Puppets Forged, Formations Rise in the Magical Beast Mountain Range!

At the first light of dawn, Xiao Fan rose early.

Having failed to persuade him after several attempts, a helpless Xiao Yu had simply returned to Jianan Academy.

Xiao Mei, meanwhile, had been taken away by the Great Elder to carry out a clan mission.

Ever since the decline of the Jialie Clan, the Xiao Clan had swallowed up the majority of their assets. Their influence had expanded as rapidly as bamboo shoots after a spring rain, and they now stood unrivaled in Wutan City.

Even the Aoba Clan, once one of the three great families, had to show them respect and give them a wide berth whenever they encountered members of the Xiao Clan.

Little Doctor Fairy was still fast asleep in bed. This rare moment of leisure allowed Xiao Fan to calm his mind and prepare to immerse himself in meditation once more.

However, before he could fully enter his state, a graceful figure drifted toward him—it was Xiao Xun'er.

The morning light spilled over her, outlining her exquisite and slender frame.

She wore a pale green dress that fluttered with the breeze, and a moon-white sash cinched her waist, making it appear even more delicate and slender.

Her three thousand strands of raven hair cascaded like a waterfall, soft and lustrous, held loosely in place by a simple ribbon.

A few stray locks fell playfully against her jade-white cheeks, adding a touch of liveliness and grace. She looked like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting, untainted by the dust of the mortal world.

"Brother Xiao Fan..."

Her vermilion lips parted, her voice soft and sweet, reminiscent of an oriole emerging from a valley.

Seeing Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Fan was genuinely surprised; in recent days, he had barely crossed paths with her.

Yet, she had already broken through to an eight-star Dou Zhe, which left Xiao Fan feeling quite astonished.

Without needing to think, he knew she must have been training diligently.

As expected of a princess of the Ancient Clan, her talent and speed of cultivation were things ordinary people could never hope to match—though, of course, that excluded a guy like him who possessed a heaven-defying cheat.

"Sister Xun'er, you've already reached eight-star Dou Zhe? Your progress is quite fast."

Xiao Fan's lips curled into a gentle smile as he greeted her first.

Xiao Xun'er froze, thinking to herself that she had expected this breakthrough to impress Brother Xiao Fan, yet he had seen through it so easily.

Nevertheless, she quickly beamed, her smile bright and moving, with tiny flickers of light dancing in her eyes.

"I'm no match for Brother Xiao Fan..."

<strong>[Expectation +1, Joy +1, Expectation +3]</strong>

Sensing these emotions, Xiao Fan couldn't help but find it amusing. Was this girl looking for his praise?

He nodded slightly, his gaze filled with approval.

"Sister Xun'er is truly the number one genius beauty of the Xiao Clan. To achieve such a feat at this age is truly extraordinary."

<strong>[Happiness +2, Shyness +1]</strong>

A flush instantly spread across Xiao Xun'er's fair cheeks, like clouds at sunset, creeping all the way to her earlobes.

She was left flustered by the direct praise, her eyes beginning to dart away.

To hide her shyness, she hurriedly changed the subject. "Then, what is Brother Xiao Fan's current cultivation level?"

"Me?"

Xiao Fan's thoughts stirred, and the energy within him surged, instantly releasing the majestic aura of a one-star Da Dou Shi.

The powerful pressure washed over her, and Xiao Xun'er's eyes widened in shock, her small mouth slightly agape in a cute "O" shape.

<strong>[Shock +1, Shock +2, Shock +3]</strong>

"This... how is this possible?"

She exclaimed inwardly. She had thought her own cultivation speed was fast enough.

She never expected that Brother Xiao Fan had already reached the level of a one-star Da Dou Shi.

The small sense of pride she had felt from her breakthrough vanished in an instant.

Xiao Fan silently sensed her emotional shift and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. This girl was truly, adorably simple.

"Then... what about Brother Xiao Fan's maid, Little Doctor Fairy?"

Xiao Xun'er's eyes rolled as she asked the question she truly cared about, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Her? She's a Dou Ling now..."

A mischievous glint flashed in Xiao Fan's eyes as he spoke with deliberate casualness.

The bright, smiling expression on Xiao Xun'er's face froze instantly. She stood rooted to the spot, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"She's already a Dou Ling? How old is she?"

She asked herself repeatedly in her heart. For a moment, a wave of frustration washed over her.

It completely drowned out the joy she had felt just moments ago from reaching eight-star Dou Zhe.

<strong>[Frustration +2, Frustration +2, Frustration +2]</strong>

Sensing her emotions, Xiao Fan set aside his playful mood. He gently placed a hand on Xiao Xun'er's shoulder and said in a soft tone, "The path of cultivation is like climbing a high mountain; one must move forward steadily, one step at a time."

"Little Doctor Fairy has a unique constitution, which is why her progress was faster in the early stages, but that doesn't mean everything."

He was well aware that the most perfect Dou Di bloodline of the Ancient Clan in a thousand years flowed through Xiao Xun'er's veins.

Once that bloodline power was activated, her cultivation speed would far surpass that of ordinary people; it was simply not yet the time for that.

[Shyness +2, Shyness +2, Joy +1]

Xiao Xun'er felt a wave of warmth spread from her shoulder. The sudden physical contact caused a vibrant crimson flush to instantly stain her fair cheeks, making them look like a ripe peach, delicate and dripping with sweetness.

The sense of loss and frustration that had previously filled her heart vanished without a trace in that instant, leaving behind only a heart full of shyness and joy.

"I, I understand, Brother Xiao Fan."

She lowered her eyes in a panic, not daring to meet Xiao Fan's gaze, her voice becoming as thin as a mosquito's hum.

Following that, she turned and fled as if she were a startled little rabbit.

Her footsteps were hurried and chaotic, her shy demeanor enough to make anyone smile.

If the other young disciples of the Xiao Clan, who revered Xiao Xun'er as a goddess, were to see her looking so bashful and adorable before Xiao Fan, one could only wonder how many would be left dejected and heartbroken.

Sunlight spilled over Xiao Fan as he watched the direction in which Xiao Xun'er had departed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

These peaceful days seemed to have become all the more interesting because of such little interludes.

On this day, Yao Lao also delivered the refined puppet to Xiao Fan as promised.

"Its strength is only at the level of a two-star Dou Zong, but it should be sufficient here in the Gama Empire..."

Yao Lao stroked his beard, his soul projection appearing somewhat dim.

It was evident that refining this puppet had consumed a significant amount of his soul power.

Xiao Fan nodded slightly and handed over the medicinal pills he had prepared to replenish soul energy.

"I understand..."

A two-star Dou Zong was enough?

In the coming period, quite a few figures from the Soul Hall would be arriving in this region.

However, Xiao Fan did not pay it much mind, for he had other methods to refine puppets.

If this method proved effective, he would be able to break through to a much higher level...

How could a mere two-star Dou Zong be enough?

Xiao Fan brought the puppet to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and in an instant, a grand formation covering the greater part of the mountain range's depths slowly rose...