"Many things have changed during the years you were missing."
Venerable Feng said solemnly, "You may not know this, but Mang Tian Chi has already taken another step forward and become a Half-Saint. You know how protective he is of his own people. If something really happens, it will be difficult to settle things."
At the mention of the words "Half-Saint," even Venerable Feng could not help but reveal a trace of envy in his eyes.
On the Dou Qi Continent, Dou Venerable experts were generally regarded as top-tier powerhouses. They represented the strongest combat force that the major factions could send out into the world. However, being at the top did not mean reaching the peak. The peak of this world belonged to even higher-level powerhouses.
With Dou Gods having become a part of history, the simple word "Saint" represented the pinnacle of this world.
And a Half-Saint was the most important foundation before stepping into the Dou Saint realm.
The greatest significance of reaching the Half-Saint realm was not an increase in combat power, but the fact that one had broken through the Heavenly Abyss and truly gained the qualifications to step into the Dou Saint realm and become a peak powerhouse!
A faction with a Saint-level figure and a faction without one were two completely different concepts.
Without a Saint-level figure, one did not even have the qualifications to receive an invitation from the Ancient Eight Clans.
"He broke through to the Half-Saint realm?" Yao Lao let out a faint sigh. "In just a few decades, the world has truly changed beyond recognition."
He then said calmly, "Don't worry. Although we once considered taking that Heavenly Flame, we have already given up on the idea."
"After all, Jia Nan Academy has produced an extraordinary person. Making another enemy like that just for a Heavenly Flame isn't worth it!"
"Lin Yuan? He truly is a terrifying figure."
Venerable Feng's expression became slightly solemn as he said seriously, "I originally thought it was you refining pills that attracted the Pill Lightning. I never expected it to be him. Not even twenty years old, yet already a Dou Ancestor and a Seventh-Grade alchemist. Such talent and ability are enough to make the younger generation of the Central Plains feel ashamed."
"A remote place like the Black-Corner Region can actually produce someone like him? Old fellow, that kid really wasn't trained by you, was he?"
"Of course not!" Yao Lao shook his head.
His tone became even more distant. "Although I have some connection with him, he truly wasn't taught by me! Moreover, he isn't a Seventh-Grade alchemist. He is an Eighth-Grade alchemist, an Eighth-Grade three-colored alchemist at that."
"What an Eighth-Grade three-colored alchemist? You're not joking, are you?"
Hearing this, Venerable Feng could not help but feel shocked.
With Yao Lao as his friend, he naturally had a deep understanding of alchemy.
"If those Eighth-Grade three-colored alchemists under twenty years old were to be known by those alchemists in the Central Plains who are already gray-haired and spend their entire days painstakingly cultivating their alchemy skills, how would they react? Wouldn't they have to buy a block of tofu and smash their heads against it?"
Hearing this, Yao Lao sighed.
"There's nothing that can be done. On the path of alchemy, talent is simply that important."
He then began recounting everything that had happened over the years to Venerable Feng in detail, including the connections and events involving himself, Xiao Yan, Lin Yuan, and the Ancient Clan.
"My goodness! So much happened in just four years?"
Venerable Feng rubbed his temple.
He looked at Yao Lao meaningfully and said teasingly, "Old fellow, you're still the same as before. Wherever you go, trouble follows you. Now, you're left with only a soul form, yet you still can't settle down."
Hearing this, Yao Lao smiled faintly.
"Isn't a life like this pretty good? Besides, this time, it isn't as though I gained nothing."
"Oh?" Venerable Feng raised an eyebrow. "What did you gain?"
"Hehe!"
Yao Lao smiled, a trace of confidence flashing through his eyes.
"If I can successfully resurrect, after experiencing such a great destruction and rebirth, perhaps I'll have a chance to touch that realm."
"You mean the Half-Saint realm?"
Venerable Feng's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed delightedly, "Excellent! I'll prepare the materials for your resurrection. We'll use the best ones."
"The Heavenly Flame has already been secured through my deal with Lin Yuan. We have enough; the Life Returning Bone Blood Fusion Pill, you have a pill that produced five-colored Pill Lightning; as for the physical body, I have the remains of a four-star Dou Venerable here. As for the blood essence of a Magical Beast, the Spatial Trade Fair is about to open. I'll go exchange for some Eighth-Grade blood essence."
"I'm truly looking forward to the day you enter the Saint realm! A Half-Saint Pavilion Master, now that is something to look forward to."
Venerable Feng then glanced at Xiao Yan and chuckled.
"Xiao Yan already has an opponent like Lin Yuan, competitors like the talented youths of the Ancient Clan, and a powerful enemy like the Hall of Souls! As his teacher, you'd better get yourself back on your feet and hurry up and become a Dou Saint."
"Hehe, I'm looking forward to that day as well. As for the Hall of Souls, my business with them isn't over yet."
When he reached this point, a bone-deep hatred appeared in Yao Lao's eyes. The grudge of having his body destroyed and the decades he had spent barely clinging to life were not things that could easily be put behind him.
"By the way, old fellow, should we let Xuan Yi and Hua Qing know that you're alive? They've been searching for you for a long time as well."
"They should stay uninformed for now. We'll talk about everything after I recover my physical body."
"Ah, when it comes to relationships, you're always tsk!"
Amid the carefree reminiscence and teasing between the two old friends, the giant wind eagle flapped its enormous wings and tore through the sky, heading toward the Central Plains.
After returning to the Inner Academy, Lin Yuan went directly back to his room and fell into a deep sleep.
During this round of pill refinement, he had successfully refined six Seventh-Grade pills. He had been working continuously for more than a month, and the consumption of his mental and spiritual strength during that period had been tremendous. Even as an Eighth-Grade alchemist, he was quite exhausted.
The next day, when the morning sunlight entered the room, Lin Yuan slowly opened his groggy eyes.
He slowly sat up, let out a long yawn, and stretched lazily, releasing more than a month of fatigue along with the remnants of his dreams.
"Ahh…"
With a soft groan of satisfaction, Lin Yuan's mind also became clear.
He did not immediately get out of bed after his seclusion. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his somewhat lazy eyes, formed a cultivation hand seal with both hands, and as he breathed in and out, a scorching aura circulated around his body.
After regulating his breathing for half an hour, he opened his eyes again, and his gaze had returned to its usual profound depth.
"The Demonic Poison Spot it's time to completely refine it!"
A sharp glint flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes. He pulled open his clothes, revealing the Demonic Poison Spot on his chest. Judging by its appearance, the spot was now less than a quarter of its original size.
Through pill refinement and the Fallen Heart Flame, Lin Yuan had already completed the tempering of his Dou Qi. His Dou Qi was now extremely condensed.
At this moment, it was precisely the right time to completely refine the Demonic Poison Spot.
"Hehe!"
With a soft chuckle, Lin Yuan lightly ran his fingertip across the Demonic Poison Spot on his chest.
"Yao Lao and Xiao Yan have already left. There's no need for me to keep hiding it."
With that thought, Lin Yuan's mind stirred. The Qianlan Heart Flame surged out of the Nethersea Ring and, following his will, entered his body. It gathered around the Demonic Poison Spot, releasing a terrifying temperature.
The scorching heat caused the Demonic Poison Spot to fluctuate violently, while waves of black mist began to spread out.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan rapidly changed the hand seals in his hands.
The moment the seal was completed, the ice-blue flames surrounding the Demonic Poison Spot suddenly began spinning at high speed.
In merely a few moments, nine flame vortices had condensed.
The nine flame vortices surged toward the Demonic Poison Spot, forcibly cutting it into nine sections, with each vortex enveloping one section of the spot.
"Qianlan, Lihuo!"
Lin Yuan's eyes turned sharp, and the hand seals in his hands changed abruptly.
The nine flame vortices intertwined and converged, forming an ice-blue flame lotus. Nine pitch-black "lotus seeds" formed from the Demonic Poison Spot were divided and enclosed within it.
"Refine!"
With a low shout, the ice-blue flame lotus released a terrifying temperature capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas, beginning to refine the Demonic Poison Spot piece by piece!
At the same time, powerful Spiritual Strength surged from between Lin Yuan's brows and poured into the ice-blue flame lotus. Like extracting medicinal ingredients, it slowly separated and condensed the "poison essence" contained within the Demonic Poison Spot throughout the refining process.
For Lin Yuan now, refining the Demonic Poison Spot was not difficult at all. All it required was some time.
Amid the monotonous process of refining, time slowly passed.
Two days later.
Inside the quiet room, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed. Wisps of white mist were exhaled from his nostrils with each deep breath, while his chest was now completely smooth. The Demonic Poison Spot had vanished entirely.
At this moment, Lin Yuan's aura was stronger than it had ever been.
Even while merely sitting cross-legged on the bed, he radiated an overwhelming presence that was impossible to ignore.
Within his body, vast and surging Dou Qi flowed through his meridians like a raging flood, accompanied by a rumbling sound as it surged forward at high speed, repeatedly striking against that invisible "barrier."
"Crack…"
Finally, at a certain moment, a faint cracking sound rang out as that invisible "barrier" was broken through.
In this instant, the slight swelling pain caused by the excessively vast amount of Dou Qi within Lin Yuan's body completely disappeared. In its place, an indescribable sense of comfort spread and permeated throughout his body.
Accompanied by this feeling of comfort, his aura began to rise. In an instant, it broke through his previous peak and continued climbing rapidly.
Lin Yuan slowly opened his tightly shut eyes. Within his deep pupils, traces of ice-blue flames flashed past.
After exhaling a breath of turbid air, he slowly stepped down from the bed.
Immediately afterward, Lin Yuan's mind stirred. His Dou Qi gathered within his meridians, producing a deep roar like a raging flood. The sensation of this power caused his soul to tremble.
This intoxicating feeling.
"Exhilarating!"
A vast aura rapidly surged out from within his body.
"Roar!"
A clear and prolonged roar resounded throughout the small courtyard, soaring straight into the clouds.
His howl was accompanied by an exceptionally vigorous surge of Dou Qi, which echoed across the Inner Academy's sky like rolling thunder, spreading into every corner of the Inner Academy and awakening many elders and students from their dreams.
Before long, the thunderous howl gradually faded away.
"Heh heh!"
With a light chuckle, Lin Yuan slowly clenched his fist.
As his fingers closed, the terrifying aura that had spread throughout the Inner Academy slowly converged back toward the small courtyard.
When Lin Yuan's fist was completely clenched, his immense strength, aura, and presence were completely restrained. The brilliance in his star-like eyes also disappeared beneath his deep, abyss-like pupils once again.
Feeling the unprecedented fullness of power within his body, the corners of Lin Yuan's lips lifted slightly.
"Six-star Dou Ancestor, middle stage!"
"With this cultivation, combined with my many trump cards, even if I face an ordinary Dou Venerable powerhouse now, I have the strength to fight."
"Next, it's time to help Xiao Yixian condense the Poison Pill."
With that thought, Lin Yuan tidied himself up before taking a single step forward. The space around him rippled slightly, and his figure, glowing with a faint purple radiance, actually entered the void with practiced ease, disappearing from the room.
The next moment, ripples suddenly appeared in the void above the small courtyard, and Lin Yuan stepped out from within.
With a satisfied smile, Lin Yuan transformed into a streak of light and sped toward the rear mountains.
Inner Academy, Rear Mountains.
Deep within the endless mountain range of the rear mountains was a valley with an exceptionally beautiful environment. Before refining the Life Returning Bone Blood Fusion Pill, Lin Yuan had spent considerable effort searching for this valley so that he could successfully perform the Spirit Ascension Method.
The composition of the Heaven and Earth energy within this valley was quite extraordinary. Its concentration of spiritual energy was far higher than elsewhere.
At this moment, Xiao Yixian was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed in the sea of flowers within the secluded valley.
Her hands formed a profound seal. As the Heavenly Heart Soul Art circulated, the space around her also rippled with strange fluctuations. Wisps of fine spiritual energy separated from the Heaven and Earth energy and merged into the center of her brows.
As the spiritual energy continued to merge into her, Xiao Yixian's vast Spiritual Strength was slowly and steadily increasing.
Suddenly, her eyelashes trembled lightly. She then slowly opened her tightly shut eyes, stood up, and looked toward the distant horizon.
In the next instant, a green point of light suddenly appeared at the edge of her vision. Immediately afterward, a streak of green light flew toward her from the distant sky.
After only a few blinks, the streak of light had reached the sky above the valley. It trembled slightly before transforming into countless specks of light that scattered away. Lin Yuan emerged from within, stepping through the void as he slowly descended from the sky and landed before Xiao Yixian.
"Xiao Yixian, it's been a month. How is your progress?" Lin Yuan asked directly without any pleasantries.
"I've reached the late stage of the Mortal Realm." Xiao Yixian smiled elegantly and said thoughtfully, "I'm only one step away from the peak of the Mortal Realm. The effect of the Soul Cleansing Orchid is truly extraordinary."
The Soul Cleansing Orchid was similar to the Seven Illusory Green Spirit Saliva. It was an extremely rare heavenly treasure capable of directly increasing one's Spiritual Strength.
After destroying and plundering numerous forces, Lin Yuan had managed to obtain quite a few treasures related to the soul, although they were extremely rare.
However, most of the medicinal ingredients he had obtained in the Northwestern Region were of low grade. There wasn't even a single medicinal ingredient capable of affecting an Spirit Realm Soul. In a sense, there was indeed a reason why the people of the Central Plains referred to the Northwestern Region as a remote and impoverished land.
Although the Soul Cleansing Orchid could not affect an Spirit Realm Soul, it still had some effect on a soul at the late stage of the Mortal Realm.
Judging by the results now, its effects were indeed quite good. It had helped Xiao Yixian increase her Spiritual Strength considerably.
"Only one step away from the peak of the Mortal Realm?" Lin Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Is the seal on the Woeful Poison Body still stable? How much longer can it last?"
As Xiao Yixian's cultivation advanced, the sealing effect of the Heavenly Capital Flame Seal was also weakening.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yixian checked the seal once again before answering, "Don't worry. The Heavenly Capital Flame Seal is still very stable. It can hold for at least another year."
"One year, At this rate of depletion."
After hearing this, Lin Yuan quickly calculated in his mind. A moment later, after confirming that the strain placed on the seal by her cultivation breakthrough remained within acceptable limits, he said, "In that case, increase your cultivation a little more before condensing the Poison Pill. Take this."
As he spoke, he took the final Origin Pill from the Nethersea Ring and handed it to Xiao Yixian.
"This is an Origin Pill. It can help a Dou Ancestor increase by one star!"
"And this!"
Lin Yuan opened his mouth and spat out a flame lotus the size of a dragon's eye. The entire lotus was icy blue, while at its center was an extremely dark and bizarre black poisonous "lotus seed."
"This is the poison essence I extracted when I refined the remaining Demonic Poison Spot. It should be able to give you a helping hand."
Xiao Yixian said nothing and silently accepted the two items.
Lin Yuan smiled, and his voice carried a hint of anticipation. "You're currently at the peak of six-star Dou Ancestor. With these two things, you should be able to break through to eight-star Dou Ancestor! Increasing your cultivation by two stars may also help you reach the peak of the Mortal Realm."
"Once you've completed your breakthrough, we'll condense the Poison Pill and solve the problem of the Woeful Poison Body's eruption. After that, we'll."
At this point, Lin Yuan stared intently at Xiao Yixian, a strange heat appearing in his eyes.
Seeing this, a blush crept onto Xiao Yixian's cheeks.
Thinking of Medusa's "provocation" from earlier, she took a deep breath, proactively hugged Lin Yuan, and softly whispered into his ear, "Wait for my good news."
After saying that, she fled into one of the secluded caves in the valley as if she were running away.
"Hehe, that's quite an interesting reaction!" Looking at Xiao Yixian's departing figure, Lin Yuan smiled knowingly.
Immediately afterward, Lin Yuan put his thoughts in order. With a sweep of his sleeve, he took the Demon Puppet out of the Nethersea Ring. He then opened it and took out a "stone" filled to the extreme with lightning-element energy.
Xiao Yixian would need several days to retreat and break through, while Lin Yuan also had quite a few matters to continue advancing.
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