Hearing Xiao Jietian's gentle words, Xuan Yi's gaze drifted once more toward the two sleeping little girls. Her phoenix eyes softened further, like spring water melting winter frost.
Finally, she lifted her eyes to meet his—deeply, searchingly.
She knew better than anyone the severity of her injuries at that time.
A soul attack from a peak expert, combined with grievous physical wounds—yet this man had healed her almost effortlessly, and with such calm assurance that it was "within his capabilities."
Even at the height of her own power, such injuries would have demanded months of painstaking recovery and precious resources.
The more she observed him, the more enigmatic he became.
No rumors of such a man circulated across the Dou Qi Continent. From his aura alone, she could tell he was no wandering rogue cultivator—his bearing carried the effortless nobility of one born to rule the heavens.
Xuan Yi sighed inwardly.
This man surpassed even that person from her past in both mystery and brilliance—especially his appearance, which seemed carved from immortal jade, a banished celestial descended to walk among mortals.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
Xiao Jietian tilted his head slightly, catching her prolonged stare.
Xuan Yi hastily averted her eyes. Realizing how intently she had been gazing, a fresh wave of heat crept up her cheeks. She inwardly panicked:
He won't think I'm some kind of lecherous woman, will he? I'm finished… I'm finished…
Xiao Jietian glanced at her sidelong.
Though Xuan Yi had lived nearly a century, most of those years had been spent in secluded alchemy and closed-door cultivation. Only in her youth had she ventured forth to temper herself.
In that sense, she bore a faint resemblance to Medusa—long-lived yet retaining a trace of innocent sweetness beneath her mature exterior. Yet her broader experiences lent her a deeper poise and composure than the Serpent Queen.
At that very moment, far away in Myriad Snake Canyon—
Medusa hovered high above the blood-soaked valley, her scarlet robes billowing like war banners.
With a casual flick of her jade palm, she reduced a fleeing snake-headed expert—who had barely escaped the encirclement—to drifting ash.
Suddenly, her delicate nose twitched.
A strange pang stirred in her heart, as though someone were secretly slandering her behind her back.
An image of Xiao Jietian's infuriatingly handsome face involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
It must be that big scoundrel speaking ill of me again. Hmph! Always disrupting my grand ambitions… Just you wait, you rogue. See how your queens conquer an empire for you—how we fulfill your every dream and crown you the unrivaled Gigolo King of the heavens!
As the thought crossed her mind, an enchanting, nation-toppling smile bloomed across Medusa's lips—dazzling, bewitching, utterly devastating.
Her slender hand unconsciously drifted to rest upon her flat abdomen.
"Sister Fei Yan, what are you smiling about so sweetly?" Qing Lin asked curiously from beside her.
Medusa gently stroked the little girl's head. "Nothing at all."
In the next breath, her smile vanished. The Serpent Queen's expression turned icy and majestic once more. Her cold gaze swept downward like a blade.
"Speed up the assault! Those who resist—kill without mercy!!!"
At her command, the warriors of Eternal Heaven Palace below surged forward with renewed ferocity, abandoning all defense in favor of pure offense.
There was no other choice.
Eternal Heaven Palace overflowed with resources—especially elixirs. Injured? Swallow a pill. Exhausted? Swallow another. Medicine was their most abundant currency, after all.
After slaughtering every last resistor, they methodically crushed eggs, split worms lengthwise—leaving nothing to chance. Thoroughness was their creed.
Among the six queens, duties were clearly divided:
Medusa and Qing Lin spearheaded territorial expansion.
Little Fairy Doctor and Yun Yun oversaw grand strategy and monitored the movements of Wind and Thunder Pavilion.
Ya Fei, Han Yue, Han Xue, and the others managed logistics and supply lines.
Freed from Xiao Jietian's daily "harassment," each woman revealed the bearing of a true powerhouse. Eternal Heaven Palace ran with ruthless efficiency; its borders expanded daily like an insatiable tide.
As for Xiao Ding, Hai Bodong, and the rest—they handled the consolidation of newly conquered lands, stabilizing each territory in turn.
...
Back by the campfire.
Xiao Jietian turned to Xuan Yi—whose cheeks still bore a faint, lingering flush—and voiced the question that had lingered since her awakening:
"By the way… with your status and strength, there should be few forces in this world capable of injuring you, let alone forcing you into such a desperate state. How exactly did you end up wounded here?"
Curiosity gleamed in his eyes. He already harbored a guess—but he wanted confirmation from her own lips.
Xuan Yi's refined features flushed once more with embarrassment.
She hadn't left Holy Pill City in decades. The one time she ventured out… this was the result.
She subtly rolled her eyes heavenward, feeling an acute sense of mortification whenever she stood before him. Her once-impeccable image, she feared, had already crumbled to dust in his sight.
Taking a steadying breath, she composed herself and began:
"At the time, I needed to refine a certain pill. The required spirit herb could not be found within Pill Tower's vaults, so I journeyed to the Southern Domain of the Central Plains. This region is sparsely populated and rich in rare medicinal plants."
Xiao Jietian nodded lightly.
The Southern Domain was a realm dominated by magical beasts. Without sufficient strength, any intruder would swiftly become fertilizer for the soil.
"I searched for a very long time before finally locating the herb I required. A guardian beast protected it—roughly equivalent to a five-star Dou Zun in cultivation, yet its fleshly body granted it defensive power closer to six-star."
Xuan Yi's expression turned faintly awkward as she continued.
"Given the disparity in realm… I still had to battle it for quite some time before finally driving it off."
She glanced up at Xiao Jietian—only to catch the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth, as though he were desperately suppressing laughter.
Xuan Yi rolled her eyes helplessly.
"If you want to laugh, just laugh."
"Ahem, ahem—how could I? You've misunderstood me completely."
Xiao Jietian straightened his posture, adopting an expression of utmost seriousness—though the insincerity was plain for anyone with eyes to see.
"I am, after all, primarily an alchemist. It's only natural that my combat strength might be… slightly lacking, yes?"
"Exactly. That's precisely what I meant." Xuan Yi echoed his words dryly. "So, you were injured by the magical beast?"
Xiao Jietian shot her a sidelong glance, inwardly amused.
Wait until you witness my true combat prowess and alchemy rank… you'll probably be embarrassed for months.
Xuan Yi secretly rolled her eyes again at his perfunctory tone. Even a fool could hear how half-hearted his consolation was.
Later, she vowed silently, I'll display my alchemy before you and leave you speechless.
Her red lips parted once more.
"In the end, despite the realm gap, I managed to repel it. But the moment I turned to harvest the herb… a sudden sneak attack struck from behind."
"Hall of Souls?"
"How did you know?" Xuan Yi looked at him in genuine surprise.
"I've clashed with them before. While treating your wounds, I sensed a familiar trace in the remnant aura—the same cold, devouring malice they carry."
"It was them." Xuan Yi's expression darkened. "The Third Celestial Venerable of the Hall of Souls launched the assault. I reacted swiftly, but still suffered injury… After a bitter struggle, I was no match and fled with grievous wounds. He didn't emerge unscathed either. When I next opened my eyes… I was here."
Her voice carried a faint chill.
The Hall of Souls had always hunted alchemists.
This time—she herself had nearly become another name on their list.
The fire crackled softly between them.
Outside, wind whispered through ancient pines.
Inside the cave, two peerless figures—one enigmatic sovereign, one hidden giant of the Pill Tower—sat in shared silence, the shadow of a common enemy quietly drawing their fates closer together.