Xun'er's Gift

"How are you so heavy?!" Xiao Yu was almost unable to breathe under his weight. For the moment, she had no time to care about that nonexistent magical beast and pushed Xiao Yan with all her strength.

But with her little strength, how could she possibly move Xiao Yan while he was carrying the Black Heavy Ruler?

Fortunately, the hot spring pool was not deep. Otherwise, the two of them would have sunk straight to the bottom.

Xiao Yan softly shushed her. "Don't move around. Be careful not to let that magical beast hear us."

Seeing how serious he looked, Xiao Yu froze for a moment. Could there really be a magical beast?

A moment later, Xiao Yu did not know whether there was a magical beast or not, but if they kept being so well-behaved, the magical beast would probably enter the cave.

"You little pervert, having such filthy thoughts at such a young age!" Xiao Yu suddenly shoved with both hands, catching Xiao Yan off guard and pushing him away. Her pretty face was slightly flushed as she rolled her eyes at him and pouted.

"Cough... I'm innocent." Xiao Yan coughed violently, his face also faintly reddening.

After looking around, Xiao Yan let out a great sigh of relief and explained to Xiao Yu again, "There really was a magical beast chasing me. I barged in here in a panic because I had nowhere else to go."

Xiao Yu lightly leaped out of the spring. Without bothering to dry the water from her body, she directly put on a light-blue dress. Several reddish palm prints marked her long, jade-white legs.

With a sharp cry, Xiao Yu's long leg lashed fiercely toward Xiao Yan.

Tapping the bottom of the pool with his toes, Xiao Yan shot forward. He took the kick head-on with his shoulder and pressed toward Xiao Yu.

In that flash of lightning, Xiao Yan neutralized Xiao Yu's attack, and their breaths mingled.

In an instant, the blush on Xiao Yu's pretty face deepened, making her beautiful features even more alluring.

"You little pervert, let me go!" Xiao Yu cried shyly. Without Xiao Yan's shoulder supporting her, she would have fallen to the ground by now.

Raising his hand, Xiao Yan lightly scratched the sole of her jade-white foot and smiled. "I can let you go, but you can't attack me again."

With a sound like a kitten's meow, Xiao Yu hurriedly nodded.

Xiao Yan took a small step back, gently helping Xiao Yu lower her leg to the ground before shaking the water from his hair.

"You little pervert, do you really think I'm stupid? For the past few years, someone has sneaked into my room every night to nourish my bones and meridians. That person is a little pervert too." Xiao Yu pursed her rosy lips. "Once I break through to the Dou Practitioner realm, I'll teach you a lesson first, then teach him a lesson too!"

Xiao Yan bared his teeth, feeling both guilty and puzzled. How did Xiao Yu find out? I was always very gentle with them. Could it have been... that time I secretly ate her rouge?

Xiao Yan glanced at her glossy lips and gave a light cough. "I don't know about anything else, but a fierce black hawk really was chasing me just now."

Xiao Yu gave a soft snort, turned around, and left barefoot, heading down the mountain to train.

Watching Xiao Yu's graceful figure, Xiao Yan muttered, "Did she believe me or not?"

With Xiao Yu's fiery temper, she should have fought him to the death by all rights. Yet now she was angry but had not attacked him.

"Even with heaven-defying comprehension, it seems I still can't understand a woman's heart." Sighing, Xiao Yan washed himself and his clothes in the hot spring. Under the urging of his Dou Qi, his clothes quickly dried.

After walking for a while in the direction Xiao Yu had left, Xiao Yan soon saw the cliff he often visited.

Just as Xiao Yan arrived, a girl in green darted out from a nearby path and stood gracefully before him.

"Brother Xiao Yan, have you begun cultivating a technique?" Her eyes swept over Xiao Yan, and a trace of confusion quietly appeared on her delicate little face. With her hands behind her back, she leaned slightly forward until their faces were only a centimeter apart, then asked with a half-smile.

Xun'er had always possessed formidable soul power. She could see through the strength of everyone in the Xiao Clan who was in the Dou Qi stage at a glance, yet she alone could not see through the strength of the person closest to her.

She had originally thought that after Brother Xiao Yan broke through to the Dou Practitioner realm, his strength would be more obvious and she should be able to see something. Yet unexpectedly, she still could not.

Having cultivated soul power since childhood, Xiao Yan's soul power was far stronger than Xun'er's. Concealing his strength had always been quite easy for him.

Recently, he had gained sudden insight into the Breath-Concealing Art, making his strength naturally even more unfathomable.

As the warm, fragrant breath before him brushed against his face, Xiao Yan was briefly distracted. Suppressing the amorous thoughts in his heart, he patted the little head of the girl before him, who was nearly as tall as he was, and nodded slightly.

Xun'er's eyes curved like a pair of beautiful crescent moons. She extended her fair, tender little hands and, as usual, carefully smoothed out Xiao Yan's slightly wrinkled clothes.

Looking down at that flawless, exquisite little face, Xiao Yan saw a strand of dark hair fall before her smooth forehead. The breeze occasionally lifted it, revealing a pair of bright, watery eyes whose shifting gaze was utterly captivating.

Staring blankly at Xun'er, Xiao Yan's breathing gradually became a little hurried, and a trace of heat rose in his eyes.

"Brother Xiao Yan... wh-what are you looking at?" After straightening Xiao Yan's clothes, Xun'er finally noticed the heat in his gaze. Her little face reddened as she softly scolded him.

"Huh? Uh..." Startled back to his senses, Xiao Yan's face also turned somewhat red. Fortunately, his skin was much thicker than Xun'er's. After dryly coughing twice, he acted as though nothing had happened. "Nothing. I just thought Xun'er was becoming prettier and prettier."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xun'er gave an unconvinced little snort, but her rosy lips curled into a delighted smile.

"Although the clan's finest fire-element technique is not bad, the higher the grade of the technique one cultivates when beginning to train Dou Qi, the greater the benefits for the future. A high-grade Yellow-tier technique... is still somewhat too low."

Looking at Xiao Yan's calm expression, Xun'er's slender brows furrowed slightly. With a flick of her delicate finger, an ancient scroll the color of fiery jade appeared in her hand.

Although she knew there was a mysterious expert behind Brother Xiao Yan, that expert only had a soul body left. Xun'er was not sure whether he could still produce a suitable fire-element technique, so she had come to take a look herself.

"This is a high-grade Mystic-tier fire-element technique: the Flame Manipulation Art!" Xun'er stroked the scroll and said softly, "Brother Xiao Yan, you do not need to worry about your pride and refuse to accept it. Xun'er knows you are not that stubborn. A high-grade technique will bring you great benefits in the future, so..."

"This little girl really is a tiny rich lady. A high-grade Mystic-tier technique costs at least several hundred thousand gold coins!" Xiao Yan smiled as he took the technique, not refusing it.

Even if he shut himself away and relied on his heaven-defying comprehension, he could still gain insight into decent techniques, combat skills, and secret arts.

But with the experience of those before him as a foundation, and then comprehending it with his heaven-defying insight, his gains would be the fastest and greatest.

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, a rosy glow crept over Xun'er's pretty face. "Brother Xiao Yan, change your technique here. Xun'er will stand guard for you."

Xiao Yan froze for a moment. He had not expected Xun'er to be so direct.

Though countless people looked down on the Flame Mantra, it was one of the two paths to breaking through to the Dou Emperor realm. How could he replace it?

"Hehe, thank you, Xun'er, but I've already begun cultivating a technique." Xiao Yan smiled gently and lowered his head to whisper beside Xun'er's tender ear, "Brother Xiao Yan can obtain a better technique."