The hidden compartment slowly slid out and came to a stop. Li Xingluo withdrew his Dou Qi and pulled back his hand.
He hadn't expected opening a single hidden compartment to consume nearly half his Dou Qi. It was more exhausting than a fight.
Li Xingluo let out a long sigh, then took three things from the compartment. Unlike the Dou Technique he'd found in the first compartment, these were different.
He took out the items, and the compartment closed behind them. He studied the three things in his hands.
The first was how to become an Alchemist? The second was a pill formula. The third was... When he saw the third item, Li Xingluo grew a little excited. According to the instructions, it was something needed to create a space inside the body for absorbing a Heavenly Flame.
This was a valuable item. He remembered that when Yao Lao had helped Xiao Yan refine one, it had sparked a scramble among many people.
Li Xingluo carefully put it away. The most important thing now was to see how to become an Alchemist.
He hadn't expected to receive a reward like this. Thinking of the Woeful Poison Body in Xiao Yi Xian, these things were all essential. There was just one more thing he still lacked.
Never mind. He'd think about that later. Li Xingluo opened the scroll, sat down where he was, and began to study.
He didn't know how much time had passed when a dazzling white light flashed before his eyes. The next moment, he found himself back on the bamboo bed, still in the same cultivation pose.
Only now, several pieces of knowledge had appeared in his mind. It seemed he'd really learned it all. He wondered what rank of Alchemist he was now. Why not give it a try?
Li Xingluo asked Xiao Yi Xian for some of the medicinal herbs required by the pill formula. Xiao Yi Xian was quite surprised. After all, they'd been in the valley all this time, and neither of them had been injured or anything.
"Um..." Li Xingluo didn't know how to bring it up, so he scratched the back of his head.
Xiao Yi Xian noticed his awkwardness and didn't ask any further.
"Here, these are the herbs you wanted. I'm just missing one."
Li Xingluo took the herbs from Xiao Yi Xian. Fortunately, the pill formula also included illustrations of the herbs.
Besides cultivating, Li Xingluo had been eager to learn about medicinal herbs from Xiao Yi Xian during this time. He recognized some of them, so he knew which one she was missing.
"Where this herb grows, Demonic Beasts usually guard it. There should be some in the Magical Beast Mountain Range."
Xiao Yi Xian continued to tell Li Xingluo what she knew. His brows drew together slightly. It looked like he'd have to go out again.
"I'll go with you!"
Xiao Yi Xian seemed to see right through what he was thinking.
"I'd better go alone."
"What? Afraid I'll hold you back?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
"Then it's settled. I need to gather some other herbs, anyway."
Xiao Yi Xian gave Li Xingluo no chance to argue and made the final decision.
With no other choice, Li Xingluo agreed. The two of them left the valley on Xiao Lan.
After they'd been out of the valley for a while, Xiao Yi Xian pointed toward a patch of woods below them, not far ahead.
"If I remember right, the herb you need is over there."
Following the direction of Xiao Yi Xian's finger, Li Xingluo felt a faint unease. It grew especially strong when Xiao Lan circled overhead and slowly descended without a single bird flying out.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go down."
Xiao Yi Xian turned to see Li Xingluo standing there in a daze and called to him. Xiao Lan beat her wings, and Li Xingluo came back to his senses.
Xiao Yi Xian had already jumped down first. Without hesitation, Li Xingluo followed.
"It should be somewhere nearby. I came here with the Herb Gathering Group two years ago."
Xiao Yi Xian walked ahead, looking back now and then as she explained things like a tour guide.
Li Xingluo was somewhat distracted. He was actually keeping an eye on their surroundings. The farther they went, the stronger his unease became.
"Xiao Yi Xian..."
Li Xingluo suddenly called out to her. Xiao Yi Xian continued walking on her own, but when she heard the urgency in his voice, she stopped and turned back, looking at him in confusion.
"What is it?"
"Watch out."
Li Xingluo's pupils widened. At some point, an Ice Snow Magic Wolf had charged out of the mist behind Xiao Yi Xian.
In a flash, Li Xingluo shot past Xiao Yi Xian like a bolt of lightning. The Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword was already in his hand. He swung it once, knocking the Ice Snow Magic Wolf back.
Xiao Yi Xian slowly turned around and saw a Demonic Beast staring at her menacingly from not far away. If Li Xingluo hadn't reacted so quickly, the consequences could have been dire.
After knocking the Ice Snow Magic Wolf back, Li Xingluo glanced at Xiao Yi Xian and remembered to ask, "Xiao Yi Xian, are you all right?"
Xiao Yi Xian shook her head to show she was fine.
But wolves were usually pack animals. If one appeared, it meant others were nearby too.
Sure enough, more than ten Ice Snow Magic Wolves slowly emerged from the mist and gathered behind the one that had launched the sneak attack.
They formed a half-circle around Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian.
Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help frowning. It hadn't been like this two years ago. Those had clearly been different Demonic Beasts, and there had only been one.
Li Xingluo saw the surprise on Xiao Yi Xian's face. This was clearly not what she'd expected.
Fortunately, all these Ice Snow Magic Wolves were Tier 2 Magical Beasts. As a Dou Shi, Li Xingluo was strong enough to deal with them.
"Xiao Yi Xian, stay where I can see you."
Xiao Yi Xian slowly moved behind Li Xingluo, and the two stood back to back. The Ice Snow Magic Wolves had surrounded them under their leader's command.
At the leader's roar, the attack began. Li Xingluo kept swinging his sword, knocking back the Ice Snow Magic Wolves that rushed at them, while Xiao Yi Xian helped from the side. For the moment, aside from two fallen Ice Snow Magic Wolves, neither of them was in any danger.
The leading Ice Snow Magic Wolf raised its head and howled like a commander giving orders. All the Ice Snow Magic Wolves retreated in unison, opening up some distance.
At the command of a single "Awooo," all the Ice Snow Magic Wolves whipped their tails. Ice spikes formed at their tips and shot toward Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian.
More than ten ice spikes attacked from every direction. Li Xingluo kept swinging the Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword around Xiao Yi Xian, batting them aside.
The relentless attack didn't stop. The Ice Snow Magic Wolves seemed to have an endless supply of Dou Qi, and attacked like mad.
Xiao Yi Xian's poison was blocked by ice shields the Ice Snow Magic Wolves raised, something Li Xingluo hadn't expected at all.
Even when Xiao Lan flew over to help, the wolf king's ice spikes drove her back. Xiao Lan circled anxiously overhead, unable to get close to the two of them.
Their Dou Qi was being drained faster and faster. If this kept up, both of them might...
"Xiao Yi Xian..."
"Hmm?"
Li Xingluo felt a little awkward. There was only one way to break this deadlock.
"Xiao Yi Xian, I need you to hold them off..."
Xiao Yi Xian followed his gaze and immediately understood what he planned to do.
"Okay!" Xiao Yi Xian answered without the slightest hesitation.
Noticing the worry on Li Xingluo's face, Xiao Yi Xian reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. If this goes on, neither of us will make it out."
Only after Xiao Yi Xian firmly agreed did Li Xingluo give a slight nod.
Xiao Yi Xian didn't hold back. She charged toward the nearest Ice Snow Magic Wolf, drawing the attention of the others.
Taking advantage of the opening, Li Xingluo leapt over the Ice Snow Magic Wolves ahead of him. He'd only ever had one target.
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