Chapter 50: Utterly Ordinary
"Surprised?"
Yao Yan wasn't at all shocked by their reactions. Smiling faintly, he added, "The outside world is vast. There are countless strong warriors and endless geniuses and monsters. I'm just one of the most utterly ordinary among them. If I weren't, I wouldn't be out here training in the Black-Corner Region."
Utterly ordinary?!
Queen Medusa and Hai Bodong remained silent. This was a level of high-class bragging they couldn't even attempt to respond to.
If someone like Yao Yan—who wasn't even seventeen and was already a fifth-tier alchemist—was considered "ordinary," then what was President Fa Ma of the Alchemist Guild, who had one foot in the grave?
Perhaps, reveling in the joy of showing off—
Yao Yan casually summoned a cauldron from his storage ring. It gently floated down under his soul force, landing without a sound. Then he summoned the Illusionary Gold Flame to ignite it. Under the stunned gazes of the two powerhouses, he pulled out three full sets of ingredients for third-tier Qi Recovery Pills and tossed them all into the cauldron in one motion.
The way he did it—it looked more like he was stir-frying dinner.
He controlled the flame to refine the herbs' essence while casually saying, "The environment here's a bit rough, but it's no problem. Third-tier Qi Recovery Pills are easy. I'll be done soon. Keep watch for me, will you?"
Each herb was wrapped in soul force and rapidly withered under the golden flames. One by one, their essences condensed into droplets of pure energy, floating in the fire before merging into one under Yao Yan's control.
Hai Bodong opened his mouth as if to object—then stopped cold. Yao Yan's alchemy technique was smoother than any alchemist he had ever seen. Fluid, bold, and full of elegance—it was like watching an artist paint with fire.
Even though he didn't know alchemy himself, Hai Bodong had seen enough to understand what it meant.
At that moment, he fully believed Yao Yan's words. The boy really was a fifth-tier alchemist. He might even surpass Fa Ma himself.
At least, in all of Jia Ma Empire, he had never seen any alchemist make pill refining look this effortless—as if it were as easy as eating or drinking.
Queen Medusa's expression grew complex as she stared at Yao Yan. She no longer needed to verify anything. With such skill, there was no need for lies. Especially considering his age—less than seventeen and already a fifth-tier alchemist. That kind of talent… even the word "monstrous" didn't do it justice.
Not to mention—
There was his family… and his teacher.
To produce such a disciple, how terrifying must the master be?
In such a short time—
Countless thoughts rushed through Queen Medusa's mind. Her gaze eventually fell on her sleeping sister beside Yao Yan. Her messy, charcoal-covered face looked a bit ridiculous, but also brought a trace of softness to Medusa's gaze. Her sister slept soundly, tightly clinging to Yao Yan's arm. Even amidst all the chaos, Yao Yan had protected her with a veil of soul force, shielding her from noise and movement so she wouldn't wake.
Maybe letting her go is the best choice… Queen Medusa thought quietly.
She had inherited the throne. She bore the burden of the tribe's survival. There was no need to chain her sister to that same fate. Her sister had always longed for freedom and the outside world. Perhaps following this human boy… might be better.
With Yao Yan's display of his alchemy skills, all suspicion vanished.
In less than half an hour—
The cauldron opened, and three brilliant pills floated out. They hovered briefly before drifting in front of the three of them. Yao Yan tossed one into his mouth and swallowed it, then smiled at the other two. "We've just met—I don't have anything fancy to give, so here's a Qi Recovery Pill for each of you."
While third-tier Qi Recovery Pills weren't rare, their value was undeniable. For two Dou Huangs in battle, when their Dou Qi was depleted, whoever had a pill like this would almost certainly emerge the victor.
That was why alchemists were the most revered profession on the Dou Qi Continent.
"I'll accept it."
Before Hai Bodong could speak, Queen Medusa had already stored the pill in her ring. She then looked at Yao Yan and her sister, hesitating briefly before her tone softened: "I'll entrust my sister to you. From this moment on, you are the most honored guest of the snake-people tribe. If you ever need aid, we will help with all our strength."
With that, she retrieved a golden medallion from her ring. Embedded with a blood-red ruby, a tiny purple energy serpent swam within—alive and glowing.
It was Queen Medusa's personal token!
"If the snake-people face trouble, you can ask me for help too."
Yao Yan caught the medallion and met her alluring purple gaze. "Understood."
"I only hope you take good care of my sister."
Queen Medusa shook her head, implying she wouldn't ask for favors. Then she put on her mask again, and her tone turned icy with killing intent. "If one day you harm her, no matter who you are—I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth. I won't rest until you're dead."
She and her sister were identical twins, their souls linked. No matter how far apart they were, she could still sense her sister's condition.
She didn't share that detail with Yao Yan.
But if he dared hurt her sister, she would make him regret being born.
Whoosh—
She looked once more at her sleeping sister—reluctantly—then turned away. Blood-red Dou Qi wings spread from her back, and she soared into the night like a crimson meteor.
What a proud queen… Yao Yan watched her disappear into the sky and sighed inwardly. With her personality, even if her tribe was on the brink of extinction, she would never ask him for help. She wouldn't even try to claim favors from him. Had this not involved her sister, she would never have compromised.
But it was all part of his plan. Knowing the plot, he was well aware that Queen Medusa cared about only one thing in life—her sister. The tribe? That was her duty as queen, not her personal concern.
She was still the fierce, infamous Queen Medusa.
Hai Bodong watched her leave, then glanced down at the Qi Recovery Pill in his hand. After a moment, he quietly stored it in his ring and bowed slightly to Yao Yan. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"She has a tribe to protect. Do you?"
Yao Yan packed away his cauldron and smiled as he stared at Hai Bodong, clearly not planning to let him leave. Yao Yan had taken an interest in the man—after all, on a continent full of beasts, people like Hai Lao were rare and valuable.
"…I have a few more missions to complete," Hai Bodong replied coldly, after a brief pause. He didn't want to get too involved with this mysterious youth. Trouble always followed the unknown—and Yao Yan was the eye of the storm. A fifth-tier alchemist not yet seventeen? That was not someone he could afford to "invest in."
Yao Yan didn't relent. He rattled off several questions: "Got a map of the Jia Ma Empire? I'd also like directions from here to the Black-Corner Region. Oh, and how many strong fighters are there in the empire?"
Then he paused—
His eyes bright and focused on Hai Bodong, he smiled: "I got tossed here by a spatial rift. I don't know anything about this place. You just accepted a gift from me—you're not seriously going to leave me here all alone in the Tagor Desert, are you?"
That one line—
Knocked Hai Bodong back down into his seat.
(END CHAPTER)
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