That same day, Xiao Yan returned to Little Mountain Valley.
Before he left, the Amethyst Winged Lion King gave him a piece of purple spirit crystal.
The Amethyst Winged Lion tribe shed a piece of purple spirit crystal every twenty years. Given the lifespan of magical beasts, it really wasn't anything precious to the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
In the original story, he had demanded a Transformation Pill from Yun Yun in exchange. That truly was a lion opening his jaws wide to demand an outrageous price.
After all, he knew perfectly well that Yun Yun couldn't possibly have a Transformation Pill.
Xiao Yan was different. He really could refine one.
As long as Xiao Yan carried this piece of purple spirit crystal and remained in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the Amethyst Winged Lion King could find him.
Before that, the Amethyst Winged Lion King needed to find a few fifth-tier magical beasts and borrow the magic cores inside their bodies.
After returning to Little Mountain Valley, Xiao Yan immediately began refining Energy-Gathering Pills.
Although each grade of Energy-Gathering Pill required completely different medicinal ingredients, Little Mountain Valley and the basin outside held enough herbs to support Xiao Yan in refining Energy-Gathering Pills below the sixth grade.
One day later!
Xiao Yan had refined all five Third-Tier Magic Cores into Energy-Gathering Pills.
Yao Lao helped him refine the three Fourth-Tier Magic Cores into Energy-Gathering Pills as well.
Third-Tier Magic Cores and Fourth-Tier Magic Cores corresponded to fourth- and fifth-grade Energy-Gathering Pills, respectively.
"Once I absorb all these Energy-Gathering Pills, my strength will rise by at least twenty stages!" Xiao Yan said delightedly.
Hearing this, Yao Lao chuckled beside him. "Now you understand why Alchemists are so sought after, don't you?"
Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together and nodded vigorously.
He wasted no time after that. After returning to his room and resting for an afternoon to replenish his spirits, he picked up an Energy-Gathering Pill and began cultivating with pills.
Seven days passed in a flash.
Three bangs rang out from within Xiao Yan's body as he finished absorbing every last bit of energy from the first Energy-Gathering Pill.
His strength had broken through three stages of Dou Qi in succession!
Even though Xiao Yan had prepared himself, this terrifying rate of growth still gave him a fright.
"Keep going!"
His eyes shone brilliantly as he took out another Fourth-Grade Energy-Gathering Pill.
Time passed. A full month had gone by since Xiao Yan left the Amethyst Winged Lion King, and he had absorbed all five Fourth-Grade Energy-Gathering Pills.
Although each breakthrough required more energy as his strength increased, those five Fourth-Grade Energy-Gathering Pills still raised his Dou Qi by a full twelve stages.
Xiao Yan's strength had thus reached the fifty-sixth stage of Dou Qi.
Although the potency of his Dou Qi hadn't increased much and was only comparable to that of a Five-Star Dou Master,
according to Yao Lao's assessment, his physical strength could now rival that of a top-tier third-tier magical beast.
More importantly, Xiao Yan could vaguely sense a strange change in his body, as though it were ascending toward a higher form of life.
It was as if every breakthrough was a leap in the very nature of his life.
The most striking change was that Xiao Yan could clearly feel his muscle density increasing dramatically. His blood flowed thick as mercury and faintly gave off an unusual fragrance.
According to Yao Lao, his blood contained faint traces of energy, even more than some low-grade medicinal herbs.
"Teacher, I feel terrifyingly strong right now!"
Clenching his fists and feeling the tremendous power within his body, Xiao Yan couldn't help saying this.
Now, Xiao Yan was confident that even without using Dou Qi, he could beat a Da Dou Shi below five stars to death with his bare hands in fewer than ten moves.
Da Dou Shi at five stars and above could generally form full-body Dou Armor, so breaking through their defenses would be somewhat difficult.
Yao Lao stroked his beard with a smile. Although he was equally pleased with Xiao Yan's current strength, he still cautioned him, "Although you're doing fairly well among your peers now, you mustn't become arrogant, much less slack off.
"You should know that the Dou Qi Continent is boundless, and geniuses are the one thing it never lacks. Some have even reached the Dou Emperor level at your age."
Xiao Yan nodded seriously. He still had a long road ahead of him, so naturally, he couldn't afford to slack off.
Seeing this, Yao Lao smiled in satisfaction and suggested, "Since you've broken through, why not go out and stretch your legs?"
"That's exactly what I had in mind." Xiao Yan nodded, then suddenly thought of something and continued, "Teacher, has no one come to Little Mountain Valley this past month?"
Yao Lao gave him a teasing smile. "Who were you hoping would come to Little Mountain Valley? That girl Xiao Yi Xian? Then you may be disappointed. She hasn't come once this past month."
Xiao Yan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly at those words.
Logically speaking, Xiao Yi Xian had Little Lan. If she wanted to visit Little Mountain Valley, it should have been easy.
Could something have happened to her?
Looks like I'll have to visit Qingshan Town first. Xiao Yan immediately made up his mind.
Meanwhile!
Inside a quiet room in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
Dressed in a snow-white gown, Xiao Yi Xian looked serene and beautiful.
She sat quietly on a bamboo chair beside the window, leisurely mixing powdered medicines.
As for whether she was mixing healing medicines or poisons, no one knew.
Just then, a woman's voice sounded outside.
"Xiao Yi Xian, it's already been a month, and that friend you mentioned still hasn't come looking for you. It seems you mean nothing to him.
"If you ask me, you should accept your fate and give yourself to Mr. Yao. He won't mistreat you."
Xiao Yi Xian sneered, lifting her head slightly with disgust on her face.
"Heh, you make me sick."
"Back then, you were all alone, begging on the streets. I was the one who brought you into the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, yet I never imagined you'd secretly betrayed me long ago.
"Keeping up that act beside me all these years must have been exhausting, wasn't it?
"And those spies you supposedly discovered-you and Mr. Yao certainly know how to stage your own little show, don't you?"
Xiao Yi Xian could hardly be blamed for being so furious. When she returned to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion a month ago, the person closest to her had actually joined forces with Mr. Yao to move against her.
At first, it wasn't too bad. They only restricted her movements, and she was happy enough to enjoy the peace.
Gradually, however, Mr. Yao bared his fangs, pressuring her to marry him in an attempt to bind her irrevocably to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
And as time passed, his patience was steadily wearing thin.
Xiao Yi Xian, however, wasn't worried.
As a Poison Master, she had no shortage of ways to protect herself.
Moreover, she possessed a heaven-defying constitution like the Woeful Poison Body.
In just one month, she had advanced to Three-Star Dou Zhe by swallowing poisons.
That level of strength wasn't impressive, but it wasn't weak either.
Combined with her arsenal of poisons, Xiao Yi Xian was confident that even if Xiao Yan didn't come looking for her, she could break out of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion alone.
"Urgh!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, the voice outside cut off abruptly, followed by several low, muffled thuds.
They sounded like bodies hitting the ground.
Xiao Yi Xian's brow furrowed slightly.
What was happening outside?
She didn't dare go out. Instead, she took several bottles and jars from her Storage Ring and watched the doorway, ready for anything.
Just then, a voice came from outside the door.
"I was wondering why you stopped coming to Little Mountain Valley. So you've been placed under house arrest!"
That teasing voice was so familiar that Xiao Yi Xian's wariness vanished instantly.
She hurried over and opened the door. A tall, straight figure stood there, as familiar as ever.
Xiao Yi Xian smiled radiantly.
"Xiao Yan, I knew you'd come."
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