Chapter 1148: Translated By: Arron
Xiao Yan looked at Cao Ying when she suddenly smiled. He naturally knew that the Ye clan would successfully retain its spot in the five great clans if he were to pull out now. However, the other party had already made such an offer. If he were to withdraw now, he would end up appearing weak. Moreover, Xiao Yan was also extremely interested in Cao Ying, who was called a potential successor of the great heads of the Pill Tower.
This was because he knew that Cao Ying would also partic.i.p.ate in the Pill Gathering. At that time, she would definitely be a great opponent of his. If he could exchange blows with her here, he would be able to gauge her skill a little better. He would not end up being caught off guard at that time.
Of course, the fight between Spiritual Strengths was naturally unable to represent the strength of one"s alchemist abilities. However, being able to observe something and gain a rough estimation of the other party"s strength was helpful.
Due to the various reasons stated above, Xiao Yan would naturally not choose to voluntarily withdraw. Hence, he needed to receive Cao Ying"s provocation…
Xiao Yan slowly nodded after making up his mind in his heart. His eyes stared at Cao Ying as he said, "Miss Gu Ying, please!"
The smile on Cao Ying"s face became even more filled with temptation when she heard his reply. She covered her mouth and laughed in a lovely manner, "Mister Xiao Yan does indeed possess an extraordinary demeanor… however, if this is the case, this young lady shall reveal my incompetence…"
After her soft laugh slowly sounded, Cao Ying slowly extended her long-white hand. She immediately formed a strange hand seal. When this hand seal was formed, Xiao Yan abruptly discovered a vast, mighty Spiritual Strength was swiftly forming in her palm. He could vaguely see a partially visible handprint in that distorted s.p.a.ce.
Xiao Yan"s eyes stared intently at the hand imprint of Cao Ying. He knit his brows slightly while feeling amazed in his heart. This hand seal was able to maneuver Spiritual Strength and agglomerate it into an attacking form. He could sense that the Spiritual Strength gathered on her palm was not weaker than the spiritual phoenix earlier. However, the might of the two… was very different!
In other words, this strange hand seal of Cao Ying possessed the unique ability to gather Spiritual Strength and strengthen it. This kind of effect was somewhat similar to… Dou Technique?
"The alchemists from ancient times were able to unleash the might of the Spiritual Strength to its limit, and they could even compare with the Dou Techniques of some experts. This kind of technique is called a Soul Skill by the alchemist from ancient times…" Cao Ying"s hand maintained that strange hand seal. She revealed a smile to Xiao Yan and softly said, "Currently most of the Soul Skills have already vanished. However, I am using a kind of Soul Skill that has yet to disappear. It should be quite strong. Be careful…"
"Soul Skill!"
Xiao Yan felt a chill in his heart when he heard her words. His eyes immediately became a little heated as he looked at the strange hand seal maintained in Cao Ying"s hands. He had heard Tian Huo zun-zhe mention these things before. However, the thing that caused him to feel a little uncertain was that the Soul Skill Tian Huo zun-zhe had mentioned were soul training methods. Compared with what Cao Ying was displaying… clearly this Soul Skill was a spiritual attacking method that could not be used for training.
"Could it be that Soul Skills are also divided into offensive and training types?"
Xiao Yan muttered in his heart. This kind of situation was likely one that could only be described if one explained it by categories. Even though this was the case, Xiao Yan still wanted the handprint soul skill of Cao Ying. After all, with this thing, the might of his Spiritual Strength would soar. This was another type of life preservation skill to him.
Soul Skills were just like Dou Techniques. If an expert who practiced Dou Qi did not have a Dou Technique, he would only be able to rely on the power of his Dou Qi to fight another. However, he would definitely be at a disadvantage if he fought with someone who possessed a Dou Technique. This was the situation Xiao Yan was currently facing. Cao Ying possessed a Soul Skill and was able to unleash her Spiritual Strength to its maximum. However, he could only rely on the might of his Spiritual Strength to block her. If this continued for long, Xiao Yan would naturally suffer a disadvantage.
Xiao Yan"s eyes studied Cao Ying"s strange hand seal. The way he looked at was as though he was planning to firmly remember it in his mind.
The corner of Cao Ying"s mouth was lifted slightly after appearing to have sensed Xiao Yan"s eyes. Immediately, her hand seals changed in a lightning-like manner, forming some illusory figures that caused one"s eyes to be dazzled. A cold cry was clearly emitted from her mouth.
"Mysterious Spiritual Palm Imprint!"
After the cry sounded, Cao Ying"s vast and mighty spiritual strength coagulated on her hand. A spiritual handprint that was similar to a palm rushed out as fast as lightning. It forcefully tore through s.p.a.ce, forming a dark-black gap…
Although the spiritual handprint was invisible, this kind of unusual pressure caused even those people a great distance away to feel some difficulty breathing. Xiao Yan naturally did not dare to slight Cao Ying"s attack. His expression was solemn as a majestic Spiritual Strength surged from between his eyebrows. After which, it agglomerated into a large spiritual fist that ruthlessly struck the spiritual handprint.
"Bang!"
The large spiritual fist and the handprint collided with a bang. An invisible ripple of wind erupted from the point of the collision. A powerful wave rolled across the open ground below. The hard stone floor emitted a "bang" as it cracked into fragments…
Xiao Yan"s body was shaken by that terrifying invisible force until he flew over a distance of ten steps when the two collided. Only then did he slowly stop. At this moment, he was less than a hundred feet from the red boundary line.
"Again!"
Xiao Yan had undoubtedly fell into a disadvantage with this first true exchange. However, his face did not reveal the slightest dispirited expression. On the other hand, he suddenly raised his head, stared at Cao Ying with hot eyes, and commanded her in a deep voice.
Surprise flashed across Cao Ying"s beautiful spring-water-like eyes when she saw that Xiao Yan had been pushed back a distance of around ten steps when receiving this palm imprint of hers. She clearly understood the might of this palm of hers. Even some tier 7 high grade alchemists would not have an easy time receiving it, yet Xiao Yan had managed…
"This fellow is really not a simple person… he might be a great opponent during this Pill Gathering, much like Dan Chen…"
Cao Ying"s eyes slightly flickered. The smile on her face became more alluring. She possessed a haughty character that desired to win. Her greatest desire was not to be invisible, but she truly wanted to meet some people who possessed the qualification to be her opponent. In the past, Dan Chen was one of them. However, that girl was usually well hidden by the Dan clan, afraid that some accident might happen to her. If not for big matters, she would not leave the Dan clan. This was why Cao Ying felt itchy-handed when she saw Xiao Yan…
Cao Ying gently inhaled a breath of air. Her voluminous chest rose in the process. Both of her hands were extended and each of them formed a unique hand seal. Immediately. Both of her hands appeared to be fighting each other as they changed with lightning-like speed.
Numerous incomparably majestic Spiritual Strengths began to linger between both of her palms after the change of the seal formed by her hands. An unusual spiritual pressure caused the faces of quite a number of those in the hall to slightly change. Although those seated were not ordinary people, they had seldom seen anyone who could use their Spiritual Strength to such an extent. After all, the training of Dou Qi was the mainstream method of this era. Something as mysterious as one"s soul was only strengthened with the strengthening of Dou Qi. Hence, they felt some disbelief in their hearts when they saw that Cao Ying was able to unleash her Spiritual Strength to such an extent.
Xiao Yan"s eyes were heated as he watched Cao Ying"s hand seals swiftly change. A wisp of jade-green flame slowly rose in both of his dark-black eyes as the spiritual pressure headed his way.
When the flame rose, Xiao Yan suddenly discovered that Cao Ying"s lightning fast hand seals had become extremely slow at this moment. The hand seals that an ordinary person would find baffling caused Xiao Yan to suddenly feel a kind of empowering understanding…
Xiao Yan"s spiritual control had reached a high level. This Soul Skill was a method to use the smallest amount of strength to unleash the greatest might. No one had explained it to Xiao Yan in the past. However, after Cao Ying had displayed this Soul Skill in front of him today, she seemed to have helped him open up a totally new world. The many times of confusion he felt in the past on how to display Spiritual Strength was suddenly resolved at this moment.
Xiao Yan had never lacked any treasure. What he had lacked was a key to open it…
"Bang!"
Cao Ying"s lightning-like hand seals suddenly stilled. At this moment, her hands were maintaining a kind of mysterious seal. An ordinary person would only feel completely confused when looking at it because this kind of seal was completely unrelated to the seals for a Dou Technique.
A gentle smile flashed across Cao Ying"s face after her hand seal was formed. Immediately, her left hand was suddenly pushed forward!
When the hand seal moved, a vast, mighty palmprint rushed out like a tiger that had descended from the mountains. A low, deep tiger roar resounded within the soul of everyone in the hall.
That invisible, majestic palm imprint was swiftly magnified in front of Xiao Yan"s eyes. His hair had also been blown until it drifted in the air. The ground in front of him, which had turned to pieces, began to emit cracking sounds as the pieces were shattered into dust…
"Roar!"
While the palm imprint was being magnified in Xiao Yan"s eyes, a low, deep roar suddenly erupted from Xiao Yan"s throat. He changed his fist to a palm and his fingers rapidly flashed. At the same time, he began to form a couple of seals in a somewhat unfamiliar manner.
The seals had just been formed when that vast, mighty palm suddenly arrived. It heavily struck Xiao Yan"s palm!
"Boom!"
An invisible ripple surged out like a wave. Xiao Yan"s seated body shot back, leaving behind a deep gully along the way.
"Boom!"
Xiao Yan"s fist violently smashed against the ground. It formed a ten-foot-deep pit before his body was stabilized. He slightly turned his head, only to see that there were only three meters or so until the red line.
Xiao Yan had once again received her attack in a miserable fas.h.i.+on. However, the searing heat within his eyes became more intense. He stared at Cao Ying and laughed, "Again!"
Cao Ying"s expression slightly changed. She inhaled a deep breath of air. Her right hand maintained a seal for a moment before it slowly changed. After which, a majestic palm that was a couple of times stronger than earlier appeared just like a storm. It carried a soul-stirring dragon roar, which resounded over the hall!
Xiao Yan suddenly widened his eyes when Cao Ying"s palmprint, accompanied by a spiritual storm, rushed away from her palm. His fist changed to a palm, and his palm into a seal!
When Xiao Yan"s extremely unfamiliar hand seal was unleashed, his vast, mighty Spiritual Strength began to swiftly agglomerate with a kind of special trajectory!
Cao Ying"s eyes suddenly narrowed when she saw Xiao Yan"s hand seal. A shocked expression appeared on her face for the first time!
This was because the unsmooth hand seal was the exact same hand seal she had unleashed earlier!
Chapter 1149: Being Victorious
Xiao Yan"s hand seal was choppy and slow. He appeared like someone who had just learned it. While his hand seals were being formed, the majestic Spiritual Strength that permeated around him was swiftly gathered. An invisible spiritual palmprint vaguely formed around his palm. However, this palmprint being formed was a little illusionary when compared to Cao Ying"s…
Cao Ying"s eyes were shocked as she stared at the hand seal, which Xiao Yan was unfamiliar with. It was as though a great storm was churning in her heart. She had never expected Xiao Yan to remember all of her hand seals in his mind within this short instant. Of course, the thing that caused her to feel the greatest disbelief was that Xiao Yan had not only memorize the changing hand seals, but he was also able to use them after just seeing them!
When Cao Ying had come into contact with this Soul Skill for the first time, she had practiced it for a long while before she was able to gradually understand the combination method between the Spiritual Strength and the finger seals. However, at this moment… Xiao Yan was able to do this after a short few minutes. This kind of thing… even she, who was said to possess demonic talent, could not help but feel shocked.
Of course, this did not mean that Xiao Yan"s talent far exceeded that of Cao Ying"s talent. After all, his Spiritual Strength had already been displayed until the pinnacle during these years of training. This Spiritual Handprint that Cao Ying had displayed was not a very high cla.s.s Soul Skill. Hence, Xiao Yan being able to fiddle around and grasp some of its tricks was not something difficult to understand…
Xiao Yan had already established an incomparably firm foundation for basic things. As long as he was given some opportunity, the difficulty he would experience while mastering a Soul Skill would be many times easier than that of an ordinary person.
These things were all things that Cao Ying was unaware of. It was due to this that she still felt incomparably shocked upon seeing this scene.
The huge spiritual storm quickly became larger in Xiao Yan"s eyes. As the spiritual pressure neared, Xiao Yan"s quick and choppy hand motions became more smooth and the changes in his finger started to seem like he was almost done….
Xiao Yan"s eyes were staring firmly at the spiritual storm that was rus.h.i.+ng over. An instant later, his changing hand seals suddenly paused. A low, deep cry erupted from his throat!
"Hah!"
The cry was just like thunder. After which, his mysterious palmprint was heavily pushed forward!
The sharp sound of whistling wind suddenly resonated within the large hall after the palm was pushed out. That invisible palm imprint carried some permeating Spiritual Strength as it collided with that spiritual storm in front of the anxious eyes within the large hall.
"Bang!"
The two collided and a low, deep explosion immediately resounded over the interior of the large hall. The souls of quite a number of people emitted a piercing pain at this moment…
"Cras.h.!.+"
Invisible spiritual ripples swept out from the point of collision and spread over the stone floor of the arena. At this moment, the floor was completely shattered into a cl.u.s.ter of powder. Dust flew in all directions, causing the visibility of the large hall to be significantly reduced…
The raging spiritual storm continued for nearly one minute or so before it slowly disappeared. At this moment, those miserable human figures were finally able to stand up. After which, numerous eyes instantly turned to the arena that had been destroyed and was completely different now.
Dust gradually settled on the arena. The scene within was absorbed by the eyes of everyone in the hall.
Xiao Yan was seated on a rock platform that was less than one meter in radius. There were a couple of bottomless holes in front of him. At this moment, his sleeves were completely tattered. His appearance was a little miserable.
The area within a thirty-foot-radius around Cao Ying, who was in front of Xiao Yan, was fine. Even the clothes on her body still appeared clean. However, the current her revealed a solemn expression. Her eyes were unblinking as she stared at Xiao Yan across from her.
From the appearance of the two, it was obvious that Xiao Yan was at a disadvantage…
Elder Cheng, who had already withdrew into the distance, finally sighed in relief after seeing that the fight between the two of them had come to an end. After which, he drifted over. His eyes looked all around him as he involuntarily shook his head with a bitter smile. These two people were really destructive manics…
"Three palms are up. You have won…"
Cao Ying gently sighed. She elegantly stood up and softly informed him.
Xiao Yan slightly smiled when he heard her words. He stood up, coincidentally revealing the red line behind him. He had received all of her three palms and was not sent out of the red circle. According to the rules, he had won this match…
Cao Ying"s words had just sounded when the interior of the large hall immediately became much quieter. The expressions of those members of the Cao clan had become a lot stiffer. They had never expected Cao Ying to lose…
"This b.a.s.t.a.r.d is really lucky."
Cao Dan"s face was green as he softly cursed.
"Xiao Yan is not an ordinary person. Other than Cao Ying, none of the members of the younger generation within the Cao clan could contend with him…" Cao Xiu faintly continued. "This is only the initial exchange. If they meet during the Pill Gathering, Xiao Yan might not be able to beat Cao Ying…"
Cao Dan"s expression became uglier upon hearing Cao Xiu words. He had once exchanged blows with Xiao Yan. Back then, Xiao Yan might have been very strong, but he had definitely not reached this current level. Clearly, during these short few months, the other party was swiftly improving. However, this improvement speed… was really a little too shocking.
The silence within the interior of the large hall continued for a moment before it was broken by waves of soft surprised gasps. It was the first time that they had seen Cao Ying admitting defeat in front of someone from the same generation during all these years…
The name Cao Ying was really too well-known within the Pill Region. The t.i.tle of witch contained a reputation under her fierce and incomparable ability. It was indeed very difficult to find someone from the same generation who was comparable to her…
Ye Zhong and Xin Lan in the Ye clan"s seats revealed faces that were filled with shock and excitement because Xiao Yan"s result. Xiao Yan had submitted a perfect answer sheet during this test that caused even them to feel disbelief. First in all three sections. This result was likely something that the Ye clan had only obtained during its peak…
"The Ye clan… is saved…"
The Little Fairy Doctor and Tian Huo zun-zhe also smiled after seeing the excitement-filled faces of those two. Her pretty eyes immediately slid to the skinny back in the arena. He had never disappointed anyone from the start. No matter who his opponent was, he never lost his confidence. It was this kind of confidence, filled with vitality, that enabled Xiao Yan to be filled with an exceptionally alluring charm…
A person must ultimately believe in oneself in order to obtain true success.
"Miss Cao Ying, thank you for going easy on me. If you were to really attack with another palm, I might no longer possess the ability to receive it."
Xiao Yan randomly tore off the tattered parts of his sleeves in the arena. After which, he cupped his hands to Cao Ying and laughed in a clear voice.
"You are thinking of secretly learning this Spiritual Handprint of mine, right?"
Cao Ying spoke in a half-smiling manner while she lifted her pretty eyes after seeing Xiao Yan"s free and easy going manner.
Xiao Yan was involuntarily a little embarra.s.sed upon hearing Cao Ying"s straightforward. This Spiritual Handprint was not very difficult to learn. It was likely not a very high cla.s.s Soul Skill. However, for him, who had never practiced a Soul Skill, it was undoubtedly a rare treasure one would have a difficult time finding even if one had a vast amount of gold.
Cao Ying covered her mouth and laughed when she saw Xiao Yan"s embarra.s.sment. She gently s.h.i.+fted her footsteps and walked to his side. Her watery eyes stared at Xiao Yan"s face as she cunningly laughed, "If mister Xiao Yan has the time, we might perhaps be able to privately have an exchange. I also know some other Soul Skills. It will depend on whether you have the ability to secretly learn them…"
A faint fragrance came flying over. Xiao Yan looked at the bewitching face that was within close proximity. A ripple rose within his heart along with some caution. His face was expressionless as he smiled and said, "If I have the time, I will definitely find miss Cao Ying to spar…"
Although he had luckily won this fight, Xiao Yan understood that this was a warm up for a witch like Cao Ying. After this exchange, Xiao Yan clearly understood that this witch from the Cao clan was indeed not an ordinary person. She definitely possessed the ability to fight for the top three spots during this Pill Gathering!
This was because Xiao Yan could sense that Cao Ying had never truly used all her strength since the beginning!
This time around, he relied a little on his luck in order to secretly learn the Spiritual Handprint Cao Ying had displayed. Moreover, Cao Ying would naturally not share all of the Soul Skills she practiced with him as she had said. With what happened this time around, she would definitely prevent such a thing from happening again when she sparred with Xiao Yan in the future. Therefore, Xiao Yan could just imagine attempting to secretly learn those Soul Skills.
Based on Xiao Yan"s guesses, this witch was likely a little displeased at having suffered a small loss this time around. Therefore, she wanted to find a chance to get back at him…
Cao Ying was unconcerned when she saw Xiao Yan"s vague reply. After this contact, she had gained a simple understanding of Xiao Yan"s character that completely ignored what others said. She understood that the person in front of her would not easily fall for her beauty like the other men…
However… everything must be like this in order to be somewhat challenging, no?
"The Pill Gathering is about to begin. Hopefully, I will be able to meet you there. I know… earlier, you also held back…"
Cao Ying"s pretty eyes meaningfully studied Xiao Yan. After which, the corner of her mouth was lifted into an arc that was filled with temptation. She immediately turned around and walked out of the large hall, leaving Xiao Yan with the sight of a lazy yet haughty figure.
Xiao Yan looked at that figure and gently sighed. This woman was not easy to deal with…
Chapter 1150: Unwelcomed Guest
Everyone within the hall watched as Cao Ying led the members of the Cao clan out of the hall. They faced each other and quietly sighed. No one had expected such a dark horse to suddenly appear in this five great clan test. Even Cao Ying from the Cao clan could not suppress him…
Some people did not wish to stay for long after the test ended. Hence, they began to turn around and leave one after another. Some of the factions which had some relations.h.i.+p with the Ye clan in the past also began to greet Ye Zhong at this moment. Although the Ye clan had declined, they had managed to keep their position within the five great clans. In the future, they would also maintain an Elder"s Seat. Their position might not be comparable to the Cao clan, but it was not something that an ordinary faction could compare with…
Ye Zhong smiled in the face of the greetings by these people. The Ye clan might have some time to breath during this period of time, but they did not have the capital to be arrogant. After experiencing days of decline and desperation, Ye Zhong clearly knew what words to say that would be beneficial to the Ye clan in the future.
Xiao Yan randomly replaced the clothes on his upper body. After which, he slowly walked to the Ye clan"s seats and smiled at Ye Zhong and the others.
"Big brother Xiao Yan, are you alright?" Xin Lan hurriedly inquired after seeing Xiao Yan walk over.
Xiao Yan grinned and waved his hand. He was just about to speak when his eyes slid. He saw the Dan clan walking toward them with Dan Xuan at the front.
"Greetings to Elder Ye Zhong."
Dan Xuan cupped his hands to Ye Zhong before swinging his head to Xiao Yan. He smiled and said, "Ke ke, mister Xiao Yan really surprises others. It is unexpected that even Cao Ying is unable to deal with you…"
Xiao Yan had a good impression of Dan Xuan. He and Cao Xiu were the same in that they were people who would accept their loss and would not act like Bai Ying. Hence, after seeing Dan Xuan taking the initiative to congratulate him, Xiao Yan also smiled as he said, "You have witnessed my awkwardness (humble phase). She had yet to use her full strength. Otherwise, I would not have been able to endure her attacks…"
While he spoke, Xiao Yan"s eyes involuntarily slid to the young lady behind Dan Xuan. At this moment, she was staring at him out of curiosity. A bright redness immediately surfaced on her face when she saw Xiao Yan looking over. She immediately shrank her head like an ostrich and hid behind Dan Xuan.
"Ke ke, this is my younger cousin sister. She doesn"t really like people she is unfamiliar with…" Dan Xuan spoke apologetically.
Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head. He had come into contact with this young lady before and knew that there was something strange about her. Moreover, from the way Cao Ying had looked at her earlier, it was obvious that this young lady was someone who did not reveal her true strength. However, Xiao Yan felt surprised that he was unable to sense Dan Chen"s spiritual fluctuation…
"Mister Xiao Yan, if you have free time in the future, you can come to the Dan manor within Holy Pill City. At that time, I will definitely share a hearty drink with you…" At this moment, the large hall was in a mess and Dan Xuan was unwilling to stay for long. After chatting a little with Xiao Yan, he smiled, cupped his hands together, and gave his goodbye.
Xiao Yan"s eyes sent Dan Yuan"s group out of the large hall. Only then did he turn his head to Ye Zhong"s group and shrug his shoulders. This was the good thing about displaying one"s strength. It allowed one to be held in high regard by the others.
"Since the test is over, we should also leave…" Xiao Yan stretched his lazily waist and laughed.
"Wait…" A voice suddenly sounded behind Xiao Yan after he uttered those words. Xiao Yan turned his head around with some uncertainty, only to see Elder Cheng hurrying over with a face full of smiles.
"Elder Cheng, is there a matter?" Xiao Yan did not dare to slight Elder Cheng as he hurriedly asked with a smile.
Elder Cheng smiled and fondled his beard. He first turned his eyes to Ye Zhong and sighed, "Ye Zhong, congratulations. You have retained your position in the five great clans…"
"This is all thanks to Elder Cheng helping us deal with the situation. The Ye clan will firmly remember this great favor." Ye Zhong bitterly smiled as he replied.
Elder Cheng waved his hand. His eyes landed on Xiao Yan as he commented with a smile, "However, your Ye clan has really found an outstanding helper this time around… you are called Xiao Yan, right?"
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded.
"I have heard of your matter with the Ice River Valley… Yao Chen is your teacher, right?" Elder Cheng smiled as he inquired.
Xiao Yan"s eyes turned slightly cold. Before he could reply, Elder Cheng waved his hand and laughed, "There is no need to be so anxious. If we are to talk about it, even the old me received Yao Chen"s advice back then…"
Xiao Yan"s heart relaxed a little. He hesitated for a moment and decided not to hide who his teacher was. After which, he slowly nodded his head.
"Ugh, that old fellow"s eyesight is still that sharp… how envious." Elder Cheng sighed. His tone contained an envy that could not be hidden.
Xiao Yan could only smile at these words.
"The reason you have come to the Pill Region this time around should be because of the Pill Gathering right?" Elder Cheng changed the topic and suddenly asked.
Xiao Yan did not hide anything regarding this. He immediately nodded.
"The Pill Gathering is about to begin… however, I am hoping for you will come with me to the Pill Tower before then. Perhaps it might be helpful for you…" Elder Cheng fondled his beard and suggested in a serious manner.
Xiao Yan was a little started when he heard his words. He asked with some hesitation, "Go to the Pill Tower?"
Xiao Yan had always adopted a fearful and respectful att.i.tude toward the Pill Tower. This large being was able to rank alongside the Hall of Souls. It was likely that its strength was extremely terrifying.
"I think that the a.s.sociation head and the others would be interested to meet you. Meeting them would not be detrimental to you…" Elder Cheng solemnly explained after having sensed Xiao Yan"s hesitation.
"a.s.sociation head?"
Xiao Yan"s heart pounded. A person addressed like this by Elder Cheng, who was one of the eight great Elders of the Pill Tower. Who else could it be other than the three mysterious heads of the Pill Tower?
"From what I witnessed, it seemed that you were extremely interested in Cao Ying"s Spiritual Handprint. Her Spiritual Handprint was learned from the Pill Tower…" Elder Cheng laughed. His voice was tempting.
The temptation was not useless. Xiao Yan"s eyes turned to Elder Cheng almost immediately. He mused for a moment before slowly nodding. With the strength and position of the Pill Tower, there was no need for them to play any tricks if they wanted to harm him. Hence, it should be alright to accept…
"Ke ke, let"s agree on this matter. I will personally head to the Ye manor to bring you to the Pill Tower in a couple of days…" Elder Cheng finally smiled and replied after seeing Xiao Yan nod.
Xiao Yan grinned and nodded again after hearing the elder"s words. He chatted for a moment longer with Elder Cheng before leaving the large hall with Ye Zhong and the rest…
The smile on Elder Cheng"s face was slowly withdrawn as he watched Xiao Yan"s back disappear into the distance. He muttered, "From what the a.s.sociation head had said, the Hall of Souls will dispatch some people to partic.i.p.ate in this Pill Gathering. This Three Thousand Burning Flames must not land in their hands. Therefore, all the Pill Tower could do was try its best to search for some trustworthy people with skills to beat the Hall of Souls…
The test of the five great clans was considered quite a grand event within the Holy Pill City. Quite a number of factions were paying attention to the outcomes. Hence, soon after the test was over, what had happened within the large hall appeared to have grown wings as the news spread…
The Ye clan had obtained the top position. This information was like a heavy bomb to the factions and people waiting for the humiliation of the Ye clan. Many people had even been discussing whether or not the Ye clan was qualified to retain its position among the five great clans. However, this sudden information seemed to have given them a ruthless slap, causing many people to fill with disbelief.
After the information began to spread and become clearer, some of the people understood the reason for this matter. All of this was due to a young man named Xiao Yan…
Hence, within a short few days, Xiao Yan had become a hot topic within Holy Pill City. Many people were extremely interested in him. A dark horse comparable to Cao Ying had suddenly appeared…
While the outside world had turned into an uproar over this matter, Xiao Yan had begun to keep an extremely low profile. He seldom left the Ye manor, choosing to stay within it all day. He quietly practiced the Spiritual Handprint he had secretly learned from Cao Ying.
Time slowly flowed by amid this quiet training of his…
The start of the Pill Gathering approached following the flow of time. With this approaching Pill Gathering, a ma.s.sive crowd began to flood into Holy Pill City. Almost every part of this s.p.a.cious area was filled with a countless number of human figures. Some of the inns and hotels in the city were completely full…
This region had become the place where a countless number of gazes in the Central Plains region gathered.
Xiao Yan was seated on a stone chair with his eyes shut in a quiet courtyard deep within the Ye manor. Both of his hands were forming numerous mysterious hand seals at a very slow rate. If one were to carefully observe, one would discover that these hand seals formed the Spiritual Handprint Xiao Yan had secretly learned from Cao Ying back then…
Although Xiao Yan was considered slow at using these hand seals, he no longer looked as unfamiliar with them as he had back then. Moreover, with the change of his hand seal, the Spiritual Strength between his eyebrows would automatically spread out. Immediately, it orbited the seals in a unique way.
The change in the hand seals continued for around ten minutes or so before it slowly stopped. Xiao Yan"s eyes were slowly opened. A turbid air was gently released from his throat…
The turbid air left Xiao Yan"s body. Xiao Yan slowly stood up and placed both of his hands behind him. After which, he turned his body, and his dark-black eyes stared at an empty s.p.a.ce within the courtyard. He faintly asked, "Since you are here, why are you still hiding yourself?"
"You are indeed worthy of being that old fellow Yao Chen"s disciple. Your perception is quite good…"
A slight fluctuation immediately materialized from that empty s.p.a.ce after Xiao Yan"s voice sounded. Soon after, a human figure wrapped in a black robe slowly surface from the distorted s.p.a.ce…
Xiao Yan"s eyes stared at the unwelcome guest. He could sense a familiar feeling from the other party.
"Someone from the Hall of Souls?"
Xiao Yan"s tone was icy as he suddenly asked.
"Ke ke, I have heard that the Bone Chilling Flame of that old fellow Yao Chen is with you. I am here to borrow it." The black-robed human figure laughed. A deep-blue flame slowly rose from his body after his voice sounded…
Xiao Yan"s eyes suddenly narrowed when he saw the deep-blue flame.
"Sea Heart Flame?"
Chapter 1151: Mysterious Black Robed Person
The deep-blue-colored flame appeared extremely mysterious. The flame was like transparent sea water that slowly spread apart as it rose. Its faint ripple was just like ripples of water…
The Glazed Lotus Heart Flame within Xiao Yan"s body fluctuated the moment this deep-blue flame appeared. He was not unfamiliar with this kind of fluctuation because every time a Heavenly Flame met another Heavenly Flame, both flames would form this kind of special fluctuation…
Moreover, Xiao Yan was also familiar with this deep-blue flame. He had seen it on Han Feng"s body back then…
Sea Heart Flame, a Heavenly Flame ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking…
Xiao Yan"s eyes stared at the deep-blue flame on the black robed person"s body. A moment later, his voice was a little deep as he asked, "Han Feng"s Sea Heart Flame?"
Back when Han Feng had reappeared after having been rescued by the people from the Hall of Souls, he had lost this Sea Heart Flame. From what he had said, it had been taken away by the Hall of Souls. Now, this person, who had suddenly appeared in front of him, was a member of the Hall of Souls. It was obvious that this Heavenly Flame was the Sea Heart Flame that Han Feng had lost!
"Ke ke, your eyesight is not bad…" The black-robed person did not deny this as he faintly laughed. Under his black robes, his glowing eyes stared at Xiao Yan in a somewhat heated manner. He said, "I know that you possess more than one Heavenly Flame in your body. The reason I have come to look for you this time around is not to capture you and bring you back to the Hall of Souls. That is something for the others to do. My ultimate aim… is the Qi Method you practice!
"The Qi Method that allows Heavenly Flames to merge with each other!"
A killing intent that was difficult to suppress suddenly rose within Xiao Yan"s heart as he sensed the searing hot eyes under the black robes. Flame Mantra was his greatest secret. Anyone who dared desire it needed to be killed!
"This is Holy Pill City. The limbs of the Hall of Souls really reach far…" Xiao Yan laughed in a cold and dense manner. The Dou Qi within his body appeared like floodwaters as it whizzed and surged forward. His entire body remained in an extremely cautious state. In order for this black-robed person to appear in this place in such a quiet manner, that person"s strength must be terrifying. At the very least, Xiao Yan sensed a dangerous aura from the other party that required him to treat this person seriously.
"That Qi Method is something that I had gotten my hands on first. However, that old fellow Yao Chen used a despicable method to s.n.a.t.c.h it from me. I am currently only taking back the thing that belongs to me…" The black-robed man softly laughed. He raised his head slightly. With the help of the moonlight, one was able to see a little of the man"s pale chin.
Xiao Yan"s eyes immediately focused when he heard this man"s words. He knew the Flame Mantra was something that Yao Lao had found from damaged ruins back then. Moreover, it was rumored that countless numbers of experts had been attracted to the ruins. Although Xiao Yan did not personally witness what happened, he could guess that an intense battle had to have erupted for the things that remained.
"I know that there are two elite Dou Zuns within this place. However, I have already used a Spiritual Lock in this small courtyard. They will not be able to discover anything for some time…" The black-robed person moved his sleeve and a shriveled hand that seemed to be nothing but skin on bone slowly extended from his sleeves. He clenched his hand and a cl.u.s.ter of deep-blue flames was swiftly formed into something like a ball.
"Hand over the Qi Method and I will spare your life tonight…"
Xiao Yan coldly laughed. A silver glow flashed under his feet, and he appeared on the wall of the small courtyard. A jade-green flame surged out and smashed into the invisible barrier on the wall.
"Bang!"
A low, deep sound appeared. Xiao Yan"s punch was unable to break the invisible barrier. All it did was cause some ripples to appear.
"Stubborn fellow. Do you think that you are Yao Chen?" The black-robed figure"s voice had become cold when he saw what Xiao Yan attempted. He randomly waved his sleeves and the deep-blue flame swiftly agglomerated into a blue-colored fire spear. With a swing, the spear cut through the empty air, transforming into a blue shadow that shot toward Xiao Yan with a sharpness.
Xiao Yan"s expression was ice-cold. His body shook and the sound of thunder appeared. His body disappeared from the spot almost instantly and dodged the blue-colored fire spear.
"Sea Restraining Net."
The hand of the black-robed person suddenly grabbed at the empty s.p.a.ce behind him after Xiao Yan"s figure disappeared. Numerous deep-blue fire lines shot from his five fingers. They swiftly intertwined with each other to form a fire net, which wrapped around the empty air.
"Chi!"
An enormous heavy ruler suddenly hacked down and appeared where the fire net had rushed over. It continued down with great might and ruthlessly slammed into the deep-blue-colored fire net.
Sizzle sizzle!
The Glazed Lotus Heart Flame collided with the Sea Heart Flame and a sizzling sound immediately erupted. The two types of Heavenly Flames began to wildly corrode each other…
"Break!"
Xiao Yan"s eyes turned chilly during the erosion. The jade-green flame suddenly erupted and violently danced, forcefully splitting apart the deep-blue fire net.
Xiao Yan"s body swiftly pulled back. While he did so, the jade-green flame on his hand was split into two, transforming into the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame. After which, they merged once again. Within a short few breaths" time, an exquisite jade-green fire lotus appeared…
With Xiao Yan"s current strength, creating this fire lotus by merging of two flames had already reached the point where it was easy as he please…
Xiao Yan flicked his finger after the fire lotus was formed. It carried a beautiful firetail as it rushed toward the black-robed person.
Xiao Yan waved his hand after the fire lotus rushed over. The Earth Demon Puppet appeared. Under Xiao Yan"s order, the puppet charged at the black-robed person without any fear of death. At the same time, Xiao Yan"s body once again pulled back and appeared by the invisible barrier. Both of his fists appeared like a storm as they swiftly landed on the barrier. This caused the Spiritual Lock to continuously form ripples.
"Not a bad Dou Technique. It is able to merge Heavenly Flames. Looks like that Qi Method has been beneficial to you…" The black-robed person smiled in a dense manner. The deep-blue flame, that adhered to his ten fingers, swiftly moved in the s.p.a.ce in front of him. Immediately, a cl.u.s.ter of deep-blue flames agglomerated into the shape of a fireball. After which, the fireball split to form a fissure that swallowed the jade-green fire lotus.
The deep-blue-colored fireball had just swallowed the jade-green flame when an unusually powerful explosion materialized within it. The fireball exploded apart. Jade-green flames shot in all directions, destroying the tidy, small courtyard and turning it into complete chaos.
The jade-green flame was around five feet from the black-robed person when the Sea Heart Flame automatically launched an attack, reflecting it away. Hence, this Angry Buddha Lotus Flame failed to cause even the slightest harm to the black-robed person. From this, one could tell just how terrifying the strength of the black-robed person was.
The black-robed person flicked his finger after blocking the attack of the fire lotus. Over a dozen deep-blue fire lines shot from the tip of his finger. After which, they firmly trapped the Earth Demon Puppet that had rushed over. It was unable to break the entanglement of the fire ropes regardless of how it struggled…
"With your strength, you are still unable to break the Spiritual Lock that I have placed…"
The black-robed person faintly spoke. He looked at Xiao Yan, who was using his strength to attack the Spiritual Lock, with indifferent eyes after easily resolving the fire lotus and the Earth Demon Puppet.
"Bang!"
Xiao Yan"s fist violently smashed against the barrier. His expression became uglier as he looked at the spreading ripple. It was unexpected that this mysterious, black-robed person was actually this strong. Based on his guess, the strength of this person had likely reached a three star or even a four star Dou Zun!
Although Xiao Yan"s expression was a little ugly, he did not lose focus. This black-robed person might be strong, but Xiao Yan was not some persimmon that anyone could randomly knead…
"I do not have much time. If you continue to remain stubborn, you should not blame me for killing you…" The black-robed man"s eyes were indifferent as they stared at Xiao Yan. He gently stepped through empty air and slowly took one step at a time toward Xiao Yan. This was Holy Pill City. His actions must not be made known to others. Otherwise, if those people from the Pill Tower were to discover them, things would definitely be quite troublesome.
Xiao Yan expression became ice-cold as he glared at the black-robed figure slowly walking over. He flicked his finger and a wisp of jade-green flame shot onto the Earth Demon Puppet a short distance away, blasting apart the fire ropes binding its body.
The Earth Demon Puppet"s body moved after it was freed. It rushed in front of Xiao Yan and stood before him like a metal tower…
Xiao Yan widened his mouth after rescuing the Earth Demon Puppet. A jade-green flame was spat out before splitting into the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame. He rubbed the dark-black ring on his finger and a dense-white Bone Chilling Flame appeared…
"Ha ha, three types of Heavenly Flame? Not bad, not bad. The rumors are indeed true. Looks like I will gain a lot this time around…"
The black-robed person was a little surprised when he saw the three cl.u.s.ters of Heavenly Flames in front of Xiao Yan. He immediately let out a loud laugh as he clenched his palm. The deep-blue flame rushed out of his palm. It slowly spread apart and completely wrapped around him. Looking from a distance, that black-robed man appeared just like a fire G.o.d, looking extremely mighty.
Xiao Yan"s eyes were dangerous. He inhaled a deep breath of air and a grayish-white-colored flame slowly rolled up his throat…
"Life Transformation Flame…"
A chill surged within Xiao Yan"s eyes as he looked at this grayish-white flame in front of him. He immediately waved his hand, and he started to merge the four types of flames together in front of the stunned gaze of the black-robed person.
"Are you courting death?"
The expression of the black-robed person slightly changed. His body moved, and he transformed into a black shadow that shot toward Xiao Yan with lightning-like speed. The deep-blue flame was swiftly gus.h.i.+ng out of his palm.
The speed of the black-robed man was extremely swift. He seemed to have merged with s.p.a.ce as he had appeared in front of Xiao Yan the moment he moved. His hand was curled, and he carried a sharp force that ruthlessly grabbed at the top of Xiao Yan"s head.
Xiao Yan was just about to activate his Three Thousand Lightning Movement to dodge after sensing the black-robed person"s sharp attack when a slight shattering sound suddenly resounded over the courtyard. Xiao Yan"s swept around, only to find that the invisible barrier, that had covered the courtyard, had been shattered into a countless number of tiny spiritual fragments…
A vast aura suddenly swept down from the stars when the spiritual barrier was broken. At the same time, a calm voice that was filled with vicissitude slowly reverberated over this small courtyard.
"The territory of the Pill Tower is not one that will allow your Hall of Souls to act wildly…"
The face of that black-robed person immediately changed when this voice sounded. He lifted his head to look at the sky as he cried out in a hoa.r.s.e voice, "Xuan Kong Zi?"