"Qi Gathering Stage Seven!" Poison Lady exclaimed, her voice high and incredulous, "We've only been apart for a few days, and the Sect Master has already reached the Qi Gathering Stage Seven? A genius!"
"Even a genius wouldn't be this amazing!" Xiang Jian said enviously, "Such talent can only be described as monstrous."
"Right, right, right, the Sect Master is a monster, and we are normal people, we can't compare ourselves to a monster!" Poison Lady patted her chest. She had thought it was incredible to have entered the Qi Gathering Stage and become a Qi Gathering Stage One cultivator, only to find their Sect Master had skyrocketed to Stage Seven!
"Deputy Sect Master, what stage are you at now?" Qi Hong asked curiously.
"Qi Gathering Stage Four."
Poison Lady was unhappy. It was one thing for the Sect Master to rise so quickly, but why was the Deputy Sect Master also soaring?
"Why is your cultivation advancing so fast?"
"I was already at Qi Gathering Stage Three, so an increase of one level is not excessive," Xiang Jian said indifferently. He wished he could advance as rapidly as the Sect Master. If that were the case, why would he worry about recovering his cultivation sooner? Unfortunately, his Golden Core had been destroyed, damaging his foundation. Cultivating had become even more difficult than before, and it was highly likely he would be stuck at the Foundation Establishment Stage for the rest of his life. Yet, he refused to accept his fate. Even knowing he would never be able to form a core again, he still wanted to try.
Fan Ting discovered that Xiao Man had taken Zhou Yan away and immediately led his men in pursuit. Yan Yan also followed, but in a different direction than Fan Ting. Fan Ting had never considered that Xiao Man and his group would hide in the Roland Mountain Range. In his view, the only place they could hide in Wuji City was the mixed and chaotic mercenary area. He had to intercept them before they entered the mercenary territory.
Yan Yan, however, headed towards the Roland Mountain Range. In her opinion, people who dared to sneak into the City Lord's mansion and rescue someone without alerting anyone must possess considerable skill and boldness. Such individuals would never hide in the mercenary area, where they could easily be betrayed due to the motley crowd. The Roland Mountain Range, on the other hand, was different!
The Roland Mountain Range stretched for a thousand miles. If they hid within it, even if they knew Xiao Man and his group had entered, they would be helpless. The Roland Mountain Range was vast and fraught with danger. Even if they sent people to search, they might not find them!
"I found you!" Yan Yan took a different route and managed to intercept Xiao Man before they could leave the city.
Xiao Man stopped and looked at the woman blocking her path, her expression guarded, "Zhou Yan, you go on ahead. I'll handle this. Xiang Jian and the others are waiting at the entrance. Once you rendezvous with them, head directly into the Roland Mountain Range. I will find you."
"Yes, Sect Master," Zhou Yan didn't waste words. He warily eyed the obstructing young woman, carefully sidestepped her, and then bolted, afraid of being captured if he was any slower.
Yan Yan's target was Xiao Man, and she didn't care about Zhou Yan's escape. As long as Xiao Man stayed, nothing else mattered!
"You are Xiao Qin," Yan Yan stated with certainty. She had seen the portrait, and this face was hard to forget. Although she was angered that Xiao Man had openly walked past her, she remembered her objective: she needed Xiao Man's help to treat her grandfather.
"I am Xiao Qin. Miss, are you stopping me for a reason?" Xiao Man asked, feigning ignorance. She knew the City Lord's eldest daughter was here to capture her! However, having let Zhou Yan go, she had no lingering worries. Even if her cultivation was higher than Yan Yan's, she might not be able to capture her.
Yan Yan's beautiful eyes stared intently at Xiao Man. Qi Gathering Stage Seven. Had this kid really just entered Wuji City? In such a short time, he had reached Qi Gathering Stage Seven? She, who had cultivated since childhood, was only at Qi Gathering Stage Nine! Furthermore, why was this person pretending not to know why she was here?
"Could you please accompany me back to the City Lord's mansion? Rest assured, I have no ill intentions; I merely need your assistance with a matter." Yan Yan maintained a calm demeanor throughout. Although she was two levels higher than Xiao Man, this person was skilled in using poisons, and resorting to force would only put her at a disadvantage!
"And if I refuse?" Xiao Man asked with amusement. She wanted to see if this noble young lady would fly into a rage when faced with her refusal.
"Please, would you mind accompanying me back to the City Lord's mansion!" Yan Yan's tone softened immediately. "Someone in my family is ill. I heard you are a very skilled physician."
"If the physicians at the Hundred Medicines Hall couldn't cure them, do you think I can?" Xiao Man asked softly. Wuji City was directly subordinate to the Seven Great Sects, supplying them with fresh blood. The Hundred Medicines Hall would surely not stand by and watch the City Lord's mansion fall into trouble. Yet, the person in the City Lord's mansion remained uncured, which indicated that the Hundred Medicines Hall was incapable.
"My family member's condition is very special, and the physicians at the Hundred Medicines Hall couldn't treat it." Yan Yan's expression was solemn. The matter of her grandfather's serious injury could not be revealed to others. "You are not only a physician but also skilled in poisons. Perhaps you could cure it. Please come to the City Lord's mansion with me and examine my family member. Regardless of whether it can be cured, I will be grateful."
"How will you show your gratitude?" Xiao Man asked softly.
Seeing that Xiao Man was setting conditions, Yan Yan felt a surge of joy, "As long as you can cure my family member, I will give you whatever you desire!"
"What if I wanted you to marry me?" Xiao Man asked teasingly.
Yan Yan's face flushed red. She was about to call him a scoundrel, but thinking of her critically injured grandfather, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue, her eyes reddening with frustration, "Yes."
Xiao Man chuckled, "I was just joking, young lady. I have a rough idea of your family member's condition, but with my current abilities, I cannot cure it."
"Why not?"
"The patient is severely injured and poisoned. The Five Poisons Sect among the Seven Great Sects specializes in poisons, and the Hundred Medicines Hall specializes in medicine. Even with their combined efforts, they cannot cure it, which indicates the patient's cultivation is extremely high, and their foundation has been damaged. The spiritual marrow of the Dragon Spirit Bamboo can extend life and suppress the spread of poison, but it cannot heal the injury or neutralize the poison. Once the Dragon Spirit Bamboo can no longer suppress it, they will surely die."
Yan Yan's face instantly turned pale, "You can cure it, can't you?"
"I said, I cannot cure it," Xiao Man stated calmly. "With my current cultivation, I am simply unable to cure your relative."
Yan Yan seized the hidden meaning in Xiao Man's words, "You mean, once your cultivation improves, you will be able to cure them?"
"There's a fifty percent chance."
"A fifty percent chance is already very high," Yan Yan said, stepping forward and grabbing Xiao Man's arm. "When will you be able to cure them?" Suda Novel Network
"After I reach the Foundation Establishment Stage."
Yan Yan frowned. Foundation Establishment was not easy. She had been at Qi Gathering Stage Nine for three years. She had intended to achieve Foundation Establishment on her own, as this would lay a more solid foundation. The quality of Foundation Establishment would affect her future cultivation path. However, three years had passed, and she still had not succeeded. Who knew how many years it would take for Xiao Man to reach Foundation Establishment.