“Have you obtained the final fragment of the Lotus Demon Flame map?” Xiao Yan’s face was filled with a mix of surprise and delight. The Lotus Demon Flame, ranked third on the list of rare and powerful flames, had always been his most coveted flame. With his current strength, if he could devour and refine it, it would not be impossible for him to instantly leap to the peak of Dou Zun.
“It’s not that easy,” Elder Pharmacist shook his head helplessly, dashing a bucket of cold water over Xiao Yan’s high hopes. “The Lotus Demon Flame is an extremely mysterious flame that even I have never seen with my own eyes. Being able to obtain those three fragments was already a stroke of great fortune. That last piece will not be easily obtained.”
“Oh, then what is the good news Elder mentioned?” Xiao Yan faltered, feeling slightly dejected, even his voice seemed listless.
“While we didn’t get the final fragment, we did gain some information related to it,” Elder Pharmacist smiled as he stroked his beard.
“What kind of information?” Xiao Yan’s mood lifted a little, and he immediately inquired.
“There is a rather unique inter-spatial trading assembly held in Central State every few years. Ordinary experts have no way of knowing about it, and even those at the rank of Dou Zun can be unaware of its existence unless they have special access. Just the first qualification required to join this trading assembly is to be at least at the peak of Dou Zun, which means most participants are truly top-level experts in the world.”
“Inter-spatial trading assembly? It requires being at least at the peak of Dou Zun!” On hearing this, Xiao Yan was taken aback, and couldn’t help but curl his lips. The qualifications to enter such a trading assembly were too daunting. Someone at the peak of Dou Zun was highly sought-after by all the major powers, yet for this assembly, it was merely the entry requirement. Furthermore, Xiao Yan had never before heard of this so-called inter-spatial trading assembly, probably due to the difficulty in gaining access to it.
“Will the last fragment of the Lotus Demon Flame appear at this inter-spatial trading assembly?” Xiao Yan asked thoughtfully.
“Yes. In the inter-spatial trading assembly, I have connections with several individuals. When inquiring about it, I happened to learn this information. The owner of that last fragment is aware that the map relates to the Lotus Demon Flame, and since he has only one piece, he intends to trade it for other items,” said Elder Pharmacist.
“If he knows that the map is connected to the Lotus Demon Flame, a rare wonder, he surely won’t trade it lightly,” mused Xiao Yan. Before, when he acquired the fragments, others who had them didn’t recognize their significance. But this time, recognizing the map made the exchange more complicated.
“True, but there’s nothing we can do. This is the only lead we have concerning the Lotus Demon Flame. If we don’t seize this opportunity, we might miss it forever,” Elder Pharmacist stated.
“Alright, let’s not worry about whose it is. Now that it’s shown up, I must get it,” Xiao Yan said after a moment’s deliberation, clenching his jaw with determination. The Lotus Demon Flame had been the object of his desire since he got the first ancient map. Years of collecting the remaining maps had left him just one step away from obtaining the flame. He couldn’t give up now. Moreover, possessing the Lotus Demon Flame would allow him to truly stand against the Soul Hall, making the likes of the Nine Heavenly Sovereigns and such mere pushovers.
Elder Pharmacist nodded and smiled, “However, this can’t be rushed. The inter-spatial trading assembly is held once every decade, and each gathering sees many rare treasures, including even Tian Rank Dou Techniques…”
“Tian Rank Dou Techniques…” Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s expression turned to one of amazement, giving even more weight to the importance of the inter-spatial trading assembly. Tian Rank Dou Techniques usually belonged only to top-tier forces, serving as their treasured secrets. For example, the Grand Heavenly Creation Palm Xiao Yan had was a chance find; without luck, he would never have obtained it.
“When is the next inter-spatial trading assembly?” Xiao Yan asked with furrowed brows.
“Less than a year, I believe,” Elder Pharmacist estimated.
“Still so long…” Xiao Yan frowned even more, desperately wishing he could immediately find the person holding the last piece, using any means necessary to obtain the map.
“Haha, no choice. If you need a rare flame urgently, perhaps you can seek out information on others or try to steal one. Who knows, maybe after the Burning Sky Valley, another force has the most rare flames,” joked the Wind Venerated.
Xiao Yan sighed bitterly; finding rare flames wasn’t so easy.
“In the world, the race with the most rare flames is likely the Flame Race,” Elder Pharmacist grinned suddenly.
“Flame Race?” Xiao Yan paused, wondering what this was and why he’d never heard of it.
“One of the eight races from ancient times, now a hidden force. Their power far exceeds your imagination. Central State isn’t as simple as it seems. Terms like ‘One Hall, One Pagoda, Two Sects, Three Valleys, Four Pavilions’ are just vague terms. Real powers are more hidden than the Ancient Race,” explained Elder Pharmacist calmly.
“Ancient Eight Races?” Xiao Yan felt a stir in his heart, hesitating for a moment before asking, “What exactly are these eight ancient races?”
Elder Pharmacist fell silent, then spoke softly, “The Ancient Race and the Soul Race are among the eight. Beyond them, there are five existing races: the Flame Race, the Medicine Race, the Stone Race, and the Spirit Race…”
Hearing names previously unknown to him, Xiao Yan involuntarily drew in a breath, realizing the world was indeed more complex than he thought. Previously believing the Soul Palace was the strongest, he now knew they were only one of the ancient eight.
“Seems to be only seven races?” Xiao Yan questioned after a pause.
Elder Pharmacist gazed at Xiao Yan, and after a moment said, “There’s one defunct ancient race: the Xiao Clan, your family.”
Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, as if exhaling the numerous stray thoughts in his mind. He never imagined that the Xiao Clan, a small, seemingly unremarkable family in Gama Empire, could have such an incredible history. Though Xiao Yan didn’t know the extent of their former strength, being listed alongside the Soul Race and the Ancient Race suggested their former power, but they had fallen into oblivion due to the cruelty of time.
“The Xiao Clan once produced Emperor Dou, and so, your lineage possesses blood from Emperor Dou, but by your ancestor Xiao Xuan’s generation, it was completely used up. While potent, the blood of Emperor Dou isn’t eternal; it has a limit. The way to maintain it is for another Emperor Dou to emerge and revitalize it,” elaborated Elder Pharmacist.
“Sadly, no Emperor Dou appeared in the Xiao Clan again, and the best were just ancestors like Xiao Xuan, who, despite giving their all, couldn’t save the fading race. The once illustrious Emperor Dou bloodline is nearly extinct, and in all the years, I’ve sensed none of it in you. Perhaps you are well aware of this.”
Xiao Yan silently nodded, as his achievements came mainly through his own efforts during critical moments. The blood of Emperor Dou had almost no impact.
“Don’t burden yourself. Your abilities need no Emperor Dou bloodline. Your Master believes that one day, you’ll revive the faded bloodline,” assured Elder Pharmacist with a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Xiao Yan smiled; what was the use of Emperor Dou bloodline when his current achievements allowed him to confront even those young elite geniuses rumored to possess it within the ancient races?
Seeing his reaction, Elder Pharmacist was gratified. His disciple, both gifted and strong-willed, would someday etch the name Xiao into the annals of history forever.
“Elder, how do you know so much about the ancient races? This information isn’t common, right?” Xiao Yan queried, turning to the Elder, smiling.
“Crafty guy, heard something off, eh?” replied the Elder, laughing.
“Is there some connection between you and the so-called Medicine Race?” whispered Xiao Yan.
Holding a teacup, a faint smile surfaced on Elder Pharmacist’s aged face, tinged with a hint of sorrow and bitterness. “I am indeed of the Medicine Race, but I belong to the group discarded by the clan…”
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