Return to Tian Shu City, Plans for the Future, Xiao Yan: You Came at Just the Right Time

(5,000 words, which counts as two and a half chapters. There are still 3,000 words short. The following days will also be 5,000-word chapters to make up for the time I took leave yesterday.)

"It is indeed undoubtedly the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame."

The higher the ranking of Heavenly Flames, the rarer it is to have a second one.

Even if there are no quantity limits for other Heavenly Flames besides the Nihility Devouring Flame and the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, there is a high probability that there is only one top-tier Heavenly Flames.

The entrance to this Secret Realm realm is extremely unstable, yet I still managed to arrive here through various fortuitous encounters and came across the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame.

It's highly likely that the [Mysterious Yellow] Heaven-Swallowing Talent played a role.

"From this, we can even conclude that this Nine Dragon Lightning Flame is most likely the highest-ranking flame I can easily obtain right now." Xiao Yan pondered, not paying much attention to the thunder dragons.

Sensing Xiao Yan's attitude, the Ancient Thunder Dragon felt a sudden surge of panic and roared, "Human, what do you want?"

Xiao Yan asked succinctly, "Where do your flames come from?"

Thunder Dragon immediately understood what Xiao Yan wanted. Feeling the immense pressure Xiao Yan brought it, it hesitated for a moment before directly summoning the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame.

Silvery-white lightning flames surged from the Thunder Dragon's eye sockets and condensed in the air.

"Human, this fire was tamed by my master before his death, and I have tamed it after his death. I give this fire to you; leave at once!" said the Thunder Dragon.

Xiao Yan beckoned with his finger, and the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame in the air instantly transformed into a line of fire, flowing into his palm.

He extinguished the flames, but still did not break the Space Lock. Instead, he said, "The human you injured earlier was my partner's disciple. Shouldn't you compensate him?"

The greed in Xiao Yan's eyes was undisguised.

This vast Secret Realm, guarded by the belly of the Thunder Dragon, must have accumulated a great deal of resources.

How could he not try to take advantage of him?

"It was your partner's disciple who trespassed into my territory. I merely banished her arbitrarily. Otherwise, with her weak cultivation, how could she have survived until you appeared!" Lei Long was extremely indignant.

Xiao Yan knew this was probably true, but he was there to extort money, not to reason with anyone, so he didn't argue and said directly, "You're the one who injured me. Take me to where you store your resources. I'll take some things, and then we'll call it even."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan activated his [Myriad Beast] Heaven-Swallowing Talent.

Although Lei Long was only Two-Star Dou Saint Sheng, not much different from him, he wouldn't be given direct commands or control, but he could still exert some influence.

As expected, Lei Long's attitude immediately wavered, and he said helplessly, "Human, I hope you keep your word."

Next, Xiao Yan broke the Space Lock and went to a valley with Lei Long.

Upon entering the mountain space inside the valley, they saw a space filled with a massive amount of Medicinal Herbs and various metal treasures, piled up to a height of tens of meters, resembling a large mountain enclosing a smaller one.

Xiao Yan took a closer look and his eyes lit up.

Many of these Medicinal Herbs are ancient Medicinal Herbs that have long been extinct, which can help expand the variety of Medicinal Herbs in his Medicinal Garden.

In addition, there are some special Medicinal Herbs that he cannot force to mature in batches even with his own life force.

For example... a Gold-Grade Soul Infant Fruit!

Xiao Yan swallowed hard, becoming even more certain that his entry into this Secret Realm to rescue Nalan Yanran was inextricably linked to his [Mysterious Yellow] Heaven-Swallowing Talent. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?

Looking at the mountain of resources, Xiao Yan glanced at Lei Long and a thought suddenly came to mind.

Why not just recruit this thunder dragon to our side?

This way, they can not only take these resources legitimately, but also gain the combat power of a Two-Star Dou Saint.

When he goes to the underground Magma World to help Zi Yan evolve, and Yao Lao is in the Nine Netherworld Python Tribe, they need a powerful force to shake things up, so this Thunder Dragon is quite suitable.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yan directly invited, "Would you like to follow me from now on?"

Lei Long shook his head without hesitation. "No, it's too dangerous outside."

"Then you must have lived here for thousands of years. Even if magical beasts have long lifespans, you don't have much time left to live, do you? Are you willing to die of old age like this?" Xiao Yan said.

A hint of reluctance flashed across Lei Long's face, but he still insisted, "That's better than being slaughtered after we get out!"

Xiao Yan said nothing, opened his palm, and summoned the Life Spirit Flame. A rich life force spread out, and Lei Long took a few breaths, his body gained Split Flame, and his eyes suddenly brightened.

Xiao Yan explained, "This is the Life Flame, ranked fifth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, and it has the effect of prolonging life."

"Follow me, and I'll extend your lifespan several times over, how about it?"

Thunder Dragon's breathing instantly became heavy.

For a magical beast like it that fears death, dying of old age is extremely terrifying.

However, its bloodline has reached its limit, making it difficult to improve its cultivation level further, and naturally, it cannot extend its lifespan.

Therefore, the allure of the Life Spirit Flame was undoubtedly immense for him.

Compared to that, the dangers from the outside world don't seem so unacceptable...

Moreover, although the person in front of him posed a great danger to him due to his strength, he also felt a sense of closeness to him.

Thinking of this, Lei Long lowered his head, and a muffled, thunderous voice rang out. "Master!"

Outside the small world.

Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran were waiting at the exit.

Yun Yun murmured worriedly, "Please don't let anything happen."

Nalan Yanran's eyes also showed worry, and she clenched her fists.

Just as the master and apprentice were anxiously waiting, the space at the entrance suddenly began to fluctuate violently.

The next second, a terrifyingly huge thunder dragon flew out from it, its lightning even causing the heavens and earth to tremble.

Above the thunder dragon's head, a seemingly tiny figure controlled everything, pressing down on its hand to make the thunder dragon lower its head.

"Yun'er." Xiao Yan's figure flashed in front of Yun Yun, and he chuckled.

"Xiao Yan!" Yun Yun hugged him tightly, her soft body enveloping Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan's breathing quickened slightly as he patted Yun Yun's back to comfort her, "Don't worry, it's alright."

A sense of security washed over her, Yun Yun's emotions stabilized. Only then did she look at the thunder dragon that had brought her suffocating pressure.

"Xiao Yan, what is this?" Yun Yun asked.

Xiao Yan didn't hide anything and revealed how he had used the life-extending effects of the Life Spirit Flame to subdue the Thunder Dragon.

At the same time, he did not deliberately overlook the details of suppressing the Thunder Dragon at the beginning.

He was demonstrating his current strength to Yun Yun.

"Ancient Thunder Dragon, Two-Star Dou Saint, you... you even suppressed him?" Yun Yun's eyes showed disbelief.

In her perception, Xiao Yan was clearly only a half-body cultivator, even inferior to her, a Intermediate Half-Saint, who seemed to have only recently entered the Initial Half-Saint.

With this level of cultivation, he suppressed Lei Long, Two-Star Dou Saint?

"My physique has become stronger," Xiao Yan explained simply.

Yun Yun immediately recalled the scene when Xiao Yan relied on his physique to fight against Dou Zong Yan Luotian in the Misty Cloud Sect, and she understood.

Her gaze towards Xiao Yan softened, becoming slightly moist.

Nalan Yanran, standing to the side, was clearly not as quick to process what was happening. Her mind went blank, and she froze on the spot.

Even the Ancient Thunder Dragon, Two-Star Dou Saint, was no match for Xiao Yan?

Nalan Yanran was completely bewildered.

She never knew in her lifetime whether she had any hope of becoming a saint.

He has worked tirelessly for many years to obtain opportunities, and now he has barely broken through to the Dou Venerate. His speed is no slower than that of Yun Yun, who obtained the inheritance.

As a result, the gap actually widened?

Even after sitting atop the Thunder Dragon's head with her master Yun Yun and Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran remained lost in a void.

Her efforts were utterly pointless.

Starting from the Northern Region.

Riding the Thunder Dragon and traversing space, the three quickly returned to the Southwestern Region the Central Region.

Above Tian Shu City.

A spatial rift appeared.

The next second, a thunder dragon that blotted out the sky appeared, its body crackling with lightning.

Tian Shu City, crowds thronged.

Many powerful beings with Dou Venerate and even Semi-Saint cultivation levels appeared in Tian Shu City, looking up at the thunder dragon with eyes full of horror.

Dou Sheng!

The domineering aura of a saint caused everyone to involuntarily swallow hard.

Within the Tian Shu Alliance.

Qing Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, Yao Ling, Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, Hai Bodong...

The group flew into the air and confronted the Thunder Dragon.

Inside the city.

People from other factions also showed fear and immediately fled towards the Tian Shu City.

The sudden arrival of a Dou Sheng) in Tian Shu City makes it hard not to suspect that he intends to attack the Tian Shu Alliance.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, the people of Tian Shu in the sky saw Xiao Yan and his two companions atop the Thunder Dragon's head.

"Young Master Xiao Yan!" Qing Lin exclaimed excitedly.

Xiao Ding and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then also showed surprise.

How come he brought back a Ninth-Rank Magical Beast with the strength of a Dou Sheng after just one trip out?

Everyone looked at Xiao Yan with questioning eyes.

Xiao Yan simply nodded slightly, indicating that they would discuss the matter in detail later; at this moment, his gaze was entirely focused on Xiao Yi Xian.

"Peak Nine-Revolution Dou Venerate? Xian'er, you've truly gained a lot from this seclusion." Xiao Yan laughed.

Xiao Yi Xian nodded slightly, but her gaze fell on Yun Yun.

"Go to the Alliance and wait for me. I'll give the orders in a bit," Xiao Yan said to Xiao Ding and the others.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ding and his companions left the area.

"Xian'er, you two go and wait for me in the Small Courtyard," Xiao Yan said to Xiao Yi Xian.

At the same time, he also asked Yun Yun to take Nalan Yanran to the Small Courtyard to wait.

"Okay~ I'll wait for you." Yun Yun led Nalan Yanran away from the top of Thunder Dragon Head, and left with Xiao Yi Xian and the other girls.

There was no one else in the sky.

With a thought, Xiao Yan temporarily opened a Space Gate leading to the Medicinal Garden and let the Thunder Dragon enter.

The scene before my eyes is constantly changing.

In the lush green Medicinal Garden, Thunder Dragon excitedly exhaled hot breath from its nostrils.

"Such a fairyland, Master, where is this?" Lei Long asked curiously.

Xiao Yan introduced, "This is my Medicinal Garden. It's not as big as the Secret Realm you stayed in before, but it's enough for you to live in."

You stay here and guard the Medicinal Garden for me. Drive away anyone who doesn't have my scent on them.

In addition, if the Alliance encounters a formidable enemy, you can simply demonstrate your strength symbolically to force the opponent to retreat.

But I'm usually here, so I don't need you.

Lei Long nodded, surprised that life after his release was even more comfortable than he had imagined.

Being a gatekeeper? That's a good thing!

"Master, don't worry, I will keep a close watch on this place!" Lei Long said.

Xiao Yan didn't say much. He took out some Medicinal Herbs that weren't in the Medicinal Garden from his Storage Ring and planted them, further expanding the variety of Medicinal Herbs in the Medicinal Garden. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.

The Life Spirit Flame were unleashed, with most of the verdant vitality showering down on the newly planted Medicinal Herbs in the Medicinal Garden, while a small portion flowed into the Thunder Dragon's body, revitalizing its decaying form and making its aura even stronger.

"Thank you, Master!" Thunder Dragon said with delight.

Xiao Yan waved his hand and left the Medicinal Garden.

He wasn't afraid of the Thunder Dragon causing trouble, because he had already left some methods on the Thunder Dragon in the Secret Realm, and he didn't put any pressure on the Thunder Dragon. As long as the Thunder Dragon wasn't stupid, it would stay obediently.

After leaving the Medicinal Garden, Xiao Yan first went to the Tian Shu Alliance.

Inside the main hall, he briefly recounted his experience of subduing the Thunder Dragon in the Secret Realm realm to several high-ranking members of the Alliance, and left flame marks on them.

Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, Hai Bodong, Gu He.

The four core members now had the right to freely enter and leave the Medicinal Garden.

"By the way, brother, let's hold an exchange meeting soon and invite some Alchemist from outside, such as the one from the Ancient Clan who sparred with me on alchemy, a few from the Pill Tower, and the ones from the Burning Flame Valley..." Xiao Yan instructed.

Xiao Ding did not inquire about Xiao Yan's intentions, but simply nodded and said, "Yes, it will begin in twenty days, at most one month."

Xiao Yan nodded; he trusted Xiao Ding's abilities.

A month is not a short time; it's enough for him to reveal and spread the news of the Life Spirit Flame and attract Yao Wangui. At that time, whether he kills this old dog directly or uses him to trade with the Yao Clan, it's a good choice.

After giving his instructions, Xiao Yan left the main hall.

Only a few people remained in the main hall, exchanging glances and processing the information that Xiao Yan could now subdue the Two-Star Dou Saint Lei Long and that their side now had an additional Two-Star Dou Saint combatant.

As members of Xiao Yan's inner circle who had followed him for a long time, they were quick to adapt and soon dispersed.

Everyone just stood up a little straighter.

In the Small Courtyard.

When Xiao Yan returned, Yun Yun had already finished recounting the first half of the story.

Upon seeing Xiao Yan return, all the women looked at Xiao Yan with curious eyes.

Xiao Yan smiled helplessly and then briefly recounted how he had subdued the Thunder Dragon.

Of those present, only Yao Ling showed a surprised expression.

The others had been amazed by Xiao Yan's deeds countless times, and now they simply smiled with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

For the rest of the time, Xiao Yan chatted and spent some time with the women.

Nothing important happened, just talking with my loved one naturally lifted my spirits.

Time passed until late at night.

The moonlight was dim and ambiguous. Yun Yun was reluctant to get up and leave when Xiao Yan grabbed her hand.

"Yun'er, Music Valley probably doesn't need you to manage things all the time, right?"

It's been a long time since we've spent much time together.

"Stay and keep me company," Xiao Yan said earnestly.

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Yun Yun felt her body go limp and become unable to move. Being stared at by another woman made her heart pound with shame, yet also gave rise to a strange joy.

"Yanran... Master will stay here for a while. You should go back to Music Valley alone and tell the elders that I won't be returning for some time," Yun Yun instructed.

Nalan Yanran nodded silently and flew away from the Small Courtyard.

She flew out of the Small Courtyard and glanced back at the people inside.

Even Yao Ling are included.

She... is truly superfluous.

After leaving Yun Yun behind, seeing that it was getting late, Xiao Yan told everyone to go back to their rooms to rest, and he personally arranged a room for Yun Yun.

"Yun'er, how is this room?" Xiao Yan asked, standing at the doorway.

Yun Yun looked at the clean and tidy room and nodded slightly. "Very good~"

"Okay, then go to bed early." Xiao Yan smiled and turned to leave.

Yun Yun pursed her lips, reached out but then withdrew her hand. The shame in her heart made her dare not take another step.

only...

"Will Xiao Yan suffer terribly? Queen Medusa isn't here. If I can't help him, how will he suffer...?" Yun Yun thought of reasons and gradually convinced herself, completely ignoring the fact that she was already Flooding Golden Mountain and butterflies were flying everywhere, making her even more unable to hold back.

Halfway through his journey away from Yun Yun, Xiao Yan pondered his next steps.

The first aspect is resources.

He can absorb two of Zhukun's five drops of essence blood, which will be enough to raise his physical cultivation to the Late Four-Star Dou Sheng.

The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame can be used to exchange for resources in the future, or it can be used as a bargaining chip in future trade with the Yao Clan for the Nine Nether Wind Flame.

There are currently two Gold-Grade Soul Infant Fruit left. One is a leftover from last time, which I specially kept for the Yao Ling.

One of the items obtained from this Secret Realm can be given to the Huang Quan Demon Saint to accelerate the Huang Quan Demon Saint's soul recovery speed.

Secondly, there are the tasks to be done.

Go to the Ancient Void Dragon Clan Ancient Void Dragon Clan use their resources to further enhance your strength.

At the same time, we also need to find out the location of the Void Lightning Pool from the Ancient Void Dragon Clan. This is not only to temper our bodies in the Void Lightning Pool, but also to try to use the Black Demon Thunder of the Thunder Pool to refine pills with no cost and with great profit.

The main goal is to see if I can subdue and absorb the Nine Profound Golden Lightning to enhance myself and awaken new Heaven-Swallowing Talent.

Because the whole affair is too continuous and will take a long time, Xiao Yan plans to leave it for last.

There's also the option of attacking the Soul Hall Human Hall to obtain the Soul Origin.

Knowing that he was being watched by the Soul Clan, this matter had to be postponed. At the very least, he needed to personally contact the Nihility Devouring Flame Nihility Devouring Flame understand its stance and attitude.

The opportunity to make contact would naturally be to refine medicine for the Gu Yang, but that could wait until he finished helping Zi Yan evolve.

With this in mind, Xiao Yan had a much clearer vision for every step of his future.

First, we need to wait for the exchange meeting to begin, reveal the Life Flame, and lure out Yao Wangui. Whether we capture him alive to exchange for the Nine Nether Wind Flame with the Yao Clan, or simply kill him, it doesn't matter.

After that, go to the interlayer of the Underground Magma World to help Zi Yan evolve.

Then, he could try to contact Gu Yang in advance to refine medicine and find a way to talk to Nihility Devouring Flame.

If the Void Nihility Devouring Flame Nihility Devouring Flame's stance is biased towards him, he could even use it to attack the Human Hall and obtain the Soul Origin.

After finishing your business, you can go to the Ancient Void Dragon Clan Ancient Void Dragon Clan handle their affairs, and then go to the Void Lightning Pool to improve yourself and obtain the Nine Profound Golden Lightning.

After finishing his work, Xiao Yan let out a breath, feeling much more refreshed.

He went to his room, pushed open the door, and saw Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin, dressed in white and blue gauze dresses respectively.

"Xiao Yan ~" Xiao Yi Xian's eyes were filled with longing.

"Young Master Xiao Yan ~" Qing Lin lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, her eyes revealing a deeper desire.

Just then, Yun Yun's voice came from behind.

"I... it seems I've come at the wrong time." Yun Yun's voice was dejected, and her face was pale.

Xiao Yan looked around and smiled, "No, you've come at just the right time."