Old Yao: Xiao Yan Was Really Too Scheming!

Feeling the exhilarating sensation of his improved cultivation level, Xiao Yan clenched his fist, somewhat excited.

Although this pill has terrifying and violent effects, making it somewhat difficult to handle, its effects are truly remarkable!

According to Xiao Yan's estimation, he would need to go into seclusion at the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower for at least a week or even two weeks before he could break through to the Nine-Star Da Dou Shi. Unexpectedly, just a pill that Zi Yan refined into a candy bean could save him so much time of arduous cultivation...

If one were to make special adjustments based on their own cultivation level and physique, would it be possible to improve their cultivation level simply by consuming a large amount of medicine, just like Zi Yan?

But this thought only lasted a moment before Xiao Yan dismissed it.

People's physical constitutions cannot be generalized.

As someone who possesses the Supreme Realm form of the Ancient Void Dragon in the Beast World, Zi Yan can naturally absorb the energy from medicinal herbs without limit, since the advancement speed of magical beasts is much slower than that of humans with the same talent.

But Xiao Yan is different. Even though his physical abilities are comparable to those of a magical beast, he is still human at heart. Therefore, if he wants to improve his strength through the medicinal power of herbs, there may be no problem in the short term. However, if his body develops drug resistance in the long run, it may lead to a weakening effect when he takes other pills in the future. In this case, it would be a case of losing more than he gained.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Xiao Yan decided not to do such a thing unless he could find a way to make drug resistance no longer a problem. Only in this way could he possibly be able to eat medicinal herbs like Zi Yan.

"Xiao Yan, how are you feeling?"

Zi Yan was quite startled. Xiao Yan was her first new friend and Fifth-Grade Alchemist who could make her delicious pills. He meant a lot to her, unlike ordinary people. If something happened because of something so trivial, she would be devastated.

"Well, actually, I feel great, refreshed!"

Seeing the worry in Zi Yan's eyes, Xiao Yan smiled slightly, reached out and ruffled her light purple hair, and said lightly.

"Oh, that's good. You scared me to death! If you had died, I would have no friends... no one left to refine pills for me!"

Zi Yan seemed a bit arrogant; although she considered Xiao Yan a friend, she didn't say it outright.

Xiao Yan saw the genuine concern in her eyes, so he didn't mind the girl's stubbornness and simply smiled as he gave her his instructions:

"However, after personally experiencing the medicinal effects of this pill, I still have to remind you that once you feel full, you cannot take any more of this pill. Otherwise, at best, your meridians will be blocked by the medicinal effects, hindering the flow of your Dou Qi; at worst, your meridians will be completely blocked. In that case, you will have to transform your energy into a cocoon and begin to consume the medicinal effects with all your might. This will only slow down your growth."

Hearing the first part of what was said, Zi Yan was rather nonchalant, but when she heard that it would slow down her growth, her little face immediately became serious, and she nodded solemnly.

For her, getting a minor injury is no big deal; she's been injured quite often in the past. But if it slows down her growth, then that's a very serious matter that deserves her attention.

"Hey, wipe your mouth clean, it's covered in blood, it looks awful!"

Seeing that the important matter was over, Zi Yan took out a small light purple handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to Xiao Yan.

She would never offer to wipe someone's mouth!

Nobody has ever wiped her clean...

How strong are you now?

Xiao Yan didn't think too much about it. He took the handkerchief, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and casually asked...

"Well, I just advanced to the Fifth Tier recently, which, according to your human ranking system, is equivalent to One-Star Dou Wang. However, if we go all out, I should be able to handle Three-Star Dou Wang."

Zi Yan thought for a moment and then said.

This so-called all-out effort actually excludes the possibility of her using secret techniques. In reality, if she really fought desperately, she was confident she could defeat Dou Emperor, but the price she would have to pay would be something she was unwilling to bear.

Besides, if you can't beat her, you can run away. As Ancient Void Dragon, although her combat power is amazing, her speed of traveling or running away is unparalleled in the Dou Qi Continent.

It can fight and tank, chase and run, its ability graph is hexagonal; otherwise, how could it be called the Supreme Realm in the Beast World?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded.

For magical beasts, it is common for their strength to not improve significantly within a few years. Otherwise, they would not transform into humans directly at the Seventh Tier in order to pursue a faster cultivation speed.

With Zi Yan keeping them in check, could we go to the Back Mountain and try to get our hands on that Earth Core Body Tempering Milk?

Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, born beneath the earth, is the pure power of the earth compressed over the years. After a hundred years, it turns into Earth Core Mist, which has a miraculous effect of protecting the body. After a thousand years, it condenses into a liquid form. If the quality is even higher, it is called Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, which has a divine effect of cleansing the marrow and refining the bones.

Furthermore, because of its extremely pure and vast earth power, it can even help some people who have reached the peak of their level to break through the barriers between advancements.

However, Xiao Yan wasn't sure where he could find this thing.

However, Zi Yan is a walking treasure detector; with her around, this little thing is naturally no problem.

Now that Xiao Yan has broken through to the Nine-Star Da Dou Shi, if he could obtain the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, wouldn't he be able to easily advance to the Dou Ling level?

Then, he can go to the deeper parts of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower to cultivate, and his cultivation speed will be even faster.

Moreover, the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk also has the effect of improving physical fitness, which is also a crucial factor for Xiao Yan.

Although drug resistance can develop from taking elixirs, if one or two portions of the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk are used primarily to temper the body, then the resistance is almost negligible.

If Xiao Yan could temper his physical body to the Dou Wang stage ahead of time, it would obviously be extremely beneficial for him. Combined with the Purple Cloud Wings on his back, he could completely rival Dou Wang level expert!

Furthermore, with such physical strength, he can withstand Old Yao's powerful soul force. At that time, even a genuine Dou Zong expert might not be a match for Xiao Yan. In this way, the matter of eliminating Han Feng can be officially put on the agenda!

However, Han Feng's corpse shouldn't be wasted; it would be best to turn it into a puppet and make the most of it...

Thinking about it carefully, it seems I still need to make a trip to Demon Flame Valley.

That means this strength might not be enough...

Xiao Yan began to ponder to himself. Seeing this, Zi Yan did not disturb him, but grabbed the pills from the jade plate and put them in her mouth.

Who cares about all that? Let's eat our fill first!

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yan came to his senses, a strange smile appearing on his lips that made Zi Yan slightly uneasy.

"What... what are you going to do?"

Zi Yan clenched her small fists and said somewhat warily.

"Zi Yan..." Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together and asked with a smile, "Have you ever heard of the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk?"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan paused for a moment, then tilted her head and began to think.

"Oh, it's in my inherited memories. Do you need that?"

Although Zi Yan is young, she is not an ignorant child; on the contrary, she is incredibly clever!

"Yes, yes, I see you seem quite familiar with the Back Mountain, so I wanted to ask you for help in finding it. Also, if that stuff could be used as a binder for the pills, it would be even more effective than refined honey!"

Xiao Yan knew exactly how to get this little foodie to work diligently and proactively.

As long as she knows that working is good for her, she'll be incredibly motivated!

Really!?

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zi Yan's large, dark eyes instantly brightened.

Can you make the pills taste better?

Damn, what are we waiting for?

"Let's go, let's set off!"

A flash of purple light appeared in Zi Yan's palm, and the jade plate vanished without a trace. Then, she took Xiao Yan's hand and walked towards the door.

Without seeing how much force she used, Xiao Yan was still caught off guard and stumbled as she pulled him.

The physical strength of the Ancient Void Dragon is indeed terrifying!

After greeting Su Qian, Xiao Yan, led by Zi Yan, once again entered the Back Mountain.

Since they were searching for something with a specific purpose, the two did not wander around the mountains. Instead, they searched in directions rich in earth energy. Xiao Yan naturally couldn't sense it, but Zi Yan could. So, after searching for half a month, the two finally stopped outside a valley.

"This time, hopefully we won't attract any more Sixth-Rank Magical Beast, right?"

In the woods outside the valley, Xiao Yan spoke with lingering fear.

Four days ago, he went with Zi Yan to a cliff that was said to contain abundant earth energy.

Upon entering, they found it to be true; it was the Earth Immortal Green Vine, capable of refining Sixth-Grade or even Seventh-Grade pills.

But there was also a Sixth Tier Cliff-Arm Stone Ape, whose arms were three times longer than Xiao Yan's entire body. It had its own unique fighting style, and its two arms almost killed Xiao Yan.

Fortunately, Xiao Yan could fly. He quickly grabbed Zi Yan and used the Wind Flurry Residual Shadow twenty-eight times in a row to finally escape the stone ape's pursuit.

"Probably not, this time it's Fifth Tier."

Zi Yan's voice wasn't loud, so it sounded somewhat uncertain.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan was somewhat helpless. He shook his head and looked into the valley.

The small valley is backed by a giant peak, and its entrance is shaped like a gourd. Deep inside the valley, there is a huge cave. Clearly, according to Zi Yan's senses, the item should be inside the cave.

"Go and distract the guardian beast, I'll try to sneak in and see if it's what we're looking for."

Xiao Yan gave the instructions according to the pre-arranged plan.

"Um!"

Zi Yan is very obedient.

Because Xiao Yan has been making her so many pills these past few days when he has some free time, she can't possibly finish them all, and the flavors have become much more varied, which really makes her very happy!

Of course, a happy Zi Yan couldn't refuse her best friend's request!

The next moment, purple Dou Qi Wings popped out from Zi Yan's back, and she flew into the valley, punching the cave entrance!

Boom!

A deafening roar echoed through the valley, and the entire mountain seemed to tremble under Zi Yan's punch. After a brief boom, a furious roar suddenly resounded from the depths of the cave!

Immediately afterwards, the earth shook violently again, and a giant white ape, three or four zhang tall and incredibly robust, burst out from within!

The white ape exuded a sharp, icy aura. Its heavy breaths came out of its large nostrils like two wisps of white smoke. Its arms were quite long, and its claws were enormous. With a casual swing, several gusts of wind shot out, shattering boulders that had rolled down the mountainside into pieces. Its pair of blood-red eyes were filled with rage and killing intent. At this moment, those blood-red eyes were staring fiercely at Zi Yan, who had startled it from its beautiful dream.

"Snow Demon Sky Ape? Hiss, it seems they've really found the right target this time!"

Upon recognizing the Snow Demon Sky Ape at a glance, Xiao Yan's face lit up with joy. The past half month of searching had truly paid off; he had finally found the right beast!

"Hey, you ugly big guy, I heard you have Earth Core Body Tempering Milk?"

Zi Yan has already begun to skillfully provoke hatred.

Upon hearing this, the crimson in the Snow Demon Sky Ape's eyes intensified even further. It clenched its fists and slammed them heavily onto its chest, which was covered in white fur. Instantly, a visible ripple of energy spread out, shattering all the surrounding rocks in its path!

"Where did this little girl come from, daring to try and steal the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk? Get out of here now, or I'll spare your life!"

Upon hearing this, the Snow Demon Sky Ape stared intently at Zi Yan, feeling the throbbing deep within her bloodline. After a long silence, he decided to prioritize peace.

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's face lit up with joy. The next moment, she immediately launched her attack with zero frames, her figure flashing as she appeared in front of the Snow Demon Sky Ape. She slapped the Snow Demon Sky Ape across the face, causing its head to tilt to the side.

"Let me tell you, I'm getting my hands on that Earth Core Body Tempering Milk today!"

Hearing Zi Yan's childish voice utter such mature-sounding words, the stark contrast made Xiao Yan grin.

This little girl is quite interesting.

After a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, the Snow Demon Sky Ape was completely enraged.

How dare they treat it like that!

Even if this little girl's true form is some incredible and powerful magical beast, it will tear her to shreds today!

"Tsk, Zi Yan did a good job, now it's my turn..."

Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together, smiling as he spoke.

Then, he took out the Heaven-Swallowing Python from his sleeve and instructed:

"Sweetie, I'll go get you something nice to drink. You stay here and keep an eye on things. If that little girl can't beat you, go help her out. If you can, you can stay here and soak up some sun."

Upon hearing this, the Heaven-Swallowing Python, which had only recently woken up a few days ago, tilted its little head, blinked its adorable big eyes, and then nodded, letting out two soft "oohs".

Seeing this, Xiao Yan reached out and touched the Heaven-Swallowing Python's little head, then his figure transformed into a wisp of fluff, drifting and swaying towards the edge where the valley and the mountain peak met.

"How do you plan to get in? Entering from the valley entrance is definitely not an option, and flying would inevitably attract the attention of that giant creature due to air vibrations. It's going to be very difficult to sneak in easily!"

Upon hearing this, the Old Yao asked with some curiosity.

"Hmph, I have a brilliant plan!"

Xiao Yan smiled, then kicked off his shoes and leaped down.

Along the mountain wall, Xiao Yan's ten fingers and toes dug directly into the rocks, stabilizing his body.

"Holy crap, climb down?"

Old Yao never imagined that Xiao Yan could come up with such a wild infiltration method.

Ironically, this method actually worked.

The commotion caused by the enraged Snow Demon Sky Ape's fight was so great that it masked the sound of Xiao Yan digging his fingers into the rocks. With his physical strength, he was indeed able to use this method to crawl down the steep mountainside.

"I originally wanted to rappel down, but I didn't have a rope long enough. I'm not Dou Ling yet, Dou Qi can't be condensed into a physical object. Naturally, that method wouldn't work. But being Spider-Man for once would be quite interesting."

As Xiao Yan muttered to himself, he climbed down, unaware that even Zi Yan Xiao Yan was approaching the cave entrance in this way.

However, considering that even Five-Star Dou Wang would have to temporarily avoid the Snow Demon Sky Ape's wrath once the berserk bloodline was activated, Xiao Yan naturally wanted to hurry up and prevent Zi Yan from getting hurt. Therefore, after confirming that the Snow Demon Sky Ape could not find him, he also increased his climbing speed.

Soon, Xiao Yan's figure followed the cliff wall into the cave. He fell from the top of the cave and landed on the ground. Cobalt Blue Flame rose in his eyes, and the dark cave became bright.

The cave was very large, more than ten meters high, with scattered rocks and white hairs everywhere. Xiao Yan moved quickly through the cave while scanning with his soul power, and soon arrived at the end of the cave.

There it is!

The information fed back by his soul power immediately drew Xiao Yan's attention to a corner at the end of the cave.

There, the ground was sunken in a large area, surrounded by white fur and overlapping footprints, clearly indicating something was amiss. The feedback from the soul power also indicated that what lay beneath was hollow!

He casually unleashed a Lower Mystic Tier Dou Technique, the Fire Blowing Palm, forcefully blowing the area filled with white fur into the ground, revealing a dark hole.

Xiao Yan was completely fearless. He used his soul power to clear a path and jumped down. He walked along the passage, and after more than ten minutes, he saw light. He quickened his pace and stepped out of the passage, where the view suddenly opened up.

What comes into view is a huge cave filled with stalactites. As far as the eye can see, the milky white stalactites stretch endlessly, and a pale white light emanates from them, completely dispelling the darkness here.

"Teacher, my perception isn't strong enough; I'll have to rely on you this time!"

Although Xiao Yan was already Fifth-Grade Alchemist, he really had no sense of the mysterious power of the earth and could only ask the old man in the ring for help.

"Come with me!" Old Yao's figure floated out from the black ring, pointed to the left, and then drifted away in the direction he pointed. Xiao Yan followed closely behind.

Ten minutes later, the Old Yao finally stopped and looked up at the enormous stalactite in front of him. Even with his experience, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Tsk, you're really lucky, kid!"

The stalactite in front of them stretched from the mountaintop to their feet, measuring over a hundred meters in length. Its width at the base was enough for two people to hug. A pale white light surrounded it, making it resemble a crystal pillar.

Without a doubt, this stalactite is the largest one here, and the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk must be inside it!

Beneath this enormous stalactite lies a massive blue stone, half of which is buried deep underground, while the other half protrudes above the surface. In its very center is a groove less than half a foot deep, which is directly opposite the tip of the stalactite above.

It contained a two-inch-deep milky white liquid, with a faint white mist floating on top. Xiao Yan reached out and flashed the mist towards his nose, took a light breath, and immediately felt a comfortable and pleasant sensation throughout his bones and muscles.

If diluted Earth Core Body Tempering Milk has such miraculous effects, then the effects of the original emulsion must be even more astonishing!

"I remember that this lotion only takes a year to solidify into one drop. I wonder how many years it will take for this seemingly small pit to fill up."

Looking at the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk from the core of the bluestone, the Old Yao beside him sighed softly, his words tinged with a sense of melancholy.

However, when he came to his senses, he found that Xiao Yan had already filled three jade bottles with Earth Core Body Tempering Milk.

"Damn, you're so fast!"

The Old Yao's eyes twitched slightly when he saw this.

Why does this kid look like a swarm of locusts?

"First come, first served!"

As Xiao Yan spoke, he filled another bottle.

"Tsk, fine then..."

The Old Yao shook his head helplessly, then moved and floated towards the stalactite above.

After quickly collecting the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk into four small jade bottles, Xiao Yan summoned the Purple Cloud Wings and flew with Old Yao to the top of the stalactite.

"Take the jade piece and gently pry it in here. Remember, don't use too much force, otherwise..."

Before Old Yao could finish speaking, Xiao Yan took a jade knife, wrapped it in Dou Qi, and carved a round hole in the crystal-like stalactite.

Ah?

"Otherwise what?"

Xiao Yan asked casually, but didn't even turn his head. At this moment, his eyes were filled with cobalt blue flames, which made him completely unafraid of the dazzling light that would emanate from the stalactite disc after it detached from its body.

In the cobalt blue field of vision, a viscous liquid of emerald color floats within the stalactite. This liquid seems to possess a spirit, slowly flowing within the stalactite, but it does not flow out through the circular opening. Gravity seems to have no effect on it!

"Otherwise, you'll damage the stalactites?" Old Yao stared blankly at the scene before him for a moment, then slapped Xiao Yan on the back of the head, saying helplessly, "How come you're so skilled at this?"

"Hey, what are you doing, haha!" Xiao Yan rubbed the back of his head and then said, "I do remember such a special treasure."

"Alright, hurry up and pack your things, let's get ready to leave."

Although Old Yao had thought of something, he still felt it was outrageous when he heard Xiao Yan admit it. He shook his head and then directly entered the ring.

Sometimes, this kid really makes you feel no sense of accomplishment!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded, then used the same trick again, scooping out most of the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk Essence with a jade spoon and pouring it into a jade bottle. He then directly attached the stalactite disc in his hand back onto it.

The radiance faded, and no trace of damage could be seen on the stalactites.

"Not bad, you even know to leave some."

The Old Yao said with a smile.

"We can't exhaust the resources and exploit them all. Who knows, we might be able to reap another harvest in a few years. For the Student Union, this is like a fixed resource reorganization point. We need to have a long-term vision!"

Upon hearing this, the Old Yao's vision went black.

Good heavens, they've really got their hands on the Snow Demon Sky Ape and are going to give it a piece of their mind!

This disciple has a truly wicked heart!

Having finished quickly, Xiao Yan turned around and returned along the same path. This time, he didn't need to look for anything or be careful of any traps, so he was extremely fast. In less than twenty minutes, he flew out of the cave.

In the valley, Zi Yan was locked in a fierce battle with the Snow Demon Sky Ape. Although Zi Yan was powerful, she had not yet reached maturity and was weaker than the Snow Demon Sky Ape. Therefore, she had not gained any advantage and the battle was currently evenly matched.

The once flat ground is now riddled with potholes of varying sizes, and rubble that has fallen from the mountainside is scattered everywhere. Many trees in the forests on both sides have also been broken, leaving the valley in a state of utter devastation.

In the midst of the battlefield, Zi Yan moved nimbly, occasionally exchanging a punch with the Snow Demon Sky Ape, but she showed no intention of fighting it to the death. It was more like a friendly sparring match, and she didn't appear to have any injuries.

On the contrary, the Snow Demon Sky Ape was a bit bruised and swollen, with some blood and wounds remaining on its mouth and body. However, none of them were serious injuries, just superficial wounds. It seemed to still have plenty of fighting power, as if it wanted to fight Zi Yan all day long.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan felt much relieved. He reached out and summoned a seven-colored shadow that flew into his hand, blinked, and stuck out its tongue.

"Don't rush, let's get out of here first."

Seeing the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python's impatient look, Xiao Yan smiled and put it into his sleeve. Then, with a flap of his wings, he shot out, unleashing the Wind Flurry Residual Shadow technique, leaving several afterimages in the air before arriving beside Zi Yan.

"Let's go, it's done!"

As he spoke, Xiao Yan grabbed Zi Yan and pulled her into his arms. He then used the Wind Flurry Residual Shadow again, his figure flashing more than ten times before disappearing without a trace.

In the desolate valley, the Snow Demon Sky Ape looked in the direction where Zi Yan and Xiao Yan had left, scratching its head with a paw in a somewhat bewildered manner.

They're leaving already?

Could it be an emergency?

Damn, this isn't satisfying at all. They even said they wanted to steal my Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, and when they couldn't win, they called for backup to run away. Is this what you call playing World of Warcraft...?

Lost beast!

Brushing the dust off its body, the Snow Demon Sky Ape turned around and slowly...

Um?

It suddenly realized something was wrong.

Was that creature that suddenly appeared flying out from the direction of my cave?

Not good!

My Earth Core Body Tempering Milk!

The Snow Demon Sky Ape's expression changed, and it immediately ran back to its cave.

Half an hour later, the Snow Demon Sky Ape emerged from the cave, unleashing a deafening, impotent rage in the valley before beginning to smash things indiscriminately.

"Aaaaaah!!! You despicable humans, you despicable bestial rapists!!!"

Unfortunately, no one cared about its suffering.