Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

“Yan Xiao, a free agent,” Xiao Yan said calmly.

"Hehe, Mr. Yan Xiao must also be here for the Black Emperor City auction, right?" Upon hearing Xiao Yan's name, the old man in the yellow robe's eyes flickered slightly, and then he asked with a smile.

"Hmm." Xiao Yan nodded. The auction in Black Emperor City was quite famous in the Black Corner Region. Judging from the time, it was almost time for the next auction to begin, so it was not surprising that the old man in the yellow robe would think this way.

The old man in the yellow robe took out a cyan token from his storage ring and handed it to Xiao Yan while smiling and saying, "Mr. Yan Xiao, our Black Emperor Sect has prepared special accommodations for the strong. If you don't mind, you can take this token to the Black Emperor Pavilion in the city center, where someone will arrange a place for you to rest."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered slightly as he accepted the gift. He smiled at the old man in the yellow robe, thanked him, and then led Medusa and the other two slowly into the purple gate.

"By the way, Mr. Yan Xiao, those people belong to the Kui Lang Gang. Their leader, Kui Sha, is a three-star Dou Huang. Please be careful." As Xiao Yan and his companions stepped into the purple gate, the old man in the yellow robe seemed to have remembered something and added a sentence.

"Thank you for the reminder." After a faint voice came from afar, Xiao Yan and his two companions disappeared into the shadows of the city cave.

Watching Xiao Yan and the other two disappear, the old man in the yellow robe narrowed his eyes, then waved to summon a follower and whispered, "Go to the sect and report this person's matter to the young sect master. Someone with such strength cannot be an unknown person. The situation in Black Emperor City is complicated right now, and we cannot afford any mistakes."

"Yes!" the attendant replied respectfully, then quickly turned and left.

With his eyes slightly narrowed, the old man tapped his hands lightly with his pipe, muttering to himself, 'Another Dou Huang? Looks like he got wind of it again and came all this way. I wonder when things will finally settle down…'

Although the Black Emperor City auction is quite famous, there won't be anything in the next auction that can attract such a large number of Dou Huangs. Obviously, the three people who just went in were also people who had received the news that the Black Emperor Sect had found a ruin.

'These are troubled times...' the old man in the yellow robe muttered. Fortunately, he had chosen to guard the city gate during this period. If something really went wrong, with his strength as a five-star Dou Wang, escaping would be no problem at all.

Chapter 342 Qi Shan

"I thought you would take action immediately."

Stepping out of the somewhat dark city gate passage and looking at the bustling city streets before him, Xiao Yan turned his head and looked at Medusa with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Medusa glanced at Xiao Yan with a hint of disdain and said, "Do you dare ask me to take action?"

Given Medusa's personality, she wouldn't hold back against anyone who uttered such foul language. Even if the Dou Wang guarding the city gate couldn't understand Medusa's strength, as long as he reported it to his superiors, Mo Tianxing of the Black Emperor Sect could roughly judge that Medusa's strength far exceeded his.

At that time, Mo Tianxing might just abandon the Black Emperor Sect and Black Emperor City and run away with his son, which is something Xiao Yan does not want to see.

Although Medusa could conceal her strength and make others mistakenly believe she was only a Dou Huang when she crushed those insects, that wouldn't suit Medusa's personality. In that case, it would be better to let Xiao Yan take action directly.

In any case, to prevent Mo Tianxing from daring to show up, Xiao Yan will restrain the severity of his attacks.

"Ahem," under Medusa's slightly disgusted gaze, Xiao Yan coughed awkwardly, then said, "Then, let's go and take a look at some of the larger medicine shops in Black Emperor City. There are quite a few rare medicinal herbs in the Black Corner Region that are quite scarce outside. If we're lucky, we might be able to get some of the herbs we need."

Not to mention the Life Soul Pill needed to awaken Yao Lao, Xiao Yan hadn't even collected all the medicinal materials needed for the Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill required to revive Yao Tian Huo. Although he had inquired at large pharmacies in other cities before, the answer was always the same: they didn't have any.

Although I don't have high hopes, the Thousand Medicine Shop in Black Royal City is the largest branch in the entire Black Corner Region, so maybe I can find some of the medicinal herbs I need.

"Whatever," Medusa replied. After all, she was just accompanying Ziyan on this trip, and she herself didn't have any specific goals for this journey.

Needless to say, Zi Yan's purpose was to go out and have fun, but it would be even better if she could go to the herbal medicine shop to find "delicious food" first.

"Let's go then."

After taking Zi Yan's hand, Xiao Yan headed towards the center of Black Emperor City.

*

"A Dou Huang who's at most in his teens or twenties?"

Inside the Black Emperor Sect, a man in white robes frowned as he looked at his attendant below, who was relaying what had happened at the city gate.

“Yes, Young Sect Master,” the attendant replied respectfully, kneeling on one knee. “According to Elder Huang’s deduction, that young man’s strength is around a three-star Dou Huang. Although he uses fire-attribute Dou Qi, his Dou Techniques are ruthless and vicious, targeting the inside of the human body. This is an extremely rare type.”

Upon hearing the attendant's report, the white-robed man felt slightly displeased. He had grown up surrounded by praise since childhood, and over the years, the sect had used countless rare and precious materials on him, all in the hope that he could reach the Dou Zong stage like his father.

And he did not disappoint everyone, successfully advancing to the Dou Huang level before the age of thirty, which was his proudest achievement. But now, according to the report, the age of that other Dou Huang... seems to be almost a full twelve years younger than him.

Of course, this feeling only flashed through the white-clad man's mind... although, it was only what he perceived as a fleeting thought.

"You just said that he dealt a fatal blow to the Kui Lang Gang when he was outside the city, right?" After suppressing his emotions, the white-robed man's calm voice rang out in the hall.

"Yes."

"Tell Kui Sha the news," the man in white said calmly. "The Kui Lang Gang is, after all, a pawn of our Black Emperor Sect. Their losses should naturally be compensated."

"Yes!" the attendant replied respectfully, then quickly turned and left.

"Including this Yan Xiao, dozens of forces have come to Black Emperor City these past few days, haven't they?" After the attendant left the hall, the white-robed man muttered to himself, "Their strength ranges from Dou Ling to Dou Huang... It seems the news of the secret treasure has spread quite far. I just wonder when Father will return..."

In recent days, the number of Dou Huangs entering Black Emperor City has approached twenty. Although most of them are around three to five stars, there are less than ten Dou Huangs in the Black Emperor Sect. If a battle were to break out, each person would have to hold off two to three Dou Huangs on average, not to mention the number of Dou Wang level experts.

Therefore, even in his own stronghold, the man in white was still somewhat anxious. If his father returned late, Black Emperor City might become ruins at any time!

*

"So, the second floor is the core of Qianyaofang?" In the shop of Qianyaofang, Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows and asked, looking at the old man opposite him.

“You could say that,” the old man replied respectfully. “The medicinal herbs you need are all rare, and many of them are ones I’ve never even heard of before… While I can’t guarantee the availability of most of them, the first five are definitely available on the second floor.”

The old man was a second-grade alchemist. Although he was not particularly talented in alchemy, he was still able to understand some of the habits of alchemists. It was because of this that he deduced Xiao Yan's identity as an alchemist from the classification of medicinal herbs on the white paper that Xiao Yan gave him.

"The first five?" Xiao Yan nodded. The first five were auxiliary medicinal materials needed for the Bone Regeneration and Blood Fusion Pill. Although it was a pity that there were only these few, it ensured that he had not made a wasted trip. "In that case, please lead the way."

"Let me give you a heads-up," the old man said, his smile widening after Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The medicinal herbs you need... require at least a fifth-grade pill to acquire. If you don't have pills of that grade..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan didn't even lift his eyelids, and said indifferently, "Lead the way."

Upon seeing this, the old man became even more respectful, and then bowed extremely humbly to lead the way.

"Let's go, let's also see if there are any medicinal herbs you like on the second floor." Turning his head, Xiao Yan smiled at the displeased Zi Yan and took the lead in following the old man.

Although the medicinal herbs on the first floor didn't leave a very good impression on Zi Yan, since it was said that the rare medicinal herbs were located on the second floor, Zi Yan composed herself a little and then enthusiastically pulled Medusa along to follow Xiao Yan.

The decoration on the second floor of Qianyaofang is different from the luxury of the first floor. Instead, it shows a grand and unconventional style. Even the number of crystal cabinets placed in the hall is much less than that on the first floor.

Of course, compared to the crystal cabinets displaying medicinal herbs, the dozens of figures on the high platform on the other side of the hall, and the dozen or so figures sitting near the platform, were more eye-catching.

“Sir, you are quite lucky,” the woman in the red palace robe on the high platform smiled when she saw Xiao Yan and his companions. “The pill-exchange gathering at Qianyaofang has just begun, and even the first batch of medicinal herbs has not yet been opened.”

Beside the woman in the red palace robe, a dozen beautiful maids respectfully carried silver trays, on which lay tightly closed jade boxes.

Upon hearing the woman in the palace robe's words, an elderly man in a yellow robe with a red face, who was sitting closest to the platform, turned around impatiently and looked at Xiao Yan and his companions. "What are you still looking at? If you want to participate in the Pill Exchange Gathering, quickly find a seat!"

His impatient tone clearly indicated that he hoped the pill exchange gathering would start quickly, and preferably that the medicinal herbs he wanted would be delivered right away.

Ignoring the red-faced old man, Xiao Yan, along with Medusa and Zi Yan, chose a spot towards the back and sat down, waiting for the woman in palace robes above to open the first batch of medicinal herbs.

The calm demeanor of Xiao Yan and his companions surprised the red-faced old man, who then felt a surge of anger. With his strength and reputation, he hadn't experienced being treated like a nobody in Black Emperor City for a long time. If this place weren't outside the Black Emperor Sect, he would have taught Xiao Yan and his companions a lesson.

"Alright, then this pill-exchange gathering shall begin!" The woman in the palace robe waved her hand, pointing to the medicinal herbs being carried by the maids. "As usual, select the slightly lower quality herbs first, and save the higher quality ones for later!"

The pill exchange gathering proceeded at a leisurely pace, with batches of medicinal herbs being delivered. Although the first few batches did not contain the herbs that Zi Yan wanted, as the quality of the herbs improved, Xiao Yan, under Zi Yan's watchful eye, selected a few herbs that she had her eye on.

"Keep it with me for now."

After coming down from the stage again, Xiao Yan flicked Zi Yan's forehead as she reached out to take the medicinal herbs from his hand, saying, "With the way you eat them, these herbs might not even last until tomorrow!"

"No, I haven't been eating them directly lately, okay..." Zi Yan rubbed her forehead and muttered softly.

"Hehe, next up are the highest quality medicinal herbs from this pill exchange gathering. My Thousand Medicines Workshop has paid a great price for these herbs."

While Xiao Yan and Zi Yan were playfully bickering, the woman in the palace robe above clapped her hands and ordered several maids to take away the unchosen medicinal herbs. In the end, she brought out seven jade boxes that looked like jade.

As soon as the seven jade boxes appeared, a rich medicinal fragrance suddenly filled the hall. Many alchemists took a deep breath and their faces showed amazement.

The red-faced old man who had been leaning back in his chair straightened up, his gaze fixed on the jade boxes with a slightly fiery intensity.

Xiao Yan also stopped his playful fight with Zi Yan and looked up. According to what the old man on the first floor had said, the seven jade boxes should contain the five kinds of medicinal herbs he needed!

The woman in the palace robes glanced around the hall before fixing her gaze on Xiao Yan and the red-faced old man. She smiled and said, "If any of you are interested in these seven medicinal herbs, please make your move!"

Noticing the gaze of the woman in the palace robe, Xiao Yan clicked his tongue slightly. Then, under the watchful eyes of the remaining alchemists in the hall, he stood up and strode onto the stone platform.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xiao Yan stopped in front of the stone platform, smiled slightly at the graceful and alluring woman in the palace robe, and then slowly placed the seven jade boxes in front of him, smiling as he said, "Master Yao, please tell me which medicinal herbs you wish to exchange for these seven herbs?"

Upon hearing this, Master Yao's expression changed slightly, and almost instinctively, his gaze turned to the audience below the stage—

The burly, red-faced man who had been sitting at the head of the table suddenly stood up, strode onto the platform, and reached out his large hand from Xiao Yan's right, pressing down on one of the jade boxes without any politeness. He then said calmly, "I want this Rainbow Spirit Fruit!"

'As expected…' A faint smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face as he looked at the large hand reaching out from the side.

Upon entering the second floor, Xiao Yan immediately identified the two highest-ranking alchemists gathered there—one was the white-haired old man standing next to Yao, the owner of the Thousand Medicines Workshop, and the other was this red-faced burly man.

The white-haired old man belonging to Qianyaofang goes without saying, and this red-faced giant... if nothing unexpected happens, should be the fifth-grade alchemist recruited by the Black Emperor Sect.

Therefore, even though only five of the seven medicinal herbs that were to be displayed at the end were needed, Xiao Yan still chose to gather all seven in front of him, in order to provoke the red-faced giant and hopefully get him to summon the experts from the Black Emperor Sect.

The alchemists in the hall who didn't understand Xiao Yan's thoughts looked at him with sympathy after seeing the red-faced man's actions. Clearly, all the alchemists present knew the red-faced man's personality.

After taking in all the sympathetic glances, Xiao Yan turned his head slightly, his brows furrowed, and looked at the red-faced giant standing beside him.

"Hehe, Elder Qi, this gentleman made the first move. Your actions are somewhat against the rules!" When the red-faced giant made his move, Master Yao's heart sank slightly, and he spoke with a somewhat forced smile.

"What are you saying, Master Yao? Here, it's all about the highest bidder. There's no such thing as first come, first served." Upon hearing this, the red-faced man spoke up with considerable displeasure.

Upon hearing this, Yao Fangzhu could only nod with a wry smile, but in his heart he was cursing this bastard who used his status as a member of the Black Emperor Sect to forcibly lower prices and not allow others to raise prices.

After Yao Fangzhu tacitly agreed, Old Qi turned to Xiao Yan and said, "Hehe, my friend, I am Qi Shan, the chief alchemist of the Black Emperor Sect. I am currently refining a pill for the sect leader and I need this Rainbow Spirit Fruit. So I would like to ask you to part with it... What do you say?"

Although Qi Shan spoke of discussing the matter, his words, such as "Chief Alchemist of the Black Emperor Sect" and "refining a pill for the Sect Master," along with his large hand gripping the jade box without loosening its grip and his slight shifting of it towards himself, showed no intention of discussion whatsoever.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment, then took the jade box containing the Rainbow Spirit Fruit and slowly pulled it toward him. He smiled slightly at Qi Shan and said, "I'm sorry, I also need this Rainbow Spirit Fruit, so I'm afraid I can't part with it."

In the instant silence that followed, Qi Shan's expression stiffened slightly, then a dark look appeared in his eyes. He said with a forced smile, "Heh, these young people nowadays are really fearless!"

Ignoring the sarcasm in Qi Shan's words, Xiao Yan turned to Yao Fangzhu and smiled, "Could you please take a look at these seven medicinal herbs and tell me what kind of medicinal formula I need to exchange for them?"

Chapter 343 Bodhi Transformation Saliva...?

As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, everyone in the hall looked on in astonishment. Even the Yao Fangzhu was surprised. She never expected that this seemingly young man would dare to refuse Qi Shan's requests twice in a row.

However, Yao Fangzhu was a man of great experience, and he quickly recovered from his astonishment. After exchanging a glance with the white-haired old man beside him, he said, "These seven medicinal herbs are among the highest quality in my Thousand Herbs Shop, and they are quite expensive. If you wish to exchange them, sir... please take out three grade-five pills."

"Three grade-five pills?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, secretly calculating that the five medicinal herbs he wanted were auxiliary materials for refining seventh-grade pills, while the other two were medicinal herbs for refining fifth-grade pills. If he were to exchange them for lower-grade fifth-grade pills, such as the Windwalking Pill, three pills for seven medicinal herbs wouldn't be too bad a deal...

"Heh, trying to trade for medicinal herbs without any real skill?" Seeing Xiao Yan hesitate, Qi Shan sneered, then turned his gaze to Yao Fangzhu and said indifferently, "If this kid can't produce any fifth-grade pills, it shouldn't be a problem for me to trade for them, right?"

Upon hearing Qi Shan's words, Yao Fangzhu and the people around him were all surprised: This old fellow was actually willing to exchange a fifth-grade pill.

"These are three Grade 5 Wind-Riding Pills. After taking them, one's speed will increase dramatically for a short period of time. If someone is chasing you, you will definitely be able to save your life." Before Yao Fangzhu could speak, Qi Shan coldly took out a jade bottle from his storage ring, placed it on the table, and said.

Yao Fangzhu was slightly taken aback, then carefully took the jade bottle and handed it to the white-haired old man beside him.

The white-haired old man glanced at the color of the pill in the jade bottle, then smelled its fragrance. He nodded slightly and said calmly, "It is indeed a fifth-grade pill, the Wind Chaser Pill, but its quality is not top-grade. It seems that the person who refined the pill was too hasty in making it."