Word Count: 2,867 Words
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No wonder the Nihility Devouring Flame knew about the Di Tier Embryonic Pill. It had once lived within the Tou She Ancient God Mansion and had even been a part of the Tou She Ancient God himself. Knowing a thing or two about what lay inside was hardly surprising.
"Huh? That's not right."
A spark flashed through Xiao Yan's mind as a problem suddenly occurred to him, and doubt rose sharply in his heart.
If the Tou She Ancient God cultivated the Flame Mantra and even refined the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and the Nihility Devouring Flame... then after the Tou She Ancient God disappeared, why are the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and the Nihility Devouring Flame still in this world?
"I only need one thing from inside, and you are the one with the highest chance of obtaining it."
The Nihility Devouring Flame gazed at Xiao Yan, a trace of longing in its eyes. It had cooperated with Hun Tiandi only because it had no choice; back then, Hun Tiandi had been the best candidate it could find.
But now Xiao Yan had appeared. Not only that, he had cultivated the Flame Mantra and had actually succeeded!
The Nihility Devouring Flame had once considered cultivating the Flame Mantra itself but had eventually abandoned the idea completely. The right time, the right place, the right circumstances—none of those conditions had been on its side.
The Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame and the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, ranked third and fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, were both utterly beyond its reach. One lay in the Gu Clan's hands, and the other was watched by every Dou God Clan on the continent. If it revealed itself to contest either of them, the target of the Dou God Clans' attention would no longer be the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame—it would be the Nihility Devouring Flame itself.
"What thing?"
Was there truly something inside the Tou She Ancient God Mansion that the Nihility Devouring Flame valued even more than a Di Tier Embryonic Pill?
"You don't need to know for now." The Nihility Devouring Flame clearly did not trust Xiao Yan either. That item was of monumental importance, so important that even Hun Tiandi had never been told of its existence.
A silence like death settled between the two of them. Xiao Yan in particular could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. That vague unease had only deepened after hearing the Nihility Devouring Flame's words, yet he could not pinpoint where it came from.
Goosebumps prickled involuntarily across his skin. An inexplicable dread crawled up from the depths of his heart.
"Phew." He exhaled slowly and finally shook his head. "The Hun Clan currently has the greatest chance of obtaining the Tou She Ancient God Mansion. You already have Hun Tiandi helping you—why drag me into it?"
"After you and Hun Tiandi get what you want, if you truly still need my help, we can discuss the price then. I have no interest in getting tangled up in this kind of baffling mess."
"And the price to make me act is not low. You'd better have your payment ready."
Playing it safe!
Xiao Yan flicked his sleeve and turned to leave without another word. Trying to scam me? Not a chance.
If the Nihility Devouring Flame could somehow get rid of Hun Tiandi, then Xiao Yan would not have minded helping it obtain whatever it wanted, as long as it could pay the price. He, the Hall Chief of the Hall of Souls, had always operated on a simple principle: take the payment, do the job.
But with Hun Tiandi still very much alive, Xiao Yan had no intention of stirring up needless complications.
Even after Xiao Yan departed, the Nihility Devouring Flame made no move to stop him. Some instinct told it that, sooner or later, it would need Xiao Yan's help again.
"The tide of the Dou Qi Continent... you cannot escape it. You are already part of that tide. Jie Jie Jie."
…
Xiao Yan's status as Hall Chief of the Hall of Souls was a closely guarded secret. The few members of the Hall who knew his identity would never dare breathe a word of it. Whether by accident or design, the matter of Xun Er's return to the Gu Clan had also been kept completely under wraps; not a single soul within the Gu Clan let anything slip.
As a result, aside from Feng Qing Er and a handful of core higher-ups within the Yan Alliance, no one on the entire Dou Qi Continent knew that the initiator of the Yan Alliance Treaty, the most promising alchemist the continent had ever seen, had already returned from the Demon Flame Space and had even refined the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.
Xiao Yan's decision to keep himself hidden was, naturally, because he was waiting for Feng Qing Er's intelligence. Once it arrived, he would deliver a fatal blow to the Three Great Dragon Kings.
And completely unify the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!
The battle between Nalan Yanran and Feng Qing Er had, as expected, sent an earth-shattering wave of shock and jubilation rolling across the continent. For nearly half a month afterward, the entire Yan Alliance was swept up in something close to a carnival. From that day on, the Yan Alliance's prestige across the Central Plains would be unmatched. Any member, even those at the very outermost fringes, could straighten their backs with pride when meeting others, for on their chests they wore the badge of the Yan Alliance.
The glory of the Yan Alliance was their glory.
Xiao Yan's disappearance had dealt a heavy blow to the Alliance's morale. Defeating the magical beast tribe ranked second in the world had given them something equally powerful in return: the feeling that they represented the rise of the human race itself.
As for the Hall of Souls, Xiao Yan issued no directives whatsoever. He handed almost all of the Hall's management over to his second brother, Xiao Li.
Under this steady, methodical expansion, the power of the Yan Alliance—this massive behemoth—quietly grew stronger yet again, faintly carrying the momentum to surpass both the Pill Tower and the Hall of Souls and become the single largest organization on the Dou Qi Continent.
…
Within Creation Valley, a quiet wooden cabin stood beside a stream that wound its way through the trees. Medicinal fragrance hung over the entire valley like drifting mist.
At the valley's center, a figure sat cross-legged on the water's surface, completely motionless. Ripples spread outward from beneath him, but any that came within ten meters of his body simply faded away as if erased. A zone of perfect stillness surrounded him, eerie and distinct.
Before him rested a pitch-black medicinal cauldron. The flames rolling within made clear that a refinement was underway.
Who else could be refining pills in Creation Valley, if not Xiao Yan?
He was a man who kept his word. Since he had promised to help Nalan Yanran break through to the Dou Saint realm, he would not go back on it. Right now, he was in the middle of refining a Tier 9 Bodhisattva Great Restoration Pill.
With the Bodhisattva Great Restoration Pill, Nalan Yanran's breakthrough to the Half-Saint realm was practically assured. Combined with Xiao Yan's alchemist expertise and the aid of his Heavenly Flames, stepping into the Dou Saint realm itself was far from impossible.
The Bodhisattva Ancient Tree was equivalent to a top-tier alchemist in its own right. Xiao Yan was no weaker.
A low hum rose from within the cauldron as a fluctuation rippled outward.
The two Pill Beasts tending the medicinal fields immediately snapped their heads toward Xiao Yan. Drool trailing from their jaws, they bounded eagerly in his direction.
The small cabin's wooden door creaked open. Little Fairy Doctor stepped out dressed in white. A soft smile touched her lips when she saw that Xiao Yan's refinement was nearing completion.
The fluctuation continued for roughly half a day before Xiao Yan finally opened his tightly shut eyes. A faint fiery gleam flashed through his dark pupils. He slapped his palm against the cauldron, and a jade-green pillar of light shot skyward with a deep boom. Clouds churned overhead as Black Demon Lightning began to gather.
With his current strength, the Black Demon Lightning posed no threat at all. A casual wave of his hand was all it took to disperse it.
After carefully putting the pill away, Xiao Yan looked toward Little Fairy Doctor, who had been quietly watching from a distance, and crossed the space between them in a single step.
She noticed the stains and sweat on him and raised her sleeve, gently wiping them away. "Your success rate for Tier 9 Treasure Pills is already very high."
Back in the Small Pill Tower, Xiao Yan's success rate for refining Tier 9 Treasure Pills had already exceeded fifty percent. Now, thanks to the Flame Mantra's evolution, his fire control had risen to an inconceivable level, reaching the God Class. His success rate for Tier 9 Treasure Pills could even reach eighty to ninety percent, and he had refined the Bodhisattva Great Restoration Pill in just half a month.
If word of such speed ever spread, it would be truly shocking.
"I think my success rate for Tier 9 Mysterious Pills wouldn't be lower than thirty percent now." A confident smile surfaced on Xiao Yan's face, and that was him being modest.
Generally speaking, anyone who could claim a thirty percent success rate for Tier 9 Mysterious Pills was qualified to call themselves a true Mysterious Pill Guru.
"Then aren't you the number one alchemist on the Dou Qi Continent now?" Little Fairy Doctor teased.
A warmth settled in Xiao Yan's chest at the sight of that playful little expression. He smiled. "In that case, I wonder how much of this number one alchemist's hand-in-hand teaching you've actually managed to absorb, Little Fairy Doctor?"
He tilted his head, peering past her through the doorway into the cabin. Just moments ago, he had noticed her quietly shifting to block his line of sight, keeping him from seeing inside.
Little Fairy Doctor hurriedly stepped to block him again, flustered. "I'm learning!"
Sure enough, the pill she had been refining was a failure, and it was only a perfectly ordinary tier 5 healing pill!
The state of the room inside was a complete mess. Xiao Yan could only shake his head with a wry smile. Little Fairy Doctor was truly the least gifted alchemist he had ever taught—or rather, she had no particular talent for alchemy at all. She was an ordinary person who happened to harbor the dream of becoming an alchemist.
Forget comparing her to Xiao Yan. Even Cao Ying, Dan Chen, and Yue Er all far surpassed her in alchemy aptitude.
Little Fairy Doctor's level was simply that of an ordinary person, a complete contrast to someone like Xiao Yan, whose talent in every direction was maxed out.
Little Fairy Doctor's pretty face turned slightly red at having her failure witnessed. She pressed both hands against his chest and tried to push him back outside. "Go out first. Give me a little more time—I'll definitely manage it."
Xiao Yan laughed and swept her up into his arms in one smooth motion. "Alchemy is always best learned with someone teaching you. Come, I'll guide you hand in hand."
He strode toward the small wooden cabin with her in his arms.
Little Fairy Doctor's face grew hot. She struggled slightly, her voice flustered. "There's no need, I... I can figure it out slowly on my own. Let me go, Xiao Yan."
"Call me hubby. No, wait—call me Master."
The cabin door shut with a dull thud. The two Pill Beasts proved remarkably tactful. They blew out thick streams of pill mist that shrouded the entire Creation Valley, as if hiding it away in another world entirely.
…
Xiao Yan did not stay in Creation Valley for long. A week after finishing the pill refinement, he left the Jia Ma Empire. He spent the remainder of his time in the Beast Region, waiting for news while helping Nalan Yanran build up her strength.
An extra Dou Saint was, after all, an extra combat force. When the time came to face the combined might of the Three Great Dragon Islands and the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, no one could say for certain what might unfold.
Three months slipped by in a flash. In those three months, the Yan Alliance underwent earth-shaking changes, as though shedding an old skin entirely. Xiao Yan did not intervene in any of it. Management was not his strength. He handed everything over to Yao Ye, Ya Fei, Xiao Ding, and the others to handle.
After helping Nalan Yanran step into the Dou Saint realm, Xiao Yan finally found himself with some genuine free time.
Although the Flame Mantra had evolved to the God Class, his cultivation level had not advanced any further. His strength remained firmly stabilized at the peak of the 5-star Dou Saint stage. Relying on the Flame Mantra alone to absorb the energy of heaven and earth and break through to the 6-star level would probably take several years, perhaps even a decade.
One could well imagine how difficult it was to break through even with a God Class Qi Method. How many years, then, would an ordinary cultivator need to reach that same height by relying solely on their training?
As the waiting stretched on, something happened that Xiao Yan had never anticipated.
News from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe and the Three Great Dragon Islands still did not come. Instead, someone arrived whom even he had not expected.
The Yan Clan's Huo Zhi.
Qing Lin stepped out of the void the moment Huo Zhi appeared outside the Yellow Springs Mountain Range. Her delicate brows knit together slightly. She had originally assumed the Yan Clan had come in force, but their visitor turned out to be Huo Zhi alone.
Back in the Demon Flame Space, Cai Lin and the others had seen Huo Zhi before. Although she had worn a veil then and used her Heavenly Flame to obscure others' senses, her eyes had been as bright as cold stars—as if they could pierce the night sky itself. Intelligence shone within her gaze, her bearing crisp and capable, her temperament unique. Even a single glance had been enough to leave a strong impression.
"Has he already returned?" Huo Zhi spoke softly, her voice clear and melodious.
Qing Lin fell silent. Their relationship with the Yan Clan could not be called especially good, but neither had it devolved to a life-and-death enmity. In the Demon Flame Space, everyone had been rivals. No one gave way to anyone else, and interfering with another's plans had been entirely normal. In the end, the one who benefited most had still been Xiao Yan, who had even snatched away someone else's Heavenly Flame in the process. That left their relationship in a rather delicate place.
"I'm sorry, Miss Huo Zhi. I don't know what you're referring to. Please go back." Qing Lin shook her head slowly.
"I have something important to discuss with him. I hope Your Highness Qing Lin can pass my message along." Though Huo Zhi held a noble status within the Yan Clan and was counted among the strongest of their younger generation, she had no grounds whatsoever for arrogance before Qing Lin.
Setting aside the fact that Qing Lin's cultivation had already surpassed hers, having reached the late stage of the 1-star Dou Saint realm, Qing Lin also possessed three Dou Saint summoned beasts. One of them was a late 2-star Dou Saint Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent. Such strength was formidable in the extreme, even by the standards of the Dou God Clans.
On top of all that, Qing Lin wielded the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils and was even a few years younger than Xiao Yan. Her talent was simply terrifying!
Huo Zhi had not come to cause trouble this time, however. She truly had business with Xiao Yan.
Without question, she had already guessed that he had returned long ago, and that the Yan Alliance and the Gu Clan had simply been keeping the news concealed.
"Let her in." Deep within the Yellow Springs Mountain Range, in the back garden of an imperial palace, Xiao Yan's voice reached Qing Lin through a sound transmission.
Qing Lin gave a slight nod and turned to Huo Zhi. "This way, Miss Huo Zhi. My young master invites you in."
Huo Zhi exhaled in quiet relief and nodded. She followed Qing Lin into the Yellow Springs Mountain Range. Both were Dou Saints, and a single step carried them across the distance to the back garden of the Snake-People Tribe's imperial palace.
The moment Huo Zhi arrived and caught sight of that familiar figure, her pupils contracted slightly. She had already guessed that Xiao Yan had escaped from the Demon Flame Space, but seeing him now, completely unharmed, having safely returned from that hellish place, still filled her heart with deep astonishment.