Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Xiao Yan vs. Poison Master Xiao Yixian!

Xiao Yan reacted swiftly, dodging the sudden sneak attack by leaping ten meters away in an instant.

Turning around, he quickly assessed the situation and saw a woman standing before him.

She was elegant, dressed in a plain skirt and green robe, holding a dagger in her hand. Two sachets dangled from her waist, and her cold eyes locked onto him.

"Who are you, and why did you attack me without reason?" Xiao Yan demanded.

His usually calm demeanor was now tinged with irritation. Though he had a good temper, an unprovoked attack was something he could not tolerate.

His hand instinctively gripped the handle of the Heavy Xuan Ruler on his back, Dou Qi gathering within him, ready to strike at any moment.

"Snort!"

The woman was Xiao Yixian, also known as the Little Fairy Doctor.

She had been consumed with worry over Xiao Ning's prolonged absence.

Although she had faith in his abilities, she knew all too well the dangers he could face. Fear gnawed at her, making her dread the worst.

Despite the slim chances, she was determined to find Xiao Ning.

When she encountered this stranger using the "Mad Lion's Roar" technique a skill Xiao Ning had acquired her heart was flooded with suspicion and anxiety.

"Where is he?" she demanded, her voice sharp and filled with urgency.

Xiao Yan was taken aback by her abrupt question, but before he could respond, his vision began to blur.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness and weakness swept over him, making him feel like a strong man suddenly rendered feeble. His legs wobbled beneath him, unsteady and light.

"It's that scent, isn't it?" Xiao Yan thought, barely conscious of what was happening.

"Hmph! How dare a mere Poison Master try to harm my disciple!" a cold voice echoed in his mind.

Immediately, Xiao Yan felt control returning to his body.

A white flame erupted from his skin, instantly dissipating the poison that had been affecting him.

Regaining his senses, Xiao Yan quickly retreated several steps, covering his mouth and nose with his clothes.

He then pulled out a handful of antidote pills from his storage ring and swallowed them.

As his condition stabilized, Xiao Yan grew more cautious. Holding his breath, he asked inwardly, "Teacher, what is a Poison Master? Is this woman one of them?"

Yao Lao's voice resonated in his mind, answering slowly, "Poison Masters are vile individuals who employ cruel methods.

They manipulate toxins, often defeating the strong with the weak, but they are far from invincible."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression turned cold. He regarded the beautiful figure before him without any hint of admiration, saying icily, "So, you're a Poison Master, why did you attack me?"

The Little Fairy Doctor's heart sank at his words.

Bitterness welled up within her.

As expected, anyone who learned of her identity as a Poison Master would react with disgust.

Only Xiao Ning had ever looked beyond that.

But her brief sorrow quickly gave way to anxiety and resentment. With a sharp tone, she pressed, "The fighting skill you just used belongs to Xiao Ning. Where is he?"

A cold smile played on the corners of Xiao Yan's mouth as realization dawned.

He now understood why she had attacked him and the reason for her hostility.

The way she spoke and demanded to know Xiao Ning's whereabouts suggested she was his enemy.

In Xiao Yan's mind, anyone hostile to Xiao Ning was an enemy of the Xiao family.

As a proud member of the Xiao family, he couldn't tolerate such aggression.

Moreover, this woman was a Poison Master, a despised existence in his eyes.

"Hmph! What does Xiao Ning's whereabouts have to do with you?" Xiao Yan retorted without hesitation.

Poison Masters relied heavily on their toxins, but their worst enemy was a Heavenly Flames, and Xiao Yan had one of the most powerful Yao Lao's Bone-Chilling Flame, ranked eleventh among all Strange Flames.

He was confident that this Poison Master was no match for him.

"Really? Then die!" The Little Fairy Doctor's eyes flashed with sorrow at Xiao Yan's response.

Her Dou Qi surged as she rushed at him, dagger in hand.

Xiao Yan, unwilling to back down, met her charge head-on. He blocked her dagger with the Heavy Xuan Ruler, then swung a punch directly at her.

But just as his fist was about to connect, a thin layer of Dou Qi formed a protective barrier around the Little Fairy Doctor, absorbing the impact of Xiao Yan's punch.

"You wretched Poison Masters deserve nothing less than death!" Xiao Yan growled.

The Little Fairy Doctor used the force of his punch to leap back.

Xiao Yan, his combat experience honed by numerous battles, immediately followed up.

He stamped his foot, leaving a deep imprint in the ground, and charged at her with both fists.

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

As Xiao Yan closed in, the Little Fairy Doctor flipped in mid-air, revealing a sachet in her hand. She threw it towards Xiao Yan just as his fist was about to strike.

"Boom!"

Xiao Yan's punch collided with the sachet, which was nothing more than a simple cloth.

But upon impact, it exploded, releasing a cloud of light yellow powder that spread within a ten-meter radius.

Xiao Yan's expression darkened.

He quickly held his breath, covered his mouth and nose with his clothes, and swallowed another antidote pill as he jumped back to avoid the toxic cloud.

By now, his patience was wearing thin.

He had tried to capture the Little Fairy Doctor to get to the bottom of her actions, but her repeated attempts to kill him were testing his limits.

A faint murderous intent began to rise within him.

Exhaling deeply, Xiao Yan coldly stared at the Little Fairy Doctor.

He pulled the Heavy Xuan Ruler from the ground, and as his Dou Qi condensed, a massive lion made of Dou Qi appeared behind him.

The "Mad Lion's Roar" technique was unleashed once again!

The Little Fairy Doctor, recognizing the power behind this move, knew she couldn't withstand it.

She pulled out another sachet, her jade hand scattering its light green powder into the air.

The powder, infused with her Dou Qi, transformed into a poisonous green wind that rushed toward Xiao Yan.

But just as the poisonous fog neared him, a wall of dark white flames erupted between them, instantly separating the poison from Xiao Yan.

The Heavenly flames even solidified the toxic fog, turning it into frozen shards that shattered on the ground.

"Mad Lion's Roar!" Xiao Yan roared, sending the massive Dou Qi lion charging towards the Little Fairy Doctor.

"Xiao Ning, I'm sorry… I can't avenge you!" The Little Fairy Doctor whispered, her voice choked with sorrow.

Closing her eyes, a tear slipped down her cheek as she braced for the end.

But just as the Don Qi lion was about to strike her, a ball of lightning, as large as a human head, appeared ont of nowhere.

It descended rapidly, intercepting the lion before it could reach her.