Chapter 214: Hun Xin's Peculiarity
After the seven colored snake slithered back into his sleeve, Xiao Yan finally calmed his mind and began contemplating his next steps.
The Yan Alliance had officially taken shape, and the political landscape of the Northwest Continent was set to stabilize over time. However, the alliance still lacked a true, strong leader.
Sure, the Heavenly Snake Leader and Yun Potian were capable of managing large factions, but if they were to serve as the second in command of the Yan Alliance, what would be the point of its creation?
Wasn't the entire purpose of forming the Yan Alliance to ensure the well being of his "Northwest harem"?
As this thought crossed his mind, Xiao Yan's attention returned to the seven colored serpent hidden in his sleeve.
Yun Yun had strength but no administrative skills. Ya Fei was good at management, but her fame and power weren't yet sufficient to command authority. Queen Medusa had the demeanor of an empress but lacked the necessary strength at the moment.
After all, the future core members of the Yan Alliance would all need to be at least at the Dou Zun (Dou Sovereign) level.
Xiao Yi Xian, with her Woeful Poison Body under control, could have the strength, but her serene personality would likely lead her to spend her days farming herbs.
That left only the Medusa Queen, who, once she fully fused with the bloodline of the Seven Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, would possess both the power and majesty to serve as the second in command of the Yan Alliance.
Whether Medusa wanted the role was irrelevant. What mattered was her ability to enforce control over the "six palaces." With her in charge, Xiao Yan's "Northwest harem" would truly come together.
Being the queen was not a title just anyone could hold it required unparalleled strength, means, and beauty.
Once Medusa took her position, Xiao Yan could finally leave for Jia Nan Academy to search for new Heavenly Flames with peace of mind.
With this in mind, Xiao Yan's figure flickered, and he reappeared at Xiao Yi Xian's courtyard.
A Quiet Courtyard
The courtyard was as simple and elegant as ever. Xiao Yan extended his soul perception and quickly realized that Xiao Yi Xian wasn't in her room but in the small medicinal field, tending to her crops.
"This girl... why does she love farming so much?" Xiao Yan muttered to himself, shaking his head.
He was about to give her a surprise when he noticed a small shadow flitting about in her room.
"Who could that be?" Xiao Yan frowned slightly before recognizing the intruder.
Gently pushing open the door to the medicine room, Xiao Yan found a tiny figure no taller than his waist crouched near a medicine cauldron. Like a sneaky little mouse, she appeared to be rummaging for something.
Standing silently behind her, Xiao Yan cast a shadow over the small figure.
However, Hun Xin seemed completely unaware of his presence as she gleefully dipped her fingers into a tiny jade bottle and licked the contents.
"What are you eating?" Xiao Yan's calm voice rang in her ears.
Startled, Hun Xin jumped. "Nothing! I'm not eating anything!" she squeaked, her chubby face still smeared with powder.
"Smack, smack..." The sound of her chewing betrayed her words.
"If you're not eating anything, why are you sneaking around like this?" Xiao Yan teased, gently tapping her head.
Realizing she had been caught, Hun Xin turned around slowly, and Xiao Yan was taken aback.
Her chubby little face was now covered in bizarre seven colored streaks, even her lips glowing with the same strange hues.
"Master! It's you!" Hun Xin exclaimed with a sheepish grin. She dipped her finger into the jade bottle and held it out toward him.
"Try it! It's sugar powder Sister Xiao Yi Xian hid away it's delicious!"
"Is it now?" Xiao Yan's lips twitched.
"Yes, yes! I've seen Sister Xiao Yi Xian sneak bites of it all the time. But whenever I ask, she says it's poisonous!" Hun Xin huffed, puffing her cheeks in indignation.
"She's lying! If it were really poisonous, how could I not tell?"
Hun Xin grumbled, clearly annoyed at Xiao Yi Xian's stinginess.
"Maybe it's because it is poisonous?" Xiao Yan muttered, massaging his temples.
"Impossible! That's just what people say when they don't want to share their snacks!" Hun Xin declared triumphantly.
But before Xiao Yan could respond, Hun Xin suddenly swayed.
"Uh oh... I think I ate too much sugar powder..." she mumbled before her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the floor.
Xiao Yan knelt beside his unconscious disciple, a wry smile on his face. Holding her wrist, he quickly injected a stream of Dou Qi infused with his flame into her body.
"Whoa, this poison is strong!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, his expression shifting. The bottle contained enough poison to kill a Dou Ling, yet this gluttonous girl had ingested it like candy.
"Great. Now if she dies, it'll be almost impossible to revive her," Xiao Yan muttered, increasing the intensity of his flame to purge the toxins from her body.
But just as his flame circulated through Hun Xin, a terrifying devouring force emerged from within her.
The sudden pull startled Xiao Yan. He watched as this mysterious force rapidly consumed both the poison and his flame, leaving nothing behind.
Even as the force began tugging at his Dou Qi, Xiao Yan hesitated only briefly before stabilizing his energy in a defensive stance.
"That was close," Xiao Yan muttered as the devouring force finally subsided.
"This devouring power could drain anyone below the Dou Wang level dry in an instant," he mused. "Even a Dou Wang wouldn't last long against it."
His curiosity about Hun Xin deepened. Neither his own assessments nor those of the Saints Wen and Wu, who secretly accompanied him, had revealed any trace of this mysterious power within her.
"Is she... a reincarnation of some powerful figure?" Xiao Yan wondered, the notion bringing flashes of plotlines from his past life's novels to mind.
Just then, a soft cry broke his reverie.
"Is she okay?"
Xiao Yi Xian, still dressed in her usual white gown, hurried over, her fair legs peeking out from beneath the hem. Her delicate feet, clad in simple straw sandals, were speckled with dirt.
Xiao Yan's eyes lingered on her legs for a moment before responding, "She'll be fine, but we need to talk about what's in that bottle."
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