With the incantation finished, Xia Yueyou watched as the fire talisman erupted into a blinding, crimson flame. Its temperature was intensely high, and the roaring blaze instantly ignited the fur of the wolf king. The fierce glare illuminated the surrounding terrain, outshining even the powerful tactical flashlight.
The wolf king let out a series of miserable wails and lunged straight into a nearby river. But the flames conjured by a fire talisman were hardly something ordinary river water could extinguish. It thrashed frantically on the surface of the water, its agonizing cries sending chills through the dark forest.
Before long, the massive Tier 1 wolf king was reduced to ashes, drifting away down the current.
With the danger averted, Xia Yueyou exhaled a long breath she had been holding. Leaning on her long sword, she dropped to one knee and panted heavily, blood welling from several deep claw marks on her arm!
"Sister!"
Murong Xue hurried over. Her expression changed the moment she inspected the injury—the wound was long and shockingly severe. She quickly pulled gauze and disinfectant from her backpack, peeled off Xia Yueyou's jacket, and began cleaning the wound with utmost care.
"Hiss—" The fierce sting of the antiseptic made Xia Yueyou catch her breath.
"Sister, bear with it."
After disinfecting the wound and applying some herbal healing ointment, Murong Xue wrapped it tightly in gauze, her young eyes tinged with red.
"Xiao Xue, don't worry, I'm fine. I'm a cultivator; my self-healing ability is very fast," Xia Yueyou consoled her softly.
Though the wound looked terrifying, it was only superficial and would heal in no time.
"Mhm," Murong Xue sniffled, her voice stuffed.
The light, drizzling rain was still falling. Xia Yueyou stood up and said, "Let's go. There was a cave back where we came from—we can tidy it up and spend the night there."
"Okay, I'll help you walk."
"Little girl, I only hurt my arm, I don't need you to carry me around." Xia Yueyou laughed despite herself.
The two packed their things, hoisted their hiking backpacks, and headed toward a cave at the base of the hill.
The cave mouth wasn't very large, and there were signs of manual excavation, likely left behind by hunters in the past. Ducking inside, they discovered that the interior was surprisingly spacious. The innermost ground was carpeted with dry grass, and a pile of firewood sat in the corner.
Xia Yueyou produced a cleansing talisman to sweep the cave clean, then used the wood inside to build a fire near the entrance for warmth and illumination. At the mouth of the cave, she affixed a concealment talisman to prevent passing beasts from detecting its presence.
Murong Xue neatly arranged their luggage and gear in a corner, pulling out two sleeping bags to lay over the straw deeper inside the cave. The young lady from Kyoto had already learned how to use these items and was gradually adapting to wilderness living.
After a simple meal of self-heating rations, the two crawled into their sleeping bags to rest.
***
"Mmm-ah—the air in the forest after the rain is just so crisp." The young girl stretched lazily and industriously set about preparing breakfast for the two of them.
Xia Yueyou sat cross-legged on a tree stump, her eyes half-closed as she absorbed the Spiritual Energy. A faint white mist drifted around her before slowly blending into her body.
After a long while, she opened her pretty eyes and murmured to herself, "At this rate, I can break through to Qi Refining Level 5 in two months at most."
"Sister, come eat breakfast," Murong Xue called out, carrying a steaming plate of steamed buns.
"Coming. Thank you, Xiao Xue."
"You're my sister, we grew up together, what are you thanking me for?" Unhappy, the young girl picked up a white steamed bun and jammed it into her sister's mouth.
She then opened her own mouth wide, biting off a large chunk of a bun. Chewing away, she mumbled, "Sigh, buns are good and all, but I really miss my bird's nest soup, truffle scrambled eggs, and lobster sandwiches..."
"When we get back to Kyoto, I'll treat you," Xia Yueyou replied with a serene smile.
"No way. When you can fly, just take me Sword Flight instead!"
A longing tone filled the young girl's voice. She wasn't lacking for gourmet food; what she wanted was to soar through the skies in ethereal traditional robes, taking in the magnificent landscapes of her homeland—only, she couldn't cultivate. With her family background, experiencing all sorts of aircraft was merely a matter of a single word, but riding mechanical flying machines lacked that particular poetic charm.
"Alright, but you might have to wait a few more years."
One could manipulate objects for flight upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage. Given the current state of Spiritual Energy in the world, reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm would take her at least seven or eight years, even under the fastest conditions.
"I'm only twenty, I'm not afraid to wait."
After finishing breakfast, the two continued deeper into the forest. The further they went, the more distinct Xia Yueyou could feel the growing density of the spiritual power in the air.
They didn't encounter any Second-grade Spirit Herbs along the way, but they did spot quite a few rare, aged wild medicinal herbs. They selectively harvested a few stalks, seeing as long-aged wild herbs were exceptionally scarce.
"Xiao Xue, there seems to be a wooden cabin up ahead. Let's go take a look."
As they walked, Xia Yueyou's sharp eyes caught the rooftop of a cabin halfway up the mountain slope ahead.
"Okay!" A hint of excitement colored the young girl's tone—exploring a wilderness cabin sounded terribly mysterious.
Half an hour later, the two arrived at the mid-slope, where a flat clearing had been artificially leveled out. A circle of adult-height wooden fences enclosed a cabin, forming a courtyard that blocked the view of the interior.
Xia Yueyou stepped forward and knocked on the makeshift wooden gate made of two planks.
"Is anyone here?"
After knocking for a moment with no response, just as she was about to push the gate open, it creaked and swung inward from within.
Xia Yueyou felt a wave of intense pressure wash over her, forcing her to instinctively take two steps back.
Upon recognizing the figure before her, a flash of surprise and an inexplicable ripple crossed her eyes, leaving her momentarily unsure of how to react.
Xuanchen looked at the delicate woman frozen before him, a trace of imperceptible amusement flashing in his eyes as he teased, "Young lady, even if you are exceptionally pretty, you still shouldn't trespass on private property."
Xia Yueyou's face flushed slightly, and she murmured, "Sir, I am truly sorry."
Murong Xue stepped forward, tugging on her sister's arm, and asked with eyes full of curiosity, "Big brother, do you live out here in the deep mountains all the time? And are you doing some kind of cosplay?"
The man before them was exceedingly handsome, dressed in attire nearly identical to that in immortal-hero television dramas, and wore his hair long. She had to admit, he certainly possessed a commanding presence.
"Little girl, I have no interest in any cosplay, though I have indeed lived here for decades."
Total disbelief filled the young girl's face. *This guy lies without even looking in a mirror,* she thought. *He's so young he can't possibly be over thirty, yet the first thing he says is that he's lived here for decades.*
While it was true that some people could cultivate and attain immortality, reaching that level surely required at least the Foundation Establishment Realm, and every such entity she had ever seen was an elderly grandfather.
Ignoring her, Xuanchen shifted his gaze to Xia Yueyou, who kept peeking into the small courtyard. His sword-like brows twitched, amused in his heart—her temperament was still just as it used to be.
He asked, "Young lady, so curious about my little courtyard? Tell me your name, and I will let you enter."
Withdrawing her gaze, Xia Yueyou cupped her fists in a formal salute and introduced herself, "My name is Xia Yueyou, from Kyoto."
She truly wanted to step inside his courtyard to take a look; she could sense a very dense concentration of Spiritual Energy within, along with a faint medicinal fragrance!
"I am Xuanchen, a man of nowhere," he replied, returning the gesture with cupped fists.
Imitating her sister, the young girl cupped her fists and introduced herself, "This young miss is Murong Xue, a native of Kyoto."
Xuanchen pushed the wooden gate wide open and gestured with a hand. "Please enter, both of you."
Even as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Xia Yueyou.