"It really was the Life-Devouring Pill."
A trace of surprise flashed across Yao Lao's face.
"I never expected you to obtain such a long-lost medicinal pill. And judging by your condition, you've already resolved its side effects?"
Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
"Just a fortunate coincidence."
Hearing the conversation between Lin Yuan and Yao Lao, Xiao Yan could not help but become intensely curious.
A trace of longing appeared in his eyes.
"Teacher, the Life-Devouring Pill?"
Yao Lao glanced at Xiao Yan and replied calmly,"Don't think too much about it. It was once a very famous medicinal pill, but ultimately a rather useless one."
He then briefly explained the Life-Devouring Pill to Xiao Yan, including its ability to directly elevate a Dou Grandmaster to the Dou King realm, the side effect of leaving the user with only three years to live, and especially its daunting tier and cost.
After hearing the explanation, Xiao Yan clicked his tongue.
"So it's actually a peak Seventh-Grade medicinal pill. Brother Lin truly has remarkable fortune."
Lin Yuan looked at Xiao Yan with amusement.
"Just a lucky opportunity. Compared to meeting Senior Yao, this kind of fortune is hardly worth mentioning."
As he spoke, he rubbed his nose and revealed the same bitter smile Xiao Yan often wore.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly and smiled, while a trace of relief flashed deep within his eyes.
The pressure Lin Yuan had placed upon him earlier was simply too great. Although Xiao Yan possessed confidence and fighting spirit, he still felt somewhat uncertain inside.
Now that he knew Lin Yuan's leap from Dou Grandmaster to Dou King had been accomplished through the Life-Devouring Pill, he finally felt some of that pressure ease.
After all, encountering Yao Lao was unquestionably a far greater opportunity than obtaining a Life-Devouring Pill.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan turned to Yao Lao.
"Teacher, if the Life-Devouring Pill can directly elevate someone from Dou Grandmaster to Dou King, why do you call it useless?"
"Heh."
Yao Lao chuckled.
"Because its effects are completely insignificant compared to its cost."
"What meaning is there in spending resources of that level to create a Dou King with only three years left to live?"
"For combat?"
"A peak Seventh-Grade medicinal pill is valuable enough to hire a Dou Venerate to take action. A Dou Venerate can wipe out hundreds or even thousands of Dou King with ease. Why not simply hire the Dou Venerate directly?"
"For cultivation assistance?"
"If one is willing to spend resources equivalent to a peak Seventh-Grade medicinal pill, the alchemy world offers countless superior alternatives."
"As for the clans and factions capable of affording such a pill, their geniuses would not need much time to advance from Dou Grandmaster to Dou King anyway. Rather than wasting resources at that stage, it would be better to save them for later."
"After all, the further one progresses, the more difficult cultivation becomes. The bottlenecks only grow more numerous."
By the end, Yao Lao's tone carried both a hint of admiration for the pill's ingenuity and a trace of disdain.
Although the Life-Devouring Pill's effect could certainly be called miraculous, compared to the resources required to create it, its value was negligible.
It was truly a rather useless medicinal pill.
"So that's how it is."
After hearing the explanation, Xiao Yan finally understood.
Perhaps a Dou King was an extraordinary figure in his eyes, but in Yao Lao's eyes, a Dou King was merely someone who could be eliminated with a flick of the hand.
Clap!
A crisp sound interrupted Yao Lao's latest lesson.
"Hehe, Senior's insight is indeed exceptional."
Lin Yuan lightly applauded with a smile.
"However, let's end the casual conversation here. Now that my identity has been revealed, it's time to discuss the cooperation Senior Yao mentioned earlier."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan looked directly at Yao Lao and asked seriously,
"What can I gain? And what must I provide?"
Yao Lao looked back at him.
"In the near future, I will leave the Jia Ma Empire with Xiao Yan. Lin Yuan, I need you to continue protecting the Xiao Clan for a period of time. With your capabilities, you should be able to do so."
"As for compensation, pill formulas, Dou Techniques, secret arts, you may name your price."
Upon hearing this, anticipation appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes.
The matters concerning the Hall of Souls and the Xiao Clan weighed heavily upon his heart.
Yet enemies of the Hall of Souls' caliber were far beyond his current ability to handle.
However, under everyone's expectant gazes, Lin Yuan shook his head.
"Senior overestimates me."
"I cannot accept that responsibility."
"The Xiao Clan is a target of the Hall of Souls, and judging by the situation, not a low-priority one either."
"We both know how powerful the Hall of Souls is."
"Protecting the Xiao Clan against the Hall of Souls with my current strength is impossible."
Disappointment flashed across Xiao Yan's face.
Yao Lao, however, remained completely calm.
"In that case, let me change the terms."
"I no longer require you to protect the Xiao Clan itself. I only require that you preserve the lives of certain members of the Xiao Clan."
"Oh?"
Lin Yuan seemed interested.
"You mean protecting the people of the Xiao Clan rather than protecting the Xiao Clan as an organization?"
"Exactly."
Yao Lao nodded seriously.
"In fact, you don't even need to save everyone."
"You only need to ensure the survival of certain members of the clan."
"Especially..."
Lin Yuan immediately understood and looked toward Xiao Yan.
"Especially those who are closest to Brother Xiao?"
Yao Lao expressionlessly nodded.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression changed dramatically.
"Teacher, Brother Lin—"
However.
"Xiao Yan, don't be naive."
Yao Lao interrupted him with an unusually stern tone.
"Hesitation in critical moments only brings disaster. When the Hall of Souls has already set its sights on you, nobody can guarantee a complete retreat."
"Even sacrificing part of the tail to save the body is no easy task."
Looking into Yao Lao's serious eyes, Xiao Yan struggled internally.
A sense of helplessness surged through him.
Without realizing it, his stubborn teeth bit through his lower lip.
Seeing this, Yao Lao sighed softly.
"Xiao Yan, remember this feeling of helplessness. Then devote everything you have toward becoming stronger."
"In the Dou Qi Continent, only the strong possess the right to choose."
After saying that, Yao Lao turned back toward Lin Yuan.
"Well? Can you accept such a transaction?"
Lin Yuan closed his eyes and slowly rubbed his temples.
The area fell into complete silence.
After a long moment, he finally opened his eyes.
"If that's the case, then I can tentatively agree."
"However..."
His tone shifted.
"When facing the Hall of Souls, I cannot guarantee anything."
"I can only promise to do my utmost to fulfill the agreement. As for the final result, that will depend on fate. Can you accept those terms?"
Yao Lao pondered briefly before looking toward Xiao Yan.
Ultimately, the final decision belonged to him.
Feeling the invisible pressure weighing upon him, Xiao Yan sank into thought.
After a long time, he raised his head, wiped the blood from his lips, and exhaled deeply.
"Brother Lin, I'll have to trouble you with this matter."
Lin Yuan nodded.
"In that case, our transaction can be considered provisionally established."
"Next, it depends on whether you're willing to accept the plan I just thought of and the compensation I intend to request."
"Let's hear it," Yao Lao said.
"My plan consists of three steps: dispersion, feigned death, and relocation."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan looked toward Ling Ying.
"This plan will require assistance from the force behind Mister Ling as well."
"After all, Senior Yao once said that your Young Miss possesses the means to oppose the Hall of Souls, did he not?"
Facing everyone's gazes, especially Xiao Yan's, Ling Ying felt his heart tighten.
"Little Friend Lin, speak plainly."
Lin Yuan nodded and began explaining.
His plan consisted of three stages.
First, Xiao Yan would personally return to the Xiao Clan and divide its members into several categories according to importance, then relocate them southward through the Jia Ma Empire in separate groups.
Second, Lin Yuan would arrange for certain "bandits" to attack the migrating groups and "annihilate" the most important sections.
Third, he would secretly relocate those supposedly "annihilated" core clan members to the Black-Corner Region, bringing them into areas currently covered by the influence of the Gu Clan.
As for the groups that were not attacked and "destroyed," they would serve as bait or, more accurately, sacrifices.
"Brother Lin, can a plan like this really deceive the Hall of Souls?" Xiao Yan asked.
Lin Yuan replied calmly,
"Who knows?"
"But at the very least, it provides the people responsible for handling the Xiao Clan mission with an excuse."
"An excuse to not devote too much effort to the task."
"The Hall of Souls delegates missions layer by layer, and those carrying them out have their own selfish motives."
"As long as the Xiao Clan appears to disappear from the surface and its members scatter into hiding, the mission's difficulty will greatly increase while its rewards diminish."
"If necessary, we can even deliberately leak information regarding certain bait targets so they have something to report to their superiors."
"That way, the people you most wish to protect will have a much greater chance of surviving."
After hearing the plan, the weight pressing on Xiao Yan's shoulders grew even heavier.
Lin Yuan's strategy essentially required him to decide which members of the Xiao Clan would live and which might die.
The realization that his own decisions could determine the fate of his clansmen left him feeling powerless.
His thoughts became somewhat dazed.
At that moment, a sentence suddenly surfaced in his memory.
"Yan'er, for the greater good, for the clan's survival, for the clan's future as the Clan Head of the Xiao Clan, your father sometimes has no choice but to make painful decisions."
The helpless and pained expression Xiao Zhan had worn while saying those words during a drunken moment was the first time Xiao Yan had seen that side of his father.
"Huu..."
Xiao Yan slowly exhaled.
His gaze gradually became resolute.
"Father is this the responsibility you carried as Clan Head?"
"Then I too..."
He looked at Lin Yuan and cupped his fists.
"Brother Lin, an excellent strategy."
"The Xiao Clan accepts it. On behalf of the Xiao Clan, thank you."
"Brother Xiao, you're too courteous."
Lin Yuan waved his hand and smiled lightly.
"This is merely a transaction. There's no need for thanks."
"After all, helping you deal with this matter will also bring me appropriate compensation."
"Mutual assistance. Mutual benefit."
"That's the way I prefer to do things."
Hearing those words, Yao Lao nodded inwardly.
For his current circumstances, that sort of relationship was actually preferable.
"Lin Yuan, tell me."
"What do you want?" Yao Lao asked.
"There are many things that interest me."
"But at the moment, the thing that interests me most is the technique Senior Yao used against Protector Wu yesterday."
"If I'm not mistaken, that was an extremely rare orthodox Soul Technique, wasn't it?"
"Soul Mysterious Seal? Good eye. It is indeed an orthodox Soul Technique. If that is your request, then I can agree to it."
"Senior is truly generous. Then it's settled."
"I don't have a scroll of the Soul Mysterious Seal on hand, so I'll transmit it to you directly through soul communication. Lin Yuan, prepare to receive it," Yao Lao said decisively.
With that, Lin Yuan and Yao Lao began a soul transmission.
Half an hour later, after digesting the vast amount of information that had flooded into his mind, Lin Yuan finally obtained his first orthodox Soul Technique.
Earth-Class Low-Level Soul Technique — Soul Mysterious Seal.
Soul Techniques were combat arts created by ancient alchemists. They allowed practitioners to maximize the power of their Spiritual Strength, with some even rivaling the Dou Techniques of powerful experts.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of Soul Techniques had long since been lost. The surviving ones were largely held by the major factions of the Dou Qi Continent.
Like Dou Techniques, Soul Techniques were divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow.
In the original timeline, the Soul Hand Seal that Xuan Kongzi gifted Xiao Yan when they first met was only a High Black-Class Soul Technique, considerably inferior to the Soul Mysterious Seal that Lin Yuan had obtained from Yao Lao.
Having acquired the Soul Technique, Lin Yuan was in an excellent mood.
He smiled and said, "Senior, you're handing it over to me immediately. Aren't you worried that I might take the technique and then refuse to fulfill my end of the deal?"
"Hehe."
Yao Lao smiled confidently.
"Lin Yuan, we've cooperated quite a few times already. I trust your character."
"Besides, the cooperative relationship we've established is worth far more than a mere Earth-Class Soul Technique, isn't it?"
"Haha, that's certainly true."
Lin Yuan laughed.
"Don't worry. I'll do my utmost regarding the Xiao Clan."
Afterward, the group continued refining the details of the plan based on Lin Yuan's proposed strategy, gradually turning it into a workable operation.
Two hours later, the detailed plan was finally completed.
Xiao Yan let out a long breath, feeling considerably more at ease.
Although the Xiao Clan's crisis had not yet been resolved, he at least knew what he needed to do next and would no longer be left anxiously waiting without direction.
Meanwhile, Yao Lao took out a list from his Storage Ring and handed it to Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan, take a look. Do you happen to have any of the medicinal ingredients listed here?"
Lin Yuan accepted the list and immediately understood.
There were many ingredients on it, but most were materials needed to refine Soul-Nourishing Saliva.
Soul-Nourishing Saliva was a Fifth-Grade medicinal pill that nourished excessively depleted Spiritual Strength.
Its tier was not particularly high, and its refinement process was not overly complicated. However, it was time-consuming to refine, and another inconvenience was that its required ingredients were relatively obscure.
For Lin Yuan, however, this was not a problem.
After plundering the medicinal repositories of numerous factions, he possessed an abundance of such ingredients.
After reading the list, Lin Yuan looked back at Yao Lao.
At this moment, Yao Lao's soul body appeared noticeably more transparent due to the consumption from the previous battle.
It was hardly surprising.
Using the Spirit-Raising Pill to forcibly sustain his soul body while participating in such an intense battle had consumed an enormous amount of Spiritual Strength.
"Senior Yao is quite fortunate. I happen to have every ingredient on this list."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan retrieved the required ingredients from his Storage Ring and handed them over directly.
"I'll give you enough for two batches. That should be sufficient."
"Thank you, Lin Yuan," Yao Lao said.
"Senior is too polite."
Lin Yuan smiled.
"I've greatly enjoyed working with you and hope our cooperation can continue."
"As for the Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva, I'd appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for it on my behalf. The more, the better. I'm willing to purchase it at a premium."
For Lin Yuan, there was no such thing as having too much Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva.
The world did not yet know this, but Lin Yuan knew a secret.
When certain substances deposited within the Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva were tempered by a Heavenly Flame, they could form Bodhi Seeds capable of sensing the Bodhi Heart.
"Brother Ling, if you have any trading needs, feel free to come to me as well. Even a Zong Breaking Pill is not out of the question."
After hearing this, Ling Ying actually agreed to help collect Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva and, on that basis, purchased two Wind Walking Pills and one Origin-Boosting Qi Pill from Lin Yuan on credit.
Glancing at Ling Ying, Lin Yuan more or less understood what he was planning.
Preparing these pills, it seems they're meant to help protect Xiao Yan on the journey to Jia Nan Academy.
Gu Xun'er truly does care deeply about him.
Still, that's not a bad thing.
It gives me an opportunity to establish a trading relationship with Gu Xun'er and gather more resources.
As Gu Xun'er's representative, if Ling Ying was willing to trade, then obtaining a second portion of Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva was practically guaranteed.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan's mood improved even further.
"Everyone, until we meet again!"
"I'll return to Jia Ma Holy City first and begin mobilizing personnel according to the plan. The rest of you should move quickly as well and make sure you don't miss any of the critical timing."
Having completed the agreed transactions, Lin Yuan promptly prepared to depart.
He was eager to return and study the Earth-Class Soul Technique he had just acquired.
"Also, Brother Xiao," he added, "you should enroll at Jia Nan Academy as soon as possible. You'll be much safer there."
"As an Elder of Jia Nan Academy, seeing one of our students continuously wandering around outside after taking leave is giving me rather mixed feelings."
After giving Xiao Yan a final reminder, Lin Yuan departed alongside Medusa, flying back toward the Imperial Capital.
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