(Thirty) A Gentleman

Yao Xingji fled like a stray dog, no longer having any intention of buying anything in the attic.

If Yao Xingji had just been shouting "thirty years," still had some youthful spirit, now he could only pray in his heart that Xiao Yan would have some shame.

Yao Xingji aware of the situation of the Yao Clan. Their lives were basically divided into two parts: refining medicine within the clan and being beaten outside the clan.

The Soul Clan is already facing enough difficulties with the Yao Clan, but the Yao Clan doesn't dare to utter a sound, and even their Patriarch can't seek justice from the Soul Clan.

Not to mention the Gu Clan who were locked in fierce battles with the Soul Clan.

Xiao Yan didn't continue to make things difficult for this person named Yao, after all, the big shot who was with him had already spoken, so he should just give him a token amount.

They casually strolled around the third floor. These people were no longer as indifferent as before, and had become extremely interested in Xiao Yan —even Dou Zun expert could not suppress their desire to please an Eighth Grade Alchemist.

But now it was Xiao Yan's turn to be aloof. No matter how much these Dou Zun Xiao Yan at him with burning eyes, Xiao Yan remained calm and silent.

The items on the third floor were indeed much better than those on the first two floors. Some items even had a faint Spiritual Qi surrounding them, somewhat similar to the rare and precious herbs Xiao Yan ate in the Gu Clan.

Clearly, these foods that Xiao Yan had eaten had no power to move Xiao Yan.

It wasn't until he passed a certain stall that Xiao Yan's eyes lit up.

"What is this?" Xiao Yan asked, picking up a blood-red cocoon.

The old man swallowed his words of "Don't touch if you're not buying" and smiled at Xiao Yan, saying, "This is a piece of jade I found in an Ancient Ruins. Although I don't know what it's made of, I couldn't break it even with my full strength, and even using my Dou Technique on it had no effect."

"Hehe, if this jade stone weren't so small, I would have already stuffed it into my chest as a 'Heart-protecting Stone'."

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and examined the object repeatedly, turning it over and over. He even flicked his wrist to create a wisp of flame, using the flame to observe the object through the light.

The old man grimaced at the sight, worried that he had missed something valuable, and also felt a chill run down his spine at the power of the flames, fearing that the jade would be destroyed and he would be questioned.

However, Xiao Yan had no intention of destroying the object; he merely doubted the old man's judgment— Xiao Yan always felt that it resembled the cocoon of some kind of insect -Magical Beast, and was by no means as simple as jade.

"What's the price?" Xiao Yan asked.

"Hehe, if you like it, Master, I'll give you this jade..."

"Alright then." Xiao Yan nodded, interrupting the old man, and then put the jade into his Storage Ring.

The old man opened his mouth, but the second half of his sentence was stuck in his throat. If he spoke it, it would displease Xiao Yan; if he didn't speak it, it would leave the old man feeling choked up. For a moment, he was caught in the middle, unable to say anything or not, and his old face turned slightly red.

Xiao Yan, however, pretended not to notice the old man's embarrassment at all, and turned to leave with Gu Xing.

The old man knew perfectly well that it was wishful thinking to expect Xiao Yan to refine a Pills for him using such a useless trinket. He could only try to persuade him to stay.

"Master, why don't you leave Soul Communication? That way, if I find something I don't understand next time, I can easily contact you and ask you to take a look."

Xiao Yan paused, flicked a Jade Slip with his backhand, and it shot towards the old man. Wherever it passed, even the space itself was scratched with a thin but dark crack.

The old man's expression hardened, and he raised his hand to block the path of the Jade Slip. His powerful Dou Qi circulated wildly, gathering in his palm and piling up layer by layer to form a buffer layer that intercepted the Jade Slip.

However, the Jade Slip was not a very durable object, and despite the old man's best efforts to preserve it, he was unable to do so.

"Click-click-click..."

With a faint cracking sound, cracks appeared on the Jade Slip as it collided with the Dou Qi. Even the Flame Mark at the center of the Jade Slip was split into eight pieces.

Fortunately, the Jade Slip withstood the final impact and did not shatter completely; it could still be used two or three more times.

The old man looked distressed, but quickly cheered up again— Xiao Yan had given him a chance this time, but he hadn't fully seized it. As long as he prepared more good things for the next contact, getting another Soul Communication wouldn't be difficult...

Xiao Yan left the pavilion and returned to the courtyard arranged by the Pill Tower.

This Trading Fair was a great success, and it also made Xiao Yan realize the privileges that Alchemist have in the Dou Qi Continent.

Seventh Grade Alchemist is qualified to be ranked alongside Dou Zun expert, and Eighth Grade Alchemist can even make Dou Zun expert appear humble.

According to Xiao Yan's understanding, the Northwest Continent where the Jia Ma Empire is located has no Dou Sheng Expert or Eighth Grade Alchemist. The local powerhouses there are at most High-level Dou Zun, and the number of Alchemist who have reached the seventh grade can be counted on one hand.

From this perspective, it seems quite reasonable that the Alchemist's level automatically corresponds to the level of someone with a higher Dou Qi cultivation.

However, Dou Emperor has disappeared from the Dou Qi Continent, and Emperor-Grade Alchemist no longer exist. The strongest are the Peak Dou Saint and the intermediate ninth-grade Alchemist (who can refine Ninth Grade Profound Pill).

Among the current Peak Dou Saint, Hun Tiandi probably considers Alchemist to be a threat, and Gu Yuan doesn't seem to consider them an Alchemist either. At the very top, the identity of Alchemist seems to have little effect, belonging to the level of "I'll respect you if you obey, but I don't care who you are if you don't obey".

"Ultimately, it still depends on cultivation level. There is an ancestor in the Pill Tower who seems to have been transformed from Ninth Grade Profound Pill, and his strength seems to be around Five-star Dou Sheng. If there really is Ninth Grade Profound Pill, it is probably ineffective against Peak Dou Saint."

"I'm afraid it would require Ninth Grade Golden Pill Core."

Therefore, Xiao Yan set a small goal: after cultivating to the Peak Dou Saint, he would taste the saltiness of Ninth Grade Golden Pill...

The waiting time was long. In the following days, Xiao Yan attended several more auctions. With the mindset of shopping and since he was already there, he bought a few items. However, he did not encounter two oversized items in a row like he did the first time.

However, Xiao Yan was not disappointed. After all, once his luck was used up, he needed time to replenish it. If he kept over-consuming his luck, he would die.

Gu Xing also seized the last moments before the start of the Pill Gathering to collect dozens of Medicinal Herbs and, together with the Dream Crystal Butterfly Spirit Crystal, completed the awakening of his spirit. Not only did his Soul Power increase greatly, but his potential also rose, and his Dou Qi directly broke through to the Eight-star Dou Ancestor.

After passing the Pill Tower test, Gu Xing has reached the peak of the Sixth Grade, and is only one step away from becoming Seventh Grade Alchemist.

This level of skill is sufficient to register for the Pill Gathering and pass the preliminary rounds to compete in the final stage.

Therefore, Gu Xing also signed up for the Pill Gathering without hesitation, following in Xiao Yan's footsteps and vowing to act as Xiao Yan's vanguard.

This is understandable, as Gu Xing's potential was almost fully developed. He might be able to break through to the Dou Zun in his lifetime, but that would only happen when he was very old. Meanwhile, the Black Annihilation Army was mostly composed of young people.

At that time, Gu Xing might be able to secure a sinecure job managing a herb garden or warehouse by virtue of his limited alchemy skills, but that would be his life.

Having followed Xiao Yan for only two years, he is poised to break through to the Eighth Grade Alchemist and become an elder of the Gu Clan's Alchemy Department, with even more opportunities to inherit his legacy in the future.

If we follow this for another ten years, what will happen?

Therefore, on the very day the Pill Gathering began, Gu Xing followed Xiao Yan into the trial space.

The first stage is a pure preliminary selection. The trial space is filled with Mirage Qi that can cause hallucinations, as well as a large number of Space Fold that will disqualify anyone who touches them and eliminate them from the trial space.

To pass this test, one only needs the Soul Power of Sixth Grade Alchemist to meet the basic requirement of breaking through the Mirage Qi, and the strength of Dou Ancestor realm to be able to perceive Space Fold.

Besides that, what's needed is a bit of unwavering willpower and the patience to discern the path without arrogance or impatience.

After passing the first stage, the contestants arrived at a Small Space that resembled a transfer station.

Inside the Small Space was an old man riding a giant tortoise, Gu Xing recognized—he was one of the Eight Great Elders of the Pill Tower, an Eighth Grade Alchemist, responsible for issuing the mission details for the second stage, maintaining order among the participants, and trying to identify any potential members of the Soul Hall.

The second challenge also presents a trial space where participants must find the corresponding Medicinal Herbs within a constantly shattering Small Space.

The Small Space has existed for a long time and is inhabited by some powerful Magical Beast, all of which live in the areas where the Medicinal Herbs required by the Pill Tower grow.

To obtain the Medicinal Herbs, one must compete with these Magical Beasts.

Of course, most importantly, the Pill Tower will not interfere with what happens inside the trial space.

Every contestant around you could be a source of danger.

After entering the space, Xiao Yan waited for a moment before seeing Gu Xing approaching.

"Young Master, I saw a group of people gathered together, seemingly trying to unite against the Magical Beast here," Gu Xing reported as soon as he arrived.

"Let me elaborate," Xiao Yan said, raising his hand.

"They gathered on the outskirts of a place called the Myriad Medicine Mountain Range, where the Medicinal Herbs they needed grew. However, there was a Fierce Beast at the Seventh Grade Peak, Half-step Eighth Grade, so no one dared to be the first to step forward."

"I probed it briefly and could sense a deadly danger—that Fierce Beast has most likely broken through to the Eighth Rank."

Gu Xing is efficient and decisive. Although she entered at the same time as Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan only had to wait a short while, she was able to find useful information, not even counting the time spent traveling. This is truly remarkable.

Xiao Yan pulled out a large, life-sized rock and sighed, saying, "You're really something else. I've been here for so long and this is all I've found."

Gu Xing stared intently, and then the corner of her mouth began to twitch slightly.

The stone emitted a yellowish-brown halo, which was not dazzling, but it exuded a heavy aura like the earth, giving people a feeling of immovability.

"Thousand Year Profound Yellow Marrow, such a large piece, is probably just as tempting to Earth Attribute experts as Profound Yellow Flame. Even Peak Dou Zun level expert could increase their chances of breaking through to the Half-Saint by refining it..."

"But for me, even using it as a bench is too uncomfortable! Why don't I just step on the Profound Yellow Flame?" Xiao Yan's face was full of pain.

Gu Xing selectively ignored the phrase "stepping on it" and instead imagined it as "using his powerful Soul Power to barely detect something amiss underground, digging to find this rare treasure, and then revealing the aura of a Dou Zun, which scared away the demons and monsters that tried to snatch it, allowing him to take it into his possession."

With this thought in mind, Gu Xing's mood improved considerably, and he immediately flattered Xiao Yan, saying, "Young Master, don't be discouraged. The Profound Yellow Flame will ultimately be yours to keep!"

"That's true." Xiao Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with Gu Xing's words at all. He casually tossed the Thousand Year Profound Yellow Marrow to Gu Xing and said, "Take this back to your clan and exchange it for some good stuff!"

"Thank you for the reward, young master!" Gu Xing's face lit up with excitement.

For Xiao Yan, he can get whatever he needs just by asking, but for Gu Xing, he needs to earn merit to get what he wants.

With such a Thousand Year Profound Yellow Marrow as tall as a person, Gu Xing felt he could obtain the resources to cultivate to the Peak Dou Zun.

"Alright, let's go check out that Ten Myriad Medicine Mountain Range. There's a bunch of Alchemist gathered there, and so many 'chickens' with no fighting ability. I don't believe the Soul Clan will hold back." Xiao Yan said casually.

"Yes, young master!" After saying that, Gu Xing took out a silver-white mask from his Storage Ring: "This is a little gadget that can conceal your aura. It's enough to make the Soul Clan people not recognize you, young master, so you can continue with your original plan and not affect your watching the show."

"Look at what you're saying!" Xiao Yan scolded, putting the mask on his face. He felt a cool and comfortable sensation. "I'm not here to watch a show. I just can't bear to see so many promising young people fall into the hands of the Soul Clan. They all have bright futures ahead of them!"

"Young Master Min Tian is so compassionate. Such a magnanimous and noble character is truly admirable. I was judging a gentleman by my own petty standards!" Gu Xing said, bowing his head and clasping his hands.

With one master and one servant, one willing to give and the other willing to receive, Gu Xing wholeheartedly played the straight man and cooperated with Xiao Yan. The two of them chatted and joked for a short while before arriving at the Ten Myriad Medicine Mountain Range.

Looking out, the World Energy in the Myriad Medicine Mountain Range formed wisps of white mist that lingered around the mountain peaks, adding a touch of mystery to the mountains.

It seemed that the energy was too concentrated, even affecting his Soul Power slightly. Xiao Yan could only vaguely sense that there was a bear and many Medicinal Herbs inside, but he couldn't feel anything specific.

"What a sight! Perhaps it's due to a different environment? Even at Little Medicine Mountain, I've never seen mist formed by the World Energy. The last time I saw this scene was in the Heavenly Tomb!" Xiao Yan exclaimed.

"To receive praise from the young master, the existence of the Myriad Medicine Mountain Range over so many years can finally be considered to have some meaning," Gu Xing said solemnly.