Dou Qi Continent.
Xiao Se had already returned to the wooden house in the valley.
Around the dining table sat four beauties—Long Kui, Queen Medusa, Xiao Yixian, and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Xian'er, why is your face so red? Did Brother bully you again?"
Long Kui passed her a bowl of rice as she asked casually.
"N–no… nothing like that. It's just… a little hot today."
Xiao Yixian hurriedly took the bowl, her mind replaying the kiss from just an hour ago.
Her blush deepened, and she couldn't help but shoot a glare at Xiao Se.
"Oh!"
Long Kui tilted her head innocently, not thinking much of it, and happily continued serving Xiao Se food.
Seeing her cute expression, Xiao Se sighed dramatically.
"Long Kui, that's unfair. Xian'er is a Dou Huang, and I'm just a mere Dou Ling. As long as she doesn't bully me, I already count my blessings."
"That's because Brother likes provoking girls too much. One slip and you'll be the one suffering."
Long Kui puffed her cheeks and looked at Xiao Yixian, Zhu Zhuqing, and Medusa.
"Right, Sister Medusa? Xian'er? Zhuqing?"
All three nodded in perfect agreement.
"Ahem…"
Xiao Se coughed lightly, face stiff, and quickly changed the topic.
A flash of white light, and he took out a white pill from his system storage and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Zhuqing, this is a Foundation-Nurturing Pill refined using herbs from the Ice–Fire Yin Yang Well.
It can directly raise your Dou Qi by one stage.
You're already at eight segments—no need to waste precious soul power converting it anymore.
Afterward, I'll refine a Qi-Gathering Powder for you."
"Mm."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, took the pill, swallowed it without hesitation, and moved to a corner to refine it.
Strength—was all she cared about now.
The joy of escaping the Star Luo Empire and her clan had long faded.
Ever since meeting the women around Xiao Se, she felt nothing but pressure.
Bibi Dong and Medusa? Both were experts above the Dou Zong realm.
Long Kui? Once she had a physical body, she would start at Dou Zun level at minimum.
Even Xiao Yixian, only two or three years older than her, was already a Dou Huang.
How could she not feel overwhelmed?
"Dou Qi novices can take pills like this?"
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing refining, Xiao Yixian blinked curiously.
Xiao Se lied without even blinking.
"She used to be a Soul Sect—equivalent to a Dou Shi here.
Her meridians can withstand it.
Besides, this pill is special; the herbs from the Ice–Fire Yin Yang Well make its medicinal force extremely gentle."
Of course, the pill wasn't something he refined.
It was the one segment of Dou Qi he stole from Xiao Yan using laxatives as trade material.
For Zhu Zhuqing, who was just a step away from nine segments, it was perfect.
Xiao Yixian nodded in realization.
"No wonder. That place truly is magical… the resting place of two Dou Zun-level Dragon Kings, after all."
While they chatted, Zhu Zhuqing finished refining.
She happily ran back to Xiao Se.
"Xiao Se! The pill is incredible—I broke through instantly!"
Xiao Se patted her head indulgently.
"Eat first. After you reach the Dou Zhe realm, I'll refine nourishing liquids for your foundation."
"Mm."
The little cat nodded obediently.
But this scene made the other three beauties quietly puff their cheeks—
even Queen Medusa arched a brow ever so slightly.
Seeing their expressions, Xiao Se's eyelid twitched.
To avoid immediate death, he opened his treasure pouch and pulled out his only stalk of Wangchuan Autumn Dew, handing it to Long Kui.
"Long Kui, I've rarely given you gifts…
This one is for enhancing soul power."
Truth was—
Wangchuan Autumn Dew did almost nothing for Long Kui.
But Long Kui didn't care about that at all.
"Thank you, Brother!"
She took it joyfully.
To her, what mattered wasn't the herb—it was that he gave it.
"And Queen Medusa…"
Xiao Se continued, taking out a fiery crimson herb.
"Last time Little Swallowing Python wanted a Chicken-Crest Phoenix Sunflower.
I couldn't spare one then, but I found another at the Yin Yang Well.
This one is for you."
Counting Bibi Dong's gifts, he had three in total.
He had eaten one himself; more would have minimal effect.
So he might as well give them out.
"This king shall accept it."
Medusa took the herb with icy elegance—but her proud expression made her inner softness clear.
Spending long days with Xiao Se and the others…
even the ruthless Snake-Person Queen had unknowingly softened.
Xiao Se smiled faintly.
Then he turned to Xiao Yixian—the most jealous one at the table.
He grew serious, hesitating before taking out a snow-white herb.
"Xian'er… this herb is for you.
But I won't give it to you yet.
Not until your Enan Poison Body is fully under control."
It was a slender, curved herb—pure white like a swan's neck.
"This is the Snow-Swan Kiss.
It does only one thing—
It amplifies all poison it touches by hundreds or thousands of times."
"HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS!?"
Everyone, even Medusa, was shocked.
All of them knew that Xiao Yixian's fast cultivation came from her poison constitution—
absorbing poison increased her strength.
If she consumed this herb, she could rocket upward in cultivation—
But at the same time,
the Enan Poison Body could erupt instantly and kill her.
"I understand."
Xiao Yixian swallowed hard, tearing her gaze away from the herb.
As a poison master, she instinctively craved something like this—
but she wasn't foolish.
Xiao Se had just helped her stabilize her poison body with soul bones.
If she couldn't restrain herself now, all that effort would be wasted.
(End of Chapter)
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