Preparations Before Leaving for the Black-Corner Region

Yun Congxin's words shocked everyone, like a single stone stirring up a thousand waves.

A Misty Cloud Sect Elder was entitled to enter the Discussion Hall, which meant gaining access to the sect's inner circle of power.

Precisely for that reason, no one had expected Xiao Zhan, who was only a Da Dou Shi, did not bear the surname Yun, and also served as the head of his own clan, to become a Misty Cloud Sect Elder.

To everyone present, Yun Congxin's willingness to invest so heavily went far beyond an attempt to win over a fourth-grade alchemist.

But to Yun Congxin, this was nothing more than replacing one title with another that sounded more impressive. What the Misty Cloud Sect actually paid was still only a small portion of Lin City's resources.

After all, Xiao Zhan was merely a Da Dou Shi. Would he really dare take part in the Misty Cloud Sect's deliberations and decisions?

It would simply mean one more chair in the Discussion Hall, and one more listener when Yun Congxin spoke in the future.

Moreover, by giving away this elder's seat, he could seize the opportunity to deliver a final verdict on the Mo Clan's destruction. Afterward, no one would be able to use it to drive a wedge between the Misty Cloud Sect and the Xiao Clan. After today, through word of mouth among the assembled guests and the Misty Cloud Sect's deliberate publicity, this elder's seat would also have the effect of paying a thousand gold for a horse's bones, attracting young Alchemists to join the sect.

Just look: Xiao Yan had defeated Yan Li and preserved the dignity of the Jia Ma Empire and the Alchemist Guild, yet they had been unwilling to give him even a little more in benefits.

But when Xiao Yan helped the Misty Cloud Sect clean house, the sect was willing to reward the Xiao Clan with an elder's seat!

Even after the banquet ended, the departing guests were still discussing the Xiao Clan, these new favorites of the Misty Cloud Sect, and considering how to build good relations with them.

Meanwhile, Yun Congxin picked his teeth contentedly and made his way to the rear courtyard of the Xiao Clan's new residence.

"When are you planning to leave?"

Only Xiao Yan, Yao Lao, and Yun Congxin were in the Courtyard. Seeing that the master and disciple seemed in no hurry at all, Yun Congxin asked them this.

Xiao Yan chuckled as he poured tea for Yao Lao and Yun Congxin. "There's no rush. I still have some time before my leave ends... Do you have something planned, Elder Yun?"

"Mm... There are a few matters in the sect I need to take care of, but they shouldn't delay us for too long." Yun Congxin nodded.

Taking the tea Xiao Yan handed him, he said, "Come to the Misty Cloud Sect once you've finished preparing. We'll be able to leave in as little as a day or as many as five. The sect has Flying Magical Beasts for its own use, and they're quite fast. We can board right at the sect... How many of you will be coming?"

"Just three. Me, my teacher, and my older cousin."

"Mm... Then our group will be a little larger, and we'll need more Flying Magical Beasts. I'll make the arrangements."

Yun Congxin took a sip of tea and gave a wry smile. "Your tea-making skills really aren't up to much..."

"Huh?" Xiao Yan took a sip too, smacked his lips, and said, "Isn't this pretty good...?"

"Ah, forget it..." Yun Congxin sighed. Setting down his cup, he took his leave. "I'll head back first, then. Just come straight to the Misty Cloud Sect when you're ready. I'll arrange for someone to receive you."

"I'll see you out, Elder Yun..."

"No need. The Misty Cloud Sect is only a couple of steps away. Lift your foot, and you're already on Misty Cloud Mountain..."

Yun Congxin left, leaving only Xiao Yan and Yao Lao in the Courtyard.

Xiao Yan scratched his head and gave Yao Lao a pleading look. "Teacher..."

"Don't look at me. I'm a soul form. I can't drink tea..."

"...Is it really that bad?"

"Making tea is like refining medicine. Practice makes perfect, so it's only natural that you aren't good at it." After offering this token consolation, Yao Lao turned to business. "Let's talk about something serious. The Black-Corner Region is a place filled with danger and opportunity. With enough luck, you can come across all sorts of treasures. Are you really ready?"

Xiao Yan paused, then answered as though it were perfectly natural. "Of course. I even prepared a top-quality set of clothes for sneaking around at night..."

"That's not what I meant. I meant, is your wallet ready?" Yao Lao rolled his eyes. Who had this brat been learning from while I was asleep? Was he planning to rob people at the slightest disagreement?

He coughed and continued, "There are plenty of good things at the Black-Corner Region's auctions and medicinal ingredient shops. If we happen to find an ingredient or treasure we need but can't afford it, how embarrassing would that be...?"

"Uh... Let me see. I still have a hundred and thirty thousand gold coins..." Xiao Yan rubbed his nose awkwardly. "That's still my share from selling healing medicine back in Wutan City..."

Yao Lao was speechless. "Our target this time is the fourteenth-ranked fallen heart flame. We'll need to prepare even more thoroughly than we did when you devoured the green lotus core flame. Without gold coins, how are we supposed to get the medicinal ingredients and magic core?"

The moment Xiao Yan heard that, he knew it would not come cheap. Bracing himself, he asked, "Then what do we need to prepare this time?"

Without hesitation, Yao Lao said, "A sixth-grade pill, the Earth Spirit Pill. It doesn't require many ingredients, only four: Earth core fire ganoderma, Dragon-Beard Ice-Fire Fruit, azure wood immortal vine, and one Sixth-Tier Water-Attribute Magic Core. These materials are all very rare, so we must seize every opportunity. Whenever we find one, we have to secure it."

"How much would it cost to buy all of those?"

Xiao Yan had never even heard the names of those three medicinal ingredients. And they also needed a sixth-tier water-attribute magic core. That sounded like something money alone could not buy...

"Conservatively speaking, those three medicinal ingredients alone would cost at least eight hundred thousand to a million..." Yao Lao said with a beaming smile.

"Eight hundred thousand to a million..."

No wonder even Alchemists, with their outrageously profitable profession, were often so poor their pockets jingled with nothing but air. Gold Coins simply refused to stay in an Alchemist's hands! After painstakingly refining a few pills and putting them up for auction, the Gold Coins would barely have warmed their palms before they bought a couple of high-grade ingredients and—gone!

Gu He was also fretting over a heavenly flame. Ever since hearing from Yun Congxin that there was news of one, he had tossed and turned all night, then toured every medicinal storehouse in the Imperial Capital and the Misty Cloud Sect the following day. But unlike Xiao Yan, who was still agonizing over how quickly his gold would vanish, Gu He had long since stopped settling payments with gold coins.

He traded pills directly instead...

Nalan Yanran and the sisters Yao Ye and Yao Yue had also received word that they would be traveling to the Black-Corner Region with Yun Congxin and Pill King Gu He.

Nalan Yanran remained calm at the news. She was now focused on honing her combat skills, striving to shed the immaturity of fighting as though every battle were a match in the arena.

Yao Ye, however, seemed somewhat worried, though no one knew what was troubling her. Perhaps she was worried about her younger sister, who had started bouncing around in excitement the moment she heard they were going away.

By this point, everyone except Xiao Yu had begun making preparations amid the urgent beat of drums and gongs.

The Black-Corner Region, that rapidly expanding sewer of the Dou Qi Continent wedged between numerous empires, forced them all to approach it with caution.