Beginning the Poison Pill Refinement

Xiao Yu smiled and explained, "Medusa has lost her original memories due to evolution. You don't have to worry; she's not the same as before and definitely won't harm you."

Summoning his courage, Xiao Ding approached Medusa and looked into her pure, innocent snake eyes. He immediately felt that this little creature was nothing like the rumored ruthless Serpent Queen of the desert.

As they spoke, Xue Lan and Little Doctor Immortal arrived at the hall. Seeing the small creatures following behind Little Doctor Immortal—Xiao Bai, Xiao Zi, and Xiao Lan—Xiao Yu felt like he was running a zoo.

However, he quickly refocused on serious matters and turned to Little Doctor Immortal. "The materials are ready. We'll start refining the Poison Pill tomorrow!"

Little Doctor Immortal nodded lightly. "Alright."

Xiao Yu then looked at Xiao Ding. "Big Brother, prepare a large room for me tomorrow. Make sure no one comes within 50 meters of it. I have something important to do."

Xiao Ding readily agreed. "The hall on the east side is spacious, and it's next to the training ground. No one usually goes there, so it should be perfect for your needs."

Xiao Yu nodded in satisfaction. Just then, a system notification rang in his mind:

Ding! Check-in location updated. Next check-in: Mo City, Ice Emperor Hai Bodong's location. Reward: Ice Affinity!

Hearing this, Xiao Yu was delighted. He hadn't expected the next check-in location to be at Hai Bodong's place. If he could obtain Ice Affinity, he would gain another elemental ability to cultivate!

After chatting for a while, Xiao Yu returned to his room and took out the lotus platform he had obtained from the underground cavern. He levitated it in the air and sat down on it. A warm energy radiated from the lotus seat, pulling in the fire attribute energy from the surroundings. The originally impure yellowish energy was refined by the lotus platform, becoming purer, with hints of a bluish glow.

His cultivation speed significantly increased, allowing him to stabilize his position as a Five-Star Battle Master while steadily advancing toward the Six-Star level!

As night fell and the stars filled the sky, Xiao Yu ended his training. When he opened his eyes, a streak of glazed light shot out nearly a meter before dissipating.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Sensing that it was Little Doctor Immortal, Xiao Yu assumed she needed something. He put away the lotus platform and opened the door.

Little Doctor Immortal smiled. "Did I disturb you?"

Xiao Yu shook his head. "Not at all. I just finished training."

"Would you take a walk with me?" she asked.

Xiao Yu nodded. "Sure."

The two walked outside the courtyard. Under the moonlight, their shadows stretched long across the ground. After a while, Little Doctor Immortal asked, "Do you have confidence in refining the Poison Pill tomorrow?"

Xiao Yu thought she was worried about failure, so he reassured her, "Don't worry. My alchemy skills will guarantee success!"

Little Doctor Immortal smiled gently. "Actually, even if it fails, it doesn't matter. Ever since I decided to cultivate the Woeful Poison Body, I've accepted the possibility of life and death. I'm just afraid that if I lose control, I might cause countless innocent people to suffer."

"The Woeful Poison Body isn't a terminal condition. Don't worry," Xiao Yu said. "But there's one thing I need to tell you."

She looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Well… during the Poison Pill refinement, my Heavenly Flame will need to suppress the poison within your body. So… you might have to… remove all your clothing." Xiao Yu spoke hesitantly.

Little Doctor Immortal froze for a moment, her face quickly turning crimson. However, when she saw Xiao Yu's serious expression, she bit her lip and said, "I understand."

Seeing her reaction, Xiao Yu hurriedly added, "Don't misunderstand. If you don't remove them, they'll be burned away by the Heavenly Flame anyway. I'm really not lying."

Little Doctor Immortal softly murmured, "I know."

The two fell into silence. After walking for a while longer, Little Doctor Immortal suggested they head back. Xiao Yu agreed.

The Next Day

Xiao Yu led Little Doctor Immortal toward the eastern hall. It was a safe place where he could help her refine the Poison Pill without disturbance.

Meanwhile, outside Mo City, a group of men wearing matching outfits arrived. The emblem on their chests bore the character "Mo"—they were from the Mo Clan, one of the four great clans in the northeastern province of the Jia Ma Empire.

Leading the group was an elder dressed in luxurious robes, clearly the central figure among them.

One of the clan members stepped forward and reported to the elder, "Grand Elder, this is Mo City, the closest town to the desert. There should be snake-women for sale here. Shall we go in and take a look?"

The elder, Mo Cheng, was here because he had heard that the city, being close to the desert, would likely have snake-women available for purchase. Taking a few of them back as slaves would be ideal.

Mo Cheng sneered, "As you suggested, let's enter the city and see."

Hearing this, the Mo Clan members flattered him. "Grand Elder, coming to such a remote town is already a great honor for them!"

As Mo Cheng was about to enter the city, his gaze landed on a girl walking out.

It was Qing Lin.

She had a bright smile as she exited the city, planning to collect medicinal herbs outside. She didn't want her cultivation to lag behind Xiao Yu's, so she often gathered herbs to aid in her training.

Mo Cheng's eyes gleamed the moment he saw her. The way she moved, like a graceful snake, and her striking green pupils immediately caught his attention.

"Those emerald green eyes… Could they be the legendary Three-Flowered Green Serpent Pupils mentioned in ancient medical texts? If so, my luck is truly extraordinary!" Mo Cheng's heart pounded with excitement.

The Mo Clan members beside him noticed his reaction and chuckled. "Grand Elder, have you taken a liking to that little girl? Girls like her are usually just slaves of the mercenary groups in Mo City. If you want her, you can simply take her. No one will care about a mere slave."

Mo Cheng's cold gaze locked onto the retreating figure of Qing Lin, and he smirked. "Follow her. I want to confirm if my luck is really that good!"

The Mo Clan members were momentarily stunned but quickly followed his lead.

Meanwhile, Qing Lin, completely unaware of the danger, happily searched for medicinal herbs in the desert. She had no idea that a group of malicious Mo Clan members was tailing her—danger was approaching silently!