“Thank you, young brother, for rescuing my Hundred Flowers Island today. I will definitely return this favor someday!”
The island leader was the first to recover her composure. She looked at Xiao Yufan with lingering astonishment, as she had never heard of such a young cultivator at the Heaven Spirit stage before.
“There’s no need for repayment. Today’s intervention was merely a convenient opportunity since I was already here to return something that belonged to Hundred Flowers Island,” Xiao Yufan replied with a slight nod toward the beautiful woman. Being the ruler of an island, she clearly possessed both skill and strength, making her worthy of his respect.
“Return something?!”
The island leader was puzzled. She couldn’t recall any previous connection between Hundred Flowers Island and such a young man. After all, their island was secluded in the Southern Sea, rarely interacting with the outside world.
“Master, he’s the man I told you about earlier. When North Star Island forced us into a desperate situation back then, it was him who saved us. Returning three petals of the Heaven Burial Flower was the promise we made at that time!”
At that moment, Hua Yun approached, her beautiful eyes resting on Xiao Yufan, flickering with a subtle emotion. She hadn’t expected that when they met again, this man would have already surpassed her by a wide margin.
“Truly, heroes emerge at a young age! So you’re the young man my little Yun and Xiao Yue often spoke about. It’s quite a journey just for three petals of the Heaven Burial Flower—thank you for going through all that trouble.”
“Master, who’s been talking about him all the time…”
A faint blush slowly crept onto Hua Yun’s delicate, pale face. Her lips curved into a charming smile as she playfully protested, causing Xiao Yufan to momentarily lose himself.
“This is something between the younger generation, so I’d better keep quiet. Otherwise, you’ll be complaining about me again, young lady!”
The beautiful woman wore a surprised expression. Hua Yun had practically been raised by her, and this was the first time she had ever seen her display such a tender, feminine side. It was clear that this young man held a special place in her heart.
Recalling Hua Yue’s recent behavior as well, the island leader couldn’t help but shake her head. This young man’s charm was indeed formidable.
“These are the two petals of the Heaven Burial Flower, returned in full to Hundred Flowers Island. And this is a Break Celestial Pill—it should help the island leader overcome the bottleneck to advance to the middle stage of the Heaven Spirit realm.”
If he let the island leader and Hua Yun continue their conversation, Xiao Yufan was certain the two women would soon pinch his waist again. So he decisively interrupted their exchange.
With that, the two petals and the pill flew from his hand and landed neatly in the island leader’s grasp.
The beautiful woman’s body visibly trembled as she caught the Break Celestial Pill, her face showing deep shock. For someone to casually offer a pill effective for Heaven Spirit stage cultivators was truly extravagant!
“We will accept the Heaven Burial Flower petals, but this Break Celestial Pill does not belong to Hundred Flowers Island!”
Though she desperately needed a pill to aid her cultivation, the island leader knew she couldn’t accept such a gift without having earned it. Especially after Xiao Yufan had already saved the island.
“There’s no need to be so formal, Island Leader. If it weren’t for your companions from Hundred Flowers Island guiding me through that mysterious place, I might not have obtained the Heaven Burial Flower or seized such a rare opportunity. Consider this pill as my token of gratitude.”
Xiao Yufan smiled, his expression calm. While a Break Celestial Pill was indeed valuable, to him it was just a small price to pay. In his eyes, a single pill was a small investment to secure an alliance with a power equal to the Guardian Divine Sect.
“Master, just accept it. From the way Xiao Ge looks, I bet he has quite a few more of these Break Celestial Pills, right?” Hua Yue chimed in, smiling as she linked arms with the island leader.
Xiao Yufan twitched his lips, resisting the urge to tap the girl’s forehead. Did she think these pills were just lying around on the street? Out of nearly ten thousand pills, only a small fraction were effective for cultivators above the Spirit Awakening stage. And pills like the Break Celestial Pill, which were especially effective for Heaven Spirit stage cultivators, were even rarer.
“In that case, I’ll accept this gift on behalf of Hundred Flowers Island. However, I have one more request—perhaps an unreasonable one. I wonder if this young gentleman would be willing to help?”
“Please go ahead, Island Leader.”
“The reason North Star Island acted must be to reshape the power dynamics of the Southern Sea. Now that the hidden martial cultivation world of Huaxia is facing upheaval, Hundred Flowers Island cannot remain uninvolved. I would like to ask you to take care of my two disciples, Hua Yun and Hua Yue, until this storm passes, and then return them safely to me.”
The island leader spoke sincerely, her eyes filled with hope, making it impossible for Xiao Yufan to refuse.
“Master, I—”
“This is about whether he is willing to take care of you, not whether you want to leave. This is my decision. Do you intend to disobey your master’s command?”
Before Hua Yun could speak, she met her master’s stern gaze and swallowed her words. Though reluctant to leave, she now felt a quiet anticipation.
Xiao Yufan had initially wanted to refuse, but when he saw the expressions in Hua Yun and Hua Yue’s eyes, his heart softened. With a quiet sigh, he thought to himself—women really were complicated…
“Fine, I agree…”
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