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

Chapter 374 Zi Yan's Little Thoughts

"Don't be nervous."

Looking at Little Fairy Doctor's tightly clasped hand, Xiao Yan smiled and comforted her. He flipped his hand, and a crystal core filled with violent energy appeared in his palm. It was the magic core of the Poisonous Scorpion Dragon Beast that he had hunted down just two days ago.

After removing the demon core, Xiao Yan flipped his hand, and a jade box appeared. The jade box was snow-white, and even a faint chill was constantly seeping out. Gently opening the jade box, a viscous, emerald-green substance that was slowly wriggling appeared in their field of vision.

The Bodhi Transformation Saliva, a rare treasure that Mo Tianxing had just acquired and which Xiao Yan had seized, was also one of the essential materials for the Poison Pill technique. In fact, it could be said to be the most difficult of the three essential materials to obtain—for Xiao Yan.

"Everyone says that with this Bodhi Incarnation Saliva, one can sense the Bodhi Heart," Xiao Yan said, glancing at the Bodhi Incarnation Saliva in the jade box. He shook his head helplessly. "But since I got it, this thing hasn't made any sound."

After briefly scoffing at the unreliable rumor, Xiao Yan put the demon core and jade box aside, then looked at Little Fairy Doctor in front of him and said in a deep voice, "I will first use the strange fire to force the poison in your body to one place. This process will be very painful, so you must persevere. If you can't even get through this step, I'm afraid you won't be able to use it later."

Seeing Xiao Yan's solemn expression, Little Fairy Doctor chuckled.

“I believe in you,” Little Fairy Doctor said, reaching out to grasp Xiao Yan’s trembling hand. “I will persevere, so you can do it without worry.”

Xiao Yan took a deep breath. "Before that, I need to fully unleash your Calamity Poison Body... I will not fail."

To trigger the Calamity Poison Body before it has even fully manifested—even the creator of the Poison Pill technique would never have done such a thing, right? If any unforeseen circumstances arise, and Xiao Yan fails to completely suppress the Calamity Poison Body, this place might become a death zone with no survivors, and even Little Fairy Doctor might perish on the spot…

However, Xiao Yan was unwilling to wait until Xiao Yi Xian's Calamity Poison Body had erupted once, and let her experience that kind of pain, before activating the Poison Pill technique. After all, doing so would be tantamount to knowing that it could be prevented in advance, but insisting on waiting until everything had happened before trying to remedy the situation. Even if Xiao Yi Xian wouldn't blame him, Xiao Yan couldn't accept that outcome.

"I believe you." Little Fairy Doctor, holding Xiao Yan's hand, smiled gently and said softly.

"Hmm." After taking another deep breath, Xiao Yan gradually calmed down.

"After removing my clothes, I need to break the seal first." Xiao Yan said solemnly, his mind more serious than ever before.

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor was taken aback. Even though her relationship with Xiao Yan was already inseparable, a blush still quickly rose on her pretty face when she heard these words. If Xiao Yan hadn't shown no other emotions, Little Fairy Doctor would have definitely given him a good lecture before taking off his clothes.

Thanks to Xiao Yan's near-heavenly soul power, the activation of the Poison Pill technique proceeded without any flaws. Even the poison gas released after the Calamity Poison Body was fully activated did not leak out. Furthermore, because the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast's demonic core was of the eighth rank, Little Fairy Doctor broke through the barrier between Dou Zong and Dou Zun when the Poison Pill was formed, becoming a true Dou Zun.

"From now on, my safety is in your hands, Little Fairy Doctor!" Xiao Yan said with a smile as he looked at Little Fairy Doctor, who was slowly opening her eyes.

"Leave it to me," even though she knew that Xiao Yan could fight against an eight or nine-star Dou Zun, Little Fairy Doctor still smiled after hearing Xiao Yan's words. "I won't let anyone hurt you!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled brightly, but the next second, he subtly averted his gaze. "You pack up first, I'll go see if Ye Zhong has finished arranging the alchemist rank assessment." After saying that, as if his shoes were on fire, Xiao Yan quickly left the Yang Fire Ancient Altar.

It wasn't until Xiao Yan left that a blush appeared on Little Fairy Doctor's pretty face.

"Disgraceful fellow," Little Fairy Doctor muttered under her breath as she took out a set of clothes from her storage ring. "He's usually so lustful, how come he's acting like a gentleman today?"

"You little rascal!"

As soon as he left the Yang Fire Ancient Altar, Xiao Yan's gaze was fixed on Zi Yan, who was less than ten meters away from the altar. The next moment, Xiao Yan appeared beside her and tapped her head without hesitation, "What are you listening to?"

"I didn't listen to anything," Zi Yan said, looking around in confusion. "I just saw that three days have passed and you two still haven't come out, so I came to remind you."

"Do I really need to get this close?" Considering that Zi Yan only approached slowly after Little Fairy Doctor woke up, Xiao Yan wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. "Besides, she said it would take about three days, not just three days, right?"

As they spoke, the circular walls surrounding the Yanghuo Ancient Altar slowly returned to their original state amidst the beeping of mechanisms, and the neatly dressed Little Fairy Doctor slowly walked out from the center of the altar.

"I must have remembered wrong..." Seeing Little Fairy Doctor slowly walking out, Zi Yan's face showed a hint of regret, then she pouted and said pitifully, "Besides, I've been sitting there alone for the past three days, it's so boring!"

"You're getting bored again," Xiao Yan said mercilessly, reaching out to pinch Zi Yan's cheek. "You've eaten quite a few pills these past few days, haven't you?" Even without looking at the number of pills in Zi Yan's storage ring, just by feeling the energy fluctuations emanating from Zi Yan's body, Xiao Yan could tell how many pills she had consumed in the past few days.

“That’s right,” Zi Yan said, looking not ashamed but proud. “I’ve been so bored these past few days that all I can do is eat pills. What else can I do? Besides, these pills are things that can help me grow!”

Hearing Zi Yan's righteous words, Xiao Yan was at a loss for words. He subconsciously loosened his grip on Zi Yan's face. After all, since taking Zi Yan away from Canaan Academy, they had spent most of their time traveling. Even when they weren't traveling, he was mostly cultivating or refining pills. He hadn't really paid attention to how Zi Yan spent her time on weekdays...

Noticing that Xiao Yan opened his mouth but didn't say anything in the end, and even showed a slightly apologetic expression on his face, Zi Yan was overjoyed. Just as she was about to say something, she found that Little Fairy Doctor had already come to their side.

"What's wrong? What happened?" As he walked out of the altar, he saw Zi Yan standing close by. Xiao Yi Xian, who understood why Xiao Yan had suddenly run away earlier, had not used her soul power. Therefore, she did not know about the conversation between Xiao Yan and Zi Yan. When she got closer, she just looked at the two silent people with some curiosity.

"It's nothing, it's just that the old guy said the person in charge of the alchemist rank assessment has arrived. If it's already completed, we can leave now." After taking back what she was about to say, Zi Yan pouted and said.

"Has the person arrived yet?" Xiao Yan also came to his senses. "Then I'll head over first. After all, he's an eighth-grade alchemist, and I can't keep him waiting too long!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he flew towards the Ye family mansion as if he were fleeing.

"What happened to him?" Little Fairy Doctor blinked in confusion as she watched Xiao Yan's departing figure and asked.

"Maybe it's because you feel like you haven't prepared any good food for me lately?" Zi Yan looked puzzled. "Actually, I don't really care about these kinds of things."

"Is that so?" Little Fairy Doctor looked at Zi Yan with a strange expression.

"Is that right?" Zi Yan looked at Little Fairy Doctor with an innocent expression.

*

“Sigh, Ye Zhong, if you ask me, you might as well accept the Cao family’s betrothal gifts,” an elderly man with white hair and a purple robe said helplessly as he sat next to Ye Zhong in the Ye family’s reception room. “The Cao family is one of the five great families, and they are a good match for your Ye family. Accepting the Cao family’s betrothal gifts would at least save your Ye family from the crisis of falling out of the five great families, right?”

“You should know the reason,” Ye Zhong said with a helpless smile upon hearing the white-haired old man’s words. “If we really accept the Cao family’s betrothal gifts, will the Ye family still be the Ye family?”

"At least that will help your Ye family pass the assessment a few years from now!" The white-haired old man sighed. "You've brought me here now just to conduct a level assessment for some alchemist who came out of nowhere, haven't you? Do you really prefer alchemists from outside the Pill Domain to those from the Pill Domain?"

The white-haired old man's words were not unfounded. In terms of the average level of alchemists, those in the Pill Domain completely outclass those outside. Even if some top alchemists like Yao Chen from decades ago occasionally appear, they are rarely like Yao Chen, who refused the Pill Tower's treatment and continued to grow wildly outside.

“At least, Xiao Yan is stronger than all the alchemists I know in the Pill Domain,” Ye Zhong understood the old man’s good intentions, but he still smiled and refused the old man’s words, adding, “Perhaps even Han Zhi, your alchemy skills are not as good as his.”

"You only dare to make fun of an old man like me who hasn't improved much in decades!" The old man called Han Zhi rolled his eyes in annoyance. "But... an alchemist whose alchemy skills are no weaker than mine? Are you sure you've invited a young person? Don't forget, the five major families' assessment requires young people under twenty-five!"

As a sinecure elder of the Pill Tower, Han Zhi was merely an eighth-grade, second-color alchemist, and one who had remained at this level for decades. Although Han Zhi did not consider himself particularly strong, he still found it hard to believe that there were alchemists under the age of twenty-five who could refine eighth-grade, second-color pills.

"But Dan Chen of the Dan family, and Cao Ying of the Cao family, can refine an eighth-grade, two-color pill before they turn twenty-five, right?" Ye Zhong didn't refute, but just asked with a smile.

"Of course, those two little guys..." Han Zhi shook his head helplessly. He knew the names of Dan Chen from the Dan family and Cao Ying from the Cao family. In fact, he himself was considered to be a Dan Tower elder who would be surpassed by those two in the next few years.

"Is the talent of the little guy you found about the same as those two?"

However, since Ye Zhong had mentioned those two people, Han Zhi became interested and asked with some curiosity.

"Similar to the two of them...?" Ye Zhong repeated the sentence with a strange expression.

Xiao Yan is currently twenty years old, less than a year older than Dan Chen and Cao Ying. According to what Su Qian... mainly that Heavenly Flame Venerable said, Xiao Yan is already able to refine grade eight five-colored pills, while Dan Chen and Cao Ying can only refine mid-grade seven pills. Although their soul power is not far from breaking through to the Spirit Realm... or even may have already broken through, they will still need at least a few years or even more than ten years of honing their skills to refine grade eight five-colored pills.

"I told you that alchemists outside the Pill Domain are no match for those in the Pill Domain, right?" Han Zhi immediately felt that Ye Chong meant they were no match. "However, even within the Pill Domain, there aren't many people who can compare to those two. Besides, they won't be present for the assessment of the five major families. As long as the person you invite has the skill of a low-grade seventh rank or even a high-grade sixth rank, that will suffice!"

Although he felt that Dan Chen and Cao Ying had proven the talent of alchemists in the Dan Domain, Han Zhi still quickly comforted them after seeing Ye Zhong's strange expression.

"Moreover, I can stay in Ye City before the assessment. As long as he's not stupid, with my guidance, he can improve a lot in the next few years!" Han Zhi even gritted his teeth and took on the task of teaching the alchemist recruited by Ye Chong in the next few years.

"No, no need," Ye Zhong finally came to his senses upon hearing Han Zhi's words and helplessly stopped him. "I just can't say whether Xiao Yan or the other two have higher talent... Besides, when I invited you here this time, I said that he could at least refine high-grade seventh-rank pills, right?"

"...Are you really not joking?" Han Zhi looked at Ye Zhong with some surprise. "I thought you were just saying that on purpose because you wanted me to tutor him!"

Seeing Han Zhi's surprised expression, Ye Zhong sighed helplessly. It was precisely because he knew Han Zhi's personality that he hadn't revealed Xiao Yan's strength when he invited Han Zhi before. As a result, even so, Han Zhi still didn't believe what he said.

"How could I..."

"Mr. Ye, have the examiners for the alchemist rank assessment arrived yet?" Just as Ye Zhong was about to repeat what he had said before, Xiao Yan rushed into the reception room and asked directly after seeing Ye Zhong.

"So you're the alchemist Ye Zhong invited from outside?" Then, Han Zhi stopped Ye Zhong, who was about to stand up, and looked at Xiao Yan coldly. "Twenty-five years old, high-level seventh rank? Show me your rank badge first!"

Chapter 375 Dan Chen, Cao Ying

"You are...?" Xiao Yan looked at the white-haired old man in front of him with some surprise.

Judging solely from his soul power, the cold, white-haired old man before him was undoubtedly an eighth-grade alchemist. However, his soul power seemed to be stuck at the threshold of the Spirit Realm, meaning he had both feet inside the gate but was standing on the threshold, not moving an inch.

"Han Zhi, retired elder of the Pill Tower," Han Zhi said coldly to Xiao Yan, "an eighth-grade, second-color alchemist." After honestly stating his information, Han Zhi stared straight at Xiao Yan, waiting for Xiao Yan to take out his grade badge.

'Han Zhi? How come he's still only an eighth-rank second-color cultivator?' Yao Lao's voice suddenly rang in Xiao Yan's ears.

"Teacher, you're finally awake," Xiao Yan muttered subconsciously, then asked curiously, "Teacher, do you know him? Was he an eighth-grade, second-level alchemist a long time ago?"

"When I first came to the Pill Tower, he was my examiner for the alchemist rank exam," the old alchemist said with a smile. "Back then, he was a seventh-grade advanced alchemist. Later, after I participated in the Pill Gathering, he had become an eighth-grade second-color alchemist. I just didn't expect him to stay at that level..."

As he spoke, the old alchemist also noticed Han Zhi's problem—his talent in soul power was limited to this level. Although he had surpassed more than 90% of the alchemists on the Dou Qi Continent, he might only be able to reach this level in his entire life.

The conversation between Xiao Yan and Yao Lao lasted less than a second, so Han Zhi didn't think there was anything wrong, but Ye Zhong was a little flustered.

"Ahem," Ye Zhong coughed lightly twice, "Alright, Han Zhi, don't act like a big shot in front of him. Xiao Yan is someone I went to great lengths to invite from the Northwest Continent. He only came to the Pill Tower for the first time two days ago and hasn't taken the Pill Tower's grade assessment yet!" Ye Zhong said helplessly, tugging at Han Zhi's clothes.

"The Northwest Continent?"

Ye Zhong's revelation of Xiao Yan's origins only fueled Han Zhi's dissatisfaction. "I know all the top alchemists in the Northwest Continent. Tell me, is your master Ning Zuowen or Hu Youli?"

As one of the top powers in the Northwest Continent, the Heavenly Serpent Mansion has a certain demand for Grade 8 pills. Therefore, many people from the Heavenly Serpent Mansion have come to the Central State Pill Domain to seek pills. Han Zhi also happened to have met these two alchemists from the Heavenly Serpent Mansion.

"After arriving in Zhongzhou, I went to the Starfall Pavilion first," Xiao Yan could tell from Han Zhi's words that he was concerned about Ye Zhong, so he didn't care about Han Zhi's somewhat irritable tone at all. "You must have heard about the news that Venerable Medicine has returned to the Starfall Pavilion, right?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Han Zhi opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he didn't say anything.

The news of the Medicine Venerable's return to the Starfall Pavilion had indeed reached the Pill Tower not long ago. It is said that one of the three giants was planning to take advantage of this time to visit the Starfall Pavilion to find out what was going on. If he hadn't been stopped by the other two, he might have already slipped out of the Pill Tower.

“Ahem, Xiao Yan is the disciple of the Medicine Venerable,” Ye Zhong quickly explained when Han Zhi quieted down. “However, as you know, the Medicine Venerable disappeared back then, so I didn’t dare to directly reveal Xiao Yan’s master. Don’t blame me for being too cautious.”

It can only be said that the Ye family can no longer be considered one of the five great families of the Pill Tower. Although the news of the Medicine Venerable's return to the Starfall Pavilion has not yet fully spread to the Central Region of the Central State, the other families in the Pill Tower have also learned of this news. Ye Zhong only reacted after Xiao Yan told him the news and after Han Zhi fell silent.

"That's true, we don't know what happened back then, it's always good to be careful..."

As Ye Zhong's good friend, Han Zhi was well aware of the Ye family's situation, if not completely knowledgeable. Therefore, he didn't mind that Ye Zhong was only now revealing this most important news.

"Xiao Yan... that's the name, right?" After reassuring Ye Zhong, Han Zhi turned his gaze back to Xiao Yan and asked.

"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded slightly.

"According to that old fellow Ye Zhong, you're not even twenty-five years old yet?"

"To be precise, she just turned twenty."

"Twenty years old? A few months older than Dan Chen and Cao Ying..." After hearing Xiao Yan's answer, Han Zhi nodded, "Today is your first time coming to the Pill Tower to take the level exam..."

Although Ye Zhong had previously said that Xiao Yan's alchemy skills were almost on par with his own, and he could also sense that Xiao Yan's soul power was at least at the Spirit Realm level, Xiao Yan's age was still a factor.

"Even if I could refine an eighth-grade, two-color pill, the success rate wouldn't be very high. So, let's refine a batch of seventh-grade, high-level pills first to see if our technique is proficient before deciding whether to continue refining eighth-grade pills."

Adhering to the principle of not wasting medicinal herbs, Han Zhi asked this question—

"Let's start the assessment with the advanced seventh rank, is that alright?" Han Zhi looked at Xiao Yan and asked seriously.

“Of course, no problem,” Xiao Yan knew that his age would always be the key point that made others doubt his alchemy skills, so he did not refuse Han Zhi’s suggestion. “Then, would you like to set the questions?”

“No, this is a private assessment after all, so it depends on what medicinal materials you have prepared and what pills you can refine,” Han Zhi shook his head. He wanted to see Xiao Yan’s pill refining techniques, which he was most proficient in. It would be a bit awkward if he selected a pill that Xiao Yan had not refined before or had only refined once or twice. “So, you can decide for yourself what pills to refine.”

"Should I decide for myself?" Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment. "Then... how about the Profound Foundation Establishment Pill?"

The Profound Bodhi Foundation Building Pill is a peak seventh-grade pill with similar effects to the Heavenly Soul Blood Fusion Pill. Both are pills used to help infants who are still in swaddling clothes or have not yet been born to build their foundation. It was also a pill that Xiao Yan used as a reference when he and Yao Lao were deducing a new secret technique of the Snake-People race.

"Mysterious Bodhi Foundation Building Pill?" Han Zhi had naturally heard of this pill before, so he gave Xiao Yan a subtle look. "As a peak seventh-grade pill, it's perfectly fine to use it for the assessment."

But you, a young man who has just turned twenty, are most skilled at using this Profound Bodhi Foundation Establishment Pill? Are you sure there's no problem with that?

The thought that Xiao Yan's most proficient pill was this kind of pill for infants to establish their foundation made Han Zhi unable to control the expression on his face. If he didn't still have some restraint, he would even want to ask Xiao Yan if he already had a dozen or twenty children, which is why he was so proficient in the Xuanpu Foundation Establishment Pill.