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🌄 Forest Beneath the Mist – Green Mountain Range
The morning sun broke through the thick canopy of Green Mountain City's outskirts, spilling golden streaks of light over moss-covered rocks and wild underbrush. Birds cawed faintly from the treetops as Tianzun stepped silently along a shaded path. His white hair shimmered in the golden light, eyes narrowed as he scanned his surroundings.
> "Time to begin Phase Two. Herbs. Knowledge. Treasure. All to fuel what comes next."
He was headed toward a forest of infamy—rumored for ancient caves, strange beasts, and more importantly, remnants of long-dead alchemists. The same location where, in another life, the famed Xiao Yan found his flying technique.
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🩸 The Encounter – Beasts Circle the Innocent
As Tianzun neared a clearing, he paused.
Blood.
The copper scent brushed his nostrils.
Then, rustling. Growls. A scream.
Without hesitation, Tianzun rushed forward—and then he saw her.
A young girl, barely ten years old, her lavender eyes filled with terror. Her body trembled as several tier-2 spirit beasts closed in on her—dark wolves, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
> "That face... I've seen her before—Little Fairy Doctor?"
Before the wolves could pounce, Tianzun blurred forward.
His palm glowed a dark green-black hue. He struck the ground.
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward, flattening the beasts instantly.
Blood sprayed.
The girl staggered, eyes wide, before her knees buckled. Tianzun caught her.
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🌿 A Kind Stranger – A New Path Begins
Tianzun fed her a pill immediately—one specially crafted for injury and shock recovery. Within minutes, color returned to her cheeks, and her eyes opened weakly.
"You alright?" he asked, voice calm.
She blinked at him, then nodded. "Yes... thank you."
"I'm Tianzun."
"…Little Fairy Doctor," she said softly. "That's what they call me."
He raised an eyebrow. "Fitting."
She sat up slowly. "I came for herbs… the wolves chased me."
"Alone?"
She nodded again. "I'm used to it."
A flicker of something passed through Tianzun's eyes. "Want to come with me?"
She frowned. "Where?"
"To a place only fools and legends enter."
Her eyes lit up with intrigue.
"…Yes."
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🕳️ The Descent – Ancient Alchemist's Tomb
Without warning, Tianzun picked her up—not with ill intent, but with speed. She yelped in shock as he leapt, soaring down into the ravine hidden behind a thick veil of branches.
Wind rushed past her face. Her arms tightened around his neck.
"Y-You're crazy!"
He smirked. "Only sometimes."
At the bottom, a narrow cave entrance opened before them. Little Fairy Doctor blinked at the sudden transition from sunlight to faint glowing moss and ancient dust.
They entered.
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🧱 Unlocking the Forgotten – A Place of Secrets
Moving through the winding passageways, Tianzun pressed a familiar stone mechanism, and click—a door rumbled open.
There it was.
The ancient alchemist's inheritance cave.
Three stone chests. Rows of herbs still glowing faintly with age-old spiritual energy. A skeleton propped against the back wall.
Little Fairy Doctor stared, awestruck. "This… is a tomb."
"An inheritance," Tianzun corrected.
He moved toward the skeleton and knelt.
Embedded between the ribs, he found what he expected: a faded map fragment—part of the three-part Heavenly Flame map—and a metal key.
He pocketed the map, then called over the girl.
"Let's divide the chests."
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📦 The Chests – Treasure and Trust
Tianzun unlocked the first chest.
A green scroll glimmered. Little Fairy Doctor's breath caught.
"That's…"
"Poison Scripture," he said. "Rare and dangerous."
He pretended to inspect it for a moment, teasingly humming. Then he handed it over with a smirk. "You're more suited to this than I am."
She stared at it, hugging it to her chest. "Thank you."
The second chest revealed a different treasure. Tianzun scanned the contents and didn't say a word. Without explanation, he stored the scroll inside into his spatial ring.
> "She doesn't need this yet. Not now."
The third chest revealed a gem-encrusted scroll, its glow brighter.
Tier 6 Alchemy Prescription.
Tianzun's smile widened. "Jackpot."
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🧎‍♂️ Respect for the Dead – A Glimpse of Character
As they turned to leave, Tianzun halted, his eyes once more falling on the old skeleton.
The girl watched him from behind as he walked back, silently.
He knelt, gathered nearby stones, and began to dig.
"W-What are you doing?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he dug until a shallow grave formed, then gently lifted the bones and laid them within.
"This man gave his life to leave behind knowledge… He deserves a grave."
She stared in stunned silence. Her throat tightened.
She stepped back quietly… but Tianzun glanced sideways.
"You were spying."
"...I didn't mean to."
"It's fine," he said. "You can learn more about a person by watching them quietly than speaking with them for hours."
She blushed.
"I… I think I misjudged you earlier."
"I know," he said, rising and dusting off his hands.
"Was that why you didn't say anything?"
"No. I just enjoy being right."
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🌒 Friendship, or More? – A Silent Bond Begins
As they walked side by side through the narrow exit tunnel, the air between them had shifted.
There was no romantic tension—not yet—but admiration and curiosity now threaded between their glances and silences.
Little Fairy Doctor clutched her Poison Scripture tightly.
> "This boy... He's not like anyone I've ever met."
Tianzun, eyes forward, was silent.
But inwardly:
> "She's clever. Her pain runs deeper than she shows. She may one day surpass the legends."
Whether this was the beginning of a bond, a partnership, or something more—it had begun.
Only time would tell.
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End of Chapter 44.