Chapter 429

"Go?" Xiao Yan blinked in surprise, then slightly narrowed his eyes—this wasn't a bad idea at all.

The two exchanged glances, and in an instant, the large and the small reached a mutual understanding.

Seeing the pair, the small Yi Xian guarding nearby sighed helplessly and asked, "Should I go with you?"

"Zi Yan and I are just going to take a look—we'll be back soon," Xiao Yan said.

Indeed, too many people would be risky; Xiao Yixian nodded and warned, "Be careful. If anything happens, crush the Soul Jade Token."

Zi Yan giggled, "Don't worry, Sister Yi Xian—we're just going to take a look."

Xiao Yixian had no faith in that—both were troublemakers!

The next instant, Zi Yan's Ancient Dragon bloodline power surged; a faint purple light radiated from her body, and with a boom, her small pink fist punched straight through space.

Through some special perception, Zi Yan locked onto a spatial coordinate and opened a Space Channel.

Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened—he could already sense, from within Zi Yan's Space Channel, a scorching, powerful force at its end.

That was the scent of a Heavenly Flame!

Three Thousand Yan Flame!

Xiao Yan looked down at the excited Zi Yan, puzzled—why could this girl sense Three Thousand Yan Flame?

"Could it be Zi Yan's innate treasure-hunting ability, sensitive to energy?" Xiao Yan couldn't figure it out.

Without overthinking, the large and the small stepped across Sheng Dan Cheng, passing through a Space Wormhole into an exceptionally peculiar space.

Xiao Yan and Zi Yan looked around—this space appeared desolate, surrounded by faint, scorching mist; faint glimmers of light seeped in, giving the area a cold, dim glow.

Xiao Yan casually reached out and grasped the faint light—it felt icy cold; his eyes narrowed: "Is this… starlight?"

Xiao Yan had heard from Ye Zhong that the Three Thousand Yan Flame had been sealed by the Pill Tower Three Giants within a space called the Star Domain, and the top ten in the Pill Gathering could enter the Star Domain to attempt taming it.

The Three Thousand Yan Flame was known as the Starfire, the Immortal Flame, possessing the unique power to absorb starlight to heal wounds; legends said an ancient Dou Zun had refined it and survived an attack by dozens of Dou Zuns—truly astonishing.

"So this really is the Star Domain," Xiao Yan said, gazing at the excited Zi Yan, wondering—was Ancient Dragon power too strong? Even the Pill Giant's Flame Sealing could be breached?!

Zi Yan pointed ahead. "It's over there."

"Let's go. If I'm right, what you sensed is Three Thousand Yan Flame," Xiao Yan said, equally excited—if he could refine it before the Pill Gathering, it'd be pure profit!

In an instant, they stepped on Space and flew at boundless speed deep into the Star Domain.

Though their flight was swift, for a long while they still saw no target—but Xiao Yan and Zi Yan clearly felt the Infernal Heat around them rising.

This temperature posed no real problem for Xiao Yan or Zi Yan.

Suddenly, a blinding light flared in the distance, like a sun in this realm, making their eyes ache.

"There!"

As Xiao Yan and Zi Yan drew near the light's core, they finally saw what the blinding object truly was.

Seeing it, they stared at each other in shock, faces frozen—each saw utter, profound awe in the other's eyes.

Ancient Dragon?!

Within the light lay a colossal dragon without end, its eyes closed, its body coiled endlessly; purple-black, eerie flames swirled around it, warping the surrounding space as they rose.

Amidst the boundless Space, the dragon coiled—this magnificent sight filled one with an indescribable sense of awe.

Though the dragon slept, eyes shut, its overwhelming Dragon Might made one's legs tremble—its sheer size was too shocking.

Most astonishing to Xiao Yan was how similar it looked to Zi Yan's true form!

Though upon closer inspection there were differences, Xiao Yan was certain—this was an Ancient Dragon!

But soon, Xiao Yan realized—it wasn't a true Ancient Dragon. It was a Spiritual Flame Fusion! This Spiritual Flame Fusion was more real, more powerful than Nine Dragon Thunder Flame, indistinguishable from a true Ancient Dragon!

"Why does this Three Thousand Yan Flame look so much like your clan?" Xiao Yan asked Zi Yan, equally stunned—this couldn't be coincidence, since Zi Yan had sensed something too.

That meant Three Thousand Yan Flame was connected to the Ancient Dragon Clan.

"I—I don't know! But after entering, I felt an imprint of our clan inside it," Zi Yan said, having finally understood her vague perception after passing through the Star Domain's barrier.

An Ancient Dragon Clan imprint—because of this unique mark, Three Thousand Yan Flame absorbed the Ancient Dragon's aura and grew into this form.

Suddenly, the Three Thousand Yan Flame's massive dragon eyes opened, slowly rising; upon seeing Zi Yan, it too froze, its gaze filled with surprise.

For a moment, time seemed to stop—the two dragons stared at each other, as if recognizing kindred spirits.

Like meeting a fellow countryman in a foreign land, eyes welling with tears.

Xiao Yan stood aside like a third party—lonely, helpless, ignored, eating popcorn.

Clearly, this wasn't the Heavenly Flame left behind by Ancestor Xiao Xuan.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan's Soul Force jolted—a powerful aura pierced Space, hurtling toward them at incredible speed.

Xiao Yan had no time to think—he instantly grabbed Zi Yan, pulled on his Soul Robe, waved his hand, and the Black Flame's Earth Sub Flame instantly burned through space, preparing to flee.

"Who dares trespass into my Pill Tower Star Domain?!"

A withered voice rang out; an old man twisted through space, fixing his gaze on the black-robed figure below. Seeing Xiao Yan had ignored the Star Domain's Flame Sealing and opened a Space Channel, the old man struck instantly—a terrifying Space Power surged forth.

Just as Xiao Yan prepared to activate the Heavenly Flame Three Mysteries Transformation and the Asura Soul Severing Technique to boost his power, a Dragon Roar echoed.

Roar! Roar! Roar!! Boom! The Three Thousand Yan Flame's tail lashed out, colliding with the old man's attack—purple-black Three Thousand Yan Flame exploded, a terrifying Flame Wave hurling Xiao Yan and Zi Yan into the Space Channel, vanishing.

Seeing Xiao Yan escape, the old man cursed: "That black robe belonged to the Soul Sect… Indeed, the Soul Sect has already set its sights on the Three Thousand Yan Flame."

The old man then turned to the sneering Three Thousand Yan Flame, flicked his sleeve, and left. He wasn't surprised it had intervened—for Three Thousand Yan Flame, anything that annoyed the Pill Tower was acceptable.

Boom! Suddenly, a Black Flame Channel appeared at the Ye Family Mansion; Xiao Yan and Zi Yan tumbled out, exhausted, and moments later, a terrifying wave of Three Thousand Yan Flame surged from the channel—if it reached the mansion, the entire estate would be destroyed.

Fortunately, Xiao Yixian was there.

Xiao Yixian swept her sleeve—Eternal Calamity Poison enveloped the Three Thousand Yan Flame and extinguished it.

"Xiao Yan, are you alright?" Xiao Yixian asked, hurrying to Xiao Yan's side after putting out the flame.

"I'm fine—just got burned a bit," Xiao Yan waved his hand.

He removed his Hood, lay on the ground, and Zi Yan, still shaken, collapsed beside him.

Xiao Yan cursed: "Damn it! I just went to take a look—and that old bastard attacked me!"

Zi Yan was also deeply startled—it was a Dou Zun Di Feng expert! If not for the Three Thousand Yan Flame blocking it, she and Xiao Yan would have suffered severe injuries.

"When I grow stronger, I'll pluck every last strand of that old bastard's beard!" Zi Yan was furious; she hadn't even figured out what was going on with the Three Thousand Yan Flame before being blasted away.

When had Zi Yan ever endured such humiliation!

"Huh?" Xiao Yan stood up, suddenly freezing in surprise. "I've broken through."

Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh and sigh—he was already at Five-Star Peak, just short of Six-Star. He'd planned to push harder before the Pill Gathering, using the Heavenly Flame Spirit Pill and Falling Heart Flame to accelerate his cultivation and break through to Six-Star.

Unexpectedly, after absorbing a bit of the Three Thousand Yan Flame, he turned misfortune into fortune and broke through to Six-Star.

Xiao Yan couldn't help licking his lips, his desire for the Three Thousand Yan Flame growing even stronger.

The Star Domain had existed for countless years, continuously gathering starlight energy—the power contained within that Heavenly Flame space was undoubtedly terrifying.

This was the Dan Tower! The Star Domain was far superior to the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, and most importantly, unlike the Flame Valley of the Burning Flame Valley, the Heavenly Flame energy here had never been absorbed by anyone!

Purely natural!

Refining a Heavenly Flame won't boost your Cultivation Realm, but absorbing the Heavenly Flame energy within its space certainly will!

"Zi Yan, can you subdue the Three Thousand Yan Flame?" Xiao Yan asked Zi Yan.

Zi Yan frowned, uncertainly saying: "I don't know. I was going to ask it, but that old man showed up."

"Shall we go back in?" Zi Yan asked. She rarely met someone from her homeland—even if this wasn't a True Ancient Dragon, it was at least half one.

Xiao Yan shook his head. "No. I suspect the Star Domain is now under constant surveillance for all twelve hours. Wait for the Pill Gathering—only the top ten can enter. Then I'll find a way to get you inside."

At the same time, within the Dan Tower in the inner city of Sheng Dan Cheng, soul information was being exchanged.

"Just now, someone from the Soul Hall breached the Star Domain." A withered voice echoed slowly from the void.

"Soul Hall! Hmph, those bastards are still targeting the Three Thousand Yan Flame!"

"Alas, according to some intelligence, the Soul Hall will also send representatives to this Pill Gathering. If they secure a top-ten spot, they'll surely act against the Three Thousand Yan Flame."

"Increase security. The Three Thousand Yan Flame absorbs starlight and grows stronger each day. We can't seal it forever—but it harbors deep resentment toward us. If it breaks free, it could destroy the entire Sheng Dan Cheng. So if someone can subdue it, that would be best. But that person absolutely cannot be like those from the Soul Hall—many Alchemists' Spiritual Souls have already fallen into their hands."

"This Pill Gathering is bound to be anything but peaceful."

Of course, Xiao Yan knew nothing of these soul information exchanges.

That night, at last, everything passed without incident.

The next morning, Xiao Yan and the others acted as if nothing had happened, cheerfully eating breakfast.

Since refining the Heavenly Flame Poison Pill and fully mastering the Eternal Calamity Physique, Xiao Yixian had not only begun learning Pill Alchemy from Xiao Yan, but also started learning cooking from Qing Lin.

Seeing Xiao Yixian gradually grow more cheerful, Xiao Yan's eyes softened—he was slowly returning to the Xiao Yixian of Qingshan Town.

"What are you staring at?" Xiao Yixian glanced at Xiao Yan.

"At a beauty, of course. What else?" Xiao Yan laughed teasingly.

"Master Xiao Yan, have you awakened?"

A withered voice rang from outside the courtyard, and Ye Zhong appeared at the gate, smiling as he watched the two chatting merrily.

Youth.

Xiao Yan smiled. "Ready?"

"Yes, Master Xiao Yan. I'll take you to the Dan Tower's testing station to get your certified Rank Badge." Ye Zhong nodded. Whether for the exam or the Pill Gathering, you needed a Five-Grade Badge issued by the Dan Tower.

Although Xiao Yan already had a Five-Grade Badge, most Alchemists Guild Five-Rank Alchemists had to retake the test.

"Xiao Yixian, you and Qing Lin stay here—or go explore Sheng Dan Cheng. Too many people shouldn't go to the Dan Tower."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Yixian hesitated briefly, then agreed. After all, with her strength, if anything happened to Xiao Yan, she could reach him instantly.

After leaving the large courtyard, Xiao Yan and Ye Zhong walked for about twenty minutes until they reached an ancient stone tower, where countless Alchemists came and went through its entrance.

Alchemists, who required a Special Physique, seemed as common as dirt here—and nearly all were of high rank; almost no one below Third-Rank could be seen.

"This is a branch tower of the Dan Tower, similar to branch offices of the Alchemists Guild in some empires," Ye Zhong said softly as he led Xiao Yan into the ancient stone tower.

"Wait two days—Sheng Dan Cheng will host a special marketplace, exclusive to Alchemists for transactions. Only those certified by the Dan Tower may enter. Perhaps we should go; rare items often appear there."

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up with interest. "Oh? That sounds intriguing. I'm curious what kind of treasures Sheng Dan Cheng might yield."

Hearing Xiao Yan's interest, Ye Zhong sighed in relief—this great god's happiness was all that mattered.

"Hehe, follow me first. The southern section is where the Rank certification takes place." Ye Zhong smiled and turned toward the southern area inside the tower; Xiao Yan quickly followed.

When the two arrived at the testing area, a long queue had already formed. Ye Zhong frowned slightly and said to Xiao Yan: "Master Xiao Yan, wait here—I'll smooth things over. If we wait in line like this, we won't finish the test today."

Xiao Yan nodded, watching Ye Zhong's retreating figure.

"Ah."

Suddenly, a soft gasp came from behind Xiao Yan. With his Soul Force Perception, he knew instantly what had happened.

Xiao Yan turned around and reached out to catch the girl who had been shoved backward by someone.

The instant Xiao Yan's hand touched her Jade Hand, the girl gasped: "Don't!"

Before Xiao Yan could even pull back, he felt his Soul Force being pulled, as if drawn into the girl's body.

Xiao Yan's eyes hardened—he activated the Demon Severing Soul Art, sealing his Soul Force, preventing it from being drained.

He smiled gently, courteously helping the girl to her feet. "Are you alright?"

The girl's large, round eyes blinked cutely. Her mouth opened in shock as she stared at Xiao Yan. "Y-you're… fine?"

Xiao Yan looked at the girl—her cheeks pale, seemingly eighteen or nineteen—and noticed the Dan Family's Class Badge embroidered on her clothes. He thought: "So she's from the Dan Family. And just now—that Soul Force absorption… Sheng Dan Cheng truly is full of strange people."

"Why should I be anything but fine?" Xiao Yan smiled warmly in return.

Hearing his reply, the Dan Family girl grew timid, stammering: "Th-that…"

"Hahaha, don't worry—I'm fine." Xiao Yan slowly withdrew his hand, studying the strange girl up and down.

Her appearance wasn't stunning, but her pale complexion carried a sickly, delicate charm that stirred pity.

Soon after, Ye Zhong had arranged everything and led Xiao Yan to the testing location.

"Sister Dan Chen, how could you wander off like this?" A handsome young man, dressed in the same Dan Family attire, rushed over urgently.

The girl named Dan Chen twisted her fingers and lowered her head, apologizing: "Sorry, cousin, I got lost just now."

The man put on special gloves and took Dan Chen's hand: "Ah, I'm not blaming you—I'm just afraid you might accidentally touch someone."

Hearing this, Dan Chen's eyes lit up with excitement: "Cousin, someone just touched me, but he wasn't hurt at all."

!!

"Huh? Someone touched you and wasn't hurt? Where is this person?" The man's eyes narrowed in surprise.

"Over there? Where did he go?" A quick glance revealed no trace of Xiao Yan's figure.

Xiao Yan had already left; the tower was packed with people, and there was no way to spot him.

At that moment, Xiao Yan, now at the testing site, looked down at his palm and thought: "Is that some kind of Special Physique? It can absorb a person's Soul Force."

"Should I bring that guy into the Soul Hall? This Physique matches some of the Soul Hall's Cultivation Methods and Soul Techniques perfectly."

But Xiao Yan quickly dismissed the thought—after all, the girl was from the Dan family; he wasn't about to stir up trouble on the head of a mountain god. Besides, he had no spare time—he was far too busy.

(End of Chapter)