Xuan Yi desperately tried to push the dangerous thoughts out of her mind, but it was already too late—her ears had turned a burning crimson.
Xiao Jietian noticed her sudden flush and frowned in confusion. He reached out, gently touching her delicate cheek before pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. "What's wrong? Are your injuries still not fully healed?"
The warmth of his palm left Xuan Yi momentarily dazed.
The next instant, she vanished from where she stood and reappeared beside Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng. Grabbing the two girls, she fled without a backward glance.
"Aunt Xuan, why is your face so red? It's like a glowing lantern!" Xiao Ling asked innocently.
"Maybe it's too hot," Xiao Meng added. "After all, this is a battlefield. The aftershocks are still giving off waves of heat."
"Is that so? Then why don't we feel anything?"
…
Xuan Yi suddenly decided the two little girls weren't cute anymore.
She glanced back at Xiao Jietian, who was still standing in the same spot, and shouted, "What are you still doing there? Hurry up and follow! The commotion earlier was huge—people will be rushing over soon!"
Xiao Jietian caught the slight tremble in her voice and chuckled softly. With one step, he caught up to the group.
…
Not long after they left, numerous figures arrived at the edge of the mountain range.
"Hiss—"
Everyone who saw the scene couldn't help sucking in a cold breath.
"Who in the world fought here? This destructive power is terrifying!"
"Indeed. With my Five-Star Dou Zong strength, even if I used everything I had, I could only make a pit about a hundred meters wide in the Cui Lan Mountain Range. What kind of monster could cause destruction on this scale?"
"Even I, an old man, couldn't produce even one-twentieth of this damage with a full-powered Earth-tier Dou Technique."
An aged voice rang out. Everyone turned and exclaimed, "That's Celestial Venerable Tianling, the Old Ancestor of the Heavenly Spirit Sect! They say he's a Five-Star Dou Zun. I never expected even him to be drawn here."
"If even he can't cause one-twentieth of this damage, just how terrifying were the people who fought here? When did our Southern Region gain such monsters?"
The smarter ones among the crowd immediately began slipping away. They knew someone had definitely died in this battle, and experts of this level always had massive forces behind them. If the deceased's faction arrived later and couldn't find the culprit, they might capture bystanders to search their souls or vent their rage. No one wanted to be around for that.
In an instant, the crowd scattered like frightened birds. Even Celestial Venerable Tianling was the first to leave.
At the same time, in a certain mountain range in the Western Region of the Central Plains, a giant pitch-black palace loomed ominously.
The entire structure radiated an eerie, terrifying aura, faint mournful wails drifting out from within.
Inside one of the halls, a Dou Zun elder knelt on the ground, head bowed, holding a shattered jade token in both hands.
Before him sat a figure completely shrouded in black mist.
"What happened?" The figure spoke softly, his voice low yet sinister.
"Reporting to the Vice Hall Master, the Third Celestial Venerable's soul jade token has shattered."
The kneeling Dou Zun raised the broken token respectfully above his head.
The Vice Hall Master waved a hand. The jade token floated into his grasp.
As he moved, the black mist parted slightly, revealing an unusually pale face that looked far too young—like a youth in his twenties.
"Location!"
"The Third Celestial Venerable went to investigate the cause of Celestial Venerable Zhaixing's death. The location was the Cui Lan Mountain Range in the Southern Region. According to our intelligence, Xuan Yi of the Pill Tower appeared there and even fought the Third Celestial Venerable. She ultimately escaped with severe injuries."
"Investigate."
The Vice Hall Master's hand paused. The jade token instantly turned to dust in his palm. He uttered the single word faintly.
"Yes!"
The man bowed deeply, then backed out of the hall.
"To dare kill someone from my Hall of Souls… you have quite the nerve."
"However, who exactly is targeting us? The Pill Tower? Those cowards only know how to hide inside their tower…"
"Could it be… you people from the Ancient Clan?"
The Vice Hall Master murmured to himself. The space behind him rippled gently, and his figure slowly vanished from the spot.
Within a short time, two Celestial Venerables had been lost—one of them on the verge of breaking through to Half-Saint. Such a heavy blow could not be ignored. He had to report this to the Hall Master immediately.
…
Two days later.
Somewhere in the Southern Region, a massive eagle-type magical beast glided swiftly across the sky, carrying four figures—two adults and two children.
Xuan Yi sat gracefully on the eagle's back with the two little girls leaning against her. A short distance ahead, Xiao Jietian lay lazily on his back.
Xuan Yi occasionally waved her hand, sending a gentle breeze over him. The cool wind carried a faint, pleasant scent—cedar mixed with the subtle fragrance of medicinal pills—that was both calming and refreshing.
This eagle was a Sixth-Tier Shadow Eagle Emperor they had casually captured along the way. After a brief "friendly conversation," it had "voluntarily" become their mount.
Shadow Eagle Emperors were renowned for their speed. Even at full power, a Three-Star Dou Zong would struggle to keep up.
"Xuan Yi, where are we going now?" Xiao Ling asked, clearly bored.
"We'll head to Tianhuang City in the Southwest Region first. Only there is there a spatial wormhole leading to the Central Plains," Xuan Yi answered gently.
Xiao Meng pulled out a map and traced it with her finger. "It should take about half a day to reach Tianhuang City."
"Mm. Then let's keep going."
Originally, Xiao Jietian had planned to use a closer spatial wormhole, but Xuan Yi had secretly asked the two girls to choose a more scenic route.
It perfectly suited the playful personalities of Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng.
Over the past few days, they had traveled slowly, enjoying the scenery. Xuan Yi's relationship with the two little girls had grown extremely close, and her bond with Xiao Jietian had quietly crossed the line between close friends and something more.
Yet a crack still remained in Xuan Yi's heart. She hesitated to take that final step, afraid she would repeat the mistakes of her past.
Xiao Jietian understood this perfectly. He wasn't anxious at all. Instead, he took things slowly, step by step. After all, there was that old saying…