The Stunning Mad Empress: The Useless Third Miss - Chapter 18

She always felt that what she said and what this man said were not quite the same thing. Yet, she couldn’t quite articulate the difference. For the first time in her life, Xiao Qingcheng, who had always prided herself on being clever and cunning, found herself at a loss.

Just as Xiao Qingcheng was lost in thought, the man spoke: “My name is Qian Xun. You may call me Qian Xun from now on.”

“Qian Xun?” Xiao Qingcheng murmured, trying out the name on her lips.

“Qian Xun, as in ‘searching for him a thousand times among the crowd,’ it’s a good name. But, judging by the name… are you looking for something?” Xiao Qingcheng followed up with her question.

Qian Xun’s thin lips curled into a smile, softening his masked face. His bright eyes held a touch of deep sentiment: “One day, you will understand.”

“You’re not expecting me to be so grateful just because you gave me some herbs before, are you?” Xiao Qingcheng folded her arms, teasing him on purpose.

She had encountered this man several times and believed that with his formidable strength and mysterious background, detoxifying someone would be a piece of cake. But why he was so “attentive” to her, she couldn’t fathom. Could it be a stroke of luck from the heavens? But sometimes, the heavens might just drop a brick on your head, right?

Xiao Qingcheng, who never believed in such things, couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer and asked.

Qian Xun looked at Xiao Qingcheng, who was cute yet puzzled, and naive yet sharp. He subconsciously reached out and ruffled her soft, fluffy little head. The texture was quite pleasant.

“You are very clever. If you grow up and enter the Xianfu for cultivation, and if you become the best student there, then you will have the right to ask me about this matter,” Qian Xun said after ruffling her head, then walked away with his hands behind his back, leaving Xiao Qingcheng standing by the stream, lost in thought.

“Xianfu? What is that place?” Xiao Qingcheng tried hard to search her memory but still had no recollection of it.

“Master, the Xiao family you belong to is just one of the most peripheral clans under the Xianfu. Xianfu is the most powerful territory on the entire Fengming Continent and the center of power and various forces. Even a powerful country like the Southern Kingdom has to bow down to the Xianfu. But for the Esteemed One, the Xianfu is nothing special,” Little Pearl  explained while hopping and running.

“So powerful?” Xiao Qingcheng raised her eyebrows in amazement.

“Of course. There are too many strong people on this continent. Talking too much now would not be beneficial to your cultivation. Master, you need to grow up quickly. First, become the strongest in Xiao Family Town, and then you will have the right to compete for the qualification to enter the Xianfu at the Xiao family’s main residence,” Little Pearl patiently explained, jumping onto Xiao Qingcheng’s shoulder.

Xiao Qingcheng, who appeared calm on the surface, actually took to heart what Little Pearl  and Qian Xun had said. One day, she would definitely become the strongest and look down upon all others.

Little Pearl, seeing the gleam in Xiao Qingcheng’s eyes, covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Master, hurry up and follow the Esteemed One. The rare treasure is about to emerge, and we should follow to get some benefits,” Little Pearl urged.

Xiao Qingcheng snapped back to reality and quickly gathered her primal energy to catch up.

Inside the pit, the dense forest and mountainous terrain were interspersed and undulating. The vast expanse stretched for thousands of miles, beyond the reach of the eye. Xiao Qingcheng had never imagined that there would be such a vast world inside the pit when she was above it.

Following Qian Xun, Xiao Qingcheng continuously weaved through the towering trees. When the obstructing leaves suddenly cleared, and the view opened up, Qian Xun’s voice rang out: “We’re here!”

Xiao Qingcheng stopped, gathered her energy, and looked up. On the vast and open grassland, towering stone pillars rose from the ground. These stone pillars, each with a diameter of about one meter, were arranged in an extremely eerie pattern. There was also a slight white mist swirling among them, adding to the mystery.

“This formation is called the Giant Stone Array. The appearance of the Giant Stone Array indicates that the rare treasure is about to emerge,” Qian Xun explained to Xiao Qingcheng beside him.

“You’ve been saying that the rare treasure is about to emerge. So, how much time is left before it does?” Xiao Qingcheng asked.

Qian Xun glanced back at Xiao Qingcheng and said, “Just half an hour. Let’s go, Ying Yi is already waiting for us on the other side.”

With that, Qian Xun stepped towards the Giant Stone Array. Xiao Qingcheng immediately followed. As soon as she stepped into the formation, she noticed the air was different. There was no trace of primal energy within the formation, and the air was extremely thin. There was also a faint, special odor mixed in.

Xiao Qingcheng took a deep breath and carefully identified the smell for a moment before Qian Xun raised his hand and placed a barrier around her. “The air contains a scent that can anesthetize human nerves. Be careful.”

Xiao Qingcheng, regaining her senses, quickly warned Qian Xun outside the barrier. “Master, the Esteemed One won’t be afraid of this mere Giant Stone Array. We just need to take care of ourselves,” Little Pearl, lying on Xiao Qingcheng’s shoulder, said lazily.

“How strong is he? What level of primal energy does he have?” Xiao Qingcheng curiously asked.

Little Pearl chuckled and said, “The Esteemed One is the most powerful man on the entire Fengming Continent. Master, you will understand in the future.”

Little Pearl, pretending to be profound by stroking her mouth like her Esteemed One, lay on Xiao Qingcheng’s shoulder. Xiao Qingcheng followed Qian Xun through the Giant Stone Array effortlessly within the barrier.

“Esteemed One, there is something unusual inside the mountain stream waterfall ahead. The rare treasure should be there,” Ying Yi reported respectfully, kneeling on one side.

Suddenly, a loud “boom!” echoed. A water column thousands of meters high suddenly rose from the waterfall pool ahead. From within the water column, a piercing roar came: “Awoo…” It was deafening and earth-shattering.

Xiao Qingcheng, inside the barrier, endured the ringing in her ears and gritted her teeth, asking, “What’s going on? There’s something in the water! Is it guarding the treasure?”

Ying Yi raised an eyebrow, thinking how smart this Miss Xiao was.

“Any rare treasure sent from the heavens will inevitably have a powerful guardian beast,” Qian Xun said. As he spoke, a five-clawed black dragon soared into the sky from the water. Xiao Qingcheng watched as the dragon’s tail flicked, and nearly half of the distant forest was reduced to rubble.

“Whoa, that’s quite destructive,” Little Pearl whispered, grabbing Xiao Qingcheng’s ear with her paw. “Don’t worry, Master, with the Esteemed One here, we’ll be fine.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Xun, with his robes fluttering in mid-air, quickly formed seals in front of his chest. A hint of dominance and contempt flashed across his handsome face. The next second, an extremely bright white light flashed across the entire pit. Even Nan Gongyu and his group, who were lying on the ground above the pit and on the hill, were blinded by the light and couldn’t open their eyes.