Chapter 36: The Little Fairy Doctor

It has been five days since Xiao Yan left Wutan City. During this time, he has been sleeping in the open and eating on the go, steadily making his way toward his destination.

He sat resting in a patch of forest, where the surroundings were silent, save for the occasional chirping of insects. Xiao Yan looked up at the sky, calculating the remainder of his journey, and could not help but ask Yao Lao:

"Teacher, where exactly are we going? We can’t just wander aimlessly like this forever."

Yao Lao’s consciousness drifted out from the storage ring, and he said leisurely, "We are heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

Xiao Yan frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "I recall that the Magical Beast Mountain Range is accessible from near Wutan City. Why did we have to take such a long detour?"

"Our final destination is the Tagor Desert. Given our current location, this is the best entry point to the mountain range."

"Crossing through the Magical Beast Mountain Range and then heading toward the Tagor Desert is the most suitable route."

Xiao Yan’s eyes widened in surprise. "Crossing the entire Magical Beast Mountain Range? Teacher, you must be joking."

"I am currently only a seven-star Dou Zhe. Aren't you overestimating me a bit?"

"With my current strength, I can barely handle some first or second-order magical beasts. If I were to go into the inner reaches of the mountain range, wouldn't that be no different from throwing my life away?"

Yao Lao chuckled and said, "It is said that one must face death to find life. I intend for you to promote to a Dou Shi during your time in the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"Only by undergoing sufficient tempering can your strength achieve a qualitative improvement."

Xiao Yan sighed helplessly and said, "Does that mean I will have to stay in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for a very long time?"

Yao Lao shook his head. "Not long, about a year or so. Once you promote to a Dou Shi, you will spend the remaining time cultivating in the Tagor Desert."

Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yan and continued, "I’ve noticed that your grasp of Dou Techniques has been quite good recently, and I intend to teach you a Di-tier Dou Technique. What do you think?"

The firewood Xiao Yan was organizing dropped from his hands. "Di-tier? Teacher, you aren't joking, are you?"

Yao Lao nodded affirmatively. "I will teach it to you once you enter the mountain range. You must study it well."

Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together in excitement, his eyes filled with anticipation.

...

He shouldered the weapon Yao Lao had given him and couldn't help but grumble, "Teacher, this thing is too heavy. The Dou Qi flowing through my body has become sluggish."

Yao Lao, lying on the weapon, retorted, "Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat. Since this is arduous training, it is naturally different from your practice back in Wutan City."

"If you can't even handle this much weight, how will you face even more powerful enemies in the future?"

After several days of travel, Xiao Yan finally arrived at Qingshan Town.

It was a small town near the Magical Beast Mountain Range, bustling with people coming and going. Xiao Yan entered a pharmacy called "Wan Yao Zhai," intending to see if he could purchase some useful medicinal materials.

Upon entering, Xiao Yan’s eyes were immediately drawn to a Yellow Lotus Essence displayed on the counter.

Seeing Xiao Yan’s gaze, the clerk quickly introduced it: "Sir, this is Yellow Lotus Essence, a low-grade herb. It only costs 100 gold coins."

Xiao Yan paid the money and took the herb into his hand to examine it closely. Upon inspection, he could not help but feel a surge of joy. This was not Yellow Lotus Essence, but Blood Lotus Essence.

Yao Lao, within the storage ring, also noticed it and hurriedly said, "This Blood Lotus Essence is one of the main ingredients for refining Snow Lotus Pills. You are quite lucky."

Xiao Yan carefully stowed the Blood Lotus Essence and walked out of the pharmacy.

Just as he reached the entrance, he heard a wave of cheers: "Little Doctor Fairy! Little Doctor Fairy!"

"The Little Doctor Fairy is so beautiful!"

"The Little Doctor Fairy’s temperament is truly peerless! Who could help but adore her?"

"Indeed, indeed! And I hear the Little Doctor Fairy is kind-hearted; she often treats everyone for free."

"Her medical skills are brilliant. No matter what difficult or strange ailment, she can cure it."

"If one could marry a woman like the Little Doctor Fairy, it would truly be a blessing accumulated over eight lifetimes."

Amidst the chorus of praise, he heard someone nearby say:

"Did you know? The Little Doctor Fairy is a famous physician in these parts. She knows the properties of every medicinal herb like the back of her hand, and her ability to prescribe medicine and heal the sick is top-notch."

"Many patients who were given a death sentence by other physicians have been brought back from the brink of death under her treatment."

Xiao Yan asked curiously, "A physician? Teacher, what is a physician?"

Yao Lao explained, "Physicians also belong to the lineage of alchemists, but their status is far below that of an alchemist."

"However, every physician aspires to become an alchemist, though becoming one is extremely difficult."

Listening to the crowd’s praise for the Little Doctor Fairy, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity about this woman.

He looked toward the direction where the crowd was gathered and saw the woman dressed in light white robes being surrounded by people, a gentle smile on her face as she patiently responded to everyone's greetings and concerns.

Xiao Yan watched for a moment. In his perception, Xiao Xun'er was like a younger sister, very beautiful with a fresh and refined charm; Ya Fei was of the enchanting and moving type, radiating captivating charm in her every gesture.

As for Jiu You, he found that she was sometimes moving, sometimes enchanting, and sometimes very gentle. In his heart, Jiu You seemed perfect in every way.

Seeing Xiao Yan’s dazed expression, Yao Lao knew exactly what was going on in his mind and irritably tapped Xiao Yan on the head.

"Don't be a fool in the middle of the street; you're embarrassing me. We have real work to do. Let's leave here quickly and prepare to enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

Xiao Yan snapped out of it, rubbed his head, and smiled sheepishly.

He glanced around, noticed that many people were still surrounding the woman called the Little Doctor Fairy, shook his head, and turned to walk out of the town.

Yao Lao said from the storage ring, "Remember, once you enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range, be careful in everything. Do not be reckless when encountering danger; avoid it if you can."

Xiao Yan nodded and said, "I understand, Teacher."

Not long after entering the mountain range, a rustling sound came from the bushes nearby. Xiao Yan’s heart tightened, and he immediately became alert.

He slowly approached the bushes, focusing his Dou Qi into his eyes to look closely. It turned out to be a small first-order magical beast, which was looking at him warily.

Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard several low growls; it seemed that more powerful magical beasts were approaching.

He quickly found a hidden spot to conceal himself. Before long, several second-order magical beasts appeared in his field of vision.

At this moment, Yao Lao said from the storage ring, "Don't be impulsive. Observe their movements first and look for an opportunity before you strike."

Xiao Yan nodded and carefully observed the movements of the magical beasts, discovering that they seemed to be searching for something and had not detected his presence.

After a while, the beasts headed in another direction. Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from his hiding place.