Late Morning, 25th Day — Deep Within the Warcraft Mountain Range
The dense fog parted before them as Xiao Yi Xian and her group stepped into the deeper reaches of the Warcraft Mountain Range. The chirping of distant spirit birds echoed through the towering ancient trees, their leaves shimmering with morning dew.
Along the way, they had encountered several second-tier magical beasts. Ferocious, powerful, and territorial. But teamwork, clever formations, and Xiao Yi Xian's quick thinking had led them to victory. Xiao Yao, though young and new to this world, had proven himself a key asset more than once.
"Ahhh! This day was so tiring!!" Xiao Yao groaned dramatically as he flopped onto the grass beside their newly made camp, arms wide, as if embracing the earth itself.
Xiao Yi Xian smiled faintly, watching him. Despite his childish antics, he had a dependable core. She stepped into the camp's cooking area, her slender figure carrying the fragrance of herbal medicine and something more natural — serene, yet lively.
"Little guy, come eat dinner," she called with a warm tone, slightly teasing, like an older sister coaxing a stubborn brother.
"Okay, coming!" Xiao Yao called back. He quickly rolled over and sat up, brushing off bits of dirt from his clothes before joining her.
Over the past few days, their relationship had subtly transformed. What began as a pragmatic partnership evolved into something friendlier. Xiao Yi Xian, once cold and distant, now laughed more easily around him. Xiao Yao, ever observant, noticed the way her eyes lingered a moment longer, how her voice softened when speaking to him alone. He had saved her multiple times, even recklessly endangering himself — something she had never asked for, yet never forgotten.
And now… perhaps there was something more.
As the stars began to dot the sky and the scent of herb-infused stew filled the camp, Xiao Yi Xian leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper only he could hear.
"Xiao Yao… I found a cave. A cave with treasure." Her breath brushed against his ear, her tone holding an excitement she rarely let show.
Before he could ask, she added quickly, nervously, "I… drugged everyone else's food. Not ours. Just… I didn't want to share this with them."
Xiao Yao paused. Her eyes were anxious — this wasn't the Poison Girl everyone feared. This was the real Xiao Yi Xian, the one behind the masks.
He looked at her and simply nodded. "Okay."
But inside, his mind raced.
> "Wait… this is the cave where Xiao Yan discovered the Eagle Wings and the Seven-Colored Poison Sutra, isn't it?"
> "Looks like my presence here is already causing butterfly effects…"
---
By the time the others collapsed around the campfire in drug-induced sleep, Xiao Yao and Xiao Yi Xian were already climbing toward their goal — a sheer mountain cliff with a shadowed cave nestled just below it.
They stopped at the edge, peering down.
"It's… it's so far," Xiao Yi Xian said, her voice trembling slightly. Her usually calm hands clenched her sleeves.
Xiao Yao grinned mischievously. "Then we'll go like this!"
Before she could react, he scooped her up in a princess carry and leapt from the cliff edge.
"AHHHH!" Xiao Yi Xian shrieked as the wind rushed past them. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, eyes shut tight.
Moments later, they landed with a soft thud on the patch of mossy ground just before the cave's entrance. She blinked, still catching her breath.
"You…" she started angrily, cheeks slightly flushed. "You could have warned me!"
Her frustration melted when she saw the shameless grin on his face. She sighed in defeat, hiding a smile. "Hmph. Let's just… open the chests."
Inside the dimly lit cave, the scent of old herbs and the faint glimmer of defensive arrays hinted at the age of the place. Xiao Yao moved forward, brushing his hand against an old inscription and disabling the seal with a faint pulse of Dou Qi.
The chests creaked open one by one — a trove of valuable treasures long untouched.
He pointed, "Let's divide this fairly."
Seven-Colored Poison Sutra — without hesitation, given to Xiao Yi Xian. Her eyes widened as she read its contents, her breathing becoming unsteady. "This… this is…"
"Yours," Xiao Yao said simply. "It suits you."
The Eagle Wings, shimmering with faint golden feathers, were claimed by Xiao Yao.
"Now this I can use," he said with a satisfied smirk, already imagining the aerial stunts he could pull off.
A storage ring filled with rare herbs and materials — Xiao Yi Xian's.
Several ancient yet powerful techniques — Xiao Yao took those, his mind already racing with how to integrate them into his strange yet evolving fighting style.
They sat in silence for a moment, watching the wind stir within the cave's mouth.
"You know," Xiao Yi Xian said softly, "most people would have taken everything for themselves."
"I'm not most people," Xiao Yao replied, leaning back. "Besides, you're… important."
She blinked at him, unsure how to respond.
Their eyes met for a long moment before Xiao Yao turned away, casually.
"Alright, let's head back before anyone wakes up."
"Mm," Xiao Yi Xian murmured, her gaze lingering on him just a bit longer. Her heart beat faster than usual.
Xiao Yao had just finished practicing the Eagle Wings technique.
His back still tingled slightly from the intense strain of refining the Dou Qi to form the translucent golden wings, but he had finally gained full mastery.
With a sharp gust of wind stirred by his movement, he climbed back to the summit of the mountain, a faint breeze brushing through his hair.
The moment they reached the peak, a sudden shift in the atmosphere put both him and Xiao Yi Xian on edge. Figures emerged from the surrounding trees, their robes flapping in the wind and their eyes full of hostility.
It was Mo Li.
And behind him, a dozen or so disciples—each face familiar and annoying. Bootlickers of the worst kind.
"Damn you, Xiao Yi Xian! You dare to drug us!!" one of them shouted, his voice hoarse with rage.
Another chimed in, "We trusted you, and you slipped poison into our tea?!"
Xiao Yi Xian's expression remained eerily calm, but there was a faint curl at the corner of her lips—something between mischief and indifference.
Mo Li took a step forward, his robe swirling with his momentum as he pointed a finger. "You're not walking away from this, Xiao Yao. Especially not her. I'll make sure of that."
The killing intent in his voice was sharp. Cold. Real.
Xiao Yao's eyes narrowed. His hand instinctively reached for Xiao Yi Xian's wrist, pulling her slightly behind him. A quick glance confirmed what he already feared—there were too many. Even with his newly acquired Eagle Wings, fighting all of them head-on would be suicidal.
"Hold tight!" he muttered.
With a sudden surge of Dou Qi, his back burst into radiant golden wings—sharp and powerful, like blades forged by the wind itself. He wrapped an arm tightly around Xiao Yi Xian's waist and leapt skyward, the wings slicing through the air with astonishing force.
"After them!!" Mo Li roared, but they were already gone.
As they soared through the sky, Xiao Yi Xian gasped. Her eyes widened with awe, her dark lashes fluttering against the rush of wind. "Flying... This is flying..."
Xiao Yao, barely dodging a few crude projectile attacks from below, shouted over the wind, "Do you know any place to hide?! A secret location?!"
"Yes!" she quickly pointed to the east, her voice trembling with excitement. "That direction! There's a valley hidden behind the mist cliffs!"
Xiao Yao didn't hesitate. Angling his wings, he cut through the sky like a falcon in pursuit of safety. The wind screamed in their ears, and the world below became a blur of green forests and rocky terrain.
Minutes later, the landscape began to change. The trees thinned, giving way to high cliffs shrouded in a pale blue mist. Between the two cliffs, a narrow passage opened like a gate to another world.
As they descended, Xiao Yao's breath caught.
The valley below was breathtaking.
Sunlight filtered through the mist in golden rays, illuminating vibrant fields of wildflowers and crystal-clear streams that snaked through the terrain like silver threads. Strange glowing plants dotted the area, and spirit beasts could be heard softly howling in the distance—none threatening, more like guardians of this untouched land.
Xiao Yao landed on a patch of soft grass, his wings retracting in a shimmer of fading light. He looked around, eyes wide.
"It's... beautiful," he whispered.
Xiao Yi Xian smiled faintly, her gaze drifting across the valley. "This place... I used to come here alone. No one knows it exists except me."
Xiao Yao turned to her, a grateful smile forming on his lips. "Then we're safe. For now."
Behind them, far beyond the misty cliffs, the voices of Mo Li and his goons faded into nothing.