Friends

Xiao Yan released his soul power and swept it back and forth through the stone door. Only after confirming that there were no abnormalities did he step inside with Xiao Yi Xian.

As they passed through the stone door, their view suddenly opened up.

Before them lay a spacious stone chamber. Moonlight Stones for illumination were embedded in the surrounding walls. At the center of the chamber stood a stone chair, upon which sat a skeleton. Its skull had fallen beside its pale thigh bone, lending the silent chamber an added hint of gloom.

Before the chair stood a broad, rectangular bluestone table, upon which three locked stone boxes had been neatly arranged.

In the three corners of the chamber were piles of gold coins and valuables, whose total worth appeared to be close to a million.

Xiao Yan did not stand on ceremony and stored them in his Storage Ring.

"I'll take half. Later, I'll get you a Storage Ring and put the other half in it for you."

Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Yi Xian, who had already walked toward the last corner, and spoke.

There was a flower bed there, planted with all sorts of medicinal herbs. A strange fragrance lingered in the air.

"Purple Blue Leaf, White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, Snow Lotus Seed..."

Her beautiful eyes fixed intently on the small flower bed as the names of high-grade medicinal ingredients, names she had recalled countless times from the depths of her memories, slowly passed from Xiao Yi Xian's rosy lips.

"Ice Spirit Flame Grass!"

Xiao Yan immediately fixed his gaze on a white-and-red herb growing at the center of the flower bed.

The leaves of this herb were white and red, while its white stem was covered in tiny crystal-like specks. Yet atop its fiery red crown, flames seemed to burn and surge. Two utterly opposing attributes existed strangely within the same plant. It was truly wondrous.

A faint mist curled around the herb, making it seem as though it stood amid clouds and mist.

Ice Spirit Flame Grass was one of the essential ingredients for refining the Blood Lotus Pill. If he wanted to subdue Heavenly Flames, he had to obtain it.

"You're not allowed to compete with me for these herbs. The rest are all yours!"

Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward and selected several herbs she could use, cradling them in her arms before looking at Xiao Yan with a serious expression.

"Is that really all right? You're only taking this little?"

Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

"I have no use for those things."

Xiao Yi Xian shook her head.

She had already memorized the Seven-Colored Poison Manual by heart, so naturally, she did not need many medicinal ingredients to experiment with mixing poisons. This time, she had only come here to revisit this old place with the person beside her.

"All right, then I'll store them for now. If you need anything, aside from the Ice Spirit Flame Grass, I can give you the rest."

Xiao Yan could only nod. With a wave of his hand, his soul power uprooted the herbs and stored them in his Storage Ring.

This was not showing off.

Skillfully using soul power until it could move as freely as one's own limbs was also part of Xiao Yan's cultivation.

After dividing up the medicinal ingredients and treasures, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian both turned their attention to the three stone boxes.

He paced over to the stone table. Looking at the metal locks on the boxes, Xiao Yan's gaze shifted to the skeleton behind the table. Three black keys hung from the wrist bone of its skeletal hand.

After respectfully bowing to this senior who had been dead for who knew how many years, Xiao Yan reached out, grasped the keys, and gave them a gentle tug.

"Crack..."

Worn away by the passage of time, the skeleton's arm was pulled off.

Before it could hit the ground, however, Xiao Yan's soul power caught it. Then, an unusual ripple entered the range of his spiritual perception.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that a small scroll seemed to be hidden in the gap of the severed arm.

Seeing the ancient scroll flickering in and out of view, Xiao Yan's heart trembled. His soul power immediately wrapped around it and tossed it into his Storage Ring.

"Couldn't you have been more careful?"

Seeing the severed arm already resting in Xiao Yan's palm, Xiao Yi Xian shook her head helplessly.

Even if he had come back, would he still tear off this arm?

Noticing Xiao Yi Xian's helpless gaze, Xiao Yan felt somewhat embarrassed. But no matter what, he had to get the item inside that arm, so there was no way to avoid breaking it off.

After placing the arm back on the skeleton's legs, Xiao Yan turned again to the three stone boxes on the table.

"Hurry up and open them."

Xiao Yi Xian looked quite eager.

"All right!"

Xiao Yan nodded. His luck was not bad; he casually chose one of the three keys, and it opened the box at once.

Inside was an ancient, multicolored scroll. A few small words were written along its side: Seven-Colored Poison Manual.

Seeing the multicolored scroll that had changed the course of her life, Xiao Yi Xian felt no joy at all this time.

What she had truly wanted was to become an alchemist, not a poison master whom others despised and feared.

"This seems to be a scroll recording methods for concocting poisons. Keep it. I have no use for it."

After a brief daze, Xiao Yi Xian spoke softly.

"Ah?"

Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised, but then he understood. Perhaps, having been reborn once, Xiao Yi Xian did not want to touch this thing again?

After all, her experiences after obtaining the Seven-Colored Poison Manual, especially after awakening her Woe Poison Body, had been terrible...

"All right, I'll store it for now."

Xiao Yan put it into his Storage Ring. Later, he would find an excuse to study the Woe Poison Body with Old Yao.

Whether Xiao Yi Xian had truly been reborn, and whether she would choose to activate her Woe Poison Body again, Xiao Yan intended to figure out the problem with this poison body ahead of time.

It was always best to be prepared!

After that, Xiao Yan opened the remaining two stone boxes.

One contained a black scroll, with small words written along its side: "Mystic Tier High-Level Flying Dou Skill: Eagle Wings."

The other contained a green scroll, with small words written along its side: "Mystic Tier High-Level Dou Skill: Mad Lion Roar."

"I can't use either of them. You take them."

After casually glancing at them, Xiao Yi Xian shook her head.

Two Mystic Tier High-Level Dou Skills, along with the Seven-Colored Poison Manual.

Xiao Yi Xian was not taking a single one, which made Xiao Yan feel rather embarrassed.

"Sigh, this is a place you discovered. What's with taking nothing at all?"

Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's calm expression, he could not help saying so.

"It's not as if I'm taking nothing, right?"

Xiao Yi Xian indicated the medicinal herbs in her arms.

"If you trust me, let me store these herbs for you."

Xiao Yan became even more certain that the Xiao Yi Xian before him had definitely returned after being reborn.

"Sure!"

Xiao Yi Xian nodded and handed the herbs in her arms to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan brushed his hand over them, storing the herbs in his Storage Ring.

"I need to get you a Storage Ring. It would be more convenient."

Seeing the faint traces of dirt rubbed onto the front of Xiao Yi Xian's little pouch, Xiao Yan could not exactly help her clean it, so he could only point at it.

"Mm, Storage Rings aren't cheap!"

Xiao Yi Xian replied, then casually patted her chest as though no one else were present, clearly not treating Xiao Yan as an outsider.

Xiao Yan shook his head and said seriously, "The value of a Storage Ring can't compare to yours."

Xiao Yi Xian's heart trembled. She raised her head to look at Xiao Yan, her voice quivering slightly. "What did you say?"

"Though we've only known each other for half a day, I think you're a very good person. We should count as friends now, right? The weight of a friend is far greater than that of a Storage Ring."

Xiao Yan said with a smile.

"Mm... That makes being your friend sound quite nice, doesn't it?"

Xiao Yi Xian smiled at his words, though for some reason, she felt the slightest hint of disappointment in her heart.

Xiao Yan could hardly praise himself, so he merely said noncommittally:

"You'll only know once you try."