High above the horizon, two beams of light rushed over, the howling wind caused by their incredible speed echoing incessantly in the sky. “We are now at the edge of the Northern Region, but if we rely on our own flight, it would take at least two or three months to reach the Pill Territory. However, we are lucky; not far from here is a city called Heavenly Maple City. There is a spatial wormhole leading to the center of Central State, which will save us a great deal of time,” Lin Yan said as he turned his head to Xiao Yan, while the light flashed past.
Nodding, Xiao Yan agreed, glad that they could reach the Pill Territory soon. He had been apart from Little Healer Immortal and the others for half a year, and was unsure how they were doing. “However, you should try to conceal your appearance. After the incident at Thunder Mountain, your reputation is no less than Feng Qing-Er’s. With the Ancient Phoenix Blood Essence you carry, I fear that Feng Qing-Er won’t give up searching for you. So, it would be better to disguise yourself,” Lin Yan reminded him.
Xiao Yan did not refuse Lin Yan’s suggestion, remembering what Wind Venerable had said: it was best to avoid conflict with the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan. Those people were not easy to deal with, especially when they were also planning to face the Soul Temple. Reaching into his storage ring, Xiao Yan took out a leather item and applied it to his face. Although it wasn’t much use against experts with keen eyes, it was quite convenient for concealing one’s appearance.
Seeing Xiao Yan return to the ordinary appearance he had when they first met, Lin Yan smiled and nodded, then turned to look ahead. In the distance, the faint outline of a vast city came into view. “Let’s go. We’re almost there, pick up the pace.” Waving his hand, Lin Yan sped up and shot towards the distant city, followed closely by Xiao Yan.
As the saying goes, even a swift horse can tire when rushing to a mountain. Although the city’s outline could be vaguely seen, it still took nearly twenty minutes at Lin Yan’s speed for the city to fully appear in their sight. They swooped down from the sky and smoothly entered the city, called Heavenly Maple City. Instead of rushing directly to the spatial wormhole, Xiao Yan wandered around the largest auction house in the city, spending a considerable sum of money to purchase three types of beast fires.
These beast fires were typically taken from within some magic beasts, and their power was not particularly great. Some were even weaker than the flames condensed by Dou Qi. Of course, this depended on the level of the magic beast. A powerful magic beast could have very formidable beast fire, like the strange black flame possessed by Feng Qing-Er. Although Xiao Yan had managed to suppress it, that was due to the might of his otherworldly flame. If an elder of the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan used this same fire, even if Xiao Yan pushed the Jade-Green Lotus Core Flame to its limit, it might not necessarily overwhelm them, highlighting the difference in their strength.
Lin Yan was surprised that Xiao Yan was collecting such beast fires. Seeing that Xiao Yan didn’t explain, he didn’t ask any questions. After confirming that Xiao Yan had acquired all he needed, he led him to the center of the city. Standing on the vast square in the center of Heavenly Maple City, Xiao Yan gazed at the nearly hundred-foot-tall black spatial wormhole, drawing a deep breath at the sight. Such a spectacular object could only be found in Central State.
“The spatial wormhole in Heavenly Maple City was built by two Dou Venerables and is extremely sturdy. It has never experienced a single spatial storm in all these years, making the traffic in Heavenly Maple City matchless for a thousand miles,” Lin Yan explained with a smile, seeing Xiao Yan’s awed expression.
“Two Dou Venerables, no wonder…” Xiao Yan nodded, realizing why the structure was so sturdy. The number of Dou Venerables he had encountered over the years could be counted on one hand. True Dou Venerables were as unreachable as the mountains.
“Let’s go, it’s getting late. If we delay, the spatial wormhole will close today,” Lin Yan waved, then swiftly ascended the stone steps, paying a hefty toll to the guards before they could enter. Before entering the wormhole, Lin Yan retrieved a palm-sized, simple-looking silver boat from his storage ring. This was a spatial boat, used for traveling through wormholes. They had used something similar when first arriving in Central State. But it was clear that Lin Yan’s was of lower quality, looking rather plain.
“These spatial boats are extremely expensive. Don’t let the simplicity fool you; it cost me over two million gold coins. To get that money, I risked my life hunting two rank-six magic beasts,” Lin Yan said, blushing slightly at Xiao Yan’s gaze.
“Ha ha, but it was worth it. When I killed those two rank-six magic beasts, I discovered a cave where I found the Body Movement Technique I now practice. It may look ugly when used, but it’s a mid-grade Earth Rank technique,” Lin Yan said proudly, his eyes lighting up.
“What’s the name of the Body Movement Technique?” Xiao Yan asked curiously, having seen its effectiveness despite its awkward appearance.
“The Bat-Duck Fire-Evasion Step,” Lin Yan said, scratching his head sheepishly. “It’s just as unattractive in action as it sounds.”
“It’s a very good Body Movement Technique. Even a six-star Battle Emperor would have trouble catching you,” Xiao Yan nodded, eyeing the line ahead.
“There’s a matching set of skills for the Bat-Duck Fire-Evasion Step, called Fire Bat Technique, though it’s only low-grade Earth Rank. I’ve reached my current level thanks to the Fire Bat Technique,” Lin Yan added proudly, leaning closer to Xiao Yan.
Smiling, Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. His Burning Decision had always been a low-grade Earth Rank technique, which was adequate for the Battle Emperor realm, but now that he had advanced to Battle Sect, he needed a higher-grade technique.
“Entering the Pill Territory, I need to prepare some things. I should start practicing the Fire Control Technique soon. Otherwise, the remaining ‘Life Transformation Fire’ can only support one more Death Lotus. That’s not enough,” Xiao Yan thought. Though he had advanced to Battle Sect, facing someone like Fei Tian, his trump card was still the Death Lotus. So, he had to prepare it. The Pill Territory was at the center of Central State, home to forces as strong as the Wind Lightning Pavilion. To navigate such a place, he needed a solid ace up his sleeve.
As they pondered, it was their turn. They stepped into the massive spatial wormhole, and a surge of spatial waves engulfed them, vanishing into the black channel. The space walls on either side glowed with spatial energy, revealing the endless black void outside, its darkness chilling.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in the simple spatial boat, while Lin Yan piloted it. Around them, many other spatial boats carried passengers, and their conversations filled the silent passageway.
“Travelling through this wormhole will take at least a month. You should rest; I’ll pilot the boat,” Lin Yan said, once the boat was on course.
Smiling, Xiao Yan nodded, deciding to use the month to study the Fire Control Technique. With a thought, a scroll of crimson script appeared, radiating a fierce heat. This was the Fire Control Technique Xiao Yan had obtained from the Demon Flame Valley.
The original Fire Control Technique required three practitioners to condense the Life Transformation Fire, but the version Xiao Yan had was improved by the Earth Demon Old Ghost. It no longer required three people, nor did it drain the vitality of the user. It was far superior, and sometimes, Xiao Yan had to admire the Earth Demon Old Ghost’s skills. Modifying a technique was no simple task.
Unrolling the scroll, Xiao Yan channeled his soul power into it, absorbing a flood of information about the Fire Control Technique. As Xiao Yan immersed himself in the technique, the spatial boat, guided by Lin Yan, sped through the passage, heading toward the end, the very heart of Central State, a place even more alluring than the Northern Region.
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