With the empire becoming peaceful, Xiao Yan’s life gradually became much quieter. He would occasionally train, and would also refine medicinal pills in front of the many alchemist within the Pill Hall of the Yan Alliance when he was free. Obtaining cheers throughout the hall, he had gained the proud alchemists approval of him as the chief.

Although the alchemists within the Pill Hall possessed a great understanding of Xiao Yan’s fighting abilities from this battle, being alchemists, they naturally placed the greatest value on pill refinement. If Xiao Yan wanted to get them to submit, he had to show them outstanding refinement skills. Of course, if one were to compare medicinal refinement, it was likely that Xiao Yan would not be afraid of anyone within this Jia Ma Empire. His current medicinal refinement skills were enough to refine a tier 6 medicinal pill. Other than Pill-King Gu He, it was likely that only Fa Ma could barely refine such a pill within the Jia Ma Empire.

Little Fairy Doctor did not send any other news during this period of time. However, Xiao Yan knew that she had currently dispatched countless numbers of people to find the ingredients needed to control the ‘Woeful Poison Body.’ She would definitely inform Xiao Yan once she had any information. At that time, it was likely that there would be trouble again.

With everything having calmed down, Medusa, being the tribe chief, naturally needed to personally go and manage the big matter of the Snake-People Tribe moving their home. Hence, she had temporarily bid Xiao Yan goodbye not long after having returned to the Jia Ma Empire. She then led all the Snake-People to engage in this great migration. Finally, they began to build a new home in the large area near the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

It was only natural that Medusa did not have the time to follow beside Xiao Yan with her being so busy. Xiao Yan had become used to that kind of life and now felt somewhat uneasy because of this change. It seemed that Medusa had been following beside him every since he had left the Jia Nan Academy’s Inner Academy. She had originally possessed a killing intent as he reason to follow him. With the flow of time, Xiao Yan could sense that the killing intent in her heart weakened by the day and likely no longer existed by now.

Xiao Yan’s mind did not pay much attention when Medusa was following beside him all the time. Now that she had left, he immediately felt that he lacked something. His heart contained an empty feeling. He felt somewhat vexed when he discovered this emotion. This was because it cause him to think about Xun Er whose location was unknown. That usually warm and moving young lady was just like spring water, seeping into one’s heart without one even realizing it. Finally, she would leave an imprint deep within one’s heart that could not be removed no matter how one tried.

Xiao Yan could not help but stop the actions of his hands when he thought of the elegant, young lady who carried a thread of mystery. His eyes were absent-minded as he looked in all directions, but he did not know which direction he ought to face. An instant later, he could only quietly sigh and mutter softly, “Xun Er, wait for me. I will get to the Dou Zong class as soon as possible. After that, I will go and look for you!”

“No matter how frightening that clan of yours is, I will not feel the slightest fear!”

...

A graceful, partially visible figure was on a precipitous mountain peak where clouds lingered. Her delicate waist appeared just like the willow leaves one could hug with one arm. Her black hair was carelessly tied by a pale-purple ribbon. It drifted with the breeze that blew over, giving the young lady an otherworldly, elegant aura.

The young lady’s eyes were shut. A moment later, she slowly opened them. The surrounding fog immediately scattered when she did so. This mountain peak immediately became visibly clear.

“Old Ling, have you returned?”

The young lady did not turn her head as her sleek, red, small lips emitted an ethereal silver-bell-like sound that reverberated on the peak of the mountain.

A shadow under a mountain rock immediately began to wiggle in a strange fashion after her voice sounded. It immediately transformed into an old figure. The figure surprisingly belonged to Ling Ying!

Ling Ying respectfully bowed to the young lady after revealing himself.

“Xiao-jie (Young Miss).”

“How is it? Do you have news of him?” The young lady sat up from the rock platform, turned around, and revealed a smiling face with an ethereal lotus like disposition. At this moment, the voice in which one usually had difficulty detecting any fluctuation actually revealed anxiety.

Who else would this face belong to other than Xun Er, whom Xiao Yan thought about night and day.

It had been three to four years since Xun Er had left Xiao Yan. During these few years, Xun Er had clearly matured. She was a little less sentimental compared to the young lady back then, and had gained an additional indifferent disposition that originated from deep within her soul.

Regardless of how she transformed, there was still one part of her that remained the same. It was how her still old-well-like heart would began to ripple when she heard news that was related to that name.

Perhaps it was just as Ling Ying had anticipated back then. A figure would forever exist deep within Xun Er’s heart. It was difficult to eliminate this figure even with pressure from the clan head...

Ling Ying sighed within his heart when he clearly heard the anxiety within Xun Er’s tone. It had been a couple of years but only when Xun Er listened to anything related to young master Xiao Yan would she truly become just like an ordinary young lady. Her immobile mountain like indifference was just like an old demon who had trained for many years, achieving an unfathomable level. However, she lacked the liveliness that a young lady ought to have.

Of course, being someone who knew about Xun Er’s position and status, he naturally understood that it was impossible for her to be like an ordinary girl. Her status determined that she would not be ordinary. The man who could match her would definitely also be the most outstanding person on the continent. It was just that he did not know... if Xiao Yan could reach this stage.

Although this thought flashed past Ling Ying’s heart, his face revealed a coddling expression. He smiled and nodded before immediately revealing some of the news about Xiao Yan that he had spent great effort in order to learn.

Xun Er quietly listened to the information that came from Ling Ying’s mouth. She curled her small lips and her transparent pupils, that seemed to know how to speak, gently flicked.

“It is unexpected that Xiao Yan ge-ge has also reached the Dou Huang class within a short four years. This really surprises Xun Er...”

“Yan Alliance... it is really a good name. It is unexpected that Xiao Yan ge-ge was really able to replace the Misty Cloud Sect.”

Xun Er’s exquisite face revealed an elegant smile after Ling Ying gradually completed his tale. Her hand parted the black hair which had drifted over the front of her forehead as she spoke faintly, “It is really unexpected that the ‘Hall of Souls’ really did make a move. That mister Yao Chen interacted with me back then. Perhaps he should be aware of my status, but I am not sure if he told Xiao Yan ge-ge about it.”

“I don’t think so. He should clearly understand that it will not benefit young master Xiao Yan for the latter to know about your status too soon.” Ling Ying voiced his thoughts.

“Old Ling, try to dispatch some people to search for the whereabouts of the ‘Hall of Souls’. It seems that they intervened in the matter of uncle Xiao back then.” Xun Er turned her head and spoke with a somewhat cool voice.

Ling Ying hesitated for a moment after hearing this. He said, “Alright. I will carry this matter out quietly and try my best to find them. However, the ‘Hall of Souls’ is also extremely mysterious. Other than a couple of people who know the location of their headquarters, there is hardly anyone, even people in our clan, who know about it. This is despite us having fought countless numbers of big and small battles with them.”

Xun Er slightly nodded. She lowered her eyes and a coldness suddenly flashed past her elegant eyes. She slowly spoke in her heart, “Hall of Souls... although you really want to obtain the ‘Tou She Ancient God’s Jade’ that belongs to the Xiao clan, you better not hurt him. Otherwise... no matter what happens, I will let all of you pay a price that you will have difficulty enduring!”

A golden flame suddenly surged in Xun Er’s eyes at the end of her words. An enormous rock by the side quietly vanished into nothingness amid a strange fluctuation after the flame appeared!

Ling Ying’s heart turned cold when he saw the golden flame appearing in Xun Er’s eyes. Given his familiarity with her, he naturally knew that only when she really formed a genuine killing intent or extreme anger in her heart, the thing that hid deep within her soul would break free from her body and appear.

Ling Ying did not expect that after not having met for three to four years, Xun Er’s feelings for Xiao Yan would not blur but instead become increasingly deeper and thicker with the flow of time.

“Ugh, perhaps even that little fellow doesn’t know just what kind of great blessing he has obtained. If news of a person who could cause xiao-jie (Young Miss) to put in her heart were spread, it is likely that your Yan Alliance along with the Jia Ma Empire would be completely destroyed overnight. Hence, you should put in great effort to train for xiao-jie’s (Young Miss) sake. The current you might have already reached the Dou Huang class, but this is still insufficient...” Ling Ying let out a long sigh in his heart while he quietly muttered.

“That’s right...” Ling Ying appeared to have suddenly recalled something. His expression changed a little as his gaze stared at Xun Er. He carefully said, “According to what I know, the clan has finally decided to dispatch someone to hurry over to the Jia Ma Empire to look for that ‘key’ in the hands of the Xiao clan. This happened after a couple of discussions because xiao-jie (Young Miss) did not obtain the ‘key’ from the Xiao clan.”

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

A frightening aura suddenly erupted in front of Ling Ying after his words had just sounded. His body was shaken until he swiftly pulled back. His face was involuntarily shocked when he lifted it.

At this moment, Xun Er’s feet were three feet from the ground. Her face was ice-cold while a bright-golden flame appeared to be revolving around her body like a liquid. While that golden-flame flowed, the surrounding mountain rocks began to gradually disappear in a strange manner. That manner was as though they were being swallowed by some invisible enormous beast...

Xun Er’s face was as cold as snow. She glanced at Ling Ying but did not speak. After which, she twisted her waist and suddenly rushed to the bottom of the mountain.

Ling Ying widened his mouth as he watched Xun Er’s figure swiftly vanish. He immediately shook his head with a bitter smile. His eyes rested on the distant horizon. He bitterly laughed, “Little fellow, you are the first damn person that the old me has seen who is able to get xiao-jie (Young Miss) to do things to such an extent... the first person...”