The pill was blood-red all over, about the size of a dragon’s eye. It looked extremely mysterious. At first glance, it resembled a transparent bead filled with blood. In the center of the pill, a faint crimson light pulsed, as if it were a tiny eye. The overall effect was eerie. Xiao Yan’s gaze was fixed intently on the blood-red pill. With his outstanding soul perception, he could vaguely sense that this pill was slightly different from ordinary ones. However, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what the difference was. Nonetheless, regardless of the specifics, this “Life-Devouring Pill” was the highest-grade pill Xiao Yan had seen in many years!
“Teacher said that when a pill reaches a certain grade, it can possess some form of intelligence. I wonder if this Life-Devouring Pill is like that?” A thought flashed through Xiao Yan’s mind. Carefully, he picked up the bottle and glanced at the cap. To his surprise, there appeared to be some sort of energy trace sketched on it. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to serve as a seal.
“Indeed, worthy of being a pill at the peak of the seventh grade. I didn’t expect that even its container needs to be sealed with energy. It seems what Teacher said is true.” Xiao Yan furrowed his brows but did not take out the pill. A pill of this grade could not be left lying around carelessly, or else it might attract some strange phenomena.
“Second Brother, did you get anything else when you found the pill?” Xiao Yan held the bottle and suddenly looked up at Xiao Li and asked.
Xiao Li was taken aback, then cautiously surveyed the surroundings before nodding. He took out a blood-red scroll from his storage ring. The scroll emitted a faint red glow, and it seemed tightly sealed, like a solid jade pillar.
“I got this along with the pill, but I can’t open it,” Xiao Li said, handing the blood-red scroll to Xiao Yan with a frown.
Quickly putting down the jade bottle, Xiao Yan took the scroll and examined it for a while before exhaling and musing, “If I’m not mistaken, this might be the recipe for the ‘Life-Devouring Pill.'”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li’s expression did not change much. When he first obtained the pill, he had a hunch about what it might be, though he wasn’t entirely sure. Now, with Xiao Yan’s confirmation, his heart burned with excitement. Licking his lips, he whispered, “If this is indeed the recipe for the ‘Life-Devouring Pill,’ our Xiao Family might have a chance to rise again. Once we create a few dozen Dou Wang experts, the Yunlan Sect will be nothing!”
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then shook his head lightly. “It’s difficult… Even though the ‘Life-Devouring Pill’ can lend someone three years of Dou Wang strength by depleting their life, it wouldn’t rank at the peak of the seventh grade if it were that easy to refine. Mass-producing seventh-grade pills—there are very few people on this continent who can do that.”
Even refining the sixth-grade pill, Diling Pill, required enormous effort. Successfully refining something as high-ranking as the “Life-Devouring Pill” was even more daunting. Not to mention finding the necessary materials, just refining a sixth-grade pill would cause such a stir; what chaos would refining a seventh-grade pill bring? Lightning might strike and destroy both the pill and the alchemist. Plus, attracting the attention of stronger individuals would only make things worse.
On this continent, those capable of refining seventh-grade peak pills were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Even the current Alchemy Elder might find it challenging unless he regained his peak strength. Given Xiao Yan’s current strength and control over the Fallen Heart Flame, his chances of successfully refining the “Life-Devouring Pill” were probably less than ten percent. Handing over the recipe to an alchemist capable of refining such a pill would be a foolish decision. Therefore, mass-producing dozens of Dou Wang experts with the “Life-Devouring Pill” was virtually impossible.
Hearing Xiao Yan, Xiao Li returned to reality, somewhat disappointed. With a sigh, he said, “Keep this. I’m not an alchemist, so it’s useless to me.”
Xiao Yan nodded and did not refuse. Gently tapping the scroll with his fingers, after a moment, he spoke solemnly, “Do not mention the ‘Life-Devouring Pill’ or the recipe to anyone. If it leaks, the trouble will be significant.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not reckless. No one except you knows about these things,” Xiao Li reassured, pointing at the jade bottle on the table. “Take the last ‘Life-Devouring Pill’ with you. It’s of no use to me now.”
Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment but then took the pill. “I’ll study the ‘Life-Devouring Pill’ and the recipe soon. I’ll try to find a way to resolve your problem within a year.”
Xiao Li smiled indifferently. “As long as you’re alive, everything is fine. It doesn’t matter if I live or die.”
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and stood up. “I’ll return to the Jia Nan Academy now. In two days, I’ll settle things with Han Feng.”
“Han Feng?” Hearing this name well-known in the Black Corner Region, Xiao Li frowned. “You’re going after him? He’s a real Battle Emperor peak powerhouse, and he has multiple flames. Even average Battle Sect experts struggle against him. This is too risky. And the ‘Black Alliance’ has many strong members…”
“Don’t worry, the Jia Nan Academy has its strong members too. I won’t be alone,” Xiao Yan assured, waving his hand. “And I have more flames than Han Feng.”
“What’s your current real cultivation level?” Xiao Li sized up Xiao Yan and asked.
“Probably at the peak of Dou Wang, not far from breaking through to Battle Emperor,” Xiao Yan replied with a smile. To reassure Xiao Li, he exaggerated a bit. Although he was at the peak of Dou Wang, he hadn’t fully mastered it. Without special circumstances, it would take some time to reach Battle Emperor.
“An entire realm apart…” Xiao Li frowned, but upon seeing Xiao Yan’s confident smile and recalling Fan Lao’s death, he nodded. “Be careful. Also, take me with you. I’m not a burden anymore.”
“Alright, I’ll feel better if you’re with me. First, gather your men. I’ll take you to the academy for a couple of days.”
Xiao Yan nodded, stored the ‘Life-Devouring Pill’ and the recipe in his storage ring, and headed out.
Xiao Li was always efficient, so he managed to gather everyone within an hour. Though some were injured, nearly a hundred men remained. In the Black Corner Region, this was a formidable force, though not as large as the Blood Sect.
After organizing everything, Xiao Yan didn’t delay. They set off with the griffins, heading back to the Jia Nan Academy.
When they arrived, due to some reasons, Xiao Yan had Xiao Li’s men settle in the city outside the academy. He took some of his followers who had participated in the fight to spread the news of Fan Lao’s death, which caused a stir among the inner courtyards. Battle Emperor experts were figures to be revered, yet one fell to Xiao Yan without a trace.
Naturally, Xiao Yan didn’t care about the commotion he caused. After returning to the inner courtyard, he visited Grand Elder Su Qian, who was surprised by Fan Lao’s death but not overly shocked. With two different flames, Xiao Yan’s combat power was terrifying.
For Xiao Yan bringing Xiao Li into the inner courtyard, although it was against the rules, Su Qian allowed it. Xiao Yan, with his dual flames, was not to be trifled with. After a reminder, Su Qian let Xiao Yan go, also reminding him about the upcoming major event, which Xiao Yan eagerly anticipated.
Two days later, at dawn, some students noticed the unusual atmosphere in the inner courtyard. When they saw figures flying from all directions, they realized a big event was about to happen. This kind of spectacle was common, often meaning the inner courtyard was looking for trouble with the Black Corner Region. Some sharp-eyed students noticed this event was on a larger scale than any previous one.
As the students watched enviously, a clear cry echoed, and a green fire-winged figure shot up into the sky, revealing Xiao Yan. The students’ eyes lit up with excitement. Xiao Yan, as the first student to participate in such events, was a symbol of honor and recognition of his strength.
In the sky, Xiao Yan ignored the excited gazes below and turned his gaze northward, a cold smile forming on his lips. “This time, I’ll clean up the mess for Teacher!”
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