Thirty-Four: A Domineering Kiss!

The moment the Xiao Household's three types of medicinal pills went on sale, they caused an enormous uproar. Like a violent storm, they swiftly seized nearly ninety percent of Wu Tan City's medicine market. The Xiao Household's marketplaces saw a massive surge in traffic, packed to the brim.

Since Wu Tan City lay close to the edge of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the city had a vast number of mercenaries. Blood-Coagulating Powder, Qi-Recovery Liquid, and Heart-Clearing Liquid perfectly met the needs of adventurers and could practically be called travel essentials. Thus, even though the pills were not cheaply priced, they were still snapped up in a frenzy.

This level of popularity far exceeded the Xiao Household's expectations. Because their stock was limited, the prices doubled and soared, bringing in exceptionally impressive profits.

As for Xiao Yan, he had remained focused on cultivation. He learned Pill Refining while practicing his newest Dou technique, the Flame Splitting Wave Devouring Ruler. After obtaining the Mysterious Heavy Ruler, simply carrying it while running every day left him panting for breath. Yet for the goal in his heart, he could only grit his teeth and persevere.

Although he left early and returned late every day, he had never once complained of exhaustion. To him, rest meant little more than soaking in medicinal baths. With abundant funds and Yao Lao's patient guidance, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

As for Wu Tan City, aside from the Xiao Household selling medicinal pills, the other major sensation was Jia Nan Academy's recruitment!

As a renowned institution of higher learning across the three great empires, Jia Nan Academy was a place every talented youth in the empires dreamed of attending. As long as one graduated from it and returned, one's future was nearly limitless. Not only would the major factions scramble to recruit them, but even the empires would offer generous promises to the outstanding ones. Wealth, power, and status would all be within easy reach!

Jia Nan Academy was located at the border where the three great empires met, yet no one dared provoke it. Its own strength was enough to contend with any one of the empires. Moreover, after years of development, Jia Nan Academy had formed certain discreet partnerships with the three great empires. With connections spread like a web, the academy had become famous far and wide and enjoyed considerable popular esteem.

Every year, the academy dispatched many instructors into the three great empires to recruit talented students. Today, a recruitment team had arrived in Wu Tan City.

Because the two young members of the Xiao Household had been too dazzling over the past two years, the rumors had drifted to Jia Nan Academy with the wind. Thus, this year's lead instructor was no ordinary person, possessing the terrifying strength of a Dou Wang!

As soon as this news spread, the flow of people into Wu Tan City surged dramatically. For a time, many people from factions large and small went to watch, while the Xiao Household youths who considered themselves geniuses also squeezed through the crowds to spectate.

Xiao Household training ground.

Watching the many Xiao Household disciples still cramming at the last minute, Xiao Dongchen truly wanted to laugh. It reminded him of the scenes from some exam in his past life. It was exactly the same.

Time and space had changed, yet people's luck-seeking mentality had not!

Everyone thought they were the lucky one, the protagonist favored by fate, yet most of them ultimately ended in complete failure!

Turning around, Xiao Dongchen entered a nearby garden, where a familiar graceful figure in purple appeared before him.

Looking at that delicate, curvaceous silhouette, a smile appeared on Xiao Dongchen's face. Without making a sound, he walked toward the girl staring blankly at the peach blossoms.

In the garden today, the peach blossoms and her lovely face reflected each other in crimson splendor!

"Brother Chen, you said that day that you wanted me to go to the academy first. Where are you planning to go?"

As if sensing him in her heart, the girl's cool yet faintly sorrowful voice reached him as he approached.

Stopping in his tracks, Xiao Dongchen smiled helplessly. As he looked at Xun'er's exquisite, otherworldly little face, he became slightly dazed.

"I'm going out to gain experience. Experiencing the outside world is always beneficial. Three years from now, I'm going to punch that old fellow Yun Shan!"

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he shrugged and spoke calmly.

"Hehe, he's a dignified former sect leader who's about to break through to Dou Zong. Why do you make it sound like you're bullying an old man?"

This joke dispelled some of the sorrow in Xun'er's eyes. She turned around to look at the youth before her, unable to hide the delight emerging on her little face.

Then, as if remembering something, her slender brows knitted slightly. Biting her red lips lightly, she asked, "You said you're going out to gain experience, but how long will it be?"

"Mm, once I reach Dou Emperor as soon as possible, I'll come to the academy to find you, Xun'er. Uh... forget it. Give me a year—no, at most nine months. Is that okay?"

Seeing Xun'er's increasingly pitiful little face, Xiao Dongchen could not bear it any longer and hurriedly changed his words.

To him, reaching Dou Emperor would not take two and a half years at all. At most, it would take a little over a year.

Yet he did not know that at Jia Nan Academy, a Dou Emperor was already powerful enough to walk sideways!

After all, even Su Qian, the Great Elder of the Inner Academy, was merely a Low-Star Dou Zong!

"Brother Chen, does Yun Shan really put that much pressure on you?"

"If you want, I have a way to help you defeat him by the appointed time."

Biting her red lips softly, Xun'er hesitated slightly before speaking with confidence.

"Hehe."

Xiao Dongchen smiled noncommittally and did not rush to answer. He let out a soft sigh before continuing, "When you put it that way, you're making things difficult for me."

"After all, I made that promise before so many clan members. If I end up needing your help, where would my dignity be?"

"Xun'er, have you considered my feelings?"

What a joke. He needed Xun'er's help to beat a mere Yun Shan?

It was not as though he could not win. If the Jia Nan Academy next door saw this, they would think this new student was incompetent!

Leaving aside anything else, with an Emperor-tier cultivation method, even if he had no fortuitous encounters for three years, he should still be able to reach Dou Emperor through cultivation alone, right?

Going out to gain experience was merely the difference between fighting with his eyes closed and fighting with them open!

"But..."

Hearing the youth's thought-provoking questions, Xun'er's heart immediately fell into turmoil. She clearly did not want him to leave at all, yet she did not know how to persuade him.

"No more buts. Wait for me!"

Before Xun'er could organize her words, Xiao Dongchen stepped forward, stretched out both hands, and suddenly wrapped them around her slim waist. Then, lowering his head with deep affection, he looked at her moist red lips and kissed her domineeringly.

One kiss that lasted until the end of time!

Love while you still can!

Stunned silly by Xiao Dongchen's domineering action, Xun'er's delicate body trembled slightly at the closeness of his hormonal scent. The next moment, a blush rose uncontrollably across her pretty face. At the same time, her slender jade-like hands wrapped around his neck. Closing her eyes with slight shyness, she simply gave herself over to the moment.

The breeze brushed past, willow branches swayed, and the young man and woman embraced in a passionate kiss, looking for a moment like a famous painting of the century.

After a long while, their lips parted.

The young man and woman gazed deeply at each other, speechless for a long time.

A moment later, Xiao Dongchen stroked the girl's dark hair and smiled gently. "Xun'er, a brief separation is for the sake of loving each other better in the future. Do you understand?"

Still at a loss after being kissed, Xun'er's mind was completely blank. She obediently nodded.

At that moment, it was as though she could no longer hear any words. In her heart, there was only the tender, affectionate youth before her.