Liu Xi looked at Cao Ying in surprise — when she put away that seductive charm, her appearance wasn't bad at all. Without that allure that could bewitch all beings, she looked much more like a pure, well-bred young lady next door. 'The title "Enchantress" truly fits her well.' Yet who could tell whether this look was genuine emotion or just another layer of disguise?
Liu Xi tilted his head slightly, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, his tone calm and even. "Then let's wait and see."
"So now, we're friends."
Cao Ying's lips curved faintly, a genuine smile blooming there — one that, for once, carried a trace of sincerity.
Liu Xi found that it suited her well, but the matter here was settled — Cao Ying was safe, Mu Gu had fled — and he still had to find the Pill Spirit Pulp. "We still have things to do, so we'll be on our way. Be careful yourself. Once you find the herbs on your list, leave this Pill Realm early."
Cao Ying froze. The realization that she was now completely alone hit her — Song Qing had already abandoned her to flee, and the rest of the alchemists might already have been killed. With Mu Gu still wandering about — a true Dou Zun expert — she wouldn't stand a chance if they met again.
At this moment, only staying by Liu Xi's side gave her a sense of safety. As for Song Qing... better not mention him. 'Maybe... no, that's too calculating. We're friends now — friends must be sincere, not scheming.'
Her expression shifted again and again before she finally sighed, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. "Master Liu, may I stay with you? With that wretched Hall of Souls elder still loose, I'll definitely die if I'm alone. I swear I won't cause any trouble or slow you down — not a single word of this is false."
Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan exchanged a glance but said nothing — these things were naturally for Liu Xi to decide.
He pondered for a moment. Cao Ying wasn't wrong; letting her travel alone now was indeed Pillgerous. Still, with Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan beside him, even if Cao Ying harbored ulterior motives, it wouldn't matter. Besides, he could use the Core Soul Marrow later to test her sincerity — to see if this so-called "friendship" was real.
Liu Xi nodded lightly. "Alright, you can follow us for now."
With that, he turned to leave. Time was pressing — he still needed to find the Pill Spirit Pulp. Zi Yan yawned, shot Cao Ying a curious glance, then tugged at Liu Xi's sleeve. When he turned back in puzzlement, she tilted her head. "Big Brother, carry me."
Liu Xi smiled faintly, bent down, and lifted Zi Yan by her armpits, setting her snugly in his arm. "Alright. Let's go. Brother Xiong, we'll continue searching for that Blackwater Tiger Flood Dragon — you'll have to lead the way."
Xiong Zhan cast a brief glance at the slightly pale Cao Ying and didn't mind her tagging along. In his eyes, she was far too weak to be of concern. "Alright, follow me."
Both men rose into the air. As Dou Zun powerhouses, each step they took covered dozens of meters in an instant. Watching them vanish so casually, Cao Ying felt her heart twist with frustration — her lips pursed in mild grievance. The famed enchantress of the Cao Clan, the prized disciple of the Pill Tower's giants — she had always been the one others fawned over.
Yet Liu Xi treated her as if she didn't matter at all. The grievance in her heart mingled strangely with curiosity. Her lips curled again, and a faintly amused whisper escaped her mouth. "Friends, huh? What a novel feeling. For once, I, Cao Ying, have something beyond the Dao of Alchemy — a friend."
With that, she soared up, chasing after Liu Xi's figure ahead. Though her cultivation was weaker, as a peak-level genius of the Pill Tower, her Dou Zong strength was enough to keep up.
"Master Liu," she called lightly once she drew near, "since we're friends now, won't you introduce these two? This beautiful little girl and this powerful elder beside you — I'm quite curious."
Liu Xi glanced at her. Seeing the curiosity glimmering in her bright eyes, he replied calmly, "This is Zi Yan, and that is Xiong Zhan — the mountain lord of the Ten Thousand Medicinal Mountain Range."
The words made Cao Ying's expression stiffen. Her gaze darted toward Xiong Zhan's towering figure — that smile on his face suddenly looked ten times more terrifying. 'The mountain lord… that's the beast we planned to fight earlier!'
She felt a chill run through her scalp. If she and Song Qing had really barged into the mountains as planned, the result would have been no different from meeting that black-robed Mu Gu — death without burial.
After the shock, she couldn't help but look at Liu Xi with admiration. 'Entering the Ten Thousand Medicinal Mountain Range, and he managed to befriend such a being… how does he do it?' With such an ally, searching for herbs would be many times easier.
Under Xiong Zhan's lead, the trio continued deeper into the range. His aura spread like a thunderstorm, and the vast mountains fell silent. No beast dared to make a sound — even several powerful 7th Rank beasts stayed hidden, trembling in submission.
Before long, they arrived at a place where two towering peaks rose into the clouds, and between them flowed a narrow stream.
As soon as they reached it, a faint fragrance drifted through the air — the unique aroma of Pill Spirit Pulp. Liu Xi's eyes gleamed with delight. Cao Ying, who followed close behind, also caught the scent, her eyes flashing with astonishment. As a top alchemy genius, she immediately recognized it.
They descended. At the source of the stream stood a massive boulder, nearly ten meters wide, covered in moss. At its center was a stone pit filled with a small amount of thick, greenish liquid — its sweet, refreshing scent spreading outward.
Below the boulder lay a deep pool, its surface calm and mirror-like, revealing no bottom. The silence here was so profound that it almost felt sacred.
Xiong Zhan chuckled, stepping to the edge of the pool. His heavy stomp shook the earth, sending ripples across the water. His voice rolled out like thunder. "Little Tiger Flood Dragon! It's been decades — this old bear came to borrow a treasure from you!"
(End of Chapter)
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