Word Count: 3,024 Words
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Three months passed in the blink of an eye before Xiao Yan finally finished refining every last drop of the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent's essence blood.
Having lingered at peak 3-star Dou Venerate for quite some time, the Dou Saint essence blood's energy, combined with his Intermediate Tian Class Flame Mantra, propelled him straight through to 5-star Dou Venerate in a single breakthrough.
"5-star Dou Venerate now," Xiao Yan murmured as he slowly stood and flexed his fist. Though the essence blood had not been abundant, it had proven more than sufficient to solidify his advancement.
The simple act of clenching and unclenching his fist caused subtle distortions to ripple through the surrounding space. If he faced the Black and White Tianzun's combined assault again, he probably wouldn't even need Dou Techniques. His physical strength and spatial comprehension alone would suffice to defeat them both.
After all, Xiao Yan possessed eleven kinds of Heavenly Flames and cultivated the Intermediate Tian Class Flame Mantra. The Heavenly Flames had imperceptibly transformed his physique over time, and combined with Dou Qi from an Intermediate Tian Class Qi Method, his body had become devastatingly powerful.
Much of his ability to fight above his level stemmed from his Qi Method ranking several grades higher than his opponents'.
An Intermediate Tian Class Qi Method!
Even the Third Tianzun Gui Ming probably didn't possess one. Likely only the First Tianzun, the Hall Chief, and the Deputy Hall Chief were qualified.
Xiao Yan removed three Purifying Lotus Demon Flame map fragments from his storage ring. Looking at the incomplete map with its missing corner made him sigh repeatedly.
'Why does it have to be just one piece short?' Xiao Yan felt utterly frustrated, like standing before a mountain of treasures with the bridge to reach it broken.
'You were supposed to bring me good fortune. Are you even trying, Mysterious Yellow Flame?' he could not help but complain internally.
Although he had instructed Ya Fei to expand the Miteer Auction House and secretly collect these ancient map fragments, even after all this time, they still hadn't located the final piece.
'I can't count on obtaining the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.' Xiao Yan could only occasionally glance at the fragments and daydream about miraculously finding the last piece lying on the ground someday.
After putting away the fragments, two yin-yang fish began circling him playfully, the white one still carrying Xun Er's ancient Gu Clan invitation token in its mouth.
'To evolve the Flame Mantra to High Tian Class, I might truly need my ancestor's help to find the other two Heavenly Flames he obtained.'
Xiao Yan had absorbed the Three Thousand Burning Flame after the Flame Mantra had evolved to Intermediate Tian Class. Although it was not enough for another evolution, it had nudged the experience bar higher.
If one of his ancestor's remaining two Heavenly Flames truly was the 8th-ranked Red Lotus Karmic Flame, then the Flame Mantra would have a high probability of evolving to High Tian Class.
His ancestor Xiao Xuan existed in a special form within the Heavenly Tomb. With his help, finding Heavenly Flames would become much simpler.
'The Heavenly Tomb won't open for another year, so finding more Heavenly Flames isn't an option right now. That means...' Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
For an alchemist, pills are the only answer! What else is there?
…
In the small valley within the Magic Beast Mountain Range, an enormous beast wreathed in purple radiance sprawled across the grass, basking in the warm sunlight.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King, having reached peak Rank 7 strength, naturally commanded vast territories. Cai Lin had not claimed the entire mountain range, leaving substantial areas for magical beasts to roam freely.
The Little Lion King, having just entered Rank 7, showed little interest in territorial matters. He preferred to serve as this small valley's guardian beast, content to laze in the sun most days.
"Hmm?" The Little Lion King's ears twitched. He rose leisurely and gazed toward a particular point in space. Soon a wormhole materialized, and Xiao Yan emerged wearing his alchemist robes.
Roar! Roar!
The Little Lion King rumbled welcomingly and padded over affectionately. Though capable of human transformation, most magical beasts preferred their natural forms. Even Cai Lin typically maintained her half-human, half-snake appearance.
Xiao Yan stroked the lion's silky mane with a laugh. "Good boy. Where's Little Fairy Doctor?"
Whenever visiting the valley, Xiao Yan refrained from using his Spiritual Strength to scan the area. Such behavior would be extremely rude. What if Little Fairy Doctor was bathing or changing clothes?
His perception could not necessarily escape her notice anyway.
Therefore, the use of Spiritual Strength for probing had always been forbidden here. In many ways, this small valley served as one of the Yan Alliance's restricted areas.
Because a Sky Poison Fairy resided here.
The Little Lion King roared skyward, then glanced toward the valley's herb gardens. Xiao Yan didn't use any agility techniques, simply strolling toward the medicinal fields and savoring the tranquil scenery.
Upon reaching the gardens, he found Little Fairy Doctor in pristine white robes, carefully loosening soil with her bare hands to plant a precious herb.
She produced a jade bottle and poured a special spirit liquid to help the plant establish roots and flourish.
Aware of Xiao Yan's arrival, she offered him a warm smile before returning her attention to the delicate herb.
Xiao Yan watched in contented silence, a gentle smile playing at his lips.
Little Fairy Doctor's snow-white robes bore a single white lotus she had embroidered by hand. Though simple, the garment radiated understated elegance and refinement.
As she worked among the herbs, her bright eyes remained clear and untainted. Having overcome the Woeful Poison Body completely, she seemed to glow with an inner radiance. She was like a pure lotus blooming in a secluded valley: graceful, serene, and projecting an aura of jade-like gentleness.
Such profound tranquility could calm even someone as perpetually busy as Xiao Yan, allowing him to simply savor this peaceful moment.
The serenity, combined with the medicinal fragrance, proved more effective than any pill at settling his heart. Only when an alchemist achieved true inner calm could they refine superior pills and advance their alchemy skills further.
This was precisely why Xiao Yan had come to the small valley; it provided the perfect environment for alchemy.
Not merely because of the peaceful surroundings, but because Little Fairy Doctor was here.
Finally, Little Fairy Doctor cast a subtle Space Lock, channeling natural energy in precise proportions to nourish the soil. Such planting expertise had become vanishingly rare in the world.
Confirming everything was properly arranged, she released a long breath, tension draining from her shoulders.
Xiao Yan's smile widened. "Crystal Measure Herb? This medicinal herb is notoriously difficult to cultivate. You actually managed to make it thrive?"
Little Fairy Doctor's serene smile carried gentle humor. "It's merely a tier 5 herb. It's not as impressive as you make it sound."
They walked together into the familiar thatched hut. Inside, Xiao Yan caught a whiff of something and grinned. "Blew up the cauldron again?"
Having her mishap immediately exposed, Little Fairy Doctor's cheeks flushed slightly. Her alchemy talent was merely average, and since she did not possess fire-attribute Dou Qi, she relied entirely on Heavenly Flames for refining, making cauldron explosions frustratingly common.
She had only recently finished refining that Woeful Poison Pill, pushing her strength to peak 7-star Dou Venerate. This was only because she did not care much about advancing her rank; if she desired, her strength would soar dramatically.
"Let me watch you refine another batch."
…
The days in the small valley were a rare time of peace. After guiding Little Fairy Doctor through alchemy techniques, he began his own refinement work.
"Let's warm up with a tier 8 pill attracting five-colored Pill Lightning." He produced the Black Demon Cauldron along with mountains of medicinal ingredients. Only someone of his caliber could call refining a five-colored tier 8 pill a 'warm-up.'
Within three days, thunderclouds gathered overhead. As anticipated, this tier 8 pill attracted five-colored Pill Lightning.
The Pill Lightning naturally posed no challenge. Xing Tian absorbed it effortlessly.
'Good condition.' Xiao Yan nodded approvingly before storing the pill. After brief consideration, he began refining a Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill, capable of attracting six- or even seven-colored Pill Lightning.
He intended to create one for Cai Lin, though this wasn't his ultimate goal. His true target was the peak tier 8 Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill, potentially capable of attracting nine-colored Pill Lightning.
This type of pill had effects similar to the Dou King Pill, Mighty Huang Pill, or Great Ancestor Pill—it could help a Dou Venerate advance by one star. However, tier 8 pills were very special; their medicinal strength depended on the Pill Lightning they attracted.
A Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill could be of widely varying quality. The weakest might summon only seven-colored Pill Lightning, suitable for Dou Venerates below three stars. Eight-colored Pill Lightning meant the pill worked for those up to six stars. Nine-colored Pill Lightning? Even an 8-star Dou Venerate could use it for a breakthrough.
The worth of a tier 8 pill was measured by how many colors of Pill Lightning it summoned, not whether it was 'middle' or 'high' grade.
The more colors, the higher the quality and the more precious the pill.
A Pill Beast, of course, represented the absolute pinnacle.
Among all tier 8 pills, the Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill was the most sought after. A single one could save a Dou Venerate decades of cultivation. One could only imagine its appeal.
The Third Tianzun's Nine Revolutions Heaven-Changing Pill, with its guaranteed nine-colored Pill Lightning, was even more advanced, but Xiao Yan would need to buy the recipe from the Pill Tower, so that would have to wait.
With his Heavenly State soul, refining the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill no longer required a full month. Experience allowed him to succeed on the first attempt in under half a month.
But he didn't immediately start on the Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill. First, he rested. Emerging from his cave, he found Little Fairy Doctor cooking, the aroma making his mouth water.
At dinner, their time together was as harmonious and peaceful as ever. When not refining pills, Xiao Yan would discuss herbs and alchemy with her.
Three days later, he returned to pill refinement. The Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill was a new challenge. If he could refine one that summoned nine-colored Pill Lightning, he would be a true peak 8th-tier alchemist.
One had to remember that even the giants of the Pill Tower were only peak 8th-tier alchemists. They might be able to refine the Nine Revolutions Heaven-Changing Pill, but it was the same tier.
Even for him, who possessed fire control that reached tier 9 and a Heavenly State soul, refining the Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill was extremely difficult and a great challenge.
It took six sets of ingredients and over a month, but Xiao Yan finally refined a perfect Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill.
It wasn't that he failed so many times. He only failed in the first two attempts. The subsequent ones were all successful. Among them, two attracted seven-colored Pill Lightning, one attracted eight-colored Pill Lightning, and it was only on the sixth attempt that he refined a Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill that attracted nine-colored Pill Lightning.
He watched the swirling thunderclouds above, then looked down at the Black Demon Cauldron. This was the most ingredients he had ever used in a single batch.
In the past, he had always relied on the Black Demon Cauldron to boost his odds. But as he had realized during the Pill Gathering, Venerable Yao's inheritance had reached its limit.
The Black Demon Cauldron's help was now negligible. With his soul at the Heavenly State, its focus-enhancing effect was gone.
He estimated that by tier 9, Heavenly Cauldrons like the Black Demon and the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron would become ordinary cauldrons, no longer providing special effects to alchemy, only being able to withstand the energy of tier 9 pills without shattering.
After all, the Black Demon was only eighth on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking.
Xiao Yan gently cleaned the Black Demon Cauldron before storing it in the Nihility Space with heartfelt gratitude.
The nine-colored Pill Lightning was like an apocalypse. Even Xing Tian, whose strength had reached that of a 2-star Dou Venerate, looked as if it was about to be overwhelmed.
However, Xing Tian had absorbed some of the power of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, and in the end, it managed to barely withstand the bombardment.
After storing the pill, Xiao Yan looked at Xing Tian and frowned as he murmured, "Xing Tian is reaching its limit. Even after being tempered by Heavenly Flames, its materials hold it back. No matter how much it absorbs, 3-star Dou Venerate is the ceiling. It can't break through to four."
Xing Tian was something he had created for fun at the beginning. At the Dou Venerate level, many things would fail to keep up. After all, the Dou Saint realm was simply too special; the vast majority of people on the Dou Qi Continent would never reach that level.
If Black Demon Lightning were to strike, Xing Tian would shatter into pieces.
Xiao Yan didn't dwell on it. He stored Xing Tian and headed back to the valley. With the perfect Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill in hand, he planned to work on Dou Techniques.
But sometimes plans fall short of reality. Not long after finishing his pills, Ya Fei came looking for him.
"A Tian Class Dou Technique?!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened in shock.
Ya Fei looked quite serious as she nodded. "Mm. An ancient ruin has appeared in the Beast Region. All of the Central Plains is in an uproar. I've heard it's a Half-Saint level ruin, and there's a Low Tian Class Dou Technique inside."
The words 'Tian Class Dou Technique' made Xiao Yan's heart pound violently.
The truth was, he—Xiao Yan—possessed no Tian Class Dou Techniques!
Not a single one!
He owned techniques rivaling Tian Class power, an extremely rare Tian Class flying technique, and even an Intermediate Tian Class Qi Method, a Tian Class Soul Training Method, and a High Tian Class Soul Technique.
Yet somehow, the most common, most basic Tian Class Dou Technique eluded him!
A true oddity in the cultivation world!
He possessed all the rarest, most expensive treasures, yet lacked the most easily obtained!
There was clearly a glitch in his luck!
Ya Fei covered her mouth and laughed when she saw his excited expression. She glanced at him, her eyes gentle. "It should be an ancient tomb-type ruin. The spatial seal broke due to age, revealing the hidden ancient ruin."
"According to the latest reports, some magical beast tribes tried to explore it, but all came back battered. Whether there's really a Tian Class Dou Technique, we'll only know after going inside."
"But the odds are good."
Xiao Yan swallowed. He was desperate for a Tian Class Dou Technique. His current moves—Octane Blast and Flame Splitting Tsunami—were about to fall apart from overuse!
It was time to learn a Tian Class Dou Technique!
Even the lowest Low Tian Class Dou Technique would cause most Dou Venerates to fight over it.
Generally, only 6- or 7-star Dou Venerates had the strength to obtain one. Such ancient ruins occasionally appeared in the Central Plains, which was why high-level Dou Venerates above seven stars usually focused on Tian Class Qi Methods, not Dou Techniques.
One could not chew more than one could swallow.
But Xiao Yan was an oddball. Had it been a Tian Class Qi Method, he would not even have bothered!
"I'll accompany you," Little Fairy Doctor said quietly as she approached, her tranquil smile appearing on her face.
With her peak 7-star Dou Venerate strength, Little Fairy Doctor would dominate a Half-Saint ruin like this. She was the type to wait in the void—summoned by a spatial jade slip as a trump card when it came time to fight for the Tian Class Dou Technique at the end.
The ace up the sleeve!
Xiao Yan nodded. He had experience with these things. In such ruins, Dou Venerates of three, four, and five stars would battle for treasures at the start. When it came time for the real prize, the big factions would crush their spatial jade slips and summon their strongest.
What use was being strong on your own? In this world, connections were everything!
Sometimes, even a 9-star Dou Venerate might show up. With Little Fairy Doctor's current strength, she could hold her own even then.
Ya Fei's eyes dimmed slightly at Little Fairy Doctor's offer. She stepped forward, gently straightening his clothes, and whispered, "Elder sister can't go with you. You need to be careful."
"Sister Ya Fei, you've already helped me so much." Xiao Yan hugged her gently.
With the plan set, Xiao Yan did not rush to leave. He had the Miteer Auction House collect all possible intel on the ancient ruin. As the saying goes, sharpening the axe does not delay the job. With good information, the task would go much smoother.
He also called back the 'old treasure,' Venerable Tian Huo. After all, the old man had plenty of experience.
Xiao Yan even refined an advanced recovery pill for him, restoring him to his former peak 5-star Dou Venerate strength.
It was a pity Cai Lin and Qing Lin were still in closed-door cultivation. Otherwise, the Beast Region would be perfect for them.
"Old Hai, want to join me for a trip to this ancient Dou Saint ruin?" Xiao Yan smiled at Hai Bodong, who was sipping tea nearby.
Hai Bodong was surprised at first. He was only an 8-star Dou Ancestor, not yet a Dou Venerate!
But his enthusiasm quickly built, sensing Xiao Yan's confidence. With a grand wave of his sleeve, he declared, "Well, since you brat are begging me, I suppose I'll keep you company on this little trip!"