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--- Chapter 205 ---

After crying her heart out, Xiao Yixian fell asleep not long after. Han Yuan sighed and put the pitiful girl on the bed, tucking her gently.

Then, he started recalling his conversation with her and felt embarrassed by his own words.

Yixian, be my son!

Cough, wrong story.

"Yixian, be my sister!"

Just recalling himself saying those words was enough to make Han Yuan cringe on the spot. Even then, Han Yuan didn't regret it much as he said so to save a girl.

If he could save someone by saying cringy words, he would do it a million times.

Han Yuan glanced at Xiao Yixian and noticed a faint seven-colored line on her abdomen. He knew this was the sign of Woeful Poison Body and used the Sky Poison Pearl to suck all the poison in her body, refining it to be harmless enough that it wouldn't harm her anymore, and return it to her body.

Soon enough, Han Yuan noticed Xiao Yixian's body was showing signs of strengthening, which means she had absorbed the pure Dou Qi from the refined poison and reached the 1-Star of Dou Disciple Realm, officially entering the path of Dou Qi Cultivation.

Han Yuan couldn't help but shake his head at this helpless sight because Xiao Yixian is truly blessed and cursed at the same time.

"If Old Man Dugu had a Woeful Poison Body, he would have laughed madly and challenged everyone left and right."

Imagining Dugu Bo with a Woeful Poison Body is like imagining a poisonous incarnate.

Well, technically speaking, there is an artificial Woeful Poison Body, and Han Yuan'd definitely look for a way to acquire such a method, whether doing it herself or finding the inheritance somewhere else.

But first. Han Yuan must find a way to cure Xiao Yixian's Woeful Poison Body and let her control it.

He had several methods in mind, starting from the original Poison Pill Method. In fact, the easiest method he could think of is awakening Xiao Yixian's martial soul.

It's best if Xiao Yixian awakened a tool-type martial soul, but he could make it work with beast-type and body-type spirits as well, using the Soul Core method.

No, that would be too detrimental for her path. Han Yuan still didn't know if the natives of the Dou Qi Continent could awaken a martial soul, nor did he know if they were compatible with it.

All things led to one thing. Yes, Han Yuan nonetheless needed to research how this world works!

"I need time." Han Yuan sighed, closing his eyes to meditate.

Unknowingly, both Han Yuan and Xiao Yixian fell into a silent comfort with each other.

When Xiao Yixian woke up, it was already morning.

"You're awake?" asked Han Yuan, who also exited his meditated state. He had stabilized his spiritual power and continuously refined the Dou Qi in his body despite being only a 9-star Dou Disciple.

He continuously absorbs the energy of the surrounding heaven and earth to evolve, thereby enhancing his qualifications and talents. In fact, the Mystic Turtle's bloodline in his body is gradually awakening.

Xiao Yixian was stunned, "So, it wasn't a dream..."

"Don't be sad, I am here, right?" Han Yuan comforted the girl, patting her head. "Let's have breakfast first, then give those villagers and your mother a proper burial."

"Mm." Xiao Yixian nodded slightly.

Seeing Xiao Yixian, Han Yuan picked some meat jerky and dried fruits he had taken from the bandit's hideouts. Then, they ate slowly together and shared some stories to lessen the sad atmosphere.

After that, Xiao Yixian organized some personal items into a storage ring that her mother had left behind and led Han Yuan nervously down the mountain. She was still traumatized by her memory and clung tightly to Han Yuan's body.

Upon their arrival at the mountain, they saw a massive miasma covering the village, and Xiao Yixian couldn't help but sob. Han Yuan comforted her and absorbed the miasma with Sky Poison Pearl before locating the remains of the villager.

At last, they also found the remains of Xiao Yixian's mother and collected them for burial.

Then, Han Yuan dug several holes with his spiritual power, and Xiao Yixian helped him by gathering some rocks and flowers.

"May your soul rest in peace..." Xiao Yixian prayed while kneeling on the ground, crying.

Han Yuan sighed, choosing not to inform Xiao Yixian that the villagers held little resentment toward her.

As the master of souls, Han Yuan could communicate with dead spirits, and he knew that the villagers had forgiven this innocent girl. Despite this, the villagers were kind-hearted, which made it difficult for Han Yuan to consider turning them into dead spirits.

The only exception is Xiao Yixian's mother. It accepted Han Yuan's deal of becoming a dead spirit and lingered to be Xiao Yixian's guardian. In the future, if Han Yuan could gather some resources, he might be able to revive her.

Han Yuan pulled Xiao Yixian up, cleaned dust off her face, and put a coat on Xiao Yixian's shoulders. "Okay, let's go."

"Let's find another place to settle in."

"Mm." Xiao Yixian nodded, emotionlessly.

Han Yuan and Xiao Yixian walked out of the mountain. The girl would look back sometimes, but eventually accepted her new beginning.

They walked for a few miles until finding a horse-like magical beast, and Han Yuan tamed it with his spiritual power, which allowed them to ride it to the nearest human settlement.

...

...

"Are you alright? Do you feel uncomfortable riding the horse?" Han Yuan asked the girl who was leaning on his chest.

"No..." Xiao Yixian replied softly. "I am alright, B-Brother..."

Han Yuan smiled and said, "If you're not used to it, it's okay to call me by my name."

"N-No, Brother is fine!" Xiao Yixian hurriedly answered. After all, she had no one. She couldn't possibly let go of the only new bond she had.

"Brother it is, haha." Han Yuan laughed in amusement as the horse carried them to a massive city.

Seeing the majestic city before them, Han Yuan couldn't help but twitch his mouth in disbelief. "Is this fate?"

The characters of "Wu Tan City" were boldly carved on the city's wall, leaving Han Yuan speechless, as this was the city where the protagonist of Battle Through the Heavens lived, specifically where the Xiao Clan existed!

Yes, this is where the story begins!

Where all the face-slapping, ehem, I mean cultivation starts.

"Is this city going to be our home..." Despite all the nervousness, Xiao Yixian's eyes couldn't help but light up. She was afraid of her Woeful Poison Body going out of control, but decided to believe in Han Yuan completely.

She even glanced back at Han Yuan, full of brimming expectation and liveliness that she didn't have earlier.

Watching the girl become lively again, how could Han Yuan refuse?

So, Han Yuan, with all his rational thought, answered, "Yes."

Even though living in Wu Tan City is basically asking for trouble in the early stage, as long as they stay lowkey, there shouldn't be a problem, right?

Right?

Han Yuan and Xiao Yixian jumped off the horse-like magical beast. Being carried like a princess, the girl blushed slightly but didn't resist.

"Little guy, you can enter Sky Poison Pearl. Be good." Han Yuan waved his hand, and a green bubble enveloped the horse before sucking it into the green swirl on his palm.

The horse couldn't even complain.

Han Yuan and Xiao Yixian walked side to side. They got stopped by the city's guards, who asked for their identity.

"My name is Han Yuan, and this is my sister..." Han Yuan introduced.

"Han Yixian!" Xiao Yixian quickly added.

Han Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly before chuckling in his heart and followed, "Our family got attacked by a bandit, and only my sister and I could run away..."

"This..." The guards were stunned. Even then, they believed these kids because this scenario happened often on the Dou Qi Continent. It is a place where only the strong can talk, and the weak suffer.

Honestly, Wu Tan wasn't that peaceful either. Three clans, Xiao, Ao Ba, and Ji Lie Clans, have been competing with each other fiercely for years, and have not shown a sign of stopping, with several people being injured and disabled, but in the shadows, death is even more possible.

While the 'common' people won't suffer much as long as they live quietly under the rules of the three clans, the monopoly of the market is barely enough for living here.

Dou Fighters!

Only Dou Fighters have a say in this city.

The city guard sighed, "Okay, you can get in."

"However, I recommended that you stay in the Primer Commercial Street as it was safer there than the other street."

"If you don't have money, you can earn it by being a coolie and manual worker on the Primer Auction House's herbal field. I heard they are still looking for workers."

"The Primer Auction House provides housing and basic living needs for kids like you, and if you're talented, you might have a chance to get Dou Techniques."

"Primer Auction House." Han Yuan commented excitedly, like any kid would, but it was just an act. "There is such a benevolent force in this world..."

The city guard shook his head gently, "It's all about making money. If you are worth the investment, they could even give you land and a mountain of gold."

"If you're not, just live your life comfortably and quietly."

"Thank you for telling me, uncle." Han Yuan smiled while entering the city with Xiao Yixian.

"U-Uncle..." The city guard was speechless. "I am not even twenty this year."

The other city guard started laughing at their fellow guards.

Unknown to them, the arrival of Han Yuan and Xiao Yixian is the start of another storm in Wu Tan City.

...