The Cave Abode

Three days later!

Xiao Yan, who had remained utterly motionless like an old monk deep in meditation, suddenly opened his eyes. A powerful aura erupted from his body.

Whoosh...

After exhaling a long breath of stale air, Xiao Yan clenched both fists, feeling the surging power within him.

Although he had not broken through as he had hoped, unlike last time, he had still made tremendous progress. At most, one more second-grade Energy-Gathering Pill would allow him to break through.

He stood up and looked around, but saw no sign of Xiao Yi Xian.

"Did she go back?"

Xiao Yan murmured to himself. After all, he and Xiao Yi Xian had only met twice and were hardly familiar with each other. It was perfectly normal for her to leave.

But speak of the devil, and he would appear. Barely had his words faded when an eagle's cry rang out overhead.

An azure giant eagle descended from the sky. Xiao Yi Xian pushed off with her toes and landed lightly on the ground.

She looked at Xiao Yan, her voice carrying a hint of delighted surprise.

"You've finished cultivating?"

"Yes! I thought you'd left."

Xiao Yi Xian smiled. "I'm with the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. I couldn't possibly stay here forever, could I?

The herb-gathering team I was with ran into a Tier 2 Magical Beast, and everyone scattered to save themselves. If I never went back, they'd worry."

"A Tier 2 Magical Beast? No wonder you looked so bedraggled before."

At the same cultivation level, Magical Beasts were usually stronger than humans.

Even an ordinary Dou Shi was no match for a Tier 2 Magical Beast, let alone a group of Dou Zhe.

If they had truly encountered a Tier 2 Magical Beast, it was hardly surprising that Xiao Yi Xian's herb-gathering team had been scattered.

"Then why did you come back?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

Had she taken a fancy to the herbs in Little Mountain Valley?

Xiao Yi Xian said with a bright smile, "You wasted a second-grade pill on me earlier. I don't like owing favors, so I've come to repay yours."

Xiao Yan paused. Repay his favor?

Could it be...

The cave abode containing the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map immediately came to mind.

Otherwise, what could Xiao Yi Xian possibly possess that was worth a second-grade pill?

"As you know, some accomplished predecessors leave their legacies in secluded corners of the continent so that their teachings won't die out.

As luck would have it, I know of a cave abode left behind by one such predecessor. I stumbled across it while gathering herbs before. I came to find you today so we could share it."

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. Sure enough, it was the cave abode from the original story. He had not expected Xiao Yi Xian to have already discovered its location.

"All right. When do we leave?"

"Let's go now. I can't stay away from the Myriad Medicine Pavilion for too long, or Mr. Yao will notice," Xiao Yi Xian said.

Although she held a fairly high position in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, she was not exactly free. Someone was always nearby to "protect" her.

Fortunately, she had a good friend in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.

Only with that friend covering for her had she been able to come to Little Mountain Valley alone this time.

But her time outside was limited. She had to return as soon as possible, or Mr. Yao might punish her friend.

"All right!"

Xiao Yan agreed.

As soon as he spoke, the azure giant eagle, Little Lan, spiraled down from the sky at Xiao Yi Xian's whistle.

"Hop on!"

Xiao Yi Xian leaped onto Little Lan's back and spoke with a smile.

Xiao Yan did not stand on ceremony and jumped up after her.

Meanwhile, in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion!

A middle-aged man in gray brocade robes cast a gloomy glance at the maid standing respectfully before him and asked flatly, "Did Xiao Yi Xian say where she was going?"

"Mr. Yao, Xiao Yi Xian didn't say where she was going. She only said she was meeting a friend and asked me to cover for her," the maid replied respectfully.

Mr. Yao's expression darkened further.

Xiao Yi Xian was immensely important to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, not only because of her superb medical skills, but also because of her tremendous popularity in Qingshan Town. She was a veritable money tree for the pavilion.

As long as she remained there, the mercenaries would give her face by buying the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's healing medicines first.

Thus, Mr. Yao had always worried that Xiao Yi Xian might leave the Myriad Medicine Pavilion or be poached by another faction.

The maid before him was a spy he had planted at Xiao Yi Xian's side. She had accompanied Xiao Yi Xian ever since her first day at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.

When Xiao Yi Xian returned three days earlier, he had merely asked her a few casual questions.

And what had happened?

Xiao Yi Xian had dodged his questions, even claiming that an Alchemist had saved her.

Yet when he offered to visit that Alchemist, Xiao Yi Xian said the Alchemist was eccentric and did not want visitors.

Wasn't she taking him for a fool?

To the deeply suspicious Mr. Yao, this was undoubtedly a sign that Xiao Yi Xian was preparing to leave the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.

At that thought, a cold gleam flashed through Mr. Yao's eyes.

It seemed that extraordinary measures would be necessary to keep Xiao Yi Xian obediently at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian had ridden Little Lan to a point halfway down a sheer cliff.

"We're here!"

"Right there!"

Xiao Yi Xian clapped her hands, then pointed toward a spot concealed by a fallen tree.

Although it was well hidden, Xiao Yan could still glimpse the dark cave entrance through the gaps in the branches.

As he took in the surrounding scenery, his brows also drew together slightly, and a sudden spark of recognition flashed through his mind.

"No wonder this place looked so familiar. I passed through here before, but I didn't have time to explore it properly."

He had passed this place while pursuing the Scarlet Flame Leopard that day.

But he had hardly been in the mood to consider anything else at the time, and had managed to miss the hidden cave entrance entirely.

Xiao Yi Xian paid no attention to his words and instead instructed Little Lan to approach the cave.

Hiss...

Just as Little Lan drew near, a giant snake clinging to the rocks suddenly sprang into the air and lunged at the two of them and their eagle. Its body was flat, and its skin was the same color as the cliff.

Xiao Yi Xian jumped at the sudden attack, while the startled Little Lan prepared to retreat.

Xiao Yan, by contrast, seemed to have expected it. With a raise of his hand, he drew the Heavy Xuan Ruler from his Storage Ring and struck the earthen-yellow giant snake with a backhand swing.

Bam!

In an instant, the giant snake shot away like a cannonball and slammed into the cliff, becoming embedded in the rock.

"S-so powerful!"

Although she had guessed that Xiao Yan was quite strong, she had never expected him to be this powerful.

Xiao Yi Xian was not particularly strong herself, but she had a decent eye for such things.

Judging by the move Xiao Yan had just displayed, he was at least a Dou Shi.

At that thought, Xiao Yi Xian could not help marveling inwardly.

Xiao Yan was only fifteen. His astonishing alchemy skills were one thing, but he was so powerful too. Wasn't that far too monstrous?

She wondered just what sort of faction could nurture a prodigy like him.

Yet there did not seem to be any top-tier clan named Xiao in the Jia Ma Empire.

Could it be the Misty Cloud Sect?

"Had you already spotted that Magical Beast?"

Coming back to her senses, Xiao Yi Xian asked curiously.

"Yes. I noticed it as soon as we came down," Xiao Yan replied.

Every time his body broke through, his five senses improved to some degree. On top of that, he was an Alchemist.

How could a mere Tier 1 Rock Snake escape his perception?

"All right, let's go inside!"

Xiao Yan put the Heavy Xuan Ruler back into his Storage Ring and casually thrust out his palm.

A blast of force suddenly shot from his palm and crashed into the fallen tree concealing the cave entrance.

With an explosive bang, wood splinters flew everywhere, revealing the entrance beneath.

Xiao Yi Xian gave Little Lan a few instructions, then entered the cave with Xiao Yan.