22: Chapter 22 Sister-obsessed Yao Jia Protects Shi Wen, Searching for the Spirit Flower in the Poisonous Valley

On the forest path, the Law Enforcement Team members carried Yu Qing on a stretcher and escorted the unconscious Zhao Lei and Sun Hao, their steps steady as they headed towards the mountain gate.

Li Siwen (Li Shiwen) walked alongside, his head bowed as he discussed possible follow-up treatments for Yu Qing's injuries. Suddenly, a familiar cry came from ahead.

"Shiwen!"

The voice carried a note of urgency, yet also held a barely concealed joy.

Li Siwen looked up to see a figure in silver-patterned martial attire rushing out from the woods. It was none other than Chen Yaojia.

Her hair bun was slightly disheveled, the sleeves of her attire stained with the black blood of a Yao Beast, and a light sheen of sweat still clung to her face. Clearly, she had just finished a battle and had rushed here in a hurry.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Chen Yaojia rushed up to Li Siwen. Without waiting for him to speak, she grabbed his arm, her fingers swiftly sweeping over his shoulders, neck, and arms, even meticulously checking the dust on the hem of his clothes.

Only when she saw he had only the shallow wound previously inflicted by Zhao Lei did she let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders instantly slumping.

Fortunately, he wasn't seriously injured, otherwise she would have started doubting whether bringing 'Junior Sister Shiwen' to the Back Mountain Forest had been a mistake.

At the same time, she felt a flicker of confusion. Why did it seem like the Internal Energy within Junior Sister Shiwen's body felt more profound and refined than before?

However, this doubt vanished as quickly as it came; she didn't dwell on it.

"You scared me to death! When I saw the note you left about 'Black Wind Ravine Grotto,' I immediately arranged for Luo Chen and the others to return to the Sect with the Law Enforcement Team. I ran all the way here myself, afraid something might have happened to you."

Chen Yaojia wrapped her arms around Li Shiwen in a hug. Her eyes actually turned slightly red, and her voice trembled faintly.

[Relief from Chen Yaojia +58]

[Fearful Aftermath from Chen Yaojia +42]

A warmth spread in Li Siwen's heart. Just as he was about to speak, Law Enforcement Team Member A beside them cleared his throat lightly, his eyes carrying a hint of teasing envy: "Senior Sister Chen truly cares deeply for Junior Sister Li. We were just saying that if anything happened to Junior Sister Li, you'd probably turn the Back Mountain upside down."

Leaning on the stretcher, Yu Qing offered a weak smile, a touch of relief in his eyes.

He thought to himself: If I end up crippled like this, at least Junior Sister Li has someone to protect her. That's good enough.

The teasing from others made the tips of Chen Yaojia's ears turn slightly red.

However, she wasn't one to be coy. She immediately shielded Li Siwen behind her, placing her hands on her hips and declaring, "Isn't that stating the obvious? Shiwen is my younger sister. If I don't protect her, should I protect you smelly men instead?"

Several Law Enforcement Team members hastily expressed they wouldn't dare, utterly unwilling to argue with Chen Yaojia.

However, Li Siwen could see that a few of them looked at Chen Yaojia with faint admiration in their eyes.

Thinking about it, it made sense. A woman as outstanding as Chen Yaojia naturally had admirers wherever she went; it wasn't strange at all.

Of course, Chen Yaojia's fiery and domineering personality meant not everyone dared to harbor hopes. So, some turned their attention to 'Li Shiwen'.

Her beauty was on par with Chen Yaojia's, perhaps even surpassing it, and her talent was equally astonishing.

Most importantly, her outward appearance was delicate and fragile, seeming like a very... well, easy target to pursue?

[Envy from Law Enforcement Team Member A +30]

[Admiration from Law Enforcement Team Member B +45]

[Relief from Yu Qing +25]

Li Siwen couldn't help but shudder, goosebumps rising on his skin.

"Ah, right!"

At that moment, Chen Yaojia seemed to remember something, her eyes lighting up as she pulled Li Siwen aside a couple of steps.

Lowering her voice, she said, "When I was rushing towards the Black Wind Ravine earlier, I passed by a Poison Mist Valley."

"In my hurried glance, I seemed to see a few purple flowers growing in the crevices of the rocks at the valley's edge. Their petals even shimmered with a spiritual glow, exactly like the bone-quenching spiritual flower I'd seen before in the Sect's ancient texts!"

Li Siwen's heart stirred. The bone-quenching spiritual flower was precisely one of the targets of his trip. He hadn't expected Chen Yaojia to discover the clue first.

"It's just that Poison Mist Valley is a bit dangerous. I was in a hurry to find you, so I didn't dare linger. I only memorized the location."

Chen Yaojia looked at him, her tone carrying a hint of anticipation: "Now that things are settled here, do you want to go check it out with me? If it's real, we can pick it for you right away."

Li Siwen naturally nodded: "Alright! Thank you, Sister Yaojia."

The two casually found an excuse to bid farewell to the Law Enforcement Team members and Yu Qing.

As one of the top ten outer Sect Disciples with formidable strength, Chen Yaojia naturally didn't need these Law Enforcement Team members to worry about her.

Yu Qing merely softly urged them to be careful, while the Law Enforcement Team members cautioned: "If you encounter danger, send a signal! There are still Law Enforcement Team members in the forest!"

Once the group had moved far away, Chen Yaojia took Li Siwen's hand and led him, walking briskly in the direction of Poison Mist Valley.

The forest breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees. Worried Li Siwen might not keep up, Chen Yaojia deliberately slowed her pace, frequently reminding him: "There are loose stones ahead, watch your step," "There are thorns here, let me clear them for you."

When they passed a small stream, she even scooped up a handful of water and offered it to Li Siwen's lips, the tenderness in her eyes impossible to conceal.

Li Siwen felt both touched and somewhat amused by all this doting. Was she treating him like a three-year-old? Was Chen Yaojia perhaps a brother-controlling type?

Even so, Li Siwen found himself quite enjoying this feeling.

It was just a bit hard to accept it with a clear conscience, since he wasn't truly the 'younger sister.'

After roughly the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, a valley shrouded in pale green mist appeared ahead—the Poison Mist Valley Chen Yaojia had mentioned.

As they approached this poisonous mist, a slight stinging and numbing sensation touched their skin, requiring them to circulate their Qi to resist.

The two circled to the cliffside edge of the valley. Looking down, they saw three purple spiritual flowers indeed growing in a rock crevice about three zhang below. Faint, shimmering light flowed over their petals—they were the bone-quenching spiritual flowers!

But before Li Siwen could rejoice, an ear-splitting beast roar suddenly erupted from below the cliff!

"Watch out!" Chen Yaojia instantly pulled Li Siwen behind her, gripping the short sword at her waist tightly.

From the shadows of Poison Mist Valley, a massive Yao Beast slowly crawled out.

Its body was covered in bluish-black scale armor, three sharp horns protruded from its head, and it exhaled breath laced with toxic mist. Its eyes, as large as bronze bells, were blood-red.

"This is a third-tier Yao Beast, a Tri-Horned Poison Scale Beast!" Chen Yaojia recognized it instantly, a hint of tension in her voice.

A third-tier Yao Beast was equivalent to a human cultivator at the Kaiyuan Realm, a notch stronger than Chen Yaojia's own half-step into the Kaiyuan Realm.

Sensing the oppressive aura emanating from the beast, Chen Yaojia's brows furrowed tightly, her voice grave: "This beast's poison scales and breath are highly toxic, and it can even manipulate the mist. Even for me, dealing with it would require great effort. We can't fight it head-on."

If she were alone, she could be more composed, but with 'Junior Sister Shiwen' by her side, she couldn't help but worry.

Li Siwen glanced at the bone-quenching spiritual flowers below the cliff, then at the restless Tri-Horned Poison Scale Beast, secretly gathering Internal Energy at his fingertips.

He absolutely had to obtain these spiritual flowers, but the threat of a third-tier Yao Beast was indeed greater than any enemy he had encountered before.