First Meeting with Little Fairy (Revised)

Just as Xiao Yao was thinking this, a young girl walked in. She wore a pale white dress, a faint smile on her serene face. Her entire being radiated a fresh, ethereal air, like a fairy descended into the mortal world.

As Xiao Yao looked her over, his gaze finally settled on her willow-slim waist, bound by a green sash. He sighed. "It seems Little Fairy has always been this slender and graceful. Her waist is as slim as a willow branch, as though it could be encircled in one's palm with a gentle grasp."

"Ding! A hidden system mission has been triggered. The host may accept it at will. There is no punishment for failure.

Hidden Mission: Become Little Fairy's friend, gain her recognition, and earn her favorability. Reward: flight Dou skill, Kunpeng Wings. (No time limit.)"

Xiao Yao silently said in his mind, Accept the mission. Seeing Little Fairy chatting with the clerk at the counter, he immediately walked over. Standing before her, he struck what he considered a handsome pose and smiled. "Little Fairy, it's a pleasure to meet you. Could we be friends?"

Xiao Yao's actions caught Little Fairy somewhat off guard. She looked up at him, her brows knitting slightly as though she were considering how to respond.

She gave Xiao Yao a once-over. Dressed in black robes, he looked neither like a cultivator nor an ordinary passerby.

Little Fairy said mildly, "Just how pleased are you?"

Xiao Yao froze for a moment, privately complaining that the system's hidden mission was not so easy to complete. But this would not stop him. He still smiled and said, "Little Fairy, my name is Xiao Yao. I hope we can get acquainted."

"Hello, I'm Little Fairy. But I'm busy right now, so I may not have time to talk with you for long."

Hearing this, the smile on Xiao Yao's face did not fade. He gently shook his head. "That's fine. I only wanted to be friends with you. If you're busy now, we can talk another time."

Little Fairy could not help feeling puzzled by Xiao Yao's words. She did not understand why this stranger had suddenly appeared and asked to be friends.

She watched Xiao Yao warily, trying to discern something from his eyes.

However, Xiao Yao's gaze was clear and resolute, without the slightest trace of concealed malice.

Little Fairy's heart stirred slightly. She recalled that when she had first arrived here, she had encountered similar situations as well.

Perhaps this person truly only wanted to make a friend.

So Little Fairy nodded slightly. "All right. We can get to know each other first."

Hearing Little Fairy's words, Xiao Yao revealed a satisfied smile. He extended his hand and said once again, "My name is Xiao Yao. It's a pleasure to meet you, Little Fairy."

Little Fairy looked at the hand Xiao Yao had offered. After hesitating briefly, she gently shook it. Xiao Yao's hand felt warm and strong.

After shaking hands, Xiao Yao took several steps back on his own initiative, leaving Little Fairy some space. Smiling at her, he said, "Little Fairy, I still have matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving first. We can talk again next time."

Little Fairy nodded. "All right, Xiao Yao. I look forward to our next conversation."

Xiao Yao turned and left the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, unable to suppress his smugness. He knew he had successfully drawn Little Fairy's attention, and that they had established an initial connection.

Xiao Yao headed toward the Magic Beast Mountain Range, listening to the cries of Magic Beasts echoing from deep within the forest. His footsteps threaded through the woods.

Suddenly, an earth-shaking roar shattered the forest's tranquility, like a proclamation from the god of death.

Xiao Yao abruptly turned around and saw a massive Tiger-Headed Leopard leap out from the undergrowth. Its eyes glinted viciously, and sharp fangs protruded from its mouth like the reaper's scythe, ready at any moment to harvest lives.

The Tiger-Headed Leopard was enormous, its fur as hard as iron. A powerful aura rushed toward him, making Xiao Yao feel as though he could barely breathe.

It threw back its head and roared, its cry shaking the heart. Even more terrifying, magma-like fluid dripped from its mouth. The instant it fell to the ground, it melted the hard rock and left behind deep pits.

A scorching aura washed over Xiao Yao, making him feel as if he had been thrown into a sea of flames. The third-tier Tiger-Headed Leopard slowly approached him, baring a mouthful of fangs.

Xiao Yao's heart tightened. He immediately stopped and stared vigilantly at the Tiger-Headed Leopard before him. The powerful aura radiating from this third-tier Magic Beast made him feel that its cultivation was at least equivalent to a human nine-star Great Dou Master.

The Tiger-Headed Leopard's eyes flickered with savage light as it pressed toward Xiao Yao step by step, low growls rumbling from its throat.

Xiao Yao was delighted, thinking this was a good chance to improve his combat experience. He swiftly took the Divine Sky Sword from his storage ring, ready to meet the Tiger-Headed Leopard's attack at any time. He calmly observed its movements, searching for its weakness.

The Tiger-Headed Leopard suddenly pounced at Xiao Yao, spewing a stream of scorching flames from its mouth. Xiao Yao nimbly dodged the flames and, at the same time, thrust his sword toward the Tiger-Headed Leopard's abdomen.

However, the Tiger-Headed Leopard reacted incredibly quickly. It swiftly evaded Xiao Yao's strike before pouncing at him again.

After dodging several times in succession, Xiao Yao felt that he had consumed too much Dou Qi. He immediately took out a Qi-Recovery Pill he had refined earlier and swallowed it.

In an instant, Dou Qi flooded his body. Xiao Yao discovered that his Dou Qi had become more condensed, while his muscles and cells contained even greater strength. He felt that his cultivation was about to break through again.

Xiao Yao was overjoyed. Looking at the Tiger-Headed Leopard, there was no longer any panic in his eyes. Instead, they shone with excitement. It was as if he had discovered a great treasure, and the joy he felt was beyond words.

He immediately put away the Divine Sky Sword in his hand. "Kitty, come here. Let's settle this with our bodies."

He muttered the words with a hint of teasing and anticipation in his tone. He knew that this Tiger-Headed Leopard's body was not as tough as his own. He believed he could defeat it using only his physical body, while also improving his physique and reaching the Human Physique Minor Accomplishment Realm sooner.

The Tiger-Headed Leopard apparently did not understand Xiao Yao's words. It let out another roar toward the heavens, pain and fury mixed in its cry. Its aura was slightly weaker than before.

The Tiger-Headed Leopard pounced toward Xiao Yao's position. Xiao Yao had already expected it. His body moved as he used the Traveling Secret, runes appearing beneath his feet. He instantly shifted behind the Tiger-Headed Leopard, golden streams of energy layering over his fist as he slammed it straight into the beast.

The Tiger-Headed Leopard staggered from the sudden attack and nearly fell to the ground.

The Tiger-Headed Leopard angrily turned around, its eyes flashing with vicious light as though it wanted to devour Xiao Yao alive. It pounced at him again, faster than before and even more ferocious.

Xiao Yao responded calmly. His figure was agile, sometimes dodging left and right, sometimes counterattacking. His fists and kicks were exceptionally fierce, and every strike inflicted intense pain upon the Tiger-Headed Leopard.

During one fierce exchange, Xiao Yao seized an opening in the Tiger-Headed Leopard's defenses. He swiftly flashed to its side and punched its waist. The Tiger-Headed Leopard cried out miserably in pain before collapsing to the ground.

Xiao Yao panted heavily as he looked at the fallen Tiger-Headed Leopard. He could not help sighing that he truly needed to continue improving his combat experience. Seeing that his Dou Qi had become so condensed it was nearly spilling from his body, he hurriedly sat down and absorbed it. After a while, he opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of golden Dou Qi, feeling the changes brought by his cultivation rising one star.

Afterward, Xiao Yao dusted himself off, straightened his clothes, and stored the Tiger-Headed Leopard's corpse in his storage ring. He prepared to leave this place and find somewhere to rest. After all, he would be living here for some time to come.