Just as Xiao Yuan was marveling at it, the woman suddenly glanced back.
Her cool, deep gaze seemed to cross countless epochs to meet his.
Then—
The scene shattered.
At the same time, a vast amount of knowledge flooded into his mind.
It was all related to alchemy!
For example, the Void Alchemy Technique, as well as Tribulation Lightning Pill Tempering, which the woman had just performed.
And his soul felt an unprecedented, tearing pain!
There was no helping it. The life of an Emperor-Grade Alchemist was so long, and their memories so vast.
If his soul power hadn't been strong enough, and his body sturdy enough, he would probably have exploded and died long ago, his soul scattered to the winds.
Who knew how much time had passed? All he knew was that it had grown dark outside.
Only then did he emerge from the excruciating pain.
He was drenched in sweat from head to toe.
He looked as if he'd just been fished out of the water.
He flopped onto the bed, sprawled out, and gasped for breath like a drowning man who'd managed to grab hold of a piece of driftwood.
"Damn, I nearly kicked the bucket..."
He'd finally realized that the golden egg rewards the system gave him were simply beyond his current level.
Whether it was Source Qi, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, the Innate Fire Spirit Body, or the insights of an Emperor-Grade Alchemist...
Any one of those things felt more than enough to kill him.
In the future, whenever he received a reward, he'd have to think carefully about whether he should use it.
"Ah, it's come to this. I might as well get some sleep first."
As his taut nerves gradually relaxed, the exhaustion that had been piling up swept over him like a tide. His heavy eyelids slowly closed.
The silent night slipped by without a sound.
When the sky had just begun to lighten the next morning, Xiao Yuan was already awake.
He'd enjoyed a blissful night's sleep, one he hadn't had in ages.
He hadn't managed to digest much of the alchemy knowledge yet, but his cultivation had somehow broken through again.
He was now a Three-Star Dou Ling.
Breaking through two stars in a single night's sleep—if word got out, it would probably make everyone's jaws hit the floor.
But—
To his surprise, Xiao Yi Xian was already up too, sorting medicinal herbs in the courtyard.
"You're awake?"
When she saw him, Xiao Yi Xian gave him her usual bright, gentle smile and reminded him, "Breakfast will be ready soon. Oh, right, I'm heading into the Magical Beast Mountain Range today. Do you want to come with me? If not, you can stay at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group won't make things difficult for you."
At that, Xiao Yuan quickly shook his head.
"No, I'll go with you, Sister Xiao Yi Xian. That way, I can protect you too."
"All right, all right. Then I'll leave my safety in your hands, little brother Xiao Yuan."
Xiao Yi Xian smiled and patted his head, her face full of affection.
Perhaps his appearance was just too deceptive, or perhaps it was because she could hear his thoughts. Either way, Xiao Yi Xian had now let down her guard completely.
She really did treat him like a little brother.
He had to admit, being doted on by an older sister like this... felt pretty nice.
At the very least, his cousin Xiao Yu had never treated him this way.
After breakfast—
The members of the Blood Battle Mercenary Group had gathered outside the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
When they saw Xiao Yi Xian, dressed in white as bright as snow, the mercenaries seemed to be pumped full of adrenaline. They all hurried forward to greet her.
But when they noticed Xiao Yuan following behind her, their expressions stiffened, and their eyes filled with surprise.
Nearly everyone began to speculate about his relationship with Xiao Yi Xian.
But no one asked outright.
They knew this was Xiao Yi Xian's private business, and they had no right to pry.
In the silent forest, the large group moved along quietly. Their wary eyes kept sweeping over the shadowed spaces between the trees, and their hands gripped the weapons at their waists, ready to deal with any sudden trouble.
Once they left Qingshan Town and entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the chances of running into magical beasts rose sharply.
Even on the outskirts.
The veteran mercenaries had spent years making their living in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. They didn't need to speak to one another to maintain a basic understanding.
A glance was enough to read signals of danger or safety in one another's eyes.
As a member of the group, Xiao Yuan naturally shared the responsibility of keeping everyone safe.
He gathered herbs alongside the others, using the alchemy knowledge he'd just absorbed, while releasing his soul power to keep watch over their surroundings.
"Little brother Xiao Yuan, I had no idea you were so capable. You even know your herbs? Could it be that you're an alchemist?"
Xiao Yi Xian placed the herbs she'd gathered into her Storage Ring and straightened slightly. She lightly wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, breathing a little hard.
Yet her lovely face showed envy and longing.
Becoming an alchemist had been her lifelong dream.
If someone she knew could achieve it, she would be happy for them too.
"I'm not an alchemist... I've only learned a little bit..."
Xiao Yuan awkwardly scratched his head, his face full of embarrassment.
He felt completely different around Xiao Yi Xian than he did around Ya Fei.
He could remain composed in front of Ya Fei, but in front of Xiao Yi Xian, there was a feeling he couldn't quite put into words.
"Really? But the way you pick herbs seems so practiced, little brother Xiao Yuan. You don't look like someone who's only just learned."
As she spoke, a sly glint flickered in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes.
"Uh..."
Xiao Yuan truly didn't know how to explain.
But I really did only learn yesterday!
Hearing his thoughts, Xiao Yi Xian's smile grew even brighter.
She suddenly felt that the young man in front of her was quite adorable.
It would be wonderful if he really were her little brother.
However, not long after the group set off again, they encountered their first magical beast attack.
"Watch out!"
Several first-tier Crimson Ice Snakes suddenly lunged from a tree.
Though they'd launched a surprise attack, the mercenaries were highly alert and dispatched them with ease.
But what made them shudder was the lizard blocking their path ahead!
It was about half a meter long, with blue-gray scales like broken stones covering its body. Its limbs were especially thick and its tail was powerful enough to smash a tree trunk with a single flick.
"It's a first-tier Stone-Skin Lizard! What's it doing here?!"
This was one of the magical beasts the mercenaries least wanted to encounter.
Its outer shell was too hard, and its weak point was its belly. It was a real pain to deal with.
"I'll take care of it."
Xiao Yuan suddenly sprang into action.
He shot forward so quickly that only a blur remained.
The Heaven-Slaughter Halberd flashed in his hand.
Like a hot knife through butter, it cleaved through the lizard's hard scales in an instant, splitting the Stone-Skin Lizard in half.
A round, earth-attributed Magic Core rolled to the ground.
The mercenaries stared at the sight in stunned disbelief.
Even Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes flashed with shock and amazement. He was nothing like the timid, shy young man from before.
His strike had been sharp and decisive, killing the beast in one blow.
Had he really been this powerful all along?
What surprised Xiao Yi Xian even more was that after killing the Stone-Skin Lizard, Xiao Yuan's expression didn't soften in the slightest. He hefted the Heaven-Slaughter Halberd and kept his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Another mercenary group had appeared in the dense forest ahead.
The young man at its head called out with a cheerful smile, "What a coincidence, Xiao Yi Xian. I never thought I'd run into you here."