Witnessing this sudden transformation from enemies to allies, everyone but the individuals involved wore expressions of bewilderment. Wasn’t the shift in relations a bit too swift? “Hmph, that night she even tried to control me,” Zi Yan remarked, shooting a glance at Qing Lin with a slight huff. “It was a misunderstanding… I can see through people’s true forms. At first, I thought you were one of the Netherworld Earth Spirits, and your true form resembled that of the Netherworld Earth Spirit royals, which is why I attacked you,” Qing Lin hastily explained. “I’m not one of those ugly, footless things,” Zi Yan responded, displeased with being compared to Netherworld Earth Spirits. She then added, thinking about the generalization, “Except for Sister Cai Lin.”
Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly, disregarding the argument between the two girls. Holding the shaking little beast in his arms, he mused, “This pill beast, though it has no energy fluctuations, can still be sensed by experienced experts and alchemists who can smell the fragrance of the pills, thus guessing its true identity.”
“Maybe we should let Qing Lin put it away again?” Little Healer Immortal suggested.
Upon hearing this, the snow-white beast seemed to understand, furiously shaking its head, its large, watery eyes gazing at Xiao Yan. It clung tightly to his clothes, clearly showing its resistance to Qing Lin. Seeing this, Qing Lin felt a bit embarrassed, while Zi Yan chuckled softly. Looking at the beast’s large, tearful eyes, Xiao Yan could only smile bitterly—it was trying to be cute, wasn’t it?
“Cough, leave it to me. I can isolate the fragrance of the pills…” Little Healer Immortal suddenly coughed, her beautiful eyes fixed on the snow-white beast. Evidently, she couldn’t resist the cuteness of the little creature.
“Women always like furry things,” Xiao Yan observed, somewhat speechless. Even someone as strong as Little Healer Immortal couldn’t escape this universal law. Reluctantly, he handed the beast to Little Healer Immortal. The little guy, after a moment’s hesitation, scampered into her arms, rubbing its furry head against her chest. This caused Little Healer Immortal to giggle, making Xiao Yan wince. Was this pill beast a male?
With the pill beast in her hands, energy flickered at Little Healer Immortal’s fingertips, and she quickly tapped the beast’s body. A faint energy net appeared and adhered beneath its fur. As the energy net settled, the enchanting fragrance of the pills vanished completely. To any onlooker, this pill beast was now indistinguishable from an ordinary animal; no one would be able to recognize its true identity.
Relieved, Xiao Yan glanced at the little beast nestled in Little Healer Immortal’s arms, his eyes narrowing. Turning, he waved his hand, recalling the Heavenly Beast Puppet and other puppets into his storage ring. Then, he said to Qing Lin, “Put away your escorts as well.”
Qing Lin nodded, her eyes flashing green. The numerous escorts vanished, transforming into a green light that returned to her eyes. Witnessing this miraculous ability, everyone, including Xiao Yan, was amazed. The Tri-flower Snake Pupil truly was extraordinary.
“When the Tri-flower Snake Pupil matures, it can create an inner space, and the things I control can be stored inside. But there’s a limit, and it must increase as my strength increases,” Qing Lin explained, seeing the amazement on their faces.
“However, the people I control lose strength over time because the Tri-flower Snake Pupil absorbs their power, eventually returning it to me,” Qing Lin continued, causing Xiao Yan and the others to gasp. This ability was too terrifying. If she didn’t need to train and could just control strong fighters, she could sit back and enjoy the rewards.
“It’s not as scary as you think. The absorption process is slow, and with my current strength, I can only control Dou Zun under the second star level, and not more than three at a time. Also, I can only control beasts with snake-lineage blood, not humans or other types of beasts. For them, it’s just auxiliary at most,” Qing Lin clarified, sticking out her tongue when she saw their shocked expressions.
Wiping off cold sweat, Xiao Yan remembered experiencing the auxiliary effect firsthand. If his soul power hadn’t been stronger, he might have fallen into a trap. Now, Qing Lin had just reached the Dou Zun level, and it was still unstable. If she fought Xiao Yan seriously, she might lose within twenty rounds, but with the Tri-flower Snake Pupil, Xiao Yan had to be cautious.
“No wonder your strength improves so rapidly,” Xiao Yan marveled. Years ago, Qing Lin wasn’t even a Dou Shi, but now, in less than ten years, she had reached this level. Such a speed made Xiao Yan feel ashamed—this was what real speed meant.
While he sighed, Xiao Yan knew that there were probably fewer than ten people with such natural abilities on the entire continent. The Tri-flower Snake Pupil, a rare, innate treasure, was not something anyone could possess.
“Indeed, it lives up to its reputation as the world’s number one unique pupil. Truly formidable,” the Heavenly Fire Venerable also sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. Despite his years of hard training, he had been surpassed in less than a decade. It was enough to unnerve anyone.
Seeing everyone’s stunned expressions, Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, waved his hand, and said, “This is a natural ability. There’s no point in envying it. Let’s go to the main hall. If we’re late, all the treasures will be claimed by others.”
Everyone nodded, putting aside their envy, and exited the remote pill room.
In the third layer of the Pill Hall, more and more strong practitioners were arriving. Some pill rooms burst with sounds of combat and swearing, indicating that they had found treasures.
Other pill rooms had already been looted, so Xiao Yan lost interest in further exploration. With the biggest treasure secured, the rest were of little importance. Thus, Xiao Yan’s group left without lingering, heading for the exit. Carrying the prized pill beast, they departed boldly, attracting many envious gazes, but no one dared to interfere.
As they left, they naturally drew attention. Some eyes lingered on the pill beast in Little Healer Immortal’s arms, but no one recognized it. With Xiao Yan’s formidable company, sensible people wouldn’t dare to challenge them.
Exiting the Pill Hall, the group looked at the crisscrossing corridors, momentarily uncertain. The ruins were vast, and reaching the main hall wasn’t easy.
“Let me lead the way. I found a rough map inside the ruins. I know where the main hall is…” Seeing Xiao Yan’s perplexed look, Qing Lin smiled.
Xiao Yan sighed in relief, nodding. This girl was indeed a lucky charm, far different from the young maid of old. Recognizing the direction, Qing Lin pointed her foot, and her graceful figure glided forward. Xiao Yan and the others quickly followed.
The complexity of the ancient ruins exceeded Xiao Yan’s expectations. Following Qing Lin, the twisting corridors felt like a maze. Fortunately, after about ten minutes, the view opened up, revealing a vast, ancient hall.
The hall was coppery yellow, with countless years giving it a deeper hue. An ancient aura emanated from every stone slab, evoking a sense of the silent, chaotic past. The hall was so vast that the people inside felt like ants. In the center were ten large, glowing orbs. Suspended in mid-air, they emitted a dazzling light, and within, scroll-like objects could be faintly seen.
Xiao Yan and the others’ hearts leaped at the sight. Could these be the so-called Heaven Rank Battle Skills? His gaze swept over the orbs, each emitting a peculiar, pressuring aura. Suddenly, his gaze stopped at the center, where a stone seat held a white-jade-colored skeleton, legs crossed, hands forming seals.
“The bones of a Dou Sheng…” Xiao Yan’s mouth went dry. This was his first encounter with a Dou Sheng, even if it was just a skeleton. The oppressive aura seeping from the bones was immense, weighing down on them like a giant stone.
“This is the main hall of the ruins,” Qing Lin whispered.
Xiao Yan nodded, shifting his gaze from the orbs and the skeleton to the central area. There, several figures stood, each radiating overpowering auras. Among them, he saw Feng Qing’er once more.
“Heh, they arrived quickly,” Xiao Yan muttered, a cold smile spreading across his face.
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