"Elder Hai, you may as well speak directly," Xiao Se said, lifting his hand casually.
Hai Bodong nodded and his expression turned serious. "There's a traitor among the upper ranks of the Alchemist Guild. He secretly hid a rare item in Fa Ma's study—a 'sound-recording conch' that can block soul perception. For the past two years, he's been covertly sending the guild's intelligence to the Izumo Empire."
"After interrogation, it turned out that Holton risked participating in the tournament solely to obtain the Breaking-Sect Pill formula."
"Unfortunately for him, calculations never beat fate. In a competition that should have been foolproof, someone named Xiao Huohuo suddenly appeared."
"After Izumo's plan failed, Master Fa Ma worried that they might try to target you, so he immediately announced to the public that the Breaking-Sect Pill formula had already been burned into your soul and no longer physically existed. Now even if someone wanted to cause trouble, they'd find it not worth the cost."
"After all, no one would willingly offend a young alchemist with limitless potential over a formula that no longer contains any soul imprint—even one as precious as the Breaking-Sect Pill."
"That's why I said you're a hot commodity now. Izumo, Luoyan, and even our Jia Ma Empire—several major empires with Dou Huang-level powers have sent people here. They're all waiting for you to come out of seclusion so they can get on your good side early."
By the end, Hai Bodong was staring at Xiao Se with an intensity that almost resembled someone looking at a peerless beauty.
Being stared at like that made Xiao Se's scalp tingle. He shrugged and said casually, "They're looking for Xiao Huohuo. What does that have to do with me, Xiao Se?"
"Uh…" Hai Bodong froze.
…That was true.
Right now, barely anyone in the entire Jia Ma Empire knew Xiao Se's true identity. As long as he didn't expose the Green Lotus Core Flame, no one would know that Xiao Se and Xiao Huohuo were the same person.
"I finally understand why you insisted on hiding your identity back then," Hai Bodong said with a wry smile.
"It's better to keep a low profile when traveling the world," Xiao Se replied lightly. Then his lips curved in amusement. "Old Hai, since you waited for me specifically—don't tell me you're also interested in the Breaking-Sect Pill?"
"Something that could make the entire Jia Ma Empire and the surrounding nations go crazy… any Dou Huang would be tempted. But I also know how rare the pill is. I won't demand it by force." Hai Bodong was an old fox. Anyone with eyes could see the ambiguous relationship between Yafei and Xiao Se. As long as they maintained good relations, getting a Breaking-Sect Pill in the future would only be a matter of time.
"You're surprisingly open-minded." Xiao Se smirked and skipped past the topic. Then he spoke seriously, "The female Dou Huang from the Izumo Empire—the one I asked you to keep an eye on—has she gone back yet?"
Hai Bodong shook his head. "No. If nothing unexpected happened, she should still be in the eastern region of the Magic Beast Mountains."
"Alright." Xiao Se nodded and casually tossed him a slip of paper.
"What's this?" Hai Bodong asked, staring at the list in confusion.
"I'm planning to leave the imperial capital, and soon after, the Jia Ma Empire altogether. This is the list of herbs needed to refine the Breaking-Sect Pill. I'm entrusting Yafei to your care." As he spoke, Xiao Se leapt straight out the window, landed lightly on the roof, unfolded his Purple Cloud Wings, and shot into the sky like a streak of light.
Looking down at the list, Hai Bodong's expression turned incredulous. He couldn't help muttering, "I didn't think the opportunity to obtain a Breaking-Sect Pill would come this easily…"
Naturally, Xiao Se didn't plan to give Hai Bodong such a precious pill so simply. Part of the reason was to ensure Hai Bodong would look after Yafei; the other part was to create the impression that he wasn't someone who pushed others away. When he built his own power someday, winning over countless families would be as easy as breathing.
Night fell.
On the outskirts of the Magic Beast Mountains, inside a wooden cabin in a secluded valley…
The faint candlelight flickered as a soft breeze slipped in through the window.
Beside the candle sat a beautiful young woman.
She wore a purple-red gown, its sleeves embroidered with thin threads of gold and violet—luxurious, yet elegant rather than gaudy. Her long hair, pale as freshly fallen snow, draped down her back in soft, silky strands. But the most striking feature of all was her pair of lifeless gray-purple eyes—eyes that carried sorrow and a quiet, desolate beauty.
At the moment, the girl held a letter in her hand, sitting silently beside the candle as she reread the words she had long since memorized.
Seeing the familiar handwriting, her emotionless gray-purple eyes rippled faintly.
Perhaps… the owner of this letter was the only person in the world who didn't treat her like a cursed star—someone who had tirelessly searched for a cure for her Calamity Poison Body.
Suddenly, her brows tensed. Someone with the aura of a Dou Ling was rapidly approaching. She quickly drew a black robe from her spatial ring and slipped it on before vanishing from the room.
"Brother… are you sure Xiao Yixian is still in the valley?" Long Kui's gentle voice echoed beside Xiao Se, carried by the wind as they flew rapidly through the sky.
"She should be." Staring at the valley growing closer, Xiao Se's voice was firm. In the original story, Xiao Yixian usually spent about a month in this valley every year. She had arrived here seven days ago, and Hai Bodong confirmed she hadn't returned to the Izumo Empire. That meant the eighteen—nineteen-year-old Xiao Yixian should still be in the valley at this time.
Moments later, Xiao Se arrived above the valley. Just as he was about to descend, his heart jolted—
A black-robed figure shot out, gray-purple dou qi erupting around her. She thrust out a massive gray-purple handprint toward him.
"Berserk Lion's Roar!"
The sudden attack startled Xiao Se. Pink flames surged around him as he gripped his magic sword and slashed. A giant flaming lion burst forth from the sword's tip, roaring as it collided head-on with the enormous gray-purple hand.
A deafening crash exploded across the sky. A wave of crimson light flashed outwards.
When the glow faded, both the flaming lion and the gray-purple hand dissipated. A faint layer of poisonous purple mist spread quietly through the sky.
Xiao Se let the mist drift close to him without concern—he was protected by Ice-Fire Dragon Flame. No matter how potent the poison was, it couldn't harm someone shielded by an exotic flame.
His eyes locked onto the black-robed figure. His heartbeat quickened slightly.
"…Xiao Yixian?"
The familiar technique had already given him a guess, but hearing his familiar voice caused the black-robed figure's body to tremble. After hesitating for a few breaths, she spoke in a cool, distant voice:
"No… you've mistaken me for someone else."
Xiao Se frowned, opened his clairvoyant sight—and the moment he saw the familiar face beneath the hood, now more mature after two years, the fuller curves, and the faint rainbow thread across her abdomen…
He knew without a doubt:
The person before him was Xiao Yixian.
(End of Chapter)
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