Breaking the Masked Man

Yuan Yi caught the Imperial Pill with a look of surprise and delight. His previous bitterness vanished. He suddenly realized that joining forces with Yao Yan was a good choice. Yao Yan was a seventh-grade alchemist, and there was such a powerful figure behind him. This deal was definitely worth it.

Yao Yan suddenly understood why the other party's strength hadn't improved for so long. It wasn't that he didn't want to improve, nor that he lacked resources, but rather that he didn't have the energy to go into seclusion and cultivate. He was the only capable expert in the entire Black Seal City, and as for the Dou Wang... he couldn't suppress those guys in the Black Corner Region.

When you talk and communicate with others, you need to have equal strength and status.

"There are indeed too many forces in the Black Corner Region. Let's take this opportunity to eliminate some of them. Give me a list of the forces you think are worth befriending. As for those that are not worth befriending..." Yao Yan smiled and did not continue, his meaning was self-evident.

"My subordinate understands!"

Yuan Yi cupped his hands in response, showing no surprise whatsoever. This was the Black Corner Region, and it would be strange if Yao Yan didn't have this idea.

Yao Yan continued, "By the way, give me a list of items from your auction house, and I'll see if there's anything I need."

"……Yes!"

Yuan Yi hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands in agreement, not daring to object at all.

Yao Yan quickly obtained a large amount of medicinal herbs and necessary items from Yuan Yi, including the herbs needed to refine the Fallen Heart Flame. Compared to Xiao Yan in the original novel, he did not need to be too stingy with himself, and the pills he prepared were all of grade seven or higher.

"The seventh-grade Ice Heart Pill is indeed more suitable than the sixth-grade Earth Spirit Pill, but consuming and refining it requires a great deal of physical and spiritual strength..."

Halfway through his speech, Yao Lao stopped, because Yao Yan was not a normal three-star Dou Wang, and the experience that could be used on others obviously wouldn't work on him.

"We're still missing one ingredient: Earth Core Tempering Milk~"

Yao Yan organized the medicinal herbs in the Bone Inflammation Ring and said softly.

Upon hearing this, the old physician pondered for a moment and offered his suggestion: "This item is extremely precious and hard to find in the outside world. How about we refine a Grade 6 Earth Spirit Pill first?"

"No rush, let's wait and see. If there's really no other way, we can refine the Earth Spirit Pill later."

Yao Yan smiled and said nonchalantly, because he happened to know the whereabouts of the Earth Core Tempering Milk. If he hadn't known its whereabouts, he wouldn't have rashly chosen the Ice Heart Pill. All pills below the seventh grade require extremely precious and rare medicinal materials, which are extremely difficult to find. This is why high-grade pills are so precious.

Such things as Earth Core Tempering Milk are even more precious because they cannot be grown; they can only be nurtured by heaven and earth, and it takes tens of thousands of years to produce even a tiny amount, making them rarer than some medicinal herbs.

The old doctor didn't say much, trusting that Yao Yan knew what was important.

……

……

Time passed slowly, and soon, more than half a month had passed. Yao Yan and Cai Lin seemed to have perfectly integrated into the Black Corner Region. The slight disturbances they had caused had completely disappeared with the disappearance of the people involved. There was no surveillance in this world, so it was extremely easy to erase some traces.

At the end of this month, a piece of news ignited a frenzy across most of the Black Corner Domain.

Black Seal City has decided to hold another auction this year, with the focus being on the Imperial Extreme Pill and the Breakthrough Pill. The sheer quantity of these two pills has caused a stir among the powerful figures in the entire Black Corner Region, especially those who have been stuck at the Dou Huang level for many years without making any progress, as well as those who are only one step away from becoming Dou Zong.

In just a few days, several Dou Huangs came directly to Black Seal City hoping to trade directly with them, but they were all refused. Such scenes happened every day.

Until this day, two peak Douhuang experts visited together.

"The Gold and Silver Elders, those two old fogies have actually been lured out as well. It's said that if these two join forces, they're enough to contend with a true Dou Zong. Goodness, this incident has blown up. I wonder if it will attract a real Dou Zong powerhouse!"

"It's possible. I wonder if the patriarch of the Eight Doors will come out. Speaking of which, the patriarch of the Eight Doors hasn't made a move for decades. I wonder if his strength has improved."

"At that level, a single period of seclusion can last for more than ten years. What's a little time compared to that..."

……

The turmoil outside did not affect Yao Yan at all. He was not interested in the two elders, Jin and Yin, who appeared in the original work, because they were not worth his attention. A little bait would be enough to make them kill each other. He would only need to clean up the mess. He just didn't know if Canaan Academy would get involved.

"You still have the mind to drink tea here?" Cai Lin curled her alluring purple snake tail, sat upright next to Yao Yan, and asked curiously as she looked at Yao Yan's calm face with her cold and beautiful eyes.

This whole scene was orchestrated by Yao Yan, yet he acted as if nothing had happened.

"Yuan Yi seems to be struggling to keep up the situation..."

Yao Yan sensed the three conflicting auras emanating from the courtyard ahead. He raised his eyebrows slightly and then released his soul power from between his brows. The pressure of that soul, which had entered the Spirit Realm, was absolutely no weaker than any true Dou Zong expert. With just a light sweep, he instantly suppressed the Jin and Yin elders who wanted to intimidate him.

Sensing that the two had calmed down, he calmly answered Cai Lin's question: "No need to worry, this drama has only just begun. It will be time for us to step in after they have finished fighting."

What's the big deal about robbing a few people? If you're going to rob someone, rob the entire Black Corner Region. They're all scum anyway, no need to hold back.

He wants everything that appears in the original work, and he also wants everything that doesn't appear in the original work!

Since they claim to disregard the rules, let's make the chaos even more thorough.

"Kid, you really are ruthless, huh~"

The old man of medicine emerged from the Bone Flame Ring with a smile. Feeling Yao Yan's soul power, which had become even stronger, he couldn't help but marvel at the boy's extraordinary talent once again. It was difficult for ordinary people to improve their soul power, but this boy's soul power was different. The speed of improvement was somewhat exaggerated, and even the speed at which he absorbed spiritual energy was a bit excessive.

Perhaps he is about to witness the birth of the youngest Heavenly Realm Soul Possessor on the Dou Qi Continent.

"If they weren't greedy, they wouldn't have fallen into the trap."

Yao Yan smiled and said softly.

"Hopefully a Dou Zong will intervene... then my health will be secured."

The old alchemist chuckled. He didn't mind being a little weaker. Reaching the Dou Zong level was enough. With the unique abilities of the three different flames, he could eliminate all hidden dangers. Even if his strength regressed, he could recover in a short time with his alchemist skills.

Upon hearing this, Cai Lin's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at the old man, who had always been very curious about her.

"Don't you want to take this opportunity to make another breakthrough?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Yan couldn't help but speak.

The old man shook his head slightly and sighed softly, "Before I lost my body, my strength had already reached the limit of the Dou Zun level. It's too difficult to break through to the next level..."

Ordinary people don't even have the qualifications to touch the Dou Sheng realm. He only learned some secrets after reaching the limit of Dou Zun. One of the most basic conditions for breaking through to Dou Sheng is to cultivate a Heaven-rank technique. Even Earth-rank techniques cannot support the Dou Sheng realm, so you can imagine how difficult it is.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 134 Undercurrent

The mere mention of "Heavenly Rank Technique" is enough to drive people mad.

While Earth-rank cultivation techniques are readily available and numerous, Heaven-rank techniques are so rare that they are almost despair-inducing. Even the legendary Yao Lao at his peak had only heard of them. This illustrates just how difficult it is to obtain a Heaven-rank cultivation technique.

Besides, even if you find it, you might not be able to cultivate it successfully.

Any cultivation technique that can reach the Heavenly Rank must be extremely difficult to cultivate. If you don't have the necessary conditions to cultivate it, you will only kill yourself. As for finding a suitable Heavenly Rank cultivation technique to replace it smoothly... this is only something to dream about. There is no such wonderful thing in the world. Even if you have the luck to do so and you really encounter such a wonderful thing, it does not mean that you can break through to the Dou Sheng level with 100% certainty.

The Heavenly Rank Technique only gives you an opportunity to advance to the Battle Saint level; whether you can truly step into it remains to be seen.

It was truly a series of hurdles at every step, blocking 99% of the peak Dou Zun experts of this era, just like some people were stuck at Dou Huang. The peak Dou Zun of the ninth level was no different.

For a moment, the old doctor's thoughts drifted far away.

He also yearned for the Dou Sheng realm, and at his peak, he could already slightly touch the barrier between Dou Zun and Dou Sheng. Especially when his soul realm touched the Heavenly Realm soul, the sense of obstruction was particularly clear. However, back then, he was carefree and did not join the Pill Tower, otherwise he might have been able to come into contact with Heavenly Rank cultivation techniques...

Thinking of this, Yao Lao shook his head. There was no use in thinking about the past. He looked at Yao Yan with a smile in his eyes, as if he were looking at a junior, and said softly, "Boy, I may find it difficult to reach that realm in my lifetime, but you are different. With the special nature of the Burning Technique and your own talent, that barrier cannot stop you."

"You don't need to say more about this, I have said that I will reopen the clan in the future using my own surname!"

Yao Yan chuckled softly, her gaze resolute, and muttered to herself.

"If that day ever comes, I might even benefit from your good fortune."

Yao Lao smirked and joked, "As a member of the Yao Clan, how could I not know the words 'Battle Emperor Bloodline'? His Battle Emperor Bloodline is extremely thin, but if Yao Yan really becomes the new Battle Emperor, then the thin Battle Emperor Bloodline in his body will definitely be revived, causing his strength to increase dramatically."

Thinking of this, the old doctor's smile deepened. He never imagined that one day he would be looking forward to a little kid breaking through to the Dou Di realm in the future.

This was something he had never experienced before. After all, he was extremely proud back then. Who wasn't a prodigy when they were young? If he didn't have enough talent, how could he have won the Pill Gathering and become the number one alchemist in Zhongzhou?

Yao Yan remained noncommittal, exchanging a smile with the old doctor.

Cai Lin was completely bewildered, unable to understand what the two were talking about. The topics touched on her blind spots. The only thing she understood was the old man's strength. He seemed to be a peak Dou Zun expert, and he and Yao Yan were from the same family, both of whom had been expelled from the family.

Then what kind of power do their families possess? Could they really be related to the Battle Saint?

Cai Lin pursed her red lips, her deep purple eyes filled with a complex emotion. She felt as if she was getting further and further away from Yao Yan. Even though he was right in front of her, the distance between them was extremely far. The once extremely proud and confident Cai Lin suddenly felt a sense of inferiority, which made her feel somewhat depressed.

It's not just men who feel inferior; women feel the same way, especially when the other person gets very close to them.

Just then, Yuan Yi slowly walked in from outside the courtyard, and Yao Lao turned into a wisp of green smoke and drifted into the Bone Flame Ring.

Yuan Yi did not walk in directly. He first bowed respectfully, and only after receiving Yao Yan's permission did he slowly enter, his attitude becoming even more respectful: "Mr. Yao, more than a dozen Dou Huangs have already arrived in Black Seal City, including two peak Dou Huang experts. Judging from this situation, it is estimated that most of the experts in the Black Corner Region will gather here..."

As he said this, he couldn't help but purse his dry lips, his heart beating a little faster.

The Black Corner Region hadn't been this chaotic in a long time. It was easy to imagine that once the auction ended, a fierce battle would break out outside the city. As for the final victor... Yuan Yi couldn't help but glance at the handsome young man in front of him. He had never imagined that the person in front of him would be so young. Of course, this youthful appearance was very likely a disguise. How could there be such a young seventh-grade alchemist in the world?

Moreover, the other party's actions were too ruthless, actually setting a trap with the Imperial Extreme Pill and the Breaking Sect Pill, driving the entire Black Corner Region into a frenzy.

Just thinking about it gives me the creeps.

This is a bit too much.

"It's alright, I'll keep an eye on things for you. A Dou Huang wouldn't dare cause trouble in the territory of a Dou Zong expert. Even if they wanted to fight, they'd have to go outside, so it wouldn't have much of an impact on Black Seal City... More than that, I'm quite concerned about whether that Medicine Emperor has arrived yet?"

Yao Yan paused, his eyes flickered slightly, and he asked curiously. He had investigated a lot about the other party these days and already knew that Han Feng had obtained the Sea Heart Flame. The other party had only been refining it for a few years, and his own strength was only at the level of a two- or three-star Dou Huang. It seemed that he had regressed because of refining the strange fire, since before refining it, his strength was a seven-star Dou Huang.

In response, Yao Yan confirmed one thing: Han Feng was indeed a prodigy, having successfully cultivated the incomplete Burning Technique. However, it seemed that he had not completely devoured the Sea Heart Flame.

That makes sense, though; how could an incomplete version of the Burning Technique completely integrate a different kind of fire into one's own body?

Only by truly mastering the Burning Technique can one understand the wonder of this technique. To put it bluntly, if Yao Yan were killed right now, the seed of the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame would definitely not burst forth from his body, because he himself is the seed of the flame, and its origin has already merged with his body. Unless he himself is willing, or encounters an old guy of the level of Hun Xuzi, it would be very difficult for outsiders to refine the strange fire in his body.

"We haven't heard from him yet. Since Han Feng refined the Sea Heart Flame, he has been holed up in Maple City and hasn't left the city for several years."

Yuan Yi seemed to have noticed the discord between Yao Yan and Han Feng, and spoke up.

"It's alright, let's take care of this first."

Yao Yan nodded slightly and said softly.