After chatting again with the three major powers for a while, Xiao Yan and the others finally bid farewell and returned straight to their rooms. “Has anything else happened during this period?” Upon entering the room, Xiao Yan casually asked. “About half a year ago, due to the many affairs of the Ye Family, Ye Zhong, after waiting in vain, could only take Xin Lan back to Ye City in disappointment,” Little Healer Immortal softly said.
“Mm.” Xiao Yan slightly nodded. Now that the Ye Family was starting anew, as the Great Elder of the family, it was natural that Ye Zhong could not stay in the Holy Pill City indefinitely. The fact that he had waited here for half a year was a testament to his sincerity.
“During this period, the Xuanming Sect caused trouble once. Their so-called Young Sect Master, along with two elders, disappeared within the Pill Realm. It’s likely they met with an unfortunate end. They believe it was you who did it, so they have been coming around to cause trouble every now and then. However, thanks to Cao Ying and the others testifying that the person who killed those from the Xuanming Sect was Mo Gu Elder, and with the intervention of the Pill Tower, they left very unwillingly,” Little Healer Immortal said with a slight frown. “But I can see that their hatred towards you hasn’t diminished. Now that you have safely emerged from the Star Domain, if they get word of it, they will definitely come causing trouble.”
“A bunch of stubborn fools.” Xiao Yan frowned, then waved his hand, saying, “Let them. If they come seeking trouble again, there’s no need to be polite. These fellows aren’t exactly good people anyway.”
“Mm.” Xiao Yan sat on a chair, his gaze sweeping across Little Healer Immortal’s delicate figure, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. “Your aura…you’ve become much stronger over the past few months, haven’t you?”
“The poisonous pill inside my body has a wondrous effect on my cultivation. Over the past year, I’ve made quite a bit of progress,” Little Healer Immortal said with a smile.
“More than a little, sigh. Your strength might have reached the peak of Three-Star Dou Zun level. Such a cultivation speed is rare, even among Dou Zuns. A fully controlled Calamity Poison Body is indeed terrifying,” Heavenly Fire Venerable said with a bitter smile, his tone rather complex. Although his strength had also improved a bit during this period, compared to Little Healer Immortal, the difference was far too great.
“Three-Star Dou Zun…?” A look of surprise flashed across Xiao Yan’s face. If Little Healer Immortal were to unleash the full power of her Calamity Poison Body now, she might even have the strength to fight against the Valley Master of the Ice River Valley. The Calamity Poison Body was indeed profound.
“Sir Tian Huo, don’t underestimate yourself. In just under a year, you’ve steadily reached the peak of One-Star Dou Zun. Breaking through to Two-Star, or even regaining your previous peak, is just a matter of time,” Little Healer Immortal said with a smile.
“It’s hard. To have recovered to the Dou Zun level already far exceeds my expectations. Even at my peak, I was only at Five-Star Dou Zun…” Heavenly Fire Venerable said with a bitter laugh. He naturally understood how difficult it was to regain his peak. Each level of Dou Zun was extremely challenging, and it was not uncommon for it to take several decades or even a century. This was why he was both amazed and envious of Little Healer Immortal’s cultivation speed.
“That’s not necessarily true…” Xiao Yan tapped his fingers gently on the table, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, “Recovering to your peak through normal cultivation would indeed take a long time, but there are other methods that can greatly reduce that time.”
“You mean…using pills?” Hearing this, Heavenly Fire Venerable’s withered hand holding the teacup suddenly tightened, and a flicker of excitement passed through his laughing eyes. For someone of his level, helpful pills would at least need to be of the Eight-Level class…
“Sir Tian Huo, have you heard of a kind of pill called ‘Fuling Qing Pill’?” Xiao Yan said lightly.
“Fuling Qing Pill?” Heavenly Fire Venerable was first stunned, then his eyes suddenly blazed with intense heat, and excitement spread across his aged face. “Is it the Fuling Qing Pill, known to be able to return degenerated practitioners to their peak form?”
“Ha-ha, the Fuling Qing Pill does indeed have such effects, but it cannot return one directly to their peak form as rumored. According to my estimate, if you take this pill, you should be able to recover to the Three-Star Dou Zun level,” Xiao Yan said with a smile, shaking his head.
“Three stars…that would be enough,” Heavenly Fire Venerable said without a hint of disappointment. Jumping from One-Star peak to Three-Star level was already a remarkably swift improvement.
“But…the Fuling Qing Pill is an Eight-Grade pill, and its refinement is extremely complicated. Even ordinary Eight-Grade alchemy masters find it difficult to refine successfully,” Seeing the hesitation in Heavenly Fire Venerable’s expression, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but smile, saying, “I’ll take care of this matter. Sir Tian Huo, you’ve helped me a lot, and now it’s time for me to repay you.”
Regardless, Heavenly Fire Venerable had been a valuable assistant to Xiao Yan during this time. They had an agreement: as long as he helped the former create a vessel for his soul, Heavenly Fire Venerable would be his guard for a year. The year had already passed, and if he wanted to keep him, he needed to offer more benefits. Besides, they might soon need to rescue Pharmacist Elder, and having a stronger lineup would be better. Helping Heavenly Fire Venerable improve would give them a better chance.
“This…ah, a great kindness needs no words of thanks. This old man will remember your kindness,” Heavenly Fire Venerable opened his mouth, and the formalities circled in his mouth before he swallowed them back. Nodding, he said in a deep voice.
“Ha-ha, I’ll rest a few days, and I’ll try to refine the Fuling Qing Pill for you before we get the information from the Pill Tower,” Xiao Yan said with a smile. Standing up, he walked toward his own room, adding, “It’s getting late. You should all rest early. If the Pill Tower has any news, let me know. I might be in seclusion for a few days.”
Seeing this, Little Healer Immortal and the other two nodded slightly, with only Zi Yan mumbling her dissatisfaction about going into seclusion again.
In the softly lit room, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed. With a grip of his hand, a scroll appeared in his grasp. It was the remaining three seals of the Emperor’s Seal Technique given to him by Xuner when she left.
Xiao Yan was well aware of the power of the Emperor’s Seal Technique. It was a complete high-grade Earth-level skill, and each seal, even if used separately, was still stronger than ordinary high-grade Earth-level skills. If all five seals were combined, their power would approach a Heaven-level skill. It was not unjustified that it was one of the most famous ancient arts of the Ancient Race.
The Emperor’s Seal Technique was divided into five seals, but Xiao Yan had only mastered the first two. Previously, these two seals were powerful enough for him. However, as he now encountered stronger opponents, the Mountain-Cleaving Seal and the Sea-Turning Seal were gradually becoming insufficient. Therefore, before he set out to rescue Pharmacist Elder, he must learn the remaining seals to have more options.
The scroll Xuner left contained the cultivation methods for the last three seals: the Earth-Overturning Seal, the Heaven-Annihilating Seal, and the Ancient Emperor Seal. With his current strength, mastering the Earth-Overturning Seal was more than enough, the Heaven-Annihilating Seal was a bit of a stretch but should still be manageable, but the Ancient Emperor Seal remained beyond his reach. According to the scroll, even within the Ancient Race, few could master the final Ancient Emperor Seal, which showed the difficulty of cultivating it.
But Xiao Yan was not greedy. He knew that it was impossible to do everything at once. Learning the Earth-Overturning Seal and the Heaven-Annihilating Seal would significantly boost his combat power.
With his mind made up, Xiao Yan did not delay any further. He memorized all the information in the scroll, then slowly closed his eyes, and his hands began to form complex and intricate seals in front of him.
The Emperor’s Seal Technique was not low in rank and was considered a high-level skill among the Ancient Race. Naturally, it was difficult to cultivate. Fortunately, Xiao Yan was no longer a beginner. With the experience of the first two seals, though he wouldn’t master the latter seals immediately, it was much easier to start.
In the quiet room, the young man sat cross-legged, his face solemn. His hands continuously formed dazzling hand seals, and in the process, faint, peculiar ripples silently diffused…
As Xiao Yan practiced the Emperor’s Seal Technique, five days quickly passed. During this period, he repeatedly practiced the Earth-Overturning Seal and the Heaven-Annihilating Seal. Under such intense practice, combined with his previous experience, he gradually became proficient with the Earth-Overturning Seal, and he was also beginning to understand the Heaven-Annihilating Seal. At this rate, mastering it was only a matter of time.
On the seventh day of Xiao Yan’s continuous, intensive practice, Little Healer Immortal broke the silence. Just as he was happy that the Pill Tower had information about Pharmacist Elder so quickly, Little Healer Immortal told him that trouble had arrived.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan was initially stunned, then a cold, sinister look passed through his eyes. “Xuanming Sect?” Little Healer Immortal nodded slightly, whispering, “And quite a few people came. It seems the Sect Master of the Xuanming Sect really intends to make you pay for his son’s life this time.”
Xiao Yan’s expression remained unchanged. He got off the bed and said indifferently, “If that’s the case, let’s see if he has the qualifications…”
With that, he led the way out of the room. If they chose to avoid and hide, it would surely become a joke for the champion of the Pill Conference.
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