Chapter 715: Take Care

"Sigh, the words 'fate and opportunity' are intangible and silent; given their talent, crafting a Nine-Treasure Pill was inevitable—but to do so at such a young age, Xiao Yan has granted them an immense fortune." Xuan Kongzi sighed and shook his head; to receive personal guidance from Xiao Yan was no lesser a fortune than the Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation of the Bodhi Ancient Tree.

Now Xiao Yan is the Alchemist Emperor—he's willing to personally instruct in Pill Alchemy! What a colossal fortune! In ancient times, when Dou Di ruled the land, even within the Yao Clan, few could receive guidance from a Dou Di.

"This isn't just granting fortune—it's also settling accounts." In the void, Shen Nong the Elder's eyes flickered with a strange light; he narrowed them, finally understanding: Xiao Yan deliberately chose these individuals not only to leave a fortune for the Dou Qi Continent, but also to resolve lingering earthly ties.

Perhaps this is the last time these people will ever see Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan's gaze turned to one of the alchemy furnaces—the first to complete was not Yao Ling or Yao Tian, the two Yao Clan prodigies, but Dan Chen, who possessed a Special Physique!

Undeniably, Dou Di Bloodline offered extraordinary advantages early on, but once one reached Dou Sheng—or even the Nine-Treasure Pill stage—it became useless. Moreover, the Yao Clan once relied too heavily on Dou Di Bloodline, causing many of their descendants to struggle for centuries to break through to Nine-Treasure Pill—and now they've been overtaken!

"That's the legendary Black Demon Thunder."

"I've learned something new—this has never happened in a Pill Gathering."

At this moment, everyone in the Black Horn Region looked up, gazing at the strange black clouds in the sky.

The black clouds were immense, nearly engulfing the entire Jia Nan Academy—and since Jia Nan Academy sat at the heart of the Black Horn Region, people from all directions could clearly see the Black Demon Thunder and feel its Dou Sheng-level power!

On the Guang Chang, the Grand Elder of Dan Tower and other powerful figures stared grimly at the writhing black clouds; from within, he sensed an extraordinarily potent force of destruction—far stronger than the Nine-Colored Pill Lightning.

Far above, the black cloud layer continuously writhed; all of heaven and earth fell utterly silent, not a single thunderclap sounding—but it was this deathly silence that made the moment terrifying.

As the black cloud layer continued to writhe, after about ten minutes, a circular void slowly split open at its center—still pitch black, like the deepest black hole.

Pale-faced Dan Chen looked up at the Black Demon Thunder above; her own cultivation realm was insufficient to forge it—she had only succeeded by leveraging the Sealing Array's effect, allowing the flames to draw support from Dou Qi.

With a snap, a warm, large hand tapped Dan Chen's small head.

"Don't worry—if you can forge a Nine-Treasure Pill, why fear the Pill Lightning?" Xiao Yan smiled faintly; a Nine Grade Alchemist could command even Dou Sheng below Star Three.

"Big Brother Xiao Yan."

"Leave it to me."

Xiao Yan waved his hand—a golden dragon shot forth from his palm. Roar! Roar! Roar!! The Nine Mystical Golden Dragon roared to the heavens, its ten-thousand-zhang body blazing with golden thunder.

"The Golden Dragon!!"

"Damn! What is that?!"

"Is that a divine dragon?!"

The colossal golden dragon was dazzling—even millions of miles away, one could see a golden giant surging skyward, charging straight into the thunderclouds.

Thanks to the Golden Thunder Crystal Stones provided by the Lei Clan, the Nine Mystical Golden Dragon's power had reached Star Eight Dou Sheng—facing the minor Black Demon Thunder was no challenge at all.

With a roar, the golden dragon bellowed, shaking heaven and earth; merely that single roar shattered the black thunderclouds above, releasing the blocked sunlight.

"Big Brother Xiao Yan." Dan Chen gripped Xiao Yan's wrist with both hands, her cheek pressed against his warm palm, her large eyes fixed on him—silent, yet her gaze spoke volumes.

Xiao Yan sighed inwardly, gently stroking Dan Chen's cheek. "Don't worry—I'll help you control that Physique before I leave. Then you won't have to fear unconsciously absorbing others' Spiritual Souls."

"I-I understand." Dan Chen's beautiful eyes dimmed slightly, but finally she nodded. She hugged Xiao Yan tightly, then descended the stage with the Elixir.

Next to complete were Yao Tian and Yao Ling—their Pills were flawless, and the Pill Lightning was resolved by the Nine Mystical Golden Dragon.

"Though the Yao Clan no longer exists and the Yao Realm has fallen into ruin, as long as you don't give up, one day the Yao Clan will rise again." Xiao Yan looked at Yao Tian; though Yao Tian had once resented him deeply, Xiao Yan was magnanimous.

"I understand." Yao Tian nodded, bowing Xiao Yan a half-teacher's salute; though the guidance lasted only a short while, it had benefited him immensely.

"I'll forge some Pills for you afterward—hopefully they'll help restore your Physique. Whether you can break through to Imperial Soul depends on your own destiny." Xiao Yan couldn't return the blood he'd taken—this was the only compensation he could offer.

"Thank you."

After they descended, only Cao Ying remained on the stage.

In truth, Cao Ying had already completed her Pill forging.

"I told you all along—this kid's got serious romantic luck." In a space beside Jia Nan Academy, Hai Bodong stroked his beard, smiling as he watched the scene below.

"Indeed. Back in the Mo Shou Shan Mai, Xiao Yan was just a lowly Dou Shi—and yet he dared rescue someone from me." A purple-haired elder strongly agreed with Hai Bodong.

"Too much romantic luck isn't necessarily good." The Elder Zhao, who had just returned from exploring the Ruins, arrived as well; he had once been a Soul Body and followed Xiao Yan for a long time—he saw more clearly than anyone.

Xiao Yan's romantic fortune was simply enviable.

"With his nature, talent, and Qi Circulation, it's no surprise he has such luck." Hai Bodong had long believed Xiao Yan's romantic fortune was immense—not only because of his extraordinary Pill Alchemy talent, unmatched even in the Jia Ma Empire, but also because of his warm-heartedness; he didn't just attract women, he gained countless allies.

Whether the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, Hai Bodong, or Elder Zhao—all had gathered around him, and all had gained immense benefits. Elder Zhao had even reached Dou Sheng, while Hai Bodong now had a chance to break into the Dou Sheng realm—Xiao Yan had gifted him a Bodhi Great Restoration Pill.

Such a powerful, kind-hearted man—how could he not attract women? Truly, meeting Xiao Yan meant a lifetime of entanglement.

Hai Bodong couldn't help but feel inwardly smug. "Good thing I had good eyesight—I tied the Miter Guild and Ya Fei to this guy early on. Unlike that fool Jia Xingtian—now he regrets it to death. Hehehe."

Every time Hai Bodong thought of this, his lips split into a grin. Though the Jia Ma Empire was the most populous, its high-end strength was weak. Most importantly, neither Yao Ye nor Yue Er—these two figures of the Jia Ma Empire—had yet chosen a husband.

When Xiao Yan entered the Alchemist Convention and won the Champion title, countless noblewomen from various empires set their sights on him. At that time, Yue Er and Yao Ye's status far surpassed Ya Fei's, and their beauty was equally unmatched.

Yet in the end, it was Ya Fei who smiled last—and besides her own efforts, Hai Bodong's role was indispensable.

Below, Xiao Yan looked at Cao Ying, sighed helplessly, and walked to her side. "Complete the Pill. If you delay any longer, you'll miss the optimal moment."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Cao Ying trembled, slowly turning her head toward the man who had long since invaded her heart.

In the end, fate had no room for them.

Cao Ying raised her trembling left hand—but hesitated, unable to press the final step onto the alchemy furnace. Xiao Yan seized her jade hand and gently pressed it onto the furnace. "Complete it."

A crystal-clear, exquisitely beautiful Pill slowly drifted down from the sky. Xiao Yan flicked his finger, sealing it into a delicate Jade Box.

Xiao Yan turned Cao Ying's jade palm upward, placing the Jade Box filled with the Pill into her hand, whispering: "Take care."

Xiao Yan was a Dou Di—his meditation might last years. Many would never find his trail again; this parting might be forever.

Cao Ying stood silently before Xiao Yan, her eyes filled with indescribable complexity—as if trying to etch his image into her memory forever.

With a soft thud, Cao Ying's slender body flew into Xiao Yan's arms, her arms clasping him tightly, her voice carrying a hint of release: "Take care."

"Mm."

Watching Cao Ying slowly walk away, Han Yue and Han Xue, seated in the front row of spectators, felt a mix of emotions—they didn't even have the right to bid Xiao Yan farewell, forced to watch from afar this perhaps final meeting.

Some people's secret love must remain buried in the heart—for their feelings were obvious, and Xiao Yan's silence was his answer.

Xiao Yan scanned the crowd—he saw Hu Jia, Wu Hao, Lin Yan, Liu Qing, Liu Fei, and others he'd once interacted with at Jia Nan Academy. Unless something extraordinary happened, he'd likely never return to Jia Nan Academy or see these people again.

This Pill Gathering of Xiao Yan's felt, to him, like both a reunion and a farewell.

Boom, Xiao Yan instantly calmed his emotions; as a Dou Emperor who had crafted Imperial Grade Pills, he could become utterly composed the moment he began Spirit Refining.

"Here it comes!" Hun Xu Zi's gaze sharpened; although Xiao Yan's explanation had cut straight to the essence of Pill Alchemy, for him, the most important thing was to witness Xiao Yan refining a Pill once more!

Xiao Yan stomped his foot upon the Pill Refining Platform—hum—a sudden vibration, and the Refining Heaven Ancient Formation appeared! With a sweep of his hand, countless Medicinal Materials surged into the formation like multiple torrents.

"How so many Medicinal Materials?!" the Divine Farmer Elder gasped; this quantity exceeded that of a Golden Pill!

"No—he's not refining a single Golden Pill! He!! He's going to refine multiple Ninth-Rank Golden Pills at once?!!" Hun Xu Zi cried out in shock.

"Huh?!"

Realizing Xiao Yan's intent, some Alchemists below froze in stunned silence—refining multiple Ninth-Rank Golden Pills simultaneously!! Are you the Pill Emperor or something?!

(End of Chapter)