Taking the Fragment Map, Meeting Xiao Yi Xian

Monster Mountain Range, Green Mountain Town.

Tang Chen stepped through the air and appeared there.

"Let me see, where was that cave?"

Without wasting any time, Tang Chen entered the Monster Mountain Range. His vast soul perception blanketed a large area nearby, allowing him to sense every movement within it.

"I just need to search along the cliffs."

That treasure cave had been built into a cliff face and was not far from Green Mountain Town, so Tang Chen only needed to search the cliffs closest to the town.

With his soul perception fully spread, he searched along the faces of several nearby cliffs.

Sure enough, while searching the third cliff face, Tang Chen discovered a stone platform jutting out from it.

"Just as expected." Tang Chen curled his lips and appeared atop the protruding stone platform.

The cave entrance before him was blocked by rubble and strange twisted trees. No wonder so few people had discovered this place.

With a light wave of his hand, Tang Chen shattered all the rubble and twisted trees blocking the entrance.

He walked into the cave, where it was pitch-black.

The passage was narrow, allowing only two or three people through at once. After taking two steps, Tang Chen reached its end.

At the end of the passage stood a stone door emitting a faint yellow glow. Vague markings covered it, clearly intricate and obscure runes.

This could not stop Tang Chen. He pressed a finger against the stone door and exerted a little force. The door was instantly crushed by that immense power and reduced to dust.

Once the dust settled, the secret chamber behind the stone door appeared before Tang Chen.

Glowing moonlight stones were embedded in the walls. In the center of the chamber stood a seat, upon which sat a dried skeleton.

Three stone boxes lay before the skeleton.

"My apologies."

Tang Chen walked over and grabbed the skeleton's arm, giving it a tug.

"Crack!" After so many years, the arm bone came off with ease.

A primitive-looking scroll was hidden within the gaps of the arm bone.

"Come to think of it, did he put the Demon Fire Fragment Map in there himself, or did someone place it there afterward?"

When Tang Chen saw where the scroll had been stored, this question surfaced in his mind.

"Logically speaking, a Dou Wang shouldn't have been capable of this. At the very least, it would take a Dou Zong who had mastered spatial power." Tang Chen thought to himself.

"Forget it. Why think so much about it?" Since Tang Chen could not figure it out, he stopped pondering it.

He turned the arm bone over, poured out the Demon Fire Fragment Map inside, and placed it into his Storage Ring.

Tang Chen then turned his gaze toward the three stone boxes.

He took out a key and opened one of the stone boxes.

Inside was a copy of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture.

Tang Chen placed the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture into his Storage Ring.

"Since I took your fragment map, I'll do a good deed for you." With a wave of Tang Chen's hand, a large pit appeared in the ground. He placed the skeleton inside, then waved his hand again, and earth completely buried it.

"Time to meet Xiao Yi Xian." As Tang Chen spoke, his figure had already vanished from the stone chamber.

For promising talents like Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin, who possessed the potential to become Dou Saints in the future, Tang Chen naturally intended to recruit them into his faction.

With Tang Chen around, they could avoid many detours and grow faster than they had originally.

Before long, Tang Chen appeared above Green Mountain Town.

Standing in the air, he looked down at this small town near the Monster Mountain Range.

Because it was close to the Monster Mountain Range, most of the town's inhabitants were mercenaries who made a living by entering the mountains to hunt magical beasts.

Thus, most of the forces here were mercenary groups.

Through his perception, Tang Chen could sense several mercenary groups in Green Mountain Town, but they were all quite weak. The strongest among them were only Dou Masters.

Tang Chen flashed to the entrance of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. As soon as he arrived, he heard the mercenaries praising Xiao Yi Xian.

"As expected of Xiao Yi Xian. Lu Guan's arm was in such a state, yet she actually managed to heal it."

"Yeah, Xiao Yi Xian isn't just beautiful. Her medical skills are incredible too."

"..."

Tang Chen did not waste time, nor was he interested in playing at being a weakling only to reveal his strength later.

He released a trace of a Dou Zong expert's aura, directly enveloping the entire Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

"What terrifying pressure!"

"Who exactly is this person? He's too terrifying..."

"..."

Under the pressure of that aura, the mercenaries of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion scarcely dared to breathe. Their eyes were filled with terror as they looked at Tang Chen.

"M-Milord, w-welcome to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Pavilion Master Yao, the head of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, hurried to the entrance to greet Tang Chen.

"I'm looking for Xiao Yi Xian," Tang Chen said indifferently.

"Please wait a moment, Milord... I'll have her come out at once."

Upon learning that Tang Chen had come for Xiao Yi Xian, Pavilion Master Yao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ordered a servant to call her.

Before long, Xiao Yi Xian walked out of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

The girl before him wore a pale white dress. Her beauty was not breathtaking, but she was still a rare beauty, her entire presence carrying a fresh and ethereal air.

Tang Chen's gaze moved downward and finally stopped at her slender waist, bound by a green ribbon. Looking at that waist, so narrow it could barely be held in one hand, Tang Chen confirmed her identity.

"Milord, were you looking for me?" Xiao Yi Xian asked doubtfully as she looked at the impossibly handsome Tang Chen before her.

Tang Chen said nothing. He grabbed Xiao Yi Xian and vanished from the entrance of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, arriving in a quiet place.

After her vision blurred, Xiao Yi Xian realized that she was no longer at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. Though astonished by Tang Chen's methods, she also felt deeply panicked.

"You! What are you trying to do?!"

She hurriedly pulled away from Tang Chen, reaching into the small medicine pouch on her back as she watched him with wary eyes.

"Look at this first..." Tang Chen took out the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and tossed it to Xiao Yi Xian.

Xiao Yi Xian caught the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. Upon seeing the words on it, she was overjoyed and hurriedly began reading.

However, as she continued turning the pages, her expression gradually changed from delight to pallor.

When she finally saw the method for identifying the Woe Poison Body, all color drained from her face. It was as though all her strength had left her, and she fell stiffly backward.

Tang Chen reacted swiftly, flashing over and catching Xiao Yi Xian before she could fall. "Are you alright?"

When Tang Chen saw Xiao Yi Xian's face in his arms, he found that tears had already filled her eyes.

"No wonder Father and Mother disappeared. No wonder the villagers were all afraid of me. So that was why..."

The memories of the past had resurfaced, causing her emotions to spiral out of control. She sobbed softly in Tang Chen's arms.

After crying enough, Xiao Yi Xian finally realized that she was in Tang Chen's arms. Her face reddened as she hurriedly broke free from his embrace.

"You... did you come here to kill me?" Remembering the eventual fate of the Woe Poison Body, Xiao Yi Xian's face went pale. She had roughly guessed why Tang Chen had come.

"What do you think?" Tang Chen said.

"Don't worry. When I can no longer control it, I'll find a place to kill myself. I won't harm innocent people." Xiao Yi Xian replied sorrowfully.

"What if I said I could help you?"