Gazing at the place where the two Nine Heavens Dignitaries vanished, Pharmacist Elder slowly withdrew his gaze after a moment. He cast a glance at the distant strong cultivators but did not pay much attention to them. Turning around, he landed beside Xiao Yan. Upon seeing the chaos within the Starfall Sect, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Although they had withstood the attempt of the Hall of Souls to annihilate their sect, some of the Starfall Sect’s disciples had also perished.
“If it weren’t for me having just entered the Semi-Saint level and my foundation still being unstable, I would have sent those two as company to the netherworld.” Pharmacist Elder sighed softly, his tone hinting at a hidden killing intent.
“Teacher, no need to worry. If not for your timely intervention, Starfall Sect might have faced a grave catastrophe today,” Xiao Yan smiled and said.
“Well, you played a crucial role in this. Otherwise, let alone reaching Semi-Saint level, even restoring my peak strength would have been extremely challenging,” Pharmacist Elder said with a relieved smile.
“Old man, congratulations…” As the conversation between Pharmacist Elder and Xiao Yan unfolded, Wind Venerable arrived swiftly, smiling and bowing from afar.
Pharmacist Elder shook his head with a smile and said gently, “For now, just tidy up the aftermath. It is likely that the Hall of Souls won’t dare to make another move anytime soon.”
Wind Venerable nodded. With a Semi-Saint powerhouse here, the Hall of Souls should understand that ordinary experts would be of no use, and even a Semi-Saint level expert could not be dispatched easily.
“Today, there were many eyes watching. Your news of reaching the Saint level will likely spread across the Central Region soon. This is a good opportunity. With you here, coupled with the title of the foremost Alchemist of the continent, the old friends who previously rejected our invitations might reconsider,” Wind Venerable mused.
Pharmacist Elder nodded slightly. The Starfall Sect’s foundation was too thin; although it was one of the earlier established among the Four Pavilions, true powerhouses capable of standing their ground were still few. To expand, these figures were indispensable.
Fortunately, Pharmacist Elder wasn’t just a Semi-Saint but also carried the illustrious title of the foremost Alchemist. This title was an exceptionally bright gold-plated sign, and once released, it was bound to attract many true powerhouses. At that time, the Starfall Sect would finally become truly formidable.
With the Hall of Souls’ retreat, the days following were relatively calm for the battle-scarred Starfall Sect. Yet, while tranquility prevailed here, the Central Region was shaken by the emergence of a Semi-Saint within the Starfall Sect. Everyone understood what a Semi-Saint represented—such a powerhouse was unprecedented even in the Pill Tower.
This fact alone greatly boosted the Starfall Sect’s prestige. Moreover, when people learned that this Semi-Saint was also the foremost Alchemist on the continent, the impact grew exponentially!
Hence, after a brief period of silence, the Starfall Sect suddenly buzzed with activity. Leaders and elders from various forces flocked to pay their respects, their daily visits countless. This bustling scene starkly contrasted with the previous desolation.
Amidst this excitement, some old acquaintances of both Pharmacist Elder and Wind Venerable finally accepted the invitations, becoming guest elders of the Starfall Sect. Though the title was somewhat nominal, it did indeed align their interests with the Starfall Sect.
As the entire Starfall Sect plunged into busyness and jubilation, Xiao Yan refrained from getting too involved. He detested such formalities, so after the Hall of Souls’ retreat, he chose to retreat to the stone tower in the back mountain to cultivate.
Though Xiao Yan was unmatched among his peers, he was far from satisfied. His interactions with the Hall of Souls highlighted the terrifying might of that force. Even as a Two-Star Dou Sovereign, he still lacked the strength to stand against them.
While Pharmacist Elder was diligently fostering the Starfall Sect to support Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan knew that some things still depended on him. Therefore, cultivation required no slack.
In the stone tower, Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, his closed eyes gradually opening. Feeling the surge of powerful Dou Qi within him, a smile graced his face.
“Awake, are you…?” A gentle laughter echoed, and Xiao Yan turned to see Pharmacist Elder standing by the stone window, his face full of warmth.
“Teacher, why are you here?” Startled, Xiao Yan rose to greet him.
“Dealing with all that is more Wind Old Man’s expertise. Like you, I dislike such matters. But after the last lesson, we must build a strong enough force,” Pharmacist Elder smiled.
Xiao Yan smiled in return, then touched the dark ring on his finger, removing and tossing it to Pharmacist Elder. “Teacher, since you have been reborn, this should be returned to you…”
Staring at the floating dark ring, Pharmacist Elder was momentarily lost in nostalgia. He touched the ring, then said, “All my teachings were stored here. You’ve surely mastered most of it. In a sense, you’ve reached the level to be on your own.”
“These things are of little use to you now,” Pharmacist Elder slipped the ring onto his finger and added, “But there is something that can be of great help to you…”
With a tap of his finger, a white flame floated before him—it was the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.
“Teacher?” Xiao Yan was startled.
“You practice the Lotus Seal Flare. Foreign flames are crucial to you. Now that I’m a Semi-Saint, this flame is of less use to me,” Pharmacist Elder explained softly.
“Teacher, don’t try to trick me. I’m not the ignorant youth I once was. I can’t take this Bone Spirit Cold Flame,” Xiao Yan shook his head wryly. Foreign flames were essential tools for alchemists, and even if Pharmacist Elder was a Semi-Saint, this flame would be a significant boost.
Sighing, Pharmacist Elder thought, *This boy is no longer the hot-headed youth*. Yet, he remained determined. He lightly tapped the flame, which shuddered violently before settling. Pharmacist Elder’s face paled slightly.
“Little one, I’ve cleansed the soul imprint from the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. But since it has been refined by me for years, despite the imprint’s removal, it will still resist you. Thus, you can’t use the Lotus Seal Flare to refine and absorb it immediately, or you may suffer a backlash,” Pharmacist Elder said, stroking the flame gently. He flicked his finger, and the flame floated towards Xiao Yan.
“First, plant your soul imprint, then nurture it within. Once it stops resisting, merge with it.”
Gazing at the white flame, Xiao Yan’s eyes reddened. This flame had been with Pharmacist Elder for years, and now, he was wiping away its soul imprint himself.
“Even with your current strength, swallowing it won’t drastically change things. This grade of flame is already insufficient for you,” Pharmacist Elder lamented, then urged, “Plant the soul imprint now.”
Xiao Yan sighed, resigning himself to the situation. He closed his eyes, touched the flame, and slowly infused his soul imprint. Initial resistance from the flame faded, and the imprint took hold. The flame then condensed into a beam and entered the white fire mark on Xiao Yan’s forehead.
Immediately, warmth flooded his forehead, though careful observation showed the flame merely hovered there, not merging with the meridians and the Thousand Lotus Heart Flame. Clearly, the resistance was still present, but Xiao Yan was unperturbed. Such resistance would dissipate eventually.
“By the way, have you gathered all the ancient maps for the Pure Lotus Demon Flame?”
Xiao Yan felt dejected. “Since finding one in the Black Corner Region, I’ve had no luck.”
“The Pure Lotus Demon Flame is enigmatic. Even I haven’t seen it. Such a flame would be far more beneficial than the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. I’ll try to investigate for you.”
Xiao Yan nodded.
“Ah, by the way… An old acquaintance is here to see you. Will you meet her?”
“Who?” Xiao Yan frowned.
“Nalan Yanran.”
At the name, Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed. Nalan Yanran wouldn’t come without reason unless…
“Is Yun Yun in trouble?”
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