Hearing these words, she quickly grasped the situation. It dawned on her that the reason she was here was all thanks to him!
Yun Yun frowned and asked, "Tell me, is it your doing that I'm here?"
Uhh… she saw right through him! Chen Xuan forced a smile, reluctant to admit it directly. "Well… it's a long story."
"And who exactly are you?" Yun Yun looked at him warily. This world was vastly different from the Dou Qi Continent!
Her internal energy, or Dou Qi, couldn't be used here, leaving her no different from an ordinary person. If this man had ill intentions, she was indeed a lamb led to the slaughter.
"Who I am isn't important. What's important is that I can eventually help you get back to the Dou Qi Continent!" Chen Xuan tried to appear trustworthy.
Yun Yun pressed on urgently, "How will you do that?"
"Let's talk about it later." Chen Xuan was still gathering what he needed and couldn't do it just yet.
"I'm in a hurry. If you can help me, Yun Yun won't forget your kindness." Yun Yun's expression grew anxious.
She had a three-year promise with Xiao Yan, and she was supposed to return with the Purple Spirit Crystal. She couldn't afford to be delayed here!
Noticing Yun Yun's intense gaze, Chen Xuan sighed. "I understand, but for now, I can't do anything about it either."
"You brought me here without my consent! Did you even consider my opinion?" Frustrated and close to breaking down, Yun Yun struggled to process the idea of being unable to return to the Dou Qi Continent.
Chen Xuan was momentarily speechless. "Honestly, I didn't expect it to be you."
"I just want to return to the Jia Ma Empire. Is that really too much to ask?"
"Not at all," he replied.
"Then why can't you fulfill such a simple request?" Simple? Chen Xuan couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did she have any idea how difficult that was?
He explained his situation, using his best persuasive skills to make her understand.
After half an hour, Yun Yun finally let down her guard, trusting that he meant no harm.
Given the difference between Dou Qi and the Yuan Force of this world, Yun Yun couldn't use her Dou Qi here unless she converted it to Yuan Force.
Chen Xuan searched the system's shop and eventually found a basic spirit treasure—a ring that could convert Dou Qi to Yuan Force.
However, it had a limit: it would only work up to three times per day.
"Take this ring," he said, handing it over and explaining how to use it.
"Will it really work?" Yun Yun asked skeptically.
Could a simple ring convert her Dou Qi into the Yuan Force of this world?
"Give it a try."
"Alright." She cautiously tested it, and sure enough, her Dou Qi was able to flow, though not as smoothly as in her own world.
Nonetheless, she was satisfied, relieved to have some measure of self-defense.
Curious about his strength, Yun Yun asked, "With your skills, are you a Dou Wang or Dou Huang?"
Chen Xuan hesitated, then replied, "Maybe neither."
"Huh?" She was surprised.
"I'd say my strength is equivalent to a Nine-Star Dou Zong on the Dou Qi Continent."
"A Nine-Star Dou Zong?!" Yun Yun's eyes widened in shock.
He looked like he was in his teens; it seemed impossible for someone so young to be a Dou Zong! How did he achieve it?
Chen Xuan didn't delve too deeply into the subject, keeping things brief.
He then took her to an ancient tomb where she could stay temporarily.
As she was unfamiliar with the area, Yun Yun had no choice but to rely on him if she wanted to return to the Dou Qi Continent.
This fueled Chen Xuan's own excitement about eventually traveling to the Dou Qi Continent, wondering where he might arrive in its timeline.
In the following days, Yun Yun adapted to life in the Tianyan Mountains.
Xia Wanjin and Shi Haotian couldn't take their eyes off her, and Xuan Su and the others treated her warmly, eager to make her feel at home.
Naturally, they assumed Yun Yun was Chen Xuan's woman.
One evening, after Xuan Su and the others had gone to bed, Chen Xuan set up a campfire on a mountaintop, grilling meat he'd hunted, cleaned, and sliced into skewers.
He even bought some seasoning from the system's shop to add flavor.
The aroma spread through the air, drawing nearby wild beasts, though they quickly fled upon sensing his powerful aura.
Yun Yun couldn't resist the delicious smell and stared at the skewers, mouth watering.
She had never encountered food so tantalizing!
Once the meat was cooked, Chen Xuan handed her a skewer.
She took a bite, and her eyes lit up—this was the most delicious meat she'd ever tasted!
Throwing decorum aside, she devoured over ten skewers without feeling full.
After watching Chen Xuan cook a few more times, Yun Yun thought she'd mastered the art of grilling and offered to take over.
Chen Xuan agreed, leaving her to grill while he went to the tomb. He planned to return shortly to eat.
After he left, Yun Yun decided to prepare more skewers, adding extra seasonings to enhance the flavor.
The aroma was so mouthwatering that she could hardly wait.
When Chen Xuan returned, he was met with a sight of nearly burnt skewers, looking bewildered.
"The meat's burnt. Didn't you notice?"
Yun Yun replied, "Ha! You have no idea how many people dream of tasting my cooking! You should feel lucky to eat something I made!" She ignored his complaint, happily eating the skewers herself.
Chen Xuan sighed, accepting a skewer she offered and taking a big bite.
But after a couple of bites, he sensed… something was off!
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