Xuan City, Alchemist Guild.
Xiao Yan, who had just been forced into the Alchemist Guild by the crowd outside, immediately attracted the attention of many people in the guild.
The people's gazes varied: some were curious, some sympathetic, some disdainful, and some disgusted.
Standing in the Alchemist Guild, Xiao Yan looked around. The place where Xiao Yan was standing was a courtyard that was not very large. The main gate of the Alchemist Guild was inside, requiring him to walk more than ten steps in.
Turning his head to glance at the crowded people outside the door, Xiao Yan wanted to go out, but then he thought that he would probably have to stay here for the time being.
Shaking his head helplessly in his heart, Xiao Yan took a light step and headed towards the main gate of the Alchemist Guild. Since he was already here and bored anyway, he might as well go in and take a look.
Just as Xiao Yan Xiao Yan strolling to the front gate, suddenly, a figure flashed from the side and blocked his way.
"Boy, this is the Alchemist Guild, not a place where someone like you can just walk in. We've already been more than kind by not kicking you out of this courtyard; you're not someone you can just walk into!"
Standing before Xiao Yan was a middle-aged man with a rather robust build. His first impression was also one of domineering presence. In addition, Xiao Yan's investigation revealed that this man was a Seventh-Grade Alchemist.
"Heh, it's just the Alchemist Guild. Why can't someone like me join?"
Xiao Yan smiled calmly. Now that he had arrived in Xuan City, he had no intention of causing trouble, as it would not be a good thing for him.
Seeing that the black-robed youth before him was so agreeable, the burly man's mocking expression deepened. He grinned coldly and then said:
"This is the Alchemist Guild. Only alchemists are allowed to enter. What right do you, a mere brat, have to go in!"
From the moment Xiao Yan entered the courtyard, the burly man's gaze fell upon him. Under the probing of his Seventh-Grade Alchemist's Spiritual Strength, he could not detect any massive Spiritual Strength within the person before him. This meant that either the latter's Spiritual Strength was too low, or it was far superior to his own.
Between the two, the big man didn't think that a young boy could have strong Spiritual Strength, so he naturally chose the former.
"Now, take it back!"
The burly man crossed his arms, a fierce look appearing on his fleshy face. At the same time, he took a heavy half-step forward, letting out a cold snort, and an immense pressure of soul energy pressed down on Xiao Yan in front of him.
but...
Despite the immense spiritual pressure from the giant man, Xiao Yan remained unfazed. He didn't even flinch, and his black robe remained perfectly still.
The sight of this scene caused the burly man and the other alchemists in the courtyard to freeze in shock, followed by a look of horror.
"What... what's wrong with you! Take it back!"
The burly man's expression hardened. He never expected that the black-robed youth before him would remain completely unaffected by his soul pressure. Immediately, he raised his thick arm, intending to strike Xiao Yan back with a palm.
Seeing the burly man's reaction, Xiao Yan, who had maintained a calm expression, couldn't help but frown slightly. He had only wanted to enter the Alchemist Guild to take a look, but this guy had stopped him for no reason and was now even trying to attack him. This was going too far.
The next moment, just as the burly man's palm was about to fall heavily on Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan raised his arm and grabbed the man's thick wrist, rendering him instantly immobile.
Instantly, the burly man's expression changed drastically. The moment his wrist was grabbed by the black-robed youth, intense pain flooded his mind, and he was completely unable to move his entire arm.
"You bastard! Get the hell out of here!"
Unable to move his arm, the burly man was unwilling to be captured. He suddenly spun his other hand and slammed it hard at Xiao Yan in front of him.
"Stubborn to the end!"
With a cold utterance, Xiao Yan twisted the man's wrist, causing the large man's entire body to turn around, and his attack was forced to be withdrawn.
"Boy, this is the Alchemist Guild! If you dare hurt me, the Alchemist Guild will absolutely... Ah!"
Despite having lost his means of attack, the burly man was still filled with resentment. Before he could finish his angry roar, Xiao Yan tightened his grip on his wrist, and soon, his painful screams echoed throughout the courtyard.
"In the end, you're just a Seventh-Grade Alchemist. Do you really think there are no other alchemists in the world besides you? Even if I do something to you today, do you really think the Alchemist Guild would bother to cause trouble for a Seventh-Grade Alchemist like you?"
He said it in a cold tone, and then Xiao Yan pulled the big man aside with force. At the same time, he stepped into the guild in front of him.
Afterwards, upon seeing Xiao Yan enter the guild, the group in the courtyard couldn't help but show a sullen expression. Although the burly man was dissatisfied, judging from the black-robed youth's attack just now, he was clearly no match for him. If he continued to act recklessly, he probably wouldn't be so lucky next time.
Just as Xiao Yan said, he was merely a Seventh-Grade Alchemist. His words were simply meant to intimidate Xiao Yan. The Alchemist Guild would naturally not go to great lengths for a Seventh-Grade Alchemist like him. Otherwise, why would an alchemist like him willingly stand in the guild's courtyard? The reason is simply that he is not qualified enough to be allowed into the guild...
The reason he attacked Xiao Yan earlier was simply to vent his anger, but unfortunately, he picked the wrong person.
As the burly man retreated in disgrace, Xiao Yan also stepped into the Alchemist Guild before him.
The moment Xiao Yan Xiao Yan into the guild, a rich and familiar medicinal fragrance rushed towards him, so strong that it made Xiao Yan a little breathless. Xiao Yan then frowned and looked inside the guild.
The first thing that catches the eye is a massive black medicine cauldron in the guild hall. The cauldron is extremely tall, reaching from the dome to the base, and stands like a small mountain in the Alchemist Guild.
This medicine cauldron is the very pillar of the Alchemist Guild. If it were to collapse, the entire Alchemist Guild right before Xiao Yan's eyes would likely be reduced to ashes.
Presumably, this medicine cauldron represents the Pill Tower Pill Tower. As the gathering place for all alchemists on the entire continent, if the Pill Tower were to collapse, the alchemist world would inevitably be thrown into turmoil. The Pill Tower is the pillar in the hearts of all alchemists.
Gazing at the enormous black medicine cauldron before him, Xiao Yan silently sighed in his heart. Then, without lingering any longer, he took a step and headed towards the interior of the guild.
Walking inside the guild, people would occasionally walk past Xiao Yan. When these people looked at Xiao Yan, a hint of surprise would flash across their eyes. In Xiao Yan's eyes, without exception, all of these people who walked past him were wearing alchemist robes. The lowest alchemist among them had already reached the level of Eighth-Rank Alchemy Grandmaster. Of course, what was Eighth-Rank Alchemy Grandmaster in the eyes of ordinary people was nothing special in Xiao Yan's eyes now.
Walking through the relatively spacious guild hall, Xiao Yan would see display cases every so often, showcasing various rare medicinal herbs. However, these herbs, which would be considered extremely valuable by ordinary people, seemed unremarkable to Xiao Yan and did not arouse his interest at all.
This doesn't mean these medicinal herbs are worthless. However, as Xiao Yan's strength increased, Xiao Yan perspective on various things also broadened. What are usually considered rare medicinal herbs are now far too common for him.
The saying goes, "Climbing high to see far," but what you see is only the tip of the iceberg of this world. Only by constantly climbing higher and higher can you see more distant places. The scenery nearby may be beautiful, but you will eventually get tired of it. However, if you can keep breaking through the clouds, what you will see will be a more vast and magnificent view.
Although Xiao Yan is still standing halfway up the mountain, he can see a scene that many people cannot imagine. Of course, Xiao Yan is not fascinated by it. The scenery along the way has long become a passing cloud in the eyes of others. What Xiao Yan wants to pursue is the ultimate experience that others have never seen!
As he casually glanced past the exquisitely decorated display cases filled with medicinal herbs, more and more people walked past Xiao Yan. It was only then that Xiao Yan realized that the seemingly empty Alchemist Guild was not entirely deserted; they were simply not gathered elsewhere.
As more and more alchemists gathered around him, Xiao Yan could sense a rather scorching heat permeating the air, along with a faint fragrance of medicinal pills spreading outwards.
"It seems someone is refining pills."
With a slight smile, he thought, "The Alchemist Guild truly lives up to its reputation as a gathering place for alchemists. Judging from the fragrance of the pill just now, although the quality of the refined pill isn't particularly high, it's still quite good."
A moment later, when Xiao Yan finally made his way through the crowd and arrived at the front of the group with some difficulty, he realized that he was in a huge alchemy room. No wonder there was such a strong atmosphere and the fragrance of pills.
Following the direction from which the fragrance of the pill had just been emanated, Xiao Yan saw a golden-yellow medicine cauldron. Inside the cauldron, a blazing flame enveloped a perfectly round pill, and a rich medicinal aroma emanated from it, including the one Xiao Yan had sensed earlier.
Then, when Xiao Yan looked up, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned. He saw a beautiful young girl sitting cross-legged in front of the golden medicine cauldron, her whole body wrapped in a tight red dress.
The girl had long, slender, fiery red hair that reached her shoulders. Her pretty face was smooth and delicate, with tiny beads of sweat constantly appearing on her forehead. Her originally rosy face was now slightly pale, clearly indicating that she had expended a great deal of effort in refining the pill inside the cauldron.
" Ninth-grade Pill...?"
Standing before the crowd, Xiao Yan glanced at the pills in the cauldron in front of the girl, then turned his gaze back to her. He couldn't help but nod slightly. The girl in front of him didn't look very old, but her alchemy skills were quite exquisite. He figured that she must have an experienced alchemist guiding her.
"Tsk tsk... Eldest Miss Xu's alchemy skills have improved quite a bit! Judging from this, this Ninth-grade Pill should be finished soon!"
"Yes, who can argue with that? Ninth-Grade Alchemist at less than thirty years old—such terrifying Yao Tian is rare even across the entire continent! People who can compare to Eldest Miss Xu are as rare as phoenix feathers!"
Around Xiao Yan, the eyes of the onlookers were also fixed on the girl in the red dress in the arena. Everyone's eyes revealed a look of amazement, especially when they looked at the pill that was about to be completed in the medicine cauldron, their eyes couldn't help but show envy.
In contrast, although everyone present was an alchemist, very few of them could actually refine Ninth-grade Pill. Unlike this young girl, who, at such a young age, had already reached such an astonishing level in alchemy.
Hearing the exclamations of surprise from the people around him, Xiao Yan learned the girl's surname. It seemed that the girl's surname was Xu. From their words, Xiao Yan also learned her given name, which was simply Yao, Xu Yao.
" Xu Yao..."
He silently recited the girl's name in his heart, and then, the moment Xiao Yan looked up, the perfectly round pill in the medicine cauldron in front of the girl in the red dress in the arena finally changed.
"Buzzing..."
As a buzzing sound emanated from the medicine cauldron, everyone in the room immediately turned their gazes towards it. They saw that the pills that had been being refined by the raging flames just a moment ago were now emitting a powerful and majestic aura, causing the expressions of everyone present to change.
"The elixir has been successfully made!"
As gasps of surprise rang out from the crowd, the pill inside the golden cauldron began to tremble violently. Then, an extremely powerful energy swept out from the pill, its force seemingly capable of shattering the cauldron.
"Hmph! How dare you be so presumptuous! Take it away!"
Upon seeing this, the girl in the red dress let out a cold snort. Then, with a thought, an even more powerful Dou Qi burst forth from the palm of her outstretched hand, quickly entering the medicine cauldron. In no time, she retrieved the pill that was radiating a majestic aura.
The girl's every movement seemed effortless and flawless, prompting gasps of surprise from everyone present. However, contrary to everyone else's expectations, Xiao Yan, who was standing in front of them, couldn't help but frown slightly. He hadn't expected the girl to collect her core at such a time.
"Sigh... what a pity..."
Slightly regretful, Xiao Yan shook his head and slowly turned around, amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd around him, preparing to leave.
However, just as Xiao Yan turned around, the girl in the red dress behind him, who had just held the pill in her hand and hadn't had a chance to show it off to everyone present, suddenly fixed her gaze on Xiao Yan.
"What did you say was a pity?"