Unadorned Splendor

Xiao Yan settled down in Sacred Pill City, in a fairly spacious courtyard.

Of course, this courtyard was for Xiao Yan to live in alone. The Black Annihilation Army and the powerful figure responsible for protecting Xiao Yan each had a place to live, all near the courtyard, which together occupied an area of over a thousand meters in radius.

This is the benefit of status and position—during the Pill Gathering, Sacred Pill City was overcrowded. While ordinary people were struggling to find accommodation, the Pill Tower had already prepared everything for Xiao Yan.

"Young Master, there are also some Trading Fair in Pill Saint City. Would you be interested?"

This is the captain in charge of gathering information. Although Xiao Yan lacks nothing, he can kill time by wandering around when he has nothing to do.

"What level of Trading Fair are these?" Xiao Yan asked casually, toying with the Eighth Grade Alchemist Medal that Xuan Kongzi had sent him.

"Even the strongest among them are some Dou Zun. With your current strength, young master, you might be able to come across some rare little gadgets," the captain continued.

"Alright then, I have nothing to do anyway, let's go for a walk." Xiao Yan replied, stretched out a big yawn, twisted around in the recliner, and then got up.

The captain, however, dared not slack off and asked again, "Young Master, would you like to keep a low profile?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Yan looked down at the Eighth Grade Alchemist Medal. It had eight golden cloud patterns on it, and A Tower was hidden in the cloud patterns. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but if you looked closely from different angles, it would present different appearances, giving people a sense of understated luxury.

"Then let's have a luxurious yet understated trip!" Xiao Yan said in a lighthearted tone.

The captain fell silent.

Xiao Yan looked at the young man who had suddenly crashed, sighed, and took out an Eighth Grade Pill from his Storage Ring and stuffed it into his arms.

"Hiss—" The captain gasped sharply, instantly coming to his senses. "Young Master exudes luxury in every gesture, yet he is incredibly humble!"

After the baptism, the captain felt a cool sensation rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His previously confused mind instantly became crystal clear, and he gained a deep understanding and resonance with the young master's unique gaze.

"Young Master, I suggest you wear a robe made of Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk. The Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm itself can reach the Seventh Tier level, and some of the best can even reach the Eighth Rank, which is enough to rival the Dou Zun. Only when the Seventh Tier Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm breaks through to the Eighth Rank will it spin silk and form a cocoon."

"To obtain the Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk, you must seize the opportunity when the Seventh Tier Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm breaks out of its cocoon and becomes a butterfly. Collect the broken cocoon within three days, otherwise its spirituality will dissipate."

"After this Magical Beast breaks through, it becomes the Eighth Rank Dream Crystal Butterfly, with Soul Power approaching the Spirit Realm. Ordinary Dou Zun are no match for it. At least Five-Star Dou Zun or above is needed to have a chance to find it."

"Most importantly, on the surface, the Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk doesn't look much different from ordinary ice silkworm silk. It's just an object that insulates against the cold in winter and releases coolness in summer. Only those whose Soul Realm has broken through to the Spirit Realm can perceive the Spiritual Radiance swirling around the Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk."

"Therefore, while the robes made of Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk may appear ordinary on the surface, in the eyes of the strong, the young master is surrounded by radiance, enough to dazzle their eyes."

After listening, Xiao Yan suddenly realized that this captain was a real talent. "Impressive! I've never even heard of Magical Beast like the Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm."

"Young Master, you flatter me. When I was a child, I discovered that my Fire Attribute Dou Qi contained a trace of Wood Power. I dreamed of becoming an Alchemist, but even after cultivating to the Dou Wang realm, I am still only a Third Grade Alchemist. I had no other choice but to seek out some rare and precious materials to enhance my Soul Power. I have been reading through many unorthodox books."

"If this Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm breaks out of its cocoon and becomes a butterfly, the wings of the Dream Crystal Butterfly can generate Dream Crystal, which can 'enlighten' the soul and Spirit Ascension potential to a certain extent. It is said that souls that have been enlightened can basically break through to the Spirit Realm."

The captain looked regretful.

"You're also an Alchemist?" Xiao Yan's eyes widened as he looked the captain up and down, as if he were meeting him for the first time today.

"Cough cough, it's nothing to mention. Even at the Seven Star Dou Zong, I can only barely refine some Sixth Grade Pill, and the failure rate is not low. Unlike you, young master, who can refine Eighth Grade Pill as easily as eating and drinking at the Dou Ancestor realm." The captain puffed out his chest and said.

"No wonder you came to find Medicinal Herbs for me." Xiao Yan shrugged. "What's your name, kid?"

Embarrassingly, Xiao Yan hadn't actually noticed the captain's name. When they first met, the kid didn't introduce himself either, just stood there quietly, doing whatever Xiao Yan said without any extra emotion.

As a result, Xiao Yan once regarded the Black Annihilation Army as some kind of inhumane place.

"Gu Xing, captain of the Black Annihilation Army 4399th Brigade!" Gu Xing suddenly performed a special salute.

"4399? I feel there's a chilling feeling about this number..." Xiao Yan scratched his head and waved his hand, saying, "Go prepare the Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk, and see if you can collect the Dream Crystal Butterfly Spirit Crystal. Put it on my tab."

"Yes, young master!" Gu Xing replied with exceptionally firm and powerful words.

Gu Xing turned and left the courtyard. Xiao Yan had spent a great deal of effort in instructing Gu Xing, so he leaned back and lay down on the recliner behind him, his eyes slightly closed, enjoying the beauty of sunbathing.

It's a pity Xun'er isn't here; otherwise, holding Xun'er and gently inhaling the fragrance emanating from her would have been even more comfortable.

Xiao Yan thought to himself.

Gu Xing acted quickly, or rather, Pill Tower acted quickly. After Gu Xing made the request, the elder from Pill Tower responsible for communicating with Gu Xing immediately took action and found the necessary items in the inventory.

The Dream Crystal Butterfly Spirit Crystal are easy to obtain; if you're using them for spirit awakening, just prepare one set.

The Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk is more troublesome. The Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm itself is not very big, and the cocoon it produces is only the size of a head. To make a set of clothes, you need at least ten cocoons.

However, Alchemist are the wealthiest group on the Dou Qi Continent, Pill Tower, as the publicly recognized benchmark of Alchemist, is extremely wealthy. The next day, they gathered everything Gu Xing needed.

So Xiao Yan, dressed in a white robe with a medal pinned to his chest, followed by Gu Xing, arrived at a pavilion.

Gu Xing was naturally different from the one Xiao Yan had described. He was dressed in Black Combat Suit, and although he wasn't carrying a weapon, the murderous aura emanating from his brows clearly identified him as a bodyguard.

Although Xiao Yan has broken through to the Dou Zun, Gu Xing is still a Dou Zong.

Those members at the Dou Wang level, following Xiao Yan's pursuit of "keeping a low profile," did not stay with him.

With his hands in his pockets and a confident smile on his lips, Xiao Yan leisurely stepped into the pavilion. The two security guards at the door, who were originally responsible for verifying identities, were instead drawn to the medal on Xiao Yan's chest.

They initially showed suspicious glances, but quickly concealed them, replacing them with fawning smiles. They assumed Xiao Yan was some old monster with an amazing ability to maintain his youthful appearance, or a descendant of some old monster, and dared not voice their doubts.

Although they couldn't understand the Illusion Dream Ice Silkworm Silk, they could recognize that the Eighth Grade Alchemist Medal was indeed genuine.

Therefore, this excessively young man is definitely someone they can't afford to offend...

Since he was in a relaxed mood, Xiao Yan did not go straight to the top floor, but instead looked around on the First Layer with great interest.

The atmosphere here is quite lively, with Dou Huang expert tirelessly hawking their wares, hoping to attract the attention of passersby. But when you are actually drawn in and try to buy something, you have to engage in a heated debate before you can barely reach an agreement and complete a transaction.

For a moment, Xiao Yan felt as if he had returned to the Xiao Family Market in Wutan City.

"It's truly nostalgic. If I hadn't been with Xun'er, I'd probably be managing Marketplace like this now," Xiao Yan remarked with emotion.

Gu Xing thought about the Xiao Family's situation, then glanced at the Dou Huang who was startled by Xiao Yan's medal on his chest and dared not shout loudly for fear of disturbing Xiao Yan, and thought of the spirit Dou Emperor lying in the Storage Ring. He nodded and said, "If we hand it over to the young master to manage, the Marketplace will definitely prosper."

Fortunately, Xiao Yan didn't dwell on it for long. He soon arrived at a middle-aged man's stall and began picking and choosing, so that Gu Xing didn't have to keep speaking against his conscience.

"At your age, you should have settled down and started a family by now, right?" Xiao Yan chatted while leaning on the stall.

Upon hearing Xiao Yan speak, the middle-aged man trembled violently, and almost blurted out, "Master, please take whatever you fancy; it would be my honor."

Gu Xing, standing to the side, glared at the middle-aged man, telling him to stop daydreaming.

"Yes, I am indeed married with children, but I can't say I've established a career; I'm just barely making ends meet," the middle-aged man said softly, taking a deep breath.

"What kind of things does your wife like? I mean, what kind of gifts do you usually give your wife?" Xiao Yan asked.

The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback, then breathed a sigh of relief and gave a knowing smile, "Hehe, this is something I'm good at. Master, you just want to make your sweetheart happy, right?"

Xiao Yan remained noncommittal, gesturing for the middle-aged man to continue, wanting to see what he would say.

The middle-aged man cleared his throat and said slowly, "With a master's status, position, and wealth, there is no rare item that he cannot obtain. Therefore, compared to ordinary people, choosing a gift has become much more difficult—no matter what he gives, it is difficult to create a sense of surprise."

"Indeed, especially since I'm living off her family. What I can get, she can get too," Xiao Yan agreed.

The middle-aged man paused slightly, the words he was about to say caught in his throat, and his mind seemed to freeze. However, the black-clad youth beside him, whose strength was impossible to discern, kept staring at him, so the middle-aged man could only forcefully continue:

"Actually, the most important thing is not what gift you give, but when you give it and how you give it. Of course, if it's something she likes, it will have an extra bonus."

"Does the master know what she likes?"

The middle-aged man's eyes already held a hint of envy, jealousy, and hatred, as if he wished he could take the place of the other man.

"What do you mean by 'like'..." Xiao Yan suddenly became very confused. After thinking for a while, and seeing the middle-aged man's gaze gradually shift to looking at the scumbag, he smacked his lips and said, "Does liking me count?"

Middle-aged man. "..."

Gu Xing: "..."

"If she simply likes you (blinded by love), then as long as you put your heart into it (just fool her), that is, spend time (talk to her casually), preferably when you are very busy (ignore her while talking nonsense), prepare a gift for her."

"Of course, it's best to choose something she needs recently, so it shows that you've always cared about her."

The middle-aged man took a while to calm down, but eventually managed to suppress his unusual emotions.

"Alright, then wrap this up for me and use it to replenish her blood," Xiao Yan said casually, pointing to an item.

Upon closer inspection, the middle-aged man discovered it was a warm, red Warm Jade. If a person with a fire element carried it, it would have a warming and nourishing effect on their meridians.

This piece of Warm Jade looks decent, but it has a crack, and its essence is constantly leaking out. It will probably be ruined soon, so it's just a rough piece and has no value for polishing.

The middle-aged man sighed, feeling sorry for the blind woman he had never met, but he didn't dare to say anything. He simply picked out a square, gold-inlaid gift box, placed the Warm Jade inside, and handed it to Xiao Yan, saying, "Since Master likes it, then I will give it to you. I also hope that Master and that 'happy' girl can be together for a long time."

"You're just giving it to me? That would be too much." Xiao Yan unceremoniously tore open the gift box, rummaging through the exquisite packaging, and took out the Warm Jade inside.

Gu Xing's expression suddenly hardened as he stared at the crack on the Warm Jade, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Since you're going to give them as gifts, why not give me more and give me all of these things? When I give them to you as gifts, I can say, 'I don't know what you like, so I'll just buy out the whole store and you can pick a couple of things that you like.' Wouldn't that be better?" Xiao Yan pressed his advantage.

The middle-aged man's breath caught in his throat, but the pressure from Gu Xing was too strong. Even though the middle-aged man despised Xiao Yan, he could only force a smile, "That's excellent. It greatly demonstrates the master's sincerity. If I were that girl, I would definitely be moved to tears."

"Gu Xing, put them all away!" Xiao Yan played with the Warm Jade in his hand, finding the rest of the items boring to look at, which further confirmed Gu Xing's guess.

The middle-aged man didn't resist at all; on the contrary, he got up to help enthusiastically, seemingly saying with a sigh, "It's perfect timing, we've sold out, and I can go home now."

"Just kidding, how could I take your things for free?" Xiao Yan stuffed a Seventh Grade Pill into the middle-aged man's hand.