The Magical Beast Mountain Range.
High above it, Xiao Ce flew through the air, carried by the power of the Ninth Grade Golden Pill.
As he looked at the mountains, forests, and rivers below, his expression gradually turned bewildered.
He stopped in midair, wondering whether he had come to the wrong place.
Beside him, the Ninth Grade Golden Pill asked curiously, "Father, aren't you done sightseeing yet? The scenery here isn't even that nice."
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Xiao Ce's face. He sighed and admitted, "Golden Pill, after more than a thousand years, with earthquakes across the continent, battles between magical beasts, and all sorts of other causes, I'm having some trouble finding the little valley where I left my inheritance.
"For all I know, that valley might have been buried."
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill did not laugh at him, but said in understanding, "So that's why. I thought you just liked the scenery here, Father, and that was why you kept wandering around."
"Don't worry, Father. After you died, I followed your aura to your inheritance site. I came back every few years, so even though the terrain has changed several times, I still know where that little valley is."
Delight flashed in Xiao Ce's eyes. "So the little valley is all right?"
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill bobbed its head and smiled. "Father, I'll take you there."
With that, the Ninth Grade Golden Pill immediately enveloped Xiao Ce in its power and flew toward the outer eastern edge of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill was extremely fast. Xiao Ce only felt the scenery before his eyes shift briefly, and the next second, he was inside a little valley shrouded in mist from above.
Mountains enclosed the valley on every side, leaving the sky above as the only way in, yet thick fog blanketed that opening.
Together, those two factors truly made it a well-hidden spot.
As for its surroundings, the valley was not desolate at all. Instead, all sorts of medicinal herbs grew there, rich with fragrance. Though their grades were low, they improved the air considerably, refreshing the mind and lifting the spirits.
Xiao Ce smiled faintly. "This place is nice. I could choose to cultivate in seclusion right here. Taking a few months to absorb the entire inheritance and then break through to Dou Shi shouldn't be difficult."
Xiao Ce walked across the floor of the little valley, nodding in satisfaction as he surveyed it in every direction.
Until... he suddenly spotted a clearly man-made thatched shelter in a corner of the valley. More precisely, calling it a thatched cottage would not have been an exaggeration.
"Why is there a thatched cottage here?" Xiao Ce immediately jogged over.
Golden Pill immediately followed and declared with certainty, "When I came here a few years ago, this cottage definitely wasn't here. Someone built it within the last few years!"
By then, Xiao Ce had already run into the cottage. He found no one inside, only a wooden bed and some essential furniture, all covered in a considerable layer of dust. No one had been here for at least a month.
Xiao Ce narrowed his eyes slightly and analyzed, "Someone probably stumbled in here by chance. Judging by the fact that they had to build a cottage, they weren't some mighty expert beyond worldly concerns. They couldn't even trigger the inheritance I left behind, so there's no need to worry."
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill was impressed without understanding why. "You're amazing, Father! So impressive!"
Hearing Golden Pill's tone, so much like a preschool teacher's, Xiao Ce felt rather strange and hurriedly said, "Anyway, whether there's someone here or not, let's go claim the inheritance first."
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill immediately nodded in agreement. "Whatever you say, Father!"
This time, Xiao Ce's cautious nature came into play, prompting him to ask Golden Pill, "Golden Pill, has my inheritance site been buried or anything because of the changes in the terrain?"
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill shook its head. "No. That little cave is still in the valley wall. With that one's protection, nothing has gone wrong."
"That one? Who?" Xiao Ce asked in confusion.
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill smacked its forehead. "Oh, I should have been more precise.
"That one is the Mysterious Yellow Flame you left behind. She doesn't talk much. I went to see her a few times, but she ignored me. Still, she's protected your inheritance site very well."
Xiao Ce opened his mouth, somewhat dazed.
After more than a thousand years, was the Mysterious Yellow Flame still waiting for him?
Suddenly looking forward even more to encountering the inheritance shortly, Xiao Ce immediately told the Ninth Grade Golden Pill, "Golden Pill, fly me straight over!"
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill did as he asked.
After leaving the cottage, the Ninth Grade Golden Pill enveloped Xiao Ce and flew into the air, soon reaching a small cave four or five meters above the valley floor.
Stepping onto a protruding ledge outside the little cave, Xiao Ce was just about to move forward when he sensed an invisible wall blocking him at the entrance.
Xiao Ce immediately remembered that this was the soul barrier his avatar had left behind. Apart from a Dou Zun or Dou Sheng, who could pass through using spatial power, only his own soul power could undo the barrier.
With that thought, Xiao Ce closed his eyes and slowly guided his soul power onto the soul barrier before him.
The next instant, the entire soul barrier rapidly dissolved like snowflakes meeting a wave of heat.
Qingshan Town.
Because it stood right beside the Magical Beast Mountain Range, large numbers of mercenaries who made their living hunting magical beasts gathered there, which also spurred the growth of industries serving mercenaries, such as weapon and medicinal herb sales.
The Myriad Medicine Pavilion was the leader in Qingshan Town's medicinal herb trade, and its shop's armed forces were second only to the town's three major mercenary companies.
At that moment, inside the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, Xiao Yi Xian suddenly froze briefly while treating an injured customer. A voice rang out in her mind, urgent to the extreme. "Quick, get back to the valley! Now! Immediately!"
Xiao Yi Xian parted her lips. This was the first time she had ever heard that voice sound so urgent. Not daring to delay in the slightest, she immediately told the assistant beside her, "I just remembered something urgent I have to do right away. I'll leave things here to you for now."
With that, Xiao Yi Xian handed the medicine bottle she was holding straight to the assistant and hurried out of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
The mercenary whose treatment had been interrupted looked utterly bewildered, then said angrily, "Didn't they say Xiao Yi Xian had a healer's compassionate heart? That's the biggest fucking scam!"
Xiao Yi Xian could not hear the mercenary's complaints. She had already jogged to the edge of Qingshan Town, where she checked her surroundings before taking out a bamboo flute and blowing a strange sequence of sound waves.
A short while later, a huge eagle, azure from head to toe, landed before Xiao Yi Xian.
Xiao Yi Xian stroked Blue Eagle's enormous head and said, "Xiao Lan, take me to that little valley."
Blue Eagle let out a cry. "Scree!"
Xiao Yi Xian climbed onto Blue Eagle's back, and Blue Eagle immediately took flight.
In the air, Xiao Yi Xian murmured softly, "Sister Mysterious Yellow, this is the first time I've ever seen you so anxious. Has something happened?"
As Xiao Yi Xian's words faded, a yellow flame floated out of her body and coalesced before her into a beautiful young married woman of about twenty or thirty.
The young woman's eyes flickered, and her voice carried an almost imperceptible tremor. "Master... has returned..."
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