Chapter 299: Zi Yan

The sudden tremor of the Alchemy Furnace startled everyone present; immediately, all eyes from the Yun Lan Sect turned toward the Guang Chang, where an unusually dense energy fluctuation was rapidly taking shape.

Even at the Miter Manor, this energy could be felt; Xiao Yixian, reading a book, sensed the intense energy surge, a flicker of joy passing through her beautiful eyes.

"It seems the Spirit Refining is about to succeed."

Though she was not an Alchemist, years of experience had broadened her knowledge; she had once been a Poison Master and knew how to craft Poison Pills, so she naturally understood that high-grade Elixirs often caused significant disturbances upon formation.

"Pfft, it's not even a Transformation Pill." Zi Yan pouted, sitting idly aside; Xiao Yixian read books every day, and Xiao Yan had been busy these past few days refining the Breakthrough Pill, leaving no time to play with her.

Just as Xiao Yixian and Zi Yan finished speaking, the energy fluctuation surged violently to a terrifying level—then came a loud *Bang! * A half-foot-wide column of energy shot straight out from Yun Lan Mountain, piercing the sky.

"This commotion is truly outrageous—it's only a Six-Grade Peak Pill." Xiao Yixian gazed at the energy column, murmuring softly.

Since Poison Pill techniques shared similar principles with Spirit Refining, Xiao Yixian estimated that crafting Poison Pills was even harder than crafting a Qi Zhi Gao Ji Transformation Pill.

Her Eternal Calamity Poison Body would fully erupt at Dou Zong Peak; when the poison within her reached Dou Zun level, her body would no longer be able to contain it.

At that point, she would die if she couldn't hold out.

Whether Elixir, cultivator, or beast, the Eighth Grade was a dividing line—like a mortal transcending humanity, requiring trials and tribulations.

Now that Xiao Yan could refine the Breakthrough Pill, he was already close to becoming a Seventh-Rank Alchemist.

Back at the peak of Yun Lan Mountain's Guang Chang, the Ten Thousand Beasts Cauldron began shaking violently, as if unable to contain what lay inside.

A Pill no larger than a Dragon Eye had been completed!

At the very moment this Pill formed, the sky above Yun Lan Sect darkened rapidly; heavy clouds gathered swiftly overhead, and within them, silver lightning flickered like silver snakes darting everywhere.

This sudden spectacle left every disciple and passerby on Yun Lan Mountain—indeed, across the entire sect—stunned, staring blankly at the layered clouds above.

"Is that Pill Lightning?!!!" Fa Ma and Gu He exclaimed in unison, their voices brimming with fear anyone could hear.

"No, not yet Seventh Grade—but it's just barely short." Fa Ma stared intently at the white-robed boy in the arena; at twenty-one, he had crafted such a Pill—nowhere in the Jia Ma Empire's surroundings, nor even the entire Northwest Region, could anyone match Xiao Yan's Alchemy talent.

"Perhaps… only the Dan Tower in Zhong Zhou could find an Alchemy prodigy to rival him." Fa Ma said gravely.

Gu He sighed inwardly; he had lost, and he accepted it wholeheartedly.

As Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran had said, his departure from Yun Lan Sect years ago wasn't because Yun Shan had died—it was because in their trio, he was the extra one, and he chose to leave.

These past two years of relentless Spirit Refining were merely him gritting his teeth, proving his Alchemy talent wasn't inferior to Xiao Yan's—yet today, Xiao Yan had slapped his face with a single Breakthrough Pill.

"Is the Breakthrough Pill about to emerge?!" Yao Ye's beautiful eyes widened in shock; even she could not hide her astonishment.

The man refining Pills was simply too handsome!

As for Jia Xingtian, a trembling excitement stirred quietly within him.

What followed held no surprises: just as when he had refined the Imperial Heaven Pill, the Pill Lightning appeared—but did not strike down, for no matter how excellent the Breakthrough Pill, it remained a Six-Grade Pill, failing to reach Seventh Grade.

After securing the Pill, Xiao Yan walked to the spectator seats—but instead of handing the Breakthrough Pill to Jia Xingtian or Yao Ye, he offered it to Gu He.

Seeing this, everyone held their breath; in their eyes, this was unquestionably an act of provocation.

The new and old Dantian Alchemists of the Jia Ma Empire!

"Two years ago, Master Xiao Yan's reputation certainly didn't fall short of Dantian Alchemist Gu He—but mostly because Master Xiao Yan was so young; in actual Alchemy skill, he still lagged behind Dantian Alchemist Gu He."

"Yes, but now two years have passed, and Master Xiao Yan's Alchemy has surged forward—he's clearly using this Breakthrough Pill to challenge Master Gu He's authority."

"Do you think Master Gu He can refine a Breakthrough Pill now?"

Young Alchemists of the Yun Lan Sect whispered among themselves, beginning to gossip.

"Alright, you've won." Gu He, peering through the Pill Bottle at the near-perfect Pill inside, knew just how formidable Xiao Yan's Alchemy had become.

Fa Ma also sighed in admiration, saying: "Xiao Yan—no, Master Xiao Yan, this Breakthrough Pill is the highest-quality one I've ever seen in my life; it may boost success rates by thirty percent."

Fa Ma's Alchemy skill might not surpass Gu He's, but in terms of insight and experience, he surpassed him; he instantly recognized this Breakthrough Pill as perfect-grade—something even a top-tier Seventh-Rank Alchemist might not achieve.

Only an Eighth-Rank Alchemist capable of refining Spiritual Pills could accomplish this.

Gu He pulled out a Brocade Box and handed it to Xiao Yan; Xiao Yan did not cheat—he handed over the Cultivation Method and the Pill to Gu He, saying: "Master Gu He, the world is vast; Alchemy cannot be practiced solely in isolation. Exposure and experience are also necessary."

Gu He's eyes flickered with a strange light, then he nodded and said: "I've learned, Master Xiao Yan. Perhaps it's time I traveled, to broaden my horizons."

With that, Gu He took the items and departed Yun Lan Sect; soon after, he left the Jia Ma Empire.

Xiao Yan slowly opened the Brocade Box; inside lay a Pill as vividly red as fresh blood, gently emitting a Pill Fragrance.

"Is this a Transformation Pill?! So that's what you were after all along!" Fa Ma exclaimed in surprise; he hadn't expected Xiao Yan's target to be this.

"He's not a beast—holding onto this would be a waste; the longer it's kept, the more potency it loses." Xiao Yan smiled.

With that, Xiao Yan turned to Jia Xingtian, whose face was tense, and handed him the Pill: "Old Jia, I put real effort into this Breakthrough Pill—I didn't cut corners at all."

"Of course, of course! Everyone saw it!" Jia Xingtian hastily accepted the Pill with reverence; this was the Breakthrough Pill he had long dreamed of!

"With this Breakthrough Pill, I believe Old Jia has an eighty percent chance of breaking through to Dou Zong." Xiao Yan said calmly.

"Rest assured—I, Jia Xingtian, swear this time I will enter the Dou Zong realm!"

Beside them, Fa Ma watched this scene with deep puzzlement; Xiao Yan was clearly the junior, yet now it seemed as if Jia Xingtian were the one being guided.

"Queen Yao Ye, while I'm away, I rely on you to oversee the affairs of the Yan Alliance. In a few days, I'll depart—I'll return before the Sect Grand Meeting." The Yan Alliance was the vital safeguard protecting Xiao Yan's family.

He would return only after traveling to Chu Yun Empire to find the New Different Flame Xiao Yixian had mentioned; he planned to reuse his old method from the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta—using Dou Wang Pills to reach Nine-Star Dou Wang, then the Imperial Heaven Pill to directly break through to Dou Huang, and finally refine the New Different Flame to solidify his Dou Qi with its power.

Using Pills to break through was fast, but the resulting unstable Dou Qi could only be solidified through the power of refining a Different Flame.

After dinner with his two elder brothers and father, Xiao Yan returned to the Miter Manor; now that he had the Transformation Pill, he intended to find out today just what manner of divine being Zi Yan was—why was her Bloodline Power so immense?

"So this is the Transformation Pill…"

Xiao Yixian took the Pill from the Brocade Box, sniffed it lightly, and her eyes filled with longing.

"Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan!!!" Zi Yan, upon hearing Xiao Yan had brought back a Transformation Pill, stomped her little feet incessantly, her eyes brimming with such desperate longing they seemed ready to burst.

"Cough, cough." Xiao Yan cleared his throat, stepped before the Lion King, and awkwardly rubbed his nose: "Lion King… uh…"

The Lion King smiled and said: "Master Xiao Yan, no need for formality. Our agreement was that you would refine a Transformation Pill for me once you could—and since Zi Yan's Bloodline Talent is even higher, it's reasonable she uses it first. I believe within two years, Master Xiao Yan will be able to refine another Transformation Pill; waiting two more years is no great matter."

Xiao Yan stole a glance at Zi Yan behind him, her eyes glowing purple; he thought inwardly: "Lion King—if you're being threatened, just blink!"

Yet as the Lion King had said, it was indeed best for Zi Yan to use the Transformation Pill first.

Hearing the Lion King's words, Zi Yan nodded inwardly; this lion was quite sensible.

"Xiao Yan, hurry up!" Zi Yan, her face alight with excitement, couldn't help urging him.

"What's the rush? This Transformation Pill has been with Gu He for two years—its medicinal properties might've already leaked a bit. I'll first use Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame to replenish some of its potency."

Xiao Yan pulled out the Ten Thousand Beasts Cauldron and tossed the Transformation Pill inside; the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame slowly enveloped the pill.

The loss of medicinal properties was just an excuse—Xiao Yan feared Gu He or the Alchemist who crafted it had tampered with it. After all, this wasn't his own pill; a little caution wasn't excessive.

After thirty minutes, the Transformation Pill slowly emitted a wisp of Pill Fragrance; the fragrance instantly caused Zi Yan's body to glow with bursts of Purple Light.

Xiao Yan retrieved the Transformation Pill from the Ten Thousand Beasts Cauldron. After being refined by the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame, the pill now trembled on its own, as if possessing a hint of Spirit.

"Truly worthy of a Qi Zhi Gao Ji Elixir—it's already begun to develop Spirit."

"Zi Yan, may I ask—how large is your true form?" They were still inside the Miter Estate; if her true form was enormous—even larger than the Lion King—it could cause destruction.

"Let me think… it probably isn't that big, but back then I was still weak, so I'm not sure anymore." Zi Yan shrugged; right now, she just wanted to restore her true form.

"Use the Space Lock." At that moment, the Soul Body of Heavenly Flame Elder drifted out of the jet-black Nai Jie ring—he had fully absorbed the medicinal properties of the Great Soul Black Purple Pill, and his Soul Body had finally returned to its original level.

"A Space Lock used by a Dou Zun!"

Seeing Xiao Yan's astonished expression, Heavenly Flame Elder finally felt a touch of pride. He nodded firmly. "Correct. Borrow me the Falling Heart Flame—I'll use the Falling Heart Flame to cast the Space Lock, creating a vast space. You can learn it too; once you reach Dou Zun, you'll master it quickly."

Xiao Yan opened his palm; an invisible little serpent appeared, hissing as it leapt before Heavenly Flame Elder. The next instant, Heavenly Flame Elder's hand seals moved like phantom shadows—huh huh!! Under his control, the Falling Heart Flame burned through space; weng! The space where Xiao Yan and the others stood rapidly shifted, like a time machine—the scenery around them stretched out!

Finally, the illusion ceased. Everyone stood within a vast space.

Seeing this, even Xiao Yixian was taken aback.

Xiao Yan's Soul Force swept through—the space was enormous, larger than the entire Miter Estate!

"The power of a Dou Zun is truly terrifying!"

"Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan, is it ready yet!" Zi Yan didn't care about any of this—once her strength grew further, she could do it too.

Xiao Yan gave a disgruntled look, flicked his finger lightly, and the Transformation Pill flew to Zi Yan's face. With a smack, she swallowed it whole.

The Transformation Pill dissolved into a warm stream upon entering her mouth, merging into her Bloodline. Instantly, Zi Yan's complexion turned unusually flushed, her body burning hot like a furnace.

Seeing Zi Yan's transformation, Xiao Yan frowned. Then, Zi Yan suddenly fell into deep sleep, her body floating in midair. A thick purple light surged from within her, forming a purple cocoon over a zhang in width, completely enveloping her.

"This girl really—" Xiao Yan was speechless. This wasn't the effect of the Transformation Pill—Zi Yan was about to ascend to Sixth Rank Demon Beast!

Besides enabling a Demon Beast to take human form, the Transformation Pill contained immense energy. Usually, a Demon Beast's Cultivation Realm would rise slightly after consuming it. But Zi Yan had already eaten many Medicinal Materials, and Xiao Yan had occasionally given her leftover medicinal residues from his Pill Alchemy—causing her to ascend directly.

Xiao Yixian sighed helplessly, having no way to deal with this girl. The poison barrier in Shen You Valley would dissipate in less than half a month.

"Xiao Yixian, you and the Lion King leave first—so Ya Fei won't think we've vanished. I'll stay here and use the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame to accelerate Zi Yan's transformation." Xiao Yan rolled his eyes—now of all times!

Xiao Yan wasted no more words. He sat on the ground, activated the Burning Scripture, and the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame shot out, treating Zi Yan's purple cocoon like a Pill to be refined.

Fortunately, he had the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame—otherwise, he'd have no way to help.

Huh huh huh!! The terrifying Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame raged against the purple cocoon; its unique properties aided Zi Yan in Refining.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame slowly seeped into the cocoon. Naturally, it possessed the power to strengthen a Demon Beast's Bloodline, fortify the body, and rapidly increase Cultivation Realm.

And Xiao Yan's refining lasted seven days and seven nights.

(End of Chapter)