Listening to the aged voice that echoed in the room, Xiao Yan finally let out a sigh of relief. The elder who had just rushed into the room was slowly retreating, and at this moment, a slightly withered hand, like an eagle’s claw, was firmly grasping his throat. Haran looked at the indifferent old man before him with a frightened expression. Although he was caught off guard, when that person’s hand locked onto his throat, Haran was horrified to find that the fighting energy that was once flowing rapidly within him had become as slow as a turtle, no matter how hard he tried to mobilize it.
At this point, even if Haran was as foolish as ever, he realized that the elder before him was not, as he had thought, only a little bit stronger than him. Judging from the terrifying skill of the other, his strength was at least two levels above Haran’s. “Oh my, this old fellow has already reached the level where his fighting energy can manifest as wings, why is he still riding a flying beast that is not very fast?” wailed Haran desolately in his heart. He struggled to move his throat and said in a hoarse voice, “Sir… we did not mean to offend you, we only wanted to ensure our own safety…”
The Elder Alchemist glanced at him indifferently, and his right hand flicked, a jade vial appearing in his hand. Inside the slightly transparent vial, one could vaguely see a blood-colored pill the size of a dragon eye rolling playfully. “You want this, don’t you?” The elder lifted the jade vial and smiled faintly.
Seeing Haran being easily subdued by the Elder Alchemist without any chance to resist, the faces of the three middle-aged men also turned pale with fright. They took a few fearful steps back and began to feel uneasy. Only after their greed gradually faded from their minds did they realize how foolish their actions had been. “Ha… ha, sir, you jest. How dare we plot against you? If it were not for our fear that the previous energy fluctuation would hinder the flight, we would never have disturbed you,” Haran swallowed, his eyes darting about, and he forced a dry laugh.
“You didn’t say so earlier…” Xiao Yan came to the side of the door, leaning against the wooden wall, and glanced at Haran with a mocking smile.
“Ha… Ha, that was just a joke, a joke,” Haran laughed dryly, lowering his head slightly, a glint of resentment flashing in his eyes. His sleeve fell, and a small bag of black powder slid into his palm. “I did not intend to kill, but since you chose death, I suppose it cannot be helped…” As Haran was about to throw the powder, the Elder Alchemist sighed and shook his head, a cold smile appearing on his lips, and white flames suddenly surged from the hand clutching the back of the neck.
“Ahhh!” The moment the white flame touched Haran’s skin, intense pain made his pupils widen, and his body tensed like a spring. With a shrill scream, his entire body was completely engulfed by the white flames in just a few seconds.
“Shh…” Staring at the pile of black ashes that Haran had turned into in the blink of an eye, everyone present, including Xiao Yan, could not help but take a sharp breath. “This is the power of a Heavenly Flame?” Gazing at this scene in awe, Xiao Yan felt as if his heart was turning over. Although the Elder Alchemist had once used a Heavenly Flame to kill in Wu Tan City, the opponent then was merely a fighter, so the impact on Xiao Yan was not very profound. But now, the person who could only last a few seconds in the Heavenly Flame was a true Great Fighter!
“Heavenly Flame… No wonder so many people would do anything to get it. This power… Tsk, it’s truly tempting.” Shaking his head with a sigh, Xiao Yan had to admit that after witnessing the power of the Heavenly Flame, his desire to obtain it had grown even stronger. Glancing indifferently at the ashes on the ground, the Elder Alchemist waved his sleeve, and a gentle breeze blew, sweeping them away. Tossing the jade vial to Xiao Yan, he clapped his hands lightly. Xiao Yan carefully took the jade vial containing the Blood Lotus Pill, put it gently into his Storage Ring, and let out a slight sigh of relief. Raising his head, he looked at the three middle-aged men, whose faces were now pale, with a wicked smile. “Master, what should we do with them?”
“Since they have the determination to rob and kill, they should know the price they must pay if they fail,” the Elder Alchemist said calmly, glancing at the three. He flipped his palm, and the white flames rose again. “Will you jump down yourselves?”
Hearing the Elder Alchemist’s calm words, the three men shuddered, looking down at the ground at least a thousand meters below, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
Xiao Yan folded his arms, coldly watching the three men in fear and despair, feeling no sympathy. He knew that if their positions were reversed, these men would show no mercy in killing them. Since they had shown no pity, Xiao Yan could set aside his feelings and face them! Without looking up at the three terrified men, the Elder Alchemist’s fingers slowly flicked, and threads of pale white flames rose and dissipated in his palm. The tense atmosphere continued for a moment, and the middle-aged man, who was only a first-grade alchemist, could no longer bear the oppressive atmosphere. With a suppressed roar, fighting energy quickly enveloped his body, and he charged at Xiao Yan with a fierce light, apparently not entirely losing his mind, and knowing to choose the weakest target.
After the middle-aged man took action, the second-grade alchemist suddenly drew a long sword from his Storage Ring, and with a fierce cry, he charged at Xiao Yan. He knew that if he captured Xiao Yan and used him as a hostage, he would surely survive today!
Ignoring the two attackers, the Elder Alchemist was silent for a moment before flicking his finger, sending a thread of white flame from his palm. It flew like an arrow, piercing through the body of the first-grade alchemist, instantly reducing him to ashes.
Killing a first-grade alchemist as easily as a chicken, the Elder Alchemist’s fingers were about to flick again at the second-grade alchemist, but a slight thud made him pause. He raised an eyebrow and lifted his head, intrigued.
“Phew…” At this moment, the second-grade alchemist, who was rushing towards Xiao Yan, suddenly froze. A mouthful of bright red blood spewed from his mouth. Lowering his head, he saw a cold blade covered in blood piercing through his chest. “You…” Struggling to turn his head, the second-grade alchemist fixed his venomous gaze on the comrade who had suddenly attacked him. “You… will die here too, absolutely… you won’t escape, he won’t let you!”
Upon hearing this, the crazed second-grade alchemist plunged his long sword deeper, then pulled it out, splattering himself with blood. Seeing his companion collapsing, the second-grade alchemist took a deep, labored breath and shouted at the Elder Alchemist, “Sir, I will follow you! Please spare my life!”
Xiao Yan quietly watched the brutal betrayal unfolding before him. After a while, he exhaled softly. “This is the cruelty of human nature. In the future, don’t trust your back to those you don’t trust, because you never know when a surprise sword might stab you in the chest…”
Ignoring the flattering second-grade alchemist, the Elder Alchemist turned to Xiao Yan and said mildly. Clenching his fists tightly, Xiao Yan nodded. This live lesson taught him much. “Deal with this man as you wish. I don’t need such a follower.”
Turning slowly, the Elder Alchemist walked back into the room, leaving Xiao Yan with a light remark. Nodding, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, and a slightly chilling smile appeared on his face. A moment after entering the room, the Elder Alchemist heard a dull thud outside the door, and he nodded, his fingers flicking, the pale white flames dissipating. “Creak.”
Xiao Yan pushed the door open, his body now slightly bloody. Seeing the Elder Alchemist look at him, Xiao Yan shrugged and smiled, “Having such a person around is dangerous, so I pushed him down.”
“Mm.” Nodding casually, the Elder Alchemist gazed through the window at the distant golden horizon, smiling. “The great desert of Tagel is near. Let’s go… For the rest of the journey, we’ll fly ourselves, to avoid causing unnecessary commotion due to the missing alchemists.”
With that, the Elder Alchemist’s body shimmered and vanished into the Storage Ring on Xiao Yan’s finger. Simultaneously, the purple wings on Xiao Yan’s back unfurled. Flapping his purple wings, Xiao Yan opened the window and jumped straight down. The fierce wind whistled past his ears as Xiao Yan spread his wings, and the purple fighting energy covered his body. Lifting his head, he looked at the giant-winged flying beast not far away and smiled faintly. After a brief pause, he sped up, turning into a purple streak of light, surpassing the flying beast. High in the sky, the purple light streaked across the horizon like a shooting star, heading toward the yellow city in the vast golden desert. As the city grew closer, waves of heat greeted him. Narrowing his eyes to look at the seemingly endless expanse of gold, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief, “The final place of cultivation, the great desert of Tagel, we have finally arrived!”
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