Chapter 717

"You're stupid! You can't get His Majesty's elixir, but those ashes are remnants left from refining a Ji Pin Dan Yao!"

"Damn! A Dou Emperor's opportunity!!"

"Charge!"

Gradually, more and more people realized—those ashes contained the aura of a Dou Emperor! To Xiao Yan they were ashes, but to others, obtaining even a single speck was a great opportunity!

After securing the elixirs, Xiao Yan slowly raised his head to the sky; the heavens were clear, all thunderclouds having been devoured by the Nine Mystical Golden Dragon.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and Xiao Yan murmured to himself: "It should be coming—the Pill Lightning of an Imperial Grade Pill."

The Pill Lightning cannot escape; though the channel was severed, Xiao Yan truly refined an Imperial Grade Pill, so the Pill Lightning must arrive.

It's only a matter of when.

Now, the Dou Qi Continent is resource-poor, and Pill Lightning is itself a resource—a form of energy, and moreover, a Dou Emperor-level resource.

Most importantly, this Pill Lightning might carry news about the Great Thousand World, even possibly Source Qi.

Xiao Yan wasn't just waiting for Mao Wu to fully refine Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Emperor Flame seed—he was also waiting for the Pill Lightning of the Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation Elixir, for its descent would let Xiao Yan learn more about the Great Thousand World.

After all, this Pill Lightning very likely originates from the Great Thousand World; the Imperial Grade Pill has surpassed the Dou Qi Continent. The strongest thunder on the Dou Qi Continent is Nine Mystical Golden Thunder, but the Pill Lightning of an Imperial Grade Pill can only come from the Great Thousand World!

Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze and his voice echoed across the entire Black Horn Region: "Ladies and gentlemen, this gathering is not merely about sharing Alchemy Techniques and broadening your horizons—it is also my hope that, in the future, Alchemists on the Dou Qi Continent will unite more closely."

"The Alchemist is a uniquely special profession—it requires a master to guide one in. Even with the highest talent, even I myself once received my master's inheritance."

"Every ten years, we shall hold a Master-Apprentice Gathering here at Jia Nan Academy, so more talented young Alchemists may find masters willing to pass on their legacy."

Hearing Xiao Yan's proposal, many young Alchemists nodded silently; many with Alchemist talent struggled to become Alchemists because masters were rare.

And Alchemists desperately need Alchemy Techniques, needing someone nearby to guide them. Had Xiao Yan not possessed those meticulously detailed notes, had he not endured Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation, he would never have achieved what he has today.

Xiao Yan waved his hand, and a massive stone stele descended from the sky, crashing with a boom into the center of the Spirit Refining Platform. At the very top of the stele were two characters: Yao Chen.

Below it was written a single simple phrase: "Taught one Dou Emperor."

"This is a merit stele, and also a legacy stele—it contains a single Soul-Raising Alchemy Technique left by my master. All Seven-Grade and Eight-Grade Alchemists may attempt it. The first to complete the Inheritance Trial within will not only receive the Soul-Raising Method but also a sub-flame of Bone Spirit Cold Fire."

To Xiao Yan, Soul-Raising was already useless; Ji Pin Dan Yao no longer relied solely on spiritual essence. Back then, refining the Nine Mystical Golden Dragon only required Soul-Raising because it needed to gather spirit.

So Xiao Yan simply left the Soul-Raising Method and a sub-flame of Bone Spirit Cold Fire as a legacy.

How could the Yao Clan's ancestral stele possibly match Yao Chen? He was an Emperor's Master!

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's legacy, the entire Black Horn Region erupted—though this was not Xiao Yan's Dou Emperor Inheritance, obtaining even a single sub-flame left by a Dou Emperor was enough to drive every Alchemist on the planet mad!

After leaving the legacy, Xiao Yan vanished.

Years later, Jia Nan Academy would welcome, every ten years, a grand gathering rivaling the Pill Gathering and the Elixir Canon; countless young aspirants seeking to become Alchemists, and Alchemists seeking disciples, would come.

This gathering had no restrictions—if you demonstrated your Alchemy talent and a master took notice, you were accepted.

This gathering, named the Master Gathering, was no less lively than the Pill Gathering, and the entire Dou Qi Continent began calling those whose names were carved on the stele "Alchemists."

Of course, all this happened after Xiao Yan left the Dou Qi Continent.

Xiao Yan gave the three Ji Pin Dan Yao to Xiao Yu, instructing her to deliver them to Cai Lin, Xun Er, and Xiao Yixian, while he himself traveled to the Soul Realm.

Since Hun Tian Di became a Dou Emperor, the Soul Sovereign had completely vanished—even the Soul Realm had hidden itself within Space. Hun Tian Di had concealed the Soul Realm; only one person on the entire Dou Qi Continent could find it.

That person was Xiao Yan—the other Dou Emperor.

Soul Realm: Hun Tian Di's residence.

Dressed in white, Hun Tian Di smiled faintly and said calmly: "A rare guest."

"Not that rare—I've come here several times already."

Xiao Yan appeared from Space, gazing at Hun Tian Di, who, as always, was feeding fish just a short distance ahead.

"The Ancient Jade is gone—still feeding fish?" Xiao Yan stepped forward, staring at the seemingly timeless Yu Chi, and asked.

The only change in the fish pond was that the Ancient Jade at the bottom had vanished—the fish themselves remained the same.

Hun Tian Di casually scattered fish feed, smiling serenely: "Feeding fish is merely my personal pleasure—it has nothing to do with Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade."

Xiao Yan watched the fish scrambling for food, then spoke: "You've been in seclusion so long—no progress?"

Xiao Yan cut straight to the point. Hun Tian Di had hidden the Soul Realm only because he needed to enter seclusion; after all, Hun Tian Di had broken through to Dou Emperor using an Elixir, and he had not refined any Heavenly Flame, so he needed to stabilize and meditate to prevent his Dou Qi from becoming unstable.

Meanwhile, the Soul Sovereign no longer needed to compete, so they had withdrawn entirely.

The Soul Sovereign was the oldest Dou Emperor Family—unlike Xiao Yan, they had maintained unbroken lineage since ancient times, even once aiding Wu Xu Tian Yan in devouring the Spirit Devouring Clan to preserve the Dou Di Bloodline.

If any place in this world held the most likely intelligence about the Great Thousand World, it was unquestionably the Soul Sovereign. The Soul Sovereign were older and more mysterious than even the Gu Clan.

Hun Tian Di put away the fish feed and said: "None."

Xiao Yan glanced at Hun Tian Di—whether he believed him or not was up to interpretation.

"Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Emperor Flame seed is nearly fully refined."

At these words, even Hun Tian Di's eyes narrowed, and his fingers holding the fish feed twitched slightly. Fully refining Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Flame Seed meant he could connect to the Great Thousand World—then, through the seed's link, he could open a pathway to it.

Hun Tian Di turned to face Xiao Yan, his gaze sharpening: "Our records contain no account of why the Dou Emperors vanished fifty thousand years ago. You know this is tied to the Great Thousand World."

Xiao Yan spread his hands: "Even if I don't actively open a channel, the fluctuations of an Imperial Grade Pill will reach the Great Thousand World—the Pill Lightning will inevitably come from there."

"It's only a matter of sooner or later."

At this, Hun Tian Di fell silent. He had assumed the Pill Lightning of an Imperial Grade Pill would never appear—he had underestimated it.

That was a true Imperial Grade Pill—enough to drive even Dou Emperors mad with desire.

How could the Pill Lightning of an Imperial Grade Pill possibly be avoided?

"You want me to help you withstand the Pill Lightning of the Imperial Grade Pill?" Hun Tian Di asked Xiao Yan.

No one knew the true power of the Pill Lightning of an Imperial Grade Pill. If Dou Emperors had tiers, and if this lightning carried the force of a high-tier Dou Emperor's strike, Xiao Yan couldn't be sure he could survive it.

"Partly. The Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation Elixir is powerful, but judging by my estimate, it's only low-tier Imperial Grade. Even if the Pill Lightning is strong, it shouldn't exceed a Three-Star Dou Emperor's power." Xiao Yan didn't know how Dou Emperor tiers were divided—he spoke casually.

Hun Tian Di's eyes flickered with unusual interest: "Do you have other tasks requiring my intervention?"

Xiao Yan nodded: "I want you to go to the Great Thousand World too."

"Because of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor?"

"Hmm, the Great Thousand World is certainly not a simple great world; that Tuoshe Ancient Emperor seemed to have known some things all along."

Xiao Yan did not know why, but at this moment, his mind flashed back to the final lifetime of the Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation beneath the Bodhi Ancient Tree—that lifetime's karmic shift, where his master had not died, and even because of Xun Er's Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame erupting at age four, he had absorbed some of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame and restored his Soul Power.

He had also unintentionally absorbed his three years of Dou Qi.

The Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation had given Xiao Yan an incredibly real sensation, as if it were another version of himself from another world—extremely real. Moreover, the Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation of the Bodhi Ancient Tree was formed by the Bodhi Ancient Tree absorbing fragments of spiritual souls' memories, then analyzing and deducing to reconstruct that person's entire life, allowing the possessor of the Bodhi Heart to experience it once more.

But he had not died—so what was this final lifetime of the Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation?

Hun Tian Di smiled faintly and asked in return, "Why should I help you? Our Contract has already been fulfilled."

Xiao Yan revealed a confident smile and said, "I am an Alchemist. Help me, and I can forge for you an Emperor Pill—a true Emperor Pill."

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's confident words, Hun Tian Di was stunned, then burst into loud laughter: "Hahahaha, good! Good! An Alchemist! No wonder the Alchemists are the one group on the Dou Qi Continent you absolutely cannot offend—indeed, this is true."

At this moment, Hun Tian Di finally understood what the power of an Alchemist truly meant—this power he had never felt before, since Hun Xu Zi had always been his subordinate.

And now, he was beginning to understand.

"Once I open the passage, I will hide myself inside the Heavenly Tomb," Xiao Yan thought. He had stolen Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's inheritance—what if Tuoshe Ancient Emperor directly blocked the entrance in the Great Thousand World? Xiao Yan knew he could never defeat Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's true body.

To reach the Great Thousand World, one must be guided by a Dou Emperor—only a Dou Emperor can enter the Great Thousand World. Thus, Xiao Yan needed Hun Tian Di to lead the way, while he himself hid within the Heavenly Tomb.

【Mao Wu will appear tomorrow; a new name for a Flame is needed. Leave a comment here—I will choose one, or pick the most liked name.】

(End of Chapter)