Morning light pierced the clouds over the Central Plains Continent and spilled onto White Jade Square outside the Pill Tower. This sacred haven for alchemists, standing at the heart of the Central Plains, now drew the eyes of every major power-the triennial Pill Tower Family Tournament was about to begin. The winning family would earn the right to enter the Pill Tower Core Region and study Ancient Pill Recipes, a temptation no faction could resist.
The Wang Family convoy stopped at the edge of the square. Wang Ling'er lifted the carriage curtain, her pale purple martial attire outlining her athletic figure. She helped Xiao Yan down from the carriage and looked at the family banners standing in tightly packed rows across the square. "Mr. Xiao Yan, the Pill Tower Main Tower is just ahead. Seven families are competing this time, with the Liu Family and Zhao Family being the strongest. The Liu Family head, Liu Chengfeng, is a seventh-tier alchemist. They say he has already touched the threshold of Dou Zong."
Xiao Yan stood beside the carriage, his early-stage Dou Emperor aura already drawn inward. After half a month of recuperation, the injuries inflicted by the Spatial Storm had healed completely. The mysterious yellow earth-core flame flowed slowly through his body, nourishing the Dou Qi meridians strengthened by his recent breakthrough. He gazed at the distant Pill Tower piercing the clouds. Its body was built from countless white jade blocks engraved with pill patterns, while an eternal golden flame burned at its summit-the Pill Tower's symbol, the pill flame spirit.
"What are the rules of the alchemy competition?" Xiao Yan asked, sweeping his gaze over the disciples adjusting their pill furnaces across the square. Wang Ling'er handed him a gold-embossed invitation. "There are three rounds. First, identifying medicinal ingredients. Second, refining third-tier healing pills. In the final round, a Pill Tower Elder chooses the Pill Formula. Whoever has the highest combined score wins. Our Wang Family excels at refining Antidote Pills, but when it comes to healing pills..." Concern crept into her voice. "The Liu Family's Rejuvenation Powder has long been famous throughout the Central Plains."
Xiao Yan accepted the invitation. The instant his fingertips touched its surface, he sensed a faint soul fluctuation-the Pill Tower's invitations were actually made from spirit paper imbued with soul power, and the runes upon them changed color according to the holder's alchemical skill. At present, the invitation's edges glowed pale cyan, indicating that his alchemy level was around the fifth tier, just right for his identity as a competing Wang Family disciple.
"Relax. You have me." Xiao Yan tucked the invitation into his robes and looked toward the raised platform on the eastern side of the square. Five Pill Tower Elders sat there. The white-haired elder at their head possessed an unfathomable aura, and the Dou Qi fluctuations surrounding him faintly approached the Dou Zun level. Clearly, he was one of the experts guarding the Pill Tower.
The Wang Family's seats were on the southern side of the square, facing those of the Liu Family and Zhao Family across the grounds. They had barely sat down when a mocking voice rang out from the opposite side. "The Wang Family actually sent some greenhorn to compete? Have they run out of people?" The speaker was Liu Changkong, the Liu Family's young master. Dressed in brocade robes, he toyed with a seventh-tier pill cauldron, arrogance lacing his Peak Dou Ling aura.
Wang Ling'er frowned. "Liu Changkong only rides on his father's reputation. His own alchemy isn't even consistently at the fifth tier." Xiao Yan paid him no heed. With a light tap of his finger against his Storage Ring, an ancient-looking black cauldron appeared-the cauldron formed from the Sea Heart Flame he had seized from Han Feng. A faint blue glow flowed over its surface, drawing gasps of admiration from those nearby.
"A Sea Heart Flame cauldron?" An unusual gleam flashed through the eyes of a Pill Tower Elder on the platform. "This lad can actually tame a water-element Heavenly Flame for alchemy. Quite a prodigy." The gray-robed elder beside him shook his head. "Unfortunately, he is too young and lacks seasoning. Liu Chengfeng's withered glory pill flame has reached perfection. I fear this year's family tournament holds little suspense."
The first round, identifying medicinal ingredients, soon began. Attendant disciples brought out a hundred jade boxes, each containing a rare medicinal ingredient. The contestants had to write down each ingredient's name, age, and medicinal properties within the time it took an incense stick to burn. For Xiao Yan, this was merely a small dish on the table. The mysterious yellow flame's purification power could easily discern the ingredients' origins. His brush flew across the page, and he completed his answers before half an incense stick had burned.
As he handed in his answers, Liu Chengfeng happened to pass by. Seeing Xiao Yan's sheet, he sneered. "You got the Purple-Heart Dragon Saliva Grass's age wrong by three years. Looks like even a Sea Heart Flame cauldron can't save your judgment." Xiao Yan gave him an indifferent glance. "Family Head Liu, perhaps you should examine your own answers. That Netherworld Ghost Vine was contaminated by an Otherworldly Demon's aura. Its apparent age may be sufficient, but thirty percent of its medicinal potency has already drained away."
Liu Chengfeng's expression shifted slightly. He hurriedly checked his own answers and, sure enough, began to hesitate over his entry for the Netherworld Ghost Vine. When the judges announced the results, the entire square erupted-Xiao Yan ranked first with ninety-nine points. His only mistake was deliberately misstating the Purple-Heart Dragon Saliva Grass's age to conceal his strength. Liu Chengfeng, meanwhile, fell to third place after misjudging the Netherworld Ghost Vine.
"Nothing but luck." Liu Chengfeng forced himself to remain composed, but his eyes turned sinister. During the second round, refining third-tier healing pills, he summoned his withered glory pill flame. Blue-green flames danced inside his cauldron, drawing cheers from the crowd. "As expected of a seventh-tier alchemist! His fire control has reached the point where he can unleash or withdraw it at will!" The family heads in the spectator seats showered him with praise.
Xiao Yan remained unhurried. The Sea Heart Flame burned deep blue beneath his cauldron as he controlled its intensity while circulating his soul power to examine how well the ingredients had merged. Watching beside him, Wang Ling'er felt her heart leap into her throat-Xiao Yan's fire control appeared slow, yet it subtly accorded with the laws of heaven and earth. Every breakdown of the medicinal ingredients occurred at precisely the right moment.
An incense stick later, both cauldrons opened simultaneously. Three lustrous white pills flew out of Liu Chengfeng's cauldron, releasing a rich medicinal fragrance. They were superior third-tier Rejuvenation Powder. Inside Xiao Yan's cauldron, however, only a single pill hovered. Gold and blue flowed over its surface, and its medicinal fragrance carried a faint trace of Heavenly Flame aura.
"Only one? Looks like he botched his fire control." The Liu Family disciples snickered. But after stepping forward to inspect it, the Pill Tower judge suddenly announced in a ringing voice, "Xiao Yan of the Wang Family has refined the third-tier healing pill, the Golden Marrow Rebirth Pill! Its quality surpasses the superior third tier and reaches the quasi-fourth tier! The Wang Family takes first place in this round!"
Deathly silence fell over the square. The Golden Marrow Rebirth Pill was a variation of a third-tier Pill Formula and required a Heavenly Flame as a catalyst. No more than ten people in the entire Central Plains could refine it. Liu Chengfeng's face turned livid. At last, he realized that this seemingly young opponent's alchemy far exceeded his expectations.
After two rounds, the Wang Family held first place, with the Liu Family close behind. The final round would decide the ultimate rankings. During the break, Wang Ling'er pulled Xiao Yan into a corner of the square, her expression grave. "Mr. Xiao Yan, Liu Chengfeng just sent someone with a message. He offered a hundred thousand gold coins for you to deliberately lose the competition. Otherwise..." She lowered her voice. "He has already contacted the Zhao Family. They intend to attack you after the tournament."
A wisp of mysterious yellow flame kindled at Xiao Yan's fingertip. "A perfect chance to test my strength after this breakthrough." Then he changed the subject. "By the way, do you know where the Soul Hall's branch in the Central Plains is? Someone I knew may be there." Surprise flashed through Wang Ling'er's eyes. "The Soul Hall? Their Central Plains branch is in Shadow Alley, just west of the Pill Tower. But that place is terribly sinister. They say only people carrying special tokens can enter..."
"A special token?" Xiao Yan took a black token from his Storage Ring. It was the token left behind by the Soul Hall envoy, the skull carved upon it glimmering eerily in the shadows. Wang Ling'er's expression changed slightly when she saw it. "That is a Soul Hall elder's token! Mr. Xiao Yan, your connection to the Soul Hall..."
"It's a long story." Xiao Yan put the token away. "After the final round, arrange a carriage to take me to Shadow Alley." Wang Ling'er hesitated briefly before nodding. "All right. But the Soul Hall acts in secretive, sinister ways. You must be careful."
The recipe designated for the final round was the fourth-tier Soul-Gathering Pill. It required seven spirit herbs and placed extremely high demands on soul power. To reverse his losing position, Liu Chengfeng actually used the Liu Family's secret Withered Glory Spirit Liquid outright. The blue-green medicinal liquid dripped into his cauldron, instantly accelerating the ingredients' fusion severalfold.
Xiao Yan instead took out the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Crystal he had obtained from Han Feng's treasury. The moment this crystal, brimming with pure soul power, appeared, every Pill Tower Elder on the raised platform turned to look. "Such a pure soul crystal!" The white-haired elder stroked his beard in admiration. "This lad has been blessed with remarkable opportunities."
Xiao Yan enveloped the soul crystal in mysterious yellow flame and slowly merged it into the ingredients. Gold-and-cyan flames intertwined with the deep-blue Sea Heart Flame in a spiral, establishing a delicate balance between the powers of four Heavenly Flames inside the cauldron. This was the fire-control technique he had repeatedly worked through while traveling with the Wang Family convoy. Though he could not yet fully fuse the Heavenly Flames, he could make them work together temporarily.
The instant the Soul-Gathering Pill formed, a three-colored pill cloud gathered above Xiao Yan's cauldron, drawing in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. This was the ultimate manifestation of a fourth-tier pill, far surpassing Liu Chengfeng's second-tier pill cloud. When the judge announced the results, the Wang Family disciples leaped and cheered, while Wang Ling'er's eyes brimmed with tears of excitement.
Just then, Liu Chengfeng suddenly rose, unleashing his Peak Dou Wang aura. "This brat cheated with Heavenly Flames! The results are invalid!" The Zhao Family head immediately echoed him, locking his mid-stage Dou Wang aura onto Xiao Yan. "Pill Tower rules forbid using Heavenly Flames to forcibly improve pill quality. He should be disqualified!"
Xiao Yan sneered, no longer concealing his early-stage Dou Emperor aura. "If you can't bear to lose, just say so. Why make excuses?" He stepped forward, and the pressure of an Eight-Star Dou Wang-though he had actually already broken through to early-stage Dou Emperor-instantly engulfed the square, forcibly driving Liu Chengfeng and the Zhao Family head back several steps.
"A Dou Huang expert?!" Cries of shock swept across the square. No one had imagined that this young alchemist was already a Dou Emperor-level expert. On the raised platform, the Pill Tower Elder stroked his beard and smiled. "Heavenly Flames are an alchemist's natural aid. How is that cheating? Family Head Liu has lost not only the competition, but his dignity as well."
Liu Chengfeng's face alternated between green and white, but he dared not question the Pill Tower Elder's ruling again. Xiao Yan approached him, his voice icy. "If you want to attack me after the tournament, come ahead. I'll be waiting on the eastern side of the square." Those words were both a provocation and protection for the Wang Family-before leaving, he intended to eliminate the hidden threat posed by the Liu Family once and for all.
After handling the remaining matters at the Pill Tower, Xiao Yan took the Wang Family's carriage to Shadow Alley. This street west of the Pill Tower lay shrouded in shadow throughout the year. The buildings on either side bore the Soul Hall's distinctive skull runes. Occasionally, black-robed figures passed between them, none with an aura weaker than the Dou Ling level.
The carriage stopped before a black stone hall. An eerie light flickered in the eyes of the two stone skeleton statues guarding its entrance. After Xiao Yan presented the elder's token, the statues slowly moved aside, revealing a stairway leading underground. Green soul flames burned along both sides of the stairs, illuminating diagrams of soul cultivation engraved upon the walls.
"Mr. Xiao Yan, you have indeed kept your word." A hoarse voice came from the foot of the stairs. The Soul Hall's Sixth Elder stood with his hands behind his back, the Dou Sheng aura beneath his black robes as terrifying as an abyss. "I have been waiting here for quite some time." Feeling the peak Half-Saint pressure emanating from him-only a step away from true Dou Sheng-Xiao Yan asked gravely, "Sixth Elder, do you know the whereabouts of my father, Xiao Zhan?"
The Sixth Elder chuckled. "As long as you fulfill our agreement, I can tell you not only Xiao Zhan's whereabouts, but even where the Otherworldly Demons have their lair." He pointed toward the soul altar at the center of the stone hall. "Draw your four Heavenly Flames into the altar. I will use my Half-Saint soul power to help you fuse them. This is your best chance to break through to Dou Emperor."
The altar was made of black crystal, its surface covered in the Soul Hall's soul runes. Standing at its center, Xiao Yan drew a deep breath and summoned the mysterious yellow earth-core flame, Green Lotus Core Flame, Fallen Heart Flame, and Sea Heart Flame simultaneously. The four flames repelled one another the moment they appeared. The Sea Heart Flame's azure fire collided especially fiercely with the other three Fire Element Heavenly Flames, producing a sizzling hiss.
"Focus your mind and calm your spirit! Wrap the flames in soul power!" The Sixth Elder formed seals with both hands, and Half-Saint-level soul power surged into Xiao Yan's body like a tide. "Remember, fusing Heavenly Flames is not about forcibly suppressing them. It is about finding the resonance between their origins!"
Following his instructions, Xiao Yan circulated his soul power and slowly guided the four Heavenly Flames into the altar. The runes on the black crystal instantly lit up, forming an enormous soul vortex that enveloped the flames. The Sixth Elder's voice echoed within it. "The mysterious yellow flame governs purification, the Green Lotus Flame governs vitality, the Fallen Heart Flame governs explosive power, and the Sea Heart Flame governs balance. They are already the four most compatible Heavenly Flames in heaven and earth. All they lack is guidance!"
As the Half-Saint soul power poured in, the repulsion between the four Heavenly Flames gradually weakened. The Sea Heart Flame's azure fire no longer fought the others. Instead, it wrapped around them like a curtain of water, forming a brilliant four-colored ring of flame. Xiao Yan could feel the origins of the four Heavenly Flames permeating one another. The mysterious yellow flame's purification power neutralized the Sea Heart Flame's icy chill, while the Fallen Heart Flame's explosive nature made the Green Lotus Core Flame's vitality even more boundless.
"Now! Break through to Dou Emperor!" The Sixth Elder roared, pouring even more soul power into the altar. The Dou Qi inside Xiao Yan instantly boiled. His early-stage Dou Emperor barrier shattered, and his Dou Qi rushed onward like floodwaters bursting through a dam. Nourished by the four-colored Heavenly Flames, it grew wildly-one star, two stars, three stars... Finally, it stabilized at Four-Star Dou Emperor!
Even more astonishingly, the four Heavenly Flames fused completely at the instant of his breakthrough, becoming a mass of interwoven gold, blue, cyan, and red fire. Profound runes faintly emerged at its center. This was precisely the flame Xiao Yan named the "mysterious yellow earth-core flame"! The newly formed Heavenly Flame immediately radiated pressure comparable to a High-Rank Dou Zong, its heat even causing the black crystal around the altar to melt slightly.
"It worked..." Xiao Yan felt the surging power within him as the mysterious yellow earth-core flame danced in his palm. The characteristics of all four Heavenly Flames had merged perfectly. It could purify all things and unleash earth-shaking power, while the conflict between water and fire elements had been completely resolved. Looking at the new Heavenly Flame, the Sixth Elder's eyes flashed with greed, but he quickly concealed it. "Congratulations on your tremendous increase in strength, young friend Xiao. Now I can tell you where Xiao Zhan is."
He took out a memory crystal. "Xiao Zhan is imprisoned in the Soul Prison in the northern Central Plains. It is where our Soul Hall holds important prisoners. To rescue him, you will need at least Dou Zong strength, and you must also gather three Boundary-Breaking Keys." Xiao Yan accepted the crystal and sensed the information contained within it. "Thank you for telling me, Sixth Elder," he said solemnly.
By the time he left Shadow Alley, dawn was approaching. Xiao Yan had barely stepped out of the stone hall when he saw Wang Ling'er waiting outside with the Wang Family disciples. Everyone held a weapon, clearly worried for his safety. "Mr. Xiao Yan, the Liu Family and Zhao Family have joined forces with three other families. They are setting an ambush at Black Wind Slope outside the city." Wang Ling'er handed him a map. "We have already prepared a carriage. You can avoid them by taking the eastern gate."
Xiao Yan shook his head. The mysterious yellow earth-core flame flashed briefly at his fingertip. "No need for a detour. This is the perfect chance to show them the strength of a Four-Star Dou Emperor." He swung onto a horse, and the four-colored Heavenly Flame formed a brilliant fiery wing behind him. "Tell the Wang Family head to remember to send someone to use the Pill Tower study qualification. Once I rescue my father, I will visit the Pill Tower again."
Wang Ling'er watched Xiao Yan race away, her eyes filled with admiration and reluctance to part. She knew that this mysterious expert who had helped the Wang Family secure its Pill Tower qualification was destined to pursue a far wider world. At that moment, however, Xiao Yan had only one thought in his heart-find Xiao Yi Xian and Nalan Yanran as quickly as possible, gather the Boundary-Breaking Keys, rescue his father, and then uncover the secrets of the Otherworldly Demons and the Soul Hall completely.
On Black Wind Slope, Liu Chengfeng and the Zhao Family head stood ready for battle with a hundred disciples. When he saw Xiao Yan appear alone at the foot of the slope, Liu Chengfeng grinned viciously. "The brat has some guts. Once we capture him, we'll not only take his Sea Heart Flame cauldron, but force him to reveal the secret of refining the Soul-Gathering Pill!"
Xiao Yan reined in his horse and unleashed his Four-Star Dou Emperor aura without restraint. The mysterious yellow earth-core flame blazed upon his heavy sword. "Enough talk. Come at me together." Liu Chengfeng and the Zhao Family head exchanged a glance and attacked simultaneously. Peak Dou Wang and mid-stage Dou Wang Dou Qi formed two torrents that swept toward Xiao Yan.
"Mysterious Yellow: Boundary-Breaking Slash!" Xiao Yan swept his heavy sword horizontally, condensing the four-colored flames into an enormous blade of sword energy. The strike actually carried Dou Zong-level pressure, tearing trenches several zhang wide through the ground wherever it passed. Liu Chengfeng and the Zhao Family head's Dou Qi torrents were instantly cleaved apart. Both men were hurled away by the shock wave, blood spraying from their mouths.
"How is this possible... Your strength actually rivals a High-Rank Dou Zong?!" Liu Chengfeng stared at Xiao Yan in terror, his eyes filled with despair. Xiao Yan gave him no chance to catch his breath. His Azure Luan Wings spread, and he appeared before Liu Chengfeng in an instant, pointing his heavy sword straight at his throat. "Surrender or die?"
Watching the four-colored flames dance upon the blade and feeling the terrifying power capable of burning his soul to ashes, Liu Chengfeng finally broke. "I surrender! I will hand over all the Liu Family's resources! Just spare my life!" Seeing this, the Zhao Family head also hurriedly dropped to his knees and surrendered.
After settling matters at Black Wind Slope, Xiao Yan raced toward the northern Central Plains. The morning sun shone upon him, and his four-colored fiery wings glittered in its light. Four-Star Dou Emperor strength, combat power rivaling a High-Rank Dou Zong, the mysterious yellow earth-core flame formed from four fused Heavenly Flames, and the clues provided by the Soul Hall's Sixth Elder... His journey through the Central Plains had only just begun. Meanwhile, deep within the distant Soul Prison, Xiao Zhan's figure flickered in and out of the darkness, as though waiting for something.
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