Old Yao's Seclusion—Had They Already Run Out of Medicinal Ingredients?

"Teacher, you also know that the Origin Energy cultivated by the Pantry Elder of my Xiao Family is a power different from our Dou Qi. Though these two powers differ, both are transformed by refining Heaven and Earth Energy."

"Spiritual Power and Soul Power also share a relationship of two halves born as one."

"Take a look and see whether it is of any use to you."

Handing the booklet to Old Yao, Xiao Yan looked at him expectantly.

In the present-day Dou Qi Continent, Dou Qi had flourished to its peak, while other cultivation systems had declined to the extreme. Even Alchemists' methods of cultivating the soul were rarely passed down in the world.

Even when they existed, they were merely incomplete mnemonics, utterly incomparable to the complete Talisman Master System of the Profound Sky Continent.

If Teacher could gain some insight from it like his father had, then they would have a few more chances of victory when dealing with Wu Protector in the future, right?!

Xiao Yan thought to himself.

After hearing Xiao Yan out, Old Yao curiously accepted the booklet as well.

"The spirit divides into yin and yang; the movement of spirit is the beginning of life..."

Soul Power held the booklet aloft as Old Yao focused his gaze upon it. The obscure and unfathomable mnemonics slowly sounded through the room.

That was only natural. As a Talisman Master of Yan City, Gu Ying cultivated the Divine Movement Chapter of the Yan City Symbol Master Association. Of course, the Talisman Master System did not place high demands on cultivation methods, and the Divine Movement Chapter was more than sufficient.

Gradually, Old Yao's expression grew absorbed, while his originally illusory figure steadily became more solid.

To be honest, the passages of mnemonics in this manual were exceedingly obscure. Yet for some reason, Old Yao could understand them very quickly. It felt as though he truly possessed the talent to become a Talisman Master.

"Talisman Master cultivation requires a Mud Pill Palace. Teacher does not even have a physical body, so he probably cannot cultivate it. Still, this Spiritual Power cultivation method is not without use."

Looking at Old Yao's considerably more solid soul, a delighted smile appeared on Xiao Yan's young face.

"Little Yanzi, this Divine Movement Chapter has given your teacher some insight. I need to enter seclusion and sleep for a while. If anything urgent happens, you may wake me."

"If all goes smoothly, once I emerge from seclusion, my Soul Power should become even more condensed. When possessing a body, I should be able to wield the strength of a Four-star Dou Zong!"

After remaining motionless like a statue for nearly half an hour, Old Yao suddenly swept up the booklet while floating in midair, transformed into a streak of light, and shot into the Ancient Ring. Only an urgent sentence slowly faded beside Xiao Yan's ear.

"Four-star Dou Zong!"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up at those words.

It seemed Teacher had gained no small benefit this time. Mere insight had condensed his Soul Power by so much.

One had to know that Teacher had previously said he could barely display the strength of a Dou Zong while possessing a body. "Barely" meant the strength of a One-Star Dou Zong who had just entered that realm.

Yet now, he had actually said that after leaving seclusion, his strength could directly reach Four-star Dou Zong!

"Hehe, the more Teacher recovers his strength, the better. I promised Second Brother I'd get him more pills."

Scratching the back of his head, Xiao Yan put the ring on his hand. He did not linger in the room and hurried toward the Great Elder's courtyard.

The Great Elder was responsible for purchasing medicinal ingredients, so Xiao Yan intended to ask how the procurement had gone.

"Hahaha, I was wondering why the magpies kept chirping today. Turns out the Young Clan Leader has returned."

The Great Elder, who was usually composed, could not help becoming more talkative before Xiao Yan. His wrinkled old face bloomed like a chrysanthemum.

Xiao Yan helplessly shook his head. Looking at the Great Elder, who had just finished cultivating, he said with a smile, "Hehe, there are enough Pure Yuan Pills this time. The three elders' strength should rise another step as well."

With Pure Yuan Pills, high-level Martial Arts Techniques, and cultivation insights from the Form Creation Realm, these resources combined gave the three elders—already Eight-Star Great Dou Shi—a tremendous chance of advancing further.

"Ahahaha, it is all thanks to the Young Clan Leader's blessings!"

The Great Elder grinned from ear to ear. The way he looked at the youth also carried even greater reverence.

A year ago, the Xiao Family Three Elders had still hovered around the level of Two-Star Great Dou Shi. In merely one year, they had broken through to Eight-Star Great Dou Shi.

Although there was certainly the reason of accumulated progress finally bearing fruit, the greater reason was the boost provided by the Pure Yuan Pills and Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills!

Xiao Yan had brought all of those!

"By the way, Great Elder, how has the procurement of ingredients for the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill and the other pills gone?"

Only after the Great Elder's laughter gradually faded did Xiao Yan ask.

Even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice.

No matter how brilliant Old Yao's alchemy was, if they could not gather the medicinal ingredients, everything would be in vain.

"This..."

"Within the Jia Ma Empire, we have collected every medicinal ingredient for refining Fourth-Grade Pills and Fifth-Grade Pills. The only remaining stock is likely held by three forces: the Imperial Family, the Alchemist Guild, and the Misty Cloud Sect."

A troubled expression appeared on the Great Elder's face.

The Northwest Continent was impoverished after all, and resources were scarce.

Over the past year, Old Yao had refined quite a few pills. The Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill and Beast Power Pill were only some of them.

More than ten Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills alone had been refined. It would be impossible to gather more ingredients in the short term.

"The Mite'er Family's commercial reach should extend beyond the Jia Ma Empire, right? I remember they also traded in other nations. Can't we purchase supplies from the Chu Yun Empire and the Luo Yan Empire?"

After hearing this bad news from the Great Elder, Xiao Yan could not help furrowing his brow.

If they did not solve the issue of medicinal ingredients, the future development of the Xiao Family and Lin Family would be significantly affected.

However, faced with Xiao Yan's question, the Great Elder shook his head and sighed. "Sigh, Young Clan Leader, you do not understand. That is all Old News."

"In the past, the Mite'er Family had the support of Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, one of the previous generation's Empire's Top Ten Experts. Naturally, the powers of various nations had to show them some respect."

"Especially after the previous Two Nations Expert Tournament, hosted by the Chu Yun Empire, when the Ice Emperor fought a Dou Emperor and a Dou Wang of the Chu Yun Empire by himself, his fame spread far and wide. The Mite'er Family's business operations once reached first-rate cities across several empires."

At this point, admiration and longing appeared on the Great Elder's face, followed by a bitter smile.

"But good times did not last! The Ice Emperor has not shown himself for many years. A man is innocent, but his wealth invites trouble. Without a Dou Emperor overseeing them, the Mite'er Family's businesses outside the Jia Ma Empire had long since been swallowed up by the powers of other nations."

It was not only their businesses abroad.

Even within the Jia Ma Empire, the Imperial Family had swallowed quite a few of their businesses through various means.

Had the Mite'er Family's Great Elder Teng Shan not broken through to the Dou Wang realm, they might not even have been able to retain their position among the Three Great Families of the Imperial Capital.

"So that is how it is."

After hearing the Great Elder's account, Xiao Yan finally understood.

Right. The Mite'er Family's strength was limited, and they could not spread themselves too thin. Gathering medicinal ingredients within the Jia Ma Empire was already their limit.

But in that case, considering the close cooperation between the Xiao Family and the Mite'er Family, he should find time to invite Hai Bodong back.

Xiao Yan stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

He had known a year ago that Hai Bodong was in the Tagor Desert. There was a reason he had not gone to bring Hai Bodong back.

At the very least, before gathering the ingredients needed to refine the Po'e Pill, Hai Bodong's existence could not be exposed.

After all, the missing Hai Bodong was merely missing, and he still carried some of a Dou Emperor's deterrence.

But if others learned that he had been afflicted by a seal and only retained the strength of a Dou Ling, then the Jia Ma Imperial Family and other powers, already restless, might not remain obedient!

Now, though, once Teacher grasped some of the Talisman Master's methods, perhaps he could undo the Serpent Seal Curse on Hai Bodong without needing the Po'e Pill.

Seeing Xiao Yan deep in thought, the Great Elder remained silent.

"This matter is not urgent for now. During the two days Father and I were away, did the Misty Cloud Sect make any moves?"

His eyes faintly flashing, Xiao Yan changed the subject.