Word Count: 3,114 Words
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Surging flame waves swept across the sky, ultimately occupying the entire thousand-foot radius above. Terrifying four-colored fire clouds blanketed the heavens, making it difficult for even sunlight to penetrate.
Clearly, this concealing effect was exactly what Xiao Yan desired.
The flame waves rippled outward for a moment, then their speed suddenly soared. As if pushed by some powerful force, they surged with a loud bang and raced toward the boundless horizon at extreme speed amidst thunderous rumbles.
The North-Western Alliance's army had already been bombarded once by Xiao Yan's Ghostly Poison Flame. Now, with the explosion of the Lotus Flame, the raging wind carried by the sweeping flame waves also battered the ground. Their numbers had long been decimated.
In the Dou Qi Continent, life was worth next to nothing. A single Dou Technique could easily claim the lives of who knew how many tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people.
Xiao Yan did not pity these people. War had always been cruel; the only difference was the stance of those involved.
The experts from distant observing factions looked up and stared blankly at the thick fire clouds in the sky, their throats rolling heavily. Under such a terrifying flame wave explosion, even powerful Dou Ancestors would probably fare poorly if they failed to evade in time.
Some experts of the North-Western Alliance who had not yet entered battle and remained at the rear were especially affected. The flame wave from Xiao Yan's Dou Technique left their faces slightly pale, a lingering fear still visible in their eyes.
They all felt fortunate not to have been chosen as the vanguard. Such an explosion was simply too terrifying. They didn't even know how Xiao Yan had executed this Dou Technique.
It was so sudden, just a booming explosion without any warning!
Shouldn't releasing a Dou Technique involve some kind of process??
"This fellow... No wonder he could become the leader of the Yan Alliance. Not only is his alchemy formidable, but his strength is even more terrifying," experts from other factions muttered softly, wiping cold sweat from their foreheads with bitter smiles.
One thought his alchemy talent was impressive, but unexpectedly, his strength was even more so!
"I wonder how those guys from the Sky Serpent Mansion are doing."
"Though this Dou Technique is powerful, it's still not at the level of a Dou Venerate. If they escaped quickly, Dou Ancestors capable of utilizing Spatial Strength shouldn't suffer too much damage. As for those below Dou Emperor, it's hard to say."
For a moment, many among the younger generation felt the cruelty of war. However, they wouldn't blame the Yan Alliance for being ruthless. After all, the North-Western Alliance had invaded their territory. The Jia Ma Empire had been attacked all the way to the Sacred City, and the Snake-People Tribe had been destroyed.
Xiao Yan passed through the poison dome with a whoosh. Utilizing the power of the Nihility Devouring Flame, he instantly appeared in the grand hall of the Jia Ma Imperial Palace.
He hadn't used a five-colored or six-colored Lotus Flame, only merging four kinds of Heavenly Flames. It wasn't that he couldn't, but he couldn't consume too much Spiritual Strength now. He still needed to refine pills to resurrect Venerable Tian Huo before the enemy could react.
When Xiao Yan appeared, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Hai Bodong plopped into a chair, utterly exhausted. "Luckily, you and Queen Medusa returned in time. Otherwise, you'd have to dig my bones out of the ground."
Hai Bodong was now a 9-star Dou Emperor and had fought until his Dou Qi was completely depleted. If the battle had dragged on any longer, he wouldn't have been able to continue.
Xiao Yan took out various tier 6 Dou Qi recovery pills and some healing pills from his storage ring. "These pills are all tier 6. Everyone, divide them among yourselves."
Xiao Yan produced the pills, but everyone was not as enthusiastic as one might expect. The battle had not only depleted their Dou Qi but also their spirits. They were fatigued, especially under such high-pressure conditions.
"Hopefully, those guys from the Sky Serpent Mansion know when to retreat," Jia Xing Tian said slowly.
Queen Yao Ye remained silent for a moment before saying, "I think they probably won't retreat."
Xiao Ding nodded in agreement. "Now that both sides have torn off all pretense, the Sky Serpent Mansion, Gold Geese Sect, Medicine Bone Sect, Mulan Valley, and other factions understand that we won't let them off. They won't retreat, and they have nowhere to retreat to."
Everyone present fell silent for a while. Xiao Ding was right. If they were in the Sky Serpent Mansion's position, they wouldn't retreat either. Once they allowed the Yan Alliance to recover, their factions would definitely be purged!
"Big Brother is right. Since they've torn off all pretense, they won't let us continue developing. Moreover, that person behind the scenes definitely won't let me off either," Xiao Yan said slowly.
"Won't let you off? Do you know who it is?" Queen Yao Ye asked in surprise. From Xiao Yan's tone, it seemed like he knew who it was, and the target seemed to be him?
"I have a rough guess, but I can't be certain. If I'm correct, the person behind the scenes is not only a 3-star Dou Venerate but also an 8th-tier alchemist," Xiao Yan said in a heavy voice, a strange glint flashing through his eyes.
"An 8th-tier alchemist?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock. Wasn't an alchemist of this level like a celestial being, capable of refining immortal pills!
Xiao Yan nodded. He knew the person behind the scenes was Mu Gu.
Mu Gu was an Honorable Elder of the Hall of Souls and also an alchemist highly valued by the Hall Chief. He could be considered Xiao Yan's martial uncle, being the junior brother of Venerable Yao.
Back then, it was him and Han Feng who had plotted against Venerable Yao. One poisoned him, while the other struck.
The Hall of Souls' Di Pill Plan had been in motion for a long time. When Venerable Yao won the championship at the Pill Tower's triennial Pill Gathering, he naturally caught the attention of the Hall of Souls, who wanted him to join.
Clearly, Venerable Yao had not.
This ultimately led to Mu Gu, his junior brother, joining the Hall of Souls and even luring Han Feng. Mu Gu's ruthlessness and considerable alchemy talent naturally earned him the Hall of Souls' favor, making him one of the candidates for the Di Pill Plan.
Xiao Yan had even heard that Mu Gu had once received guidance from Hun Huzi, which allowed him to break through the threshold of an 8th-tier alchemist.
Hun Huzi had deliberately increased the difficulty for Xiao Yan by arranging for Mu Gu to participate in this Pill Gathering.
Since Xiao Yan knew Mu Gu would participate, Mu Gu naturally knew about Xiao Yan as a competitor. Likely, Hun Huzi had promised Mu Gu a reward from the Hall of Souls if he won the championship.
The news had definitely spread to the Central Plains and reached Mu Gu's ears when Xiao Yan participated in the Great Meeting of Factions a year ago and, at the age of twenty-four, refined a low-grade tier 7 pill that attracted Pill Lightning comparable to a middle-grade tier 7 pill.
The only news from the North-Western Region that could reach the Central Plains was likely from the Great Meeting of Factions.
So when Xiao Yan heard from Lu Man that She Tianhuang's breakthrough to Dou Venerate was because someone had refined pills for him, he immediately guessed that Mu Gu had heard about his alchemy talent and started feeling uneasy, which led to the subsequent events.
After all, Mu Gu couldn't directly kill him. Hun Huzi had arranged for the two of them to compete by refining pills at the Pill Gathering. Mu Gu wouldn't dare to kill him personally even if he had a thousand guts.
"This 8th-tier alchemist..." Hai Bodong's eyelids twitched violently. Wasn't the reason the Qiu Clan was so stable in the Pill Region because they had an 8th-tier alchemist in their clan? Now, an 8th-tier alchemist wanted to deal with Xiao Yan. This was disastrous news.
Everyone present wore solemn expressions. Even Cai Lin and Little Fairy Doctor looked grave. An 8th-tier alchemist was even harder to deal with than a high-star Dou Venerate.
Xiao Yan saw everyone's solemn faces and waved his hand. "Don't worry. For certain reasons, he can't make a move against me directly, so he can only resort to these little tricks, hoping to use the Sky Serpent Mansion to eliminate me."
"Moreover... I believe I can reach the 8th-tier very soon!"
Xiao Yan wasn't blindly confident. He had already overcome the two biggest hurdles of the 8th-tier: fire control and Soul State Spiritual Strength. He now only needed to refine more pills and produce a tier 8 pill that could attract colored Pill Lightning. Then, he would be an 8th-tier alchemist.
"Little Fairy Doctor, how long can your Woeful Poison Barrier last?" Xiao Yan asked. He needed time to refine the Yin Yang Life Soul Pill.
Little Fairy Doctor pondered for a moment before saying, "Two days."
"Two days..." Xiao Yan murmured. "That should be barely enough time. Everyone, be cautious. I need some time to refine a pill."
"Cai Lin, keep an eye on the situation at the Misty Cloud Sect. If they choose to concentrate their attack there, take people to assist."
Zi Yan suddenly called out just as he was about to leave, "Xiao Yan, wait a moment. Take this."
She extended her hand, and as if pulling something from a dimensional pocket, she tossed an already lifeless Dou Ancestor to him with a whoosh. It was the 1-star Dou Ancestor from the Medicine Bone Sect.
Everyone present was surprised to see that Zi Yan had so quickly slain a 1-star Dou Ancestor. Her strength was truly formidable!
"Rest assured, once this is over, I'll help you refine pills," Xiao Yan said without hesitation. A 1-star Dou Ancestor's soul body was also a source of soul points.
With that, he didn't waste any more time. He left the palace and found a place where Venerable Tian Huo could use a Space Lock, allowing him to peacefully refine the Yin Yang Life Soul Pill.
Once Venerable Tian Huo was resurrected, it would be time for the Yan Alliance to counterattack!
Meanwhile, those present couldn't help but cast teasing glances at the aloof Queen Medusa when they heard Xiao Yan call her 'Cai Lin.'
It seems some things have happened over the past year!
…
Meanwhile, in the main camp of the North-Western Alliance, a mass of black fog suddenly surged from a spatial rift. An old man in black robes emerged.
"You say Xiao Yan has appeared?" Mu Gu's eyes darkened as he looked at She Tianhuang before him.
Although they were both Dou Venerates, there was a world of difference between them in strength and status. She Tianhuang lowered his head respectfully. "Yes, Venerable Mu Gu. In today's battle, Xiao Yan and Medusa suddenly appeared and even killed many of our Dou Emperors and two Dou Ancestors."
Mu Gu didn't care how many Dou Emperors or Dou Ancestors had died. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "Has he reached the Dou Venerate realm?"
"No, Xiao Yan is only an 8-star Dou Emperor. Medusa's strength is at the 9-star Dou Ancestor stage, but with two kinds of Heavenly Flames, her combat strength rivals a Dou Venerate," She Tianhuang quickly explained.
Mu Gu's brows furrowed tightly. This made him somewhat puzzled. If Xiao Yan hadn't reached the Dou Venerate realm, how did he pass through the Space Lock he had set up?
He naturally didn't believe that someone favored by Hun Huzi would die in the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance. Therefore, he had set up a Space Lock in advance so he would be immediately aware when Xiao Yan broke through it.
"Hmph! Useless trash! You can't even kill an 8-star Dou Emperor. What use are you?!" Mu Gu was nearly enraged to death. So many Dou Ancestors, even a Dou Venerate, yet they couldn't conquer the small Yan Alliance, couldn't even kill a mere Dou Emperor!
A powerful Spiritual Strength emanated from his body, and terrifying black fog instantly enveloped the entire room. The overwhelming spiritual pressure caused the father and son to collapse directly to their knees.
"Venerable, please quell your anger!" She Tianhao's back was already soaked with sweat. Their Sky Serpent Mansion might act domineeringly in the North-Western Region, but facing an Honorable Elder of the Hall of Souls—an 8th-tier alchemist and Dou Venerate, no less—they could only grovel.
He feared Mu Gu might slap them to death on the spot.
"Venerable, I couldn't act due to the interference of Queen Medusa and the Sky Poison Fairy. If not for those two, I swear I could slay Xiao Yan!" She Tianhao's head was almost touching the ground.
"Yes, Venerable. Without those two, Xiao Yan would definitely be no match for me," She Tianhuang hurriedly promised, as if grabbing onto a life-saving straw.
Mu Gu's face turned icy. There were still two years until the Pill Gathering. He began to ponder, 'That Xiao Yan refined only a low-grade tier 7 pill a year ago; it's absolutely impossible for him to reach the 8th-tier alchemist level in just two years.'
'But what if...'
He had only seen one person go from a 7th-tier alchemist to an 8th-tier alchemist in three years in all his time. That person was his senior brother, the previous Pill Gathering champion, the one titled Venerable Yao.
This time, he eagerly desired to win the Pill Gathering championship to prove he was in no way inferior!
"I will secretly act to hold off that Woeful Poison Body and Medusa. You should understand that my Hall of Souls does not give the incompetent a second chance. If you still fail to take Xiao Yan's head this time, then I will take back everything from you." Mu Gu's eyes were ice-cold. He hadn't helped She Tianhuang break through to the Dou Venerate realm for free; he had left a special soul imprint in the other party's soul.
If She Tianhuang failed again, he would collect his soul body.
Immediately, cold sweat dripped from the foreheads of She Tianhuang and his son, their faces pale. They had heard of the Hall of Souls' methods. They specialized in capturing soul bodies!
"Yes! We understand!"
Mu Gu waved his hand, and four medicinal cauldrons appeared before him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Clusters of raging flames slowly rose within them.
"Bring the medicinal ingredients. I'll refine some Mighty Huang Pills and Zong Breaking Pills. With these, we should be able to create some more Dou Emperors and Dou Ancestors." Mu Gu was actually planning to control four medicinal cauldrons simultaneously!
But this was to be expected. Mu Gu was an 8th-tier alchemist who could even refine tier 8 pills that attracted colored Pill Lightning. For someone of his strength, refining tier 6 pills was as easy as an ordinary person cooking a small dish.
Powerful alchemists could batch-produce low-tier pills; refining several in one go was no problem at all. Someone like Mu Gu, with exceptionally strong Spiritual Strength, could even control multiple cauldrons at once.
Apart from special factions like the Pill Tower and the Yao Clan, major powers didn't have many alchemists. In the Yan Alliance, for example, besides Xiao Yan and Yue Er, there were only a few 3rd-tier alchemists responsible for some minor tasks.
Sixty percent of the Yan Alliance's pills were refined by Xiao Yan alone. Another thirty percent were low-tier pills from Little Princess Yue Er, and the rest by other alchemists.
Even the Hall of Souls was like this. There weren't many alchemists within the Hun Clan. The renowned alchemists in the Hall of Souls were only Mu Gu, Hun Huzi, and Venerable Yan, these three.
Many of the Hall of Souls' medicinal pills were refined by Hun Huzi. Refining pills below tier 8 was simply too easy for him. He could even mass-produce any pill below tier 9 with great ease.
…
At the same time, Xiao Yan was also refining a pill.
For someone who could refine a high-grade tier 7 Body Transformation Pill, the middle-grade tier 7 Yin Yang Life Soul Pill was no longer a challenge. The only hurdle might be time.
He couldn't afford any failures now. He only had two days. Failing once would mean insufficient time. Success was his only option!
Nearby, Venerable Tian Huo had already released his physical body, and even his soul had entered the prepared body. Now, he only needed to wait for Xiao Yan to finish refining the Yin Yang Life Soul Pill.
Time passed, moment by moment. After reaching the Soul State, Xiao Yan's movements became even more precise.
Soon, two days had passed. During this time, the North-Western Alliance hadn't made any moves, nor had they retreated; they remained stationed in the nearby mountains.
Jia Xing Tian and the others knew they hadn't given up. They were just waiting for the Woeful Poison Barrier to dissipate.
"Damn it, that brat better not cut it to the last second again," Hai Bodong grumbled, gazing at the dense army not far away.
"Hehehe, Old Hai, this time I'm early." A cheerful voice came from afar. To the surprise of Hai Bodong and the others, Xiao Yan was actually on time!!
"Hm? Who is that?"
The difference was that this time, a refined and elegant youth followed behind Xiao Yan. The youth wore white clothes with his hands clasped behind his back, standing in the air as his gaze calmly fixed on the distance.
Queen Yao Ye and the others couldn't help but frown. When had the Yan Alliance gained such a powerful expert?
"Xiao Yan, who is this?" Queen Yao Ye asked softly.
Xiao Yan smiled. It wasn't strange that no one recognized him. This was not only because Venerable Tian Huo rarely showed his face, but more importantly because his current appearance was one he had sculpted himself. He had chosen how he looked when he was young, which was quite different from his soul body state.
He had beautified himself, even gotten plastic surgery!
"Allow me to introduce him. This is the soul body who has been assisting me all along, Elder Yao. You can also call him Venerable Tian Huo, a Dou Venerate."