After receiving Guardian Elder Bai Lie's promise, Xiao Feng finally felt the burden on his heart lighten.
Now, with a Dou Zun powerhouse willing to help if anything unexpected happened in the Gamma Empire, he could proceed with his plans without constantly worrying about the safety of the Xiao Family.
Leaving the Library Pavilion, Xiao Feng returned to his courtyard.
By the time he arrived, he had already packed everything he needed.
Medicinal herbs, pill formulas, cultivation resources, formation materials, and several jade bottles containing medicinal pills were all neatly stored inside his storage rings.
Looking around the familiar courtyard one last time, Xiao Feng smiled.
"It looks like everything is ready."
His companions had already gathered there to see him off.
Xiao Yi Xian walked over first, gently straightening his collar.
"You've always been the one taking care of everyone."
"Now remember to take care of yourself as well."
Xiao Feng smiled softly.
"I will."
Then he looked at her and said,
"After two months, once the next batch of medicinal herbs arrives at the Academy, all of you should prepare to leave."
"Remember to bring Xiao Yu with you."
"I want her to come to the Xiao Family as well."
"We'll be waiting for all of you there."
Xiao Yi Xian nodded with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry."
"I'll personally bring her."
Qing Lin stepped forward and handed him another storage ring.
"Big Brother Xiao Feng..."
"I've sorted all the medicinal herbs by grade."
"It'll be easier for you to find them."
Xiao Feng accepted it with a smile.
"Thank you, Qing Lin."
Zi Yan folded her arms and pouted.
"You better not find all the treasures before I get there."
Xiao Feng laughed.
"I'll leave plenty for you."
"Just wait two months, then you can come and search for them yourself."
Only then did Zi Yan grin happily.
Liu Fei smiled gently.
"We'll see you in two months."
Han Yue nodded.
"Don't overwork yourself."
"We'll catch up with you soon."
Lin Xiuya simply raised his sword.
"When we meet again..."
"I hope you've become even stronger."
Bai Cheng laughed loudly.
"And don't forget to save some good opponents for us!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Xiao Feng looked at every familiar face before cupping his fists.
"Take care of yourselves."
"In two months, I'll be waiting for all of you at the Xiao Family."
After saying his goodbyes, he slowly walked out of the courtyard.
Circulating the Dou Qi within his body, magnificent Dou Qi wings spread behind him.
With a powerful flap, Xiao Feng rose into the sky.
He waved one last time toward everyone below.
"Goodbye!"
The group watched as his figure gradually disappeared into the distance.
Soon, Xiao Feng arrived at the Academy's outer gate.
Because almost everyone within Canaan Academy knew him, none of the elders or instructors stopped him.
Instead, they smiled respectfully.
"Elder Xiao Feng."
"Safe travels."
Xiao Feng returned their greetings before flying straight out of Canaan Academy.
The moment he left the Academy's territory, he no longer restrained his speed.
His figure transformed into a streak of light as he crossed mountain ranges, rivers, and forests.
Half a day later, he completely left the Inner Region of the Black-Corner Region.
Without stopping even once, Xiao Feng continued flying day and night.
Whenever his Dou Qi became exhausted, he would briefly recover with medicinal pills before continuing at full speed.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The chaotic Black-Corner Region was now far behind him.
Ahead stretched an endless ancient forest.
Xiao Feng slowly reduced his speed and hovered in the air, looking at the boundless sea of trees.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So I've finally reached this place..."
The Magical Beast Mountain Range.
One of the largest ancient forests on the Dou Qi Continent.
Its enormous territory connected the Gamma Empire, the Luo Yan Empire, the Chu Yun Empire, the Mulan Empire, and numerous smaller kingdoms.
Countless Magical Beasts lived within its depths, making it one of the most dangerous regions surrounding the Gamma Empire.
Beyond this forest...
Only one more day's journey remained before he would finally return home.
Looking toward the direction of the Gamma Empire, Xiao Feng couldn't help but smile.
"It's been nearly two years."
"I'm finally going back home."
Flying above the endless canopy of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Feng maintained a steady speed, heading toward the Gamma Empire without stopping.
The cool mountain breeze brushed against his face as countless ancient trees passed beneath him.
Although he was eager to return home after nearly two and a half years, he did not completely lower his guard. Instead, his Soul Power continuously spread over the surrounding area, allowing him to detect any danger long before it approached.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
"Hmm?"
He sensed several powerful Aura fluctuations colliding not far ahead.
"A battle?"
Without hesitation, Xiao Feng folded his Dou Qi wings slightly and descended toward the source of the disturbance.
Flying close between the gaps of the towering trees, he moved swiftly through the forest.
Three minutes later, he arrived about one hundred meters below the battlefield.
Instead of rushing in immediately, Xiao Feng landed silently atop the branch of a gigantic ancient tree. The dense leaves completely concealed his figure as he quietly observed the battle above.
Watching from such a close distance allowed him to clearly feel the overwhelming Aura released by both sides.
His gaze first landed upon the two Magical Beasts.
One of them was a Purple Horned Fire Serpent at the peak of the Fifth Tier.
Its massive body stretched nearly eight meters long, completely covered in brilliant purple crystal-like scales that reflected the sunlight.
Its head resembled that of a ferocious dragon, while a crimson spiral horn protruded from its forehead.
Clusters of violet flames continuously revolved around its body, causing the surrounding air to distort from the intense heat.
Beside it was an even larger serpent.
This one had already reached the Sixth Tier.
Its Aura was clearly much more stable and oppressive, proving that it had entered the Dou Huang realm many years ago.
Seeing the two serpents, Xiao Feng couldn't help but think,
"This Purple Horned Fire Serpent would make an excellent guardian beast for Qing Lin."
With Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, taming serpent-type Magical Beasts was far easier than for ordinary people.
For a brief moment, Xiao Feng seriously considered capturing it alive.
However, he quickly shook his head.
"Forget it."
"I'm traveling alone."
"I don't have the time or energy to suppress and transport a Fifth Tier Magical Beast all the way back."
"If it escapes midway, it'll only create unnecessary trouble."
He immediately dismissed the thought and shifted his attention toward the lone human fighting the two serpents.
His eyes lit up slightly.
The warrior was a woman.
She stood proudly in the sky with a pair of elegant cyan Dou Qi wings spread behind her.
She wore a simple yet graceful dress that perfectly outlined her slender figure.
A long sword emitting a faint cyan radiance rested firmly in her hand.
Her long black hair was tied into a noble phoenix ornament, while her beautiful face remained calm despite facing two powerful Magical Beasts alone.
Every swing of her sword carried traces of Wind Attribute Dou Qi.
Like the wind itself, she continuously dodged the serpents' attacks by the narrowest of margins.
Although she was clearly at a disadvantage, not once did panic appear on her beautiful face.
Seeing this, Xiao Feng couldn't help but nod inwardly.
"What a calm temperament."
"Most people would have already lost their composure after being surrounded by two opponents of equal strength."
"She's quite impressive."
Rather than interfering immediately, Xiao Feng continued observing.
This kind of battle between Dou Huang powerhouses was rare.
Every exchange contained valuable combat experience.
Perhaps he could gain some inspiration for his own fighting style.
The battle continued for several minutes.
The female warrior relied on her extraordinary speed and exquisite swordsmanship to gradually create opportunities to escape.
Just as she narrowly dodged another bite from the Sixth Tier serpent...
The Purple Horned Fire Serpent suddenly opened its enormous mouth.
Hiss!
A dense cloud of poisonous purple mist erupted outward.
Instead of attacking her directly...
It completely covered the path she intended to use for evasion.
"What excellent teamwork."
Even Xiao Feng couldn't help but praise the serpents.
The female warrior's expression finally changed.
Although she immediately attempted to change direction, it was already too late.
The poisonous mist engulfed her body.
"Cough..."
Her delicate body trembled violently.
The poison rapidly invaded her system.
Her Dou Qi circulation immediately became sluggish.
Even the cyan glow surrounding her sword dimmed noticeably.
Taking advantage of this opening, the Sixth Tier serpent immediately swung its enormous tail like a giant whip.
Boom!
Unable to dodge in time, the female warrior hastily crossed her sword before her body.
The terrifying impact sent her flying dozens of meters through the air.
"Puff!"
A mouthful of fresh blood escaped her lips.
Her Aura instantly weakened.
The poison, combined with the heavy blow, pushed her to the brink of losing consciousness.
As she struggled to stabilize herself in midair, both serpents attacked simultaneously, intending to finish her off.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Feng sighed softly.
"I can't just stand here and watch someone die."
He never expected repayment for saving others.
Helping someone in danger was simply consistent with his own principles.
As for what happened afterward...
He would think about it later.
Without another moment of hesitation, Xiao Feng's figure shot into the sky.
At the same time, he waved his hand.
A dark figure instantly appeared before him.
The Heavenly Demon Puppet.
Having absorbed the Seventh-Rank Pill Lightning, the puppet had already advanced from a Four-Star Dou King to a One-Star Dou Huang, making it the perfect opponent to temporarily hold back the Sixth Tier serpent.
"Go!"
With Xiao Feng's command, the Heavenly Demon Puppet charged fearlessly toward the stronger serpent, its metallic fist colliding head-on with the beast's enormous tail.
Boom!
The violent collision echoed throughout the forest.
The sudden appearance of another Dou Huang instantly startled both serpents.
Without waiting for them to react, Xiao Feng flashed beside the injured female warrior.
Seeing her pale face and gradually closing eyes, he gently supported her waist before she could fall from the sky.
The female warrior weakly opened her beautiful eyes.
She looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared before her.
Her lips moved slightly, as though trying to say something.
However...
Before a single word could leave her mouth, darkness overtook her consciousness.
Her body went limp in Xiao Feng's arms.
Seeing the female warrior lose consciousness, Xiao Feng did not hesitate.
Supporting her gently with one arm, he spread his Soul Power over the surrounding area while controlling the Heavenly Demon Puppet to hold back the two serpent Magical Beasts.
His sharp senses quickly searched the nearby mountains.
A few moments later, he discovered a secluded cave several miles away from the battlefield.
"There."
Without wasting another second, Xiao Feng flapped his Dou Qi wings and flew toward the cave at full speed.
Behind him, the Heavenly Demon Puppet fought fearlessly against the Sixth Tier serpent.
Its purpose was never to defeat the Magical Beast.
It only needed to buy Xiao Feng enough time to leave.
After exchanging several heavy blows, the puppet immediately followed Xiao Feng's command and retreated.
The two serpent Magical Beasts watched the fleeing puppet before turning their gazes toward the direction Xiao Feng had disappeared.
However, neither of them gave chase.
Their objective had always been to drive intruders away from their territory.
Now that the enemies had already escaped far beyond their hunting grounds, they simply let out several angry hisses before returning to the depths of the forest and disappearing into their own cave.
...
Several minutes later...
Xiao Feng landed quietly before the secluded cave.
He first released his Soul Power, carefully scanning every corner inside.
After confirming that there were no Magical Beasts or hidden dangers, he finally entered.
He gently placed the unconscious woman against a smooth stone wall before taking out a jade bottle from his Storage Ring.
Inside were Fifth-Rank Healing Pills.
Taking out one pill, Xiao Feng gently opened her lips and carefully fed it into her mouth.
Using a strand of Dou Qi, he helped the medicinal power flow into her body.
"This should be enough."
The healing pill he had chosen was not an expensive instant-recovery medicine.
Instead, it was a relatively common Fifth-Rank healing pill that gradually repaired internal injuries over time.
After all...
He knew nothing about this mysterious female warrior.
If he immediately used one of his precious high-grade healing pills and completely restored her strength...
Only for her to misunderstand him and attack the moment she woke up...
That would only create unnecessary trouble.
Although Xiao Feng was confident that he could suppress or escape from an ordinary Dou Huang, doing so would waste both time and Dou Qi.
For now, allowing her injuries to recover slowly was the better choice.
Not long after swallowing the medicinal pill, the woman's breathing gradually became steadier.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly.
Slowly...
She opened her beautiful eyes.
The first thing she saw was the face of a young man quietly sitting beside her.
For a brief moment, confusion flashed across her eyes.
However, after sensing that she was no longer on the battlefield and that the violent beastly Aura had disappeared, a trace of relief unexpectedly appeared within her heart.
She did not say a word.
Instead, she quietly closed her eyes again and began circulating her Wind Attribute Dou Qi, using the medicinal power to heal her injuries.
Seeing this, Xiao Feng smiled faintly.
"At least she doesn't seem to regard me as an enemy."
He remained silent, allowing her to concentrate on her recovery.
However, as he casually observed her condition, his expression gradually became serious.
Her originally fair and delicate face had turned a strange purplish-red.
Tiny beads of cold sweat continuously appeared on her forehead.
At the same time, a faint foul odor was slowly seeping from the wounds on her body.
Xiao Feng frowned.
He immediately released a thread of Soul Power to carefully inspect her condition.
Only a few breaths later...
His expression changed.
"So that's it..."
"The healing pill is repairing her injuries..."
"But the poison inside her body is spreading even faster."
"The Purple Horned Fire Serpent's venom."
"And judging from how quickly it's spreading..."
"This isn't ordinary beast poison."
"If it isn't removed soon..."
"Even a Dou Huang won't be able to hold on for much longer."
Looking at the unconscious woman before him, Xiao Feng couldn't help but sigh softly.
"It seems..."
"Saving you was only the first step."
"Now I have to find a way to detoxify you first."