Seeing the sudden change in Xiao Yan’s expression, the Pharmacist Elder also slowly nodded, saying, “It seems that the northwest continent may have encountered some trouble…”
“What’s the matter?” Xiao Yan frowned. The northwest continent was not as densely populated with powerful figures as the Central Province. Despite the plethora of sects and empires, they were always in a state of mutual strife. Though there were forces with considerable strength striving for unification, their efforts had always been futile. Moreover, those so-called formidable forces, when compared to the Central Province, were only at the level of top-tier powers, not stronger than the Four Square Pavilion. Hence, these regions did not receive much attention from many of the Central Province’s powers and strong individuals.
“Originally, the northwest continent was relatively peaceful, but a year ago, a sect called the Lion Mystic Sect suddenly began an aggressive expansion. Their powerful fighters were unstoppable, and within less than half a year, nearly half of the northwest continent fell under the control of the Lion Mystic Sect,” the Pharmacist Elder softly said as he slowly descended on a mountain peak.
“The Lion Mystic Sect? Are they very strong?” Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. Though the northwest continent didn’t have as many hidden dragons and tigers as the Central Province, it was still vast and naturally had its share of Dou Zun-level experts. To think that one sect could control half of the northwest continent was quite unbelievable.
“The Lion Mystic Sect originally ranked within the top ten in the northwest continent, but they were not invincible. This time, however, their strength has skyrocketed, and they have gained many extremely powerful and mysterious fighters…” the Pharmacist Elder said calmly.
“Has another mysterious power involved itself in the northwest continent?” Xiao Yan was startled. The Central Province’s forces and strong individuals generally looked down on other continents, so it was rare for them to meddle in their affairs. Even if they could secretly control those places, they wouldn’t gain much benefit, and might even end up losing more than they gained.
“The Soul Temple?” Xiao Yan slightly knitted his brows, then noticed the serious expression on the Pharmacist Elder’s face. He tentatively asked, “Is that it?”
“Yes!” The Pharmacist Elder nodded and said, “According to the intelligence reports, many Soul Temple experts have indeed appeared in the Lion Mystic Sect.”
“Why are the Soul Temple going to the northwest continent to start a large-scale war for no reason?”
“To collect souls… The Central Province is a complex web of forces, and even the Soul Temple dares not easily wage a large-scale war. But in places like the northwest continent, the Soul Temple’s power is sufficient to dominate such a one-sided battle. All they need to do is come out and claim the souls afterward.”
“Previously, the Soul Temple collected souls secretly, but never through openly starting a war. Why are they now urgently using this method to gather souls?”
“The Soul Temple must have some ulterior motives for collecting souls, but I am not sure what they are. When they captured me, they only wanted me to join them. I knew they were after my alchemy skills, but what I could do was simply refining medicinal pills. Yet, with the Temple Master’s strength, at least ninth-grade pills would be beneficial to him. But such pills are not easy to refine.”
Hearing the Pharmacist Elder’s sigh, Xiao Yan felt a heaviness in his heart. Although he did not know what the Soul Temple was up to, he could tell they were planning something big. After all, why would anyone go to such lengths to collect so many souls, especially when their pace had recently accelerated?
“What does the Soul Race want?”
“With the northwest continent in chaos, the Lion Mystic Sect continues to expand. Those who refuse to submit are utterly destroyed, which undoubtedly accelerates the Soul Temple’s collection of souls. They compensate for the lack of quality with quantity.”
The Pharmacist Elder looked at Xiao Yan and continued, “As for your Flame Alliance, since you left, it has developed under Medusa and others into a powerful force ranking among the top three in the northwest continent. Normally, the Lion Mystic Sect would not be a match for the Flame Alliance. Unfortunately, the addition of the Soul Temple’s strong fighters has put the Flame Alliance at a disadvantage.”
“In the past few months, the Flame Alliance’s territory has drastically shrunk, forcing it to retreat to the Jia Ma Empire. We received this intelligence at that time, and Little Healer Immortal and Qing Lin rushed to the Jia Ma Empire because the Heavenly Serpent Residence’s situation was also dire.”
Xiao Yan’s expression darkened, “This damned Soul Temple, they never stop causing trouble.”
“When Little Healer Immortal and the others left, I also sent some Star Falling Sect’s experts to follow.”
The Pharmacist Elder, unsurprised by Xiao Yan’s reaction, nodded and said, “Yes, when you go to the Jia Ma Empire, I will send some Star Falling Sect elders, whose strength reaches the five-star Dou Zun level or higher, to accompany you. They have more information and can help you understand the situation in the northwest continent better. As for the Star Falling Sect, I will stay here to prevent the Soul Temple from using a feint attack strategy.”
Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
“As for the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, we can set it aside for now. There’s still some time before the ‘Space Trading Assembly’ begins. Before that, we must resolve the problems of the Flame Alliance.”
The Pharmacist Elder smiled and said, “Don’t rush to leave today. The distance between the Central Province and the northwest continent is too great. If we fly back, it will take at least two months. Therefore, we need to build a spatial wormhole.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan was taken aback. A Dou Zun could create a spatial wormhole, but building one spanning the Central Province to the northwest continent was not something an ordinary Dou Zun could accomplish. Fortunately, the Pharmacist Elder was now a Half-Saint, making it easier to construct one.
“Last time, I used a temporary spatial wormhole to send Little Healer Immortal and the others away. Since then, I’ve been preparing a stable spatial wormhole. If successful, it will become a permanent passage connecting the Star Falling Sect to the northwest continent. When you take over the Star Falling Sect, you can unite it completely with the Flame Alliance.”
Xiao Yan nodded and sighed in relief. A direct spatial wormhole to the northwest continent would save him a lot of time.
“Rest well today. You must be tired after all these days.”
Xiao Yan didn’t refuse, nodding and recalling something. He took out the jade slip given to him by Yao Xing Ji from his storage ring and handed it to the Pharmacist Elder, “This is the Medicine Clan’s invitation to the Medicine Canon. They asked me to give it to you.”
Upon hearing the name “Medicine Canon,” the Pharmacist Elder’s hand trembled slightly, though the movement was small and barely noticeable.
The Pharmacist Elder’s gaze fixed intently on the jade slip, and after a long while, he finally exhaled deeply and slowly, with slightly trembling hands, took it and stored it in his storage ring. “Let’s set this aside for now and focus on building the spatial wormhole.”
“Alright.”
Though the Pharmacist Elder’s expression remained calm, Xiao Yan could sense that his mind was far from peaceful.
“It seems that this Medicine Canon, if it’s as significant as Yao Xing Ji said, you won’t refuse. But I wonder what it is that causes such a reaction.”
Seeing the flicker in Xiao Yan’s eyes, the Pharmacist Elder just smiled without explaining further. He patted Xiao Yan’s shoulder gently and said, “Come, let’s go back and rest. These past six months have been anything but easy. You should have a good break.”
Xiao Yan shook his head, unfazed. Years of experience had acclimated him to this lifestyle. To protect certain things, sacrifices were necessary. What comforted him was that he was no longer as dependent on the Pharmacist Elder as before; now, he was truly a top-tier expert capable of handling any situation on his own.
“Once the spatial wormhole is built, you can set off for the northwest continent. It’s been years since you left, and it’s time to go back and see how things are.”
The Pharmacist Elder sighed, recalling how Xiao Yan had been just a young and inexperienced boy when he first left the Jia Ma Empire. Now, he had become a renowned figure on this continent.
Xiao Yan nodded silently, feeling a tinge of nostalgia. Unbeknownst to him, he had been away from the Jia Ma Empire for years. He wondered how his brothers were doing, especially Medusa. If it were true, her child would be around four or five years old now…
“If that’s the case, then I’m a father now…”
Thinking this, Xiao Yan felt a special emotion welling up inside him, as if his mindset had matured even more in this instant.
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