Chapter 225: What the Hell!
"Boom~"
The sole of his foot lightly stepped on the void, and an invisible yet terrifying force immediately rippled out, distorting the space along the way. The ground then trembled violently, and a massive footprint, nearly a hundred meters in size, appeared, compacting the surrounding soil, while a large amount of fresh blood spilled out along the earth.
To this, Yao Yan was not surprised at all. A surge of immense Hun power erupted, forming an invisible giant hand that directly cleared the earth below, revealing a massive yellow-brown snake.
However, it was clear that it had lost all signs of life. Its body was twisted in multiple places, with broken bones. For a sixth-tier magical beast, this was undoubtedly a fatal wound.
"Big brother, that was really powerful, you just crushed it!" Xiao Yi Xian exclaimed, looking at the giant snake Yao Yan had killed from a distance.
"Did you sense it?"
Yao Yan smiled and gently asked.
Xiao Yi Xian, with a glint of purple in her eyes, quickly pointed to a nearby mountain, confidently saying, "Big brother, it's over there. The smell is strongest there!"
Yao Yan nodded, and his overwhelming Hun power surged towards the direction Xiao Yi Xian indicated. After a brief moment of sensing, he intensified the output of his power and quickly shattered a section of the mountain, revealing a world full of purple crystals. At its center, a plant resembling an Gu dragon was growing, absorbing the energy released by the purple crystals.
This was clearly the Purple Crystal Dragon King Ginseng that Yao Yan needed.
"To think that such a rare treasure would be guarded by a sixth-tier magical beast... If this were the outside world, even an eighth-tier magical beast would be interested. Only here could this happen..." Tian Huo Zun Zhe stroked his white beard, remarking with some emotion.
The Purple Crystal Dragon King Ginseng was a key material for refining eighth-grade high-tier pills. For some alchemists, its value could easily exchange for an eighth-grade pill.
However, for the wealthy Pill Tower, such treasures were not rare, and the existence of the Pill Realm seemed more like a place for the younger generation to gain experience.
Otherwise, this kind of unequal situation wouldn't occur.
Yao Yan carefully took the Purple Crystal Dragon King Ginseng, placed it into a jade box, and, after handling everything, spoke, "The magical beasts here are mostly not very intelligent. It should have something to do with the energy of this world."
The Pill Realm was created by a Dou Sheng. As time passed and the Dou Sheng left, the realm gradually started to crumble. In such a world nearing destruction, the energy of heaven and earth was often chaotic and violent, which naturally affected the magical beasts, lowering their intelligence far below that of those in the outside world.
Like the sixth-tier magical beast that Yao Yan had just crushed with a single step, its intelligence may have been lower than that of some third- or fourth-tier beasts in the outside world.
At least, the magical beasts in the outside world would flee once they sensed someone approaching, instead of hiding and attacking.
"This place is indeed not suitable for cultivation," Tian Huo Zun Zhe nodded.
While they were talking, Xiao Yi Xian suddenly let out a surprised sound. Her lively eyes quickly locked onto a direction, and after a moment of hesitation, she tugged at Yao Yan's sleeve, murmuring, "Big brother, there's a familiar aura over there."
Hearing this, both Yao Yan and Tian Huo Zun Zhe's expressions subtly changed. Both knew about Xiao Yi Xian's true form, and given the peculiar nature of the Gu Sky Dragon's bloodline, it made sense that she would sense something familiar, and that place clearly had something related to the Gu Sky Dragon Clan.
Anything related to the Gu Sky Dragon Clan was definitely not ordinary.
"What does it feel like? A living being or something else?" Yao Yan pondered for a moment, then asked.
"It feels like a big guy," Xiao Yi Xian furrowed her brows, sensing for a while before slowly answering.
"Let's go and check it out then."
Yao Yan's eyes flashed, and he said directly. He suspected that the "big guy" Xiao Yi Xian sensed might be the Gu dragon bear hiding in the Pill Realm, which in the original story was promoted to an eighth-tier magical beast there. Based on the timing, it should still be in its brewing phase.
It usually took decades for a seventh-tier magical beast to break through to the eighth-tier, even with the support of bloodline power.
Magical beasts couldn't rely on pills or secret methods like humans.
They only relied on the strength of their bloodline.
As for the sisters, Cai Lin and her sister... Their situation was different from that of magical beasts. They could rely on the bloodline power of beasts as well as their own cultivation, combining both, giving them a monstrous talent and cultivation speed that surpassed both beasts and humans.
After delving into it, Yao Yan found this combination of powers to be almost absurd.
Tian Huo Zun Zhe didn't object. Since this was the Pill Tower's Pill Realm, and Yao Yan held the Pill Tower president's token, even if something unexpected happened, they would have backup. There was no need to worry about the Gu Sky Dragon Clan.
The Starfall Pavilion may fear the Gu Sky Dragon Clan, but the Pill Tower certainly would not be intimidated.
When it came to strength, the Pill Tower could rival some of the lesser imperial families.
At the very least, they were qualified to challenge the Gu Sky Dragon Clan.
Even if some old-timers were drawn out, the Pill Tower could handle it.
With their decision made, Yao Yan and Tian Huo Zun Zhe exchanged glances and, with Xiao Yi Xian, broke through the air toward the direction she had sensed. With their current strength, distance was no longer an issue. If they weren't unsure of the exact location, they could reach it in no time.
...
Not long after, they arrived at a rather unique site. Unlike the other places with towering Gu trees, there were many Gu structures around, though all of them had been abandoned. In the center, there was a massive palace.
"This was where the Pill Tower's Dou Sheng resided, but it has been abandoned for nearly a thousand years," Yao Yan deduced from the map.
"A change of eras..." Tian Huo Zun Zhe gazed at the ruins, sighing.
Even a Dou Sheng-level expert would eventually pass away. No matter how glorious they were in life, death would still claim them, and after death, everything was gone.
Yao Yan had no interest in the former Dou Sheng's residence. He looked at Xiao Yi Xian and asked, "Is it here?"
"It's in that palace. But the aura is a bit mixed. It seems related, but not entirely," she replied after some hesitation.
As they got closer, Xiao Yi Xian's senses became clearer, but the familiar feeling didn't seem to be from her "tribe." It felt more like something related to their bloodline.
"This could be troublesome... If we run into someone greedy, we might have to fight," Tian Huo Zun Zhe chuckled, clearly looking forward to the conflict. With his strength, even a veteran Dou Zun wouldn't be able to cause him much trouble, and he could hold out until the Pill Tower's backup arrived.
As for Dou Sheng... anyone at that level would not be interested in messing with them.
Strength had its dignity.
"Sister, let's just leave?" Xiao Yi Xian stuck her tongue out, looking a little cautious. She didn't want to get her brother into any trouble.
"We've come this far," Yao Yan smiled. "Don't you want to know who's inside?"
He paused for a moment.
He continued smiling, "Besides, they've already sensed us."
"Roar! Who's disturbing my sleep? Are you looking for death?!"
With a roar so loud it could shatter the clouds, a massive bear-like creature appeared from the palace. Its body expanded in an instant, growing to over a hundred meters in size, radiating an overwhelming murderous aura.
Its bloodshot eyes fixed on Yao Yan and the others. Its entire body was pitch black, and its fur stood up like steel needles. Seven silver-colored stripes ran across its chest, and upon closer inspection, there was a faint additional stripe.
"Gu Dragon Bear? To think such a terrifying beast would be here!" Tian Huo Zun Zhe exclaimed in surprise. Even in his era, the number of Gu Dragon Bears was extremely rare. These beasts contained dragon blood, giving them extraordinary combat strength. When pushed to their limits, they could even unleash power far beyond their usual capabilities.
Due to their dragon bloodline, they could potentially evolve into a ninth-tier beast and become a supreme dragon bear!
No wonder Xiao Yi Xian recognized it... Tian Huo Zun Zhe glanced at her, beginning to understand. The Gu Dragon Bear, due to its dragon bloodline, had some natural connection to Xiao Yi Xian's bloodline. In fact, the Gu Dragon Bear was a sub-species of the Gu Sky Dragon Clan, and a very close one at that.
But this connection seemed to be one-sided. Xiao Yi Xian could sense it, but the bear couldn't sense her.
The Gu Dragon Bear, which had been so fierce a moment ago, suddenly quieted down. Its blood-red eyes cleared as it felt Tian Huo Zun Zhe's aura.
That overwhelming Dou Zun aura was like an abyss, causing its previously enraged body to stiffen. Then, to Yao Yan and the others' surprise, the giant bear quickly shrank, transforming into a human form before fleeing into the distance without looking back.
Yao Yan and Tian Huo Zun Zhe were both stunned. They didn't expect the Gu Dragon Bear to act so... amusingly.
One moment, it was ready to fight them to the death; the next moment, it was running away.
Xiao Yi Xian then spoke up: "Big guy, why are you running away?"
She seemed a little irritated, as if she felt embarrassed in front of Yao Yan and the others. She puffed out her cheeks, put her hands on her hips, and glared at the fleeing figure.
As her mood shifted, the power in her bloodline awakened, and like a reflex, her eyes glowed with a deep purple light. A terrifying pressure descended on the fleeing figure.
"Whoosh!"
In the next instant, the escaping bear fell from the sky, its strength, which was at the half-step Dou Zun level, no longer enough to fly. It crashed to the ground with a loud crash, sending up a cloud of smoke.
"?!"
Yao Yan and Tian Huo Zun Zhe looked at Xiao Yi Xian in surprise.
Tian Huo Zun Zhe rubbed his chin and murmured, "Looks like Xiao Yi Xian's bloodline is extremely strong. She was able to easily suppress that Gu Dragon Bear, which was on the verge of evolving into an eighth-tier beast... The bloodline hierarchy in the magical beast world is quite strict."
Bloodline hierarchy?
Yao Yan felt it was more like a contract. He wasn't interested in studying the magical beast bloodline pressure. Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's angry expression, he found it amusing and smiled, "Let's go, let's see what's inside."
He never expected to encounter something like this.
Since they were here, they might as well not let it slip by.
He was also curious about the whereabouts of the Gu Sky Dragon Clan. Perhaps this could lead to some of their blood essence. Aside from the imperial families, humans didn't have much else to offer, but some special bloodlines were incredibly rare. In the original story, only Cai Lin and Xiao Yi Xian were mentioned, with no further details.
This left Yao Yan with no choice but to shift his focus to magical beasts. The Dragon and Phoenix clans were always going to be key targets!
Before long, they arrived at the pit.
At this moment, the fierce Gu Dragon Bear was now docile, like a child caught misbehaving, standing in the pit and waiting for their arrival. Its face wore a flattering smile, respectfully looking at Xiao Yi Xian, "I didn't expect an elder from my clan to arrive, forgive me for the poor welcome."
As it spoke, it swallowed nervously, clearly shaken. It had encountered some members of the Gu Sky Dragon Clan before, but their bloodline wasn't as terrifying as Xiao Yi Xian's. Standing before her, it felt no urge to resist, a situation it couldn't quite comprehend.
Could she be a descendant of the Dragon King? That would explain the terrifying bloodline pressure.
"How does it feel?" Yao Yan asked, looking at Xiao Yi Xian, curious.
"I feel like I can control its life and death," Xiao Yi Xian blinked, her eyes glowing.
"Little lady, I swear I didn't do anything wrong! Please have mercy!" The Gu Dragon Bear groaned, almost in tears, as it stood obediently in the pit. Being disturbed during its seclusion by the Gu Sky Dragon Clan's members, it had no idea what was going on.
(END CHAPTER)
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