Chapter 321

As the central and most prosperous city in the Northwest Region, the people and demon beasts of Tian She Empire were accustomed to all manner of bizarre sights—flying ships and flying dragons passing overhead, or giant apes taller than the city walls strolling outside the gates, none of which caused any surprise.

Yet Zi Yan, visiting for the first time, stood dumbfounded; after all, she should have been the strangest and highest-blooded demon beast here, for her true form was the legendary Tai Xu Ancient Dragon.

Now, however, Zi Yan looked more like a country bumpkin—her eyes wide with wonder, sparkling with awe, dazzled beyond comprehension.

Too many cultivators came and went from Tian She Empire, especially with the Sect Grand Meeting just days away; demons, monsters, and all manner of oddities arrived from every corner of the land—some riding flying treasures, others unfolding Spiritual Qi Wings, even some riding the Eight-Eyed Insect King.

In contrast, Xiao Yan and his group attracted no attention at all—except for the several beautiful women beside Xiao Yan, who, even in the Northwest Region, shone brilliantly and drew every eye.

Zi Yan's lively charm, Yue Er's playful wit, Nalan Yanran's icy plum blossom elegance—like a sharp blade that made people pause to gaze from afar—and Yue Mei of the Snake Race, whose allure needed no words: even in Tian She Empire, a beauty like Yue Mei was rare; her exposed Snake Waist, swaying with each motion, left onlookers drooling and utterly captivated—so much so that the surrounding Snake Race demon beasts stared with bulging eyes.

Xiao Yan had once enjoyed considerable romantic fortune, having glimpsed from afar in the desert the silhouette of a woman emerging from water.

But now Xiao Yan was a man who had "grown up"—no longer easily disturbed by such trifles; surrounded by them, he remained calm, unruffled, like a still well; though he had no story to tell, his eyes held countless tales.

Within Tian She Empire, traffic surged endlessly, and countless shops sold exotic treasures; street vendors and peddlers were even more numerous. Once inside the city, one was drowned in a ceaseless tide of shouts.

"Bai Wang Flower for sale! One stalk! Main ingredient for brewing Bai Wang Pill! Now at a discount! No need to explain the effects of a Five-Grade Peak Bai Wang Pill! Accept only Elixirs in exchange—must be Four-Grade or higher! Fair price!" Shouts rose and fell along the street.

"One Scroll of the Ancient Puppet Making Scroll, obtained from an Ancient Ruin! Though only the upper volume remains, its rank is certainly no lower than Arcane-Rank High-Level! Cheaply sold!"

"Six Rank Demon Beast Magic Core and a piece of Sixth-Rank Demon Beast Essence Bone—perfect for forging a Demon Core Weapon set! Price negotiable."

In the capital of Tian She Empire, besides the shops and Pai Mai Chang operated by powerful sects and empires of the Northwest Region, many merchants and locals also brought out their own goods to sell or barter.

Even powerful sects like Thunder Sect and Yao Gu Sect had branches in foreign lands; Xiao Yan even spotted shops from Zhong Zhou factions.

Of course, there were many swindlers here too—but most could only fool those unfamiliar with the world.

Like Zi Yan.

"Dragon Blood Holy Herb! Once, a mighty Heavenly Dragon perished, its essence blood dripping into the earth, finally nourishing this single Dragon Blood Holy Herb! That Heavenly Dragon once challenged a Sage Emperor—its power reached the heavens! Come see! Dragon Blood Holy Herb—price negotiable!" a peddler shouted.

Upon hearing "Dragon Blood," Zi Yan's twin pigtails shot up; she whirled her head toward the shout.

Seeing Zi Yan's expression, even seasoned merchants knew she wanted to buy it—and so did Xiao Yan's group.

"Good sirs and ladies, look! This Dragon Blood Holy Herb—I risked my life to obtain it from an ancient deadly place! This is a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure irrigated by Dragon Blood! Use it, and you stand a chance of triggering Bloodline Ancestral Return in the Dragon Clan—even without Dragon Bloodline, you can gain Dragon Clan power and transform your physique!" The vendor carefully pulled out a Brocade Box, opened it for Zi Yan—and the moment it opened, a surge of Dragon blood aura burst forth; instantly, he snapped it shut.

Feeling the pure Dragon blood aura, Zi Yan gasped, tugging Xiao Yan's sleeve and urgently cried: "Xiao Yan! It's real! Buy it quick!"

Even Xiao Princess Yue, also an Alchemist, showed a flicker of astonishment—this was indeed Dragon aura.

"What's the price?" Zi Yan asked quickly.

"Madam, we're reasonable—how about a Sixth-Rank Mid-Level Elixir?" The vendor's eyes gleamed with a sly smile.

Hearing it required only a Sixth-Rank Pill, Zi Yan was overjoyed—after all, Xiao Yan could brew Seven-Grade Pills; he surely had Sixth-Rank Pills on him!

Dang! Xiao Yan delivered a sharp chop to Zi Yan's small head, sighing as he used Soul Resonance: "You're a disgrace to your bloodline—how can you fall for this?"

Xiao Yan then glanced at the vendor and smiled faintly: "Dragon Blood Holy Herb? I've heard of it."

"The Dragon Blood Holy Herb has a notable origin—its tip is amber-colored, translucent throughout, veins clearly visible like flowing blood vessels. When the wind blows, its shape resembles DragonClaw, radiating surging Dragon energy. Let me see the age of your Dragon Blood Holy Herb—if the age is sufficient, a Sixth-Rank Mid-Level Elixir might be worth it."

A faint, haughty smile touched Xiao Yan's brow, yet his gaze was sharp as he fixed the vendor.

Since age four, he had read ancient texts and the Herb Canon within the Bone Flame Ring; after becoming an Alchemist, he had studied countless Spirit Stone Formulas, learning the properties of many Medicinal Materials. Though rare, the Dragon Blood Holy Herb had appeared in several herbals he had read.

The moment Xiao Yan spoke, the vendor's face changed instantly—he said nothing, rolled up his stall, and turned to leave without hesitation.

Having wandered the markets so long, he knew at once he'd met an expert; staying to cheat would only bring him pain.

The sudden turn left Zi Yan and the others stunned; Zi Yan hadn't even had time to chase down the swindler—he vanished like smoke.

Yue Er frowned: "But… but there really was Dragon aura, and it looked just like it."

"I told you to read more books," Xiao Yan grumbled.

"How long has Tian She Empire existed? Wherever there are people, there are swindlers—be careful in markets and streets."

"Swindling techniques evolve faster than Pill Alchemy—endless tricks. Producing a bit of Dragon aura is child's play."

Xiao Yan knew full well how many swindlers filled the market—he was the Young Clan Leader of Wutan City, raised among the stalls, where swindlers and thieves were regulars.

With his experience, he could tell who was a fraud and who had real goods just by their micro-expressions and eyes.

Of course, Xiao Yan's greatest confidence came from his vast knowledge.

Along the way, Xiao Yan's group encountered countless oddities: selling mutton under the sign of goat, passing ostrich eggs as demon beast eggs, selling blind-box Elixirs, running lottery-style sales—by the time they walked the entire street, even Hai Bodong exclaimed he'd never seen so much.

Nalan Yanran sighed and murmured: "Many think they can find a bargain—but in truth, they're the ones being fooled."

"You're right. Don't dream of bargains—any good finds were long ago snapped up by the experts and Alchemists of the great factions. How could they be left for you?" At this, Xiao Yan guiltily glanced at Hai Bodong, then thought: well, his own acquisition wasn't exactly a bargain—he'd been given the Residual Map precisely because Hai Bodong had guessed its high value and exchanged it for the Elixir Xiao Yan most needed at the time.

"Stop thinking about bargains. Buy things properly. Don't keep dreaming of finds."

Nalan Yanran shot Xiao Yan a look—every cultivator dreams of finding a bargain.

Seeing Xiao Yan turn and enter an ancient-style shop, Yue Mei gasped: "Huang Quan Zhen Pin Ge! This is a Huang Quan Pavilion shop!"

Huang Quan Pavilion—one of the famed Four Pavilions of Zhong Zhou—controlled territories beyond Zhong Zhou, and its leaders were all Dou Zun. Not even Tian She Empire could compare; its strength dwarfed the entire Northwest Region.

That was precisely why Tian She Empire once sought to unify the Northwest Region.

This shop, named Huang Quan Zhen Pin Ge, was enormous—on the outside, it looked like a single store, but once inside, one discovered vast interior space, containing a faint Barrier resembling a Space Lock!

Merely from this, Huang Quan Zhen Pin Ge was clearly extraordinary.

Entering Huang Quan Zhen Pin Ge, one found an ancient courtyard rich in antiquity, lined with shelves and transparent cabinets filled with all manner of Treasures: Magic Cores of demon beasts, special divine metals, weapons radiating spiritual pressure, even Elixirs for sale.

In short, everything was here—not a shop specializing in one category, but one offering Medicinal Materials, Elixirs, Dou Techniques and Cultivation Methods Scrolls, weapons and armor, exotic treasures—all of them.

Perhaps, as its name suggested, it sold only treasures.

Sensing the strength of Xiao Yan's group, the shopkeeper personally came forward to greet them. Even though they represented Huang Quan Pavilion, a Dou Huang guest could not be offended.

Especially Xiao Yan—so young, yet already a Dou Huang, surrounded by beauties—his status was clearly extraordinary. Even the shopkeeper stood respectfully at his side, not daring to speak carelessly, afraid of provoking Xiao Yan's displeasure.

Xiao Yan grabbed Zi Yan, whose face was pressed against the Medicinal Materials cabinet, drooling, and handed the shopkeeper a slip of paper: "Shopkeeper, do you have these Medicinal Materials?"

The shopkeeper took the paper with both hands, glanced at the listed Medicinal Materials, and instantly paled, staring at Xiao Yan with wide eyes.

Seeing the shopkeeper's reaction, Xiao Princess Yue tiptoed, stretching her neck to look—when she saw the list, her big, watery eyes widened further.

For every item on the list was Seven-Grade Medicinal Material—lowest grade being the main ingredients for Po Zong Dan and Huang Tian Dan.

At this moment, both Yue Er and the shopkeeper realized: this man is a Seventh-Rank Alchemist!?

"You—you're Seventh-Rank?!?" Yue Er gasped. "What kind of freak reincarnation are you?! Even if your Cultivation Realm surged this much in just half a year, how did your Pill Alchemy break into Seventh-Rank?!"

Isn't it said that breaking from Six-Grade Peak to Seventh-Rank takes at least ten or eight years, and for many, they'll never reach Seventh-Rank in their whole life?! Are you joking?!

Hearing Yue Er's cry, everyone cleaning the room and the beasts turned to look, and whispers began to spread.

Realizing she had spoken out of turn, Yue Er quickly clapped her hand over her mouth.

Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly, not blaming Yue Er at all—his identity as a Seventh-Rank Alchemist couldn't be hidden much longer; the Sect Grand Meeting would know in just a few days.

"Manager?"

The manager jolted awake at Xiao Yan's voice, hurriedly saying: "Master, I'm truly sorry, but our shop could only find four of these medicinal materials. The rest—I'd need to check with the headquarters. But delivery would take three days."

The manager never imagined in his wildest dreams that his Huangquan Pavilion's store in the Tian She Empire would one day admit it couldn't gather everything—and that even Huangquan Pavilion might not have these items, especially Puti Huati Yan—he was certain he had none.

The manager picked up his pen and drew four circles on the paper, indicating these four medicinal materials were in stock and available immediately.

Two of them were the main ingredients for Huangtian Elixir and Po-Zong Elixir—after all, those two Elixirs were hard currency; Xiao Yan could refine more even if he didn't use them himself, and use them as rewards for the Yan Alliance.

Another was Transformation Grass. Xiao Yan had only one sprig of Transformation Grass, and now that he was Seventh-Rank, he needed to fulfill his promise to the Zi Jing Yi Shi King—should the refining fail, he'd at least need another chance.

The fourth was a medicinal material for refining Da Hun Hei Zi Elixir—a Seven Rank Low Grade Pill that enhances Soul Force, exactly what Xiao Yan needed most right now. His Soul Force had slowed to a crawl; reaching Spiritual Force Realm: Commoner Full Completion would take far too long—he could only rely on Pills to help.

Da Hun Hei Zi Elixir not only had an extremely complex refining technique, but its medicinal materials were exceedingly hard to find. Xiao Yan had merely been testing his luck—and somehow, they actually had it.

"No problem. If you find any other medicinal materials, notify me at the Yan Alliance's temporary residence—I want them all."

As for price, the manager needn't worry Xiao Yan couldn't pay—these medicinal materials would unquestionably require exchange for Pills.

Zi Yan's eyes brimmed with deep resentment, as if saying: I worked my ass off to get even a little of these materials, and you just refine one Pill to get so much—and you've already stolen so many from me.

"Why don't I teach you Pill Alchemy? Then you could refine Pills yourself and earn medicinal materials." Alchemists were universally known to be a guaranteed profit.

Zi Yan rolled her eyes at him outright. The Ancient Dragon could indeed spit fire and possessed fire-element energy—but she had no wood-element energy inside her, so she couldn't refine Pills, let alone since beast Soul Force was inherently weak.

Soon, the manager returned with four Huang Jade Treasure Boxes, each holding one of the four medicinal materials. Xiao Yan examined them carefully and found no issues.

"The total value is one Six-Grade High Elixir, or two Six-Grade Mid-Grade Elixirs," the manager smiled.

Xiao Yan nodded—this price was fair. Though Transformation Pill was a Seven-Grade High Elixir, Transformation Grass wasn't even as valuable as the main ingredient of Da Hun Hei Zi Elixir, since it was also the main ingredient for the Six-Grade Demon Transformation Pill—and Transformation Grass had another main ingredient.

(End of Chapter)