Chapter 437

Before him, green mountains faded into emerald hues, towering peaks rose and fell, and the land stretched out like a forest untouched by human feet.

After the second trial began, the Dan Realm once again saw human presence after many years.

In the Dan Realm, mountain ranges crisscrossed and rolled like colossal dragons lying upon the earth. After all, the Dan Realm had long been sealed off by the Dan Tower; without human cultivators intruding, its plants thrived, ancient vines coiled like dragons, and giant trees spread like umbrellas.

If you didn't demand high-quality medicinal materials, you could simply bend down and pick up some herbs or earthly treasures.

At the marked circle locations, faint roars of tigers and dragon cries echoed—each roar sent shivers down the spine.

Those three places were naturally the territories of three powerful beasts in the Dan Realm, and also the best spots, where even Nine Rank Medicinal Materials could be found.

"What a wonderful place!"

Many Alchemists who entered the Dan Realm marveled at the beauty of this Little World—even though it had been neglected for years, the Dan Realm had originally consumed countless efforts from the Dan Tower's Sage Emperor Founders, brimming with Heavenly Energy.

The Heavenly Energy here was stronger than in many Secret Realms; the energy in the forests and woods was especially concentrated by special Sealing Arrays, thick as mist.

With such abundant Heavenly Energy, after centuries of refinement, it was no surprise that any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures could emerge.

"Hurry! I heard the Stone Platforms in the third trial are limited—don't waste time!"

"Right, let's quickly find the herbs on the list."

At this moment, countless Alchemists were being teleported in batches; though randomly scattered to different locations, all Alchemists headed unconsciously toward areas dense with Heavenly Energy—the three treasure sites marked on the map.

"The three marked locations are the Wanyao Mountain Range, Qianshou Yao Forest, and Dibao Spiritual Mountain. I've inquired before—these three places were originally used as primary cultivation grounds for medicinal materials, with exceptionally dense Heavenly Energy."

After the Alchemists had been in the Dan Realm for a while, they naturally began encountering one another; some registered Dan Tower Alchemists were naturally familiar with the Dan Realm.

They knew the three marked locations had other meanings—for example, the Wanyao Mountain Range was the largest, richest in medicinal materials; the rarest herbs needed to brew potions that enhanced strength or elevated Cultivation Realm were best found here.

The Qianshou Yao Forest produced abundant healing herbs, while the Dibao Spiritual Mountain yielded special Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, such as spiritual fruits and floral nectars.

The second trial's challenge wasn't entirely without hints: first, Alchemists had to determine which category each of the three herbs on the list belonged to, then go to the corresponding treasure site and search according to the herb's characteristics.

For example, Xiao Yan's three herbs all came from the Wanyao Mountain Range, so the best place for him to complete his task was the Wanyao Mountain Range. Going to the other two places would be pure waste of time.

But not all Alchemists entered the Dan Realm aiming to pass the trial; some with only Six-Grade Alchemy, unable to reach Seven-Grade, had already abandoned the third trial and simply searched the Dan Realm for ten days to gather herbs for themselves.

This was why so many Alchemists participated in every Pill Gathering—they knew full well they couldn't win. Because entering the Dan Realm in the second trial was, for all Alchemists, a gift from the Dan Tower to the Dou Qi Continent's Alchemists!

After all, the Dan Tower had always been dedicated to advancing the Alchemy level of the Dou Qi Continent, much like the Jia Nan Academy, both focused on cultivating talent.

"Golden Maple Flower, Imperial Ultimate Pill Herb, Turtle Ling Grass."

"Great! These are all Four-Grade medicinal materials—there are so many here!"

"Let's dig some up and take them back."

Many Alchemists from small sects and families came solely to dig up herbs.

Suddenly, the Six-Rank Alchemist's eyes sharpened—he spotted beneath the tree shade a small plant with slender branches bearing several red fruits, each the size of a fingernail.

"Fireblood Fruit!" The Alchemist's breath quickened, his eyes blazing red. This was the main ingredient for brewing Seven-Pin High-Level Pill—Fireblood Spiritual Pill! And here there were several!

There were enough here to exchange for an Imperial Ultimate Pill!

"Oh, Fireblood Fruit? That's quite nice." Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. The Alchemist whirled around—only to see a man in black robes standing there, appearing out of nowhere!

The Alchemist froze in shock—just as he tried to counterattack, he realized his entire body was paralyzed by terrifying Space Power—he couldn't even speak!

He could only watch helplessly as the precious Fireblood Fruit was taken by the black-robed man.

Then another black-robed figure appeared—but this one was shorter.

"All the storage rings are here." The smaller black-robed figure pulled out several storage rings. Only then did the Alchemist realize that his companions had all been immobilized by an inexplicable Purple Light.

One by one, the storage rings were picked up. Though each ring bore a Spiritual Soul lock—impenetrable without the owner's Soul Force—a wisp of Black Flame suddenly appeared, and the locks were shattered before the eyes of all the Alchemists in terror.

"This one's useless—only Five-Grade and Six-Grade herbs inside. This one's no good either. This one's even worse." One by one, the storage rings were tossed onto the ground; to him, herbs below Seven-Grade were trash.

"Huh? Le Xiang Fruit? Not bad. At least I got Le Xiang Fruit and Fireblood Fruit—somewhat worthwhile." Several storage rings lay scattered on the ground.

"Let's go. Don't waste time. There are at least a few hundred Alchemists in this second trial—we only have ten days."

"Hmm."

After the tall and short black-robed figures departed, the strange Purple Space Power slowly faded.

The immobilized Alchemists picked up their storage rings. Those whose herbs hadn't been stolen sighed in relief; those whose most precious spiritual fruits and herbs had been taken wept silently.

"Ah! Who the hell were those two?!"

But they didn't know—along this path, dozens had already fallen victim to these two.

Naturally, these two black-robed bandits were Xiao Yan and Zi Yan. This transmigrator had finally fully embraced the Dou Qi Continent's world of strength above all.

Searching for herbs alone? How much less satisfying than doing it with a group!

"Any sensation? We should be nearing the Dibao Spiritual Mountain." Xiao Yan knew his herb list's main ingredients came from the Wanyao Mountain Range, but now he wanted even more Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

To enter the Nine Rank ranks, his first prerequisite was raising his Alchemy to Eight Grade Peak—but right now, Xiao Yan was desperately short of medicinal materials to cultivate his Alchemy.

The Dan Realm might not produce many Nine Rank Medicinal Materials, but Eight-Pill Medicinal Herbs were certainly abundant.

This time, he planned to harvest them all!

"Yes, over there—I sense strong energy." Zi Yan pointed in a direction, smiling sweetly.

She had agreed with Xiao Yan that all herbs could go to him, but he had to brew her an Eight-Pin High-Level Pill to help her break through Eight Rank.

Looking at where Zi Yan pointed, Xiao Yan frowned. "There are a lot of people there."

"Hehe, perfect—catch them all at once." Zi Yan clenched her tiny pink fists, grinning like a mischievous villain ready to strike.

Xiao Yan hadn't realized Zi Yan had such a Soul Sect potential.

When Xiao Yan and Zi Yan arrived, they saw a burly man with a face full of flesh, a bloody gleam flashing across his features—on the ground lay a pool of blood, clearly a battle had just occurred.

The man stared at the large chunk of Earth Yellow Essence in the pit, his eyes blazing with ecstasy—he grabbed it, wrenched it out with a single pull, grinned, then swept his gaze over the surrounding Alchemists whose eyes burned with desire. His face darkened, and he barked: "If you don't want to die, get lost!"

A powerful Dou Zong aura erupted from the man—he was a Three-Star Dou Zong!

Several Alchemists present felt the Dou Zong's pressure and paled. In the outside world, they were revered Alchemists—even Dou Zongs gave them respect—but here, that status meant nothing.

After a moment of hesitation, the other Alchemists chose to retreat. Though Earth Yellow Essence was rare, losing their trial eligibility over it was far too costly.

"What? You two black-robed freaks want to die?" The man glared at Xiao Yan and Zi Yan, baring his teeth. The Wolf Fangs Club slung over his shoulder dripped blood.

Xiao Yan nodded to Zi Yan, who immediately understood, transforming into a streak of purple light and leaving the place.

"Hehe, looks like your companion is smarter. So, you wanna die?" The big man laughed more broadly as he saw Zi Yan leave, believing she was frightened.

Xiao Yan slowly shook his head, his voice calm: "Leave? You're mistaken. She's just chasing after those fleeing Alchemists."

The Flame Sovereign has always been frugal and dislikes waste.

He really is, incredibly frugal. It's heartbreaking.

"I'll give you a chance—drop the Earth Yellow Essence and your Soul Ring." Xiao Yan glanced at the big man with cold indifference, showing no courtesy whatsoever. Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures found by all naturally belong to the strongest.

"Die!" The big man roared, leaping skyward with his Wolf Fangs Club, bringing down a terrifying force.

*Clang! * The Wolf Fangs Club was flung away; the violent recoil shattered the skin and flesh of the big man's right hand. A headless, entirely silver-colored puppet appeared before Xiao Yan.

Sensing the horror of the puppet, the big man's face turned pale—he tried to flee, but Xing Tian slapped him across the face, snapping his head clean off, and Xiao Yan sealed his Soul Body inside his Soul Talisman.

Xing Tian, already evolving into a Tian Yao Kui, possessed astonishing strength; a mere Three Star Dou Zong couldn't withstand even one slap.

"Sigh, on the Dou Qi Continent, polite words never get heard." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly—it wasn't his fault. He didn't even covet the Soul Body of this Six-Grade High-Level Alchemist.

But someone insisted on giving it to him.

Xiao Yan flicked his finger, glanced once, and knew this was Earth Yellow Essence of a thousand-year quantity.

This didn't mean it had grown for a thousand years—rather, its energy equaled that of Earth Yellow Essence naturally grown over a millennium. In the Dan Realm, growth rates could be accelerated dozens or even hundreds of times.

After storing the Earth Yellow Essence in his Soul Ring, Xiao Yan did not leave—he knew Zi Yan's perception had detected something beyond this Earth Yellow Essence.

Earth Yellow Essence was merely a Seven Rank Low Grade Medicinal Material; such a level could never draw Zi Yan's attention. To cultivate it to a thousand-year grade, mere growth was insufficient—it required nourishment from Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

That meant the soil where the Earth Yellow Essence grew contained other, more precious Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, enabling its growth to the thousand-year stage.

Xiao Yan's mind stirred—Xing Tian slammed a fist into the ground. *Boom! Boom! Boom! * The entire earth trembled; massive fissures split open, as if a great earth dragon had rolled over.

*Hummm! * A stream of translucent, crystalline mist slowly drifted from the cracks.

"!!! This is!"

Xiao Yan's gaze turned grave. He walked to where the mist rose, seized the ground with both hands, and tore it open with terrifying force, creating a gap.

"Earth Core Jade Mother!" Xiao Yan's face broke into a hint of delight. The Earth Core Jade Mother was similar to the Earth Heart Tempering Milk he'd once found at Jia Nan Academy—both used for body tempering.

But the Earth Core Jade Mother was far rarer, suitable for Dou Zong and even half-step Dou Zun-level experts.

"Wait—this Earth Core Jade Mother..." Xiao Yan carefully placed it into a Jade Box, then noticed a sticky substance coating its jade-like surface.

"This Earth Core Jade Mother has already produced Heavenly Soul!! Fortune!!"

Xiao Yan's heart surged with ecstatic joy. He hastily pulled out a Jade Bottle and meticulously collected every speck of the sticky substance clinging to the soil, leaving nothing behind.

Earth Core Jade Mother tempers the body—but Heavenly Soul tempers the soul! And Heavenly Soul is even rarer—it can refine even a Spirit Realm Soul!

Xiao Yan had long heard of the fame of Heavenly Soul. After he broke through to the Spirit Realm, his Soul Force had stagnated; he had studied many Ancient Texts and learned of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures capable of refining Spirit Realm Souls—Heavenly Soul was one of them. He'd searched for years without success, and now, in the Dan Realm, he'd finally encountered this great fortune.

Soon, Zi Yan returned, holding several precious Medicinal Materials. How could the Soul Lock on a Soul Ring possibly resist the power of an Ancient Dragon? And Zi Yan was a born Treasure-Identifying Master—even if she didn't recognize the Medicinal Materials, she could sense them through her unique ability.

Seeing the Earth Core Jade Mother in Xiao Yan's hand, Zi Yan's eyes gleamed with golden light. Xiao Yan cleared his throat and said: "You said—I'll craft you an Eight Grade Pill, and anything you find belongs to me."

Zi Yan pouted, snorted, and turned her head away. So stingy! But her eyes darted, as if a mischievous plan had struck her, and a smug smile curled her lips.

On the third day, as Xiao Yan and Zi Yan continued digging for treasures in the Thousand Lifespan Herb Forest, Xiao Yan finally encountered that person.

Watching from midair the figure in white robes, swaying his nauseating purple Iron Fan, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, and a cold, sinister smile curled his lips.

"I've searched for you three days... finally, I found you."

Chen Xian, Young Sect Master of the Xuan Ming Sect!

Xiao Yan had two purposes entering the Dan Realm: one, to seize opportunities and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures; the other, to ensure the Xuan Ming Sect Master had no heir.

Though Xiao Yan was not a bloodthirsty man, when reconciliation was impossible, he didn't merely act decisively—he eradicated completely, leaving no mercy.

Clearly, Chen Xian was extraordinarily fortunate to become such a person. A mere Seven-Grade Mid-Level Alchemist, who could provoke Xiao Yan to this extent—he was truly gifted.

Behind Chen Xian stood two elderly men—Xiao Yan knew them well: the guards from the Alchemist Transaction Fair, one Nine Star Dou Zong, one Eight Star Dou Zong.

Their strength should rival the Second Elder and Three Elders of the Burning Flame Valley.

Of course, the Xiao Yan before them was no longer the Xiao Yan of that time!

Seeing Chen Xian protected by such bodyguards, Xiao Yan's heart stirred with a cruel smile.

If Chen Xian, so precious to the Xuan Ming Sect, died, the sect's blow would be devastating.

"Zi Yan, handle those two old things." Xiao Yan turned his head slightly and whispered.

"Alive or dead?" Under her hood, Zi Yan's eyes flashed with ferocity.

So far, they'd only robbed for wealth—if others didn't attack them or try to seize the Medicinal Materials they found, they wouldn't die.

But Zi Yan realized: these three below, Xiao Yan didn't want to rob them.

A cold smile curled on Xiao Yan's lips as he said: "Alive or dead—doesn't matter."

"Hehehe, got it."

After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan descended alone, eager to hear what final words Chen Xian had before death!

He shed his Soul Robe, revealing his face—he wanted Chen Xian to know who killed him.

The instant Xiao Yan removed his Soul Robe, Chen Xian and his two elders sensed his aura and spun around sharply.

"Xiao Yan? Hahaha! Looks like your luck isn't so good—you actually ran into me!" Chen Xian laughed heartily, never considering that *he* had been found.

But this wasn't surprising—Xiao Yan was a Six Star Dou Zong, while Chen Xian's two elders were Nine Star Dou Zong and Eight Star Dou Zong—each far surpassing Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan gazed calmly at Chen Xian's sly grin, then glanced at the two elders behind him, and smiled faintly: "You rely on these two old things?"

"Hahaha, no wonder you're Xiao Yan—such bold words!" Chen Xian lightly waved his purple Iron Fan, smiling: "Outside, your reputation as an Eight Grade Alchemist would force even my Xuan Ming Sect to rely on the Soul Hall's power to avoid touching you. But in the Dan Realm, the influence of Alchemists is useless!"

"You're nothing but a Six Star Dou Zong!"

Xiao Yan slowly nodded: "True. I'm only a Six Star Dou Zong. But I think it's enough to kill you."

"Heh, then die!" Chen Xian's face turned icy. Behind him, the two elders sneered, stepping forward—two torrents of Spiritual Pressure surged forth.

Suddenly, space twisted—a streak of purple light flashed. Zi Yan slammed out a fist; terrifying spatial forces hurled the two elders backward.

"Eight Star Dou Zong!!"

(End of Chapter)