yan was actually a Seven-Star Dou Master.

Could it be that Xiao Yan looked young only because he had taken some special pill?

Xiao Yi Xian did not rashly ask. She laughed awkwardly instead. "That's wonderful. Then we won't have to worry about danger."

Xiao Yan said nothing and merely nodded.

Seven-Star Dou Master cultivation, the body of a fourth-tier magical beast, and the soul power of a fourth-grade Alchemist.

With Yao Lao still able to possess him from the shadows, his combat strength would let him move freely even against sixth-tier beast emperors in the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, much less its outskirts.

This was the reward for working so hard to improve himself.

Xiao Yi Xian led the way while Xiao Yan cleared the path.

After spending some time traveling, the two had already reached the cave Xiao Yi Xian had mentioned.

The cave sat halfway up a cliff face, concealed by shrubs and loose stones. The terrain was extremely steep.

Xiao Yan glanced at the bottomless abyss below. Given his physical constitution, even falling down would not cause him much trouble, but Xiao Yi Xian would most likely die.

Fortunately, Xiao Yi Xian had come prepared. She took out a rope and grappling hook, fastening one end into a crack in a massive rock and tying the other around their waists.

The two exchanged a look and began descending the cliff face.

Because there was so little room on the cliff face, they had to press tightly against one another just to move with difficulty.

This inevitably led to some intimate contact.

Xiao Yan's firm, powerful muscles radiated a strong masculine scent.

Xiao Yi Xian's body was unbelievably soft. Pressed against Xiao Yan, she was like a soft lump of dough flattened into a pancake.

It was the first time either young man or young woman had been so close to the opposite sex, so embarrassment was unavoidable.

Xiao Yi Xian said softly, "We should have gone down one at a time."

Pretending not to hear, Xiao Yan directly wrapped an arm around Xiao Yi Xian's waist. "Don't move around. I'll hold you and jump over."

Xiao Yi Xian instantly stiffened, her face turning as red as a monkey's backside.

Xiao Yan exerted strength through his legs, stepped on a protrusion in the cliff wall, and leaped fiercely while holding Xiao Yi Xian, landing precisely on the outward extension before the cave.

The Rock Snake from the original story did not appear. Perhaps the timing was wrong, but Xiao Yan did not dwell on it.

"Um... can you let go of me now?" Xiao Yi Xian asked shyly.

Xiao Yan quickly released her and coughed lightly. "We're here. Hurry inside."

"Mm." Xiao Yi Xian turned her head away, too embarrassed to look at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan took a Moonlight Stone for illumination from his Storage Ring and led Xiao Yi Xian deeper into the cave. Before long, they arrived before a stone door.

Xiao Yi Xian studied the stone door and analyzed it. "It seems to be some kind of mechanism..."

Before Xiao Yi Xian could finish, Xiao Yan had already gathered his strength and thrown a punch at the center of the stone door.

Bang!

The stone door cracked from its center and exploded apart with a bang.

Xiao Yi Xian's mouth fell open like an egg again. She had been shocked more times today than on any previous day of her life.

Was this really a Dou Master?

"Stop staring blankly. Let's go in together." Xiao Yan grabbed Xiao Yi Xian by the wrist.

Without noticing, Xiao Yi Xian followed him into the secret chamber.

The secret chamber was divided into several sections.

One area was piled with gold coins and gemstones.

There was a flower bed planted with precious medicinal herbs. Among them was Ice Spirit Flame Grass, another main ingredient for the Blood Lotus Pill. Combined with Blood Lotus Essence and supplemented with other medicinal herbs, it could be refined into the fifth-grade Blood Lotus Pill.

Back at the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan had already gathered one set of ingredients and had Yao Lao refine a Blood Lotus Pill.

However, he was destined to absorb more than one Heavenly Flame. Preparing a second Blood Lotus Pill in advance was simply a precaution against future need.

Xiao Yan put away the Ice Spirit Flame Grass. The other medicinal herbs were precious as well, but he did not think much of them, so he said to Xiao Yi Xian, "You can put away these herbs."

Xiao Yi Xian had been gazing enviously at the many treasures and herbs within the secret chamber.

She did not regret anything, since with her own abilities, entering this secret chamber would not have been easy.

Besides, this had been her deal with Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan had successfully obtained benefits here, and afterward he would teach her alchemy, so she merely felt envious.

Yet she had not expected Xiao Yan to let her take these medicinal herbs.

"These herbs are very precious. You don't want them?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

"You were the one who brought me here, so what is wrong with sharing some of this opportunity with you? As for the deal I promised you, I will naturally teach you alchemy, but you can never become an Alchemist. You were the one at a disadvantage in this deal, so consider this compensation." Xiao Yan spoke calmly.

Xiao Yi Xian stared at Xiao Yan for several seconds, then suddenly covered her mouth and laughed softly. "What a handsome thing to say. I almost fell for you."

Xiao Yan: ...

Shaking his head helplessly, Xiao Yan walked to the table at the center of the stone chamber. Three stone boxes rested upon it.

Xiao Yan raised his hand and crushed the stone lock directly into powder.

He was starting to enjoy this feeling of smashing through everything with brute force.

Opening the three stone boxes, three scrolls came into view.

A Xuan Rank Dou Technique, Mad Lion Roar.

A Xuan Rank flying Dou Technique, Purple Cloud Wings.

The Seven-Colored Poison Scripture.

Xiao Yan put on a show of opening and reading them all. With his memory, he quickly memorized their contents.

Then he directly tossed the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture to Xiao Yi Xian.

"This is the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. It should be useful to a healer like you. Take it."

Xiao Yi Xian did not refuse. She merely bent at the waist in thanks. "Young Master Xiao, thank you."

"Mm."

Xiao Yan replied politely, then pretended to curiously fiddle with the skeleton in the stone chamber. With a light tug, the skeleton fell apart.

A small scroll dropped out.

He swiftly put it away and muttered, "Hidden so deeply—it must be something good."

At this point, nothing useful remained in the entire stone chamber.

After tidying up, the two left the cave.

However, only a few minutes after heading out, more than a dozen figures appeared on the only path leading out of the cave. They were all mercenaries radiating the aura of Dou Zhes.

Xiao Yi Xian looked at those mercenaries with pity and consciously retreated behind Xiao Yan.

There was no helping it. Xiao Yan's terrifying strength, capable of smashing a stone door with one punch, left her with no sense of danger at all.

If these people took one of Xiao Yan's punches, would they not end up bruised blue and purple, scattered left and right?