From a young age, Nalan Yanran had always been the pampered young miss, respected and protected wherever she went.
She had always been a good girl. This was her first time doing something "bad," and instead of fear, what she felt was an adrenaline-fueled excitement.
This was exactly why so many good girls were drawn to bad boys.
"Then let's rest for a while to recover our energy," Xiao Yan said with a cold laugh. "After that, it's time for our hunting hour."
He had never been the type to be chased and simply swallow his anger.
He took out a healing pill and placed it gently into Nalan Yanran's mouth.
"What should we do now?" Nalan Yanran asked once the pill had restored some of her depleted Dou Qi.
"This mountain range is huge. They'll definitely split up to search for us."
"Are you saying we ambush them?" Nalan Yanran's eyes sparkled with excitement as she clenched her little fists.
Xiao Yan shook his head gently, a meaningful smile on his lips. "No. We're not ambushing anyone. We're striking first."
Nalan Yanran chuckled and clenched her fist even tighter. "Good! Let them taste our 'strike first'!"
"But we need to avoid that old guy first. Every time he sees me, he goes completely crazy and wants to kill me at all costs."
Xiao Yan scratched his head, looking a little helpless.
"It's not easy for him to have a son so late in life, and then that son dies by your hand. Of course he'd go crazy," Nalan Yanran rolled her eyes.
"They brought it on themselves. Who told them to harbor ill intentions toward you? Honestly, I think they died too quickly," Xiao Yan said coldly, his lips curling into an icy smile.
"Besides, according to Master, since I practice the Three Thousand Lightning Movement, I was destined to clash with the Wind and Thunder Pavilion anyway. This is perfect. I'm also very interested in their treasure—the Three Thousand Lightning Illusory Body. Who knows, maybe they'll even deliver it to me."
Xiao Yan recalled what Yao Lao had once told him: the Three Thousand Lightning Illusory Body was a high-tier Earth Dou Technique. When cultivated successfully, it could condense a lightning illusory body with strength comparable to the main body.
In battle, it would be like fighting two against one—enough to teach anyone at the same level a harsh lesson.
"Why are you smiling so evilly?" Nalan Yanran asked suspiciously. "You're not planning something bad, are you? It's not appropriate here…"
She quickly removed Xiao Yan's wandering hand and scooted away, sitting cross-legged on the ground to focus on recovering.
"Do I look like that kind of person?" Xiao Yan asked with a helpless expression, scratching his head.
"You say you're not? Then who was responsible for what happened last time?" Nalan Yanran rolled her eyes at him.
She still remembered how, not long after they began their adventure, she had actually let Xiao Yan persuade her into doing that in the forest.
Xiao Yan coughed lightly twice and chuckled, remembering the book Xiao Jietian had given him.
The once innocent and naive Xiao Yan had been thoroughly enlightened after reading it. The simple Xiao Yan was gone—Xiao "Old Driver" Yan was now fully online.
Moreover, with Xiao Jietian's help, the current Xiao Yan had not suffered as many life-and-death hardships. His life was relatively smooth and fulfilling right now, so he had the leisure to enjoy this beautiful side of life.
…
"We're almost there. Tianhuang City is just up ahead," Liu Fei said, pointing at the massive city in the distance.
Xiao Jietian, who had been lying down lazily, sat up and looked forward. A colossal city came into view, sprawling across the land like an ancient beast with no visible end.
He recalled what he knew about Tianhuang City from his memories.
Its overall size was much larger than Tianbei City. Because it housed a spatial wormhole that led directly to the Pill Domain, the flow of people here was enormous—far greater than in Tianbei City.
Tianhuang City was one of the many cities under Burning Flame Valley's control. The spatial wormhole itself had been built by Burning Flame Valley.
The two most powerful families in the city—the Liu Family and the Cheng Family—only held management rights over the wormhole. In reality, both families were merely subsidiary forces of Burning Flame Valley.
In every city controlled by Burning Flame Valley, two families were deliberately kept in balance. It was one of the Valley's methods to control its subordinates and maintain its own dominance.
In this southwestern region, the only force that could compare with Burning Flame Valley was the mysterious Sound Valley. However, Sound Valley had always kept to itself, which allowed Burning Flame Valley to become the undisputed strongest power in the area.
When he thought of Sound Valley, a flicker passed through Xiao Jietian's eyes.
Xiao Jietian had the Shadow Eagle Emperor land midway. He generously gave it a Transformation Pill and then released it.
At his current level, Transformation Pills no longer held much value.
The group arrived near the city gate. A constant stream of people flowed in and out beneath the towering gates, filling the air with a lively, bustling atmosphere.
After passing through the gate, they entered a wide main street lined with all kinds of shops on both sides.
Almost every shop was packed with customers, and noisy chatter filled the air everywhere.
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng, held in Xuan Yi's arms, stretched their necks and looked around excitedly, occasionally whispering to her.
Xuan Yi seemed to catch their joyful mood. It was a feeling she had rarely experienced before—this kind of complete relaxation. She no longer suppressed her emotions.
Liu Fei, standing nearby, looked at the two adorable little girls with great affection, almost wanting to hug them herself. After all, who could resist such soft, fragrant, porcelain-doll-like little cuties?
"This isn't even the busiest time," Liu Fei whispered to Xuan Yi and the others. "In the evening there will be even more performances and lanterns. It'll be much livelier then."
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng's eyes lit up instantly. They turned to Xuan Yi and asked, "Aunt Xuan, can we go out and play tonight?"
Xuan Yi secretly glanced at Xiao Jietian, then smiled and said to the two girls, "Okay!"
…
Led by Liu Qing, the group passed through several streets and arrived in front of a grand and magnificent manor in the western part of the city.
"Your Liu Family's residence is quite impressive. No wonder you weren't willing to follow me," Xiao Jietian teased as he looked at the manor.
"There you go teasing me again," Liu Qing shook his head with a wry smile. "Compared to your Eternal Heaven World, my place is nothing but a slum."
"Come, let's go inside first. This time I'm going to treat you properly—you're not allowed to refuse."
Liu Qing spoke loudly, then led Xiao Jietian and the others into the manor under the respectful gazes of the guards.
And as Xiao Jietian's group entered the Liu Family manor, in an equally grand residence in the eastern part of Tianhuang City…