Xun'er's Unusual Behavior

After breaking through to Dou Shi, Xiao Se no longer had any reason to stay here and decided to head to the next destination.

The next morning, after a night's rest, Xiao Se packed his things, closed the windows and doors, and left the small valley where he had lived for almost two months with his magic sword on his back.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had gone by.

During these seven days, Xiao Se traveled while cultivating the Purple Flame Seed, using the Amethyst Lion Source to speed its growth.

Finally, the day before leaving the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Se had cultivated the Purple Flame Seed in his body to the limit that his body could handle. After absorbing the Purple Flame, he successfully upgraded Flame Mantra to Yellow Rank Advanced and increased his strength by one star, advancing to a Two-Star Dou Shi.

On a mountain ridge in the eastern part of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Se held a map and carefully studied it.

This map had been purchased from the Miteer Auction House earlier, depicting most of the areas in the eastern Magic Beast Mountain Range and the surrounding towns.

"Brother, are we almost out of the Magic Beast Mountain Range?" Long Kui's graceful figure gently emerged from the magic sword and landed beside Xiao Se, intimately holding onto his arm.

"Yes, if we keep walking, it would take a few more days. But with the Eagle Wings, we can cross the canyon ahead and leave the Magic Beast Mountain Range before nightfall," Xiao Se smiled as he rolled up the map.

Just as Xiao Se was about to put the map into his storage ring, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:

[Ding, the one-month period has ended. Congratulations, host, you have earned one exchange opportunity.]

"System, exchange the map in my hand," Xiao Se said as he casually lifted the map.

Xiao Se had always been strict with himself. Once out of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, the next destination was Black Rock City, and then, after flying on a magical beast, the Tagore Desert. So, this map was no longer of any use. Following the principle of "don't waste anything," he decided to exchange it.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for exchanging for Xun'er's Little Moon Satchel from the world of Battle Through the Heavens.]

At the Xiao family in Wu Tan City.

As the evening approached, the setting sun hung low, and the sunset glow in the west resembled the hem of a maiden's dress, swaying gently in the wind.

In the tranquil backyard, a graceful silhouette stood elegantly on the rooftop, facing the breeze. Her long black hair floated gently, and the hem of her dress clung to her graceful figure, outlining her curves, making her look incredibly charming.

The young girl was dressed in a light purple dress, quietly gazing at the western sunset. Her demeanor was cold and elegant, like a lotus blooming in the mortal world, noble and untouched by the mundane.

At this moment, her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, and a hint of worry flickered in her beautiful autumn eyes, as if she had something on her mind.

After a moment of silence, Xun'er suddenly spoke, her voice clear and soothing, as if it could cleanse one's soul.

"Old Ling, come out."

As the young girl's voice fell, a cloud of black mist mysteriously rose from the ground in the courtyard, slowly condensing into a black shadow—the one responsible for secretly protecting Xun'er, Ling Ying.

"Miss!" Kneeling on one knee, Ling Ying spoke coldly but respectfully to the graceful figure on the rooftop.

After a moment of hesitation, Xun'er softly asked, "How is Cousin Xiao Se?"

Ever since the family gathering half a year ago, when Xiao Se hummed an unfamiliar lullaby beside her, Xun'er's heart had been in turmoil. Though the lullaby was unfamiliar, it brought her a deep sense of comfort, as if she had heard it before.

"Xiao Se?" Ling Ying frowned, puzzled as to why the young lady would suddenly ask about him. After a moment of hesitation, he reported truthfully, "It seems that Xiao Se has already left Wu Tan City."

"Left Wu Tan City? When did he leave? Where did he go?" Hearing that Xiao Se had left, Xun'er leapt down lightly and landed gracefully in front of Ling Ying, asking with a hint of urgency.

"I only found out months after he left, so I'm not sure where he went. But according to the guards at the east gate, about half a year ago, a young man in a black robe and a half-face mask left that way, and his figure resembled Xiao Se's. I suspect he might have headed to the eastern part of the Magic Beast Mountain Range," Ling Ying explained patiently.

"Magic Beast Mountain Range… Half a year ago… Has he already been gone for that long?" Xun'er's face darkened, and an inexplicable sadness welled up inside her, as if she had lost something precious.

"That's all for now, you may leave," Xun'er waved her hand and walked dejectedly toward the house.

Watching Xun'er's sudden change in demeanor, Ling Ying sighed and disappeared into the darkness like a cloud of black mist.

In her room, Xun'er slowly walked to her bed. Just as she was about to lie down, she suddenly felt a chill in her chest.

Startled, Xun'er quickly undid her belt, slipped off her clothes, and her cheeks flushed red. To her shock, her beloved moon-shaped charm had turned into a piece of parchment.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for exchanging for Xun'er's Little Moon Satchel.]

"Damn it!" Xiao Se cursed softly when he heard the system notification. He decided not to take it out of the system warehouse since Long Kui was still around—he didn't want to be mistaken for a pervert.

Before nightfall, Xiao Se successfully left the eastern part of the Magic Beast Mountain Range. After resting for the night, he finally arrived at Black Rock City the next morning.

After paying the city entry fee and passing through the somewhat dim city wall passage, his view suddenly broadened. After months of being away, Xiao Se had returned to human society, and the loud and bustling voices were a bit overwhelming for someone who preferred peace and quiet.

"Brother, are we heading straight to the Tager Desert to ride a flying magical beast?" Long Kui's voice suddenly echoed in his heart.

Xiao Se shook his head and replied, "First, we'll go to the Alchemist Guild to test for a Second Rank Alchemist. I need three things to absorb the Heavenly flame: 'Acceptance Soul'., a Fifth-Rank Blood Lotus Pill, and the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain. I've already gathered most of the materials for the Blood Lotus Pill in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, but I'm still missing a Third-Rank Magic Core. As for Acceptance Soul and the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain, I have no clue where to find them. With the identity of an alchemist, it should be much easier to collect these things."

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