Bloodline Pact and the Undercurrents of Green Mountain Town

Inside the Snake-People Tribe sanctuary, the altar had been reduced to ruins, with broken walls and shattered pillars casting jagged shadows in the gloom. The air felt solidified by some invisible force, heavy as molten lead, pressing down until it became impossible to breathe; a sense of suffocation washed over everyone like a rising tide.

Burning cyan flames flowed slowly around Queen Medusa, like a nimble fire serpent, before gradually retracting to form a shimmering, radiant gown of fire. The dress appeared woven from the clouds of the horizon, infused with the heat and vitality of flame, perfectly contouring her breathtaking new physique. Every line of her form radiated lethal allure and boundless majesty. Her purple eyes, burning with cyan embers, were like two cold searchlights piercing through the lingering smoke and chaotic energy, locking onto Xiao Zhan, who leaned against a broken wall at the edge of the ruins, his aura withered.

That gaze contained a towering fury, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, ready to consume everything in its path; it also held a cold scrutiny, sharp as the biting wind of midwinter, chilling one to the bone. Yet, beneath it all lay a trace of a strange tremor originating from the depths of her bloodline, like a mysterious string being plucked in an unguarded moment.

"Dou Zong..." Queen Medusa's voice rang out, as cold and clear as a chilling sound from the Nine Serenities, yet carrying a frost that seemed capable of freezing the soul, echoing through the deathly silent sanctuary. "You hide yourself well, human."

Her jade feet tapped the void, and her figure shifted like a ghost, appearing instantly a few yards in front of Xiao Zhan. An invisible pressure descended like a mountain of a billion jun, carrying the force of a collapsing sea. The heavily injured Xiao Zhan felt a tightness in his chest, as if crushed by an unseen peak; blood spilled from the corner of his mouth again, and even breathing became an arduous task, each inhalation feeling like walking on the edge of a blade. Having just blocked that fatal strike from Protector Wu, he had exhausted all his strength. Now, facing Queen Medusa—whose aura after her evolution was even more formidable than before, standing like a goddess—he was almost entirely defenseless, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Yue Mei, the other three injured Dou King elders, and the snake-people warriors who had just repelled the two Soul Hall Dou Emperors (Protector Wu, sensing the shift in momentum, had already fled like a stray dog) all held their breath, not daring to make a sound, watching their Queen with reverence. Their eyes were filled with fear and awe, as if facing an irresistible deity; no one dared to step forward, fearing that a single misstep would invite catastrophe.

"Speak!" Queen Medusa's voice rose sharply, like a thunderclap in their ears, carrying unquestionable majesty. "Who exactly are you? What is your motive for sneaking into my sanctuary? That dragon roar that shook the soul, that mysterious bloodline... where did it come from?!"

Each question struck Xiao Zhan's heart like a heavy hammer, carrying an irresistible force that made his heartbeat falter. He braced his crumbling body, slowly raising his head to meet those purple-cyan eyes that seemed capable of peering into all the world's secrets. Her gaze was deep and mysterious, like the brightest stars in the night sky, yet carried a bone-chilling coldness. Xiao Zhan's voice was hoarse, yet possessed an undeniable clarity: "I am Xiao Zhan, Patriarch of the Xiao Family of Wutan City. I infiltrated the sanctuary only to warn you all of the Soul Hall's conspiracy. My heart is clear, and heaven and earth may bear witness!"

At this point, he paused slightly, took a deep breath, and continued: "As for this bloodline... my ancestors once had a fortuitous encounter, and by chance, managed to fuse a trace of the Ancient Heaven Phoenix's essence blood. As time flowed and generations passed, only this lingering wisp remains within me now."

"Heaven Phoenix..." The cyan embers in Queen Medusa's purple pupils flickered like two mysterious stars. She slowly raised a flawless jade hand, as smooth and delicate as mutton-fat jade, yet containing boundless power. From her fingertips, a wisp of cyan Heavenly Flame energy emerged like a nimble serpent, carrying a terrifying heat capable of incinerating all things, and slowly extended toward the center of Xiao Zhan's brow! Where the heat passed, the air warped and distorted, emitting a sizzling sound.

"Your Majesty, no!" Yue Mei cried out in alarm, her voice filled with terror and anxiety, fearing the Queen was about to deliver a lethal blow, and she couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Xiao Zhan.

However, the wisp of cyan flame did not attack as she had expected. Instead, it stopped an inch from Xiao Zhan's brow, hovering there like a precision probe, quietly sensing the lingering Dragon Phoenix aura within him. That aura was faint yet resilient, like a candle flame swaying in the wind that refused to go out. At the same time, it sensed the faint fluctuations of the Dragon Phoenix Tyrant Body Art, which continued to operate stubbornly even after being scorched by the Heavenly Flame origin; those fluctuations played out in the air like a mysterious musical score.

"Extremely yang and rigid... overriding all spirits... indeed, it carries a trace of the Heaven Phoenix origin..." Queen Medusa murmured to herself, her voice soft yet carrying an unquestionable majesty. The scrutiny and killing intent in her eyes diminished strangely, replaced by a complex and inscrutable curiosity, as if a door to a mysterious world had opened before her. "Although this aura is so faint it is almost imperceptible, its essence is extremely high..."

"And this cultivation technique..." She narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze flashing with the light of wisdom. "It can actually resonate so faintly with the power of the Heavenly Flame?"

With that, she gently withdrew the Heavenly Flame from her fingertip. The investigation had confirmed two things in her mind: first, the bloodline aura within Xiao Zhan, though thin as a thread, truly originated from the mysterious and powerful Ancient Heaven Phoenix, and it held a subtle attraction to her Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python bloodline, like two magnets responding to each other in the dark (or perhaps, her bloodline was craving to devour this higher-order energy to achieve its own evolution and ascension); second, the technique Xiao Zhan practiced seemed to have a special adaptability to the power of Heavenly Flame, like a custom-made key capable of opening the mysterious gates of the flame's power.

"To protect the altar, you did not hesitate to expose the strength you had long kept hidden, resolutely resisting a full-force strike from a Dou Zong, and now you are severely injured and your aura is withered." Queen Medusa's voice gradually returned to its usual coldness, like a clear spring flowing through the mountains, carrying a hint of coolness, but compared to before, it was less aggressive and more peaceful.

Hearing this, Xiao Zhan felt a slight relief, his taut nerves relaxing like a bowstring; he knew the most dangerous moment had temporarily passed.

"But!" Queen Medusa's tone shifted abruptly, her purple eyes becoming sharp as swords again, as if they could pierce a soul. "Your crime of trespassing in my sanctuary cannot be wiped away so easily! Currently, the threat of the Soul Hall lingers like a dark haze, and I have just completed my evolution; my power is not yet fully stabilized, like a foundation that has not yet set, and it urgently needs strengthening..."

Her gaze fell upon Xiao Zhan like a physical weight, carrying an unquestionable dominance that pressed down on his heart. "This King requires your bloodline power to help me fully stabilize the fusion of the Heavenly Flame and冲击 that higher realm!"

Xiao Zhan's heart tightened as if pierced by a cold blade. He frowned slightly and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty's meaning is..."

"This King wants you to offer a wisp of essence blood containing the Heaven Phoenix origin!" Queen Medusa spoke directly, without any attempt to conceal her intent. She opened her jade hand, and in her palm, a strange rune condensed from cyan flames slowly rotated like a mysterious star, emitting a cold and enigmatic light. "Using this as a guide, you and I shall conclude a Bloodline Pact! You provide the essence blood to help me stabilize my foundation, and in return, I shall grant you the position of Guest Elder of the Snake-People Tribe, protect your Xiao Family, and promise to act on your behalf once!"

A Bloodline Pact! That was to use essence blood as a guide to forge a connection beyond the ordinary! It was equivalent to handing over a portion of one's own origin to the other party, carrying immense risk; a slight error could damage one's very foundation. However, the conditions Queen Medusa offered were truly—the status of a Guest Elder of the Snake-People Tribe was a position of immense influence; the protection of a peak powerhouse was like an indestructible umbrella for the Xiao Family; and that one promise to act could become the key to turning the tide in a critical moment!

Xiao Zhan weighed the pros and cons in his mind, moving as if groping through the dark, every step requiring extreme caution. Refuse? Now, with his severe injuries and poor state, facing Queen Medusa—whose strength had greatly increased and whose killing intent had not fully dissipated—he had no chance of victory; it would be like throwing an egg against a rock, courting his own destruction. Agree? Although he would lose a wisp of essence blood (though for him, with his mysterious system, it might not be irreparable), he could gain the protection and promise of a future Dou Zong (or even Dou Zun) powerhouse, resolve the previous crisis, and even establish a deeper connection... This was undoubtedly the optimal solution under the current circumstances!

"Very well!" Xiao Zhan's gaze was like a torch, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes, his expression as if he were heading into an unregrettable battlefield. "Xiao Zhan is willing to conclude this pact with Your Majesty!"

A trace of imperceptible satisfaction flickered in Queen Medusa's deep eyes, like a shooting star across the night sky. She flicked her finger, and the cyan flame rune, radiating mysterious energy, instantly vanished into the center of Xiao Zhan's brow like a streak of light!

In an instant, a scorching and incredibly domineering energy surged into the depths of Xiao Zhan's soul like a raging tide, transforming into a searing cyan flame brand, as if to carve an eternal mark upon his soul. At the same time, Xiao Zhan did not hesitate to bite the tip of his tongue, and a mouthful of crimson essence blood, carrying faint golden specks (the shimmer of the Dragon Phoenix aura), gushed out. He flicked his finger, and the essence blood transformed into a vibrant line of blood, merging into the flame rune in Queen Medusa's palm like a nimble dragon!

Hum—!

A crisp yet shocking hum resonated, and the rune flared with brilliant light, like a scorching sun radiating endless brilliance. Immediately after, the rune split in two! One half transformed into a cyan flame mark, branding itself into the depths of Xiao Zhan's soul like a mysterious totem, tightly connecting with his spirit; the other half transformed into a pale golden Phoenix pattern, elegantly merging into the center of Queen Medusa's snow-white brow, flashing once before vanishing as if it had never appeared.

The Bloodline Pact was complete!

A strange and mysterious connection was instantly established between the two, like an invisible thread binding their fates together. Xiao Zhan could vaguely sense the vast, surging power within Queen Medusa—a power that carried both the violence and heat of the Heavenly Flame and an endless, mysterious majesty. At the same time, he could feel a trace of longing for his own essence blood origin, a longing like a glimmer of light in the dark, faint yet real. Queen Medusa, meanwhile, clearly sensed the faint yet noble Dragon Phoenix aura within Xiao Zhan, an aura that seemed to come from an ancient summoning, carrying a mysterious and powerful force. What surprised her even more was Xiao Zhan's powerful soul strength, which far exceeded his apparent cultivation, hiding endless mysteries like the deep night sky. This caused a flash of astonishment to cross her purple eyes once more, as if she had glimpsed a brand-new world.

"The pact is formed." Queen Medusa slowly retracted her aura, and the terrifying pressure dissipated like a receding tide. Her gaze toward Xiao Zhan held less of the previous killing intent and more scrutiny, as if re-evaluating the man before her, along with an indescribable complexity, like tangled threads difficult to unravel.

"Your injuries are not light; recover in the sanctuary first. Yue Mei, take Elder Xiao to the 'Jade Fire Cold Pool' and assist him in his healing." Queen Medusa's voice was cold yet carried an unquestionable majesty.

"Yes! Your Majesty!" Yue Mei replied quickly, her eyes filled with wonder and awe as she looked at Xiao Zhan. A Guest Elder! This was a noble status never before granted to an outsider in the history of the Snake-People Tribe, yet now it had fallen to this human. How could she not be shocked and awestruck!

Xiao Zhan let out a sigh of relief, the heavy stone in his heart finally falling to the ground; he understood that this hurdle had been thoroughly cleared. He braced his crumbling body, struggling to rise, and bowed respectfully to Queen Medusa, his voice weak yet filled with sincerity: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Queen Medusa no longer looked at him, instead turning to gaze in the direction where Protector Wu had fled. In her eyes, cyan flames flickered like nimble sprites, filled with such chilling killing intent that it seemed to freeze the air: "Soul Hall... if I do not avenge this, I swear I am no snake!" With that, her figure flickered like a ghost, transforming into a brilliant cyan streak of light, instantly vanishing into the deep recesses of the sanctuary, clearly intending to stabilize her newly broken-through realm and hunt down the fleeing Protector Wu.

Xiao Zhan, supported carefully by Yue Mei, walked slowly toward the so-called "Jade Fire Cold Pool," his heart churning like a rising tide. The Bloodline Pact... Queen Medusa... everything that had seemed unrelated was now being pulled by an invisible hand toward a direction he had not foreseen and could not control.

Deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a hidden cave was concealed. Inside, a campfire crackled, the dancing flames like nimble dancers striving to dispel the bone-chilling cold of the cave. Xiao Yan sat cross-legged, his face still as pale as winter snow, but his aura was much steadier than before, like a calm pool of water. Yao Lao's ethereal figure stood guard nearby, his expression as grave as the sky before a storm.

Little Doctor Fairy was curled up in a corner far from the fire, like a wounded beast licking its own wounds, hugging her knees and burying her face deep, her shoulders trembling slightly as if weeping silently. A suffocating silence filled the cave, as if the very air had frozen.

"Teacher... Little Doctor Fairy, she..." Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, filled with worry, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the thin, lonely figure in the corner.

Yao Lao sighed softly, the sound carrying endless helplessness: "The Woe Poison Body has been completely activated, and the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture has merged with her soul... The poison power within her has formed a cycle, growing crazily at every moment. She is now a walking source of poison; anyone who approaches her will be poisoned if they are not careful. She is afraid—afraid that she will harm you, and even more afraid that she will completely turn into a monster and lose herself."

Xiao Yan felt as if a thousand-pound stone were pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe. He struggled with all his might to stand up, ignoring Yao Lao's earnest advice, and walked toward Little Doctor Fairy with staggering but firm steps.

"Don't... don't come over!" Little Doctor Fairy sensed his approach, her body trembling violently like a startled fawn. Her tearful voice rang out in the silent cave, filled with fear and despair, like a cry from someone struggling alone in the dark. "I will kill you... stay away from me..."

Xiao Yan stopped three steps away from her, his gaze like a scorching flame, looking at her trembling back with firmness and persistence, and said softly yet powerfully: "Little Doctor Fairy, look at me."

Little Doctor Fairy's body froze instantly, as if struck by a binding spell. After a long while, she slowly raised her head like a flower wilting in the rain. Tear tracks covered her beautiful yet now deathly pale face, and those eyes, once as clear as a spring and seemingly hiding a sea of stars, were now filled with grayness and dead silence, like a sky obscured by dark clouds. Deep within her pupils, tiny gray-white vortices swirled, carrying a heart-stopping aura of destruction, as if a summons from the abyss.

"Do you see?" Little Doctor Fairy's voice was as hoarse as rusted iron rubbing together, each word carrying endless pain and despair. "This is who I am now... a monster..."

"You are not a monster!" Xiao Yan interrupted her without hesitation, his voice not loud but carrying an unquestionable power, like a ray of light in the darkness. "You are Little Doctor Fairy! The herb-gathering girl from the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion who carefully bandaged my wounds, whose eyes were as clean as a spring and clear enough to reflect a person's heart!"

Little Doctor Fairy's tears gushed out again like a broken dam, and she shook her head frantically, her hair dancing in the air as if fighting against fate: "It's different... everything is different... I can't control it... that power... it's like a ferocious beast, wanting to devour everything..."

"Then learn to control it!" Xiao Yan stepped forward resolutely, his gaze like a torch, burning into her as if to inject his own strength into her. "Your teacher (the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture) has already given you the method to master it! Yao Lao has also said that there may be a solution! Power itself has no right or wrong; it is like a double-edged sword—the key lies in the person who wields it!"

He suddenly raised his hand, pointing straight at himself, his eyes filled with determination: "Look at me! The Burning Mantra I practice requires the devouring of Heavenly Flames! Do you know what a Heavenly Flame is? It is the most violent and destructive power in heaven and earth! One slight mistake, and it is total annihilation, a fate worse than death! Do you think I am not afraid? But I am more afraid of not having enough power to protect the people I want to protect and to accomplish the things I must accomplish!"

Xiao Yan's voice echoed lingeringly through the quiet mountain cave, every word brimming with the youth's hot-blooded passion and unwavering conviction: "Xiao Yi Xian! Running away has never been the solution to our problems! We must face this together! I will exhaust every effort to help you find a way to control your poison body and seek out the hope of neutralizing the Woe Poison Body! As for you, just help me become stronger, and we shall live on well together! Let us walk out of these great mountains and venture into that vast, magnificent world! Are you truly content to hide in this dark corner forever, being slowly devoured by fear?!"

"I..." Xiao Yi Xian stared blankly at Xiao Yan, her gaze locked onto the scorching flames burning in his eyes and the trust he offered without reservation. The youth's words were like a heavy hammer, shattering the thick layer of ice around her heart. Yes, was she content? Was she truly content to remain a monster, forever controlled by fear and spurned by others?

A faint yet infinitely precious light was quietly reignited deep within her originally gray and lifeless eyes. She slowly raised her head, her gaze falling upon the hand Xiao Yan had extended. It hung steadily in the air, without a hint of hesitation or fear, appearing like a solid harbor upon which she could rely.

"I... can I trust you?" Her voice carried a trace of trembling, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"As long as you do not give up on yourself, I, Xiao Yan, will always be a friend you can trust and rely upon!" Xiao Yan's hand remained firmly suspended in the air, unwavering in the slightest.

Inside the cave, the light of the campfire danced joyfully across their faces, as if cheering for their courage and resolve. Xiao Yi Xian looked at the youth's sincere and firm eyes, and at the warm hand he held out; the endless cold and despair in her heart seemed to be dispelled, bit by bit, by this blazing fire. Trembling, she slowly placed her own icy hand into Xiao Yan's warm palm, as if she had grasped the final shred of hope in her life.

"Ding!" A crisp system notification sounded in the void. "Xiao Yi Xian's favorability toward Xiao Yan has successfully increased by 20 points. Current favorability: 55/100 (The trust and reliance of those who have shared adversity have been achieved). The system has keenly detected a key fate node—the 'Woe Poison Body Symbiosis Contract' has been initially established. Host Xiao Zhan (associated person) has received a special reward: Detoxification Spirit Bead (This bead is a Heaven-tier low-grade treasure; it can slowly purify toxins within the wearer's body, powerfully suppress toxic backlash, and has a significant alleviating effect on the Woe Poison Body)."

(At this moment, Xiao Zhan, who was deep in meditation healing his wounds within the Jade Fire Cold Pool of the Snake-People Tribe, suddenly received the system notification in his sea of consciousness. A phantom of a spirit bead, emerald green throughout and radiating a gentle, vital glow, slowly condensed and took shape within the system space, as if containing endless vitality and hope.)

Green Mountain Town, backyard of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

Manager Yao was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in the room in a frantic rush. His footsteps were chaotic and hurried, his face etched with fear and anxiety as beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead.

"It's over... it's all over... that brat Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian... they have actually caused such a monstrous disaster... Mu Li is dead! Most of the elites of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group are dead or injured! That madman Mu She will surely go completely berserk..." He muttered incessantly, his eyes filled with despair.

"And that Xiao Yan..." Whenever Manager Yao recalled the terrifying explosion on the cliff that felt like divine punishment, his body could not help but tremble, as if the shockwaves of that blast were still echoing in his ears. "That was not power a human could possibly wield! There must be some terrifyingly powerful expert backing him! Will the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion... will the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion be implicated and suffer a calamity because of this?"

Just then, a trusted servant ran in, panicked and out of breath, shouting: "Manager! It's bad! The Wolf Head Mercenary Group has sealed off the entire town! Leader Mu She is personally leading his men, heading toward our Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion with murderous intent!"

Manager Yao's legs went weak from this sudden news, and his entire body swayed like a leaf in the wind, nearly collapsing to the ground in a state of utter wretchedness.

"Quick! Quick, leave through the back door! Go to the Miteer Auction House and find Miss Ya Fei! At this moment, only the Miteer Auction House can be our sanctuary!" Manager Yao seemed to have grasped a straw of hope in the darkness, a light of desperation igniting in his eyes. He scrambled and stumbled, his movements clumsy yet frantic, as he led his trusted servant toward the back door of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion like a madman.

Miteer Auction House, inside the secret chamber on the top floor.

Ya Fei leaned lazily against a soft chair, her figure graceful and alluring, like a beautiful rose blooming in the dark of night. She toyed gently with an exquisite communication jade slip in her hand, upon which an encrypted message from the Imperial Capital had just appeared; its flickering light seemed to whisper of unknown secrets. Master Gu Ni stood respectfully to the side, his expression solemn.

"That old fellow Teng Shan really refuses to give up easily." Ya Fei's red lips parted, curling into a mocking, cold sneer that felt like the chilly wind of a winter night. "He actually bypassed me and contacted the Misty Cloud Sect directly, hoping to use their hands to investigate Xiao Zhan's background? Hmph, what a clever scheme he has calculated."

Gu Ni's expression changed instantly, his eyes filled with astonishment: "The Misty Cloud Sect? How could they..."

"Because of that broken engagement." A cold, sharp glint flashed in Ya Fei's eyes, as if it could pierce through all falsehoods. "Nalan Yanran is the Young Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, and Xiao Yan is Xiao Zhan's son. The three-year agreement... the astonishing potential now displayed by the father and son of the Xiao Family is enough to make the Misty Cloud Sect feel deeply threatened and uneasy. Teng Shan is trying to kill with a borrowed knife, a plan to kill two birds with one stone."

"Then we..." Master Gu Ni frowned slightly, a trace of worry appearing in his eyes.

"No need to panic." Ya Fei set the jade slip down gently, her beautiful eyes shimmering with wisdom and composure, like the brightest stars in the night sky. "No matter how long the reach of the Misty Cloud Sect is, they cannot extend it into the mysterious depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The priority is to find Xiao Zhan. Master Gu Ni, have our people sent to the Magical Beast Mountain Range sent any news back?"

"There is no definitive news yet, Miss." Gu Ni shook his head slightly, his expression carrying a hint of gravity. "However, an urgent report just arrived from Green Mountain Town. Mu She of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group has gone mad and has ordered the entire town to be sealed off. He is currently searching everywhere for trouble with the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion; I hear this matter is inseparable from Young Master Xiao Yan."

"Xiao Yan?" Ya Fei's delicate brows furrowed slightly, then smoothed out again like a flower blooming and unfurling in the spring, a meaningful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "It seems this brat is not one to stay out of trouble. Pass down the order: tell our people in Green Mountain Town that if necessary, they may as well 'help' the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion and stir these waters into a complete mess. Also..."

A flash of nimble brilliance suddenly crossed her eyes, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky: "Spread the word that the Miteer Auction House will soon hold a grand, unprecedented auction near Green Mountain Town, and the final treasure will be a scroll of Earth-tier low-grade Dou Technique!"

"Earth-tier Dou Technique?!" Upon hearing this, Gu Ni could not help but gasp, his eyes filled with shock and doubt. "Miss, this..."

"It is fake, of course." Ya Fei blinked slyly, the smile at the corners of her mouth deepening, like a little fox that had successfully stolen a treat. "However, this false news is enough to attract those greedy hyenas. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group? Let them go dog-eat-dog with those factions who come sniffing for profit. Stirring the waters of Green Mountain Town into total turbidity will make it easier for us to find Xiao Zhan, and also... easier for that brat to slip away."

"Understood! Miss's plan is truly brilliant!" Hearing this, Gu Ni's eyes were filled with admiration, and he praised her from the bottom of his heart.

Ya Fei looked quietly out the window, her gaze seemingly crossing the barriers of space to land in the depths of that distant and mysterious desert.

"Xiao Zhan... no matter what you are experiencing right now, I will look after Wutan City and your excellent son for you for the time being. I only hope that... you can return safely soon." She prayed silently in her heart, her gentle yet firm gaze seemingly able to traverse thousands of mountains and rivers to reach Xiao Zhan's side.