Targeted Upon Arriving in the Chu Yun Empire

"Master Ling, it has been four months since Brother Xiao Yuan left Wutan City, hasn't it? How has he been lately?"

"Replying to Miss, everything is well."

"Tell me the details."

"Yes."

The figure kneeling on one knee not far from Xun'er reported every detail of Xiao Yuan's experiences over the past four months to her.

After listening, the smile at the corners of Xun'er's mouth deepened, and a flicker of adoration and love flashed through her soft, autumn-water-like eyes.

"Brother Xiao Yuan is truly as bold and resolute as ever."

Not only did he leap from a Great Dou Shi to the Dou Huang realm in a mere four months.

He even defeated the Amethyst Winged Lion King with the strength of a one-star Dou Huang and took it as his mount.

She was happy for Xiao Yuan from the bottom of her heart.

However...

She thought of Little Doctor Fairy again.

Her gaze drifted toward the lush scenery in the distance, as if her eyes were piercing through layers of mountains to watch the fair figure nestled in Xiao Yuan's arms a thousand miles away.

She pondered the things Ling Ying had just told her about Little Doctor Fairy.

To help Little Doctor Fairy resolve the issues with her Woeful Poison Body, her Brother Xiao Yuan had traveled thousands of miles to the Chu Yun Empire.

Thinking of this, Xun'er could not help but let out a soft, melancholy sigh.

"Forget it, let it be."

She knew very well that this was simply the kind of person her Brother Xiao Yuan was.

Just like when she was young and suffering from the torment of the Golden Emperor Incinerating Heaven Flame, Xiao Yuan had stood up without a second thought, passing his most precious and pure Fire Spirit Body to her.

Every time she thought of this, a blissful smile would involuntarily grace her lips.

"However, Brother Xiao Yuan might encounter danger on this trip to the Chu Yun Empire..."

The Chu Yun Empire was different from the Jia Ma Empire.

The strongest power in the Jia Ma Empire was merely a nine-star Dou Huang, whereas the Chu Yun Empire truly had a Dou Zong sitting in command.

That was the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, Xie Biyan.

"Master Ling, I leave it to you to continue protecting Brother Xiao Yuan from the shadows. If that old fellow Xie Biyan dares to make a move against him, notify the clan; the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect will have no need to exist."

Ling Ying was stunned to hear this, not expecting his young mistress to mobilize the clan's power for Xiao Yuan's sake.

One had to know that Xun'er was not Gu Yuan, and she had almost no say within the Ancient Clan.

Only after her coming-of-age ceremony, once she displayed transcendent strength and powerful bloodline abilities, would she gain a pivotal position within the clan.

Yet, he still complied.

"Yes, Miss."

After Ling Ying departed, Xun'er looked toward the distance once more, whispering softly to herself:

"Brother Xiao Yuan has already become very strong, so I, Xun'er, cannot fall behind."

At this moment, she was already at the peak of the nine-star Dou Huang cultivation.

She was only a single step away from the Dou Zong realm!

In the original story, the Dou Huang-level Xiao Yan, the sixth-rank Zi Yan, and Queen Medusa, who had broken through to the Dou Zong level, took four and a half days to travel from Jia Ma Holy City to the heart of the Chu Yun Empire.

But Xiao Yuan and Little Doctor Fairy, riding the Amethyst Winged Lion King, took even longer.

A week later, they finally entered the territory of the Chu Yun Empire.

The Chu Yun Empire was a nation that also stood in the Northwest Region of the Dou Qi Continent.

Although it bordered the Jia Ma Empire, the two were mortal enemies.

Perhaps influenced by the Ancient Nether Poison Swamp, the country's most abundant exports were all manner of poisonous creatures and poison masters.

What was most surprising was that the Chu Yun Empire was not as chaotic as one might imagine the Black-Corner Region to be; there was still some semblance of order.

Though, it could not be said that this order amounted to much.

Walking on the streets of the Chu Yun Empire, almost everything that met the eye was a variety of colorful poisonous creatures and vendors selling all sorts of toxins.

Most of the passersby had Dou Qi within their bodies that was tainted with poison.

However, perhaps because they were accompanied by a sixth-rank Amethyst Winged Lion King, the petty scoundrels dared not approach to cause trouble for these two outsiders.

Seeing the poor children, gaunt and withered from the torment of poisonous Dou Qi, Little Doctor Fairy could not help but feel a stir in her heart.

"What's wrong?"

Xiao Yuan noticed that Little Doctor Fairy seemed somewhat distracted, so he took hold of her cool, slender hand. Her body stiffened slightly for a brief moment.

But she did not pull away.

She merely shook her head and said:

"It's nothing, I was just feeling a bit sentimental... Even though the Chu Yun Empire is far more prosperous than Qingshan Town, the lives of those children are even more pitiful..."

That Little Doctor Fairy would say such a thing was well within Xiao Yuan's expectations.

In fact, if she hadn't expressed such sentiments, he would have started to wonder if the beautiful and kind-hearted Little Doctor Fairy beside him had been possessed by some ancient, decrepit soul.

Moreover, compared to this remark, her next sentence caused Xiao Yuan's heart to tremble.

"Besides, everything here feels strangely familiar to me..."

Little Doctor Fairy's memories of her childhood had long since blurred.

She only remembered that the village where she and her mother had finally settled after wandering from place to place was the true starting point of her memories.

However, hearing her say this made Xiao Yuan's heart skip a beat.

Could it be that Little Doctor Fairy is actually from the Chu Yun Empire?

No, that possibility is quite high...

After all, all things are born of nature and nurtured by the earth.

How could a constitution like the innate Woeful Poison Body be born in the Jia Ma Empire, where there isn't even a single poison master?

And I recall that in the original story, after parting ways with Xiao Yan, Little Doctor Fairy's first destination was the Chu Yun Empire.

It was precisely because she was taken in by an elderly couple without children in a small mountain village there that her Woeful Poison Body erupted, causing the two elders to die in the most agonizing way, which ultimately led to Little Doctor Fairy's hair turning white overnight...

Thinking about it this way, everything seemed to fall into place.

Hearing his inner thoughts, Little Doctor Fairy understood that Xiao Yuan was worried about her; her calm heart, like a lake disturbed by a pebble, rippled once more.

A gentle smile bloomed on the girl's face as she lightly squeezed his hand.

"Alright, I was just feeling a little sentimental, no need to overthink it. Didn't you say you were going to take me to the Ancient Nether Poison Swamp to obtain the Nether Poison Fire? Let's get going."

With those words, Little Doctor Fairy pulled his hand and quickened her pace.

Her steps were light, showing no trace of worry.

Her actions successfully disrupted Xiao Yuan's train of thought.

That's true. With me here, how could I ever let the beautiful and kind-hearted Little Doctor Fairy become that Heavenly Poison Maiden who endured countless hardships?

But then again, the strength of this Chu Yun Empire is truly not weak; it seems to be even a few notches stronger than the Jia Ma Empire.

He thought of Xie Biyan, the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect—one of the three major powers that Little Doctor Fairy would eventually unite to attack the Jia Ma Empire in the original story.

That was a terrifying Dou Zong powerhouse, and behind him stood the Soul Hall.

Sigh, if possible, it would be best not to run into them.

But based on my many years of experience with web novels, it seems unlikely that I can avoid them. Perhaps those faint, lingering gazes that have been following us since we entered the city are already them...

Indeed.

Although bringing along an imposing Amethyst Winged Lion King could deter petty thieves, it seemed to have attracted even greater trouble.

Ding, congratulations on obtaining one Dou Zong Experience Card.

The moment the notification sound rang out, the corners of Xiao Yuan's mouth gradually curled into a pleased arc.

This damn system seemed to be getting more and more considerate.