Two pairs of eyes remained locked across the surface of the dark, mist-laced pool. A faint, poisonous fog lingered between them, blurring the boundary between tension and silence. Xiao Hua finally regained his senses a moment later.
The instant he saw the Little Fairy Doctor's flushed, embarrassed face, he let out a dry, awkward cough and hurriedly turned his gaze away.
As he averted his eyes, he coughed lightly and said, "Xian'er, don't worry. It's… still quite big."
His unexpected remark snapped the Little Fairy Doctor out of the dazed, floating sensation in her mind. Her already burning face turned even redder.
With a soft splash, her graceful, naked figure—delicate and enchanting like a jade mermaid—slipped into the wooden bathtub.
The dark, poison-filled water quickly swallowed her alluring form, hiding what had momentarily stirred one's imagination.
Splash!
A ripple spread across the surface of the tub, and soon after, a beautiful, bright-red face rose above the waterline. Only the Little Fairy Doctor's head remained visible—her body fully concealed beneath the black, toxin-infused liquid.
A faint flush still lingered on the Little Fairy Doctor's cheeks as her face emerged from the water, the remnants of her earlier embarrassment clearly visible. Xiao Hua's gaze flickered, momentarily distracted by the subtle beauty of her blush.
"That's the first thing you say after waking up…?" She muttered through gritted teeth, equal parts flustered and exasperated.
Xiao Hua let out a dry chuckle, his smile somewhat sheepish. "I woke up because of Zi Yan's voice… and couldn't help but overhear her comment. Naturally, I became a little concerned about you."
The Little Fairy Doctor frowned slightly, her brows furrowing in frustration—but after a brief pause, she exhaled softly in resignation.
"…How is your condition? Are you feeling any better?" she asked gently, her voice returning to its usual calmness, though a hint of lingering emotion still colored her tone.
"Still feels heavy…" Xiao Hua replied dryly, rubbing his temple. His body remained sluggish with exhaustion, as if weighed down by invisible chains. The Thousand Lightning Death Poison continued to suppress and obstruct his recovery, so it was unsurprising that his weakened state had persisted this long.
Yet, what truly made him feel restrained… was the fact that this was the first time he found himself sharing a bathtub with a beautiful, naked woman. Despite all the time they had spent together, this situation was entirely new to him.
The Little Fairy Doctor, noticing the rare trace of embarrassment on his face, couldn't help but let out a soft, delighted laugh.
Xiao Hua was momentarily entranced by the sight—her delicate lips curving into a gentle smile. It was a quiet, sincere smile, not forced nor fleeting. And to him, it carried more meaning than words.
It meant she no longer lived in fear of her own constitution. That she no longer cursed herself like in her novel self.
A warm, soft light stirred in his gaze.
"…No matter how many times I see it, you still look best when you smile," Xiao Hua murmured, his voice low and filled with quiet affection.
The Little Fairy Doctor was momentarily caught off guard by his sudden words. She blinked, then rolled her eyes playfully and replied with a faint teasing smile, "If I remember correctly… didn't you say the exact same thing to Sister Cai Lin?"
"I… did?" Xiao Hua blinked, clearly not expecting his words to be thrown back at him. A hint of awkwardness crept into his expression.
The Little Fairy Doctor smiled faintly, clearly pleased with his reaction. Pushing her focus back to the task at hand, she moved closer, her graceful figure gliding through the dark water like a jade mermaid.
Her delicate arm swayed slightly, and in just a few moments, she reached Xiao Hua's side. Her pretty eyes focused on the faint black lines still visible across his body.
"The poison's spread has slowed considerably," She said softly. "With the aid of this pool's poisonous essence, it no longer poses an immediate threat."
She paused, then added, "Of course, that's also thanks to your Primordial Heavenly Flames and Heavenly Lightnings. They've added another layer of resistance."
"But even so, don't downplay your own accomplishment," Xiao Hua replied with a light chuckle. "This pool of poison water alone was able to restrain the Thousand Lightning Death Poison—even for a time. That's no small feat, Xian'er. It's something only you could achieve."
"…Thank you." A beautiful smile bloomed on the Little Fairy Doctor's lips, warmth flickering in her gaze. His praise clearly pleased her.
She then steadied her breath, her expression turning serious once more. "But this much isn't enough. Next, I'll use my body as a medium—letting the poison in the pool pass through me so I can direct and circulate it within your meridians. Only then can we fully suppress the Thousand Lightning Death Poison… and begin restoring your strength."
Xiao Hua gave a slight nod, his expression calm but solemn. "In that case," he said in a low, steady voice, "let me witness your method for myself."
The Little Fairy Doctor's delicate hand moved through the air in a graceful arc as she slowly rose from the water. Since Xiao Hua was her future husband, she made no attempt to shy away or ask him to avert his gaze.
Thus, her bare figure—fair as pristine white jade—emerged from the dark surface of the pool. The black poison-laced water clung to her curves, accentuating her delicate beauty as it slid down her skin and dripped into the tub below, forming soft, circular ripples.
Her entire form was laid bare before Xiao Hua's eyes.
Under his intense, burning gaze, the Little Fairy Doctor felt her face heat up uncontrollably—as though a flame had ignited beneath her skin. The warmth spread so fiercely it bordered on overwhelming.
She took a few deep breaths, struggling to calm the strange, fluttering feeling in her chest. With effort, she steadied her trembling hands, and a faint suction force stirred from within her body. In the next moment, a whirlpool formed in the pool, centered around her.
As the vortex spun faster and faster, a thin stream of pitch-black poison was drawn into her body. Under her careful guidance, it coursed through her meridians, refined and controlled, until it finally condensed at the tip of her slender, outstretched finger.
The Little Fairy Doctor's slender, jade-like finger gradually darkened, taking on a deep, ominous black hue. Her expression turned solemn as she gently pressed her fingernail against the now pitch-black fingertip.
Under that light pressure, a single drop of blood slowly emerged—brilliant crimson, almost unnaturally so. It did not fall. Instead, it clung firmly to her nail, like a tiny, gleaming blood pearl. Faint wisps of heat and poisonous aura radiated from it, coiling like invisible smoke.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at the droplet. Contained within this drop of blood was the power of the Netherflame Calamity Body—a terrifying poison that surpassed ordinary comprehension. To combat the Thousand Lightning Death Poison rampaging within Xiao Hua's body, she needed something even more potent… and this was it.
As Lady Azure had once said, "there is no greater poison than that which flows through the veins of the Netherflame Calamity Body."
Indeed, to fight poison… one must use poison!
Taking a steady breath, the Little Fairy Doctor calmed her thoughts and focused her will. A moment later, her darkened finger moved, hovering slowly above the twisted black markings on Xiao Hua's abdomen—where the Thousand Lightning Death Poison was most concentrated.
She hesitated for a brief instant.
Then, clenching her silver teeth, her delicate hand moved with precision and determination—starting the process that would determine Xiao Hua's fate.
From the tip of the Little Fairy Doctor's fingers, fine threads of black light shot forth, weaving through the air like strands of silk. As her fingers danced with practiced precision, those threads twisted and interlaced, gradually forming a mysterious seal around the source of the Thousand Lightning Death Poison on Xiao Hua's abdomen.
With each motion, the fine black threads would briefly touch the droplet of Netherflame Calamity Poison Blood on her fingertip. Upon contact, a trace of that crimson venom would merge into the threads, turning them ever more sinister and potent.
As the encirclement neared completion, the Thousand Lightning Death Poison seemed to sense a threat. In the next instant, countless sinister lines erupted from it—venomous currents that shot outward like a barrage of sharp, dark-grey arrows, fiercely striking against the forming seal.
"Hmph!"
The Little Fairy Doctor let out a cold snort upon witnessing the poison's fierce resistance. Her eyes sharpened, and her fingers moved even faster—like shadows flickering through the air.
The black sealing threads responded accordingly, becoming thicker, denser, and more forceful, each strand now reinforced with a trace of the terrifying Netherflame Calamity Poison Blood, pushing back against the Thousand Lightning Death Poison's violent backlash.
The black lines of the Thousand Lightning Death Poison shot toward the thickened seal—but the moment they made contact, they were instantly repelled, forced back by the power of the poisonous formation.
The Little Fairy Doctor let out a quiet sigh of relief as she watched the initial wave of corrosion fail. However, just as the sealing formation neared completion, the Thousand Lightning Death Poison violently retaliated—spitting forth a thick, dark-grey venomous line, nearly the width of a thumb. Its color alone spoke of its deadly potency.
Her expression shifted slightly at the sight of this sudden and vicious counterattack.
Without hesitation, her slender fingers began to move faster, blurring with speed as they danced through the air. In the blink of an eye, numerous afterimages layered atop one another, reinforcing the seal as fast as she could muster.
But the dark-grey venom arrived an instant later—crashing into the forming seal with explosive force.
This time, the poisonous attack was not so easily repelled.
The dark-grey venom was laced with an extraordinary concentration of Dou Qi, making it not only corrosive but abnormally aggressive. Empowered by dense Dou Qi, it tore at the seal like a wild beast gnawing at its cage.
Under its rampage, the venom twisted and surged violently, taking the form of a savage serpent formed entirely of lethal poison—crashing toward the weakening seal with terrifying momentum.
The Little Fairy Doctor's gaze turned icy as she watched the layers of her seal being ripped apart by the dark-grey venom. Just as the final layer teetered on the brink of collapse, her finger flicked with sharp precision.
The droplet of Netherflame Calamity Poison Blood at her fingertip shot forward, scattering across the unraveling seal like blood ink across parchment.
In that instant, the entire formation flared with a sinister crimson light. As the Netherflame Calamity Poison infused into it, countless black threads writhed within the seal—coiling and twisting—until they began to converge into the shape of a dragonet, small yet brimming with a fearsome, poisonous might.
Chi!
The dark-grey venom, still roaring with energy, slammed into the transformed seal. But now, it clashed against the crimson-tinged net of black lines. The moment of contact caused its momentum to falter. Within a few breaths, the venom's furious charge ground to a halt—solidifying just before it could pierce the inner core of the seal.
Yet, the Little Fairy Doctor did not relax. Her fingers danced swiftly, reinforcing the formation and sealing its structure in full. But just as her hand completed the final stroke, a sharp cracking sound echoed.
The seemingly frozen dark-grey venom abruptly contracted—like a coiled serpent recoiling before a final strike. Then, with a sharp pounce, a hair-thin thread of poison shot forth from its core.
Chi!
The needle-like strand pierced through the final layer of the seal, slipping past the last defense like a dagger sliding through silk.
Just as that thread of dark-grey venom pierced through, the Little Fairy Doctor's final hand seal was completed. In the next instant, the formation surrounding the Thousand Lightning Death Poison erupted with a bright crimson glow.
The poisonous essence, now fully encased, was forcibly locked in place—sealed within the glowing net of crimson-black lines.
But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, her expression suddenly shifted.
She sensed the venomous strand that had slipped through was attempting to flee!
"All this effort… and you think I'll let you—!"
Her voice abruptly cut off, eyes widening in surprise.
The surface of Xiao Hua's body had suddenly grown scorching hot, radiating a heat far beyond what should be possible in his weakened state. At the center of it, five clusters of flame had emerged—each distinct in color and aura.
Golden-green, sky-blue, deep amethyst, autumn-orange, and emerald-jade—five different flames hovered like guardian spirits, encircling the escaping dark-grey strand of venom. Without hesitation, they surged forth and engulfed the poisonous thread completely.
She immediately realized—Xiao Hua's strength was recovering. With the nourishing pace of the Thousand Immortal Flame and the Life Execution Flame, it would not be long before he returned to his peak.
The escaping strand violently writhed, twisting and resisting as it was surrounded. But under the searing power of the five flames, its structure began to unravel. The corruption faded layer by layer… revealing the pure lightning strength hidden within its core.
"Is Xiao Hua… planning to purge the impurities and negative emotions, refining it into pure lightning energy?"
Surprise flickered across the Little Fairy Doctor's beautiful eyes as she watched the scene unfold. It didn't make sense at first—Xiao Hua had no need for this kind of lightning energy to enhance his own strength.
What he truly needed was the Black Demon Lightning, not the pure lightning strength.
But then, realization dawned.
He wasn't trying to refine it for himself—he intended to let one of the Lightning Beasts devour it. Understanding this, she chose not to interfere and allowed him to proceed.
With a soft exhale, the Little Fairy Doctor quietly stepped out of the bathtub. She retrieved her garments and dressed with practiced grace. Her gaze briefly swept across the black, poisonous water in the tub. A helpless expression surfaced on her face.
The intense heat radiating from Xiao Hua had already begun to boil the poisonous water, causing wisps of black mist to evaporate into the air. Precious as it was, much of it would be lost.
Still, her gaze eventually settled back on him. Watching him silently, a gentle smile tugged at her lips.
'No matter how valuable the poison water is… it means nothing compared to his life.'
Moreover, judging by the current state of his body and the harmony beginning to return to his meridians, it would not be long now—soon, the Thousand Lightning Death Poison would be completely eradicated from within him.
Just as she had predicted, Xiao Hua's tightly shut eyes suddenly opened. In the same moment, a surge of majestic aura burst forth from his body. Waves of terrifying energy rippled outward, subtly shaking both the ground and air around them.
"Huuu…"
He exhaled a long, turbid breath, and the expanding aura swiftly began to retract. Within moments, it was fully drawn back into his body. A brilliant glow flickered within his eyes as his energy settled—his aura now completely restrained and controlled.
The Little Fairy Doctor's heart lifted. She could sense it clearly—Xiao Hua had returned to his peak state. A soft smile appeared on her lips, filled with quiet relief.
With a light push of his toes against the bottom of the pool, Xiao Hua rose gracefully. Using the buoyant force of the water, he leapt upward, landing beside the stone pool with practiced ease. He turned to her with a gentle smile.
The Little Fairy Doctor's eyes widened slightly at the sudden sight of him. Her gaze instinctively shifted away, a faint flush creeping up her cheeks.
"H-Hey! Why are you jumping out without putting your clothes on?" she scolded, her voice flustered and hurried.
Yet despite her words, her gaze betrayed her. She couldn't help but steal a few subtle glances—brief and faint, but undeniably present. Each glimpse sent a strange heat rising in her chest.
After a short while, Xiao Hua finally retrieved a black robe adorned with subtle amethyst patterns from his storage ring and draped it over his body. Adjusting the collar with a calm gesture, he extended his hand and said with a warm smile,
"Shall we go? You've already met them briefly… but I still want to properly introduce you to my brother and sisters."
A soft blush crept onto the Little Fairy Doctor's cheeks, but joy bloomed across her delicate features. Her eyes sparkled with warmth as she took his hand. With fingers entwined, the two stepped out of the cave, walking together beneath a gentle atmosphere filled with warmth, tenderness, and unspoken affection.
…
As they emerged from the cave, Xiao Hua's steps briefly paused, his gaze falling upon the towering Silvershroud Canopy Tree that stood proudly at the center of the lake. Though momentarily taken aback by its awe-inspiring presence, he quickly steadied his thoughts.
His gaze drifted downward—to the group waiting beneath the tree.
There stood his sworn siblings—Ming Cheng, Li Mei, and Xin Yu—whom he had not seen in over two years. Beside them were Zi Yan and Tian Huo Zun-zhe, all waiting quietly for his return.
With an elegant leap, Xiao Hua landed on the small plot of land in the center of the lake, still holding the Little Fairy Doctor's hand as he approached the group. His calm steps carried a smile of genuine warmth.
"Brother Ming Cheng, Sister Li Mei, Sister Xin Yu…" Xiao Hua began with a proud tone. "Allow me to introduce the Little Fairy Doctor…"
He paused for a brief moment, his words catching awkwardly near the end.
"…One of my… lovers," he added, the last part softer, tinged with subtle embarrassment. Clearly, despite his usual composure, saying it aloud in front of them felt unexpectedly awkward.
"At least you've got the courage to say it out loud, brat," Ming Cheng remarked with a faint grin, shaking his head slightly. His casual tone gently dispelled the lingering awkwardness in the air.
"Rest assured, Xiao Hua," Li Mei added softly, her gaze falling warmly upon the Little Fairy Doctor. "We already welcome her as part of our family."
"That's right," Xin Yu nodded lightly. "We've known everything for a while now through our communication jades."
"Ahaha…" Xiao Hua chuckled dryly, scratching his head with slight embarrassment as he glanced at his sworn siblings.
Shiing—!
Suddenly, a crisp metallic sound cut through the air. In the blink of an eye, a gleaming sword and a folded black fan appeared before Xiao Hua's eyes, their cold light reflecting off his pupils.
"However," Li Mei spoke next, her tone now carrying a chilling undertone, "we did say we'd teach you a lesson the next time we met, didn't we?" Her smile, beautiful yet cold, sent a subtle shiver down the spine—like a blade sheathed in silk.
"I trust you haven't forgotten that part," Xin Yu followed with a serene expression, her soft voice carrying a strange weight. Though her smile was gentle, the oppressive aura beneath it made even Zi Yan take a small step back.
Xiao Hua remained silent, merely nodding in quiet obedience. He understood well—this wasn't anger, but a sign of just how much they cherished Xun Er and the Little Fairy Doctor. Their reaction was rooted in care, and so, he accepted their judgment without resistance.
"Rest assured," Li Mei said with a faint smile, her tone deceptively sweet. "Since you're being so obedient, we'll hold back… just a little."
"That's right," Xin Yu added softly, her smile as gentle as falling snow—yet no less terrifying. "We'll make sure your punishment is… tender."
…
Boom! Crash!
In the distant part of the forest, streaks of white lightning swords rained down like a storm. Moments later, a colossal surge of water erupted from thin air, crashing through the trees like a raging river summoned from the heavens.
From beneath the Silvershroud Canopy Tree, Ming Cheng and the others watched the spectacle unfold in silence.
"…Tender, my ass," Ming Cheng muttered with a long sigh, shaking his head. "Those two sisters of ours are as ruthless as ever…"
The Little Fairy Doctor, Zi Yan, and Tian Huo Zun-zhe exchanged glances before letting out soft, helpless smiles. Though none of them spoke, the agreement in their expressions said it all.
"It's going to be difficult breaking the news that Sister Cai Lin is pregnant…" Zi Yan murmured quietly under her breath.
Her voice was barely audible, but Ming Cheng's ears caught it. His eyes immediately widened in shock and disbelief.
"Wait—what did you just say?" He turned sharply toward the Little Fairy Doctor, his tone urgent. "Is what Zi Yan said true? Cai Lin… is really pregnant?"
"…Yes." The Little Fairy Doctor averted her gaze slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ming Cheng pressed his fingers to his temple and let out a deep sigh, as though a sudden headache had seized him. "Make sure to tell those two after I pull him aside. I need to show him something first…"
His expression darkened slightly as he muttered inwardly, 'Little brother, you're only eighteen… Even if you and Cai Lin have come to terms, it's far too early to be having a child…'
The Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan shared small, hesitant smiles, unsure whether to laugh or remain quiet. Even Tian Huo Zun-zhe rubbed his chin awkwardly, clearly sensing the strange, tangled atmosphere settling over them.
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