"Void Sky Hall was one of the major inheritance sites in the human realm of A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality. It held not only the legacy left behind by Fairy Ice Soul, but also countless treasures.
As the ticket to Void Sky Hall, a Void Sky Fragment Map was priceless, equal in value and standing to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map. Therefore, this reward is one Void Sky Fragment Map."
Han Chen slowly rose from the ground, took a small knife out of his Storage Ring, and walked down to the foot of the steps to open the three boxes.
"But this is the Dou Qi Continent, not the world of A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality. There's no Void Sky Hall here. Even if you give me a Void Sky Fragment Map, I can't use it."
"Rest assured, host. Since you have been given a Void Sky Fragment Map, it will not be useless. After obtaining it, you may use the map to request that the system open a teleportation passage once, allowing you one trip to Void Sky Hall."
At those words, Han Chen froze on the spot. The small knife in his hand fell to the ground, even startling Xiao Yi Xian, who was packing things away nearby.
"What? A trip to Void Sky Hall? Don't tell me you can take me into the world of A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality."
"No. This is merely a special space, not part of the world of A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality. Its purpose is to make it easier for the host to obtain treasures.
After all, Void Sky Hall contains thousands of treasures. Giving them all to the host is impossible, and relying solely on prize draws would not work either. The Void Sky Fragment Map offers a convenient way to let the host enter and choose for himself."
Han Chen rubbed his chin at that.
"So that's how it works. But if you're letting me choose for myself anyway, why make it so complicated? Couldn't you just give me a list?"
"Stop daydreaming, host. This system's purpose is to nurture you into an expert who stands at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent, not to fatten up a pig. If everything were handed to you, I might as well give you enough power to become a Dou Di outright.
Void Sky Hall holds many opportunities, but no shortage of dangers either. This is both an opportunity and a trial for the host. What you obtain will depend entirely on you.
Although it does not contain the old Nascent Soul monsters from A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, none of the necessary difficulty will be missing.
Furthermore, because the dangers within are too great, the host must possess at least the strength of a Dou Emperor before using the Void Sky Fragment Map."
"Heh, so that's how it is. Not bad, though. At least it won't be too boring."
After learning the whole story, Han Chen smiled and nodded, having no objection to the system's approach. Once he accepted the reward, he raised his head, intending to take the contents out of the stone boxes.
But the moment he looked up, he saw Xiao Yi Xian watching him with concern written all over her face.
"Wh... what's wrong?"
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian so close, Han Chen touched his face and looked at her in confusion.
Xiao Yi Xian merely patted his head and sighed.
"It's all right. Even if you're an idiot, I won't look down on you."
Han Chen's face darkened. He promptly swatted her hand away and snapped irritably.
"You're the one with something wrong with you. What nonsense are you talking about? Have you finished packing everything?"
Xiao Yi Xian winced, blew on her delicate hand, and rolled her eyes at Han Chen.
"Unlike someone, I wasn't stroking bones with a lovestruck gaze one moment and standing there grinning like an idiot the next."
At Xiao Yi Xian's words, Han Chen coughed twice, then picked up the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture from the ground and tossed it to her. He took a blank sheet of paper out of his Storage Ring and stuffed it inside the box.
"All right, let's leave Little Yanzi a consolation prize."
With that, he closed the stone box again, clapped his hands, and said to Xiao Yi Xian.
"This one's for you. As for the other two, we'll leave them for whoever fate brings here."
Xiao Yi Xian opened the scroll in her hands and lowered her head to read, offering no objection to Han Chen's allocation.
But a single glance left her frozen.
"Seven-Colored... Poison Scripture..."
As she slowly spoke those words, shock and fear filled Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. An unhappy memory surged into her mind, and she kept reading in disbelief.
Only when she reached the passage describing a small, seven-colored line at the navel did she finally sink to the ground, utterly lost, as though all her strength had been drained away.
"So... it was all because of me? So I really am a jinx."
As she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian began to cry.
Han Chen, who had just put away the ice spirit flame grass, sighed helplessly when he heard Xiao Yi Xian's anguished sobs.
It had been many years since he had heard crying like that.
"The last time... was that pink-haired crybaby."
Then Han Chen went over to Xiao Yi Xian. He offered no words of comfort, merely stroking her head.
After a long while, Xiao Yi Xian finally turned toward Han Chen, choking back sobs. Tears still clung to her large eyes, and her voice was muffled.
"I... I thought... you'd try to comfort me."
Han Chen rubbed her head and smiled.
"I'd like to, but unfortunately, I don't know how to comfort people. Last time, a crybaby asked me to comfort her."
"And then?"
At that, Han Chen said with a touch of wistfulness:
"And then? I ended up with a new eye mask."
"Hehehe~"
How could Xiao Yi Xian miss the meaning behind Han Chen's words? Much of her sadness faded, and she began to laugh.
Once her laughter subsided, a trace of desolation appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's face, and her voice sank.
"I'm sorry. I may not be able to study alchemy with you anymore. I might not have much longer to live."
From the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, Xiao Yi Xian had learned that she possessed the legendary Woeful Poison Body. If she wished to cultivate, she could only awaken it. But once awakened, an eruption of the poison body would kill not only her, but everyone within a dozen or so li.
"Giving up so soon? Take a look at this."
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's dejected expression, Han Chen smiled and took out the scroll detailing the Poison Pill Method.
Xiao Yi Xian curiously opened the scroll before her. Once she saw its contents clearly, she sprang to her feet in excitement.
"The Poison Pill Method! Is this real? But... where are we supposed to find three Heavenly Flames and that magic core?"
Her happiness had barely begun before she recalled the method's requirements, and Xiao Yi Xian felt another headache coming on.
"You don't need to worry about that. You can cultivate without fear now. There won't be any danger before you reach Dou Zong. As for everything else, you have me."
With that, Han Chen headed out of the cave.
Watching Han Chen's retreating back, Xiao Yi Xian brushed the dust off her knees, stood up, and hurried after him.
"Why are you helping me?"
"It's just mutual benefit. You've seen how powerful the Woeful Poison Body is. Helping you benefits me too."
"Thank you."
Once the two emerged, Han Chen was about to take out the Divine Wind Boat, but Xiao Yi Xian raised a hand to stop him.
"Let me. I'll take you somewhere."
With that, Xiao Yi Xian whistled, and a cry immediately rang out high overhead.
Looking toward the sound, Han Chen saw a huge blue eagle flying over from the distance.
"Little Blue is a blue eagle I rescued some time ago. To repay me for saving his life, he's stayed by my side ever since."
"Understood."
After climbing onto the blue eagle's back, Han Chen glanced at the cave behind him and shook his head.
Without the Flame Mantra, he was destined to be unable to follow Xiao Yan's path of myriad flames. Although the purifying lotus demon flame was immensely powerful, it would not be of much use to him.
He already had Tiandu corpse fire and profound soul yin fire, so obtaining the azure ice flame was not beyond possibility either. There was no need to risk his life for a Heavenly Flame.
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