A cave?
Mu Chen's mind was filled with speculation. He glanced at Little Fairy Doctor and Blue Hawk, piecing together how Little Fairy Doctor had discovered the Poison Master's cave. It must have been because of Blue Hawk.
Mu Chen arrived in Qing Mountain Town but did not interfere with the Ten Thousand Medicines Shop's herb-gathering team's expedition into the Magical Beast Forest. In the original timeline, Little Fairy Doctor had undoubtedly encountered a beast tide, leading to her meeting with Blue Hawk. With Blue Hawk's guidance, she had discovered the cave where the Poison Master resided.
Although Little Fairy Doctor had found the cave, she had been unable to enter its gates. In the days that followed, by the time she was prepared and confident enough to enter the cave, she encountered Xiao Yan, who had also come to the Magical Beast Forest.
"A cave?"
Little Fairy Doctor looked at Mu Chen with confusion. She couldn't understand what was so special about a cave. This wasn't her first time in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and there were countless caves here. She truly couldn't see why a cave would be something to be surprised about.
"Let's go check it out together," Mu Chen said, standing up. He hadn't forgotten about his check-in mission, which involved checking in at the Poison Master's cave in the Magical Beast Mountain Range with Little Fairy Doctor.
"Isn't it too late now? Shouldn't we wait until daylight?" Little Fairy Doctor cautioned.
"With me here, there's nothing to fear," Mu Chen replied with a smile. With a thought, a flame appeared in his hand.
The appearance of the black-and-white flame caused the surrounding temperature to rise to a terrifying level. Despite it being a cool night, beads of sweat began to form on Little Fairy Doctor's forehead.
The flame illuminated an area of fifty meters around Mu Chen. Concerned about Little Fairy Doctor's presence, Mu Chen refrained from activating the Yin-Yang Dual Flames. If he had, the illuminated area would have spanned hundreds of miles.
"What is this?" Little Fairy Doctor asked, her heart pounding.
"Strange Fire," Mu Chen replied.
"Strange Fire?" Little Fairy Doctor looked bewildered.
"Yes, a peculiar flame born from the heavens and earth. It's the essence of fire energy. Let's go and check out that cave," Mu Chen said, already walking toward the cliff.
Little Fairy Doctor hesitated, glancing back at the eerie forest. It looked like a primordial beast crouching on the ground, ready to open its massive maw and devour anyone who approached. A chill and a sense of dread rose in her heart. She took a step forward and eventually followed Mu Chen.
When Little Fairy Doctor reached the edge of the cliff, the darkness of the night made it difficult to see clearly. Below the cliff was a forest, barely visible in the faint moonlight. Little Fairy Doctor's eyes fell on a plant growing at the cliff's edge, its pale white flowers in full bloom. Hidden within the flowers were faintly visible red fruits. A faint medicinal aroma wafted through the air from the plant.
Little Fairy Doctor crouched down and carefully plucked the plant.
"Nice find, a White Orchid Fruit. Worth over four thousand gold coins!"
Mu Chen's voice sounded beside Little Fairy Doctor's ear.
She looked at him in surprise. "You know about medicinal herbs?"
Little Fairy Doctor had already been impressed by Mu Chen's cultivation level, but she hadn't expected him to be knowledgeable about medicinal herbs as well.
"To be honest," Mu Chen said with a slight smile, "I'm also an Alchemist."
"An Alchemist?"
Little Fairy Doctor's expression froze for a moment, then she chuckled dismissively. "You're an Alchemist?"
Mu Chen nodded.
Little Fairy Doctor asked curiously, "What rank?"
"Well... the highest-grade pill I've refined so far is eighth-grade."
Mu Chen paused. With his current soul power, he could refine Emperor-grade pills. However, the highest-grade pill he had actually refined was the Bone-Growing Blood-Fusion Pill, an eighth-grade pill. Modest as always, he conservatively referred to himself as an eighth-grade Alchemist.
"Eighth-grade?"
Little Fairy Doctor rolled her eyes at Mu Chen, exasperated. "Come on, do you have to exaggerate like that?"
Mu Chen looked at her but didn't argue. He glanced at the White Orchid Fruit in her hand and said, "White Orchid Fruit, a mid-grade medicinal herb, usually grows on cliff edges. Although it's not rare, it's often eaten by bird-type Magical Beasts shortly after it sprouts, making it somewhat scarce among mid-grade herbs. Since we both saw it, and it's not particularly valuable, you can keep it."
After showing off his knowledge of medicinal herbs, Mu Chen reached out and wrapped his arm around Little Fairy Doctor's slender waist.
"You..."
Little Fairy Doctor's eyes widened, her mind going blank. She tried to break free from Mu Chen's grip, but he held her firmly, making it impossible for her to escape. She held onto something in her hand, hiding it behind her back. If Mu Chen tried anything, she would make him regret it.
"The cave is below the cliff. It's too dark to see, so I'll have to carry you down," Mu Chen explained.
Little Fairy Doctor remained silent, just staring at him.
"Aren't you going to hold onto me?" Mu Chen asked.
Little Fairy Doctor still didn't speak, but her flushed face answered for her.
"No mistake, no missing content, everything's in the 69shuba!"
"Are you sure?" Mu Chen asked with a sly smile.
Little Fairy Doctor nodded resolutely. She really wanted to refuse Mu Chen and not go down to see the cave. But this was the Magical Beast Forest, and Magical Beasts could appear at any moment. For the sake of her safety, she didn't dare to stay alone.
Mu Chen lightly tapped his toes, and the two of them rose into the air.
"Ah!"
Little Fairy Doctor let out a scream. The sudden sensation of being airborne startled her, and she instinctively clung tightly to Mu Chen.
Mu Chen's lips curled into a mischievous grin as he clearly felt something being pressed and deformed.
Little Fairy Doctor recovered after a moment, her face flushed. She wanted to let go of Mu Chen, but when she looked down at the dark abyss below, she decided to keep holding onto him, their bodies pressed close together.
The intimate contact struck a chord in Mu Chen's heart, sending a strong tremor through him.
Mu Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the heat in his abdomen. Holding Little Fairy Doctor's incredibly slender waist, he descended steadily toward a protruding stone platform, seemingly unaffected by gravity.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air. A black shadow shot toward Mu Chen.
"Be careful!"
Little Fairy Doctor cried out in alarm.
The shadow moved incredibly fast, taking advantage of the darkness. By the time Mu Chen and Little Fairy Doctor realized what was happening, it was only a meter away from Mu Chen.
Little Fairy Doctor saw what it was—a snake. A serpentine Magical Beast that lived on cliffs, around first-grade in strength. These Magical Beasts, with their flat, wing-like bodies, could glide through the air like birds. Their defenses were also strong, making them impervious to ordinary blades. This was a Cliff Snake!
Thud!
Mu Chen didn't move at all. With just a sharp look in his eyes, the Cliff Snake exploded into a cloud of blood and mist as it reached within a meter of him, leaving no trace of its body behind.