A roar filled with strange fluctuations echoed through the mountains, dissipating gradually after a long while. The once quiet mountain range slowly regained some of its vitality. On the cliff, Xiao Yan suddenly clutched his throat and coughed violently several times, then swallowed hard, feeling the burning sensation in his throat ease a little.
“Normal reaction, no need to worry too much…” Seeing Xiao Yan’s reaction, the Pharmacist Elder chuckled and reassured him.
“Cough… Elder, did I inherit it successfully?” Despite the redness on his face from coughing, Xiao Yan still looked excited as he asked eagerly.
“Yes, it seems that you have indeed successfully inherited the strange dragon qi with soul-shaking power…” The Pharmacist Elder replied with a smile, his tone tinged with relief.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s excitement grew even more. Although the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill didn’t immediately boost his strength, the so-called dragon qi did give him an unexpected means of attack. It was easy to imagine that this thing would be of great help to him in the future.
“However, even though you’ve successfully inherited the dragon qi of the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill, using it to produce such sound waves will be extremely damaging to your throat. If you’re not careful, you might end up becoming mute, which would be a huge loss,” the Pharmacist Elder mused.
“Is the so-called dragon qi sound wave supposed to be used in conjunction with a sound wave-type battle skill?” Xiao Yan frowned slightly. Hearing the Pharmacist Elder’s confirmation, he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Those battle skills are quite rare. How can I easily get my hands on one?”
“Take your time. I had a Xuan-level sound wave battle skill back then, but it was lost due to some unforeseen circumstances. So, you’ll have to find it yourself,” the Pharmacist Elder sighed.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan could only shrug his shoulders. It seemed that he shouldn’t expect to get a sound wave battle skill from the Pharmacist Elder. He took a bottle of water from his ring, drank deeply, and wiped away the water at the corner of his mouth.
Xiao Yan then asked casually, “Elder, it seems you know a lot about the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill. You even know how to force out the dragon qi hidden in the battle qi.”
After Xiao Yan’s words, the Pharmacist Elder fell into silence. Seeing his reaction, Xiao Yan was taken aback, remembering the Elder’s reaction when he first saw the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill at the auction, and felt a bit awkward.
After a long silence, the Pharmacist Elder’s voice sounded again, but what he said made Xiao Yan somewhat surprised. “Because the recipe for the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill was created by me… In this continent, there are only two people who can refine such a pill. One is me, and the other…”
Here, the Pharmacist Elder’s voice was filled with a faint sadness.
Clearly sensing the emotions in the Pharmacist Elder’s voice, Xiao Yan wisely kept silent and didn’t interrupt.
“The other is the student I once considered the perfect successor. His talent in alchemy was no less than yours, and the effort I put into him was no less than what I put into you. When he was still an infant, I rescued him from the cold ruins, treated him as my own son, and groomed him as the perfect successor…”
The Pharmacist Elder smiled, his voice calm. “But in the end, for some things, he chose to betray me. Perhaps, my current state is also thanks to his ‘blessing.'”
“He deserves to die!” Feeling the sorrow in the Pharmacist Elder’s voice, the deep chill that spread from his heart after being betrayed by someone close, Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, his fists clenched tightly in his sleeves, looking ahead, and spoke softly, as if addressing the unseen senior brother.
“We shouldn’t have left Black Seal City so soon. Since the Eight Gates helped him auction off items, they must have met him. Furthermore, such valuable items wouldn’t be easily delivered by others. It’s likely he personally escorted them…”
“Even if we found him in Black Seal City, what could we do?” The Pharmacist Elder said indifferently, “As I said, his alchemy talent is no less than yours. Under my years of meticulous cultivation, he was once the brightest star in the world of alchemists. Now, so many years have passed, and he has likely improved. Moreover, I am restrained by the ‘Soul Temple’ and cannot appear casually. With your current strength, you are far from being his match in both alchemy and battle qi cultivation.”
Though the Pharmacist Elder’s words were calm, Xiao Yan could still sense the deep-seated anger within, like a volcano beneath a hard shell, waiting to erupt completely.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment, then looked up at the azure sky, his voice softening. “Elder, I will surpass him, whether in alchemy or battle qi. Then, I will clear the house… I will show you that your eyes won’t be wronged again!”
“Haha, good, good… I, Yao Chen, believe these old eyes won’t be wronged again!”
Xiao Yan’s soft words stirred a bitter, almost tearful, feeling deep within the Pharmacist Elder’s soul. The betrayal years ago had wounded him deeply, but thankfully, fate hadn’t left him in endless darkness and despair.
Rubbing his slightly red nose, Xiao Yan grinned brightly. “It seems it’s time to head to the Canaan Academy to quickly improve my strength. But I also need to find time to learn the Three Thousand Lightning Movement. That way, even if I encounter a stronger opponent, I can at least use it to escape.”
“The Three Thousand Lightning Movement is a ground-level battle skill. It’s not easy to master. Remember how hard it was to learn the Flame Splitting Wave? To master this, you’ll need to put in no less effort and sweat.”
Setting aside his emotions, the Pharmacist Elder smiled at this little guy, into whom he had poured his heart and hope once again.
“Have I suffered any less over the years?” Xiao Yan laughed lightly, taking the map of the Black-Corner Region from his ring, examining it carefully, and then turning his gaze northward. “Let’s go. From now on, I’ll head straight to the Canaan Academy. According to the map, I should be able to make it in three days!”
“Alright, in the Canaan Academy, that mysterious Soul Temple probably won’t enter that area, as the old folks in the academy are no pushovers. But don’t think of using my soul power to cheat. They are very shrewd and will easily detect my presence,” the Pharmacist Elder said with a smile.
“Ah… Are you underestimating me? Over the years, despite your influence, I’ve been fighting against those unreachable strong opponents, constantly being forced to flee. But among my peers, do I really need your help?” Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and pouted.
“Hehe, not necessarily. The Canaan Academy is the oldest academy on the Dou Qi Continent, filled with countless geniuses. I’ve heard that the inner academy’s students are the cream of the crop. Putting you in there will surely be a show to watch,” the Pharmacist Elder said teasingly.
“I’m looking forward to it…” Xiao Yan’s back trembled slightly as the Purple Cloud Wings extended from his shoulders, flapping gently. His body shot up, turned in mid-air, and then sped toward the northern horizon.
During this journey, Xiao Yan only landed cautiously in populated cities to avoid drawing attention with the noise of the Purple Cloud Wings. Otherwise, he mostly traveled using the wings.
Although this method consumed a lot of battle qi, it wasn’t a big problem for Xiao Yan, who carried several bottles of restorative pills.
Three days flew by, and the distance between Xiao Yan and the Canaan Academy on the map grew closer.
On the third day, as dusk approached, the weary Xiao Yan suddenly became energetic. The Pharmacist Elder had spoken.
“Little one, the Canaan Academy is close. Descend here. Flying forcefully within a hundred miles of the academy will attract attacks.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded, slowing his flight speed, and finally landed on a small hill. From the top, he could see a faint town nestled between two majestic mountains.
Looking at the town, Xiao Yan rushed down the hill, merging into the yellow earth road leading directly to the town.
Many travelers were on this road, clearly from the Black-Corner Region. What surprised Xiao Yan was that, despite the ferocious aura, their faces showed no signs of killing intent. This suppression, however, was not natural but forced, making their expressions quite odd.
Noticing Xiao Yan’s gaze, they glared back, making Xiao Yan chuckle. If they were in the Black-Corner Region, these guys would have already drawn their weapons.
“Looks like everyone here must suppress their Black-Corner Region mannerisms, just as the Elder said. Hmph, the Canaan Academy must be quite powerful to keep these bloodthirsty fellows in line,” Xiao Yan thought, shaking his head.
Following the tree-lined yellow earth road, he entered the town, where the chaotic atmosphere of the Black-Corner Region was completely isolated.
Ten minutes later, Xiao Yan stopped at the town’s entrance, glancing at the sign above the gate. The name was plain and simple, something that would be torn down the next day in the Black-Corner Region.
“Peace Town” – this was the first town on the outskirts of the Canaan Academy from the Black-Corner Region!
Standing at the town’s entrance, Xiao Yan was about to step in when he noticed the sudden silence around him. Turning, he saw people from the Black-Corner Region, pale-faced and trembling, staring at a large, black tree nearby.
The tree’s branches stretched out in all directions, ominous in the twilight. As Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over it, his pupils contracted. Corpses hung from the branches, swaying in the breeze, emitting eerie creaks.
“Is this the so-called ‘Death Tree’?” Xiao Yan’s throat tightened, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
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