Targeting

The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame could not be blamed for going on strike like this. The Spirit Devouring Art Xiao Fan practiced was simply too terrifying. Although the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame within Gu Xun'er was merely a subsidiary flame, it still possessed a faint spark of intelligence.

Yet after being devoured by the Spirit Devouring Art, aside from sensing a trace of energy from the same source, all of its intelligence was erased.

Spirit Devouring—the art devoured more than just energy. It also devoured the spirit it possessed.

If the powerful experts of the Dou Qi Continent left their physical bodies, they could still survive through their souls for quite some time. But if they lost their souls, that was complete and utter death.

No living creature with a spirit could possibly watch someone erase its soul. Seeking benefit and avoiding harm was a creature's instinct.

After waiting for quite a while without seeing any signs of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame erupting, Xiao Fan sighed.

But in Ling Ying's eyes, that action meant he was concerned for his young mistress. "This boy truly treats the young mistress well. Even though it has not erupted, he has silently remained by her side without relaxing for even a moment."

"His talent and aptitude are outstanding."

"If this old man were a woman, I would be willing to marry this boy too."

A chill ran through Xiao Fan's entire body. He looked toward its source in confusion. "What is going on? What is that old man trying to do?"

Looking at the peaceful Gu Xun'er, Xiao Fan studied her carefully. Her skin was fair and tender, and her cheeks still retained a little baby fat, yet they did not look puffy. Instead, they made her even more adorably childlike. "No wonder he was so bewitched that he lost his life for her. She was already devastatingly beautiful as a child—wouldn't she charm countless people once she grew up?"

But Xiao Fan did not care about such things now. Seeing signs that Gu Xun'er was about to awaken, he decisively left.

Compared to repeating the mistakes of his previous life, Xiao Fan was more interested in improving his strength.

Besides, how could the current Gu Xun'er compare to Sister Ya Fei's allure?

Feeling the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame within him, which had not grown much stronger, Xiao Fan was somewhat disappointed.

"Next time! Next time, I will drain it completely!"

A few short months passed, and Jia Nan Academy's recruitment was only days away.

Over these past few months, Gu Xun'er's flare-ups had become increasingly rare, and the energy he could obtain had dwindled to almost nothing. Later on, before Xiao Fan had even reached Gu Xun'er's room, the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame had already calmed down.

"Sister Ya Fei."

Xiao Fan made his way to Ya Fei's chamber as if he knew the route by heart and habitually sat down on the bed.

"You little rascal, you haven't come to see your sister these past few days. Could it be that you found a new love and forgot your old one?" Ya Fei teased with a smile.

"How could that be? Sister Ya Fei, I'm still young."

"So what if you're young? Does being young mean you can't? Your sister doesn't care about age."

Ya Fei kneaded Xiao Fan's little cheeks. Though they had not known each other for long, they were as close as real siblings.

His cheeks had already been played with beyond saving by Ya Fei. Forced to pout, Xiao Fan said unclearly, "Sister Ya Fei, don't joke around."

"Your sister isn't joking." Ya Fei's tone suddenly turned serious. Her beautiful phoenix eyes carried both charm and possessiveness as they stared fixedly at Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan was somewhat at a loss. Just then, his mind had been shaken, and the guilt within his heart kept him from looking directly into those phoenix eyes.

"Sister Ya Fei, then wait until I grow up."

"Alright."

Ya Fei answered with certainty, her tone brimming with delight.

"By the way, Sister Ya Fei, did you call me here for something?"

Ya Fei put away her smile and said to Xiao Fan, "Do you remember how you crippled Jialie Ao of the Jialie Clan with one kick?"

Xiao Fan thought for a while before remembering that he seemed to have kicked him a year ago. But so much time had passed. Even settling old scores should not take nearly a year, right?

He was not afraid of retaliation from the Jialie Clan. Although he was only a Dou Zhe, carrying out a decapitation strike against the Jialie Clan would still be effortless.

Ya Fei continued explaining, "After that, the Jialie Clan kept causing trouble for the Xiao Family. They nearly came to blows."

"Hm? How come I never heard about any of this?" Xiao Fan had not expected such things to have happened.

"Hmph, wasn't it your sister who mediated between them?" Ya Fei propped up her proud curves, which made one blush to look at. Her legs crossed beneath her crimson cheongsam, giving her the air of an empress.

"Good sister~ I love you."

Xiao Fan meant it sincerely. He was still too young now; otherwise, he would have wanted nothing more than to kiss Ya Fei.

"But recently, the Jialie Clan and the Aoba Family joined forces and found a second-tier Alchemist to suppress the Xiao Family's momentum. The income from the markets and medicinal ingredients has greatly fallen. The Xiao Family is now in a perilous situation." Ya Fei shook her head.

"Second-tier?" After pondering it, Xiao Fan asked, "Can the Jialie Clan and Aoba Family really hire a second-tier Alchemist?"

"Yes. I heard that the Alchemist was an old acquaintance of the Aoba Family's patriarch, which was why he was willing to help." Ya Fei was extremely well-informed. Even without leaving home, she could learn everything happening in the small city of Wutan City.

Xiao Fan finally understood why the Great Elder had been frowning these past few days. It seemed this was related to him. The Great Elder had probably even deliberately hidden this information to avoid implicating Xiao Fan.

Ya Fei rested her cheek in her hand as she watched Xiao Fan. She grew curious about what method the man before her would devise to resolve this crisis.

"Decapitation? Or decapitation? Then decapitation it is." It was the only method Xiao Fan could think of.

But such an action was clearly inappropriate. Setting aside the possibility of exposing himself, the crucial point was that they had not done anything utterly heinous. If he simply wiped them out like this, Xiao Fan's conscience could not accept it.

Seeing her little man deep in thought, Ya Fei's heart filled with tender affection. She only wanted to quietly remain by his side. Perhaps in the past, she would have run herself ragged for the Mite'er Family, but now she only wanted to stay beside the little man before her, wait for him to grow up, and then pluck this fruit with her own hands.

Gradually, Ya Fei became lost in thought. A thin mist of moisture formed in her eyes, while a lovely blush spread across her cheeks.

"Sister Ya Fei, Sister Ya Fei!" Xiao Fan nudged the absentminded Ya Fei.

Only then did Ya Fei come back to herself. She looked at Xiao Fan somewhat embarrassedly. "What's wrong, little brother?"

"I'm not little!"

"Tch, little one, don't try to act tough."

I was once a Half-Emperor who lived for half a century!

Xiao Fan clenched his fists, then loosened them and said, "Good sister~"

"What is it~" Ya Fei was also happy to play along with Xiao Fan. It was rare to see him acting cute with her, so she had to remember it.

"Well, surely Sister has some way to solve this, right?"

Xiao Fan coquettishly addressed Ya Fei in a tone that even he found disgusting. Acting young was truly not something a former Half-Emperor expert should be doing.

"Hehe, since little brother has asked this sister for help, of course I have a way."

"But~" Ya Fei deliberately left him in suspense and looked meaningfully at Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan immediately felt as though he had lost his chastity.