"Cough cough~"
Accompanied by several violent coughs, Hu Qian stared in astonishment at his old friend Su Qian beside him. He didn't even bother to put down his teacup, asking incredulously, "What did you just say? Say it again, I didn't hear you clearly!"
He wondered if there was something wrong with his ears, or if he was hallucinating. How could he have heard such an outrageous thing from Su Qian?
A fifth-grade alchemist under eighteen years old was already monstrous enough, but Su Qian told him that the kid was holding back; his true alchemy skills had already reached the seventh grade.
A seventh-grade alchemist under eighteen years old—what did that mean?!
Hu Qian admitted he had no concept of that, because he had never even considered it. He knew that cultivating alchemy was far more difficult than cultivating battle qi, especially the levels above the seventh grade. It was said to be even more difficult than breaking through to the Dou Zong realm, with countless alchemists spending their entire lives only hovering around the sixth grade.
This could be seen in Han Feng, the only disciple of that Medicine Venerable, who was still only at the sixth grade.
Suddenly, a man named Yao Yan appeared, claiming to be a seventh-grade alchemist. This was so outrageous that Hu Qian felt his worldview had been turned upside down. Could there really be such a monstrous talent in the world?
"Remember the Imperial Extreme Pill and Breakthrough Pill auctioned in Black Seal City before?"
Su Qian looked at Hu Qian's astonished expression without any hint of amusement. On the contrary, he understood perfectly, because he had felt the same way when he learned about these things.
Hu Qian could no longer sit still at this moment. He stood up abruptly, the cup in his hand falling to the ground. But he didn't care about the cup. He stared intently at Su Qian, his tone becoming more forceful: "...Don't tell me that these pills were also made by him!"
Su Qian didn't speak, but simply nodded calmly.
At this moment, there was a sense of silence speaking louder than words. Hu Qian's face visibly flushed red, whether from excitement or something else, it was unclear. It seemed that he wanted to blurt out a sentence, but as a teacher, he held back, and the curse ultimately did not escape his lips.
He was no longer a boy and controlled his emotions well, though his breathing was still a little rapid.
"Shocked?"
Su Qian smiled wryly.
Hu Qian rolled his eyes and said irritably, "You're no different. This level of prodigy is the first time I've ever seen one in my life. I've never even heard of one before, let alone seen one. But what I'm most curious about is this little monster's family. How could they bear to release such a prodigy? Don't those old guys in their clan have brains?"
"I don't know, but according to that kid, his family values bloodline concentration more than individual talent,"
Su Qian pondered for a moment, his eyes flashing slightly, and said softly.
Hu Qian sneered upon hearing this, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "Rich bloodline? Could their family be some kind of Dou Di family, that they even care about these things?"
Su Qian frowned upon hearing this. The other party spoke casually, but he knew some inside information. If Hu Qian's statement wasn't impossible, perhaps only a true Dou Di family would be so arrogant. However, these matters were obviously not worth delving into. Compared to these things, he was more concerned about something else at the moment.
He recounted what Yao Yan had told him earlier, wanting to see Hu Qian's reaction.
Hearing this, Hu Qian said with some anticipation, "What's the big deal? Just agree. Canaan Academy is a place for cultivating talent. We only train them; their future choices are their own business... To be honest, if I were decades younger, I'd probably follow a seventh-grade alchemist who's not even eighteen. Tsk tsk, perhaps we can really witness the birth of a super power!"
"You're right, that's what I said to him too. But judging from his intentions, he might want a deeper connection with Canaan Academy. I haven't agreed to that, and I can't agree to it. Canaan Academy will not participate in any power disputes; that's our bottom line!"
Su Qian said solemnly.
Hu Qian nodded, agreeing with Su Qian's words. Canaan Academy really didn't need to get involved in these matters. Whether Yao Yan succeeded or not, Canaan Academy only needed to be an observer, silently watching his growth. As for how far he would grow in the future, or what trouble he would cause, that had nothing to do with Canaan Academy.
However, compared to these matters, he was more concerned about something else at the moment. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Should we verify his words first?"
"You want him to refine a Breakthrough Pill for you?"
Su Qian instantly saw through his old friend's little scheme. How could he not know Hu Qian's desire?
"Yes."
Hu Qian, his thoughts exposed, showed no shame whatsoever, calmly replying. Pursuing strength was nothing to be ashamed of. Let alone asking a junior for help, even kowtowing to him was no problem. Of course, kowtowing here doesn't mean actually kneeling and begging, but rather doing something for him.
However, if kowtowing could really get you a Breakthrough Pill, the peak nine-star Dou Huang experts in the Black Corner Region would probably line up to kowtow to him.
Su Qian instructed, "Discuss this with him privately, but remember not to involve Canaan Academy."
"Don't worry, I'm not senile yet,"
Hu Qian said with a chuckle. His eyes were practically gleaming; he couldn't wait to run to Yao Yan and beg for the pills. He had been stuck at the peak of the Dou Huang realm for too long, and if things continued this way, his strength would inevitably fall further and further behind that old man Su Qian—how could he accept that?
There's a saying: "I fear my brother's suffering, yet I also fear his brother driving a Land Rover."
Humans are complex creatures.
...
...
Black Seal City.
Several days had passed since Yao Yan's departure, and Black Seal City had returned to its usual tranquility. Thanks to Yao Lao's performance before the auction, no one dared to cause trouble on the Eight Doors' territory. In fact, with the addition of the Golden and Silver Elders, the Eight Doors' reputation was clearly even greater than before.
At this moment, in the backyard, Cai Lin, dressed in a red dress, leaned gracefully against a soft couch. Her alluring purple snake tail swayed casually, revealing a hint of languor. Her deep phoenix eyes held a cold indifference as she stared indifferently at the respectful Yuan Yi below. Her red lips moved slightly, and a voice that could make any man lose control of his lower body slowly rang out.
"How did things go?"
Image
Yuan Yi didn't dare look at the snake woman before him. Leaving aside her relationship with that other person, she herself was an absolute ruthless killer. Disciples from the Eight Doors had been slapped into a bloody mist for gossiping; her ruthlessness was no less than that of someone who had spent years in the Black Corner Region.
He lowered his head and respectfully reported, "The message has been sent out. As for how many people believe it, I don't know. After all, Demon Flame Valley is an old power in the Black Corner Region; not many people will dare to attack them."
Cai Lin lived up to her name as Queen Medusa; her aura was strong, her voice soft and alluring yet tinged with extreme coldness: "I don't need to teach you how to push things along, do I? Do this well, and you won't be short of benefits. If you don't… he doesn't keep useless people around him."
She exuded a strong killing intent, an almost tangible killing intent that even made Yuan Yi, someone who had spent years in the Black Corner Region, feel a chill in his heart.
Perhaps in her eyes, only a handful of people could be called life, and these few obviously didn't include outsiders like Yuan Yi.
"Understood!"
Yuan Yi's voice rose slightly as he replied in a deep voice.
Cai Lin said calmly, "And Elders Jin and Yin, let them do this. That Breaking Sect Pill isn't so easy to obtain."
Yuan Yi nodded, then bowed and turned to leave.
Not long after Yuan Yi left, Elder Yao's figure slowly appeared from the side. He stroked his beard, looking at Cai Lin with considerable appreciation. Even with his extremely discerning eye, he couldn't find any flaws in Cai Lin. This woman was a perfect match for Yao Yan, even more suitable than his sister. The
only problem was that this woman's personality was too strong; if she wanted to succeed with Yao Yan, she would probably have to go through a lot of trouble.
Facing Elder Yao, Cai Lin's expression became much more reserved, as he was Yao Yan's elder. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly said, "Are we just going to wait like this? When will that guy send back the news?"
"For now, this is fine. Let that kid do what he wants; we can't control him,"
Elder Yao said, stroking his beard with a light laugh.
He didn't want to be too conspicuous. His body was still in a soul state, and his strength was at most at this level. To continue improving, medicine alone was useless unless he could find a physical body. Otherwise, as a soul, he was ultimately rootless. Once he fought, his strength would only continuously weaken without being replenished—this was the weakness of a soul.
He had always been a focus of the Soul Hall's attention, and if those guys knew he was still alive, it would be a huge problem. He didn't want to cause Yao Yan any trouble.
As for Han Feng's matter, he wasn't in a hurry anymore. Some things were hard to accept at first, but over time, he gradually controlled his emotions. Every Dou Zun powerhouse was a person of strong character; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to reach this point.
Cai Lin frowned slightly. She was very unaccustomed to situations where things were out of her control, but she had no choice but to continue waiting.
...
At the same time, in an extremely remote canyon in the Black Corner Region, a wave of fire suddenly rose. The flames, resembling azure seawater, spread out violently, wave after wave, continuously sweeping towards the center of the canyon. Inside, black mist rose, and when the two came into contact, they immediately produced a sizzling sound, like cold water touching a pot of oil.
Han Feng, amidst the sea of fire, resembled a fiery emperor, manipulating the ever-rising Sea Heart Flames that swept wave after wave towards the two figures in the canyon. His gaze was cold and arrogant, carrying a hint of threat as he said, "Do you two really think I, Han, am someone you can easily manipulate?"
"As expected of the renowned Medicine King of the Black Corner Region, hehe, we two have been presumptuous. How about we stop here?"
Accompanied by a strange laugh, a figure emerged from the center of the swirling black mist. His eyes glowed crimson, staring at Han Feng with an evil intent. Beside him, another figure loomed, their aura elusive and unpredictable, clearly not weak. "
These people from the Soul Palace are too strange. If I hadn't controlled the Sea Heart Flames, I might have suffered a great loss..." Han Feng thought to himself, not daring to be arrogant, and smiled, "That would be best. Actually, you and I are not enemies. I was able to come to the Black Corner Region thanks to an elder of your Soul Palace."
An elder?!
Upon hearing this, the black mist churned, and a look of terror appeared in its crimson eyes. After a moment of silence, it slowly said, "I've heard of your story, but I didn't expect it to be true... I'm quite curious, is the renowned Medicine Venerable of Zhongzhou really dead?" "
...Knowing too much about some things won't do you any good. This matter involves an elder of the Soul Hall. Are you sure you want to find out the truth?"
Han Feng clenched his fist, narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing deep within them, and his voice turned indifferent as he spoke slowly. At the same time, he secretly vowed that if he ever broke through to the Dou Zong level, he would make these two understand that some things are not to be joked about.
Those events from back then were a thorn in his side!
As his cultivation speed slowed, he had to admit that he had made mistakes in the past. He could admit his mistakes, but others couldn't criticize him. He even hated the Medicine Elder; if he hadn't kept things hidden, he wouldn't have ended up on this path.
How could the young man resist the seduction of Elder Mu Gu!
"I was just mentioning it casually, not really interested, hehe~" The black mist surrounding the shadowy figure gradually calmed down, and he chuckled, letting the matter drop. At the same time, he looked at Han Feng and continued, "I wonder what the Medicine Emperor wants to do here. Perhaps you want to cooperate with us?"
"Naturally, you want souls, and I want to expand the power and influence of Maple City. We can cooperate."
Han Fei put his hands behind his back, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and said in a deep voice.
"How to cooperate?"
The figure standing beside the shadowy figure spoke up, his voice somewhat hoarse and low.
"Don't you think harvesting them one by one is too slow? I'll create an opportunity for you to directly slaughter several cities of various forces, wiping them out in one fell swoop. You can take the souls of everyone there. How about it?" Han Feng said with a faint smile on his lips, his expression utterly indifferent.
He mentioned several cities at once, as for the innocent people among them... Are there any innocent people in the Black Corner Region?
They're all going to die sooner or later anyway, just the weak, no different from livestock.
"Your Excellency is truly ruthless... Fine, we have no reason to refuse."
The figure in black sneered and readily agreed.