In the hall, a little loli in white sat there, constantly chewing on something, her short legs dangling in the air. Her face was full of happy and satisfied smiles.
"Little Zi Yan, why are you here? Did you finish all the pills from before?"
When Xiao Tian saw Zi Yan, his first reaction was that she had come to refine pills again.
"No, there are still a lot. If I ate that much in a short time, the energy would make me explode."
Zi Yan shook her head, and her two high ponytails swayed with her movements.
"Then why are you here this time?"
Xiao Tian looked at Zi Yan in confusion. This little girl only appeared when she ran out of pills; other times, she was like a dragon that only showed its head but not its tail, harder to find than ascending to heaven. Zi Yan was not one to sit still.
"I'm here to deliver a message. Old Su told me to tell you to go to his place tomorrow."
Zi Yan swallowed the pill in her mouth and said seriously, then told Xiao Tian the location of the Grand Elder's residence.
When Xiao Tian heard Zi Yan's words, he frowned slightly and thought, He really appeared in the square yesterday, didn't he? Was it because of the Heavenly Flame or my Alchemist identity? Never mind, I'll know tomorrow.
"Understood."
Seeing Zi Yan's old-fashioned demeanor, Xiao Tian couldn't help but pinch her chubby little face.
"Such a cute Little Zi Yan."
Zi Yan slapped away Xiao Tian's mischievous hand, her little face slightly wrinkling. "You're cute, your whole family is cute."
Zi Yan desperately wanted to grow up, just to get rid of this appearance. She was always treated like a child, which was too annoying. "I'm going to be a mature woman."
"Pfft~"
Xiao Tian looked at Zi Yan's serious expression and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Although Zi Yan would indeed become a mature woman when she grew up, and a very assertive one at that, even with an incredibly hot figure — in her current loli appearance, saying such things had a strange sense of humor.
He reached out his evil hands toward Zi Yan's smiling face again, but this time Zi Yan directly slapped his hand away, not letting him succeed. Xiao Tian reached out again to pinch her little face. Zi Yan couldn't stand this kind of "bullying" anymore and directly stood up, pouncing toward Xiao Tian, trying to pinch his face with her short legs.
"Let's see how I deal with you!"
Xiao Tian held her head with one hand. Zi Yan used all her might, but it was useless; she couldn't get close to Xiao Tian no matter what.
"Ah ah ah ah!"
Zi Yan was so angry her teeth itched, her eyes wide, and her cheeks puffed out with rage.
"You wait. I've noted this grudge. I'll get my revenge when I grow up."
Zi Yan's flat chest was almost bursting with anger, and she stood with her hands on her hips, glaring fiercely at Xiao Tian.
Xiao Tian looked at Zi Yan's cute and comical appearance and lowered his hand from her head. "Alright, alright. Here you go."
Xiao Tian took out a jade bottle containing pills refined from a medicinal herb he had taken from Zi Yan earlier. Zi Yan was slightly stunned. She reached out and took the jade bottle, seeing about twenty pills inside. "On account of these pills, I'll forgive you. Hmph hmph!"
Zi Yan eagerly poured one out and put it in her mouth to chew.
"Zi Yan, do you want to go out and play with me?"
Xiao Tian looked at the adorable Zi Yan and smiled.
"Where to? Why don't we go to the Arena to play? I can even earn some Fire Energy."
Zi Yan chewed her pill, looked up at Xiao Tian, her eyes full of anticipation. Seeing Zi Yan like this, Xiao Tian couldn't help but lightly rub his forehead. As expected of a Magical Beast, their nature was indeed combative.
"No. Don't you have the ability to sense natural treasures? Let's go look for medicinal herbs."
"Look for medicinal herbs? Are you going to make me do grunt work for you like those old men in the Inner Academy?"
Zi Yan remembered how Elder Hao and Su Qian would always trick her into going out to find medicinal herbs, and in the end, she would only get one plant, while all the others were confiscated.
"I'm not that kind of person. I'm not a black-hearted person. How about this: you're responsible for sensing treasures, and I'm responsible for getting them. We'll split everything we find fifty-fifty. And all your future pills will be on me. I'll keep refining them for you until you grow up."
Zi Yan initially fell into thought when she heard Xiao Tian's words, but after hearing his last sentence, her eyes lit up, and she even kept swallowing her saliva, her eyes sparkling.
"Really? You're not lying to me, are you?"
"Of course it's true. My word is my bond."
"Then let's go quickly, don't waste any more time."
As Zi Yan finished speaking, she immediately pulled Xiao Tian's hand and walked outside, embarking on a spontaneous trip.
The two teamed up and arrived at the edge of the Inner Academy forest, then plunged into it.
"Wasn't that the Brute King and the Demon King just now?"
As they entered, Yan Hao and Lin Xiuya were also preparing to enter the forest not far away, hoping to find some natural treasures to help them break through to the Dou Wang stage. Seeing the two figures, one large and one small, in front of them, Yan Hao asked Lin Xiuya in surprise.
"It's them. With those two entering the forest, especially Senior Sister Zi Yan, it's probably not going to be peaceful in there. Many people are likely going to have bad luck."
Lin Xiuya recalled a time when Zi Yan entered the forest, and afterward, the mournful roars of Magical Beasts kept echoing out. Then, the Magical Beasts, unable to do anything to Zi Yan, could only vent their anger on other unlucky individuals.
"Why don't we not go in for a while, so we don't end up being chased around."
The two exchanged glances, then returned the way they had come.
…
"Zi Yan, have you sensed anything?"
Xiao Tian followed behind Zi Yan, watching her constantly sniffing around, sensing the direction of natural treasures.
"Don't rush me. I'm already vaguely sensing something."
Zi Yan's little face was slightly furrowed as she continuously increased her sensing ability for treasures.
"Found it. It's over there."
Zi Yan suddenly moved her short legs and quickly ran toward the west.
"It's right here. It's hidden underground."
Zi Yan stopped beside a towering giant tree and pointed at the ground, speaking to Xiao Tian.
Xiao Tian trusted Zi Yan's sensing and directly wielded his Dou Qi, constantly shoveling away the dirt on the ground. After digging about ten meters deep, the medicinal herb buried deep underground was exposed. It was a piece of jade-like wood, thirty centimeters long and as thick as an arm.
"This is Jade Stone Wood. This is a relatively rare medicinal herb. Zi Yan, your talent is truly amazing; you found such a good thing so quickly."
Xiao Tian picked up the Jade Stone Wood, examined it, and praised Zi Yan.
When Zi Yan heard Xiao Tian's praise, she put her hands on her hips, her head held high, looking as if she was incredibly proud. "Of course. Why don't you just be my little brother from now on? Follow me, and I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury."
"You're getting carried away, Zi Yan. I treat you like family, but you want me to be your little brother. I'm so heartbroken."
Upon hearing this, Zi Yan seemed to hit a certain point. Her body stiffened, a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes, and she bit her lip. "Is what you said true?"
"What's true or false?"
"Just what you said just now."