Word Count: 3,275 Words
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Cao Ying returned to her seat among the Cao Clan contingent, her beautiful eyes lingering on Xiao Yan's departing figure. She knew that his loss wasn't necessarily genuine. He had likely used some special soul illusion technique.
Certain Soul Skills could induce illusions and leave the target appearing dazed. However, since this had been a contest of pure Spiritual Strength where Xiao Yan couldn't employ other attack methods, such a soul illusion technique, normally just a supplementary tactic, had appeared rather ineffective.
She understood that her victory was merely due to the competition's rules.
And the truth was exactly as she suspected. Xiao Yan had just used the second form of the Asura Soul Reaping Technique called Abyss Submersion. This exceptionally subtle technique could, through contact with the target's Spiritual Strength, unknowingly plunge them into soul illusions and seal their five senses.
Soon afterward, a bewitchingly seductive smile curved the corners of Cao Ying's lips. She turned and departed from the hall, her languid yet proud figure enchanting many of the men present.
'Since I won due to the rules this time, at the Pill Gathering, I, Cao Ying, will defeat you fair and square!' Battle intent ignited within her heart.
News of the assessment results sent shockwaves throughout Holy Pill City. Both the Ye Clan maintaining their position among the Five Great Clans and the clash between two 8th-tier alchemists, Xiao Yan and Cao Ying, were major events that captured everyone's attention.
"Tsk tsk tsk, a duel between 8th-tier alchemists! Who'd have thought things would get so explosive even before the Pill Gathering begins?"
"Such a pity that Xiao Yan still narrowly lost to Cao Ying. Are grassroots alchemists truly inferior to those from great clans?"
"Well, what can you do? The Cao Clan has stood in Holy Pill City for countless generations. Their ancestors were among the founding elders when the Pill Tower was established. Such heritage naturally gives them tremendous advantages."
"So what? I still believe Grandmaster Xiao Yan will bring glory to us grassroots alchemists and claim the Pill Gathering championship!"
Xiao Yan naturally paid no heed to these rumors and expressions of support. In the following days, he planned to remain secluded, focusing entirely on cultivating his Dou Qi and refining his alchemy skills in preparation for the Pill Gathering!
The colorful world outside had nothing to do with the 'workaholic Xiao'.
Time passed, and the start of the Pill Gathering drew nearer and nearer. With its approach came an increasingly massive influx of people into Holy Pill City. Despite the region's vastness, almost every corner teemed with countless figures. The city's inns and hotels had reached full capacity.
The entire area had become the focus of innumerable gazes from across the Central Plains.
Deep within the Ye residence, in a secluded courtyard, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a stone chair with his eyes slightly closed. The Flame Mantra circulated steadily, absorbing the surrounding natural energy while the Heavenly Flame Spirit Pill within his body gradually released energy that the Fallen Heart Flame continuously compressed, accelerating his cultivation progress.
Having expelled the impure qi from his body, he slowly rose. With hands clasped behind his back, he turned and fixed his dark eyes on a seemingly empty patch of air in the courtyard. "What's this? The Pill Gathering hasn't even started yet, and you're already planning to eliminate a competitor?"
"Jie Jie Jie, a certain faction gave my Hall of Souls information about an 8th-tier alchemist. They said if I was willing to act, they'd provide assistance. I just didn't expect it would be you." An elderly voice came from the empty space, and a black-robed figure slowly emerged from it.
Even with the Soul Robe, Xiao Yan recognized him immediately as his martial uncle, Mu Gu!
The moment Mu Gu appeared, Little Fairy Doctor and Venerable Tian Huo instantly locked onto him. Removing his hood to reveal an aged face, Mu Gu smiled at Xiao Yan without the slightest fear of the two powerful figures nearby.
His confidence stemmed from the same reason Xiao Yan hadn't feared Mu Gu killing him previously. Hun Huzi had commanded them to determine their superiority through the Pill Gathering to decide who would become the alchemist for the Di Pill Plan.
Although Xiao Yan's power and influence were great now, he was still not more powerful than the Hall of Souls, nor more powerful than Hun Huzi.
Hun Huzi had ordered them to settle matters at the Pill Gathering. If Xiao Yan eliminated Mu Gu beforehand, wouldn't that essentially be admitting to Hun Huzi that his alchemy skills were inferior to Mu Gu's, forcing him to resort to violence?
If that were the case, what value would Xiao Yan still hold? Moreover, he didn't need to deal with Mu Gu now; he was confident he could defeat him fairly at the Pill Gathering.
Once Mu Gu lost his value, whenever he, Xiao Yan, wanted to deal with him, wouldn't that just be a matter of a single word?
Xiao Yan waved his hand, signaling Venerable Tian Huo and Little Fairy Doctor not to attack. He walked to a pavilion in the courtyard and said, "Sit down. Standing while talking is tiring."
Mu Gu gave a cold laugh, completely unruffled as he seated himself opposite Xiao Yan. Qing Lin very obediently brought tea.
Xiao Yan first poured Mu Gu a cup of hot tea, then one for himself. His etiquette was impeccable, truly befitting the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan.
"Someone wants to move against me?" Xiao Yan savored the hot tea and asked casually.
Actually, even if Mu Gu didn't say, he could roughly guess who it was. After all, he'd been in Holy Pill City for quite some time and had only offended one person, and that person happened to be a 'crown prince' from a major faction.
Mu Gu, showing no fear of being poisoned, also took a sip of tea. He glanced at Xiao Yan and said slowly, "Don't you already know?"
"Profound Xuan Sect."
Mu Gu smiled, confirming with his expression that Chen Xian, the Young Sect Leader of the Profound Xuan Sect, had indeed arranged this.
That Chen Xian had likely never imagined that while plotting to use the Hall of Souls to hunt down an alchemist, Xiao Yan himself was a Hall of Souls Honorable Elder!
Talk about the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple! (T/N: Conflicts that arise between people on one's own side.)
Xiao Yan's fingers spun the teacup, a cold, fierce light flashing in his eyes. It wasn't the thief who steals that's frightening, but the thief who keeps plotting. This time he was fortunate—that fool had sought the Hall of Souls to deal with him. But what if next time he recruited experts from the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, or Profound Sky Sect? Wouldn't he be in genuine danger then?
Clearly, both Chen Xian and the entire Profound Xuan Sect had earned places on Xiao Yan's blacklist.
His blacklist was like King Yama's Book of Life and Death—once you're in, there's no getting out.
"You didn't come just to tell me how I offended Chen Xian, did you?" Xiao Yan refilled his tea and asked with a smile.
"Jie Jie Jie, that old fellow's Bone Chilling Flame… it's with you, isn't it?" Mu Gu grinned.
Xiao Yan touched the Bone Flame Ring on his finger and replied calmly, "You and that Han Feng plotted against him. Surely you're not shameless enough to ask me for it, are you?"
A fierce glint flashed through Mu Gu's eyes, as if recalling that day's events. He laughed strangely, "Jie Jie Jie! Since that's the case, everything that old fellow possessed should rightfully be this old man's spoils of victory!"
"Fine, here you go." Xiao Yan removed the Bone Flame Ring and, without any hesitation, tossed it toward Mu Gu.
Mu Gu instantly suspected a trap when he saw Xiao Yan actually throw the ring over. Only when it clattered onto the table did he realize he had been overthinking. He quickly snatched up the Bone Flame Ring and swept his Spiritual Strength through it.
Naturally, it was completely empty; Xiao Yan had already transferred everything to his Nihility Space.
Mu Gu's pupils contracted as his Spiritual Strength detected the soul traces inside the ring.
"He really is dead." A faint trace of melancholy flickered through his eyes before quickly vanishing.
Back then, he and Han Feng had acted together. Han Feng handled the poisoning and backstabbing while he launched the actual attack. Otherwise, how could Han Feng have possibly assassinated Venerable Yao with his Dou Venerate strength?
At the time, both he and Han Feng had witnessed the heavily injured Venerable Yao's soul body escape into the Bone Flame Ring, so neither had ever known for certain if Venerable Yao had died or not.
Now he knew—his senior martial brother from the same master had indeed scattered into nothingness.
Whoosh!
A wisp of bone-white Heavenly Flame enveloped Xiao Yan's entire body. Mu Gu's eyes widened. At this moment, Xiao Yan bore an uncanny resemblance to Venerable Yao!
"The Bone Chilling Flame is within my body. What, are you going to attack me?" Xiao Yan smiled coldly, his eyes gleaming with mockery.
Mu Gu's face contorted with rage, his fists clenched tightly. He gave a cold snort and prepared to leave. When he won the Pill Gathering championship and Xiao Yan lost his value, that would be the time of Xiao Yan's death. At that point, everything Xiao Yan possessed would be his!
"Hey, the storage ring."
Mu Gu glanced at the ring in his hand and flicked it back. Xiao Yan caught it effortlessly.
"Enjoy your remaining days. After the Pill Gathering, I'll definitely reclaim the Bone Chilling Flame and that Qi Method!"
Xiao Yan replaced the Bone Flame Ring on his finger and smiled. He calmly replied, "You probably won't have that chance."
"Is it really okay not to kill him now?" Little Fairy Doctor approached in white robes, gazing at where Mu Gu had vanished. With her current strength, killing him wouldn't pose much difficulty.
"Little Fairy Doctor! When did you become so fierce? You can't just go around killing people, you know" Xiao Yan teased with a smile.
Little Fairy Doctor was first surprised, then angry! Hands on her hips, her small chest heaving, she replied indignantly, "Who else would I have learned it from but you!"
"Hey, you can't blame that on me. I only taught you alchemy, not that stuff."
Just as Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor were bickering, a surge of Spatial Strength suddenly emanated from the adjacent room. Both froze momentarily, then realized it must be Zi Yan finally awakening from her slumber.
"This girl's finally awake. Let's go take a look. I wonder how much her strength will have increased this time." Xiao Yan was quite curious, as magical beasts progressed differently from humans.
Magical beasts advanced through ranks rather than stars, focusing on physical growth and bloodline evolution. Cultivators simply equated magical beast physical development with star levels for easier comparison. After all, magical beasts' cultivation systems differed somewhat from standard Dou Qi, and their bodies were naturally much stronger.
The door creaked open. A ray of sunlight spilled in from outside, dispelling the darkness within the room.
"Zi Yan, your current strength—"
Xiao Yan's voice cut off abruptly. His eyes widened in shock, for before him stood an exquisitely beautiful figure who had just risen from the bed.
Smooth purple hair cascaded to her hips. Snow-white skin seemed to glow under the sunlight. Her figure was tall and slender with a delicate waist and legs as white and straight as ivory. That mature body made Xiao Yan's eyes go completely straight.
Little Fairy Doctor beside him was equally speechless with shock.
"Oh, Xiao Yan, hehehe, I'm stronger than you now!" Zi Yan put her hands on her hips and giggled, proudly showing off her increased strength and the fact that she had grown a bit bigger.
Xiao Yan knew he should look away, but while his neck turned, his head refused to follow!
Utterly flabbergasted!
She had certainly grown up.
He had completely forgotten that after taking the Body Transformation Pill, Zi Yan could alter her form at will. Even for the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, Rank 7 marked the mature stage where the body fully developed, and Rank 8 represented the complete form.
Zi Yan usually didn't transform according to her actual maturity level, instead suppressing it to maintain her initial child-like appearance. Xiao Yan had witnessed this once before, and Little Fairy Doctor had also been present at that time.
Talk about coincidence.
"Ultimate Evolution..." Xiao Yan murmured. [T/N: Digimon reference.]
Little Fairy Doctor quickly covered Xiao Yan's eyes, then exhaled a cloud of gray qi that enveloped Zi Yan's body, blocking the view of her approaching 'Ultimate Evolution.'
"Zi Yan! Put on some clothes immediately!" Little Fairy Doctor's cheeks burned crimson as she urged.
Zi Yan looked down and scratched her head. "Hehehe, I forgot."
Dragons naturally had scales rather than clothes. Having been hibernating in her shrunken true form, she had forgotten upon awakening.
With his eyes covered, Xiao Yan said, "Little Fairy Doctor, get her some clothes—no wait, Qing Lin! Bring a set of your clothes."
"You… get out!" The inadvertently 'severely wounded' Little Fairy Doctor shoved Xiao Yan out the door, slammed it shut with a bang, and even sealed the room with Dou Qi.
Asking for Qing Lin's clothes and not her own, what did he mean by that!
"Young Master Xiao Yan? You need clothes?" Qing Lin came running at his call, confused why he would want her clothes.
Xiao Yan looked her up and down, rubbed his chin in comparison, and nodded while muttering, "Indeed about right. These magical beast physiques really are formidable. Though Zi Yan seems a bit taller."
Before long, the door creaked open again. Zi Yan emerged with a smile, back in her child form, while Little Fairy Doctor's expression seemed strained. She glanced at Qing Lin, then shot Xiao Yan a fierce glare.
She finally realized—Xiao Yu hadn't lied to her!
Zi Yan walked up to Xiao Yan with a beaming smile and giggled, "Looks good, right?"
Xiao Yan gave her a thumbs up. "Excellent."
"Ahem!" Little Fairy Doctor's eyes held a dangerous glint as she looked at them both.
Xiao Yan hurriedly changed the subject. "By the way, what's your strength level now?"
"Hmm... equivalent to an 8-star Dou Ancestor in human terms," Zi Yan said, converting her physical strength to Dou Qi cultivation levels.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. This girl truly lived up to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe's reputation. Her body and bloodline grew rapidly as long as there were enough medicinal ingredients, advancing in leaps and bounds.
With his and the Yan Alliance's current resources, supporting a Rank 7 Ancient Void Dragon posed no problem. Zi Yan's medicinal supplies had essentially never been interrupted.
…
In the following days, Xiao Yan peacefully awaited the Pill Gathering's start.
Time flowed ceaselessly. Just days before the Pill Gathering began, he suddenly received an invitation from a Pill Tower giant requesting his presence at the Pill Tower.
This made him break out in a cold sweat. After all, he and Zi Yan had once infiltrated the Star Region and even used a Soul Robe to hide from one of the giants. If they had been discovered, the consequences...
However, he couldn't refuse. This was an invitation from a Pill Tower giant. If he wanted to participate in the Pill Gathering, he would eventually have to meet them anyway. Refusing would only arouse suspicion.
'I probably wasn't discovered. My spiritual perception range is quite extensive, and the Three Thousand Burning Flame's power distorted perception in that area. That Pill Tower giant shouldn't know.' Xiao Yan gave himself a reassuring nod. He followed Elder Sheng into the inner city of Holy Pill City, knowing he couldn't avoid this encounter.
The Pill Tower stood in the heart of Holy Pill City's inner city. This area was the true holy land in countless alchemists' hearts. Due to the current diverse crowds in Holy Pill City, the inner region's defenses remained extremely strict, prepared to handle any sudden incidents.
Xiao Yan followed Elder Sheng through Holy Pill City for nearly half an hour before gradually entering the inner region. As he passed through the inner city gates and barrier, the clamorous noise immediately diminished considerably.
Holy Pill City's inner city generally housed only factions connected to the Pill Tower or high-ranking alchemists. Consequently, the caliber of alchemists in the inner city far surpassed that of the outer city.
Stepping into the inner city, Xiao Yan looked up, his gaze immediately drawn to the central area. There stood a black tower nearly a hundred meters tall, imposing like a small mountain peak that radiated majestic grandeur.
'So that's the Pill Tower, the alchemists' holy land that can contend with the Hall of Souls.'
Even someone of Xiao Yan's temperament couldn't help but feel amazed gazing at that black giant tower resembling a pillar supporting the sky. The black tower before him held immense significance!
Elder Sheng smiled and nodded, leading Xiao Yan into the street crowds, heading straight for the Pill Tower.
With Elder Sheng acting as his guide, Xiao Yan effortlessly made his way through the rigorous, multi-tiered inspections and gained entry to the massive Pill Tower.
Once inside, Elder Sheng led Xiao Yan directly to the upper levels of the tower. After quite some time, they finally stopped outside an extremely spacious hall.
"Xiao Yan, Association Head Xuan Kong Zi is inside. I won't go in with you," Elder Sheng said with a smile.
"Thank you for leading the way, Elder Sheng." Xiao Yan nodded slightly and slowly walked in.
His face betrayed nothing, but inwardly he felt apprehensive.
Could this be considered infiltrating the enemy's core territory as an undercover agent?!
Xiao Yan's footsteps fell lightly on the stone floor. His gaze swept around before settling on a bookshelf where an elderly man in white robes carefully dusted the shelves.
This white-robed elder had not the slightest aura leaking from his entire being; his whole person appeared completely ordinary. Yet when Xiao Yan used his spiritual perception, he was horrified to discover that the space before him seemed completely empty, as if the white-robed elder didn't exist at all.
Could he be at the Heavenly State?!
'No, he probably hasn't reached that level yet. If he were at the Heavenly State, I would have died that night,' Xiao Yan thought to himself.
"Hehe, you must be Xiao Yan? Truly impressive, an 8th-tier alchemist at such a young age. You're far more capable than this old man was back then." Xuan Kong Zi's aged voice rang out with a gentle laugh.
He sat down slowly and poured Xiao Yan a cup of clear tea. Xiao Yan sat with a calm expression, though inwardly, he considered crushing his Soul Command Token to escape if necessary.
"Senior flatters me. It was merely luck. May I ask why Senior summoned me here today?" Xiao Yan sipped his tea slowly to steady his nerves.
Xuan Kong Zi also took a sip, moistening his throat before speaking slowly. "I called you here to discuss matters concerning the Hall of Souls."
"Pfft! Cough, cough..."
Xiao Yan choked on his tea and started coughing. His heart plummeted instantly.
Is he testing me?!!!