Inside the valley.
Thunder rolled across the sky above the valley, intimidating the magical beasts in the surrounding mountains and forests, and stirring up the mist.
Then, the lightning transformed into a ferocious, roaring thunder beast, violently striking down towards Xiao Li in the valley below.
Boom—!
With a thunderous crash, Xiao Li was completely enveloped in lightning, his muscles bulging from the tempering of the lightning.
Finally, all the lightning entered Xiao Li's body and vanished without a trace.
"Hoo..."
Xiao Li opened his eyes and exhaled a murky breath. Inside him, lightning seemed to crackle, but it eventually settled down, transforming into his Dou Qi.
Three-star Dou Ling, breakthrough complete!
"The spiritual energy in this valley is indeed rich; it has significantly boosted my cultivation speed."
He stood up and stretched his limbs.
Inside the wooden house, a pretty figure stormed out, "Xiao Li! It's all your fault, breaking through at this time ruined the medicine I was concocting!"
The Little Fairy Doctor pouted, her face full of accusation.
"I specifically stayed away from your side. Could that still affect it?" Xiao Li scratched his head awkwardly.
"I don't care, you have to compensate me! I've tried this prescription many times, and I was on the verge of success, but you ruined it in an instant!" The Little Fairy Doctor was furious.
"Could it be that you failed on your own, and then deliberately blamed me for your failure, taking your anger out on me?"
"I'm not that kind of person!"
The more the Little Fairy Doctor thought about it, the angrier she got. She rushed over, grabbed Xiao Li's arm, and bit down with her small mouth.
"Hiss! Are you a puppy? Why are you biting me!"
Xiao Li was in pain and tried to shake her off, but the Little Fairy Doctor held onto his arm tightly.
"Let go quickly, if you don't... I'll bite you too."
"Go ahead, who's afraid of whom!"
The Little Fairy Doctor refused to admit defeat.
"Alright, you said it, don't regret it."
Saying this, Xiao Li opened his mouth and made to bite her neck, scaring the Little Fairy Doctor into quickly letting go and backing away.
"You, you... where are you going to bite randomly!"
"If you don't let go, I'll bite through your neck and suck your blood dry."
"Are you a vampire, sucking blood?" The girl glanced at him and turned to go back into the house to pack her things.
Xiao Li followed her in and saw that the room was filled with a scent that was a mix of burnt and medicinal smells.
It was a bit unpleasant.
"What medicine are you concocting that it hasn't succeeded after all this time?"
"A poison called 'Heart-Devouring Poison', but no matter how I follow the steps in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, I can't seem to succeed." The Little Fairy Doctor's delicate brows were slightly furrowed, her thoughts preoccupied.
Xiao Li looked at the prescription in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, deep in thought, "Try concocting it again."
"It'll be the same if I try again. Without finding the problem, even if I try ten times, the result will be the same."
Though she said this, the Little Fairy Doctor still prepared the medicinal ingredients again.
"Concoct it one more time; I'll see where the problem is."
"Can you understand it?" The Little Fairy Doctor didn't know Xiao Li was an Alchemist and thought he just wanted to help her.
"You'll know if you try it first." Xiao Li had a mysterious look on his face.
Although she felt it wouldn't succeed, the Little Fairy Doctor still followed the steps, refining and grinding various poisonous herbs into powder, and using a simple flame to mix the medicinal properties of these powders together.
"Wait a moment." Xiao Li suddenly stopped her,
"Add the Snake Venom Grass first, then the Seven-Star Grass."
"But the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture says to add the Seven-Star Grass first, then the Snake Venom Grass." The Little Fairy Doctor was puzzled.
"Perhaps the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture recorded it incorrectly. Although both are poisonous herbs, the Seven-Star Grass has strong repellent properties. If you add the Seven-Star Grass first, all the powders will be assimilated by it. If you then add the Snake Venom Grass, its toxicity will be repelled, leading to failure." Xiao Li explained.
"Really?"
"Just try it. You've failed every time before, so try it my way."
"Alright, I'll trust you this once."
Despite her doubts, the Little Fairy Doctor listened to Xiao Li, adding the Snake Venom Grass first, then the Seven-Star Grass.
The medicinal ingredients were slowly refined into powder in the flame, then gradually mixed together.
The Little Fairy Doctor watched this scene nervously.
Because the previous failures had all occurred at this final critical step.
Fusion, fusion... All the medicinal powders merged little by little, and there were no accidents throughout the entire process!
"It succeeded?" The Little Fairy Doctor could hardly believe it.
"Yes, it succeeded." Xiao Li smiled.
"It succeeded!"
"Xiao Li, we succeeded!"
The Little Fairy Doctor jumped up excitedly, subconsciously wrapping her arms around Xiao Li's neck, wanting to share her inner joy.
But soon, she realized this gesture seemed too intimate, her cheeks flushed, and she was about to let go of Xiao Li.
Xiao Li's arm, however, wrapped around her slender waist, and with a slight pull, he made the girl press tightly against his body.
"What are you doing..." The Little Fairy Doctor struggled gently, but it was no use.
"You hugged me, wouldn't it be a loss if I didn't hug you back?" Xiao Li smiled.
"I knew it, you... you were a pervert from the start." The girl lightly chided, a hint of resentment in her beautiful eyes.
From their first meeting, she had felt he was a pervert.
And she was right!
"Since I'm a pervert, if I don't do something perverted, wouldn't I be betraying your trust in me?"
Xiao Li's lips curved into a wicked smile.
"You, you... what do you want to do, don't... mmph..."
Her words were cut short as the Little Fairy Doctor's cherry lips were covered.
She widened her eyes in surprise, looking at the face so close to hers, her slender hands gripping Xiao Li's arm tightly.
Slowly, her body grew softer and softer, leaning bit by bit against Xiao Li.
After a long kiss.
The Little Fairy Doctor panted slightly, her body limp as she lay against Xiao Li, her eyes full of resentment: "Rogue..."
"That's right, I am a rogue. Otherwise, why would I do such a thing?" Xiao Li said with a wicked smile.
"Hmph, then I must stay away from a rogue like you."
The Little Fairy Doctor quickly got out of Xiao Li's embrace, organized the Heart-Devouring Poison she had just concocted, and didn't forget to raise her hand, threatening,
"This is the Heart-Devouring Poison you just helped me concoct. If you dare to bully me, I'll poison you to death with it!"
"Would you really be willing to poison me to death? So heartless?"
"Hmph, if you bully me, I'll poison anything!" The Little Fairy Doctor slightly raised her snow-white chin.
Bright sunlight streamed in through the window, falling precisely on her, making her shine like a fairy.
Xiao Li watched her quietly, feeling very content.
To allow the Little Fairy Doctor to live such a carefree life was an accomplishment for him.
A girl as pure and kind as her shouldn't have to endure so much hardship...