Ever since Nalan Yanran broke through to the Dou Zhe level and could use pills to accelerate her cultivation, Yun Yun quickly went to inquire with Pill King Gu He about whether he could refine some pills that would allow a Dou Zhe-level practitioner to rapidly increase their strength without consuming their potential.
Although Gu He was a sixth-tier alchemist, located in the remote Jia Ma Empire, his collection of pill recipes was quite limited.
When it came to refining pills for Da Dou Shi or Dou Wang-level practitioners, he had mastered two recipes.
If this request had come from an ordinary person, the matter would have ended there.
But the one making the request was Yun Yun, whom Gu He had admired for a long time.
Moreover, it didn't take much thought to guess that the Dou Zhe Yun Yun mentioned must be her personal disciple, Nalan Yanran.
To break through to the Dou Zhe level at around fourteen or fifteen years old was indeed extraordinary talent.
With the assistance of a sixth-tier alchemist, her future achievements would undoubtedly not be inferior to her master, Yun Yun.
Seizing this rare opportunity to get closer to Yun Yun, Gu He traveled for over half a year, enduring many hardships, and finally found a pill recipe left behind by a senior expert in a remote mountain.
This recipe was quite peculiar—it required Purple Spirit Crystal, a material that the Amethyst Winged Lion race only sheds a small piece of every twenty years.
By harnessing the special flame energy absorbed by the Purple Spirit Crystal from the Amethyst Winged Lion over the years, the refined pill could temper the energy of heaven and earth into a purer form. This would be immensely beneficial for someone like Nalan Yanran, who had only recently begun cultivating her technique.
However, because the Purple Spirit Crystal was no ordinary treasure, the strength gained from consuming this pill would only stabilize after advancing to the Dou Ling level. Otherwise, there would be significant fluctuations.
After receiving this news, Yun Yun immediately set out from the Yunlan Sect to the Monster Mountain Range to obtain this crucial material.
However, the Yunlan Sect was quite far from the Monster Mountain Range. By the time Gu He finished explaining the recipe, it was already late. Even with the speed of a wind-attribute Dou Huang, she arrived at the Monster Mountain Range at night.
Following the source of the fragrant aroma, Yun Yun walked for a while and was genuinely surprised to see the busy figure of Xiao Yan by the bonfire: "It's actually a young boy at the Dou Zhe level!"
This was already deep within the Monster Mountain Range, where even a Dou Wang would have to tread carefully. How could a mere Dou Zhe be here, and so comfortably roasting meat?
Xiao Yan's early experience of carrying the Heavy Xuan Ruler allowed him to quickly comprehend the Breath-Concealing Art, a technique that could greatly suppress his aura.
Now, with his Dou Qi and soul power both significantly improved, even an ordinary Dou Zong would find it difficult to see through his true strength.
Long before Yun Yun appeared in the Monster Mountain Range, he had activated this seemingly insignificant auxiliary technique.
Adding some firewood to the flames, Xiao Yan looked at Yun Yun, who had stopped a few meters away, and spoke with the relief of someone who had narrowly escaped death: "Were you also fleeing from those powerful magical beasts in a panic?"
Given Yun Yun's status, she normally wouldn't pay attention to a small figure like Xiao Yan, but…
Her gaze lingered on the golden, enticing roasted fish before she nodded slightly and replied casually, "You could say that."
After speaking, she found it somewhat amusing. With her strength as a Dou Huang, the number of creatures in the Monster Mountain Range that could force her to flee could be counted on one hand.
Xiao Yan was surprised. He hadn't expected the Dou Huang who came to the Monster Mountain Range at this time to be none other than Yun Yun, the sect leader of the Yunlan Sect.
If it were anyone else, Xiao Yan wouldn't have been able to confirm their identity so directly.
But Yun Yun's iconic noble phoenix hair ornament was simply too distinctive.
Compared to the delicate and modest Little Fairy Doctor, Yun Yun was more mature.
Her long, phoenix-like eyes exuded nobility, and beneath her straight nose was a small cherry-like mouth. Her thin, rosy lips made one want to take a bite. Her emerald-green dress accentuated her snow-white skin and slender, shapely legs, making her appear flawless.
Her well-proportioned, fair calves and white high heels highlighted her graceful figure, like a noble peony in full bloom—beautiful yet untouchable.
Adding more firewood to the flames, Xiao Yan sat across from Yun Yun and speculated inwardly: Could it be that after Nalan Yanran broke through to the Dou Zhe level, she wanted to rely on Pill King Gu He's pills to surpass her fiancé in cultivation speed?
At this possibility, Xiao Yan smiled faintly but didn't pay it much mind. He picked up the roasted fish and began eating.
You… Left hanging, Yun Yun watched as Xiao Yan ate with relish, feeling slightly displeased. There was enough roasted fish on the fire for three or four people, yet this boy was devouring it all himself. How stingy!
After waiting a minute or two and seeing that Xiao Yan had no intention of sharing, Yun Yun wrinkled her delicate nose, unable to resist the temptation of the roasted fish's aroma any longer: "You have so much roasted fish here. It'd be a waste if you couldn't finish it all."
Under the effects of the Fallen Heart Flame's special medicinal powder, Xiao Yan's body was unprecedentedly hot, and his eyes were even beginning to faintly redden: "If you want to eat, roast it yourself. There are plenty of fish in the pond."
Admittedly, Yun Yun's arrival was perfectly timed. With someone like her to assist in his cultivation, he might just be able to condense the Fallen Heart Flame tonight.
Thinking of the Fallen Heart Flame's nickname—the "cheat for cultivation"—Xiao Yan took another big bite of fish to further increase the medicinal energy in his body.
Yun Yun clenched her skirt tightly, barely restraining the urge to argue with Xiao Yan. As the sect leader of the Yunlan Sect, she had never lifted a finger for such trivial tasks. Though her strength was formidable in the Jia Ma Empire, she had never done such menial work.
"Don't worry, if I eat your roasted fish, I won't treat you poorly in the future," Yun Yun said with a smile.
Setting aside his stinginess, this delicate-looking boy's talent wasn't bad—it met the Yunlan Sect's recruitment standards.
Imagining his reaction when he joined the Yunlan Sect and discovered her identity as the sect leader, Yun Yun felt much better. He'd surely regret missing this chance to curry favor with her today.
"Roasted fish?" Xiao Yan was now experiencing the same sensation he'd felt that night when Ya Fei's seductive dance had tempted him. After exhaling a deep breath of hot air, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at Yun Yun. "This isn't roasted fish—it's poison."
"If it were poison, why hasn't it killed you yet? At least come up with a believable lie," Yun Yun said as she gracefully stepped closer to the bonfire.
"Who has time to lie to you for no reason?" Xiao Yan spread his hands helplessly.
"Even if it really is poison, I'm eating this fish today," Yun Yun declared. She took out twenty gold coins from her storage ring and tossed them in a smooth arc, landing them neatly in Xiao Yan's palm.
Xiao Yan weighed the coins in his hand, then silently looked up at Yun Yun.
While twenty gold coins could sustain an ordinary family for a year, his roasted fish was far from being some cheap street food.
(End of Chapter)
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