The Hidden Dragon Returned to the City! As the Little Maid Followed the Young Master into Wutan City, a Shura Field Loomed

Little Fairy's eye twitched as she couldn't help complaining, "An Yi... are you sure dressing like this is for 'safety first'?"

"Dressed like that, you'd be a hundred times more conspicuous walking down the street than if you showed your face directly!"

"Tch, what do you know? This is called hiding in plain sight. I want exactly this kind of eye-catching effect!"

An Yi touched the mask on his face and snapped his fingers. "Don't worry. I have my own tricks. Just watch me."

Little Fairy sighed helplessly. She looked at An Yi beside her, radiant and elegant like a noble young gentleman in a fallen world, then lowered her head to look at her own plain, even somewhat travel-worn herbalist's dress.

She suddenly sighed softly, her voice carrying a rare trace of inferiority and frustration.

"But... you're dressed so well, so conspicuously... I feel like walking beside you now..."

"I look just like a maidservant accompanying a young master on a shopping trip!"

Hearing Little Fairy's rather frustrated complaint, An Yi looked her up and down before casually suggesting, "If you think you look shabby, you can dress yourself up a little too. Change into a pretty dress or something."

"Big brother, do you think I'm you?"

Little Fairy rolled her eyes speechlessly. "I'm a frail young woman who isn't even a Dou Practitioner. I've only just arrived in this mixed crowd of a city, and if I dressed myself up all fancy, wouldn't I be begging for people to take an interest in me?"

Little Fairy sighed and said with full awareness of her own limits, "I don't have your freakish ability to tear Magic Beasts apart with your bare hands at the slightest disagreement. For the sake of my life, I'd better honestly be your inconspicuous little maid. That's the safest way."

Hearing her survival-minded philosophy, An Yi couldn't help laughing.

He reached out and ruffled Little Fairy's head twice, leaving her neatly combed hair slightly messy. "Good attitude! Then let's go, my little maid."

"Don't mess up my hair!"

Little Fairy slapped his hand away in disgust and pouted, but she still obediently fell half a step behind him. Like a dutiful "maid," she followed behind this conspicuous "white-haired young master" toward Wutan City.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Wutan City, the Xiao Household, within Xiao Xun'er's quiet and elegant courtyard.

Ever since An Yi had left Wutan City for good a year ago, disheartened after that upheaval, Xiao Xun'er had secretly issued orders for Ling Ying, her personal guard and a Dou Emperor, to hide in the shadows and follow An Yi, protecting him all the way.

As for herself? Not only was there nothing in this remote corner of the Xiao Household that could pose a mortal danger to her, but even if some earth-shattering disaster truly occurred, the many hidden cards, secret arts, and protective treasures bestowed upon her by the elders of her clan would be more than enough to handle it with ease.

Yet this year-long mission of "shadowing and protecting" had nearly driven the mighty Dou Emperor Ling Ying into depression!

Protect An Yi? That was practically a false proposition!

That brat An Yi's senses were so sharp they were simply outrageous!

His perception was not the ordinary detection of Dou Qi fluctuations. It was more like the terrifying instinct of an apex predator, an innate nose for danger.

To avoid being discovered, Ling Ying had to maintain an enormous distance every time, exhausting himself with the effort of staying hidden.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst problem lay with An Yi himself!

Ever since plunging into the depths of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, An Yi had become like a ferocious beast freed from every shackle, completely letting himself loose!

He had thoroughly transformed into a tireless "humanoid Magic Beast," killing everything in his path!

He hunted Magic Beasts and dug out their Magic Cores while they were still fresh.

Once he had gathered enough Magic Cores, he would casually find some dark, damp cave and begin madly devouring and absorbing the violent energy within them.

Once the energy had been absorbed and his Dou Qi was full again, he would rush out like a madman and continue his frenzied hunt for Magic Beasts.

When he was exhausted to the limit, he would find a random tree branch and take a nap.

When hunger became unbearable, he would light a fire and casually roast some Magic Beast meat to fill his stomach. Several times, when he became desperately hungry in the midst of battle, Ling Ying had personally seen the brat eat raw flesh and drink blood, directly tearing into a Magic Beast's bloody meat!

For the entire past year, An Yi had run wild through the deep mountains and old forests day and night like a savage!

His life consisted of only two things: either absorbing Magic Core energy or heading out to hunt Magic Beasts!

Although this brutally extreme method of cultivation had produced the terrifying result of letting him cross an entire major realm in just one year, his cultivation soaring all the way from Dou Master to Great Dou Master.

To outsiders, though, such a cultivation method was simply too horrifying and too savage!

Every so often, Ling Ying would send letters through special channels back to the Xiao Household, reporting everything he had seen and heard in the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

Therefore, Xiao Xun'er, who remained in the Xiao Household, knew every detail of An Yi's "savage" experiences over the past year.

Though the truth was unpleasant, An Yi's brutal and bloody cultivation method had truly left him with barely any trace of humanity!

Just as the mercenaries who had occasionally encountered him on the outskirts of the mountain range had rumored—

He really was a "humanoid Magic Beast" wearing human skin!

At this moment, within the courtyard.

After hearing the oral report from Ling Ying, who had just returned, Xiao Xun'er's breathtakingly beautiful face showed little shock at An Yi's explosive growth in strength. Instead, it was filled with deep pity and heartache.

"He must have suffered a lot this past year..." The girl lightly bit her red lips and sighed softly.

Ling Ying, who had been hiding in the shadows, revealed himself. His aged voice carried a trace of emotion.

"Miss, for an ordinary person, cultivating like that is no different from gambling with one's life. Even the slightest trace of violent Magic Core energy entering the body could make an ordinary Dou Practitioner explode and die."

"But for his terrifying physique, like that of an ancient ferocious beast, and that strange, overbearing cultivation technique, perhaps... only such an extreme method of putting himself through death before finding life could allow him to grow at the fastest possible speed."

Xiao Xun'er frowned slightly, confusion flashing through her eyes.

"Directly absorbing the violent energy within Magic Cores and turning it into one's own... what kind of cultivation technique is that? This doesn't resemble any cultivation system that a human could practice."

"This old servant has secretly observed him many times as well."

Ling Ying pondered for a moment before giving his conclusion. "This old servant guesses that it is most likely some devouring cultivation method created by an ancient exotic beast. Young Master An Yi must have accidentally fused with some special ancient exotic beast bloodline back then, causing his body's structure to mutate. That is why he can ignore the side effects and forcibly cultivate such an overbearing technique."

"Even taking a step back, even if that cultivation technique truly can directly devour Magic Core energy, without a body as powerful and terrifying as a Magic Beast to serve as its vessel, it would be absolutely impossible to accomplish such a thing."

Xiao Xun'er nodded thoughtfully, then raised her head. Her autumn-water eyes carried both expectation and unease. "Elder Ling, where is he now...?"

"This old servant followed him all the way. When I discovered that he and the girl called Little Fairy had already approached Wutan City's territory, I hurried back first to report to you, Miss."

Ling Ying paused. "However, given his way of doing things, he will most likely head straight for the Mittel Auction House in the city center to find Ya Fei and settle down. After all... there is no way he would ever set foot through the Xiao Household's gates again."

Upon hearing that, Xiao Xun'er's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural, and an irrepressible flash of loss passed through her eyes.

Yes, what the Xiao Household's higher-ups had done a year ago had long since utterly broken his heart.

How could he possibly return to this place that had left him so bitterly disappointed?

Seeing his young mistress's dejected expression, Ling Ying hesitated before asking in a low voice.

"Miss, do you... want to go to the Mittel Auction House and see him? Although he severed all ties with the Xiao Household a year ago and no longer has any connection to it, he and you... are friends, after all."

"Friends..."

Xiao Xun'er bit her lower lip tightly, her fingertips digging deeply into her palm. Her eyes lowered, and she remained silent for a long time.