In the dense mountain forest, a black shadow swiftly darted past. Occasionally, the black robe brushed against outstretched branches, and as the robe fluttered, it revealed a young, clear face—the very Xiao Yan who had just escaped with precious treasures after slaying Fan Ling and others. To avoid leaving any traces on the ground, Xiao Yan chose to traverse through the treetops, erasing any footprints whenever he landed. Thanks to the dense forest’s cover, even though Xiao Yan felt a cold, murderous aura sweep over him from the sky during his escape, he managed to remain undetected due to the help of the Pharmacist Elder in concealing his presence. Thus, despite Fan Lao’s furious pursuit, Xiao Yan managed to evade detection, which was a great relief.
After a full day and night of frantic escape, Xiao Yan had distanced himself far from the Black Mark City. By now, even if Fan Lao had the power to touch the heavens, he would not be able to find Xiao Yan within a few hundred miles. On a steep cliff, the black shadow suddenly shot out from the forest behind and landed steadily on a large rock at the edge. The black robe, slightly dirty after a day of running, lifted to reveal a youthful face that had regained its vitality after a night of rest.
Standing at the cliff’s edge, Xiao Yan took a deep breath of the misty air, completely dispelling the last traces of fatigue. Gazing down at the winding road below, a slight smile crept onto his lips, which then widened into a hearty laugh that echoed across the cliffs.
This time, playing the role of the clever cuckoo, the rewards far exceeded Xiao Yan’s expectations. Originally, he had only hoped to obtain the broken map, but unexpectedly, Fan Ling and the others had also taken the Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill and the Three Thousand Thunderbolt for him. These two treasures, capable of causing significant waves even in the entire Dou Qi Continent, fell into Xiao Yan’s hands in a somewhat humorous manner. It was as if heaven had dropped a pie in his lap, making him feel as if he were in a dream.
As the laughter gradually subsided, Xiao Yan waved his hand, revealing an ancient, broken map. Tapping his finger on the storage ring, another slightly larger piece and two smaller pieces of the once-torn map by Hai Bo Dong appeared. Carefully piecing together the three maps, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but chuckle at the large missing corner in the lower left. In just over three years, he had managed to collect three pieces of the scattered map—an incredible stroke of luck.
“Fortunately, the first fragment I obtained had the pattern of the Lotus Demon Fire. Otherwise, even Teacher might not have connected this broken map to the third-ranked Lotus Demon Fire on the Flame List. If we didn’t know the exact details, we might not have risked being pursued by Battle Emperor experts and a powerful faction to obtain these maps…” Xiao Yan murmured, somewhat relieved.
After a moment of reflection, Xiao Yan carefully put away the maps and flipped his palm, producing a chilly jade box emitting white vapor. His eyes fixed on the box, Xiao Yan’s heart began to race again. The sight of such a treasure weakened his composure. Carefully lifting the lid, a ray of golden light shot out. Hastily covering it, Xiao Yan’s cautious demeanor showed his fear of attracting unwanted attention. After all, the allure of the Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill was too great, and many would succumb to greed and attempt to steal it, especially in the Black-Corner Region.
“Consume it. It’s not safe to keep it on you,” a voice softly echoed in Xiao Yan’s mind.
“Huh? What?” Xiao Yan, startled, didn’t immediately understand.
“I said, take the Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill,” the Pharmacist Elder repeated, exasperated by Xiao Yan’s confusion.
“Here?” Xiao Yan was astonished. This was a seventh-grade pill; could he really consume it in such an unsafe place? Previously, when taking the Three-Line Azure Spirit Pill, he had to find a secure location to properly refine its power.
“Stop dawdling and take it!” the Pharmacist Elder urged impatiently.
Sighing, Xiao Yan nodded and carefully opened the box. As the lid was lifted, he quickly covered the opening with his palm, and a faint green Dou Qi surged, blocking the golden light from shooting up. In his hand, the Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill glowed with golden light, and two tiny golden dragons swirled inside, emitting a faint dragon roar. The sound, though subtle, had a strange, almost magical effect, causing the soul to tremble momentarily.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan looked at the pill with a new sense of wonder. It was truly a seventh-grade pill, with the power to affect the soul. He had never encountered such a mystical sound before.
Gripping the Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and swallowed it. Before he could even chew, the pill turned into a warm current, flowing down his throat and into his body. A torrent of heat surged through his body, and Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, quickly sitting cross-legged, waiting for the medicinal power to activate.
However, the expected surge of power did not come. The torrent of heat dissipated slowly, like water absorbed by a sponge, until it vanished completely. Xiao Yan opened his eyes, looking at his still form, and his mouth twitched in frustration. “Teacher, is this fake? No reaction at all?”
“What reaction do you expect? A flash of golden light? Or some intense pain like before?”
“At least something should happen! It’s a seventh-grade pill, and it feels like drinking plain water.”
“At the auction, the auctioneer mentioned that the Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill isn’t for enhancing strength. Its main use is for breaking through and rebuilding. The medicinal power has already permeated your body. If you ever reach a life-or-death situation and are lucky enough to activate it, you’ll see the benefits. For now, consider it like drinking water.”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s disappointed face, the Pharmacist Elder continued, “Not entirely without benefits… The Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill has reached the level of Condensing Spirit, and it was refined using the cores of sixth-grade dragon-type magical beasts. It carries a thin dragon essence, which explains why the dragon roar can cause the soul to tremble. Those who consume the pill have a chance, albeit small, to absorb this dragon essence. Feng Zunzi, for example, didn’t get this benefit.”
“Try circulating your Dou Qi. If a strange energy separates from it, it means you’ve inherited the dragon essence.”
“And what good will that do?”
“If you inherit the dragon essence, with a sonic-attack type Dou Technique, you can use a roar to disorient your enemy, giving you an advantage. Such a technique can be lethal to souls, useful against powerful foes.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes brightened. Standing at the cliff’s edge, he took a deep, icy breath, closed his eyes, and activated his Dou Qi. The energy surged, forming a mist around him, and even started to form a Dou Qi armor. The energy pulsed, and finally, a strange energy separated and shot up his throat.
Xiao Yan’s teeth clenched, and a soul-shattering roar erupted from his mouth. The entire mountain, which usually echoed with the roars of magical beasts, fell into a fearful silence.
“A lucky fellow indeed. If Gu Ling knew, he’d be envious,” the Pharmacist Elder murmured.
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