Early the next morning—
Lei Qi, who still wasn't fully awake, was called out of bed.
To be honest, at his cultivation level, not sleeping for several days was nothing.
But he liked sleeping. He liked staying under the covers.
Even though he was annoyed, after washing up, he headed to the Thunder Clan's main hall.
Today, unlike his first visit, the hall wasn't crowded.
Only Lei Ying, an old man who looked slightly older than him, and two middle-aged men were present.
"Tianchi, I'm entrusting Lei Qi to you." Lei Ying said once he saw Lei Qi arrive, speaking to Mang Tianchi.
"Clan Leader, rest assured." Mang Tianchi replied.
He naturally knew about Lei Qi's situation.
This was no ordinary youth.
His name was Mang Tianchi instead of Lei Tianchi because, when he was young, his bloodline rank was judged to be low, and he was sent out of the clan.
This happened every year — nothing unusual.
But unlike Yao Lao of the Medicine Clan, Mang Tianchi did not harbor hatred.
When he was sent out, the clan had given him resources.
The circumstances were different.
The other two men present were named Yang Ji and Zhang Yi.
Both were commanders of the Thunder Clan's Thunder Legion.
They were geniuses from the outside common regions.
But because they did not possess the bloodline of a Dou Emperor, their "Lei" surname was removed.
Even so, their loyalty to the Thunder Clan was absolute.
Yang Ji's cultivation had already reached Eight-Star Dou Venerate.
Zhang Yi was slightly weaker, at the peak of Seven-Star Dou Venerate.
These two were naturally Lei Qi's protectors.
After all, Lei Qi planned to travel the continent.
Soon after, they departed from the Thunder World under Mang Tianchi's lead.
Outside the Thunder World was the endless Thunder Mountain Range.
Here, thunderclouds rolled all year round, lightning crackling endlessly.
But precisely such an environment made it perfect for the Thunder Clan to build a small world here.
After leaving, they first headed toward Sky Thunder City.
Very few forces on the Central Plains knew the true situation of the Dou Emperor clans.
But even newer factions did not dare to develop power here.
Because in Sky Thunder City sat a Half-Saint expert.
The ignorant dared not provoke a Half-Saint.
The knowledgeable even less so — because behind that Half-Saint stood the Thunder Clan.
So even the outskirts here essentially belonged to the Thunder World.
Their destination lay far away—
the Shennong Mountain Range, at the extreme south of the Central Plains.
Strictly speaking, this region was already beyond the main Central Plains, making it quite remote.
But as the saying goes:
A mountain need not be high; it becomes spiritual if an immortal resides there.
Although the Shennong Mountains were considered a wild region—
poisonous insects rampant, ferocious beasts rarely seen in the Central Plains—
the presence of the Medicine Clan made the area extremely lively.
The mountain range also produced countless rare medicinal herbs.
Many alchemists traveled from across the continent to gather ingredients.
As a result, the Shennong Mountains were very popular.
The Medicine Ceremony (Yao Dian) was one of the Medicine Clan's most important events, held once every few years.
Its timing wasn't fixed and varied depending on circumstance.
In essence, it was similar to the Dan Tower's Pill Gathering,
but from a certain perspective, it was a true gathering of the continent's highest-ranking alchemists.
Through this ceremony, the continent would learn—
Who is the number one alchemist of this era!
Participants included not only Medicine Clan members but also a few alchemy grandmasters from across the Central Plains who had gained immense fame and skill.
However, the number of invited outsiders was very small.
After all, alchemists worthy of the Medicine Clan's recognition were as rare as phoenix feathers.
But whether few or many, nothing changed the grandness of the Ceremony.
Because it determined the title of "Number One Alchemist of the Continent."
Unlike the Dan Tower's events, the Medicine Ceremony only allowed individuals with status to participate.
It was not something announced to the entire continent.
Whether the Dan Tower acknowledged it or not,
the Medicine Clan truly surpassed them in alchemy.
Although Lei Qi was already a Dou Huang, they did not travel quickly.
Along the way, they used space-faring ships.
Today, Lei Qi also experienced spatial wormholes for the first time.
But frankly, it didn't excite him much.
Fortunately, thanks to Mang Tianchi, their travel speed was fast.
After about three days, they reached the Shennong Mountain Range.
The swirling clouds overhead were not ordinary fog, but condensed natural energy.
Cultivating here would be much faster than elsewhere.
As expected — any major sect or ancient clan would have an extraordinary territory.
Before long, they reached a deep ravine at the mountain's heart.
Across it stood a massive stone archway, hundreds of meters tall.
An ancient aura emanated from it.
At the center of the arch, space twisted—
This was the spatial gateway to the Medicine Realm.
Figures continuously emerged from the skies or forest depths, landing before the gate and handing jade tokens to Medicine Clan guards.
Only after inspection were they allowed to enter.
"Thunder Clan, Mang Tianchi."
Mang Tianchi tossed a jade token forward.
"Please enter. Someone will guide the four of you into the Medicine Realm."
With the guards' approval, the four stepped into the twisted space.
Only then did Mang Tianchi sigh,
"I wonder if we'll get to witness old Yao Dan refine pills this year."
Currently, across the entire Dou Qi Continent,
Yao Dan was undoubtedly the number one alchemist.
No matter which faction, no one could surpass him in pillcraft.
"If I could witness it once, the trip would be worth it."
Lei Qi muttered.
In truth, he wasn't very interested in alchemy.
The reason he came was simply to see how strong the Medicine Clan's young geniuses were.
"Come, our guide is here." Mang Tianchi said casually.
Unless the Medicine Clan was lacking manpower,
how could their clan leader personally show up?
Soon, a giant bird flew over.
A Medicine Clan elder riding on it smiled.
"Hehe, I didn't expect Elder Mang to lead the team this time."
"Heh, your clan holds this event every few years. You can't send random nobodies every time." Mang Tianchi replied bluntly.
The Medicine Clan elder didn't mind his straightforward manner.
But when he saw Lei Qi, he became puzzled.
"This time… you even brought a junior?"
Mang Tianchi replied calmly:
"Don't you Medicine Clan people have several outstanding young ladies? Maybe a marriage alliance will happen."
"…"
The Medicine Elder's expression turned stiff.
Outstanding young ladies?
Marriage alliance?
Dream on!
For Dou Emperor bloodline clans, any talented girl would NEVER be allowed to lose her purity before reaching Dou Saint — otherwise it would affect bloodline strength.
While weaker girls did exist,
how could a young genius from the Thunder Clan marry a low-talent woman?