Qingshan, the Old Town: Memories of Years Past!

Two weeks later,

The border of the Jia Ma Empire, the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

A bustling town stands on the edge of the mountains. The scorching sun hangs high, and the intense heat cracks the soil. Yet, the pedestrians on the road are used to it, shouting loudly, hugging each other, and discussing things enthusiastically.

The streets were lined with brightly lit shops, which were quite bustling due to their location. Countless mercenaries in leather armor went in and out, spitting as they argued and bargained for the monsters they had just hunted.

"Lin Chen, what are we doing here?"

"What good food is available here?"

The street was bustling with people. A girl in a purple dress, with delicate features, held a string of candied hawthorns in her hand, took a bite, and mumbled something.

Lin Chen held a skewer of grilled meat in his hand, paid the stall owner, handed it to Qing Lin beside him, patted her head, and said gently, "Yes, the grilled meat in Qingshan Town is exceptional. It's the closest town to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and many mercenaries come here to ship their goods. The supply is plentiful, but there's too much competition, and the prices are driven down too drastically."

"If I hadn't gotten into the Jia Nan Academy back then, I might be just like these people."

Having said that, he pointed to a handsome young servant who was loudly hawking his wares in a fur shop.

"Alas, what is your status, sir? You were merely a hidden dragon in the abyss, temporarily trapped. Now, you have soared to great heights, and are no longer ordinary. With your status, as long as you go to the Imperial Capital, even the Three Great Families and the Misty Cloud Sect will treat you as an honored guest. How can others compare!"

At this moment, Hai Bodong, dressed in a blue brocade robe, stood to the side with a smile on his face, carrying large and small bags of snacks in his hands, and saying flattering words.

Lin Chen smiled noncommittally, then continued forward, finally stopping in front of a pharmacy called "Myriad Medicine Pavilion".

Looking at the smiley face drawn in the corner of the pharmacy's signboard, a hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes. He then waved to Hai Bodong behind him and said, "Old Hai, take them to look around elsewhere first. I'll buy some medicinal herbs."

"Yes, sir."

The shrewd old man Hai Bodong was alarmed when he saw Lin Chen's expression. He didn't dare to be careless and quickly called to the two little devils in front of him, heading towards the candied fruit shop next to them.

Zi Yan nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining. She quickly finished the candied hawthorn in her hand and stepped inside.

Only Qing Lin watched Lin Chen's retreating figure with a hint of worry, thinking to herself, "Brother Lin Chen, is something on your mind lately?"

Upon entering the pharmacy,

Perhaps due to the off-season, there weren't many customers in the shop.

However, Lin Chen's magnificent black Alchemist robes instantly attracted everyone's attention.

The clerk in front of the counter was startled and immediately trotted forward, a fawning smile on his face. He rubbed his hands together obsequiously and bowed deeply, saying, "Alchemist, what are your orders?"

"Summon the manager of your pharmacy and tell Yao Wan'an that the Lin Family boy from back then has returned."

Lin Chen remained expressionless, his tone carrying a hint of aggressiveness, instantly causing the few customers in the shop to change their expressions slightly and hastily leave the pharmacy.

Upon hearing this, the servant's expression changed drastically, and he immediately nodded and said, "Lord Lin, please wait a moment, I'll go right away, I'll go right away."

Having said that, he immediately turned around and, without daring to delay, ran to the back room to find his manager.

Clang!

In just a few breaths, a bulky figure rushed out from the back room, knocking over several chairs and medicine boxes along the way, but he paid no heed. It was clear that cold sweat was pouring down his forehead, and he looked very flustered.

"Xiao Chen, you're back!"

Yao Wan'an, the owner of Wan Pharmacy and once a renowned herb gatherer in Qingshan Town, now wore a forced composure, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and said with some trepidation.

"There's no need for that. Sit down and let's talk. What happened back then wasn't your fault. Has Xian'er returned recently?"

Lin Chen shook his head and waved his hand slightly. Two solid ice crystal chairs appeared behind the two of them. He sat on the chairs and asked calmly.

"Dou Qi Condensed into Matter? Dou Ling? He's already at the Dou Ling level? So fast?"

Yao Wan'an was greatly alarmed, as if a huge wave had surged within him. He swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice, "No, Xian'er hasn't come back since she left that time."

"Back then, to save you, Xian'er took all the poisonous herbs from the pharmacy. After that, we heard the news that the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's poisonous gas had spread for ten miles, and the entire group had been wiped out."

"After that, she never came back..."

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes, but he didn't say anything more.

Back then, he displayed his talent Alchemist and successfully refined Unranked Pill. However, due to insufficient Dou Qi, the pill's efficacy was only half that of First-Rank Pill.

However, for the mercenaries in Qingshan Town whose cultivation level was only at the level of a mere Dou Zhe, this was already an incredible opportunity.

The three major mercenary groups vied to recruit him, with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group being the most ruthless, deciding to forcibly imprison him. Fortunately, he received advance warning and escaped from Qingshan Town, heading to Wutan City to participate in the Jia Nan Academy's assessment.

When he returned with the Jia Nan Academy instructors, he only heard that the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had been wiped out and that Xian'er had gone missing.

"I really shouldn't have told her about the Woeful Poison Body. I just wanted to prevent her from accidentally ingesting poisonous herbs, but I never expected her to be deceived by the Wolf Head Mercenary Group!"

In the end, it was I who gave her the push!

Lin Chen rubbed his temples. Yao Wan'an's claim that he had been captured by the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was clearly fabricated. It was a pity that he had fled in such a hurry that he hadn't been able to inform Xian'er in time.

Xian'er must have known she had been captured, which is why she disregarded everything and forcibly unleashed her Woeful Poison Body. However, after wiping out the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, she discovered she hadn't been captured at all and had killed the wrong people...

Given her kind nature, she probably wouldn't have been able to face this scene, and as a result, she simply disappeared...

"Alright, that's settled then. If you hear any news about Xian'er in the future, remember to let me know immediately and send a message to the Jia Nan Academy. You'll be rewarded handsomely."

Lin Chen stood up, flicked his sleeve, and tossed out a jade bottle, saying, "Here's a bottle of Qi Recovery Pill. Take them."

Yao Wan'an hurriedly accepted it, forcing a smile onto his plump old face, and said insincerely, "I can't accept this..."

Lin Chen glanced at him, said nothing, and simply walked out of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion and headed towards the candied fruit shop next to it.

Not long after,

On the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, beneath a steep cliff, tangled vines spread everywhere, covered with rubble, strangely shaped trees growing haphazardly, and a few eerie white bones.

Three figures stood in mid-air, each with a pair of Dou Qi Wings spread out behind them.

There was also a little girl in a green dress riding on the back of a crimson dragon, looking at the cliff face with curiosity.

"Sir, something seems amiss here?"

Hai Bodong narrowed his eyes slightly, his seasoned eyes instantly spotting a glimmer of light on the cliff face. In the slanting sunlight, it seemed he could see through the vines to a deep, dark cave within...

"Yes, there is indeed a treasure trove belonging to a powerful figure here. I don't know if it has been taken by someone else. Let's go in and take a look."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, flicked his sleeve, and with a flick of his finger, Dark-Blue Flame shot out, instantly burning away the vines in front of him and revealing a hole several feet in size.

Then, with a flap of its wings, it swept into the midst of it.

Seeing this, Hai Bodong's face showed a thoughtful expression, and he followed closely behind at a leisurely pace.

Zi Yan and Qing Lin exchanged a glance, then both flew into it.