"This is bad! I have to attend the training program for the Alchemist competition. I’m participating next year, and I’ve already made arrangements with Dean Wang. Take me back this instant!" Ning Xuan commanded firmly.

"Contractor, I’ve already sent a message to Dean Wang in your name, telling him you have urgent matters to attend to and need a month’s leave," Chen Nan said, holding up the clothes and insisting on putting them on Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan glared at him without a word. She mustered her spiritual power, opened the Spiritual Link Channel, and stormed into Chen Nan’s Spiritual Sea. She furiously thrashed about inside, and Chen Nan’s expression stiffened for a moment before he smiled helplessly. "Contractor, if you want to vent your anger, I won’t resist. But the Flying Car is almost out of energy. We need to land."

Chen Nan then pulled Ning Xuan into his arms. He lifted her arms, guided them into the sleeves of a transparent thermal suit, and then fetched a black, fur-trimmed, hooded cloak to wrap her in completely. Ning Xuan was seething. Her Spiritual Power Value was far too low compared to Chen Nan’s. Even with an established spiritual connection, she couldn’t fully control him. Still, judging by his stiff expression, he wasn’t faring well either.

"Contractor, I’ve wanted to escape my family’s control since I was a child. I started making secret preparations once I came of age. This is my secret base. Neither my father’s people nor the mastermind who wants you dead can find us here." After getting out of the Flying Car with Ning Xuan, Chen Nan waved his hand, and the vehicle vanished into a Space Button made specifically to hold it.

As soon as she got out of the Flying Car, Ning Xuan felt a bone-chilling cold, as if she were in an ice cellar. She circulated the energy in her blood, and after a moment, she gradually adapted.

Ning Xuan’s face was cold, and she remained silent. ’It’s true I wanted to see the world, but on my own terms, not by being kidnapped without a word.’

Especially not by someone she was close to, someone she thought she could trust.

’To be backstabbed by someone like this... it makes me feel like such an idiot! What made me trust Chen Nan so easily? Was it because he’d saved me so many times, his willingness to grant my every request? Or was it the contractual system itself, which dictates that one must completely obey their Contractor? Or maybe... I was just overconfident and completely misjudged my own strength!’

"Chen Nan," Ning Xuan began, her gaze chillingly unfamiliar as she sized him up. "Today, you’ve gone against my wishes, betrayed me, and taken it upon yourself to kidnap me and bring me here. You’re not afraid of the consequences, are you? You think there’s nothing I can do to you, is that it?"

"Contractor, I haven’t betrayed you. I would never do anything to harm you. I didn’t want to take matters into my own hands, but I asked you several times to postpone the training program, and you refused. For your safety, I was forced to take this drastic measure." It was as if Chen Nan could read her mind, and he explained himself in a low voice.

"Don’t worry. Once this crisis is over, you can beat me to death, and I won’t have a single complaint." Chen Nan’s Level was high, and his constitution was excellent; even in this freezing climate, he stood tall and straight, showing no sign of being cold.

After they had walked a few hundred paces, an imposing, silvery city gate nearly ten meters high appeared before them. Carved above it were the three words: "Extreme Cold City." The gate was flanked by chillingly white walls, and a squad of soldiers stood guard. Chen Nan produced a Metal Plate and flashed it. The guards immediately parted, allowing Chen Nan to lead Ning Xuan through.

Inside the city was a wide avenue with a few people scattered about. Ning Xuan, bundled up with only her eyes showing, surveyed her surroundings.

Chen Nan was clearly familiar with the area. He led Ning Xuan around a few corners and into a place resembling a station platform. Two strange figures with lizard-like tails stood guard outside. Chen Nan swiped the Metal Plate on a scanner, and with a soft BEEP, a synthesized voice announced, "Welcome to the Express Portal. Destination locked. Please proceed."

The platform doors slid open, and Chen Nan and Ning Xuan stepped inside. There were already seven people within—five men and two women, all young. They all curiously sized up the newcomers, but no one spoke.

After two or three minutes, three more people boarded. The electronic prompt sounded within the portal. "All passengers, the Express Portal is about to activate. Please prepare."

"5, 4..." As the countdown began, Chen Nan pulled Ning Xuan tightly into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist in response. Under the cover of her cloak, she slid a hand inside his clothes. Three vines sprouted from her right hand. They crept along his waistline: one snaked upward, another backward, and the third downward. The upward vine coiled around his neck. The second wrapped tightly around his waist, constricting it. The third settled against his sensitive inner thigh, poised to strike.

When the portal activated, a sudden sensation of weightlessness, like a drop tower ride, took over. "AH!" a woman shrieked. Startled, Ning Xuan instinctively clung tighter to Chen Nan. The thorns on the vines pierced his skin, and a trickle of blood seeped out from his neck. He sucked in a sharp breath in pain but still held Ning Xuan tightly, not pushing her away.

About five minutes later, the portal came to a stop. "All passengers, you have arrived at your destination. The transport is complete. Please exit the portal." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Chen Nan and the others exited the station onto a paved, bustling street. The air was filled with the overlapping cries of vendors, and people of all sorts milled about. This appeared to be a marketplace.

Ning Xuan had already retracted her vines and released Chen Nan. As she looked around, her eyes were immediately drawn to the Exotic Plants displayed at a stall. One was a colorful, thorny plant crowned with a single flower. Ning Xuan recognized it: a Five-Colored Thorn. It was known for its ability to neutralize poisons, stop rot, and regenerate flesh. On the Star Network, a single plant sold for 50,000 Star Coins! Next to it were Ice Cold Grass, Ice Orchid, Snake Skin Fruit, and Bear Gall Flower. The variety of Exotic Plants was dazzling. Seeing them in person was a completely different experience than looking at pictures.

"Contractor, there are many markets for Exotic Plants here, and they’re much cheaper than buying on the Star Network. If you need a large quantity, you can get an even better discount. If you like, you can take a look around!"

"This place has Earth Fire Resources. I’ve rented an Alchemy Room for you that uses Earth Fire. Your Alchemy will be far more efficient than with a normal flame. Many Alchemists choose to come here for secluded Cultivation."

"I’ve also brought all the Alchemy materials from your training program. I guarantee this won’t delay your progress in mastering your Alchemy Technique."

As he spoke, Chen Nan bought all the Exotic Plants that Ning Xuan had just been looking at.