Becoming a First-Tier Alchemist! Technique Evolution!

Ten days had passed since Ye Yan secretly left the Ye Family.

Sacred Pill City, Outer Domain!

In a plaza one-tenth the size of Ye City, alchemists gathered in great numbers, flames rose everywhere, and even spatial fluctuations from Battle Sovereign-level experts could be felt.

Within the silent spatial passage, more than ten enormous ships streaked through silver halos like meteors before finally stopping at a vast plaza built entirely from crimson rock.

"We've arrived at Sacred Pill City. Everyone, disembark!"

A resounding voice echoed through the massive ships.

There were an enormous number of people traveling from Qingling City to Sacred Pill City.

After that voice rang out, figures dressed in alchemist robes emerged from the dozen or so Space Ships and descended onto the ground.

This was the arrival point of a Space Wormhole.

Amid the dense crowds.

A tall, brawny man and an ordinary-looking youth who appeared twelve or thirteen years old stepped down from a black Space Ship one after the other, then silently blended into the sea of people in the plaza.

Ever since leaving Ye City, Ye Yan had made thorough preparations, concealing his figure, appearance, and even changing his name.

Only after disguising himself as a twelve- or thirteen-year-old youth had he safely arrived in Sacred Pill City.

As for the tall, brawny man, he was Ye Jingheng, Ye Zhong's son and Ye Xinlan's father.

Ye Zhong had strongly insisted that he come along, and at Ye Yan's request, even his originally somewhat slender build had been disguised.

Ye Yan curiously surveyed the vast plaza, trailing a few steps behind Ye Jingheng as they chatted from time to time.

Yet even though Ye Yan had concealed his appearance, he still drew the attention of the mature women around him.

"Xiao Yan, can't you conceal yourself more thoroughly?"

Feeling those gazes from the corner of his eye, Ye Jingheng spoke helplessly.

They had come here to seek a master and take refuge.

This was having far too much of an impact.

"Brother Jingheng, it's not that I don't want to, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Ye Yan looked troubled. Only after leaving Ye City had he realized how correct his decision to conceal his appearance had been.

Otherwise, he might really have been kidnapped. After all, three in one year, five in two years...

"Forget it. Let's find somewhere in the Outer Domain to settle down first. We won't go to the Ye Family's residence here."

"We should avoid exposure. For now, we'll hide for as long as we can. As for Elder Sheng Yao, we can only visit him after settling in."

Ye Jingheng had nothing to say to that and could only change the subject.

He did not know whether he should feel dejected or envious. This kid really knew how to put on an act.

Once he finished speaking, Ye Jingheng turned, grabbed Ye Yan, and darted across the crimson plaza.

After wandering through the Outer Domain of Sacred Pill City for two hours, Ye Yan and Ye Jingheng finally rented a suitable place to stay in the southern district.

The courtyard was also one kilometer away from the Ye Family's property in Sacred Pill City.

Its environment and size could only be considered average.

But the price was outrageous. Half a year cost one low-tier fifth-grade pill, equivalent to eight hundred thousand gold coins.

The two of them truly felt the pain of it. This place really charged an arm and a leg for every inch of land.

"Xiao Yan, stay here properly. I'm going out for a while, so don't you dare leave."

Thinking of Ye Yan's strange allure, Ye Jingheng spoke earnestly.

"All right, I understand. I'm about to try refining a first-tier pill anyway. I studied it for seven or eight days on the Space Ship and have already figured out some of it."

Ye Yan understood Ye Jingheng's concerns and had his own measure of things. After saying that,

he took out a medicinal cauldron and herbs from his storage ring, then headed toward his room.

Ye Jingheng's eyes revealed surprise at the sight.

It had not even been a month since this kid broke through to the Dou Zhe realm, and he could already refine a first-tier pill?

Moreover, he had been delayed for part of that time.

Strictly speaking, it had only been twenty days.

He truly was a little freak.

As time passed, night slowly descended from the horizon, shrouding all of Sacred Pill City in a hazy darkness.

Inside Ye Yan's room in the small courtyard.

Within the third-tier medicinal cauldron, pale crimson flames churned continuously. Yet under the control of his soul perception, they were as docile as lambs, enveloping the herbs Ye Yan had thrown in.

The flames extracted the essences from the various ingredients needed to refine a Rejuvenation Pill.

Under his steady refinement, the embryonic form of a Rejuvenation Pill was slowly taking shape inside the cauldron.

Beside the medicinal cauldron lay a pile of black ashes.

These were the remnants left behind by his previous failed attempts.

After these several rounds of refinement, he had finally grasped a hint of the trick behind fusing medicinal essences.

Ye Yan gradually entered a state of mastery. Time passed swiftly as he focused, and after the pill inside the cauldron had rolled countless times, it finally changed from shriveled to round and smooth, even giving off a faint green glow.

Seeing this, Ye Yan smiled faintly and slowly withdrew his hand from the medicinal cauldron. As his hand moved away, the pale crimson flames gradually dissipated as well.

Letting out a long breath of stale air, Ye Yan relaxed his tense mind. With a flick of his finger, a strand of pale crimson Dou Qi shot out and sent the cauldron lid flying.

A fragrant herbal scent drifted out from the medicinal cauldron, making Ye Yan laugh aloud.

He could finally be considered a first-tier alchemist.

But he only knew how to refine one kind of pill. It was still too early to seek certification from the alchemist association.

Ye Yan reached into the cauldron and took out a pale green pill, then retrieved a jade bottle from his storage ring.

After properly admiring his masterpiece, he placed the pill into the jade bottle.

Once he was done, while his hands were still in good form, he took out more herbs and tried refining another Rejuvenation Pill.

Another hour passed.

Four bottles of Rejuvenation Pills now sat beside Ye Yan.

After succeeding for the first time, he became increasingly proficient. He refined three more pills in one hour.

His speed was quite fast, but his Dou Qi was insufficient, so he began cultivating again to recover.

Just then, the Yang Fire coiled around the furnace in Ye Yan's dantian suddenly split in half, with one half rushing toward the vortex above the furnace.

This half of the Yang Fire was an even deeper crimson than the Yang Fire he had absorbed back at the Ye Family.

Ye Yan calmed himself, cast aside all distracting thoughts, and mobilized the Dou Qi within his body to envelop the Yang Fire.

He then used his Dou Qi to pull that ball of Yang Fire along the circulation pathways of the Heaven-Burning Furnace Fire Art.

That ball of Yang Fire was exceptionally obedient, as though it had long since been tamed by the furnace.

It yielded completely to Ye Yan's Dou Qi, and he could not even feel a trace of heat from it.

As the Dou Qi wrapped around the Yang Fire and continuously circulated through his meridians.

At a certain moment.

Suddenly, a strand of Yang Fire within the Dou Qi began to merge with it. It could even be said that the Dou Qi had absorbed the Yang Fire.

At the sight, Ye Yan was overjoyed and hastened the circulation of his Dou Qi.

He eagerly anticipated what level the Heaven-Burning Furnace Fire Art would evolve to if it absorbed this ball of Yang Fire.

When the Dou Qi wrapped around the Yang Fire and was about to return to the vortex, the two had already fused completely.

The Dou Qi that had originally been yellow mixed with crimson had now turned entirely crimson.

Ye Yan controlled the Dou Qi, guided it through his meridians, and sent it crashing into the constantly rotating yellow-and-crimson vortex.

As crimson Dou Qi continuously poured into the vortex.

In only a short while, the vortex's color had also turned crimson.

Ye Yan stopped circulating his Dou Qi and opened his eyes, crimson light flashing in his pupils.

"I didn't expect the technique to evolve to Yellow Tier Intermediate so easily."

The Dou Qi within his body was now one or two times more abundant.

He was now even more eager to see just how great the benefits would be once his technique broke through to the Black Tier.

According to Ye Yan's estimate, as long as he nurtured a Life Fire Seed next, the technique could evolve into a Black Tier technique.

As long as he continued strengthening it with Wood Qi and Heavenly Flames, it could continue evolving.

However, nurturing a fire seed would still require a year and a half.

Bang! Bang bang!

A hurried yet restrained knock interrupted Ye Yan's thoughts.

Ye Yan's expression sharpened, and his sleeve stirred slightly.

"Xiao Yan, it's me."

Ye Jingheng's anxious voice came from outside the door.

Only after hearing that voice did Ye Yan relax. He put away the Earth Fire Vein energy-sealing item Ye Zhong had given him that had been hidden in his sleeve, then said softly,

"Come in!"

With a creak from the wooden door, Ye Jingheng entered with lingering fear in his heart.

"Xiao Yan, you're being far too cautious."

The moment he knocked, he had felt a deadly threat coming from inside the room.

There was no need to think about it. This had to be something his dear father had given him. If Ye Jingheng had not known there was one of his own inside, he would have wanted to run.

"Better safe than sorry," Ye Yan said calmly.

Ever since Zhao Hei had caught him at the Ye Family, he had felt utterly insecure. Without several energy-sealing items capable of unleashing a Dou Zong strike, he would not even dare leave home.

Moreover, Ye Zhong had added some Child Fire to these energy-sealing items, making them even more powerful.

"Did you find out anything?"

"Mm. Elder Sheng Yao happens to be at his residence tomorrow, so we can go then. The old man should have sent him a message long ago."

Ye Jingheng continued from Ye Yan's words, though his voice carried some helplessness.

He truly felt bitter. As Ye Zhong's son, he had never received such an energy-sealing item.

Yet this kid had at least three of them.

Different people really had different fates!