Qingshan Town, an ordinary settlement just outside the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
After leaving Wutan City, this became Chen Yang's first stop.
In truth, judging by Xiao Yan's current cultivation speed, he could have headed straight to the Tagor Desert to search for the Green Lotus Core Flame. However, according to what Xiao Yan himself had told Chen Yang, Old Yao insisted that although Xiao Yan now possessed formidable strength, his combat experience was practically zero. Thus, a training journey through the Magical Beast Mountain Range was indispensable.
Besides, Chen Yang reckoned that Old Yao would teach Xiao Yan his first Earth-rank Dou Technique—Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler—right here in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
At Xiao Yan's present pace, Chen Yang estimated he would arrive in another five, six, seven, or maybe eight days.
Of course, Chen Yang didn't particularly care when Xiao Yan would reach Qingshan Town; his trip here was mainly for Xiao Yi Xian.
Find great Taiwanese novels on TaiwanNovelSite—TC is super convenient.
One of the very few characters in web-novel history who never gets a real name, is known only by a nickname, rivals the heroine in popularity, and almost became the heroine herself, Xiao Yi Xian is undeniably a girl of exceptional talent and beauty.
Judging from her childhood, perhaps even Xiao Yi Xian herself no longer wished to speak the name she was born with.
Calamity Poison Body—its first half brought her suffering; as for the latter half… "Hey punk, do you want your eyeballs gouged out? You've been staring at Xiao Yi Xian for ages. Do you think just anyone can gawk at her like that?" A burly man sporting the Wolf Head Mercenary Group badge barked at Chen Yang.
"Scram!" Chen Yang glared and released a sliver of Great Dou Master pressure; the mercenary froze on the spot.
"Gulp… G-Great Dou Master?" The onlookers swallowed hard, staring at Chen Yang in shock.
A Great Dou Master this young—could he be a prodigy from Cloud Mist Sect?
"S-sorry, Senior! I'll drag him out of here right now!"
A six-star Dou Practitioner quickly stepped forward, grabbed the man, and literally rolled out the door.
Everyone else hastily exited Wan Yao Pharmacy, not daring to set foot inside again.
Behind the counter, Xiao Yi Xian secretly palmed a vial of poison from her pouch, eyeing Chen Yang warily.
A Great Dou Master—would her toxins even work on someone like that?
"You're Xiao Yi Xian?" Chen Yang asked with a smile.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Did you prepare all these healing medicines?" He pointed to the bottles labeled as such on the counter.
"Mm." After a two-and-a-half-second pause, she nodded again.
Whoosh! Chen Yang flicked his wrist; Dou Qi drew one bottle into his hand.
He uncorked it and took a light sniff.
"Not bad. For a physician who doesn't refine pills, relying solely on the nature of medicinal herbs to produce healing medicine of this quality—you've got real talent." He wasn't merely flattering her; the girl genuinely had skill.
Otherwise, Wan Yao Pharmacy couldn't have survived in Qingshan Town.
"Thank you. Are… you a physician too?"
She dared not guess Alchemist; the youth before her looked only eighteen or nineteen, similar to her age, yet already a Great Dou Master. If he were also an Alchemist, no one else could survive the comparison.
"Shall we… chat in the back?" Chen Yang gestured toward the rear courtyard and smiled.
"Alright." After hesitating a few seconds, she agreed.
The strongest person in all of Qingshan Town was only a Dou Master; even with her poison tricks, before a Great Dou Master… As the two headed to the back, the mercenaries outside buzzed with chatter.
A sharp-eyed runner sprinted back to report to the Wolf Head Mercenary Group; after all, Xiao Yi Xian was their young captain's woman, and now a Great Dou Master had set his sights on her—news had to be delivered.
In the rear courtyard, after greeting the pharmacy owner, the two entered Xiao Yi Xian's room.
"I'm an Alchemist." As he spoke, Chen Yang raised his hand and condensed a solid flame—the hallmark of a Fourth-Grade Alchemist.
Xiao Yi Xian didn't know the insignia, but seeing solid flame form startled her; an Alchemist had actually come to Qingshan Town?
"W-what is your purpose here?" she asked cautiously.
"I'm looking for a Senior of my Sect who passed away in the Magical Beast Mountain Range." Leaning back in his chair, legs crossed, he explained.
"I'm just an ordinary physician who rarely leaves town. You should ask the Wolf Head Mercenary Group—they venture into the mountains often and know plenty." She shook her head, her clever mind already crafting a plan.
"Don't play games, girl. Someone in that mercenary group fancies you, and you want me to remove the problem for you, don't you?" Chen Yang shook his head.
"N-no way! I'm simply giving you information!" She flatly denied.
"Then guess why, knowing full well the Wolf Head Mercenary Group has the widest information network, I still came to you?" He studied her face with amusement.
"I…" She was struck speechless.
"Truthfully, I sensed a faint trace of my Sect's Senior on you. You must have visited some unusual place lately—a strange forest, a peculiar cliff, a mysterious cave…" His words pointed straight to the hidden cave she had discovered.
The contents of that cave weren't important to him; he only needed an excuse to approach her. The items could be sold later or given to allies for cultivation; the flying-type Dou Technique inside might even trigger his System.
"So that's how it is!" Realization dawned on her.
No wonder a Genius who was both Great Dou Master and Alchemist would bother with an ordinary one-star Dou Practitioner like herself—it was all because of that cave.
"As long as you lead me there, everything except my Sect's Legacy is yours," he promised, and she breathed easier.
She had discovered the Opportunity through hard work; giving it up stung, even if it technically belonged to his Sect.
"Then… shall I take you there now?" she asked tentatively.
"No rush. I'll stay in Qingshan Town for a few days, help you deal with some trouble, and repay the favor of locating my Sect's Senior."
He spouted nonsense; he intended to remain in town partly to wait for Xiao Yan and partly to spend more time with her.
Only through frequent contact—and a bit of physical friction—could romantic sparks ignite.
He believed his looks were above average; otherwise he wouldn't have convinced the campus belle to go cycling with him back in university.
With looks in place, all that remained was patience.
"Thank you, Great Master."
"By the way, what is your name?" She curtsied, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Chen Yang."
…The following days, Chen Yang lodged at Wan Yao Pharmacy.
The Wolf Head Mercenary Group didn't cause trouble; anyone surviving in Qingshan Town knew a Great Dou Master wasn't to be crossed.
Mu She relaxed once the Great Dou Master merely sent word to stop pestering Xiao Yi Xian.
Meanwhile, Chen Yang disposed of the pharmacy owner—who in the original story had harbored ill intent and was one of Xiao Yi Xian's enemies. Eliminating trash that wasn't even a Dou Master posed no pressure.
Time flew; in the blink of an eye, another five days passed.
That afternoon, Chen Yang lay on a courtyard chair, eyes closed, when a System notification rang in his mind:
[Ding!]
[Detected strongest Physique in Qingshan Town—Xiao Yi Xian's Calamity Poison Body. host acquires Physique: Nine Yang Divine Body!]
"Huh?"
"Xiao Yan's here?"
(End of Chapter)
[Get +50 Extra Chapters on - P@tr3on "Soulcaster"]
[Every 15 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]