Cliffside Cave, Domineering Xiao Yan

At the inn, Yao Lao looked heartbroken at the blue bruises covering Xiao Yan's body.

"Go soak in the medicinal bath. Otherwise, the remaining congealed blood will damage your foundation."

Seeing how diligently Xiao Yan had trained over the past few days, Yao Lao had prepared an upgraded version of the Foundation-Building Spirit Liquid.

In the wooden tub, the emerald medicinal liquid gave off a strong herbal scent, reflecting a cold gleam beneath the moonlight.

Xiao Yan stepped into the tub, sat cross-legged, and formed the hand seals for cultivation.

After a full day of intense training, Xiao Yan's skin was like a sponge. Countless pores opened and closed eagerly, greedily absorbing the energy in the medicinal liquid as well as the Dou Qi in the air.

The energy in the medicinal liquid repaired and strengthened Xiao Yan's body. The excess energy and the Dou Qi he inhaled were refined through the specific circulation routes of his cultivation method, then slowly stored within the Dou Qi Vortex in his dantian.

Xiao Yan cultivated in the medicinal bath for the entire night, eventually falling asleep in the tub.

In the morning, warm sunlight fell across Xiao Yan's face and woke him from his slumber.

Xiao Yan yawned comfortably and stretched. At once, his bones erupted in a crackling roar like thunder.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan's expression froze. His mind sank inward as he entered internal inspection.

Within his dantian, the Dou Qi Vortex had grown another circle larger, with six star rings around it.

"I've broken through to a six-star Dou Zhe."

Delight filled Xiao Yan's face. It had been less than twenty days since he left Wu Tan City and arrived at Qingshan Town, yet he had already advanced by one star.

Aside from Xiao Yan's exceptional talent, his painstaking cultivation had also played a part.

"It's still not enough. I need to become stronger—stronger, and fast."

Xiao Yan murmured to himself, his gaze resolute.

With a splash, Xiao Yan stood up from the wooden tub.

After several days of high-intensity cultivation, the medicinal potency in the tub had been completely absorbed the previous night, leaving the water clear.

Just as Xiao Yan left the inn, intending to visit the apothecary and buy medicinal ingredients to prepare more Foundation-Building Spirit Liquid, Xiao Yi Xian finally set out to gather herbs in the Magic Beast Mountains.

Relying on his formidable strength, Xiao Yan secured one of the fifty available spots as an independent mercenary.

After entering the Magic Beast Mountains and suffering six waves of magical beast attacks, the mercenary party proved quite strong. No one died, and only a dozen or so people suffered minor injuries.

With Xiao Yi Xian's treatment, those lightly injured mercenaries received timely care and still retained their fighting strength.

During the six waves of magical beast attacks, Xiao Yan participated in two battles as well. Even while carrying the Xuan Heavy Ruler on his back, he easily drove back the attacking magical beasts and even killed one.

Such strength earned Xiao Yan the attention and respect of the mercenaries.

After six waves of magical beast attacks, the party finally arrived at the herb-gathering area.

More than a dozen mercenaries swiftly spread out to keep watch, while the others sat where they were and recovered the large amount of Dou Qi expended during the journey.

Sitting beneath a tree, Xiao Yan quietly tossed a Qi-Replenishing Pill into his mouth when no one was watching.

While refining the pill's potency to restore his Dou Qi, he kept an eye on Xiao Yi Xian, who carried a medicine basket on her back.

At last, he saw Xiao Yi Xian leave the crowd and head toward a small grove.

Xiao Yan remained expressionless as he quietly followed her.

One in front and one behind, the two arrived at a cliff.

The cliff was steep, littered with strange trees and covered in loose stones.

"Who's there?"

Xiao Yi Xian suddenly turned around. When she discovered Xiao Yan following behind her, her pretty face darkened.

With a flick of her jade-like hand, she scattered a handful of white powder toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan used the Fire-Blowing Palm, sending the white powder rolling back toward her and enveloping her beneath her horrified gaze.

Once the white powder dispersed, Xiao Yi Xian had already collapsed unconscious onto the ground.

Xiao Yan walked over, crouched down, and looked at the unconscious Xiao Yi Xian with amusement.

He reached out and pinched her fair, delicate cheek, smiling as he said, "Stop pretending. The ground is cold. Get up."

The girl's long eyelashes trembled, but her eyes remained shut.

"If you don't wake up, I'll kiss you on the lips."

Xiao Yan threatened.

Xiao Yi Xian abruptly opened her eyes. Her slender brows furrowed as she looked at the young man so close to her, a faint blush appearing on her gentle face.

"Move aside already."

Xiao Yan shrugged. A good man did not fight with a woman, so he stood up.

But Xiao Yi Xian immediately accused him, "Why were you following me? I thought you were some bad person, so I had no choice but to scatter the sleeping powder."

Xiao Yan smiled noncommittally. He had already confirmed the cave's location. Standing on the cliff, he looked down below.

Seeing Xiao Yan's actions, Xiao Yi Xian grew somewhat anxious.

"Hey, we should go back."

"There seems to be a cave down there. There might be some treasures inside. I want to go down and take a look."

Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Yi Xian with amusement and spoke casually.

"You found it?"

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Yi Xian cried out in alarm. Then, seeming to realize she had let something slip, she immediately looked vexed.

"No, I'm going down too. If you won't take me with you, I'll call the mercenary group over here."

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

"If I don't return to the group for a long time, they'll come looking for me anyway."

Xiao Yan nodded and agreed.

Naturally, he had no intention of actually killing Xiao Yi Xian.

Xiao Yan took a rope from his Storage Ring and tied one end around a thick, towering tree. After tugging it to make sure it was secure, he walked to the cliff's edge.

He opened his arms toward Xiao Yi Xian. "Come here."

"I have my own rope. I don't need to go down with you." Xiao Yi Xian refused his offer and also took out a bundle of rope from her Storage Ring.

"Come here!"

Xiao Yan said domineeringly, "If we don't go down together, what if you cut my rope up here? Wouldn't I fall to my death?"

"You!"

Xiao Yi Xian glared at him with her beautiful eyes. Still, she was afraid to take the lead, and she did not trust Xiao Yan's character either.

"If your hands or feet dare to wander, I'll poison you to death."

As Xiao Yi Xian spoke her threat, a fragrant breeze rushed toward Xiao Yan. The next moment, the girl crashed into his embrace.

Xiao Yan held the girl's soft, delicate body tightly with one arm and gripped the rope with the other. With a tap of his toes, he slid down the cliff.

His powerful soul perception spread outward, and Xiao Yan spotted the cave entrance concealed behind the strange trees.

With a swing of his body, Xiao Yan landed steadily at the edge of the cave entrance.

Hiss—

The moment he landed, a winged snake-shaped magical beast lunged at Xiao Yan's face.

"Rock Serpent!"

In his arms, Xiao Yi Xian recognized the magical beast. Terror appeared on her little face as she cried out.

A pale yellow glow lit up in Xiao Yan's palm. A powerful gust burst forth, instantly blowing the Rock Serpent away.

The Rock Serpent twisted its body in midair and charged at the two again.

Xiao Yi Xian flicked her hand, sending a cloud of white powder toward the Rock Serpent. Sensing danger, the Rock Serpent tried to evade it.

How could Xiao Yan let it get its way? He used the Suction Palm and Fire-Blowing Palm simultaneously. The Suction Palm held the Rock Serpent in place, while the Fire-Blowing Palm blew the white powder at it.

The white powder collided with the Rock Serpent and immediately exploded.

Thud!

The Rock Serpent's body stiffened, and it fell from the air into the bottomless, pitch-black ravine.

"Perfect!"

Seeing how perfectly Xiao Yan had coordinated with her, Xiao Yi Xian smiled.

Now that they were out of danger, the two finally had time to inspect the cave entrance.

The entrance was densely covered with loose stones and strange trees.

"Move aside!"

Xiao Yan pushed Xiao Yi Xian away and began clearing the loose stones and strange trees from the cave entrance by hand.

"Why aren't you using that Dou Technique with the blowing force from earlier?"

Watching Xiao Yan move the stones and strange trees one piece at a time, Xiao Yi Xian asked doubtfully.

Xiao Yan gave her an indifferent glance but said nothing.

It was better to conserve Dou Qi whenever possible.