Ren Yaozi, Yao Xingji

Elder Wan Huo and the others were thrilled as well. One more Pill Grandmaster meant a qualitative transformation for the Yao Clan. The Yao Clan now had two Mysterious Pill Grandmasters and four Pill Grandmasters. They could mass-produce Ninth-Grade Profound Pills with virtually no risk! The Yao Clan's strength would surely rise to another great height in a short time!

"Our Yao Clan is truly about to flourish..." Yao Dan murmured. "Yao Chen, consider this Nine-grade Treasure Pill a gift from the Clan Leader to welcome you back to the clan. Do not think your Clan Leader stingy. If there is anything else, the Clan Leader will do his utmost to help you resolve it."

"Thank you, Clan Leader!" Yao Chen said, dropping to one knee and cupping his fists. Even compared to other Nine-grade Treasure Pills, the Eight Desolations Primordial Spirit Pill was an exceptionally difficult pill to refine. This pill could raise a low-star Dou Sheng below the Three-star Dou Sheng level by two minor levels. If he consumed the Eight Desolations Primordial Spirit Pill, he could rise directly from the Late Two-Star Dou Sheng stage to the mid Three-star Dou Sheng stage, saving several hundred years of cultivation!

"Clan Leader, Yao Chen does have something he wishes to ask." Yao Chen opened his mouth, then asked hesitantly, "I wonder where my disciple is cultivating now?"

"During this time, I had Ling'er guide Xiao Yan in studying alchemy, hoping he could become an Eighth-Grade Advanced Alchemist as soon as possible." At this point, Yao Dan frowned slightly. "With Xiao Yan's strength and comprehension, along with Ling'er guiding his practice, refining an Eighth-Grade Seven-Colored Pill should take him only three days. Yet there has still been no word from either of them. That truly surprises me."

"The transformation, extraction, and solidification are already complete. Now, only the most crucial and dangerous step remains—pill condensation. If anything goes wrong in this step, all the medicinal ingredients in this cauldron will be ruined." Almost at the same moment, Yao Ling stared at the milky-white vortex of pure energy inside the medicinal cauldron and spoke gravely.

"If there is anything Xiao Yan can do to help, Sister, please do not hesitate to ask!" Xiao Yan declared brightly. Over the past few days, he had watched Yao Ling's entire alchemy process with unwavering concentration. Combined with Yao Ling's detailed explanations, he had indeed improved greatly in alchemy. Even if he were to refine an Eighth-grade Eight-color pill now, his chance of success would not be below fifty percent!

"Then lend me a hand. It will also let me see whether you have been paying attention in this lesson." Yao Ling raised her delicate brows and replied sweetly. As they chatted and laughed, the two acted at once, joining forces to condense the pill.

More than ten days passed like this. On the morning of the thirteenth day, an immensely powerful energy fluctuation spread from within the medicinal cauldron. In the blink of an eye, the skies above the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion churned with wind and clouds. After several violent surges, a nine-colored thundercloud appeared strikingly in the sky!

"Sister's alchemy is truly superb. You refined an Eight-grade Nine-color pill in a single attempt. Xiao Yan is deeply ashamed of his inferiority," Xiao Yan praised sincerely upon seeing the nine-colored thundercloud. He could also sense that Yao Ling's aura was somewhat stronger than before she began refining. She had likely entered the peak of the Nine-Revolutions Dou Zun stage and was only one step away from the Saint Stage.

"Tch, you do not really think refining a mere Eight-grade Nine-color pill could leave me in such a bedraggled state, do you?" Though exhausted from the refinement, Yao Ling still shot Xiao Yan a fierce glare upon hearing this. She immediately tapped off the ground and soared into the air, forcibly receiving the Nine-Colored Pill Lightning before grabbing the refined pill in her hand.

"The pill Sister refined this time is a Ninth-Grade Pill called the Four Symbols Primordial Spirit Pill. Although it is among the lowest-grade Ninth-Grade Pills, unable to summon Black Demon Lightning during pill condensation and only capable of summoning Nine-Colored Pill Lightning, it is still a proper Ninth-Grade Pill!" Yao Ling smiled broadly at the pill she had refined.

The Four Symbols Primordial Spirit Pill, like the Eight Desolations Primordial Spirit Pill, was a type of Ninth-Grade Pill that could raise the consumer's Dou Qi cultivation. However, unlike the Eight Desolations Primordial Spirit Pill, the Four Symbols Primordial Spirit Pill could only be consumed by peak Nine-Revolutions Dou Zuns or low-level Half Saints. Even then, it only had a fifty-percent chance of raising their cultivation by two levels. Yet this was precisely the pill Yao Ling needed most right now.

"Then does that not make Sister Yao Ling a Ninth-grade Treasure Pill Grandmaster now?" Xiao Yan praised repeatedly upon hearing this.

"No, no, no. I am still an Eighth-Grade Nine-Colored Alchemist. Only after refining a Ninth-Grade Pill capable of summoning Black Demon Lightning can one be considered a Ninth-grade Treasure Pill Grandmaster." Yao Ling blinked. "Thank you, Mister Xiao Yan, for helping me refine the pill. You must be tired as well, so you should return and rest early. Perhaps some trouble is waiting for you."

The two walked out of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion one after the other, drawing countless envious and jealous gazes. Yao Ling had always been the icy beauty adored by all within the Yao Clan. Yet over the past ten days, she had stayed in the same room as Xiao Yan and even personally taught him alchemy. This truly filled the Yao Clan's men with jealousy, and several gazes were even brimming with intense killing intent.

Sensing the killing intent in those gazes, Xiao Yan gave a bitter laugh. He swiftly shook off Yao Ling and ran back to Tianya Garden, leaving Yao Ling secretly amused. He had come to the Yao Clan solely to obtain the Nine Nether Wind Flame. He had no desire to provoke any other trouble or romantic entanglements.

However, trouble could sometimes not be avoided. Early the next morning, Xiao Yan was awakened by the sound of someone pounding on his door. Rubbing his eyes, he stepped outside and saw a muscular man with a Medicine Gourd emblem on his forehead staring at him, killing intent surging in his eyes.

"Yao Xingji of the Yao Clan. People in the clan prefer to call me Ren Yaozi, because even among the younger generation of the Yao Clan, I am considered an exceptionally brilliant genius," Yao Xingji said arrogantly.

"Yes, yes, yes, I admit that you are a genius." Xiao Yan yawned. "Is there anything else? If not, I am going back to sleep."

"Stop right there!" Yao Xingji said furiously. "I will show you that our Yao Clan is not without people!"

"If you want to fight, I, Xiao Yan, am ready to accompany you at any time." Killing intent surged in Xiao Yan's eyes. He had never liked stirring up trouble, but if someone took the initiative to provoke him, he would show no mercy.

"Please wait, both of you. The Clan Leader has an oral decree for Xiao Yan." A beautiful woman dressed in blue drifted gracefully over. That exquisite, captivating face and lovely figure belonged to none other than Yao Ling.

"What oral decree?" Xiao Yan was overjoyed, inwardly praising Clan Leader Yao Dan for being so considerate.

"Little Friend Xiao Yan, giving you the Nine Nether Wind Flame exceeds the limits of my discretionary authority. Therefore, whether you can obtain the Nine Nether Wind Flame does not depend on me, but on whether you can restore the Xiao Clan's former glory. If you can restore the Xiao Clan's glory, then those people in the Elder Council will have no choice but to agree to hand the Nine Nether Wind Flame over to you." Yao Ling pulled Xiao Yan aside and quietly relayed Yao Dan's oral decree into his ear.

After hearing the decree, Xiao Yan could only grin bitterly. What was meant to come could not be avoided after all...

"I will remain with Mister Xiao Yan for the next few days. All sparring matches must stop at the proper point. If anyone harbors killing intent toward Mister Xiao Yan, I, Yao Ling, will be the first to refuse." Yao Ling looked seriously at Xiao Yan, then added, "That last sentence was not from the Clan Leader. I added it myself. If the Clan Leader did not want Mister Xiao Yan to make a name for himself in the clan, I would have simply dealt with all these ignorant fools myself."

Looking at Yao Ling's breathtakingly beautiful face, Xiao Yan's bitter smile deepened. After thinking it over, he ultimately swallowed the words, All this trouble was caused by you, and replaced them with a heavy nod. Yao Ling said nothing more and retreated over a hundred paces away within a few breaths.

"Xiao Yan, die!" Seeing Yao Ling whisper to Xiao Yan for so long, Yao Xingji became even more crazed as he charged at Xiao Yan.