"This is my first time entering; I was too young before, and my teacher wouldn't allow it," the woman replied softly.
"Then did you come in alone?" Xiao Jietian asked, frowning slightly.
"Many people entered together, but after coming in, we were all randomly scattered. I had just arrived that day and happened to land near the White Flame Tiger's territory."
"Ultimately, I was no match for it and was nearly killed. Then you appeared."
The woman thought of Xiao Jietian's sudden appearance, resolving her crisis and saving her life. Now, she owed him her life twice.
"Oh, right, my teacher said this secret realm only opens for nine days. If you don't leave within nine days, you won't be able to. You'll have to wait for the next opening, and this secret realm only opens once every ten years."
Xiao Jietian's brows furrowed slightly, and a thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes as if he were weighing an important decision. He spoke to the woman:
"Since you're awake now, I'll be leaving."
"Can I follow you? My soul hasn't fully recovered yet. Although my cultivation is at the Dou Huang level, it was achieved through external means, and I don't have much actual combat strength."
"I am an alchemist, a sixth-grade one. I can provide you with pills."
The woman now clearly understood her situation. Her soul was too weak to use soul-based Dou Techniques, and she was well aware that her strength was like a paper tiger. Her eyes were filled with hope and even a hint of pleading.
Xiao Jietian looked at the woman before him, whose face carried a natural, innate cold arrogance. Considering her age, her status as a sixth-grade alchemist, and her background from the Central Plains, Xiao Jietian vaguely guessed who she might be.
"I can take you with me, but you must follow my commands and not act on your own. If you violate this, I will leave immediately."
Although he had an idea of who the person before him was and understood her personality to some extent, he remained cautious.
"No problem, I'm not that kind of person. Don't worry, I'll do whatever you say."
Afterward, the woman briefly mentioned some of the items she possessed, such as pills, flames, weapons, and the like.
"Can you walk now?"
"I need to change my clothes..." the woman said softly, her face flushing.
Xiao Jietian pushed aside the large stone blocking the cave entrance and walked outside.
After waiting for a while, the woman emerged, now dressed in purple.
Though young, her figure was exceptionally well-developed, with all the right curves in the right places.
The purple dress perfectly accentuated her exquisite form—neither too full nor too slender.
Xu Song's sister was right: purple indeed had its own unique charm.
After a brief glance, Xiao Jietian walked back in the direction from which he had come.
"These pills are for you. They are all fifth and sixth-grade pills, very suitable for your current use. This is my gratitude for saving me."
The woman quickly caught up, stood in front of Xiao Jietian, and handed over six or seven exquisite jade bottles containing various pills.
"These were all refined by me. You can rest assured; there are no issues."
Xiao Jietian pondered for a moment but chose not to accept the pills. He smiled slightly, his tone calm and firm:
"No need. The first time I acted, it wasn't to save you; it was simply because it was seeking its own death."
"The second time I saved you was to learn about this place from you. You've told me, so we owe each other nothing now."
Xiao Jietian naturally wouldn't accept these things. Not to mention, he could refine such pills himself after some time.
What he was scheming for was not these items but to leave a deep impression on her, laying the groundwork for future plans.
The woman watched as Xiao Jietian refused her gratitude, her fair and delicate face momentarily stunned, her heart a mix of emotions.
"But..."
Xiao Jietian directly interrupted her, speaking gently:
"I appreciate your kindness. It was just a small favor; no need to keep it in mind."
"In that case, I won't insist," the woman sighed slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes as she saw Xiao Jietian's firm attitude. Then, a black token appeared in her hand, and she smiled, saying:
"However, this is my token. If you ever need help in the future, you can take this token and come to Pill City to find me. You can't refuse this."
Xiao Jietian glanced at the hopeful look in her eyes and finally accepted the token:
"If I need to, I'll find you."
He casually scanned the tower-shaped pattern on the token before storing it in his system space.
The woman watched as Xiao Jietian indifferently put away the token, her expression momentarily stunned. She thought: Does he not know what the token's pattern and location represent?
But on second thought, perhaps he never intended to use this token to demand repayment from her. A hint of slyness flashed in her eyes.
Her token contained a deeply hidden soul imprint. As long as he appeared in Pill City, she would be able to sense him and then find him to repay her gratitude.
Her slender eyes looked at the man before her as she asked:
"I still don't know your name."
Xiao Jietian glanced at the beautiful woman in front of him, decided not to give his real name, and said:
"Jiang Feng."
"Jiang Feng... My name is Xuan Qingying. If you ever need help in the future, remember to come find me."
The woman was also very intelligent and perceptive. From Xiao Jietian's fleeting expression just now, she sensed that the name might not be his real one, but she understood that it was wise not to reveal one's true identity while traveling.
She hadn't given her real name either—perhaps out of pique because he hadn't, or perhaps she had other plans.
"Mm, let's go. It's already the second day since the realm opened. Time is running out."
Xiao Jietian summoned his wings and flew toward the forest shrouded in mist.
The woman also summoned her Dou Qi wings to follow. Xiao Jietian deliberately slowed his flying speed because her soul had not yet fully recovered, and he was concerned she might not keep up or could be ambushed.
"Is that a flying Dou Technique you have?" she asked, looking at Xiao Jietian's golden wings as she flew alongside him, smiling.
Xiao Jietian nodded slightly.
She was slightly taken aback. Even with her good looks and her initiative to speak to him, he still seemed somewhat indifferent. Her impression of him immediately rose: he was truly an interesting person.
"I've never seen such a magnificent flying Dou Technique."
"A fortunate acquisition," Xiao Jietian replied indifferently, not even turning his head.
"What an arrogant fellow," she silently grumbled to herself, secretly vowing to make him see her in a new light and prove she wasn't as useless as before. She asked curiously:
"Are you always this aloof?"
Xiao Jietian turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on her face. A hint of surprise flashed in his deep eyes, as if he hadn't expected her to ask that, but then his calm expression returned.
"No, I just feel we don't have much to talk about. We don't know each other."
Xiao Jietian's deep eyes were like stars in the night sky. Recalling how he had appeared like a divine soldier descending from the heavens during the battle, saving her, made her heart beat faster.
Xiao Jietian's brief reaction also made her think she had broken the ice.
But then Xiao Jietian's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing half of her joy.
She retorted, unwilling to show weakness:
"That's not necessarily true. We're about the same age, so maybe we have a lot in common?"
"Perhaps. We're here."
Xiao Jietian stopped mid-air, looking ahead. Hearing this, she also made an emergency stop in the air, following Xiao Jietian's gaze.