In the hall, a little girl in white sat swinging her short legs in the air, constantly chewing on something. Her face glowed with pure happiness and satisfaction.
"Little Zi Yan, why are you here? Did you finish all the pills from before?" Xiao Jietian asked, noticing her presence.
"No, there are still plenty left. If I ate that many at once, my energy would make me explode."
Zi Yan shook her head, her twin high ponytails swaying with each movement.
"Then why are you here this time?" Xiao Jietian asked, slightly puzzled. This little girl only appeared when she ran out of pills; otherwise, she was as elusive as a dragon—hard to find.
"I'm here to deliver a message. Old Su told me to tell you to go to his place tomorrow."
Zi Yan swallowed the pill in her mouth and spoke seriously, also giving Xiao Jietian the location of the First Elder.
Hearing her words, Xiao Jietian frowned slightly. He really did appear in the square yesterday… was it because of the Heavenly Flame or my Alchemist identity? Never mind, I'll know tomorrow.
"Understood."
Xiao Jietian couldn't help but pinch her chubby little face at her old-fashioned demeanor. "Such a cute little Zi Yan."
Zi Yan slapped his mischievous hand away, frowning. "You're cute; your whole family is cute!"
She secretly wished to grow up quickly, to rid herself of this childish appearance—it was frustrating being treated like a little girl.
"I'm going to be a mature woman."
"Pfft~"
Xiao Jietian laughed out loud at her serious expression. Sure enough, when she grew up, Zi Yan would become a mature, assertive woman with an incredibly hot figure. But seeing her say this in her current loli form was comically amusing.
He reached out again toward her face, but Zi Yan directly slapped his hand away.
Xiao Jietian tried once more, attempting to pinch her little face.
Zi Yan had reached her limit and leaped at him, trying to pinch him back with her short legs.
"Let's see how I deal with you!!!"
Xiao Jietian easily held her head in one hand. No matter how much force she used, she couldn't reach him.
"Ah ah ah ah!!!" Zi Yan's teeth itched, her eyes widened, and her cheeks puffed out in anger.
"You wait! I've noted this grudge. I'll get my revenge when I grow up!"
Standing with hands on her hips, her flat chest puffed out, Zi Yan glared fiercely at Xiao Jietian.
Xiao Jietian put down his hand, amused by her comical appearance. "Alright, alright, here you go."
He handed her a jade bottle containing the pills he had refined from a medicinal herb she had given him earlier.
Zi Yan's eyes widened. She reached for the jade bottle and saw about twenty pills inside. "On account of these pills, I'll forgive you, hmph hmph!"
She eagerly poured one into her mouth to chew.
"Zi Yan, do you want to go out and play with me?" Xiao Jietian smiled at her cute expression.
"Where to? How about the Arena? I could earn some Fire Energy."
Zi Yan chewed the pill, her eyes bright with anticipation.
Xiao Jietian lightly rubbed his forehead. As expected of a Magical Beast—she was naturally combative.
"No, let's go look for medicinal herbs instead. You can sense the natural treasures."
"Look for medicinal herbs? You're going to make me do grunt work for you like the old men in the Inner Academy?"
Zi Yan recalled how Elder Hao and Su Qian often tricked her into finding herbs, only for them to confiscate almost everything.
"I'm not that kind of person. You'll sense the treasures; I'll dig them up. We split everything we find fifty-fifty. And I'll refine all your future pills until you grow up."
Zi Yan thought for a moment. Hearing his last sentence, her eyes lit up, and she kept swallowing, her eyes sparkling.
"Really? You're not lying to me?"
"Of course it's true. My word is my bond."
"Then let's go quickly! No time to waste."
Grabbing his hand, Zi Yan pulled Xiao Jietian outside. The two quickly arrived at the edge of the Inner Academy forest and plunged into it.
"Wasn't that the Brute King and the Demon King just now?"
Yan Hao and Lin Xiuya were preparing to enter the forest nearby, hoping to find treasures to help break through to the Dou King stage.
Seeing Xiao Jietian and Zi Yan, Yan Hao asked in surprise, "It's them. With Zi Yan entering, it won't be peaceful in there. Many people might have bad luck."
Lin Xiuya recalled Zi Yan's previous forest trips, where Magical Beasts, unable to retaliate against her, vented their anger on unlucky bystanders.
"Maybe we should wait outside, so we don't get chased around," Lin Xiuya suggested. The two decided not to enter.
"Zi Yan, have you sensed anything?" Xiao Jietian asked as he followed behind her, watching her sniff and focus on sensing natural treasures.
"Don't rush me. I'm already vaguely sensing something."
Her little face furrowed as she concentrated, enhancing her ability to sense treasures.
"Found it! It's over there."
Zi Yan dashed westward on her short legs.
"Right here, buried underground."
Stopping beside a towering tree, Zi Yan pointed at the ground. Xiao Jietian trusted her instincts and used his Dou Qi to dig.
After about ten meters, the buried medicinal herb was revealed.
"It's Jade Stone Wood. This is a rare medicinal herb, Zi Yan. Your talent is amazing—you found it so quickly."
Xiao Jietian picked it up, examining it with admiration.
Zi Yan beamed proudly, hands on her hips, head held high.
"Of course! Why don't you just be my little brother from now on? Follow me, and I'll guarantee you a life of luxury."
"You're getting carried away, Zi Yan. I treat you like family, but you want me to be your little brother? I'm heartbroken."
Zi Yan's expression stiffened. A flicker of complexity passed her eyes as she bit her lip. "Is what you said true?"
"What's true or false?"
"Just what you said just now."