---
"Yes, Brother Xiao Yao?" Xun'er turned to him with a radiant smile, her voice filled with warmth and trust.
"I… I wanted to tell you something," he muttered, his gaze falling to the ground. "I've decided to go to the Warcraft Mountain Range."
His voice carried a weight that made Xun'er's heart skip a beat. "W-What? You're leaving?" she asked in surprise, her smile vanishing.
Xiao Yao nodded slowly, his expression a mixture of sadness and determination.
"Can't you stay just a little longer?" Her voice trembled as she took a step forward, eyes locked on his. There was a quiet plea hidden behind her composed face.
"I wish I could… but I have to grow stronger." His voice cracked slightly. Then, as if unable to hold back his emotions any longer, he stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms.
Caught off guard, Xun'er's cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she felt the warmth of his embrace. Her hands slowly came up to rest on his back, her heartbeat echoing in her ears.
"I'll be gone for a couple of months at most," he whispered against her hair. "But when I come back, I promise I'll have broken through to Dou Zhe. I'll return stronger—for you."
A small, proud smile broke across Xun'er's face as she looked up at him. "If you really do, then I'll give you a reward," she said teasingly, pointing to her lips with a shy glance.
Xiao Yao's eyes widened slightly, then he grinned. "You're being mischievous now… but fine. I'll be looking forward to that day."
"And…" he added, nudging her gently with a playful smirk, "do you want to stay over tonight?"
"Brother Xiao Yao… you!" she pouted, swatting his shoulder lightly. "Alright, I'll stay. But no funny ideas, okay?"
He laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Of course, of course."
---
That night…
The room was quiet except for the faint flicker of a lantern. Xun'er lay on the bed, her delicate legs resting on Xiao Yao's lap. He gently massaged them, his palms glowing faintly with warm Dou Qi as he worked along her meridians.
He had read about this technique long ago in the family library—how warming a cultivator's meridians helped with Dou Qi circulation. At first, he had practiced clumsily. Now, his hands moved with confidence and care.
As he touched certain points along her legs, he suddenly felt it—an intense, overwhelming heat pulsing from deep within her. Not ordinary Dou Qi… something ancient, divine.
Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame… he thought to himself, eyes narrowing slightly. So it's true… that flame slumbers within her body.
"Brother Xiao Yao…" Xun'er's voice broke him from his thoughts. She pouted again, though there was a softness in her eyes. "You're staring too much…"
He smiled and leaned down to lightly pinch her cheek. "Just admiring how pretty you are when you're pretending to be mad."
"Hmph! You're so annoying…" she mumbled, though her face reddened.
Soon, the room fell into silence, the tension easing into a peaceful calm. The two of them drifted off to sleep side by side, Xun'er resting her head on Xiao Yao's shoulder.
---
By morning…
The sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Xiao Yao spent a quiet hour with Xun'er, speaking of small things—promises, memories, future hopes.
Finally, it was time.
Standing at the gates of the Xiao estate, Xun'er watched as Xiao Yao fastened his traveling bag.
"Come back safe," she said softly.
He nodded, looking back at her one last time. "I will."
With that, he turned toward the distant silhouette of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the journey to power and danger ahead.
---
"System, buy me a sword and a sword technique within my current budget!" Xiao Yao commanded without hesitation.
[Ding!… Purchase successful: TianHuang Ancient Sword and Burning Heaven Immortal Decree obtained.]
[Ding! As this is the host's first purchase, all acquired items are granted for free. The original cost has been returned to the host as a reward.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have received 2.3 million Sky Points!]
Seeing the string of notifications flash before his eyes, Xiao Yao couldn't contain his excitement. His eyes sparkled with joy as he threw his head back and laughed.
"Not only did I get the items I wanted, but I even got the full price back as a reward! Haha, my golden finger is truly the greatest!" He grinned like a child who'd just unwrapped the ultimate gift.
The TianHuang Ancient Sword appeared in his hand, its dark silver blade etched with glowing golden runes. It hummed softly, as if responding to his touch. Beside it, the Burning Heaven Immortal Decree floated, radiating intense energy that made even the surrounding air tremble.
Without wasting any more time, he leapt into action. Using a portion of his newly acquired points, Xiao Yao purchased a batch of Qi Gathering Pills, each one brimming with spiritual energy. Swallowing one, he sat cross-legged under a tree in a quiet forest glade, breathing steadily as he began refining the pill's energy into his own.
The days that followed were grueling but fruitful. He trained, meditated, and tempered his body under the watchful guidance of the Burning Heaven Immortal Decree. And finally—after a full week of focused effort—the bottleneck shattered.
He broke through.
Xiao Yao stood up, clenched his fist, and felt the surge of power run through his veins.
"Finally… I've stepped into the realm of Dou Zhe."
Even though the road ahead was long, this breakthrough marked the beginning of his real journey in the Dou Qi Continent. However, even with millions of Sky Points at his disposal now, there was one thing he couldn't afford: The Flame Mantra.
Priced at a jaw-dropping 1.2 billion Sky Points, it was something even the wealthiest cultivators would hesitate to eye. But it was worth every bit of that price. After all, the Flame Mantra wasn't just any Qi method—it was one that could evolve infinitely, growing stronger alongside its user. Something like this only existed in myths. And as far as the entire Dou Qi Continent was concerned, there was only one known possessor of the Flame Mantra among billions of cultivators and trillions of ordinary people.
Xiao Yao wasn't foolish enough to think he could just walk up and buy it… not yet.
So, he focused on what he could do.
From the 8th to the 20th day, Xiao Yao spent his time in the wilderness, relentlessly hunting magical beasts, collecting their cores, rare herbs, and other valuable resources. When tired, he rested. When refreshed, he trained.
By now, his body had adapted to the sword's weight, his movements had become sharper, and the Burning Heaven Immortal Decree was beginning to resonate more naturally with his cultivation. But despite the progress, he hadn't even claimed the numerous system rewards waiting in his inventory.
He kept telling himself, Later. I'll claim them all in one go… after I finish preparing.
He had no idea that one of those unclaimed rewards would soon change everything.
---