With a surge of hidden power, Xiao Yan had no time to check on the injuries inflicted upon Chen Xian. The heavy ruler in his hand reflexively swung back, colliding heavily with the formidable palm strike of the furious old man surnamed Bai. “Boom!” The collision between the ruler and the palm created a low, muffled sound that reverberated through the air. The fierce wind was like a storm, sweeping through the area. Xiao Yan’s toes touched the void, and he quickly retreated, stepping several times in the sky. Each time his foot landed, the surrounding space would ripple. After several steps, he finally managed to stabilize himself. The enraged attack from the old man surnamed Bai was quite powerful; if it had hit Xiao Yan’s unguarded back, it likely would have caused him significant injury.
Treading on the void and stabilizing his body, Xiao Yan’s gaze turned, slightly darkened, towards Song Qing. It was precisely Song Qing who had suddenly intervened to stop Xiao Yan from killing Chen Xian. Seeing Xiao Yan’s grim gaze, Song Qing did not show any fear. With his status in the Dan Tower, he was not afraid of Xiao Yan at all. He sternly said, “Xiao Yan, Brother Chen has joined our temporary alliance. You shouldn’t use lethal force against him. Every bit of strength we have now will be crucial for defeating that ferocious beast in the Myriad Medicine Mountains. Your actions make it seem like you don’t want us to pass the selection process.”
Song Qing was quite cunning, framing Xiao Yan as an opponent to the many alchemists present. However, whether this would have any effect remained to be seen.
“According to you, he can use lethal force against me, but I can’t do the same?” Xiao Yan scoffed.
Song Qing frowned slightly and said, “Brother Chen merely intended to capture you. Now, you are still fine, which proves my point.”
“You have a strong ability to twist the truth. Chen Xian repeatedly said he wanted to make me suffer more than death. Did you not hear that?”
Xiao Yan smiled, giving Song Qing a sideways glance and speaking lazily, “Don’t waste your breath. Everyone here is smart; they won’t fall for your words. If you’re really unhappy, just make a move. I’m ready for it.”
Song Qing paused, looking around. Indeed, he saw that the alchemists appeared indifferent, not showing any extra hostility towards Xiao Yan because of his words.
“Old foxes,” Song Qing thought, feeling helpless. Those qualified to participate in the Pill Gathering were no ordinary people, and it wasn’t easy to turn them against someone.
“Alchemists’ skills are not just about fighting and killing. If you truly have the ability, I’ll wait for you at the Pill Gathering.”
In the presence of so many people, Song Qing couldn’t back down. He looked at Xiao Yan and sneered. Perhaps he wouldn’t be a match for Xiao Yan in combat, but he was very confident in his alchemy skills. When the time came, he would make Xiao Yan understand that the title of champion in the five great families’ assessment was worth nothing to him.
Xiao Yan neither confirmed nor denied Song Qing’s harsh words. He glanced at another elder from the Dark Mystery Sect, who was still being entangled by the Earth Demon Puppet. In his mind, he issued a command, and the puppet transformed into a silver light, returning to stand expressionlessly beside Xiao Yan, like a loyal guard.
The elder from the Dark Mystery Sect, seeing the Earth Demon Puppet retreat, moved along with the old man surnamed Bai to appear beside Chen Xian, who had been knocked unconscious by Xiao Yan. They placed their hands on his arm, hurriedly examining his injuries.
“Damn it, you severed the Meridians of the junior sect master!” The moment they examined, they became enraged. Looking up, they glared at Xiao Yan like angry lions, roaring.
Meridians are the most critical pathways in Dou Qi cultivation. Any problem with them can easily turn a cultivator into a useless person. Although some high-grade pills could repair meridians, it depended on the severity of the injury. Chen Xian’s meridians, however, had been completely shattered by Xiao Yan’s attack, making recovery almost impossible. Without Dou Qi, Chen Xian would become crippled.
Hearing the elder’s roar, Song Qing’s face also changed. He hadn’t expected Xiao Yan to be so ruthless. Becoming a cripple would probably be even more painful for Chen Xian than being killed outright.
In mid-air, Xiao Yan remained emotionless, unperturbed by the elder’s outburst. Chen Xian had repeatedly tried to kill him, and if it weren’t for his numerous skills, he would have already been a cold corpse. If Chen Xian could try to kill him, then the consequences should be clear when such attempts were made.
“What’s done is done. No one can change it. Severed meridians are not necessarily fatal. We can seek help from the Dan Tower; perhaps they can heal him.”
As everyone was silent, Cao Ying finally spoke, her soft voice enchanting. Hearing her speak, the two elders from the Dark Mystery Sect calmed down somewhat. With their combined strength, they still couldn’t stop Xiao Yan with the Earth Demon Puppet’s assistance. Their current plan should be to find a way to heal Chen Xian, or else they would face the wrath of the Dark Mystery Sect’s sect master upon their return.
“Regardless, we must first obtain the task item and pass this selection process,” Cao Ying continued, her beautiful eyes fixed on the thin figure in the sky. She smiled and said, “Mr. Xiao Yan, are you interested? Working together will increase our chances of defeating that fierce beast.”
When Cao Ying invited Xiao Yan, Song Qing’s face changed. He whispered, “Now, Xiao Yan has offended the Dark Mystery Sect. Inviting him might offend Chen Xian and the others.”
Cao Ying smiled faintly and ignored Song Qing’s words, instead fixing her eyes on Xiao Yan.
In mid-air, Xiao Yan glanced at Cao Ying’s alluring figure but shook his head. “I appreciate Miss Cao’s invitation, but I prefer working alone. I don’t like traveling in groups, so I apologize.”
After speaking, Xiao Yan was about to move, but he felt a strange gaze sweep over him. Under that gaze, the hair on his skin stood on end. This sudden change made Xiao Yan alert. He scanned the surroundings but found nothing.
“An illusion?” Xiao Yan frowned slightly. Just as he was about to retract his gaze, it suddenly froze!
His gaze was fixed on the edge of a hill, where a black-clad man stood with his hands behind his back. Noticing Xiao Yan’s gaze, a strange smile appeared on the man’s lips.
At that moment, Xiao Yan’s pupils contracted. The mysterious black-clad man gave him a sense of oppression, something he had only felt from Dou Venerables before.
“This Pill Gathering really does hide dragons and tigers. There are unexpectedly such powerful beings here,” Xiao Yan thought, feeling uneasy. With these characters around, it would be difficult to snatch the championship.
While Xiao Yan was lost in the eerie behavior of the black-clad man, Cao Ying, below, frowned slightly at his rejection. She felt a bit vexed; he had never given her any face.
Song Qing, on the other hand, was relieved. He hurriedly whispered, “Forget it, Ying-er. Since he doesn’t know what’s good for him, let’s not waste time. When he fails, he’ll come crawling to us for help.”
Ignoring Xiao Yan’s interaction with Song Qing, Cao Ying pursed her lips. From Xiao Yan’s earlier display, there were not many here who could defeat him. He might genuinely have a chance to complete the task alone.
“Today’s business is over. Farewell.”
Xiao Yan didn’t pay attention to the conversation. He took a deep look at the mysterious black-clad man and then bowed to Cao Ying and the others before turning and walking away. Because of the black-clad man, he didn’t want to linger. There was a vague unease coming from that man, and he had to stay vigilant.
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yan summoned the Earth Demon Puppet into his storage ring and then rushed towards the Myriad Medicine Mountains.
“Boy, do you think you can just run after hurting someone?”
Seeing Xiao Yan leave, the two elders from the Dark Mystery Sect immediately grew angry. Roaring, they ascended, charging at Xiao Yan with murderous intent.
Xiao Yan paid them no mind. A silver glow flashed on his feet, and a low thundering sound echoed. Only a few shadowy traces remained in the air, and his figure disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Seeing Xiao Yan vanish, the two elders raged, yelling and cursing.
At the edge of the hill, the black-clad man watched the place where Xiao Yan had disappeared. Another strange smile curled his lips, and a cold, barely audible whisper slipped out, “Xiao Yan…you can’t escape…”
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