The Heavenly Poison Maiden!

"Forget it. I'll leave it for you, Flame Emperor."

The Blue Eagle spread its wings and soared high into the sky.

Before long, Little Blue had carried him and Xiao Yi Xian to a canyon shrouded in mist.

At the sight of it, Xiao Yi Xian spread her arms and breathed in the fragrance of the medicinal herbs growing in the valley.

"Well? Not bad, is it?"

Han Chen surveyed the valley. It really was a fine place, and he nodded.

"It is. Just the place for my upcoming secluded cultivation."

"You're going into seclusion?"

"Yes. I'll probably be in seclusion for about half a year. Sorry for the trouble, but I'll have to leave Little White and Little Jade in your care during that time."

"N-no trouble at all. This way, Little Blue will have two more companions, too."

After landing, Han Chen released Little White and Little Jade. Then he gave Xiao Yi Xian a batch of pills and reminded her to take them together with her poisons before finding a cave in the valley for his secluded cultivation.

He could already refine Spirit Gathering Pills, which meant he had stepped into the ranks of Second-Rank Alchemists. With plenty of pills on hand, he naturally couldn't let his cultivation fall behind.

Besides, the system had said that entering the Void Sky Hall required at least Dou Emperor cultivation. He coveted the opportunities inside it, and if he wanted to free himself from the burden of his four attributes, he needed a Heaven Mending Pill.

After sealing the cave entrance, Han Chen flicked his hand, and a dozen or so jade bottles appeared on the ground. They contained the Spirit Gathering Pills he had refined in batches over the past half month.

Sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, he opened a bottle, poured out a pill, and swallowed it. Then Han Chen began circulating the Azure Essence Sword Art.

Outside, things changed with each passing day. With the help of Han Chen's pills, Xiao Yi Xian began practicing the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, and her cultivation advanced rapidly.

Five and a half months passed in the blink of an eye. Han Chen exhaled a breath of stale air and looked at the dozen or so empty bottles before him, forced to end his seclusion.

He rose and walked out of the cave, glanced up at the clear blue sky, and stretched his limbs. Han Chen's body immediately crackled like beans roasting in a pan.

With a sweep of his sleeve, he brushed the dust from his clothes, and a powerful aura surged forth. Han Chen had now reached Nine-Star Dou Zhe.

"You're out."

Han Chen had barely stretched when a clear, gentle voice rang out. Looking toward it, he saw Xiao Yi Xian in a purple gauze dress.

She had changed dramatically. Her once-black hair had turned snow-white, its countless strands fluttering in the wind. Her willow-slender waist was still narrow enough to encircle with a hand, but now a purple sash was tied around it.

Her pale green eyes watched the stunned Han Chen as she tucked a strand of hair beside her ear, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Dummy, what are you staring at?"

"Nothing. I was just marveling at how much you've changed. You didn't look like this when I came out last month."

"Weren't you the one who said purple suited me?"

Xiao Yi Xian smiled at his words and twirled in front of Han Chen.

"It really does. By the way, your cultivation..."

Han Chen nodded, quite pleased with his own eye for color. Purple really was a fine choice. Then he asked about Xiao Yi Xian's cultivation. He knew just how heaven-defying the Woeful Poison Body was. With his pills supplying her as well, her cultivation could only have risen even higher.

Sure enough, the result was just as he had expected. Xiao Yi Xian stopped twirling and said teasingly,

"Speaking of that, you'd better hurry up. I'm already a five-star Dou Zhe."

Going from Dou Qi cultivation to Dou Zhe in half a year was frighteningly fast. If her supply of poison never ran dry, she might truly catch up with Han Chen before long.

"What do you plan to do next?"

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian in such high spirits, Han Chen told her that he would soon break through to Dou Shi. After that, he would enter the Magic Beast Mountain Range to train while waiting for Yun Yun to come for the Amethyst Source.

Hearing Han Chen's words, Xiao Yi Xian's smile faded. She lowered her head in thought, then looked up at Han Chen and asked with a smile,

"Can I come with you?"

Han Chen nodded.

"Of course. That's your choice. But if you want to come with me, I have to warn you first. The road ahead is bound to be hard, and danger could strike at any moment, just like that time with the Swift Rain Swallows."

Hearing Han Chen's answer, Xiao Yi Xian smiled with satisfaction. After smoothing her hair, however, she shook her head.

"That kind of life would surely be exciting, wouldn't it? But... it's not time yet. I'm planning to go to the Chu Yun Empire first.

"I've heard it's a world ruled by poison masters, so it should be a great help to my cultivation. Once I'm done there, we can go adventuring together. How does that sound?"

"Sure. When are you planning to leave?"

Han Chen didn't try to stop Xiao Yi Xian from going to the Chu Yun Empire. As he had said, where she went was her choice. Besides, if he wanted her to grow quickly into the Heavenly Poison Maiden whose very name would one day strike terror into people's hearts, this was a good way to do it.

Seeing that Han Chen remained so calm and unruffled, Xiao Yi Xian pouted in displeasure and thumped his chest.

"That's all the reaction I get? You're so annoying. I'm angry, and I'm leaving right now!"

With that, she turned away in a huff and gave a little snort.

Watching Xiao Yi Xian pretend to be angry, Han Chen finally shook his head with a smile and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"All right, I was wrong, okay? If you're leaving, wait a little longer. I'll prepare some pills for you."

"Bleh... I'm done playing with you. I'm going to say goodbye to Little White and Little Jade."

As Xiao Yi Xian departed, leaving only her graceful silhouette in view, Han Chen's smile faded as a serious problem occurred to him.

Xiao Yi Xian is leaving Qingshan Town. With her Woeful Poison Body, she couldn't possibly go back, even without the incident involving the Wolf Head Mercenary Group in the original story. Then what happens to Xiao Yan's guide?

At that thought, Han Chen's brows knitted tightly. Without Xiao Yi Xian to lead the way, he couldn't exactly expect Xiao Yan to pull out an Amap app and find his own way there.

After thinking for a while, Han Chen scratched his head and took out a booklet, hesitation flickering in his eyes.

Before long, Teacher will come here... I can't just leave this alone. Besides, Xiao Yan happens to be here, too.

What Han Chen held was none other than the Form-Changing Art, the reward he had received for checking in inside the cave abode.

Maybe... it could work.

Having made up his mind, Han Chen put away the Form-Changing Art and began refining pills for Xiao Yi Xian. Once she left, he wouldn't see her for at least several years, so he had to prepare plenty for her.

On another early morning, Han Chen and Xiao Yi Xian, dressed in black gauze, stood on a narrow, winding path. On a nearby slope, Little Blue watched her, reluctant to part.

Han Chen handed Xiao Yi Xian a bulging storage pouch and spoke gravely.

"Once you leave, the world outside won't be like Qingshan Town. There are plenty of vicious people out there, so don't trust anyone lightly. If you run into trouble in the future, you can go to the Jia Ma Imperial Capital and seek out the Nalan Family. Tell them 'Second Young Master,' and they'll help you."

Xiao Yi Xian took the storage pouch, a teasing look on her face.

"Oh? Who would've thought you were the Nalan Family's second young master from the Imperial Capital? Then how come... your surname isn't Nalan?"

A trace of embarrassment crossed Han Chen's face, and he brushed it off with a laugh.

"Heh, that's not the point. The point is when we'll meet again. If you return within two years, you can go to the Mist Cloud Sect then. The Three-Year Agreement is no small matter. Ask around carefully, and you'll hear about it."