Xiao Chen had no idea that Su Qingxue had already had a cordial, friendly conversation with Tang Chengxuan.
He was studying Eight Extremes Collapse and the Flame Splitting Wave Ruler.
Overall, although their grades were not high, they had tremendous potential for growth.
As for the Flame Mantra, he had examined it earlier. It was no ordinary cultivation method.
Cultivation methods that could evolve were rare even across the Myriad Universes.
He had no idea who had created it, or why it had appeared on the Dou Qi Continent.
Five days later, Xiao Chen and his party finally reached the town closest to the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Qingshan Town.
As Xiao Yan walked along the streets paved with bluestone, the Heavy Xuan Ruler on his back, disproportionate to his frame, naturally drew quite a few looks.
By comparison, Xiao Chen, with a small snake coiled on his shoulder, looked much more ordinary.
Someone did approach him, offering to buy the little golden snake, but Xiao Chen refused.
There were plenty of shops on either side of the street, and their advantageous location brought them bustling business.
Xiao Yan's interested gaze swept over the brightly lit shops before he finally stopped outside a medicinal herb shop.
"Myriad Medicine Pavilion..."
"Ancestor, I'd like to take a look inside."
Xiao Yan had little interest in weapons and armor, but all manner of rare medicinal herbs fascinated him.
Xiao Chen nodded lightly.
They entered the spacious shop, its interior lit as brightly as day by the Moonlight Stones hanging on the walls.
The shop was quite crowded, and its clerks were all extremely busy, so no one came to attend to Xiao Chen and Xiao Yan just yet.
Xiao Yan was happy to browse in peace without anyone attending to him.
His gaze slowly swept through the transparent display counter, but when it reached a small jade box, he paused slightly.
"Healing medicine? Could there be an alchemist here too?"
Staring at the information written beneath the little jade bottle, Xiao Yan froze for a moment and murmured in surprise.
"Not an alchemist. A physician," Xiao Chen said with a chuckle.
Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows slightly. So it was a physician.
Although physicians were also considered a type of alchemist, their status was far lower than that of alchemists.
After all, they could not truly refine pills. They could only use ordinary flames to combine medicinal ingredients to treat people.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan continued looking, but after examining everything on the counter, he shook his head in disappointment.
Just as he was about to leave empty-handed, he saw Xiao Chen step forward and smile at a clerk. "Sorry for the trouble, but could you take this out for me?"
The young clerk looked at Xiao Chen's plain clothing, then at the item he had requested. Discovering that it was merely a piece of the lowest-grade Yellow Lotus Essence, he curled his lip impatiently and took it out of the counter with an expressionless face. "Yellow Lotus Essence. Low-grade medicinal ingredient. One hundred gold coins."
Unbothered by the clerk's dog-eyed disdain, Xiao Chen accepted the Yellow Lotus Essence, then asked with a smile, "Do you have any more Yellow Lotus Essence? I'll take it all."
The clerk froze slightly at his words.
Although Yellow Lotus Essence cost only one hundred gold coins a piece, buying it in bulk would still amount to a considerable sum.
The next instant, he put on a fawning smile. "Sir, please wait a moment. I'll fetch it right away."
Nodding with a faint smile, Xiao Chen tossed the piece of Yellow Lotus Essence to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan looked puzzled, but when he noticed a tiny scratch on it, the corner of his eye twitched slightly.
The faintly yellow surface had peeled back a little, revealing a trace of crimson as red as fresh blood!
Shortly after leaving, the clerk hurried back out and placed a small wooden box on the counter, smiling. "Sir, there are seventy-seven pieces of Yellow Lotus Essence here. Would you like to buy them all?"
Xiao Chen nodded. "Pack them up and tally the bill."
"Sir, the total is seven thousand eight hundred gold coins." The clerk quickly quoted the price, his eyes seeming to gleam.
Nodding slightly, Xiao Chen looked at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan raised a finger, and a pale blue card holding ten thousand gold coins appeared in his hand. He passed it to the clerk.
Then he quickly stored the Yellow Lotus Essence in his Storage Ring.
With the transaction complete, Xiao Chen led Xiao Yan straight out.
Behind them, the clerk suddenly slapped himself and muttered, "That'll teach you to look down on people with those dog eyes!"
Xiao Chen and Xiao Yan exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.
After walking along the street for a while, Xiao Chen looked at the darkening sky, found an inn, and booked two rooms for them to stay in.
"Ancestor, there's another piece of Blood Lotus Essence!"
Xiao Chen had only just sat down when Xiao Yan pushed open the door and entered, his face alight with excitement.
"Look at you, getting carried away over so little."
Xiao Chen rolled his eyes at him.
"We've got the Blood Lotus Essence. Now we only need an Ice Spirit Flame Grass and a fourth-tier ice-attribute Magic Core to refine a Blood Lotus Pill!" Xiao Yan said excitedly.
"Get a good night's rest. We'll go fetch the Ice Spirit Flame Grass tomorrow," Xiao Chen said calmly.
"Ancestor, you know where to find Ice Spirit Flame Grass?" Xiao Yan looked puzzled.
But Xiao Chen merely waved a hand. "Why ask so many questions? Go to sleep."
"Yes!"
Grinning, Xiao Yan ran back to his room, his whole body aching and numb, and plunged headfirst onto the soft, warm bed.
Sleepiness immediately flooded his mind like a wave blotting out the sky, after a full day of exhaustion.
At the first light of dawn the next day, the sleeping Xiao Yan opened his eyes right on time.
Sitting up cross-legged on the bed, Xiao Yan formed the hand seal for cultivation and slowly closed his eyes again.
Only when the sunlight outside his window had flooded the room with light did Xiao Yan stop cultivating.
He stretched, a satisfied smile rising on his face as he listened to the crackling sounds coming from within his body.
"Xiao Yan, get ready to leave."
Hearing his ancestor's voice outside, Xiao Yan immediately leaped off the bed.
Magical beasts roamed rampant in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and dangers lurked everywhere.
Anyone traveling alone there was particularly likely to be attacked by magical beasts.
Thus, aside from a few whose skills gave them courage, most mercenaries entering the mountains went in groups.
Half an hour later, Xiao Chen and Xiao Yan arrived at another exit from the town.
This was also the entrance to the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Quite a few mercenaries had already gathered at the town gate.
Calls rang out one after another, constantly beckoning lone mercenaries who wished to enter the mountains.
But Xiao Chen ignored them entirely and strode out with Xiao Yan without pausing.
Outside the Magical Beast Mountain Range, everything was still relatively peaceful.
Not long after the two entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range, however, they encountered a small-scale magical beast attack.
Their attackers were four first-tier magical beasts called Green Vine Lizards.
These magical beasts were fairly common on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. They had a wood attribute, with mosslike vines covering their backs. During combat, they would suddenly shoot out thorny vines to bind their enemies, and their blood had a mild hallucinogenic effect.
Xiao Yan dispatched them easily and was lucky enough to obtain a wood-attribute Magic Core.
The two then encountered five Crimson Ice Snakes, which were likewise no match for Xiao Yan.
After searching for the better part of the day, Xiao Chen finally found the place.
Passing through a small, dense grove, they came upon a rather steep cliff.
Sweeping his gaze along the cliff's edge, Xiao Chen indeed spotted the plant bearing pale white flowers.
"This is the place!"
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