“I can’t thank you enough for your help...” Xun Liuxian spoke with heavy gratitude. 

  He locked eyes with the girl that saved his life at the brink of death. Without her help, he would’ve long passed on to the the reincarnation wheel and never gained such a valuable treasure like the one in his hand. The lustrous glow of the weapon couldn’t be dimmed even inside such a dark cave. It shone with a golden glow that threatened to blind him. But he didn’t care, it was just too magnificent to look away. 

“With this, it shouldn’t be too hard for you get revenge on that despicable Tang Wuying.” Meili said to him. 

“How could I ever repay you for this?” Liuxian asked. 

“All I ask from you is your cooperation. I might not have told you this before but you can surely tell that I hold a deep grudge against a certain someone.” 

“I noticed a deep hatred within your eyes... I felt a connection with that hate... I too hold similar feelings against a man.”  

“Was he the one that put you in that state I found you?” Liuxian nodded quietly to her question. 

“The man I wish to kill is just one person on a long list of people I will add. My goal is to change this world. Where evil is not allowed to exist and the man I plan to kill, is nothing but evil incarnate. But I cannot do it alone. By myself I am just a weakling, but with powerful allies by my side, there is nothing I won’t be able to accomplish.” 

“I would like to join you, no. Meili, let me join you.” Liuxian requested. 

“You will be fighting against the laws of the Heavens themselves who seem to favor the wicked over the just. Are you prepared to handle that weight on your soul?” Meili asked. 

“The Heavens? Hmph. I’ll break the very sky itself to change this horrible world.” Liuxian responded. 

“Then follow me and never forget the feeling in your heart right now.”  

“If I do forget, just knock me upside the head until I can remember again.” He grinned. 

“Not a problem.” She smiled back. 

---

“How annoying.” Tang Wuying cursed under his breath. 

  Both him and Gong Jun were being followed by a large group of cultivators who were too weak to survive on their own and were sticking to them like parasites, sucking up their leftovers and trash that held no use to the either of them. 

“What are you smiling for?! You should be just as annoyed as I am.” Tang barked at Gong. 

“Is it really such a bother to have a crowd behind us? Look at them. Don’t they look just pitiful?”  Gong chuckled. 

  At Gong’s forgiving words, they all made sure to look as weak and pathetic as possible. The women making puppy eyes, the men avoiding eye contact and staring at the ground, and absolutely none of them made a peep. Seeing that none of them were near his strength made Tang less inclined to assault any of them. It wouldn’t be worth his time wasting his energy on these pieces of trash. 

“Whatever. Let’s start heading back. I’m definitely not getting stuck in here with you and these wastes.” Tang announced. 

“Don’t say such harmful words Junior Brother. I wouldn’t mind spending a few years with you.” Gong teased. 

“Don’t say something so disgusting or I’ll kill you.” Tang coldly responded. 

“Always the shy one.” Gong mocked once again. 

“I really will kill you, you know?” 

  Gong only smiled in response to this threat. 

---

“Hahahahaha! Me and my secret boyfriend are unstoppable!” Yanyu cried out in excitement. 

“Shush girl! Are you out of your mind?!” Bo Fai hushed her. 

  The young couple was currently deep inside the Great Mountain. Bo Fai found his way through a secret passage and led them into a Prideful Giant Sloth’s nest. Bo Fai and Yanyu stood over the previously sleeping cubs of the Giant Sloth. Knowing that their worth is very valuable due to their rarity.  

“Damn it! Deal with the babies and I'll handle the mom!” Fai cursed. 

“I’m not killing them Fai! They’re too cute!” 

“Are you kidding me!?”  

“There has to be something else valuable in here. Give me a moment to look!”  

“I don’t have a moment!” The mother sloth has returned and roared out in anger at the sight of the two humans. 

  She struck down with her mighty claw, forcing Bo Fai to dodge. He held out his palms and let off a mass of flames that seemed to only annoy the animal rather than do any real harm to it. Just seeing the lack of effect his martial skill had on the spirit beast made him feel hopeless. There was no way he would be able to take care of this beast. Which meant he had to rely on Yanyu to quickly find something of value before he dies to this beast. Bo Fai was forced into dodging with all his strength. Speed was not his field of mastery... 

“Hang on Secret Boyfriend! I think I see something shiny back here! Try not to die before I can get it okay?!” Yanyu yelled. 

“Just hurry!”  

“I am! Yelling at me won’t make me go any faster! Just so you know!”  

  Bo Fai would’ve loved to respond back to the talkative brat but he was too busy trying to survive. The Prideful Giant Sloth was a species that was unlike any other sloth species. The word pride in their name came from the fact that these spirit beasts hone their speed from birth. They are instinctively aware of their species being known for slowness and do everything to go against that stigma. Speed is everything to them and when they find something that can challenge the speed they place their pride on, they’ll do anything to win. 

  So, seeing Bo Fai just barely being able to avoid its attacks only infuriated the spirit beast even more. It focused its entire attention on Bo Fai, carefully watching his moves to kill him in the bloodiest of ways. Bo Fai could tell that the sloth’s attacks were speeding up, bloody cuts from its long claws were slowly piling up on his body. It wouldn’t be long before a limb or something else important was lost. 

“Damn it beast! If I was in my prime, all it would take is a fart to deal with you!” Bo Fai concentrated his phoenix flames in between his hands. 

  Standing still like this was definitely going to hurt but it was his only chance of slowing the animal down momentarily. The Prideful Sloth raked its claws across Fai’s chest, deeply wounding his body. The handsome dark-haired youth bit his teeth to stop himself from screaming. Taking that attack wasn’t without its benefits though, Bo Fai fired the concentrated orb of phoenix flames into the spirit beast’s mouth just as Yanyu returned. 

“I found these pretty gems! And a cute sloth baby!” She happily cheered. 

“Yeah... Great... Let’s get out of here...” He slapped a teleportation spell on Yanyu’s chest and one for himself. 

“Ahn!” She moaned in surprise. He only rolled his eyes at the exaggerated sound. There wasn’t any time for this. 

---

“You can never tell a living soul about this!” Liu Lan threatened while she slipped her underwear back on 

“I would never.” Fu Kang smiled, putting his robes back on. 

“I mean it! I will kill you and then kill myself if anyone found out what we did.” She promised. 

“Sweet Fairy Liu, there is no need to feel embarrassed. I was only helping your illness.” He said to calm her. 

“How did you even know that I was sick?! Ever since my 13th birthday I've suffered from this disease! Not even my father knew of it! You figured it out with just a glance! How?!” She questioned. 

“What lovely pair of breasts you have.” Liu had yet to cover her chest. 

“Pervert!” She smacked him across his face while covering her nipples with her arm. 

  The two of them got completely dressed and stood next to one another. Fu Kang owed Liu Lan his life. She saved him from the brink of death after his Spirit World collapsed. After his unfortunate run in with the crazy bitch, he was left in the Great Volcano on the verge of life and death. It was thanks to her using pills gained from Elder Ru that he is alive right now. 

  That was when her symptoms flared up. After she saved him, he could immediately tell what was wrong with her thanks to the auxiliary martial art he’s learned. Studying up on alchemy also helped him understand exactly how to solve her problem. It’s a rare disease that only pops up in certain young women and could only be cured with the help of a man. He only remembered this cure due to his immense interest in the opposite sex. Perhaps this illness was the reason why she decided to become an alchemist... 

“If your illness flares up again, don’t be shy to get in touch with me. I’ll be willing to help you at any time of the day.” He slyly grinned at her. 

  This treatment couldn’t be finished in just a single session. She’s had this illness for years. It will take time to fully eliminate the root of the sickness. Even with his advanced ranked dual cultivation art. 

“I... will place my trust in you... BUT! Don’t forget that this is only to cure my disease! I haven’t accepted you as my partner or anything like that!” Her cheeks turned red. 

“Would it really be so bad to be my woman?” Kang asked sincerely. 

“Hmph. Fix your perverted personality and maybe I’ll think about you as a potential partner.” She coldly responded. 

“I’m not perverted! I just love women!” 

“My man will only need to love me as his woman. His eyes should only be focused on me.”  

“I don’t mind a selfish wife. Keep a tight leash around me and-” His words were interrupted. 

“Shut up! I’m already embarrassed enough about what just happened. To think a scoundrel like you took my first time... I don’t know what I was thinking...” She got up and started to walk away. 

“I really do care about you Liu! I’m serious when I say that. I know I don’t usually seem serious but I do understand when it is time to joke around and when it's time to not.” He told her before she went too far. 

“Prove to me, you’re worthy of being my lover.” She left him off with those words. Knowing deep in her heart that it’ll take a miracle for someone like Kang to convince her family. 

---