That night.
In a secluded garden within the Yan City, a stunningly beautiful woman, her delicate body draped in a red dress, stood by the pond in the courtyard. Her two fair, lotus-root-like arms were crossed over her chest, her graceful figure fully displayed. Compared to her usual self, this woman was now a true beauty, and the scene before her stirred a torrent of fantasies in the hearts of all who beheld her.
At this moment, the woman's beautiful eyes were staring blankly at the pond in front of her, her luscious red lips were slightly pouting, and a hint of complaint appeared on her pretty face.
Immediately afterwards, in the darkness above the courtyard, a dark figure approached from afar and finally landed inside the courtyard.
The person who came was none other than Xiao Yan, and the stunningly beautiful woman standing by the pond in the courtyard was undoubtedly Jin Yao.
"Cough cough..."
Lowering himself down, Xiao Yan, his face flushed slightly beneath his black robes, looked up at Jin Yao before him. An awkward expression appeared on his old face, and he could only cough twice to acknowledge his arrival.
"We were having a great chat, why did you have to come back?"
Knowing that Xiao Yan was not far behind her, Jin Yao pretended to have just noticed him and remained silent for a long time before speaking.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's Elder Zhang face showed even greater embarrassment. He gave an awkward laugh, lowered his head, and stared at a beautiful flower blooming in the moonlight on the ground. After a pause, he said:
"I'm really sorry about what happened today. Because of their relationship, I made you worry, which was my fault. I also forgot about you afterwards, which was also my fault."
Xiao Yan didn't intend to make excuses. He had genuinely forgotten Jin Yao today, and that was his fault, so there was no need for any justification.
This is the second time today.
After a long while, Jin Yao, who had not heard Xiao Yan offer any explanation, slowly turned around. Her red lips parted slightly, and it was clear that the resentment on Jin Yao's pretty face had diminished considerably compared to before. Perhaps it was because of the latter's sincerity that Jin Yao had forgiven him in her heart.
Upon hearing Jin Yao's words, Xiao Yan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly, feeling a bit puzzled.
Jin Yao said it was the second time because Xiao Yan disappeared from her sight without her consent. The first time was in this courtyard, when she thought Xiao Yan had left without saying goodbye. The second time was when Dong Chuan and the other man did not see Xiao Yan as promised, and Jin Yao mistakenly thought that something had happened to Xiao Yan. If Xiao Yan does not show up tonight, even if Dong Chuan and the other man try to reason with her, Jin Yao will probably fight them with all her might.
After a long pause, Xiao Yan seemed to understand something. He lowered his head and remained silent, completely at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry, next time..."
"I don't want this to happen again."
Before Xiao Yan could utter a word, Jin Yao raised her beautiful eyes, her narrow pupils fixed on Xiao Yan, and said decisively.
Xiao Yan was taken aback at first, his face showing some bewilderment, then he nodded heavily to Jin Yao and solemnly said:
"Must!"
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Jin Yao smiled, as if she no longer cared about what had happened before, and indeed she did.
Jin Yao believed in Xiao Yan from the moment he defeated Lu Cheng Xiao Yan, and she would never doubt him again. Now that Xiao Yan had said these words, Jin Yao naturally believed that next time, or in the future, Xiao Yan would never leave her without saying goodbye.
"Is there any progress on the Fire Plume Flower?"
Relaxing, Jin Yao let out a soft breath, a smile quickly spreading across her pretty face. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked at Xiao Yan and asked.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan first smiled and nodded, but then frowned and shook his head uncertainly. This left Jin Yao puzzled. Could it be that they hadn't found the Fire Plume Flower on this trip? If even the collections at Heavenly Cloud Auction House couldn't find a single Fire Plume Flower, then it was likely that there wouldn't be a second one in the entire Western Region.
No?
Jin Yao asked slowly, her pretty face showing extra caution. She knew that the Fire Plume Flower was very important to Xiao Yan, and when this matter was mentioned, her face quickly regained its seriousness.
" The Heavenly Cloud Auction House does not have the Fire Plume Flower..."
Xiao Yan asked with a slightly doubtful tone. At the same time, Jin Yao, who was slowly walking forward, couldn't help but frown slightly. So, it seems that there is really no hope of finding the Fire Plume Flower?
"Fortunately, Manager Fang Qian seems to have some information in that area. He will be helping me search in the next few days, and I think we should have some information soon."
Just as Jin Yao frowned in helplessness, a smile suddenly appeared on Xiao Yan's dejected face, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on Jin Yao's pretty face. Didn't this mean that Xiao Yan would be staying in Yan City for the time being while waiting for news about the Fire Plume Flower?
Thinking of this, Jin Yao felt a surge of joy, and a faint blush rose on her fair face for some reason. However, because of the moonlight, Xiao Yan did not notice it.
So what are your plans next?
Jin Yao blinked her large, bright eyes, and asked with a knowing smile. Xiao Yan's eyes darted around, and he looked at Jin Yao with a slight smile, saying:
"I don't know what to do either. I have nowhere to go, so I wonder if Master Jin would be willing to stay for a while?"
"Oh? Perfect timing! I have plenty of empty rooms here, take your pick."
The two spoke as if they were performing a charade, knowing the truth yet deliberately speaking respectfully. After a short while, their laughter echoed through the courtyard, gradually rising under the silvery moonlight.
In the following days, having avoided the trouble of searching for the Fire Plume Flower alone, Xiao Yan stayed in Jin Yao's private villa, where it was quiet and undisturbed. Xiao Yan was quite happy with this. In his spare time, besides carefully controlling his newly acquired powerful Spiritual Strength, he also focused his attention on the Strength Elephant Art.
Although he can now generally unleash the power of the Strength Elephant Art, judging from his Strength Elephant Art, Xiao Yan is not exactly familiar with it. In fact, he is probably still quite far from truly mastering it. After all, even though he has successfully cultivated the Strength Elephant Art, Xiao Yan's control over his own power is not as effortless as described in the scroll, let alone unleashing the powerful force of using minimal force to overcome great strength.
In the courtyard, a huge rock that Xiao Yan had somehow moved was now calmly placed in front of Xiao Yan.
The boulder was heavy and enormous, like a small mountain. Even from a distance outside the courtyard, its massive size could still be vaguely seen.
At this moment, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan steadily in front of the boulder. Beneath his feet was a mud pit that wasn't particularly muddy. Without any external force, Xiao Yan stood in the mud pit with his feet firmly planted, Xiao Yan entire body visibly sinking slightly until the mud pit could barely support his weight.
Xiao Yan's arms hung naturally at his sides, his eyes were slightly closed, and his breathing was steady and orderly. He tried his best to adjust his state and maintain a delicate balance with the muddy puddle under his feet.
This balance is extremely fragile. The slightest disturbance could cause Xiao Yan's legs to sink rapidly into the mud. At this moment, Xiao Yan is desperately trying to control his weight distribution to maintain this balance.
Standing in this quagmire where he could sink into it at any moment, Xiao Yan's face showed no sign of relief.
Despite being Half-Emperor level expert, without using any Dou Qi, he could only be considered physically stronger than an ordinary person. Standing on this mud pit, he was equally helpless.
However, precisely because of this, Xiao Yan planned to use this mud pit to improve his control over his own physical strength.
Xiao Yan has always had high standards for himself, and this time was no exception. In order to enhance his control over his physical strength, Xiao Yan had to maintain his balance while standing steadily on the mud pit, and at the same time use the Strength Elephant Art to smash the boulder in front of him.
Smashing the boulder wouldn't be difficult for Xiao Yan, but the key was that he had to remain standing steadily on the mud pit while smashing it. This was a huge challenge for Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, who didn't use any Dou Qi.
"Call..."
Breathing cautiously, Xiao Yan had to be extremely careful with every movement he made in order to keep his body steady, even his breathing.
Beneath his sleeves, his fair hands slowly closed, every movement of Xiao Yan's appearing very delicate.
As his arm gradually rose, power quietly gathered in his palm, growing stronger little by little. Imperceptibly, the focus of Xiao Yan's entire body also shifted.
Xiao Yan's body began to tilt to one side, and although the arc was not large, Xiao Yan still clearly noticed it.
A slight chill ran through Xiao Yan, but he quickly calmed down. In fact, this wasn't the first time he'd experienced this in the past few days. Dozens of failures had given Xiao Yan some experience, and his current situation was clearly a harbinger of Xiao Yan sinking into a quagmire. However, Xiao Yan was gradually becoming familiar with it and had developed a new strategy, thinking it might work. Of course, this was already the umpteenth time Xiao Yan had consoled himself like this.
With his other hand, Xiao Yan slowly clenched his fist, and his slightly tilted body stabilized. However, his entire body, standing in the mud pit, was noticeably sunken downwards. Xiao Yan took a deep breath, as if doing so could reduce the pressure he exerted on the mud pit.
Whether it was Xiao Yan's method that worked or some other reason, Xiao Yan's sinking body stopped moving. Overjoyed, he slowly raised his hands from beneath his sleeves, his movements slow and heavy, as if carrying a heavy burden. Fortunately, this time, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan did not fail. Even when his hands were raised to his chest, his palms clenched tightly, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan steady. This made his heart race. It seemed he was not far from final success. If he could successfully throw a punch, shatter the boulder in front of him, and still stand firmly on the mud pit, that would be success!
Of course, at the same time, Xiao Yan also understood that the final punch was the most difficult, but now, the arrow was on the bowstring and had to be released. Moreover, seeing that he was only one step away from the final step, how could Xiao Yan easily relax?
With a tight grip on his chest, Xiao Yan's entire body tensed up. Air continued to be drawn into his body through Xiao Yan nose. Tension and excitement made Xiao Yan breathe even more frantically, preparing for the final blow while daring not to relax, making his chest appear particularly bulging.
Finally, Xiao Yan's clenched fists trembled slightly, but his body remained standing steadily. His feet sank slightly into the mud pit, but never completely. Then, at a certain moment, Xiao Yan made up his mind and was about to punch forward with both fists.
And it just so happens that at this time...
" Xiao Yan, your sister's back! You didn't run away, did you? Hehehehe..."
A seductive giggle suddenly rang out in the courtyard. Xiao Yan's body, which was about to make a move, sank down, and his legs sank into the mud pit once again. Xiao Yan's eyes were tightly closed, his brows furrowed instantly, and the breath he had been holding in his chest was released in an instant. His whole body went limp like a deflated balloon.
Xiao Yan never expected that Jin Yao, who hadn't appeared for several days, would suddenly appear like a natural disaster, right when he was about to succeed...
"Hehehe, because of Lu Cheng's matter last time, many things at the Thousand Medicine Pavilion couldn't be resolved in time, which caused me a lot of trouble. But it's finally resolved today!"
Jin Yao walked over to Xiao Yan's side with a relaxed smile. Seeing the latter's strange appearance, a look of curiosity appeared on her pretty face.
"What are you doing...?"
Jin Yao asked with a suspicious look on her pretty face, her tone carrying a hint of strangeness.
Xiao Yan inwardly grimaced, but ultimately could only let out a helpless sigh, shrug, and walk out of the mud puddle without saying anything more.
Jin Yao also looked suspicious, indicating that she didn't know what had happened. Then, a smile appeared on her pretty face, and she was about to tell Xiao Yan what had happened in the Thousand Medicine Pavilion. But at this moment, outside the courtyard, another old figure came to Xiao Yan and Jin Yao.
The person who arrived was Fang Qian, the manager of Heavenly Cloud Auction House.
"Mr. Xiao Yan, I have not failed you. The Fire Plume Flower has been found!"