Chapter 440: Black!

"Xiao Yan, are we still going to fight for it?"

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "Most of the medicinal materials in the Wanyao Mountain Range have already been taken by Brother Xiong Zhan; what's left are all immature or low-grade herbs. We've already profited enough—let's leave before Xiao Yixian and the others worry."

Zi Yan nodded in agreement; the two of them had nearly traversed the entire Dan Realm these past few days, and with Zi Yan's treasure-finding ability, they'd excavated everything they could.

The Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures they hadn't taken were all still immature, and Xiao Yan had deliberately left them behind.

Add to that the massive pile of medicinal materials they'd gathered—the harvest was enormous, and it had become utterly dull.

Just as Xiao Yan and the others prepared to descend the mountain and head for the exit, a sudden rumbling caught Xiao Yan's attention.

"Hm? Why is her spiritual soul fluctuating like she's fighting someone?" Frowning, Xiao Yan's sharp gaze turned toward a spot below the mountain range—but strangely, his Soul Force could not perceive anything in that area, as if it had been completely blocked.

"What's wrong, Xiao Yan?" Sensing Xiao Yan's unease, Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan both turned to look.

"Nothing much—just noticed an acquaintance being attacked." Xiao Yan paused; he wasn't particularly close to Cao Ying, and given her status, whoever dared attack her must be formidable.

"Only that guy would dare attack an Eighth-Grade Alchemist," Xiao Yan hesitated—whether to save her or not was a problem.

Xiao Yan could guess that only Mu Gu, that old bastard, would be bold enough to attack Cao Ying like this. After all, Mu Gu was determined to win the Pill Gathering championship; eliminating a top contender would be purely advantageous.

But if Mu Gu had been ordered by the Soul Hall, then Xiao Yan's intervention would be awkward—wasn't that sabotaging his own employer? He was a Soul Hall Venerable!

The scene shifted to a basin within the Wanyao Mountain Range, where Cao Ying and nearly a hundred Alchemists stared grimly at the black-robed man before them, along with a dozen other black-robed figures each possessing Dou Zong-level strength.

Song Qing was stunned. He had gathered nearly a hundred Alchemists, intending to jointly overthrow the master of the Wanyao Mountain Range—Xiong Zhan. But halfway there, they'd fallen into the black-robed man's trap and been sealed inside a Soul Barrier.

Instantly, the Dou Zong warriors hidden in ambush sprang forth, killing over a dozen Alchemists in an instant.

"Sir, what is your meaning?" In the basin, Song Qing now glared at the black-robed man with shock and fury, his voice low and heavy.

Had his Soul Perception not been sharp, he too would have nearly fallen victim.

Beside Song Qing stood the voluptuous Cao Ying, her beautiful eyes now narrowed with gravity as she stared at the black-robed man. With her far superior Soul Perception, she sensed that this man's strength was terrifying!

He was a Dou Zun!

A Dou Zun! No one here could match him—if anyone could, they wouldn't have bothered forming a team at all; they'd just solo the Wanyao Mountain Range like Xiao Yan.

"Song Qing, Cao Ying—the two young geniuses of the Dan Tower. Hmph, impressive titles. But for the sake of the championship, I must resort to such means. Don't blame me for being ruthless." The black-robed man still wore a strange smile as he spoke softly.

"May I ask which Senior Brother you are? If you kill us here, won't you fear the Dan Tower's retribution?" Cao Ying's eyes locked onto the black-robed man.

"Hehe, everyone here will die—so the Dan Tower will never know." The black-robed man smiled at Cao Ying, his expression like a cat toying with a mouse.

Cao Ying's face turned ashen. If there had been only two or three low-level Dou Zongs, she could have resisted with her Soul Dou Technique—but here, there was not just one Dou Zun, but over a dozen powerful Dou Zongs.

How had these non-Alchemists even entered the Dan Realm?!

Seeing this, several Alchemists secretly crushed their Space Jade Slips—a distortion of space appeared, but moments later, it was sealed by a peculiar Soul Force, unable to open!

"Jiejiejie, I said none of you can escape." The black-robed man suddenly let out a Gu Guai Xiao, waved his hand, and a Space Lock sealed the entire sky and earth.

The Soul Barrier blocked the Space Jade Slips; the Space Lock prevented escape—this was a perfect ambush. The enemy had clearly planned this all along!

"Kill them all!"

Seeing their Space Jade Slips fail, the Alchemists' eyes filled with despair. Like cats toying with mice, most of these Alchemists were Sixth-Grade, barely Dou Huang—utterly powerless against a dozen Dou Zongs.

It was nothing but a one-sided massacre.

About ten minutes later, the nearly hundred-strong Alchemist group had dwindled to just over a dozen Dou Zong-level Alchemists—including Song Qing and Cao Ying.

"Useless struggle."

The remaining dozen or so, all Dou Zong-level, banded together. The dozen black figures couldn't break through their defense immediately, so they merely surrounded them tightly—but it was clear that breaking their defense was only a matter of time.

Song Qing stared grimly at the surrounding black-robed figures radiating intense killing intent; his expression flickered between fear and resolve. From them, he felt the scent of death.

"Senior Brother, do you truly intend to wipe us out completely?"

Even Cao Ying, whose face had always worn a seductive smile, now turned deathly pale. Since childhood, she had been extraordinary, surrounded by countless bodyguards; she had rarely witnessed such bloody scenes.

And though past Pill Gatherings had been dangerous, nothing like this—a Dou Zun slaughtering Alchemists—had ever occurred!

"Spirit Realm Soul… pity. If you'd been allowed to grow, you'd have become another Pill Giant." The black-robed man narrowed his eyes at Cao Ying. Her Alchemist talent filled him with pressure—the last Eighth-Grade Alchemist he'd seen at twenty-three had been his own "elder brother."

"So… go to your death."

Just as the black-robed man prepared to strike, a sharp "crack" echoed—the powerful Space Lock suddenly cracked, then shattered rapidly, and with a thunderous "boom," the entire Space Lock inexplicably collapsed like a falling house!

"Who?!" The black-robed man instantly scanned the surrounding Space, but to his frown, he could not detect who had struck!

"Could it be a Pill Giant?"

Seeing the Space Lock shatter, Song Qing and Cao Ying reacted fastest—they each pulled out life-saving items from their storage rings and briefly tore open Space, escaping!

Seeing Cao Ying and Song Qing escape the seal, the black-robed man's eyes darkened. He stepped forward with a cold snort: "Even if I can't kill you, I'll at least make sure you both withdraw from this Pill Gathering."

Seeing Cao Ying and Song Qing flee, the other Alchemists realized not to put all eggs in one basket—they each activated escape techniques and scattered in all directions.

"I'll see how long you can struggle!"

The black-robed man's icy gaze fixed on the direction where Cao Ying and Song Qing had vanished. He sneered, his body trembled, and the surrounding Space slowly writhed as his form vanished mysteriously.

Clearly, both possessed life-saving treasures granted by their elders, granting them Space Teleportation.

But such externally powered Space Transfers could never outpace a true Dou Zun.

"Enough wasting my time." The black-robed man's patience finally snapped; his eyes turned icy. He reached out with a palm, grasping the air toward Cao Ying's direction. Deep blue, strange Energy Crystal Layers erupted from his body, forming in an instant a colossal Energy Crystal Layer Giant Claw before him.

As the claw took shape, the black-robed man flicked his sleeve—and the Crystal Layer Giant Claw vanished into thin air!

Before Cao Ying, the Space suddenly rippled violently—then the Crystal Layer Giant Claw pierced through Space, forcibly tearing through it, lunging straight for her. Clearly, the black-robed Dou Zun intended to strike Cao Ying first.

As the energy claw grabbed, Cao Ying was stunned to find the surrounding Space solidified completely—even her Space Escape Jade Slip could not function!

Cao Ying's sudden peril alerted Song Qing. His face changed; his eyes flickered briefly. In the space of a blink, he gritted his teeth, pushed off a tree trunk, and shot like lightning into the forest, vanishing while Cao Ying drew attention.

Trapped in the solidified Space, Cao Ying could no longer move. The one ally she could rely on had fled. Her enchanting eyes filled with tears; she closed them, waiting helplessly for her fate.

"Ah…"

At that moment, a sigh echoed from all around. The next second, Space shattered—and a towering man emerged from the Void, slapping his palm down and shattering the black-robed Dou Zun's attack.

A faint medicinal fragrance reached Cao Ying. Realizing she had not been captured, she slowly opened her eyes—and widened them in shock, her Red Lips parting slightly.

From the Void Passage stepped a man clad in a white Alchemist Long Robe. Though not exceptionally handsome, his resolute face and sharp, confident eyes radiated unmistakable masculinity.

Cao Ying had never realized this face could be so captivating!

A strand of sunlight fell upon him as Xiao Yan walked forward step by step, hands clasped behind his back, facing directly the black-robed Dou Zun who made Cao Ying tremble—yet his face showed not a trace of fear.

"Why bother?" Xiao Yan's voice was calm, his expression as still as a deep well as he gazed at the black-robed Dou Zun—or rather, at Mu Gu.

That calm voice! That fearless face! Undoubtedly, they had deeply imprinted themselves upon Cao Ying's heart!

Hero saves the beauty!

The trope may be clichéd, but women eat this up!

Even Cao Ying was no exception!

"You, Xiao Yan!" Cao Ying was momentarily speechless; she had completely failed to notice that it was Xiong Zhan who had saved her.

That was terribly unfair to Old Bear!

Mu Gu, disguised, narrowed his eyes and spoke in a dark tone: "Xiao Yan, you shouldn't interfere with me. Eliminating one more champion contender benefits both of us."

Xiao Yan shrugged indifferently; he naturally understood what Mu Gu meant. Hun Xu Zi's order was to win the Pill Gathering championship—meaning if neither of them claimed the title, both would lose their value.

"You're mistaken. Even if you killed every Alchemist in the Pill Gathering, it would mean nothing—as long as I'm alive, you'll never win the championship."

Majestic!

The Pill Gathering Champion? Who else but me!

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Mu Gu's face darkened; his Dou Zun aura slowly surged forth, clearly indicating that in the Dan Realm, Mu Gu intended to strike at Xiao Yan!

"Hey, you dare lay a hand on Master Xiao Yan? Do you really think Old Bear is dead?"

Immediately, a massive figure stepped forward, standing like a iron tower directly before Xiao Yan.

As this massive figure appeared, a vast, steady, heavy aura suddenly erupted from his body, then surged outward like a storm.

The sensation was as if what stood before them was not a man, but a towering mountain piercing the heavens!

"Old man, do you really think you can fight us alone? Even if you're a Dou Zun Di Feng, so is Xiong Zhan—do you really think our silence means we fear you?" Zi Yan sat on Xiong Zhan's shoulder, arms crossed, looking down at Mu Gu with utter disdain. "I've never been afraid of anyone."

Though Mu Gu's strength reached Three Star Dou Zun Peak, he was not alone here—three against one, they had no reason to fear Mu Gu.

Though Mu Gu could not see Zi Yan's true identity, he sensed her power was extraordinary; combined with Xiao Yan, this monster, and Cao Ying, this Eight Grade Alchemist, Mu Gu knew he could not overcome them.

"Hmph, in the final stage, I will claim the championship—and personally eliminate you!"

Mu Gu sneered, flicked his sleeve, and chased after the direction where Song Qing had vanished—whether Song Qing lived or died was no concern of Xiao Yan's.

He had saved Cao Ying for his own ulterior motives.

"H-how are you here?" As the danger passed, Cao Ying exhaled in relief and asked.

Xiao Yan glanced at Cao Ying's slightly unnatural expression and said: "At this moment, your first words should be 'thank you.'"

At this, Cao Ying cast Xiao Yan a glance full of charm, whispering softly: "Thank you."

Xiao Yan cleared his throat twice. He hadn't saved Cao Ying out of kindness. After a moment's thought, he said: "Ahem, actually, this Xiong Zhan is the lord of the Wanyao Mountain Range—you know he's collected most of the medicinal materials there, right?"

Cao Ying's red lips parted slightly, her beautiful eyes wide with shock as she stared at Xiong Zhan. That Song Qing was truly a scoundrel! This was called Half-Step Dou Zun?!

"I assume you haven't gathered all the medicinal materials for this stage yet. We can make a deal—I, we—can sell you the materials." Xiao Yan smiled warmly, yet his smile carried a hint of cunning and deceit.

"Hehe, no need for anything expensive—just help you pass this stage, and all we ask is one Eight Grade Pill."

At Xiao Yan's words, not only did Cao Ying stare in stunned disbelief, even Xiong Zhan and Zi Yan were astonished!

Three Seven-Grade medicinal materials for an Eight Grade Pill??

What kind of heartless merchant is this? Calling him heartless insults merchants!

Only then did Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan realize why Xiao Yan had saved this woman: he owed Xiong Zhan one Eight Grade Pill, exchanged it for an entire mountain's worth of medicinal materials, and now made Cao Ying repay the pill.

It was pure profit!

"This is better than robbery," Zi Yan murmured, lost in thought.

Xiong Zhan, however, was slow to grasp it—the medicinal materials were originally his! Three Seven-Grade materials for an Eight Grade Pill? That meant he'd lost big! But somehow, that wasn't quite right…

For a moment, Xiong Zhan's small mind couldn't process it—how had Master Xiao Yan engineered this outcome?!

Trading a pencil for a villa?

The most pitiful was Cao Ying—her delicate face flushed crimson, her beautiful eyes shifting from seductive to furious, her teeth grinding as she clenched her fists.

Is this something a human could do?!

"Hehehe, Miss Cao, don't rush—I know you're an Eight Grade Alchemist, your word is trustworthy. We'll give you the materials first; just sign an IOU, and you can refine the pill after the Pill Gathering ends." Xiao Yan pulled out paper and ink from his storage ring, revealing his bright white teeth, smiling brilliantly under the sunlight.

*Peng! *—Cao Ying's newly awakened maiden heart shattered into countless pieces, then was stomped on repeatedly, as if to ensure not a single shard remained.

"Xiao Yan! You bastard!"

Not long after, Xiao Yan and Cao Ying reached the Dan Realm's exit, submitted the medicinal materials, and passed the second stage.

At this point, Cao Ying had lost her usual charm; her face burned with anger, her magnificent figure rising and falling with fury, drawing countless male gazes. She walked to the side of the Guang Chang for the third stage, determined to calm herself—otherwise, it would affect her later Spirit Refining.

As for Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan, they naturally left the Dan Realm.

What surprised Xiao Yan was that Song Qing had not been killed by Mu Gu—he had emerged safely, and had even gathered all the medicinal materials.

Yet his pale face revealed he had barely survived a life-or-death ordeal.

Song Qing, upon exiting the Dan Realm, quickly spotted Cao Ying in her Dark Black Dress, her figure graceful and alluring. He hurried over, offering a wretched, ashamed smile: "Ying'er, that old man secretly unleashed hidden force to shove me away—if I hadn't reacted quickly, that hidden force would've killed me. I didn't run away!"

Cao Ying, now calm, returned to her seductive demeanor, her eyes soft with sorrow as she covered her mouth and laughed: "Brother Song, don't blame yourself. At that moment, staying would've meant certain death—I would never blame you. Seeing you safe is all I need."

Song Qing did not notice that in Cao Ying's eyes now lay not only coldness, but also revulsion and disgust.

Clearly, Song Qing had been permanently branded onto her blacklist.

Cao Ying stole a glance at Xiao Yan in the distance—he was laughing and chatting with Dan Chen. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of displeasure stirring within her.

Time passed second by second; with the toll of a bell, the second stage ended.

"Where's Mu Gu? Did he disguise himself again?" Xiao Yan scanned the Guang Chang—unexpectedly, the black-robed man was nowhere to be seen!

But Xiao Yan knew this wasn't because Mu Gu had failed to pass—he knew his actions would be exposed, so he had disguised himself again, hiding among the crowd.

The Soul Sect excels at concealment—they've always lurked in the shadows.

(End of chapter)