Meeting the Lord of the Heavenly Palace, Yao Lao is Detained! Xiao Yan: There's a ghost living in my ring?

In no time at all, an entire field of immortal herbs—each worth a fortune on the Douluo Continent and identical to those found at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well—was personally pulverized by Chrysanthemum Douluo into a bucket of greenish, shimmering purple plant fertilizer.

Then, he was forced to carry this bucket of priceless fertilizer and pour it onto the roots of a seemingly unremarkable red ganoderma.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The fifth-grade Dragon Blood Ganoderma absorbed the immortal herb fertilizer, and its leaves brightened just a fraction.

"Hmm, the effect is mediocre. It really is just a weed."

Fa Ma glanced at it and shook his head in disappointment. "Forget it, it'll have to do for now."

"Next task: go pull up that pile of white flowers over there and feed them to the pigs in the backyard."

Meanwhile, on the Douluo Continent.

Shrek Academy, Tang San's perspective.

"Pfft!!!"

Tang San spat out another mouthful of blood; this time, he had truly damaged his foundation.

His eyes were bloodshot, fixed intently on the crushed remains of what looked like a Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum beneath Fa Ma's feet, as well as the bucket of discarded immortal herb fertilizer.

The supreme immortal treasures recorded in my Tang Sect Secret Records, divine objects capable of tempering one's body and soul.

In that old man's eyes, they have impure medicinal properties? Thin spiritual energy?

They can only be used for compost? To feed pigs?

No! This is impossible!

This is absolutely impossible!!

Tang San clutched his head, slamming it frantically against the wall, desperate to wake up from this nightmare.

His knowledge, his sense of superiority, and his greatest reliance as a transmigrator were being crushed to pieces by the Alchemist Guild President, Fa Ma, in the most plain and unpretentious way possible!

Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Dugu Bo looked at his herb garden. He used to think it was a cornucopia, but now, it just felt like a septic tank.

"This old man—"

Dugu Bo's hands trembled as he pulled up a newly sprouted Fragrant Silk Tulip. "An upgraded version of this thing is considered a weed over there?"

"Does that mean I, the Poison Douluo, am not even qualified to be a gardener?"

"Yue Guan, oh Yue Guan, you may be miserable, but at least you personally fertilized a fifth-grade medicinal herb!"

At that moment, a sense of absurd envy welled up in Dugu Bo's heart.

If one could fertilize a fifth-grade medicinal herb, did that mean the fertilizer itself was actually punching above its weight class?

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Battle Qi Continent, Heavenly Palace.

These items, known as divine immortal herbs on the Douluo Continent—treasures capable of inciting life-and-death battles among Title Douluo—were growing here in dense clusters, scattered like weeds along the roadside!

Xiao Yan even saw a snow-white crane walking with elegant steps, picking and choosing through the flower beds.

It casually plucked a plant that was entirely emerald green, its leaves glistening with dew-like luster, and swallowed it like a snack. It then shook its head in disdain, seemingly finding the taste mediocre.

Seeing this, he could no longer find the words to describe his current state of mind.

The constant shocks along the way had caused Xiao Yan to transition from astonishment to numbness.

He had originally thought the Ancient Clan was the pinnacle of the Battle Qi Continent, but compared to this Heavenly Palace, the Ancient Clan was probably nothing more than a wealthy rural landlord.

Finally, the group arrived before a magnificent, towering palace.

The palace reached into the clouds, constructed entirely from an unknown purple-gold divine iron. The great doors were carved with true dragons and colorful phoenixes, radiating a pressure that made one's soul tremble.

Two guards stood at the entrance, clad in silver armor and holding long spears, their gazes fixed straight ahead.

But to Xiao Yan's horror, he discovered that the aura of these two gatekeepers was even more terrifying than the Venerable who had brought him here!

Dou Sheng experts... acting as gatekeepers?!

Xiao Yan swallowed hard, his legs turning to jelly.

In the Jia Ma Empire, a Dou Huang was the sky.

In the Central Plains, a Dou Zun was an overlord of a region.

Yet here, a Dou Sheng was just a security guard?

"We have arrived."

The leading Venerable stopped, adjusted his robes, and his expression became incomparably respectful.

He then turned to look at Xiao Yan, glanced briefly at Dai Mubai in the cage, and said indifferently, "The Palace Master will only see Xiao Yan."

"All others, stay back. You are not permitted to enter."

As he spoke, the Venerable pointed toward a stone step in the corner of the Main Hall's entrance. "Set the cage down and let him wait there."

"Yes!"

The golden-armored guard remained expressionless as he slammed the prisoner carriage onto the ground.

BOOM!

Dai Mubai shuddered from the impact, yet he dared not utter a single word of complaint.

He merely lay prone in the cage, greedily inhaling the air of this place, his heterochromatic eyes filled with humble subservience.

Watching Xiao Yan, who was about to step into the Main Hall, his eyes were brimming with envy.

Before the doors of the Main Hall.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, steadying his turbulent emotions.

He knew that sitting behind these doors was a supreme existence capable of changing his destiny, and perhaps even overturning the entire Battle Qi Continent.

"Go on."

The guiding Venerable gave him a gentle push. "The Palace Master is waiting for you inside."

Xiao Yan nodded and, with heavy footsteps, began to ascend the ninety-nine Purple Gold Steps.

Creeeak!

The heavy Divine Iron Gate slowly creaked open.

A chaotic, ancient aura rushed out, instantly engulfing Xiao Yan's figure.

As the doors slowly closed, they shut out Dai Mubai, the guiding Venerable, and the curious gazes of the entire Douluo Continent.

Only Dai Mubai's face, twisted with envy, remained frozen on the light screen.

Inside the Main Hall of the Heavenly Palace.

There was no gaudy, golden splendor here, only a sense of vastness as if one were standing amidst the starry expanse of the universe.

Deep within the hall, clouds and mist swirled.

A figure leaned lazily upon a throne.

His face was obscured, and the sun, moon, and stars seemed to revolve around him; with every breath he took, the space within the entire hall pulsed in rhythm.

The Lord of the Heavenly Palace, Lin Feng!

As Xiao Yan walked into the hall, he felt like a single drop of water merging into the ocean—insignificant and minuscule.

The suppression emanating from the level of his soul caused his knees to weaken, and he could not help but drop to them.

"Junior Xiao Yan pays his respects to the Lord of the Palace!"

Xiao Yan's voice trembled, but it was fueled more by excitement than fear.

A long time passed.

An ethereal, grand voice, as if echoing across the long river of time, slowly resonated through this starry void.

He saw no figure.

He saw no true form.

"Xiao Yan."

The two simple words caused the Battle Qi within Xiao Yan's body to boil instantly, as if he had received some form of baptism!

"This junior is here!" Xiao Yan trembled with excitement, his forehead pressed firmly against the floor.

"Though you were born of humble origins, you possess a backbone of steel."

"You refused to be destroyed by the Misty Cloud Sect, swearing to wash away your shame with your own hands."

"Such a temperament is worthy of entering my Heavenly Palace."

The voice was indifferent and majestic, like a god high above the nine heavens looking down upon an ant.

After speaking, Lin Feng leaned lazily against the back of his chair, his gaze piercing through the swirling chaotic currents to land upon the youth below.

Then, his line of sight shifted slightly, fixing upon the simple, pitch-black ring on Xiao Yan's finger.

"Since you have entered the Heavenly Palace, it would be better to clean off some of the filth you carry."

Lin Feng spoke calmly; his voice was not loud, yet it stirred ripples of the Great Dao throughout the hall.

Xiao Yan was stunned, not yet realizing what "filth" referred to.

He saw Lin Feng casually extend a finger and beckon lightly toward Xiao Yan from across the air.

"Come out."

Two simple words, and the law followed his command!

Hum!!

In the next second, the black ring on Xiao Yan's finger began to tremble violently!

Immediately, an uncontrollable surge of soul energy was forcibly ripped from the ring!

"Senior, spare me!"

Accompanied by a terrified, aged shriek, a translucent, elderly soul body was dragged out without the slightest ability to resist.

It then tumbled onto the ground beside Xiao Yan in a pathetic heap, trembling uncontrollably!

It was none other than the Medicine Venerable, Yao Chen, who had been slumbering within the ring!

At this moment, where was even a trace of the grace once held by the number one alchemist of the Central Plains?

Under the terrifying pressure emanating from the Lord of the Heavenly Palace, his soul body was on the verge of shattering; he could only kneel on the ground like a mortal, too terrified to even lift his head.

"Th-this is—"

Xiao Yan stared at the old man who had suddenly popped out of his ring, completely dumbfounded.

There's a ghost living in my ring?!

"Xiao Yan, have you not always wondered why the Dou Qi you worked so hard to cultivate would inexplicably vanish?"

From atop the throne, the calm voice of Lin Feng drifted down: "Ask this old fellow beside you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's pupils constricted, and he whipped his head around to glare fiercely at the Medicine Venerable.

"It was you?!"

"You were the one who drained my Dou Qi for these past three years?!"

Yet, faced with Xiao Yan's murderous gaze, the Medicine Venerable raised his head with a bitter expression, attempting to explain.

But under the omnipresent pressure of Lin Feng, he lacked even the courage to lie: "Little child, this old man was forced by circumstance."

"Back then, I was left with only a wisp of a remnant soul—"

"Forced by circumstance, my foot!!"

Xiao Yan's composure shattered. Had this not been the main hall of the Heavenly Palace, he would have lunged forward to bite this old parasite to death!

So this was the truth!

He wasn't a waste at all; he had been sabotaged by this parasite!

"Enough."

Lin Feng calmly interrupted Xiao Yan's fury, his gaze sweeping over the trembling Yao Chen: "Yao Chen, known as the Medicine Venerable, once the number one alchemist of the Central Plains."

"That resume is passable enough."

"Since you have absorbed the Dou Qi of this Seat's disciple, the death penalty may be waived, but the living punishment is unavoidable."

Lin Feng flicked his sleeve, and a golden rune instantly struck the center of the Medicine Venerable's brow—it was the highest-grade Heavenly Palace Slave Seal!

"It just so happens that the Alchemy Hall of the Heavenly Palace is currently short of a few fire-tending boys."

"Although your soul is incomplete, your alchemy skills are mediocrely acceptable; go and assist the Alchemy Hall elders."

"If you perform well, this Seat might consider helping you reshape your physical body."

A fire-tending boy?!

The Medicine Venerable felt a bitterness that reached the depths of his soul.

He, the dignified Medicine Venerable, a master of alchemy, had actually fallen to the point of being a fire-tending boy?

But did he dare to refuse?

Feeling that immense power capable of crushing him at any moment, the Medicine Venerable immediately began kowtowing with loud thuds: "Thank you, Palace Master, for your mercy!"

"Yao Chen is willing to serve the Heavenly Palace as a beast of burden! I am willing to tend the fires!"

As long as he could live and recover, he would do anything—let alone tend fires, he would even scrub the latrines!

Seeing this, Lin Feng nodded and flicked his sleeve once more.

The Medicine Venerable was swept away instantly, sent to the Heavenly Palace's Alchemy Hall to begin his life of labor and debt repayment.

Following this, Lin Feng turned his gaze back to Xiao Yan below: "Very well, since you have entered my sect, you cannot lose face for the Heavenly Palace."

"Since an ant like Nalan Yanran has given you a three-year agreement, this Seat shall bestow upon you three years of fortune."

Before the words had even faded, ripples suddenly appeared in the previously empty void.

Immediately after, three light orbs radiating brilliant divine light drifted slowly from the void, hovering before Xiao Yan.

"The first item: a cultivation technique."

The voice sounded once more: "The Burning Technique you have been practicing is incomplete."

"This Seat has modified it slightly, purging the impurities and fusing it with a trace of Chaos Fire Source."

"I now bestow upon it the name: Chaos Burning Heaven Technique."

"By cultivating this technique, you may devour all the fires in the world; there is no upper limit and no bottleneck."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan suddenly lifted his head, staring at the scroll radiating an aura of chaos within the first light orb, his breathing nearly coming to a halt!

This is just a modification? This is a complete reconstruction!

Back on the Douluo Continent, everyone watching this scene felt their hearts skip a beat.

Although the Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang was already dead, his theories still influenced many.

Yet at this moment, in the face of this cultivation manual, the saying that there are no trash martial spirits, only trash soul masters, appeared so pale and powerless.

Because this manual alone guaranteed a direct path to the max level!

"The second item: a weapon."

The voice of the Lord of the Heavenly Palace continued, "This Seat bestows upon you the Nine Dragon Eternal Ruler."

"This ruler contains the souls of nine fire dragons."

"With a single swing, it can incinerate mountains and boil the seas."

Clang!

The second orb of light shattered, and a massive, pitch-black ruler wrapped in nine crimson fire dragon patterns slammed heavily into the white jade floor in front of Xiao Yan.

The entire platform trembled violently!

"The third item—"

The voice paused, seemingly contemplating what little trinket to provide next.

"Resources."

"In the path of cultivation, one requires wealth, companions, methods, and land."

"Inside this storage ring, This Seat has tossed in ten million gold coins, ten rank-six pills, five rank-seven pills, and five volumes of Heaven-tier battle skills."

"Take them."

Clatter!

As the words fell, a simple, antique-looking black ring drifted down and landed lightly in Xiao Yan's palm.

On the Heavenly Palace platform, Xiao Yan clutched these three treasures, completely stunned.

He felt as though he were dreaming.

Was this too extravagant? Was this the scale of the Heavenly Palace?

"Th-thank you, Lord of the Palace, for your generous gift!!"

"Xiao Yan will certainly not fail the Palace Lord's high expectations! In three years, I will surely raze the Misty Cloud Sect to the ground!!"

"Go."

That supreme voice gradually faded, carrying a hint of laziness. "This Seat is weary."

"Remember, when you leave, take that guard dog with you."

"Although such a low-dimensional creature is weak, it is amusing enough to use for testing medicine or as a meat shield."

"Yes!!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan rose respectfully, stowed away the three treasures, and turned to walk out of the palace.

Night fell, and the stars twinkled. Compared to the clamor of the day, Xiao Yan's residence was exceptionally quiet.

In the backyard, a custom-made iron dog cage sat in the corner, lined with layers of hay.

The former Star Luo prince, Dai Mubai, was curled up inside, his hands gripping the bars, his heterochromatic eyes fixed intently on the figure in the center of the courtyard.

It was Xiao Yan.

After returning from the Heavenly Palace, Xiao Yan did not rest, nor did he celebrate; instead, he sat cross-legged directly on the bluestone slab in the yard.

"Hoo—"

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and fished out a pill emitting a pale blue halo from the storage ring.

"A rank-six pill?"

Xiao Yan glanced at it, then shook his head and tossed it back into the ring.

"No, the medicinal power is too fierce; my current body can't handle it yet."

Immediately after, he pulled out a red pill that looked like a candy bean.

"Rank-four, Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill?"

"Tsk, although it's used to break through bottlenecks, the manual the Palace Lord gave me says there are no bottlenecks—"

"Forget it, I'll eat it like a candy bean to nourish my body."

Gulp.

Just like that, under Dai Mubai's dumbfounded gaze, Xiao Yan tossed the rank-four pill—which would have been enough to incite a war among Titled Douluo on the Douluo Continent—into his mouth as if it were a peanut!

He crunched it!

Swallow it!

"What a waste, such a colossal waste—"

Dai Mubai gulped, his heart bleeding.

That was a fourth-grade medicinal pill!

According to the conversions of this world, even a single one was more valuable than the entire annual budget of Shrek Academy!

However, the next second, Dai Mubai could no longer afford to feel the heartache.

Because Xiao Yan had begun to cultivate.

"Chaos Burning Heaven Technique, rotate!"

Xiao Yan let out a low shout in his heart, his hands forming a strange seal.

BOOM!!!

The previously calm backyard was instantly swept by a terrifying energy storm!

The heaven and earth energy within a radius of ten miles seemed to be summoned by something overbearing, frantically converging toward Xiao Yan!

Visible to the naked eye, a massive, multicolored energy funnel appeared above Xiao Yan's head, pouring directly into his crown!

"Wh-what kind of cultivation commotion is this?!"

Dai Mubai was so frightened he huddled in the corner of the cage, shivering: "What is he doing? Is he committing suicide?!"

"With such a terrifying infusion of energy, even the body of a Titled Douluo would be blown apart, right?!"

On the Douluo Continent, spirit masters always cultivated through cautious meditation, extracting spirit power from the air bit by bit for fear of damaging their meridians.

But this Xiao Yan before his eyes was simply an energy black hole!

Crack!

A crisp sound emanated from within Xiao Yan's body.

Dai Mubai froze.

He, he broke through?