The Situation Wasn't Especially Bad Yet

"I never expected I would transmigrate to the Soul Clan..."

Having finally sat up in bed, Hun Li Li could finally find someone she could completely trust and began to pour out her troubles.

"That Soul Clan is no place for humans. Those without Soul Clan blood are basically no different from slaves, even worse than the commoners of the Jia Ma Empire. Even so, when they say they are also members of the Soul Clan, they still proudly puff out their chests. They're all out of their minds!"

And that Soul Envoy, he didn't even spare a little girl like me, he's a complete beast!

Do you know how I've gotten through these years...?

As Hun Li Li spoke, her eyes grew redder and redder. All the grievances she had been holding in burst forth in that instant, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Xiao Yan wanted to go over and wipe away her tears, but Hun Li Li rushed over and hugged him, burying her head in his chest and crying.

Feeling his clothes gradually getting wet, Xiao Yan reached out and gently patted Hun Li Li's back.

To be honest, he could really understand Hun Li Li's feelings.

If she hadn't had such a terrible start after transmigrating to the Dou Qi Continent, she could have easily made friends with Xiao Yan, which would have greatly reduced the difficulty of survival. If she was being chased, she could either accidentally fall off a cliff and gain an opportunity to fight back, or Xiao Yan would arrive just in time to save her. If she was lucky, she might even get two bottles of pills from Xiao Yan to improve her strength.

It's simply perfect.

Hun Li Li now understands this, which is why she came to find him.

The problem is that...

Her start was really terrible.

Xiao Yan never expected that even the Hun Tian Di would have an extra daughter who was just a tool.

"Alright, it's alright now. I'm here, so don't be afraid."

Although Xiao Yan had no confidence in breaking through to the Dou Sheng within eight years, he was clearly more fortunate than Xiao Yan Hun Li Li, who could be refined at any moment.

Of course, after venting her emotions, Hun Li Li stopped crying. After all, she wasn't entirely a teenage girl, and she still had to face what she had to face. Especially with Xiao Yan's help, she wasn't so desperate anymore.

Hun Li Li wiped away all her tears on Xiao Yan's body, but her red eyes after crying made her look quite pitiful.

"Speaking of which, that guy who disappeared in the Outer Academy before was the one I killed. He was sent by the Soul Hall. You'd never guess who sent him!"

After calming down, her tone became lighter.

"Hmm, could it be Protector Wu?"

Xiao Yan frowned and asked.

"No... it's Old Man Mu Gu!"

Hun Li Li said with a smile.

"Hmm, that old man?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded in understanding. Then, Old Yao, who had been unable to hold back any longer, also floated out from his Storage Ring.

"I thought Xiao Yan would be the only one, but I didn't expect you to be the same as Little Yanzi..."

Old Yao could sense that Xiao Yan had not actively isolated his soul power from the storage Storage Ring, which undoubtedly represented his complete trust in him. Therefore, he did not mind revealing himself in front of this young lady of the Soul Clan.

"So this is the Old Yao? I've finally met him in person... Soul?"

Hun Li Li also greatly admired Xiao Yan's mentor from her memories; at the moment, it should be said that she revered him.

"Tsk, looks like I really am just like you, knowing everything..."

Upon hearing this, Old Yao looked at Xiao Yan and said with a faint smile.

"Yes, so far, she's the only one like this."

Xiao Yan nodded.

"Hmm, so you already told Old Yao that you were a time traveler?"

Seeing their reactions, Hun Li Li naturally understood that Xiao Yan had already explained everything to Old Yao.

"Yes, my teacher treats me like his own child, so what would I need to hide from him?"

Xiao Yan said it as a matter of course.

Upon hearing this, Hun Li Li did not respond.

If it were her, she might choose a more cautious approach...

Therefore, Xiao Yan is Xiao Yan...

"Teacher, do you think it's possible for me to break through to the Dou Sheng within eight years?"

Xiao Yan asked the most crucial question.

Upon hearing this, Hun Li Li's gaze also focused on Old Yao.

"Uh... eight years to Dou Sheng?"

After hearing this absurd question, the Old Yao actually thought about it carefully and then came to a conclusion.

"If you do this, wait another four or five years, after you've passed your coming-of-age ceremony, then directly force yourself on all the young ladies of these Ancient Clans. Then, bring them and their children to their families, and get these Ancient Clans to unite and shower you with resources. I think that's a more likely approach..."

Old Yao's words were astonishing, leaving Xiao Yan and Hun Li Li, who were prepared to listen to his advice, completely dumbfounded.

What kind of plot is this? Are the locals of the Dou Qi Continent really this lacking in martial ethics?

"Teacher, if you keep doing this, I really won't be able to control you anymore..."

Xiao Yan said with a hint of helplessness.

"Hmph, then you should come up with a plan yourself. Give me fifteen years, and I'm sure I can make you stand at the very top of the Dou Qi Continent. Eight years is almost half the time. Even if you have the Divine-Grade Dou Emperor Bloodline, it won't help."

Oh wait, how about this: you help your father advance to the Dou Emperor right now, and you'll immediately become Dou Sheng Expert, how about that?"

Old Yao rolled his eyes and gave Xiao Yan the middle finger.

"..."

Seeing this, Xiao Yan realized he had corrupted Old Yao.

Hun Li Li thought so too.

Forget it, let's think of another way...

"Breaking through to the Dou Sheng is no easy feat. Back in my day, I spent more than eight years just at the Dou Zun Realm. And you? You think you can soar from Da Dou Shi to Dou Sheng in eight years? And even be able to contend with a peak nine-star Dou Sheng?"

Old Yao didn't know what to say about his disciple. Although he knew this kid would become Dou Emperor many years later, eight years? That's too short!

"Actually, the time wasn't that short..."

After thinking it over carefully, Hun Li Li finally delivered some good news.

"Because Nihility Devouring Flame was injured by Gu Yuan a long time ago and doesn't seem to have fully recovered yet, the Soul Clan still can't make any big moves. Moreover, the Soul Clan's array that they've set up across the entire continent is still expanding little by little, and the souls they've collected are probably still not enough for Nihility Devouring Flame to possess Emperor Realm Soul."

In this way, the Hun Tian Di will still be restrained by Gu Yuan, Nihility Devouring Flame will not yet have the ability to destroy the Ling Clan, Shi Clan, and Yao Clan.

Hearing what Hun Li Li said, Xiao Yan's expression relaxed a bit.

Indeed, thinking about it this way, although the Hun Tian Di recovered earlier and was able to do more things, and perhaps could speed up the pace, it wouldn't be to the point where he had no room to maneuver.

However, no matter how you look at it, the advantage isn't his. It seems he still needs to cultivate even harder. He definitely can't stay at the Jia Nan Academy for five years; at most, he can stay for three years. After breaking through to the Dou Wang, he can consider looking for opportunities elsewhere. Of course, when to devour and refine the Fallen Heart Flame also needs careful consideration...

"As for why I disappeared these past few days..." Hun Li Li sighed, lowered her head, and after a moment looked up and said, "Hun Miesheng came to the Northwest Continent two days ago. Judging from what he revealed, Hun Tian Di probably won't give me much time to relax. At least three years, at most five years. I will definitely have to go back to the Soul Clan and compete with those lunatics for resources."

At that point, even if I didn't want to do those terrible things, I would have no choice but to...

Furthermore, I'm not sure if that Hun Tian Di has any other intentions towards me. After all, all he cares about is advancing to the Dou Emperor. My God-Grade Bloodline will definitely recover within ten years. If he plans to refine me into a pill by then, we might really never see each other again..."

Xiao Yan frowned slightly upon hearing this.

So, does that mean there are still only a few years left?

"Of course, if that were the case, I would definitely try to escape. This should be the safest place on the continent. If all else fails, you can have your Xun'er capture me alive and take me back to the Ancient Clan..."

After saying that, Hun Li Li shrugged helplessly.

Honestly, she didn't ask for much; she just wanted to survive.

"Hmm, it seems the time is indeed tight and the task is heavy, but it's not a big problem. Just focus on your cultivation as usual, and don't slack off for days on end..."

Xiao Yan nodded and gave a word of advice.

"I'll do my best. I was originally thinking that with the secret technique you found for me, I could escape the Hun Tian Di's control. But now it seems, hehe, unless I kill him, even if I die, I probably won't be free..."

Hun Li Li nodded, forcing a light smile, but her tone was full of sorrow.

"Don't worry, just focus on your cultivation. Leave these things to me. I'm the main character, with me protecting you, who can kill you?"

Xiao Yan patted Hun Li Li on the shoulder with a rather generous air and said with a smile.

"Then I'll have to leave it to you, Senior Xiao Yan. My life truly rests entirely on your shoulders."

Upon hearing this, Hun Li Li clasped her hands together and said pitifully.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Xiao Yan smiled and asked.

"Hmm, but do you have any good pills? I was so angry before that I used a secret technique to forcibly increase my strength and killed a protector of the Soul Hall. I did it as a warning to others. Although I know it's ridiculous in the eyes of Hun Miesheng and the others, I really can't think straight if I do nothing."

Hun Li Li nodded, then looked at Xiao Yan expectantly and said...

"Hmm, that's easy. I happen to have a rare, Fifth-Grade healing pill here, which I finally managed to refine last night. Open your mouth."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan took out an exquisite jade box from his Storage Ring and retrieved a pale red pill from it.

"Ugh!"

Seeing this, Hun Li Li didn't think much of it. She simply parted her red lips, and with a flick of her tongue, she spun the pill that Xiao Yan was holding between his fingers into her mouth.

The medicinal power melted instantly upon entering her mouth, and Hun Li Li immediately began to concentrate on refining the medicinal power.

Completely unaware, Xiao Yan's fingertips seemed to be stained with a trace of crystalline substance.

The soft touch of red lips on his fingertips sent a slight flutter through Xiao Yan's heart, but remembering that Old Yao was still nearby, he didn't show it. Of course, there was no need to hide it from his unfortunate fellow villager, so he said directly:

"Teacher, do you think it's possible for me to cultivate to the level of Dou Wang within the academy, then try to obtain the Fallen Heart Flame, and finally seek some opportunities elsewhere?"

As an expert in this field, Old Yao. Yao immediately offered reliable advice:

"With your talent, it shouldn't be difficult for you to advance to the Dou Wang level in about two years. As for the Fallen Heart Flame, that level of Heavenly Flames contains a lot of energy, but to say that you can go directly from Dou Ling to the Peak Dou King like you remember is actually very unlikely."

Judging from the timeline, it's more likely that during the process of refining the Heavenly Flames, in an environment rich in medicinal herbs, pills, and fire-attribute energy, he normally cultivated to a certain level, and then further improved by absorbing and refining the Heavenly Flames, which led to that huge improvement.

Normally, neither absorbing nor refining Heavenly Flames can increase one's level. However, I haven't practiced the Flame Mantra, so I'm not sure if it has this effect, as the technique description doesn't mention it.

Of course, the large amount of energy carried by the Heavenly Flames itself could indeed provide you with a considerable amount of energy, allowing your Dou Qi realm to advance by leaps and bounds. I still need to observe this carefully, after all, there is no precedent for someone like you in this world.

Back then, there were indeed some extremely powerful experts who used their strength to suppress the Heavenly Flames within their bodies for use, but that fire was not refined. Without the Flame Mantra, it was impossible for two different Heavenly Flames to be refined by the same person. Even Dou Sheng could not do that!

"The strength of the Fallen Heart Flame is currently unknown, but it should be more than enough to help you advance a few more stars in the Dou Wang realm. With my help, you shouldn't have to fear ordinary Dou Zong. You should be safe and sound in this Northwest Continent."

Hearing what Old Yao said, Xiao Yan felt much more at ease. As long as his safety could be guaranteed, staying in the Northwest Continent for two more years before going to the Central Plains to make a name for himself was the best choice.

After all, although the Soul Hall's sphere of influence spans the entire continent, the situation in the Northwest Continent is undoubtedly much better than that in the Central Plains, which is like its stronghold.

"Alright, it's decided then. After dealing with the Fallen Heart Flame, we'll set off for the Heavenly Snake Mansion! But for now, let's focus on cultivating our Dou Technique and striving to break through to the Dou Ling!"

Xiao Yan clapped his hands, thus establishing a clear plan and goal.

Seeing Hun Li Li focused on healing her injuries, Xiao Yan knew it was time for him to leave.

We can talk about it later. Right now, let's hurry up and resolve the matter at the Alchemy Hall. After obtaining Senior Sister Shi's body-refining experience tonight, we can set off for the Back Mountain tomorrow to cultivate our Dou Technique!