Early the next morning.
Lei Qi was called out before he had even woken up.
Honestly, at his level, going without sleep for several days was nothing. But he simply liked sleeping and loved staying in bed.
Still, no matter how much he disliked it, he got up, washed, and hurried to the Thunder Clan Hall.
There were not nearly as many people here as there had been when he first arrived. Instead, there was only Lei Ying, an old man who looked somewhat older than Lei Ying, and two middle-aged men.
"Tianchi, Lei Qi is in your hands," Lei Ying said to Mang Tianchi when he saw Lei Qi arrive.
"Rest assured, Clan Chief," Mang Tianchi replied.
He naturally knew about Lei Qi's situation!
This was quite an extraordinary little fellow.
The reason he was called Mang Tianchi rather than Lei Tianchi was that, in his childhood, his bloodline grade had been too low, and he had been sent outside the clan.
Such things happened every year, in fact.
However, Mang Tianchi had instead grown after leaving the Thunder Clan. Unlike Medicine Elder, he held no hatred toward the clan. When they had arranged for him to leave, the family had also provided him with certain gifts.
The nature of the two situations was still somewhat different.
As for the other two, one was called Yang Ji, while the other was called Zhang Yi.
Both were commanders in the Thunder Clan's Thunder Legion.
They had both been minor geniuses born in the ordinary civilian districts outside the clan. Yet because they lacked the Dou God Bloodline, they had been stripped of the Lei surname. Even so, their loyalty to the Thunder Clan was absolute.
Yang Ji's cultivation had even reached the realm of an Eight-Star Dou Venerate.
Zhang Yi was somewhat weaker, but he was still a peak Seven-Star Dou Venerate.
The two of them were naturally Lei Qi's bodyguards.
After all, Lei Qi intended to travel across the continent.
Afterward, they followed Mang Tianchi out of the Thunder Realm.
Beyond the Thunder Realm stretched the endless Thunder Mountain Range, where dark clouds churned all year round and lightning flashed amid rolling thunder.
Yet it was precisely such a place that was more suitable for the Thunder Clan to create a small world in. After leaving, they first headed for Sky-Thunder City.
Few forces in the Central Plains now understood the situation of the Dou God Clans. However, even newly risen forces did not dare develop in this region, because a Half-Saint guarded Sky-Thunder City.
Those unaware of the truth could not afford to provoke a Half-Saint. Those who knew the truth could afford even less to provoke the Thunder Clan behind him.
Therefore, even this outer region was, in fact, part of the Thunder Realm.
Their destination was the Divine Farmer Mountain Range, located in the far south of the Central Plains. In a sense, this territory could already be considered outside the Central Plains, which made it rather remote.
Yet as the saying went, a mountain need not be high if immortals dwell within it. The same was true of this mountain range. Though the Divine Farmer Mountain Range was a wild and desolate region, filled with venomous insects and countless fierce beasts rarely seen in the Central Plains, the presence of the Yao Clan still made the area extremely lively. Moreover, the mountains produced all kinds of rare medicinal materials. Many alchemists traveled thousands of miles here in search of ingredients for pill refinement, making the Divine Farmer Mountain Range exceptionally popular.
The Medicine Canon was the most important event held by the Yao Clan every few years. Its timing was not entirely fixed and could change depending on various circumstances. Overall, it was somewhat similar to the Pill Tower's Pill Convention. In a sense, it was a gathering for the truly top-tier alchemists of the continent.
Through this gathering, people could learn who was the number one alchemist on the continent today!
Apart from members of the Yao Clan itself, those eligible to participate in the Medicine Canon included grandmaster alchemists who had once possessed, or currently possessed, immense fame in the Central Plains and exceptional alchemical skill. They could receive invitations as well, though the number of invitees was usually extremely small. After all, alchemists worthy of the Yao Clan's notice were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns across the continent.
Still, none of that diminished the Medicine Canon's grandeur, for no other reason than the title of Continental First Alchemist!
However, only people of status could participate in the Yao Clan's Medicine Canon. It was not like the Pill Tower, which made its events known throughout the continent.
Whether the Pill Tower accepted it or not, they truly fell somewhat short of the Yao Clan in pill refinement.
Although Lei Qi was already a Dou Emperor, his travel speed was not particularly fast.
Along the way, they traveled by spatial ship.
Today was also Lei Qi's first time seeing a spatial wormhole.
Still, honestly speaking, such a place was not enough to excite Lei Qi too much.
Fortunately, thanks to Mang Tianchi, they traveled quickly and arrived at the Divine Farmer Mountain Range in roughly three days.
The swirling clouds and mist above the mountain range were no ordinary phenomenon. They were formed from gathered natural energy. Cultivating here would likely be much faster than in other places.
That made sense. What major sect or aristocratic clan would possess a poor piece of land?
Before long, they arrived above a deep ravine in the heart of the mountain range. Across the ravine stood an enormous stone arch hundreds of zhang tall, quietly exuding an ancient aura.
At the center of the arch was a distorted stretch of space. This was the spatial gate leading to the Yao Clan. At that moment, figures continuously swept in from the sky or the depths of the forest, landing outside the giant stone arch. Only after producing jade slips and handing them to guards wearing Yao Clan robes were they permitted to enter.
"Thunder Clan, Mang Tianchi." Upon arriving, Mang Tianchi took out a jade slip and tossed it over.
"Please enter, the four of you. Once inside, someone will specially guide you into the Medicine Realm."
After the guards let them through, the four stepped into the distorted space.
Only then did Mang Tianchi remark with a sigh, "I wonder whether we'll get to see that old fellow Yao Dan refine pills this year."
At present, Yao Dan was unquestionably the number one alchemist on the entire Dou Qi Continent.
No matter which faction one looked at, there was absolutely no one whose pill-refining skill surpassed his.
"If we can witness it once, this trip won't have been in vain," Lei Qi muttered.
In truth, he was not very interested in pill refinement. The only reason he had come was to see what level the Yao Clan's few young geniuses had reached.
"Let's go. The people receiving us are here." Mang Tianchi had merely been making a casual remark.
Unless the Yao Clan had no one left, how could the clan chief personally take the field?
Soon, a giant bird flew over. Then, an elder of the Yao Clan said with a smile, "Hehe, I didn't expect Elder Mang to lead the delegation this time."
"Heh, you hold this once every few years. You can't send just one person to muddle through every time," Mang Tianchi said.
The Yao Clan elder did not mind Mang Tianchi's bluntness. However, upon seeing Lei Qi, he was somewhat curious. "Why have you brought a junior from the clan along this time?"
"Doesn't your Yao Clan have several outstanding young ladies? Maybe he can form a marriage alliance or something." Mang Tianchi's reply remained calm.
"..."
The Yao Clan elder looked slightly displeased.
Outstanding young ladies, marriage alliance?
Dream on!
Among the Dou God Clans, any woman with decent talent would absolutely not be permitted to lose her virginity before reaching the Dou Sheng realm. It would affect the power of her bloodline.
There were more ordinary women, of course, but anyone brought out to travel was surely a Thunder Clan genius. What clan genius would marry a woman with poor aptitude?
Before you continue