Chapter 830: Completion

To be honest, before today, Nu Shan the Medicine Saint never believed Xiao Yan's pill alchemy surpassed his own; he did wish to learn Xiao Yan's pill alchemy, but not because he thought Xiao Yan's was superior—rather, he approached it with an open mind to learn something new.

He never thought a young man in his early forties could possess such extraordinary pill alchemy; when he heard Xiao Yan intended to refine the Ancient Earth Mother Divine Pill, he merely viewed it as entertainment.

Who could have imagined that Xiao Yan not only succeeded, but refined the pill at an astonishing speed—merely one and a half months—and his technique was utterly unparalleled.

"Xun Er, take this Ancient Earth Mother Divine Pill—you must not refuse." Xiao Yan looked at the girl beside him and casually handed over the elixir that would drive countless others to madness with envy.

Now, only Xun Er remains without breaking through to Earth Supreme.

Once Xun Er breaks through to Earth Supreme, she can fully unlock all of Ningzhu Array Master's inherited methods; at that time, her cultivation will advance even faster, and arranging Divine-Star Spirit Arrays will become far easier.

At this stage in their relationship, Xun Er did not hesitate; she solemnly accepted the pill bottle, her beautiful eyes filled with tenderness, and softly nodded: "How could Xun Er refuse a gift from Brother Xiao Yan?"

At this moment, the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign guarding the courtyard outside slowly spoke: "Everyone who came to watch, disperse—today's event ends here."

Upon hearing the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign's words, many observing experts exchanged glances, but no one dared to act against Xiao Yan with a Heavenly Sovereign present—even though none knew the nature of the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign's relationship with Xiao Yan.

Yet malicious intentions were clearly crushed; those who had originally harbored ill will fled like men granted amnesty, leaving at the fastest possible speed.

For the entire Shang Zhi Da Lu, this pill refinement was profoundly disruptive; when the news spread, the resulting uproar was inevitable!

At this moment, even without a Shielding Spirit Array, no one dared to spy on the courtyard where Xiao Yan resided; then, the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign stepped into the courtyard.

Upon seeing Xiao Yan again, the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign no longer held any of his former underestimation; in his heart, Xiao Yan's status now surpassed even Nu Shan the Medicine Saint—he regarded him with even greater respect.

Though the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign was not an Alchemist, his discernment was sharp: Xiao Yan's pill alchemy was immensely powerful, and he was still very young.

Even if Xiao Yan said nothing, simply standing there was a guarantee—a guarantee of power, just like Mo He Tian.

A month and a half ago, he claimed he could cure him—and he truly could; this was no empty boast.

At this point, no one doubted whether Xiao Yan could enter the rank of Grandmaster Alchemist, just as everyone knew Mo He Tian could never remain merely a Spirit-Star Heavenly Sovereign—he would inevitably ascend to a higher level, reaching Xianpin Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun or even Sage Emperor status, it was merely a matter of time.

Some things are obvious at a glance.

Seeing the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign appear, Xiao Yan said nothing; he nodded to Xun Er and Xiao Yixian, then walked alone into an inner chamber, and the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign followed him in.

Minutes passed, no one dared disturb them; after ten minutes, the door opened, the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign leapt across the Sky, vanished in an instant, leaving only Xiao Yan sitting calmly inside, carefully examining the Nine-Colored Divine Stone in his hand.

Seeing the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign depart, Zhu Kun asked: "Why did he leave?"

"Restoring his strength and healing his injuries requires more than pill alchemy—it demands vast amounts of energy to replenish his lost cultivation. I sent him to seek resources." Xiao Yan spoke slowly.

Seeing the Divine Stone in Xiao Yan's hand, Nu Shan the Medicine Saint exclaimed: "You actually swindled his Divine Stone from him?" Compared to Xiao Yan's exquisite pill alchemy, he now admired Xiao Yan's eloquence even more.

To pull off such a blatant empty-handed trick and still succeed—he was stunned.

"That's not right," Xiao Yan smiled. "Deception and trickery are what 'swindling' means. I genuinely can cure him—it just requires time and resources. He had no other options, so this is mutual agreement." Xiao Yan possessed the Saint Pupil of Tian Xie Shen and could see the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign's illness; combined with his own pill alchemy experience, he had already devised a treatment plan from the start.

Otherwise, Xiao Yan would never have dared to speak so confidently.

Now, Xiao Yan needed the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign to find the medicinal materials and resources himself.

Remember: the Nine-Colored Divine Stone was merely the consultation fee—the medicine is self-paid!

The Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign's injuries were inflicted in the Chaos Lands of the Domain Beyond, so the Saint Pupil could heal him—but Xiao Yan's cultivation has not yet reached Heavenly Sovereign, and he cannot fully control Tian Xie Shen's Saint Pupil, hence he could not fully cure him.

Although Xiao Yan often tricks others, he is no fraud—he only accepts such tasks when he is certain of success; the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign did not fully trust Xiao Yan either—they signed a Contract.

Nu Shan the Medicine Saint gazed at the direction where the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign had vanished and murmured: "He truly trusts you so much."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled knowingly: "He doesn't trust me—I told him I'd guarantee his cure: three years from now, at the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland, I will heal him."

!!!!?

Nu Shan the Medicine Saint's mouth gaped wide enough to swallow a duck egg—he realized Xiao Yan had planned this all along, which explained why he'd asked to borrow his reputation!

Since the auction, he'd been tricked by Xiao Yan!

What a schemer!!

The courtyard where Xiao Yan stayed had received more than just the Void Zero Heavenly Sovereign; after he departed, a burly man walked through the courtyard gate—it was the Northern Dragon Emperor.

"I am Tian Yuanhao, Dragon Emperor of the Northern Dragon Nation of the Dragon Clan, honored to meet both Grandmasters," the Northern Dragon Emperor bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan and Nu Shan the Medicine Saint.

He carefully studied Xiao Yan, speaking with utmost courtesy: "I was blind to true greatness—I never imagined Grandmaster Xiao Yan, so young, could possess such pill alchemy. My apologies, my deepest respects."

The Northern Dragon Emperor's status was naturally high—he was not only an Elder of the Dragon Clan but also enfeoffed by the Dragon Clan as Dragon Emperor, granted a dragon nation to govern. Yet before Xiao Yan, he still held a rank lower.

It is widely known that among peers, Alchemists hold the highest status.

Xiao Yan's ability to refine the Ancient Earth Mother Divine Pill proves he has reached High-Level Grandmaster Alchemist status; his rank is arguably the highest beneath a Heavenly Sovereign—no other profession can surpass his prestige.

Even a Heavenly Sovereign must treat him with respect; if Xiao Yan could refine the Heavenly Sovereign Dawn Pill, it would be extraordinary indeed.

Xiao Yan responded to the Northern Dragon Emperor's courtesy with calmness, returning the bow without arrogance or humility: "Dragon Emperor, please sit. No need for such formalities. I have only just reached this level—I have not yet ascended to the pinnacle of pill alchemy."

"Dragon Emperor, you came here regarding Old Zhu, didn't you?"

The Northern Dragon Emperor smiled and nodded. Originally, he had come with the demeanor of a superior, believing Zhu Kun's joining the Dragon Clan would grant him better resources.

But now, looking at this, it was uncertain.

Though the Dragon Clan is the foremost Spiritual Beast family in the Great Thousand World, it is vast—resources cannot be concentrated; Zhu Kun's noble bloodline does not guarantee special favors—he must earn everything himself.

But Xiao Yan need not consider such things; even if he ignored Zhu Kun's past aid to him, he still owed Zi Yan's face—he would give Zhu Kun the best.

At this moment, Zhu Kun beside him nodded to Xiao Yan and whispered: "Xiao Yan, in my youth, I pursued only becoming Emperor, which is why that old bastard Tuoshe Ancient Emperor trapped me for millennia. Now I've become Emperor—I think it's time I step out, I can't keep relying on you, my son-in-law."

Seeing Gu Yuan and Xiao Xuan depart, Zhu Kun, as an elder, was stirred by their passion; he knew that leaving Xiao Yan would not be easy—especially entering a foreign Dragon Clan, where he was no longer the Old Dragon Emperor of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan nor one of the strongest on the Dou Qi Continent—he would face countless obstacles.

Yet now, a surge of hot-blooded passion welled up inside Zhu Kun—he longed to carve out a new path for himself, to climb higher through his own strength.

Xiao Yan's expression turned solemn; he rose, bowed deeply to Zhu Kun, and said solemnly: "Uncle Zhu, rest assured—I may be lacking in many ways, but I will spare no effort to protect Zi Yan."

"Good! Hahaha! Excellent! When I'm gone, Zi Yan is yours," Zhu Kun laughed heartily, his aged eyes glistening with joyful tears as he clapped Xiao Yan's shoulder firmly.

Xiao Yan turned to the Northern Dragon Emperor: "Dragon Emperor, please look after Old Zhu. One day, Xiao Yan will repay you greatly."

Xiao Yan's status was no longer the same—his promise of "great repayment" carried entirely different weight.

Just as Mo He Tian's promise at the auction was so valuable because Mo He Tian was likely the future Clan Leader of the Mo He Clan, perhaps even the future number one of the Great Thousand World, the future Immortal Emperor—his favor was priceless. Otherwise, a common Spirit-Star Heavenly Sovereign's favor, though precious, would not reach such heights.

Xiao Yan is the same: though he is now merely a Great Completion Grandmaster Alchemist, what of the future? He will inevitably become a Grandmaster Alchemist—he is still so young.

The favor of a future Grandmaster Alchemist carries immense value.

Favor works this way: you owe me, I owe you.

Thus it is said: debts of money are easy to repay, but debts of favor are not.

Xiao Yan truly treated Zhu Kun like family, willing to incur a debt of favor.

"Hehe, Master Xiao Yan, rest assured—the clan had already decided before sending me that we would grant Brother Zhu the finest treatment. In both sentiment and reason, I will assist Brother Zhu." At this moment, the Northern Heaven Dragon Emperor smiled broadly, even addressing Zhu Kun as "brother."

Know that in status, bloodline, and strength, the Northern Heaven Dragon Emperor far surpassed Zhu Kun—this was clearly all due to Xiao Yan's influence.

After Xiao Yan handed Zhu Kun a spiritual soul token engraved with a communication spirit array, Zhu Kun departed from Shang Zhi Da Lu with the Northern Heaven Dragon Emperor, flying toward Shen Shou Continent. Not only Zhu Kun left—Xing Tian also departed with him, for Xing Tian's current strength could no longer keep pace with Xiao Yan, not even able to shield him from Pill Lightning.

Zhu Kun was the person Xiao Yan knew best, so naturally he too went along to Shen Shou Continent.

Suddenly, half of Xiao Yan's entourage had departed; counting Hun Tian Di, five had left, leaving only Xun Er, Xiao Yixian, and Cai Lin—three women—still by Xiao Yan's side.

"Xiao Yan, are we returning to Ning Tian Continent now?" Xiao Yixian asked.

After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan nodded and said: "Once Xun Er and Cai Lin break through to Earth Supreme, I think it is time we return to Dou Qi Continent."

Xiao Yan handed Nu Shan, the Medicine Saint, a heritage jade pendant and said: "Inside are some cultivation methods for spiritual soul refinement, pill refining techniques, and pill formulas—try them. If you can integrate them with your own pill alchemy, you will forge your own path."

"Not the path of the Ancient Wancao Prairie."

!!

Nu Shan's eyelid twitched—he had not expected Xiao Yan to be so perceptive, to have noticed!

"Don't be too surprised. In my former realm, there was once a pill-refining clan unwilling to advance, abandoning innovation, clinging stubbornly to outdated methods, convinced the old ways were best. As a result, their pill alchemy regressed until, in the end, most of it was lost, surpassed, and discarded by later generations." Xiao Yan was, of course, speaking of the Yao Clan.

Without needing to guess, Xiao Yan knew the Ancient Wancao Prairie and the Dan Shen Clan were no different from the former Yao Clan.

In the time that followed, Xun Er and Cai Lin both began their breakthroughs, while Xiao Yixian and Xiao Yan entered cultivation.

Xiao Yixian's path was simple—she merely absorbed toxins to enhance her cultivation realm, further refining her Eternal Calamity Poison Body; Xiao Yan, of course, set about fusing his second Saint Pupil to enhance his Soul Force and perfect his Evil God Asura Spirit Body.

"Has the Flame Venerable left Shang Zhi Da Lu?"

At this moment, in a hidden celestial space beyond Shang Zhi Da Lu, a shadow concealed its true form and spoke.

"Report, Pavilion Master—the Flame Venerable has not yet left Shang Zhi Da Lu, but the Northern Heaven Dragon Emperor has taken the Dragon Clan's Earth Supreme away." Behind the shadow, an old man in golden robes reported.

"The Northern Heaven Dragon Emperor… do not provoke him. The Dragon Clan is not something we can afford to antagonize. Originally, we planned to expend effort restraining Wu Ling Tian Zun—but now that both the Northern Heaven Dragon Emperor and Wu Ling Tian Zun have departed, it is advantageous for our plans." The shadow slowly extended its hand, palm turning upward—a luminous screen appeared.

On the screen was clearly Shang Zhi Da Lu, and within it, a black dot unmistakably marked the location of Xiao Yan's villa.

Time passed; in the blink of an eye, half a year had gone by. During this half-year, the villa where Xiao Yan and the others resided had become a Forbidden Land on Shang Zhi Da Lu—entirely shielded by Xun Er's Shielding Spirit Array, no one could probe its interior, nor even know whether Xiao Yan and the others had left.

Yet no one dared approach within a thousand meters of the villa, for Wu Ling Tian Zun had once declared: approach, and die.

"Sister Cai Lin has emerged from seclusion."

A glow of nine-colored light illuminated the space; Cai Lin stepped forward from within the Spirit Gathering Array, her bare feet resting upon a carpet of strange fire. Xun Er had broken through using the Ancient Earth Mother Divine Pill more swiftly than Cai Lin.

"I have not failed you," Xiao Yan said with a grin, producing the nine-colored spirit stone.

Xiao Yan had used the Saint Pupil of Tian Xie Shen and seen only Chaos—even though his strength was still insufficient to fully control the Saint Pupil, fusing two of Tian Xie Shen's Saint Pupils had yielded only blurred visions!

(End of Chapter)