In the dark and gloomy grand hall, the old pharmacist within the sphere of light glanced at the frowning purple-robed elder, smiled involuntarily, and said, “Qin Tian, are you feeling uneasy?” Hearing the words of the old pharmacist, the purple-robed elder’s face turned slightly cold, and he said indifferently, “Yao Chen, you’d better take care of yourself. If it weren’t for the hall master valuing your alchemical skills, how could you have lived until now?” The old pharmacist’s head moved slightly, causing a clanging sound from the chains, and his eyelids slowly drooped as he sneered, “I am not a spineless person like you.”
“Those who can recognize the situation are the true wise ones. Unnecessary resistance is the most foolish act. Your alchemical skills may be unmatched in this world, except perhaps by those few old monsters in the Dan Tower. If you were to join the Soul Hall, your status would surely be higher than mine. Why suffer here?” The purple-robed elder’s tone softened somewhat.
A mocking smile appeared on the old pharmacist’s face, but he was too lazy to respond.
“I’m sure you are well aware of the Soul Hall’s power. Otherwise, with your pride, you wouldn’t have hidden for so many years. Although this is just one of the branch halls of the Soul Hall, do you really think that your disciple can come here and rescue you?” The purple-robed elder sneered.
“Words are meaningless now. Everything will have a result when the time comes,” the old pharmacist smiled faintly, and his once murky eyes became exceptionally bright.
Seeing this, the purple-robed elder’s face darkened slightly, and then he sneered, “Your disciple is called Xiao Yan, right? If I’m not mistaken, he might also be in the Central Plains now. Very well, I’ll wait for his arrival. But before that, I hope he can survive the Soul Hall’s pursuit!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the purple-robed elder flicked his sleeve, and the space beside him twisted. His figure then vanished mysteriously into the distorted space.
Staring at the place where the purple-robed elder disappeared, the old pharmacist clenched his fists slightly and let out a low, cold laugh, his eyes gradually closing…
With the end of their conversation, the vast, dark grand hall once again fell into eerie silence…
At the peak of Tianmu Mountain, the torrential rain had gradually stopped. Warm sunlight poured down from the sky once more, illuminating the entire mountain range, making the post-rain environment particularly fresh and clean.
The figure hovering in the sky, which had remained motionless for a long time, suddenly trembled slightly, and its tightly closed eyes slowly opened, revealing a surge of murderous intent in the black pupils.
“Teacher, wait for me,” Xiao Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the roiling killing intent in his heart, and slowly spread his clenched fists.
The purple-robed elder he had seen this time was the first real Dou Zun level expert Xiao Yan had ever encountered. The overwhelming pressure was indeed terrifying, but fortunately, Xiao Yan was no longer the young boy who had just advanced to Battle Emperor. Under that pressure, he managed to remain calm, a significant improvement over the previous instance where he had been shattered by the pressure without even meeting the opponent.
This visit to the dark grand hall had also yielded notable results. Of course, the most comforting thing for Xiao Yan was that the old pharmacist was still safe. Although the situation did not look good, at least there was no immediate danger to his life. Nevertheless, Xiao Yan knew he needed to speed up his plans. It was already a miracle that the old pharmacist had held on for so long. If he were to be delayed a few more years, who knew what might happen.
“After finishing things here, I’ll go to the Wind Lightning Pavilion. No matter what, I must find Venerable Feng, and with his help, I can rescue the old pharmacist as soon as possible.” Firming his resolve, Xiao Yan relaxed a bit, and his consciousness sank into his body, carefully sensing the profound changes that had occurred. Not only had the veins inside his body widened by several times, but there was also a thin layer of Dou Qi crystal surrounding them, continuously emitting a faint glow.
He clenched his fist and then punched straightforwardly. The space around his fist instantly distorted, and a low, earsplitting sonic boom echoed like thunder in the sky. This simple, unremarkable punch was actually stronger than the Eight Extremes Collapse he had used in the past!
Dou Zun and Battle Emperor were indeed two completely different levels!
“Currently, my strength should be stable at the one-star Dou Zun level, saving me a lot of time adjusting. It must be due to the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pond,” Xiao Yan murmured. Most people who advance to the Dou Zun level need a long period of adjustment to truly reach one-star Dou Zun. But Xiao Yan had skipped this step, successfully reaching the one-star level.
Although this one-star might seem insignificant, the difference between Dou Zuns was quite significant. Most Dou Zuns required several or even tens of years of hard cultivation to advance one star. Thus, such a swift advancement was indeed remarkable.
Feeling fortunate, Xiao Yan turned his gaze towards the stone pavilion near the volcano, where he immediately saw Jin Shi and Jin Gu. He stepped out of the void and walked down from the sky, entering the pavilion.
“Congratulations, young friend Xiao Yan, on successfully advancing to the Dou Zun level,” Jin Gu smiled, changing his form of address without much thought. After all, Xiao Yan was now at the same level as they were, and Jin Gu knew that Xiao Yan had many trump cards. Even if they fought, Jin Gu might not be his match.
Strength determined treatment, and although Xiao Yan had once matched the strength of a Dou Zun, he was still just a Battle Emperor, and many Dou Zuns found it difficult to regard him as an equal. Now that Xiao Yan had become a Dou Zun, the two naturally treated him with more courtesy.
“Good luck, I guess. If it weren’t for the cultivation place provided by Elder Jin Gu, breaking through would have been extremely difficult,” Xiao Yan smiled and clasped his fists in greeting, which was not a lie. Without the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pond, it would have taken him nearly a year to make the breakthrough.
Jin Shi also smiled and said, “It was mutual aid. I don’t deserve such gratitude. But staying in the blood pond for over two months was beyond my expectations. I wouldn’t dare stay that long myself.”
“Over two months in the blood pond…” Xiao Yan was a bit surprised, glancing around but not seeing Nalan Yanran and the others.
“Xia Qing’er and the others left long ago. You are the only one left on Tianmu Mountain now. By the way, your friend left after staying here for a while. She seemed quite anxious when she left, probably because of something important,” Jin Gu explained.
“Nalan Yanran also left?” Xiao Yan was a bit surprised but nodded slightly. Fortunately, he knew where Yun Yun was and planned to visit the Flower Sect when he had time.
“Young friend Xiao Yan, now that you have broken through to Battle Emperor, I wonder…”
Jin Shi hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.
Knowing what he meant, Xiao Yan smiled and said, “Rest assured, Elder Jin Shi, I’m not someone who takes favors and does nothing. Hand over the Heavenly Mountain Fire Poison, and I’ll take care of it.”
Hearing this, both Jin Shi and Jin Gu breathed a sigh of relief. Jin Shi was the strongest member of the Mole Rat Clan, and their presence on Tianmu Mountain depended on him and Jin Gu. If Jin Shi were to die, it would be a huge loss for the Mole Rat Clan.
“Here is a list of the herbs needed to expel the Heavenly Mountain Fire Poison. I don’t have them prepared, so I’ll have to trouble the two of you,” Xiao Yan took out a white paper from his storage ring and wrote down the names of the herbs, then handed it to Jin Shi and Jin Gu.
Jin Gu quickly received the paper and scanned it, then smiled, “No problem, the Tianmu Mountain Range is rich in herbs. Our clan has accumulated quite a lot over the years. These herbs, though rare, will be ready for you by the afternoon.”
Jin Shi and Jin Gu knew the conventions of alchemists; if they wanted to ask for help, the ingredients must be provided, and the alchemists would only focus on the refinement.
After taking the paper, Jin Gu quickly left the pavilion and rushed towards the mountain waist. He needed to gather all the herbs as quickly as possible.
Watching Jin Gu disappear, Xiao Yan smiled faintly.
“Young friend Xiao Yan, if you can expel the fire poison from me, the Mole Rat Clan will consider you a lifelong friend. Although our clan may not be as prestigious as some ancient families, we are quite well-known in the world of magical beasts. With our large number of members, we have access to a wide range of information. In fact, you could call us the ‘all-knowing’ in the world of magical beasts,” Jin Shi’s eyes slowly turned back to Xiao Yan, smiling lightly.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan’s heart stirred, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked, “Can I ask Elder Jin Shi about something?”
“Go ahead,” Jin Shi smiled.
“Have you ever heard of the Ancient Clan?” Xiao Yan licked his lips and asked slowly.
“The Ancient Clan?” The two simple words made Jin Shi’s expression change instantly.
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