On the following day, as the first rays of the morning sun spilled across the sky, the Black Imperial City, which had been silent through the night, once again became bustling. Outside the city, countless people swarmed towards it like an army of ants. The grand auction hosted this year by the Black Sect had garnered unprecedented influence and allure, perhaps the greatest in the entire Black Corner Region over the last century. Driven by the encouragement of the Black Sect and the miraculous effects of the Bodhi Transformation Essence, even some of the region’s long-secluded superpowers had made an exception to emerge from their seclusion. Their destination was, naturally, the Black Imperial City, now the focal point of the Black Corner Region. Under the gathering of so many powerful figures, many with keen senses began to vaguely sense a storm brewing, silently coalescing within the city. This time, it seemed that an unprecedented battle unseen for centuries might erupt within the Black Imperial City. As the morning light poured into the room, Xiao Yan, sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. After a night of rest and recuperation, his state was at its peak. His Dou Qi surged within him like a mountain torrent, filling every inch of his being with immense power, making it feel as though with just a slight movement, his body would transform into a human machine, destroying anything in its path. Leaping off the bed, Xiao Yan casually walked out of the room, only to see that Little Healer Immortal and Zi Yan were already in the great hall. “When are we starting to refine the pill?” asked Little Healer Immortal the moment Xiao Yan appeared. She could sense the robust flow of Dou Qi within him, and knew that he had spent the entire night preparing for the day’s alchemy. “Let’s begin now. You both help safeguard me, ensuring no one disturbs me. The pill I’m refining is no ordinary one; if it succeeds, there will surely be a commotion. This Black Imperial Hall is filled with powerful figures, and it may be difficult to completely conceal our actions,” said Xiao Yan, his face slightly grave. “Okay.” Seeing Xiao Yan’s expression, Little Healer Immortal nodded slightly. After giving his instructions, Xiao Yan washed up quickly and was just about to enter the secret chamber when a knock sounded at the door. Hearing the knock, all three of them were taken aback, and their brows furrowed. In the Black Imperial Hall, they didn’t know many people— who would come looking for them at this time? With a hint of confusion, Xiao Yan slowly approached and opened the door. Standing at the entrance, dressed in a white robe, was Mo Ya, the young sect leader of the Black Sect. When Mo Ya saw Xiao Yan open the door, a smile instantly spread across his face. He politely bowed and said, “Brother Yanxiao, I apologize for my actions yesterday. To show my regret, I plan to take the three of you around the city. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.” At these words, a peculiar look flashed in Xiao Yan’s eyes. It seemed Mo Ya had indeed developed an interest in Little Healer Immortal. While he claimed to want to show them around, his true intentions couldn’t escape Xiao Yan’s observation. “Sorry, but today…” Xiao Yan gently shook his head, about to refuse, when a petite figure suddenly rushed out from behind him. A small fist charged forward with a low, piercing sound, slamming towards Mo Ya with tremendous force. The sudden appearance was, of course, Zi Yan. But Xiao Yan did not stop her. He had also been somewhat curious about Mo Ya. For someone of his age to achieve such accomplishments, his methods must be formidable. Letting Zi Yan test his limits was a good opportunity. Mo Ya’s face changed slightly at the unexpected attack. Even among the Battle Emperor, no one dared to underestimate Zi Yan’s terrifying strength. He hastily took a step back, bending and moving his arm to repeat the strange technique from the previous day.
With movements like a slippery loach, he gently touched Zi Yan’s arm, then spun in an esoteric arc. As the arc rotated, the fearful power of Zi Yan’s fist rapidly diminished. Sensing the same strange feeling as the previous day, Zi Yan, who was prepared, humphed coldly. Her small hand gripped again, ignoring everything else, and dense purple light enveloped her arms. She then shook, and her fist slipped out of the unusual circular grip formed by Mo Ya.
As Zi Yan’s fist escaped control, Mo Ya was startled. He lightly tapped the ground with his toe, and his figure turned into a phantom, quickly retreating. “Bang!” As Mo Ya’s figure was pressed, Zi Yan’s tightly clenched fist suddenly expanded, and the terrifying power surrounding it was released in a strange manner. It eroded the air, compressing it into an energy blast the size of a soccer ball, which slammed into Mo Ya’s body. “Bang!” The energy blast exploded, and a loud, ear-piercing sound erupted. Mo Ya retreated several steps, his feet sliding across the floor, and finally stopped himself forcefully. However, at this moment, his tidy white shirt was now tattered. Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed. As an observer, he had clearly sensed that when the invisible energy blast hit Mo Ya, his skin surface suddenly and mysteriously emitted a layer of small energy vortices. It was this layer of energy vortices that absorbed most of the energy blast’s power. Otherwise, being hit by Zi Yan wouldn’t have ended with just torn clothes. “Zi Yan, come back!” Xiao Yan called out softly, stopping Zi Yan. She then licked her lips with satisfaction, gave Mo Ya a cold look, and sauntered back into the room. After that punch, her accumulated grievances from the previous day had dissipated. Mo Ya’s method of dissipating the blow was indeed marvelous, but it clearly couldn’t completely nullify the force.
“Ha-ha, Junior Sect Leader, children can be mischievous sometimes. I’m sorry,” Xiao Yan smiled at Mo Ya, and before the other could respond, he added, “I have important matters today, so I won’t be going out. If there’s a chance in the future, perhaps the Junior Sect Leader can show us around.”
With that, Xiao Yan returned to the room and, under Mo Ya’s sullen gaze, closed the door tightly.
Outside the room, Mo Ya glared at the closed door. He hadn’t expected to be so thoroughly outmaneuvered today, not only failing to see Little Healer Immortal but also being left in such a miserable state by that little brat.
“Yanxiao, huh? Alright, alright, I’ll remember this!”
After venting inwardly, Mo Ya angrily flicked his sleeve and, with a grim expression, turned and left.
Inside the room, Xiao Yan chuckled at the memory of Mo Ya’s sullen face. He had never had a good impression of the man, and today, using Zi Yan, he had given him a good lesson, satisfying his anger.
“Hopefully, he won’t cause more trouble. Otherwise, after this matter… stay in the room and don’t interact with anyone. If anyone tries to barge in, don’t show mercy!” Xiao Yan said sternly after exhaling deeply.
“Don’t worry, no one will disturb you,” Little Healer Immortal said with a faint smile.
Xiao Yan nodded, gave a few more instructions, and then entered the secret chamber. As he did, the heavy door creaked and closed, sending up a cloud of dust.
Seeing Xiao Yan enter the secret chamber, Little Healer Immortal turned to Zi Yan, who was smiling mischievously, and asked softly, “Did you use what I gave you?”
“Yeah, I secretly transferred it into his body during the fight,” Zi Yan chuckled.
“That’s good. If he behaves, there will be no issues. But if he tries to play tricks, I’ll make him wish he was dead,” Little Healer Immortal’s voice was soft yet cold, with a hint of a sinister smile playing on her lips.
Poor Mo Ya, had he known that his attempt to get closer resulted in being secretly poisoned by two individuals without any provocation, he might have spat blood in frustration.
In the secret chamber, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a stone bed, with about ten or so jade boxes placed in front of him. Each box exuded a rich medicinal aroma, indicating that they were no ordinary items. These herbs were all collected by Xiao Yan and his companions over the past six months in various forests. They were extremely rare and valuable, not inferior to the last three ingredients purchased from the Thousand Medicine Hall.
The pill Xiao Yan intended to refine was called the “Breakthrough Pill.” Even among sixth-grade pills, it was considered top-tier, capable of making numerous Battle Emperor pique their interest. The pill did not enhance one’s strength, but it increased the chances of a Battle Emperor breaking through to Battle Sect by 10%, and ensured that the user’s strength would remain stable even if the breakthrough failed, preventing a reduction in rank.
It was well-known that the success rate of a Battle Emperor advancing to Battle Sect was extremely low and fraught with immense risks. Failure could result in a disastrous drop in rank, which was the utmost fear of all Battle Emperor pinnacles. A slight drop required a vast amount of time and effort to regain, making it the most feared event for them.
Thus, the Breakthrough Pill’s effect was irresistible to them. Although a 10% increase in success seemed insignificant, it was enough to attract countless Battle Emperor pinnacles. This Breakthrough Pill would also be one of Xiao Yan’s trump cards for bidding on the Bodhi Transformation Essence.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage