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--- Chapter 210 ---
Han Yuan and Xiao Yixian arrived at Qingshan Mountain without much disturbance. Besides the Rank 4 Giant Ape, they didn't encounter many high-ranked Magical Beasts afterward.
"This town is smaller than Wu Tan City," said Xiao Yixian. "Are you sure there is a treasure around here, brother?"
Han Yuan chuckled, "Oh, wow, doubting your brother."
"Hmph, I will show you something amazing later."
"Hmm..." Xiao Yixian hummed, expecting something big.
The siblings promptly entered Qingshan Town and strolled around for a while before stopping at the medicine store.
Han Yuan called the clerk and asked if they had a rare medicine, to which the clerk responded with a grin before leading him to the corner, where a few medicinal ingredients caught his attention.
Han Yuan's expression didn't change much, 'Blood Lotus Essence, one of the three ingredients needed to refine the Blood Lotus Essence Pill. The pill is useful to refine Heavenly Flame.'
'What were the ingredients for Blood Lotus Essence Pill again? If I am not wrong, one is a grass Xiao Yan found in the cliff-cave with Xiao Yixian, and the other is a Rank 3 or 4 Magic Core...'
He was confident that he could take the full force of Heavenly Flame and refine it without problem, but taking some extra precaution wouldn't be bad either.
Yes, Han Yuan had an idea for the Heavenly Flames. Since he already reincarnated here, why wouldn't he take the only natural treasures that mattered in this world?
Not to mention, Heavenly Flames would be such a heavenly tonic for his Monochrome Inner Star Sutra. Just imagining the amount of energy they could provide for his cultivation is mouth-watering!
Some of the Heavenly Flames even have conceptual powers, so absurd that they are 'literally' considered cheats in many worlds, devouring all things and creating dimensions.
Unfortunately, Xiao Yan didn't fully utilize them. What a waste!
'Damn, all those elemental-fused flames are like wrapped Christmas gifts to me!' Han Yuan couldn't help but want to go to the Tager Desert and fetch the Green Lotus Core Flame.
But Han Yuan could only suppress this thought for now. Even though he has gained some strength, it wasn't enough to do whatever he wanted.
He could fight Rank 4 to 5 Magical Beasts, which are equal to Dou Spirit and Dou King, respectively, but above that?
Dou King itself already allowed one to resonate with the energy of heaven and earth.
Dou Emperors? They dominate that very energy of heaven and earth, as if it were their domains!
Han Yuan sighed, "How much is this Blood Lotus and the other herbs in the box?"
The clerk's eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands, "Young Master, the Blood Lotus, and other things are around 1,500 gold coins."
'The value of Blood Lotus is higher than that, but okay.' Han Yuan nodded casually. However, to play it safe, he replied, "1,000."
The clerk was troubled, "Young Master, 1,500 is already a fair price."
"Oh, 900 then."
"Y-Young Master..."
"800."
"The lowest our store could do is 1,200 gold coins."
"Deal." Han Yuan grabbed a few pouches from his fake storage ring and threw them at the clerk. "Pack them up for me now."
"..." The clerk was speechless. Han Yuan clearly tricked him as he never meant to haggle. Yet, since the clerk folded without too much pressure, Han Yuan got an easy discount.
He could only take the money and cry on the back later. He didn't have a single thought about playing unfairly with a child like Han Yuan because he was clearly someone with a background.
The clerk showed an ugly smile as he boxed the Blood Lotus and other medicinal ingredients before handing them to Han Yuan, "Thank you for the purchase, Young Master."
"Hmm." Han Yuan tossed the Blood Lotus and others into the Sky Poison Pear while disguising it as a storage ring. Then, he asked the clerk if he knew any cliffs nearby.
The clerks, whose mood is low, answered weakly, "Well, there is one on the west."
"But there is nothing there except Cliff Snakes and Dirty Apes."
Cliff Snakes and Dirty Apes are Rank 2 Magical Beasts. The first is known for preying on birds on cliffs, and the other is known for catching human females and then ravaging them.
"Is that so? Thanks." Han Yuan nodded understandingly and pulled Xiao Yixian out of the store.
Xiao Yixian seemed to catch a drift and asked, "Brother, are we going treasure hunting at that cliff?"
Han Yuan smiled, "Yup. I have been buying the information about the area near Qingshan Town, and the clerk confirmed it for me."
"Let's have lunch first, though."
Han Yuan dragged Xiao Yixian to the nearest restaurant in the street and filled their stomach before exploring the wilderness. Still, in the corner of his eye, he detected a few people spying on them.
He ignored them for now, strolling to the cliff with Xiao Yixian. He scanned the area with his spiritual power and then jumped off the cliff, landing on a small platform facing a strong wind.
"Brother, have you found something?" Xiao Yixian shouted from above.
"Yeah, come down. I will catch you." Han Yuan replied immediately as his spiritual power detected several hidden mechanisms behind the cliff's wall.
Xiao Yixian looked down warily before jumping down. "Kyaaa!" She cried out loud.
Han Yuan caught Xiao Yixian easily and said, "Okay, okay, stop screaming, you're not falling anymore."
"Hmph, no fun." Xiao Yixian pouted unhappily.
Han Yuan flicked the little girl's forehead gently before proceeding to play with the hidden mechanism, revealing a wide path inside a dark cave. He snapped his finger, igniting his Dou Qi into a silverish-gray flame.
The path ahead was 'instantly' lit, revealing another set of walls.
"Wow." Xiao Yixian marveled at the hidden cave's interior, touching here and there curiously.
Han Yuan sighed and immediately saved Xiao Yixian from several deadly traps. He scolded the little girl briefly before leading her into a somewhat large chamber with a throne on which a skeleton in a yellow robe sat, a three-stone podium that held locked boxes, a pile of golden coins and precious gems, and many other precious herbs.
First of all, Han Yuan secured all the treasures, including the golden coins, treasure boxes, and herbs on the ground. One herb in particular is the key ingredient for the Blood Lotus Essence Pill, Ice Spirit Blazing Grass.
In the Douluo Continent, such a contradictory herb wouldn't exist. Even the infamous Immortal Herb could only grow because of the essence of fallen gods.
Yet, Ice Spirit Blazing Grass didn't only have two opposing elements, but harmonized them perfectly.
Han Yuan sucked these herbs into the Sky Poison Pearl before focusing his attention on the skeleton.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Footsteps entered the chamber as a group of people closed the exit, and Xiao Yixian frowned. "Who are you guys?"
"Hand over the treasures, kids. You don't want things to get dirty around here, right?" The leader of this group is a tall man with a scarred face in clothes made of animal hides.
"Wolf Head Mercenary Company?" asked Han Yuan as if he wanted to confirm something.
The leader was stunned before laughing mockingly, "Heh, do you think we are from that group of weaklings? We are the Crazy-Eyed Hounds! Don't compare us to a little puppy from Qingshan Town!"
'Ah, I see...' Han Yuan nodded in understanding.
Since the Wolf Head Mercenary Company monopolized Qingshan Town in the future, he thought they would be the ones following him. Then, again, that would be nine to ten years in the future.
Right now, the Wolf Head Mercenary Company is a small, growing group, barely worth noting.
These Crazy-Eyed Hounds must be the group controlling Qingshan Town before them.
But at this very moment, the skeleton on the throne suddenly moved. The sound of rattling bones sent a shiver down everyone's spines, but not Han Yuan.
"T-This... Kid, what have you done!" The leader of Crazy-Eyed Hounds shouted, pointing his finger at the skeleton.
Han Yuan rolled his eyes and focused his attention on the skeleton. "I did not do anything."
"The skeleton was the guardian of this place. What do you think will happen if there are too many outsiders entering it?"
"I had to say, good luck on defeating that." Han Yuan chuckled before controlling the earth element to block the pathway leading outside and blowing up every source of light in the cave.
The cave instantly became dark.
Han Yuan protected Xiao Yixian, placing her behind him, as he watched a pair of eerie ghost-like blue flames burning in the skeleton's eyesockets as it rushed toward the Crazy-Eyed Hounds.
CRIEEEEEEEEEEK!!
"Well, then, let's see how you guys perform against that..." Han Yuan's eyes flashed with indifference.
...