In the original storyline, the poison Xiao Yi Xian took was potent, but it could only threaten a Dou Shi.
Now its toxicity was dozens of times stronger. Although it could not poison Xiao Yi Xian to death, Xiao Lin suspected she might remain unconscious for longer...
Watching Xiao Yi Xian's peaceful face as she "slept soundly," Xiao Lin quietly closed the door. His eyes narrowed slightly, as though his gaze had pierced through space to reach somewhere far away.
Black Rock City, Jia Ma Empire.
At the sight of the astonishment on Frank's and Otto's faces, everyone in the hall involuntarily swallowed.
Judging by their expressions, the young man named Xiao Yan had clearly passed the second-rank examination.
A Second-Rank Alchemist this young-had he just set a new record for the Jia Ma Empire?
"This guy... actually succeeded? A Dou Shi and a Second-Rank Alchemist at his age? How is that possible!"
Her red lips slightly parted, Lin Fei murmured in shock.
"A monster!"
Beside her, Xue Mei nodded slightly as well. This guy was far too freakish...
"Hehe... Xue Mei, Lin Fei, you youngsters should head back on your own. We still have something to attend to, so we won't be accompanying you."
Frank smiled at Xue Mei and exchanged a glance with Otto. Then the two led Xiao Yan out of the hall and toward the reception room.
"Young friend Xiao Yan, forgive the impertinent question... was that unusual flame you used earlier one of the legendary heavenly flames?"
After chatting for a while, Frank found that he could glean no useful information from the youth. With a soft sigh, he began probing into the flame Xiao Yan used for alchemy.
With the Thousand Illusion Mask concealing his true features, Xiao Yan currently looked unremarkable. He turned his palm upward, and a wisp of crimson flame quietly appeared.
The flame flickered peacefully, yet it carried a faint, heart-palpitating heat that slightly distorted even the surrounding air.
"To tell you the truth..." His voice was low and hoarse, as though he were considering his answer.
"This flame came from an unusual Fifth-Order magical beast. It isn't a heavenly flame, one of those natural wonders born of heaven and earth."
"A fifth-tier beast fire?!" Frank and Otto exclaimed in unison.
"A Fifth-Order magical beast could produce such a wondrous beast flame?" Otto's brows knitted tightly, disbelief filling his aged face.
Both of them had watched from the sidelines when Xiao Yan took the examination to refine a second-rank pill.
The moment that flame appeared, even they, fourth-grade alchemists and Dou Ling experts, had felt their bodies tremble slightly. And this was merely the flame of a Fifth-Order magical beast?
"As far as I know, there aren't many magical beasts with beast flames within the Jia Ma Empire."
Frank said gravely, "The Amethyst Winged Lion King of the Magical Beast Mountain Range has an incomparably domineering purple flame within its body, while the Nether Sea Flood Dragon Beast of the Jia Ma Imperial Family possesses the Azure Water Flame, one of the finest sixth-rank beast flames..."
"But in my judgment, even the Azure Water Flame seems to exert less pressure when unleashed than your flame!"
Xiao Yan withdrew his flame and replied evenly, "That magical beast had a strange, peculiar appearance. It was unlike anything I had ever seen."
He paused, seemingly weighing his words. "According to an elder in my family, it apparently isn't a magical beast native to the Jia Ma Empire. It may not even belong to this continent..."
Frank and Otto exchanged glances, each seeing shock in the other's eyes.
"To think such an extraordinary beast exists..." Frank murmured, then shook his head with a bitter smile.
"It seems I truly have spent all these years as a frog at the bottom of a well. According to those rumors from the Misty Cloud Sect, inheritors of otherworldly inheritances have been appearing. Now even magical beasts are becoming anything but ordinary."
Otto stroked his beard and sighed as well. "A Fifth-Order body, yet it could produce a beast flame comparable to a sixth-rank one. Such a stroke of fortune would likely make even the empire's guardian envious."
Xiao Yan neither agreed nor disagreed. He simply raised his teacup and took a gentle sip.
"Presidents." He set down his teacup, his voice low.
"Besides taking the Second-Rank Alchemist examination, I came today to ask another favor."
"Please, speak freely," Frank said seriously.
"I'm looking for two things-ice spirit flame grass and ice spirit cold spring."
"Ice spirit flame grass?" Otto raised an eyebrow, then a look of realization crossed his face.
"I do know of that. A friend of mine at the Alchemist Guild in a neighboring city has a stalk in his possession."
He glanced at Frank, who understood and smiled. "With your status as a Second-Rank Alchemist, young friend Xiao Yan, and with Otto and me lending you our names, arranging an introduction should be easy enough."
"As for ice spirit cold spring..." Otto considered for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
"It's exceedingly rare, a spiritual treasure born of heaven and earth in places of extreme cold. Ordinary alchemists never have the fortune to lay eyes on it."
He rose and paced around the reception room for a moment. Suddenly, he stopped and turned toward Xiao Yan, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes.
"Wait... as far as I know, there may be only one person in the entire Jia Ma Empire who might have it in his collection."
"Who?"
"Gute," Otto said, a complicated note in his voice.
"He also happens to be the younger brother of the Sixth-grade Alchemist Gu He!"
"Precisely." Frank picked up the thread, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.
"That fellow throws his weight around Black Rock City by relying on his elder brother Gu He's influence. He treasures his valuables more than his own life and has an eccentric temperament. They say he has countless rare medicinal ingredients in his collection, but he never readily shows them to anyone, let alone agrees to trade them."
"And..." Otto lowered his voice.
"Recently, there have been rumors that Grandmaster Gu He obtained some sort of 'bloodline inheritance.' A mysterious clan mark appeared between his brows, and both his cultivation and alchemy improved. Gute has grown even more arrogant because of it. With his brother's name behind him, he doesn't even spare us a second glance."
Xiao Yan's eyes shifted slightly as he silently pondered.
Gu He... a bloodline inheritance?
He recalled a rumor Xiao Yi Xian had mentioned: a strange mark had appeared between Gu He's brows, suggesting that he might be an inheritor. Now it seemed the story was actually true.
"Thank you for telling me, Presidents." He rose and lightly cupped his hands.
"I hope you can help arrange an introduction for the ice spirit flame grass. As for the ice spirit cold spring... I'll find a way myself, though I'm sorry to trouble you both for an introduction there as well..."
Three days later.
Through Frank's and Otto's arrangements, Xiao Yan successfully acquired the ice spirit flame grass in exchange for a fourth-grade pill.
The herb was crystalline throughout, with red and white hues flowing through it in turn. It felt cold in his hand, yet faintly radiated a burning heat-the unmistakable characteristics of ice spirit flame grass.
"Next is the ice spirit cold spring."
"You old bastard, put away those shady odds and ends of yours!"
Outside Gute's room, Otto swept away the corrosive liquids and medicinal powders scattered around the stairway, then kicked open the iron door and entered, cursing all the while.
After hearing why they had come, Gute narrowed his eyes and sized Xiao Yan up. His gaze lingered briefly on the crimson flame in Xiao Yan's palm before a look of disdain appeared on his face.
"A mere brat with milk still wet on his lips dares boast that he can trade for my ice spirit cold spring?"
Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged. He simply took something out of his Storage Ring-
It was a fist-sized piece of black metal, its surface covered in intricate, fine patterns. Flames seemed to flow within it, and it radiated a heavy, scorching aura.
"Flamefall black iron?!"
Gute cried out in shock.
His scruffy, scrawny body sprang from his chair with incredible speed. In just a few strides, he rushed up to Xiao Yan and reached out to snatch it!
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