By now, the way she addressed Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng was no longer shy but full of heartfelt joy. "This isn't the Pill Region yet. The Pill Region lies at the center of the Central Plains, and this is the edge of it. It will still take us some time to get there."
The girls' faces fell, and they slumped into her arms, utterly lifeless. "Still some time?! We're going to die."
Seeing them, Xuan Yi, their newly appointed mother, felt a pang of heartache at once. "It won't be long. Once we reach Holy Pill City, I'll let you play to your hearts' content. You can play however you like, for as long as you like."
The girls perked up a little at her words, but then said right away, "But we still have to cultivate every day. If we finish cultivating, we won't want to go out, and if we go out and come back late, we'll be too tired to cultivate."
Xiao Tian knew what his daughters were thinking just by looking at their faces.
"I've decided for you," Xuan Yi said. "We won't cultivate for now. When the time comes, I'll prepare medicinal liquid for you, and there will be no problem. I guarantee it."
It was also her plan to infiltrate the "enemy" camp from their side. One of them wanted to win her over, and the other wanted to infiltrate the enemy. For a moment, no one could say who was hunter and who was prey.
As for Xiao Tian's opinion, Xuan Yi ignored it altogether. She knew he was a doting father. As long as the girls acted cute, he would do whatever they said.
"Okay, it's a deal! No backing out! Whoever backs out is a demonic cockroach beast!" Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng exchanged glances, straightened up, and shouted excitedly.
Seeing their faces, Xuan Yi felt black lines gather on her forehead. She had been tricked. The two had put on quite a convincing act just now. Then she saw Xiao Tian snickering to one side. If she could not hit his daughters, could she not hit him?
She went to his side, lifted her foot, and kicked his calf, neither too hard nor too soft. "If they're not the problem, then you definitely are. It's all your fault."
She hugged the two girls and walked down from the high platform, while the girls covered their mouths and laughed in secret. Xiao Tian rubbed the spot she had kicked and quickly followed.
Going down the steps of the platform, Xiao Tian looked at the many Alchemists in their robes moving about the stairs. "As expected of the most prosperous region of the Central Plains. Alchemists, who are rarely seen elsewhere, are everywhere here."
"Of course. Because of the Pill Region, most of the continent's Alchemists are stationed in the Central Plains." Xuan Yi turned to him. "When we arrive at Holy Pill City, do you want to take the Alchemist rank assessment?"
Xuan Yi had long known Xiao Tian's rank as an Alchemist, and at the time she had been almost stunned. A high-level Grade 8 Alchemist at twenty-three years old. She had never heard of such a thing, never seen it. Every disciple of her Pill Tower who was called a genius would look dim beside him.
As for why she had fallen for him, it began with his saving her life, followed by his careful care and thoughtfulness, their interesting daily moments, and his talent, until she gradually gave way. A man with a beauty like an immortal's and talent like a demon's is often the most attractive.
Xiao Tian raised an eyebrow, a hint of slyness in his eyes, and teased her deliberately. "You aren't trying to pull me into your Pill Tower and then lock me in a dark room as a laborer, are you?"
"You make it sound like our Pill Tower is an evil force like the Soul Hall." Xuan Yi rolled her eyes at him and scolded him with a smile.
Xiao Tian laughed heartily, hands behind his back, walking at an easy pace. "I definitely have to take it. An Alchemist's identity is quite useful and saves a lot of trouble. And..." He stopped, looked at her, and said seriously, "More importantly, I need to show my strength to shut up those old geezers and everyone else. By then there will be no dissenting voices, only blessings."
Xuan Yi's steps paused, and her eyes suddenly reddened. She glanced at him and took a deep breath, as if afraid of losing her composure, then turned her face away quickly. But the tips of her ears quietly turned red.
"However, I think you don't need to be assessed on everything. Showing most of it is enough. Showing all of it would be too terrifying and could easily provoke malice. That wouldn't be safe for you, and I don't want you hurt because of it. As for me, I only want to follow my heart now. Neither the Pill Tower nor anyone else can stop me."
Xuan Yi had long since come out of her past melancholy. Having met the one she truly loved, she had also regained the spirited, strong-willed mindset of long ago. A gentle breeze blew and lightly lifted the loose hairs before her face, and her eyes held the glint of starlight, as if filled with boundless tenderness and pride.
Seeing her like that, Xiao Tian smiled slightly and gently stroked her long hair. "Go ahead and do it. No matter what happens, I'll be behind you, supporting you."
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng even reached up and hugged her neck, saying in their childish voices, "That's right! Whoever dares to grumble, we'll use our Phoenix Flame to give them a burning butt and teach them what disgrace is!"
Hearing them, Xuan Yi could not help smiling. She had seen their Phoenix Flame before. It was incredibly overbearing, and once it caught on something, it could not be put out unless one's strength far surpassed it.
"It seems I didn't dote on you two for nothing, hehe." Xuan Yi kissed each of the little girls on the cheek, laughing.
The two small ones and the one grown woman began to play together, drawing the attention of the people around them, and many eyes held a flicker of admiration. Xuan Yi's figure and bearing were among the finest in the world, carefully chosen by Xiao Tian and absolutely reliable. As for Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng, though still young, they were like carved jade, plainly the makings of great beauties.
But those who looked glanced only once before quickly turning their eyes away. They had no other reason but this: if they looked any longer, they would explode. At that moment, Xuan Yi had released quite a lot of her aura, and her imposing presence was terrifyingly immense. This was a world without law to restrain anyone. Sometimes, if you could not control your gaze, you would truly burst apart and scatter in every direction.
Xiao Tian turned his head to the north, where the Fallen God Valley lay. But Little Fairy Doctor's constitution was already perfectly under control, so the demonic core of the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast was no longer needed. The Fallen God Valley was filled with poisonous mist and countless venomous creatures, a place others avoided. For Little Fairy Doctor, it was simply the most suitable and natural treasure ground for cultivation.