Little Fairy Doctor stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Xiao Jietian's neck. Her voice was low, soft, and irresistibly seductive.
"Am I… beautiful?"
Before Xiao Jietian could reply, her lips met his in a warm, lingering kiss.
He instinctively raised his hands—one supporting her slender waist, the other threading through her snow-white hair. Time seemed to slow as they lost themselves in the embrace.
Eventually, their lips parted, and Little Fairy Doctor gazed into his eyes, firm and unwavering.
"This time… you won't reject me again, will you?"
Xiao Jietian inhaled deeply, feeling her love radiate like a warm fire. "Xian'er… I need you to help me cultivate."
Her eyes softened, and she let out a gentle sigh. He could feel her trust, her willingness to follow him anywhere. He leaned close and whispered in her ear, warming her from the inside out.
With a wave of his hand, they reappeared from the bath, now seated on Xiao Jietian's bed. Their lips met again, passionately, and the bed curtains descended, concealing them from the world.
Time passed unnoticed. Only nightfall could remind them of the outside world.
Eventually, exhaustion claimed Little Fairy Doctor. She fell asleep, a soft smile playing on her lips, murmuring unconsciously:
"Xiao Jietian… I've given my all to you… you can't abandon me!"
Xiao Jietian pressed her close, tenderly embracing her, allowing her to rest in his arms.
Over the next half month, Xiao Jietian's days were packed. He alternated between helping Little Fairy Doctor refine her cultivation and tending to his Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python. In that time, three bottles of accompanying purple crystal source were consumed, along with one Earth Fire Lotus Seed.
He also traveled to the Izumo Empire to gather rare medicinal herbs, refine poison pills, and cultivate his Extreme Wood Lightning and Strange Fire (Heavenly Flame).
During this half-month, Xiao Jietian broke through to Three-Star Dou Wang, while Qing Lin's cultivation, aided by his pills, reached Seven-Star Dou Shi. Little Fairy Doctor focused on consolidating her foundation, her progress remarkable.
Xiao Jietian watched the two women—Qing Lin running excitedly with Little Fairy Doctor—and stroked his chin thoughtfully. He knew that to elevate Qing Lin's power further, a visit to the Heavenly Serpent Mansion would be necessary.
"The Alchemist Convention is less than a month away. I should set off soon."
He pondered, recalling Xiao Yan Zi, and smiled at the thought of the clever plot twist where a fiancée who had broken an engagement would later fall for the disguised Xiao Jietian.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan cultivated atop a flying magical beast. He sensed something amiss and opened his eyes.
"Xiao Yan Zi… what's wrong?"
Yao Chen's illusory form appeared beside him.
"Nothing. I was just thinking—the Three-Year Agreement is less than a month away. I've been waiting for this day a long time," Xiao Yan said, his voice trembling with anticipation.
After three months of rigorous cultivation with Yao Chen, including two months focused on the Flame Splitting Wave Ruler, Xiao Yan reached Eight-Star Dou Shi—two realms above his previous level. The only setback: he had not yet developed the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, his ultimate killing move.
During this time, he also learned that the Mo Tie Mercenary Group had disbanded and moved to the Black-Corner Region, finally easing his worry.
Jia Ma Empire, Jia Ma Holy City
On a secluded high mountain outside the city, a black portal opened. Two figures stepped out—an old man in plain blue robes and a young man in a black brocade robe, marked with an alchemist cauldron symbol, rippling thrice across his chest.
They gazed down at the magnificent imperial capital, its towers and spires imposing.
"This is the Jia Ma Holy City… as expected for an imperial capital, it truly inspires awe," the young man said softly.
The old man spoke, explaining the distribution of power within the city:
"This city is home to six major forces. The first three—Cloud Mist Sect, the Gama Imperial Family, and the Alchemist Guild—each possess Dou Huang-level experts. Below them are the Nalan, Mittel, and Mu families, the three great families. The force I belonged to before was the Mittel."
He pointed north toward a vast mountain range, where spiritual energy surged like a coiling dragon—the domain of the Cloud Mist Sect.
These two figures were none other than Xiao Jietian and Hai Bodong, who had arrived via teleportation.
Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin, fearing interruption and wishing to cultivate in seclusion, remained behind. Only Hai Bodong accompanied Xiao Jietian this time.
Xiao Jietian's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the cloud-shrouded mountain peak.
"The Hall of Souls… sooner or later, we'll have to confront them," he murmured.
Hai Bodong asked, "So, where do we start?"
"First, the Mitel Auction House. It's your territory—we'll gather medicinal herbs for the Spirit Recovery Purple Pill, then proceed to the Alchemist Guild headquarters," Xiao Jietian replied.
He paused, then smiled faintly. "By the time the Alchemist Convention begins, nearly every alchemist will be present. With my skills, we may acquire many rare treasures."
Hai Bodong stroked his beard, intrigued. "Indeed. The Alchemist Convention is a rare event. With your alchemy, your reputation could spread across the empire after just one battle."
Xiao Jietian nodded.
Walking the streets of the imperial capital, he muttered softly, "System check-in."
[Ding! Successfully checked in at the Jia Ma Empire Imperial Capital. Rewards obtained: Message Stone ×99, Space Sealing Talisman ×3, 12 portions each of Dou Ling Pill, Huangji Pill, and Break-Sect Pill medicinal herbs.]
Message Stone: Transmit sound and messages over any distance.Space Sealing Talisman: Seals an area; those below five-star Dou Sheng cannot break through.