Chapter 5: Chapter 02: The Journey

Once his strength is restored, the first thing he will do is burn this broken book!

"Who are you?" Yue Nishang's eyes were slightly cold as she stared expressionlessly at the handsome and domineering man before her. However, through this sudden turn of events, she had reached two conclusions.

First, her soul transmigration to this other world must be inextricably linked to the Pill Book.

Second, the Pill Book originally came from the Divine Martial Continent, but for some unknown reason, it had fallen into Huaxia.

But regardless, since she was here, she would make the best of it. The most important thing now was the growth of her strength! On this continent, the laws of survival were identical to those of the Huaxia cultivation world. Now that she had resolved this obscure poison, it meant that in the future, she would not be hindered by blocked meridians. She could cultivate with peace of mind.

The strong are respected!

Only by being powerful could she survive—survive long enough to find a way back to Huaxia.

The man's handsome face was grim. No one could maintain a good expression after just escaping a cage only to have their freedom restricted again. "Yan Xiao. If my name had been spoken ten thousand years ago, I don't know how many fools would have trembled in fear. Unfortunately, back then, I stumbled into a trap set by humans and was imprisoned within this book for ten thousand long years. Now, I estimate very few people remember my name."

"And who is it that imprisoned you?" Yue Nishang asked, her gaze deepening.

"How should I know? If I find out which bastard it was, I will make him regret ever being born into this world!" Yan Xiao gritted his teeth fiercely. "Regrettably, these ten thousand years have caused most of my primordial essence to leak away, and even the remaining power in my body is extremely unstable. Otherwise, even with the help of the Pill Book, you wouldn't dream of forming a contract with me."

The mere thought of falling into the clutches of humans again made Yan Xiao's expression incredibly unsightly.

"In any case, I have no intention of keeping you. If you want to leave, feel free." Yue Nishang stepped down from the bed and poured herself a cup of tea, not even sparing the man a glance.

Yan Xiao's gaze remained fixed on the young girl, a subtle glint flashing in his deep eyes. He strode forward and sat down in front of Yue Nishang, a smirk playing on his lips. "Now, I don't plan on leaving."

Since his power was currently unstable, staying by this girl's side might allow him to recover faster. Thus, Yan Xiao stayed with the intention of regaining his strength as quickly as possible. Once his strength was fully restored, even a master-servant contract wouldn't be able to confine him for a lifetime.

"If you want to stay, you must abide by two conditions," Yue Nishang said, elegantly sipping the bitter tea, her willow eyebrows arching slightly. "First, I don't care what your previous status was; here, you cannot act with your old airs. Second, my words must be obeyed unconditionally. If you cannot do that, you are free to leave. I do not accept those who disobey orders, nor do I want someone stabbing me in the back while I fight."

At this moment, the girl's determined expression was so dazzling that Yan Xiao's deep eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a suffocating darkness.

Suddenly, he let out a light laugh, his sword-like eyebrows rising domineeringly, his dark eyes as profound as a lightless night.

"What do you think the contract between us is? The master-servant contract is the most overbearing of all contracts. Unless you break the contract with me, if you die, I shall be your burial companion!"

If it weren't for that, he wouldn't be so infuriated.

Of course, he didn't want to leave now. Since this girl was the master of the Pill Book, his strength would inevitably recover faster by staying with her.

Yue Nishang raised an eyebrow. In that sense, he had essentially agreed to her demands.

"It seems a bit too obvious for you to follow me like this."

Her implication was that he must hide in the shadows and not come out.

But given Yan Xiao's consistent personality, how could he be willing to be a mere shadow in the dark? "That is not a monumental problem for me."

Yan Xiao twitched his domineering eyebrows, then allowed a black light to envelop his body. Gradually, his size shrank until he became a small black beast no larger than a palm.

The little beast's body was as crystal clear as jelly, soft and wriggly, looking quite adorable. On its palm-sized body were two large, watery eyes that seemed to hold a hazy mist.

It was hard to imagine that this little beast, which made one want to squeeze it upon seeing it, was that domineering and flamboyant handsome man.

"This is your true form?" Yue Nishang smiled and pinched the little beast's elastic body, her eyes filled with mirth.

Instantly, Yan Xiao felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He froze in place, and then a suspicious shade of red appeared on his black body. If we were talking about a human body, that place would be his buttocks...

His buttocks had actually been pinched twice by a human little girl?

However, Yue Nishang had no idea which part she had pinched and had no intention of stopping. Yan Xiao gritted his teeth in resentment; if he were in human form right now, his handsome face would likely be as red as blood. To think, ten thousand years ago, he was so majestic, and now he was being... by a human woman...

"Let's go. Let's go out and look around first."

***

The Imperial Capital, Phoenix City.

It was a scene of prosperity.

The girl walked through the bustling streets, her indifferent gaze scanning the pedestrians. She had to confirm once again that she had indeed arrived in a world completely detached from Huaxia. In the past eight years, she had rarely come out, as most of her markets were in the back mountains.

Although she possessed the memories of the previous owner, this world was entirely foreign to her.

"However, as long as I don't die, I will definitely make it back to my homeland alive. But, it seems I don't want to go back that much right now." Squeezing the soft body of the little beast in her arms twice, Yue Nishang lifted her eyes slightly, her beautiful face possessing a composure that did not belong to her age.

The little beast glared at her in dissatisfaction. Thinking of the woman's recent actions, its watery eyes were filled with humiliation.

There was no choice; to recover his strength as quickly as possible, he could only endure!

"Girl, where are we going now?"

Yan Xiao's domineering voice entered her mind, causing Yue Nishang to knit her brows. "Don't talk."

"I am communicating with you through our souls," Yan Xiao rolled his eyes at her, an expression that seemed to despise her as some ignorant bumpkin.

However, Yue Nishang did not argue with him. She lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze burning with light.

"Find a way to make money."

She needed to refine pills. Naturally, the most important things for pill refining—the cauldrons and the medicinal ingredients—all required money. And she was penniless.

At this moment, at the most prestigious Xiangyun Restaurant in Phoenix City, Yue Nishang had just arrived when she heard a series of noisy sounds coming from upstairs. However, before she knew what was happening, she was struck squarely by something.

*Hiss!*

The pain of her bones being pressed caused Yue Nishang to gasp. Her brows furrowed slightly as she was about to see who had hit her, but just as she lifted her eyes, a handsome face suddenly appeared before her.

In that instant, she understood what it meant to be breathtakingly beautiful and stunningly exquisite.

...

The youth's features were delicate, as if the radiance of the sun and moon enveloped his face, perfect without a single flaw. He was like the most exquisite masterpiece in an artist's hands, so beautiful that one could not look away.

Dressed in spotless white...

***

The next day.

Bai Ranyue and her group left without saying goodbye. She knew that if they faced each other, they would be reluctant to part; to harden her heart, she had to leave without a word.

What she did not know was that her father and elder brother had been silently watching her depart. They knew that her path had begun.

"Where are we going?" Fu Mengni asked curiously, looking at the scenery outside the window.

"Cloud City. A gathering place for warriors and practitioners. I heard there's something exciting happening, so we're going there." Bai Ranyue was grooming Su Yue's fur. This fellow hadn't woken up since that day.

"Oh! Something exciting! I love it. I love joining in on the fun most of all!" Fu Mengni waved her hands, very excited.

Bai Ranyue shook her head, wondering if her Senior Sister and the others had returned to the Heaven Sect.

"Master, there is killing intent ahead," Chi Lian's voice came from outside the carriage.

"Go take a look," Bai Ranyue narrowed her eyes. Something interesting was happening.

"Yes." Chi Lian signaled Liu Yi to drive toward that direction.

The sounds of blades clashing rang out repeatedly, shadows of swords dancing. A life vanished, and the scent of blood drifted through the air, causing the horses to neigh uneasily.

The people fighting fiercely all stopped one after another, looking at the carriage on the hillside.

"Boss, what do we do? Someone is coming," a small ant-like man said, looking at the carriage.

"What do we do? Slaughter them! Hurry up and go," a burly man said, slapping his head.

"But they look so strong," the little ant-man said, shrinking his head. I don't want to be a scapegoat.

"Stupid! We are Metal Practitioners. What are you afraid of? Go!" The burly man threw him directly, sending him flying in a graceful arc. *Thud.* He landed on the ground, his limbs twitching.

"Pfft! What a cute pose. Oh my, let's have a few more," Chi Lian laughed behind her hand, then with a kick, sent him down again.

"What are you still standing there for? Go!" The burly man swung his blade and charged.

"A middle-stage Metal Practitioner, fused with a great saber. Pay attention," Bai Ranyue said indifferently, sipping tea while watching the chess game.

*Master, wait for me.*

"Understood." Chi Lian tossed her long hair and walked toward the charging man, the corners of her mouth curling up, her eyes filled with a teasing smile.

The saber in the burly man's hand emitted an orange glow as he swung it toward Chi Lian. Chi Lian curled her lips, catching the blade between her hands, and looked up at him.

The burly man trembled, because the saber in his hand was turning into dust, bit by bit, and drifting away.

"Are you prepared to accept death?" Chi Lian said softly, blinking her eyes.

Before the burly man could even react, her hand had already gripped his throat, lifting him up.

Seeing this, the others gripped their blades and charged toward Chi Lian. Chi Lian gave a disdainful laugh, her grip gradually tightening. The charging people all froze.

A cloud of red mist erupted from around each of them, and a giant snake appeared behind them, flickering its tongue.

"Initial stage Fire Charm Technique, Single-Pattern Fire Charm. It controls the mind and evokes the deepest sadness within the heart," she said softly, her eyes lowered.

"The Fire Charm Technique has a nemesis. White-Lust Fire Charm is the middle stage of the Fire Charm Technique, and its nemesis is the Snow Realm," Fu Mengni said indifferently, leaning against the carriage window and looking outside.

Bai Ranyue curled her lips in a faint smile. She reached out, picked up a chess piece, and made a move. Checkmate! The chessboard shattered, and the pieces scattered across the ground.

It seemed someone had arrived. Pei Ruodie straightened her skirt and waited.

"The Fire Charm Technique is already this powerful at the initial stage. It seems this person specializes in this art."