Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: A Journey with Xiao Yixian**

"I wonder if Xiao Yixian has left yet," Xiao Ning thought as he emerged from the depths of the Monster Mountain Range and flew directly toward the valley where Xiao Yixian was staying.

To temper his body with beast blood, he needed a quiet and secluded environment, and this valley was the perfect place for a retreat.

**Inside the Valley**

Outside a thatched cottage, a slender figure dressed in a plain white gown sat on a small chair, leaning against the door.

Under the warm sunlight, Xiao Yixian lowered her head, deeply engrossed in the colorful scroll in her hands.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Xiao Yixian frowned slightly.

She lifted her eyes from the scroll and looked at the young man slowly walking toward her under the sun.

"Xiao Ning, you're back?" she exclaimed, surprise flashing in her eyes.

She quickly put away the colorful scroll, a smile spreading across her pretty face.

"It seems you never left this place," Xiao Ning remarked, glancing at the Seven-Colored Poison Sutra in her hands.

He thought to himself, this woman truly has the Woeful poison body.

She's naturally drawn to this Poison Sutra, destined to become a master of poison.

"Mu Li went into the mountains with me, If I returned alone while he perished, it would raise too many questions," Xiao Yixian explained, shaking her head.

The secrets she discovered in the Seven-Colored Poison Sutra had made her abandon the idea of returning to Qingshan Town.

"That's up to you," Xiao Ning replied.

"I plan to stay here for a while, retreating in this valley, I can keep you company so you won't be bored."

Xiao Yixian smiled warmly. "Alright, stay as long as you like."

After chatting for a bit, Xiao Ning turned to his task. He found a hidden cave in the valley, intending to use it as his retreat.

He embedded two luminous stones into the cave walls, illuminating the once-dark space.

Xiao Ning then retrieved a bucket of beast blood from his ring. Having killed eight third-level monsters, he now had eight buckets of beast blood stored.

"Time to put this to use," Xiao Ning thought, feeling a bit embarrassed.

According to the ancient recipe in the Immortal Sutra, tempering the body required the blood of fierce beasts.

But all he had were third-level monsters not exactly the best quality.

However, Xiao Ning reassured himself that once his strength increased, he would be able to hunt top-tier beasts across the Douqi Continent, using their blood for even more effective body tempering.

With that, he stripped off his clothes and jumped into the wooden barrel, immersing himself in the beast blood, with only his head remaining above the surface.

Almost immediately, he felt a violent energy surging into his body through his pores.

His limbs and bones burned with intense pain.

"The effect is impressive!" Xiao Ning's eyes lit up as he felt the pain coursing through him. With his current physique, even the potent Xuanxue Elixir had little effect on him.

But the blood of these third-level monsters was different it clearly had the power to temper his body.

Focusing his mind, Xiao Ning activated the Immortal Sutra, causing a brilliant treasure light to flash.

The sutra began refining the beast blood's power as it entered his body, bit by bit.

As time passed, a layer of blood shackles formed on Xiao Ning's skin, indicating that he had fully absorbed the energy from the beast blood.

He opened his eyes, and with a burst of energy, the blood shackles were expelled from his body.

"I've gained at least 200 pounds of strength!" Xiao Ning exclaimed, clenching his fists and feeling the newfound power surging through him.

The energy within the beast blood was as fierce as that of a magic core, and few dared to use it directly due to its violent nature.

But Xiao Ning, with his strong body and the Immortal Sutra's domineering power, had successfully tempered himself with it.

After cleaning off the remaining blood, Xiao Ning stepped out of the cave.

It was noon, and the scorching sun heated the mountain walls until they were hot to the touch.

As he descended from the cave, he saw Xiao Yixian returning from picking herbs, carrying a flower basket.

She wore a light green cloth tied around her head, looking like a beautiful village girl.

Xiao Ning couldn't help but smile to himself.

Xiao Yixian returned his smile and glanced at the cave he had emerged from but wisely chose not to ask any questions.

She understood that everyone had their secrets including herself.

Respecting that, she acted as if nothing unusual had happened.

Although Xiao Ning didn't say anything, he was pleased with her behavior.

While he didn't mind sharing the details of his beast blood tempering, Xiao Yixian's discretion was important to him.

"Are you hungry? Let me make lunch," Xiao Yixian offered with a playful smile as they walked toward the thatched cottage.

She then squatted down, rolled up her sleeves, and began lighting a fire under the stone stove, preparing everything in an orderly manner.

Sitting on a nearby stone, Xiao Ning watched as Xiao Yixian hummed a tune while cooking.

He couldn't help but smile.

'She truly is as skilled and clever as she was described in the original story.'

As he sat there, Xiao Ning suddenly asked, "Xiao Yixian, do you plan to stay in this small valley forever?"

Xiao Yixian paused and turned around, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.

Her beautiful eyes met his as she softly replied, "I don't know where else to go,I have no other place, so I'm staying here for now."

"What about the future? Is there anywhere you'd like to go?" Xiao Ning asked with a smile.

"In the future, I'd like to travel around the Douqi Continent, but there's no rush,I have plenty of time…" Xiao Yixian replied with a casual smile, letting out a soft sigh.

"Traveling around the continent? That sounds amazing," Xiao Ning nodded.

He, too, planned to travel once his strength had increased, exploring the continent's beautiful landscapes while continuing to grow stronger.

"Are you interested? We could go together," Xiao Yixian suggested with a smile as she added more firewood to the fire.

"Deal! We'll go together then,"

Xiao Ning replied, his eyes lighting up.

The idea of having such a beautiful companion during his journey was too good to refuse. Besides, with Xiao Yixian's potential as a master of poison, she would not only avoid being a hindrance but could even become a powerful ally.