Returning to the Xiao Clan

Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Xiao Yixian had been through a tumult of emotions, but now she was gradually calming down. Yet the way she looked at Lin Hai had changed completely, filled with dependence, trust, and an indescribable flutter in her heart.

Staying by his side and feeling his reassuring strength and gentleness made her feel more secure than ever before.

The sun was sinking in the west. Lin Hai glanced at the sky and said gently, "It's about time. Let's head back."

"Mm." Xiao Yixian nodded obediently.

The two returned to Qingshan Town.

Standing before the wooden house, Xiao Yixian gazed at the place where she had lived for many years. A trace of reluctance showed in her eyes, but anticipation for the future outweighed it.

Lin Hai looked at her and spoke at just the right moment, his tone perfectly natural. "I should head back. There are some matters to attend to in the clan, and that elderly alchemist I told you about is also visiting the clan at the moment."

He paused, then looked at Xiao Yixian with sincere eyes and made his final invitation. "Would you... be willing to come back with me? Let him take a look at you. Perhaps then your apprenticeship can be settled. As for your constitution, we'll also be in a better position to discuss a solution there."

Come home with me. Those four words were like the sweetest melody, striking Xiao Yixian right in the heart.

Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded firmly. Her voice was resolute, yet tinged with shyness. "I'm willing! I'll go with you!" To her, the man before her was now the source of all her trust and hope. Wherever he was, there lay her future. Though she was reluctant to leave Qingshan Town, it was no longer worth staying for.

"Good." Lin Hai smiled faintly and stepped closer, naturally slipping an arm around her slender waist.

Xiao Yixian cried out in surprise. Her face flushed scarlet, her body stiffened, and her heart pounded like a drum.

Before she could react, she felt her feet lift off the ground as the scenery around them suddenly plunged downward and blurred!

"Ah!" She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut and clutched Lin Hai's lapel.

The wind howled past her ears, but strangely, she felt none of its sting. It was as if an invisible barrier kept everything out.

After a few breaths, she finally mustered the courage to carefully open her eyes.

The next moment, she froze, lips parted and beautiful eyes filled with indescribable shock!

Far below, mountain ranges and winding rivers raced past, while cities shrank until they looked like tiny squares on a game board!

White clouds swirled around them, and the birds were left far behind!

They were hurtling through the skies at a speed she couldn't begin to comprehend!

Flight! Only Spirit King powerhouses could barely manage to fly!

And Lin Hai was doing it with such ease, moving fast enough to tear through the clouds. His strength was unfathomable!

She looked up at the calm profile of the man beside her, utterly stunned.

Just how strong was he?

She had known he was powerful, but she'd never imagined he was this powerful!

Feeling her gaze, Lin Hai lowered his eyes and smiled warmly at her. "Hold on tight. We'll be there soon."

His smile swept away her fear, leaving her with a deep sense of security and an indescribable pride.

She gave a soft "Mm," then leaned her burning cheek slightly against his chest. Listening to his strong, steady heartbeat, she felt it was the most reassuring sound in the world.

The speed of a Peak Spirit Saint was terrifying. In less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Wutan City appeared below them.

Lin Hai brought Xiao Yixian straight down from the sky, landing in the Xiao Clan's rear courtyard without attracting the attention of any ordinary clan members.

With both feet back on solid ground, Xiao Yixian still felt a little weak in the knees. Looking at the grand courtyard before her, she felt both nervous and expectant.

Lin Hai took her hand (Xiao Yixian's cheeks reddened again, but she didn't pull away) and headed straight for Xiao Yan's courtyard.

He pushed open the door. Inside, Yao Chen was guiding Xiao Yan in identifying a medicinal herb. The fragrance of medicine and the energy fluctuations throughout the room were even stronger than before.

"Uncle, you're back—" Xiao Yan heard the noise and turned around. He got only halfway through his sentence before he spotted the unfamiliar girl in white at Lin Hai's side, with her ethereal bearing and clear, lovely features. He froze.

Yao Chen's soul form also turned around. His gaze fell on Xiao Yixian, first flashing with surprise. Then his powerful soul perception seemed to detect something, and his expression tightened slightly, turning grave.

"You're back?" Yao Chen looked at Lin Hai.

"Mm." Lin Hai gently brought Xiao Yixian forward and said to Yao Chen, "Yao Chen, this is Xiao Yixian. I met her while I was out. She has a remarkable talent for medicine and a kind heart." He paused, his tone growing more serious. "But she has the 'Woeful Poison Body' and has suffered because of it for many years. I brought her here to ask if you could find a way to resolve it."

"The Woeful Poison Body?!"

Yao Chen's illusory form drifted closer. He carefully examined Xiao Yixian's body with his soul power, his expression growing graver by the moment. At last, he let out a long sigh. "It really is the Woeful Poison Body, and... it seems to have shown signs of erupting. Child, you've suffered."

Hearing Yao Chen reveal her secret at a glance, and sensing pity rather than disgust in his voice, Xiao Yixian felt a pang in her heart and nearly burst into tears again. She bowed gracefully to him. "Please, Elder, save me."

Yao Chen stroked his beard and pondered. "There is a way to resolve it. Ancient texts record that if one can gather three Heavenly Flames and use a special method, one can balance the power of the poison body at its root, perhaps even bring it under control and make it one's own. However..." He glanced at Xiao Yan, who was only at the Spirit Disciple stage. "This method requires at least three Heavenly Flames, and the one controlling them must meet extremely high standards. It won't happen overnight. I'm afraid... we'll have to wait until Xiao Yan can skillfully control three Heavenly Flames before we can try."

Three Heavenly Flames? And she had to wait for Xiao Yan to master them? Xiao Yixian's heart sank. Those conditions were far too harsh. Heavenly Flames were legendary treasures; obtaining even one was a tremendous stroke of fortune, let alone three.

Lin Hai, however, spoke calmly, his tone carrying unshakable certainty. "It's fine. They're only three Heavenly Flames. I'll find them for Xiao Yan within a year. When the time comes, I'll ask you to do everything you can, Yao Lao." He turned to Xiao Yixian and reassured her, "Don't worry. A year will pass quickly. For now, make yourself at home here and study the basics of medicine with the elder."

A year? He'd find three Heavenly Flames? Yao Chen and Xiao Yan stared at him, dumbfounded. They couldn't help thinking that their uncle's—or this gentleman's—words were becoming more and more astonishing.

But Lin Hai's absolute confidence reassured Xiao Yixian completely. She nodded firmly. "Mm! I believe you!" A year was nothing compared to the endless despair she had endured before.

Just then, Lin Hai thought of another question and looked at Yao Chen. "By the way, Yao Lao. Xiao Yixian doesn't have fire or wood attributes, so by rights she can't become an alchemist. But she loves this art and has an exceptional talent for it. Is there any way she could still achieve her wish?"

At that, Yao Chen studied Xiao Yixian closely once more. A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes, and only after a long moment did he reply slowly. "The usual methods won't work. But if her Woeful Poison Body is taken into account... there is one path—an exceedingly perilous one, and perhaps the only one that could work."

"Oh? Tell me." Lin Hai's eyes brightened.

"Find the Nether Poison Fire, ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!" Yao Chen's tone was grave. "It was born in an ancient land of poisonous miasma and formed after a thousand years of nourishment from the earth's poison veins. It contains the most extreme poison, making it akin to the Woeful Poison Body in origin. If she can forcibly refine this flame with the power of her poison body, she might be able to use it as a medium to bypass the restrictions of her attributes and develop a unique 'poison flame,' thereby gaining the ability to practice alchemy! The pills she makes might even carry special poisonous or detoxifying effects, making them truly one of a kind!"

"Nether Poison Fire..." Lin Hai repeated the name to himself, then nodded, still as casual as if he were saying he'd go look for a head of cabbage. "All right. I'll keep an eye out for news of it."

Yao Chen and Xiao Yan were already numb with shock. Keep an eye out for news of the Nether Poison Fire? He made it sound so easy!

Xiao Yixian's beautiful eyes, however, shone with brilliant light!

She'd never imagined there could be a path made just for her!

It sounded incredibly dangerous, but with Lin Hai there, she had nothing to fear!

Hope had never been brighter or more tangible!

She looked at Lin Hai, her gaze filled with boundless gratitude, dependence, and a feeling that had taken deep root in her heart.