Xiao Jietian looked at the woman before him with a playful expression and asked, "Ah!!! You came out early?"
The woman turned her head to look at Xiao Jietian in a daze.
"About five or six minutes ago. I watched a little 'face-changing' performance—it was quite interesting."
Xiao Jietian spread his hands, a hint of amusement on his face as he spoke.
"Nothing much... just ordinary little things."
She quickly turned her head away, looking in another direction, a slight blush coloring her pretty face.
Xiao Jietian wasn't sure what she had experienced in the illusion, but judging by her expression, it was likely something awkward.
"This illusion mirrors what's inside you; it will show what your heart holds."
Xiao Jietian guessed, given that he had seen Xun'er.
"I'm leaving first. It's a bit stifling here."
After hearing Xiao Jietian's words, she walked forward without looking back.
"Aren't you taking the reward here?"
"You can have it. I don't want it anymore."
She spoke in fits and starts, her steps not slowing.
Xiao Jietian picked up a stone-like object from the ground and examined it carefully.
"Heavenly Star Stone."
It calms the mind and enhances concentration. Placed nearby during cultivation, it can prevent qi deviation and accelerate the cultivation process.
"Judging by her reaction, she must have encountered something odd in the illusion."
Xiao Jietian shook his head with a smile and slowly followed in the direction she had left. His steps appeared slow, but each stride covered five meters. In this place, Xiao Jietian did not dare use his Void Piercer movement technique casually, lest he plunge into another illusion.
...
Over the next two days, the two walked while gathering medicinal ingredients. They had already collected a considerable amount, including some rare materials for refining seventh and even eighth-grade pills.
Unfortunately, most of what they found were medicinal herbs, with no other special opportunities.
"Jiang Feng, do you feel something is off?"
Xuan Qingying slowed her pace, quietly approached Xiao Jietian, and whispered.
"Hmm, something has been following us from behind, but it always stays just outside the range of my perception."
Xiao Jietian had noticed it long ago. It also seemed aware that Xiao Jietian had detected it, so it lingered on the periphery, waiting for an opportunity.
"Do you think it might be the 'shadow' from the Phantom Forest?"
Previously, they had only encountered illusions and the magical beasts guarding them, none of which were related to shadows.
"It's possible. Anyway, stay alert. It likely specializes in sneak attacks."
Xiao Jietian instructed seriously. She nodded emphatically, having regained her former confidence and high spirits.
"You be careful too."
Xiao Jietian nodded, his steps continuing forward.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and both of their bodies stiffened. They stood still, their eyes glazed over.
The dark shadow in the distance saw this and swiftly flew toward the two. Black, sharp claws appeared in its hands, striking directly at the back of Xuan Qingying's heart.
The shadow made no sound, but its movements were as fast as lightning, closing in instantly.
Just as it was less than four meters away from them, Xuan Qingying turned and struck at the shadow.
A blue-white palm print flew from her hand toward the shadow.
The two had deliberately pretended to be caught in an illusion, luring it to reveal itself.
Contrary to expectations, the attack did not send the shadow flying but passed directly through its body.
The shadow's hand, like a withered branch, continued its assault on her with a fierce gust of wind.
Xiao Jietian grabbed her and moved aside, dodging the attack.
"Let me handle this."
Xiao Jietian pulled her behind him, his tone filled with unquestionable firmness and confidence. Her Dou Huang cultivation, achieved through pills, might not be a match for this shadow.
Looking at the shadow floating not far away, its body was transparent like a ghost, completely shrouded in a cloak of black material, only its outline faintly visible, like a blurry silhouette.
"Since you're so dark, let me give you a taste of lightning."
Xiao Jietian continuously condensed four-colored lightning in his hand. The shadow saw the lightning and retreated slightly, seemingly quite wary.
Xiao Jietian suddenly swung his hand forward, and the four-colored lightning arced toward the shadow like a rainbow.
The shadow burrowed into the ground, but the lightning, as if homing, struck the earth.
"Boom!"
Dirt and rocks sprayed everywhere, forming a deep pit in the ground. The shadow was gone.
"Is it dead?"
Xuan Qingying approached Xiao Jietian, looking at the deep pit as she asked.
Xiao Jietian's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, knowing the shadow had not been eliminated but had disappeared.
"No, this thing is strange. I only injured it. It burrowed underground and vanished."
The shadow reappeared ten meters away from Xiao Jietian.
Xiao Jietian didn't want to waste time with it. Four-colored lightning once again condensed in his right hand, while a silver flame—the Life Spirit Purifying Devouring Fate Lotus Flame—emerged from his left.
Xiao Jietian covered the lightning with the different flame, forming a lightning-fire combination. He suddenly pulled his hands apart, and the lightning-fire instantly dispersed into a net, covering the shadow.
He continuously controlled the lightning-fire net to shrink. Finally, the shadow was trapped. It struggled to break free, but upon contact, it let out screams, and black smoke rose from the touched areas.
Xiao Jietian gradually tightened the net until the shadow was ground into charred black mist and dissipated.
"As expected, it's a soul-like entity formed from dark matter. You can attack it with flames. You're an alchemist, so you must have flames."
Xiao Jietian carefully analyzed its composition, ensuring she knew how to deal with it.
Earlier, she had transmitted her voice to Xiao Jietian, saying she wanted to act to correct her image as weak in his eyes.
However, it seemed her goal had failed, leaving her feeling a bit awkward.
"Hmm, I definitely have flames. Next time I encounter them, I'll give them a good show."
She clenched her small fists and spoke indignantly.
"What kind of flame was that you just used? It felt a bit like a different fire."
"It is a different fire."
Xiao Jietian summoned the Life Spirit Purifying Devouring Fate Lotus Flame again, the bright Silver flame rising and falling in his palm.
"What kind of different fire is this? It doesn't look like any on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, but it seems very powerful. If it were on the ranking, I'd estimate it could be in the top ten."
Her eyes filled with doubt as she looked at the flame in Xiao Jietian's hand.
"Good eye. This isn't on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, but as for its power, you're absolutely right."
Xiao Jietian had once compared the Life Spirit Purifying Devouring Fate Lotus Flame with the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame within Xun'er—his flame was bit power then her flame.
"I didn't expect you to have such luck, obtaining a different fire."
She looked at the flame in Xiao Jietian's hand with envy. A different fire—something she had never possessed—was something she greatly desired.
As for developing greedy thoughts toward the different fire in Xiao Jietian's hand—no. She was rational. Not only had Xiao Jietian saved her life, but his strength alone meant he could handle her easily.
"Just a fluke, obtained by chance—nothing worth mentioning."
Xiao Jietian retracted the flame and said nonchalantly, "It was a reward from the system. I don't know what it will give me. Saying it was by chance isn't wrong, is it?"
"I don't have such luck. It's truly enviable."
She reluctantly watched as Xiao Jietian retracted the flame, her eyes full of envy.
"The flame within you isn't inferior to ordinary different fires. No need to be too envious."
Xiao Jietian sensed that she also had a powerful flame inside her, one that might even surpass some lower-ranked different fires.
However, ultimately, different fires still offered more benefits for alchemy, much like a high-grade medicine cauldron.
"Hmm, it seems there are quite a few people ahead, but they're all entering that building."