Word Count: 2,793 Words

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Over just these few months, Dan Chen and Cao Ying had come to understand one thing with crystal clarity: in the future, the pinnacle of alchemy on the Dou Qi Continent would come from Xiao Yan’s hands alone.

That meant neither the Pill Tower nor the Yao Clan would retain their titles or status as holy lands for alchemists. More and more top-tier alchemists would inevitably flock to the Yan Alliance, and in time it would surpass both to become the strongest holy land for alchemists on the continent.

All because the Yan Alliance had Xiao Yan.

Determination suddenly flashed through Dan Chen’s eyes. She nodded firmly. "Mm. I’ll join too. I don’t want to fall behind you."

"Hehe, I remember your pill lost to mine just three months ago." Cao Ying instantly slipped back into her usual playful self, covering her lips with one hand as she let out a soft laugh. A hint of provocation glinted in her eyes as she looked at Dan Chen.

Having her alchemy provoked like this, the usually timid and soft-spoken Dan Chen revealed a rare flash of indignation. "This time... this time I definitely won’t lose."

"Hehe, then let’s have a match. We’ll see whose pill turns out better."

"Mm."

Cao Ying’s beautiful eyes drifted toward the empty sky. In her heart, she couldn’t help murmuring: If only I had met you earlier... would things have turned out differently?

...

At that moment, traveling through the void, Xiao Yan naturally had no idea that almost as soon as he had left, Cao Ying and Dan Chen had made such a bold decision.

Zi Yan twitched her nose the instant she saw him approaching through the void. Her lips puffed outward in a pout of displeasure. "Change those clothes. I don’t like their scents on you."

For magical beasts, scent carried far deeper meaning than it did for humans.

Xiao Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but faced with Her Majesty the Dragon Emperor’s mercurial moods, he had no choice but to obey. He removed the alchemist’s robe and pulled on the Soul Robe instead.

Once he had changed, Zi Yan hopped lightly onto his back. Her arms and legs clamped around him with practiced ease, and she rested her chin on his shoulder, grinning. "So, where are we going now?"

"Back to the Yan Alliance first. We’ll have Sister Ya Fei investigate where exactly this Dongtian Town is."

Finding such an obscure little town would likely prove challenging even for the Hall of Souls’ intelligence network. The Hall of Souls gathered information primarily for grand designs, placing agents only in major cities. They would have no presence whatsoever in some remote backwater township.

Fortunately, the Miteer Auction House was a commercial organization. Its branches were numerous and widespread, scattered across countless small cities. Back then, even a small city like Wu Tan City had held a Miteer Auction House branch; that alone said enough.

And the Miteer Auction House did far more than simply buy and sell goods in large cities. Most of their wares came from ventures the auction house itself funded: hiring mercenary groups and assembling herb-gathering teams, then sending them into mountain forests to hunt magical beasts and bring back Monster Cores, medicinal ingredients, and the like.

Sometimes, when these groups discovered a hidden secret realm, the ruins of some ancient expert, or any dangerous or ominous ground, they would report back to headquarters. The Yan Alliance would then dispatch Misty Cloud Sect disciples or Jia Ma Empire experts to excavate the site.

Quite a few Yan Alliance missions involved traveling to such locations to assist with excavations.

This was merely the basic operational flow of a large faction, and even then it was only the tip of the iceberg. The complexity of the Yan Alliance’s day-to-day operations was enough to give even Xiao Yan a headache.

"Hmph, another vixen." Zi Yan’s pretty face scrunched into pure displeasure the instant she heard Ya Fei’s name.

Xiao Yan could only offer a bitter smile. He tore open space and stepped through, each stride spanning millions of miles as they flew toward the Jia Ma Empire.

...

Unfortunately, Ya Fei was not in the Jia Ma Empire at the moment. She was off handling matters in some other city.

Luckily, she seemed to have anticipated this long ago. She had prepared an extremely detailed and complete set of map data covering the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Within it were the locations of every Miteer Auction House branch, along with the positions of many small cities and villages. For those smaller places, she had even annotated any strange events that had occurred over the years.

All of it prepared in case Xiao Yan might one day need to find a specific location or track something down.

"Found it. On the outskirts of a small city in a border kingdom of the Southeastern Region."

After searching for a while, Xiao Yan finally located Dongtian Town. Thankfully, there was only one place by that name on the entire Dou Qi Continent. If there had been hundreds, it would have driven him mad.

...

Not long after, at the edge of Er City in the Kalei Empire of the Southeastern Region, outside a small town that looked remarkably similar to Qingshan Town, an ordinary-looking man and a little girl who appeared eleven or twelve suddenly materialized out of thin air. No one had the faintest idea how they had gotten there.

Xiao Yan tilted his head. A large stone stele carved with the word ’Dongtian’ sat casually on the ground nearby.

"So this is Dongtian Town? It really does look like Qingshan Town." His gaze swept over the small town’s interior. The scene bore a striking resemblance to Qingshan Town as it had been when he first met Little Fairy Doctor.

People wove through the streets in a steady stream, the majority of them mercenaries who spent their days licking blood from the edge of their blades. They clustered in groups, arms thrown over one another’s shoulders, spittle flying as they swaggered along the bluestone roads. Loudly and without shame, they argued about which part of town had the most flavorful women, where the strongest liquor could be found, which stretch of the nearby mountain range held the fiercest magical beasts, and who had stumbled upon treasure in the mountains and gotten rich overnight.

Zi Yan’s large, limpid eyes brimmed with curiosity. This was her first time visiting a little border town like this, and everything about it intrigued her.

Her small, exquisite face naturally drew quite a few looks as they walked down the bluestone street. One glance at the clothing on Xiao Yan and Zi Yan was enough to tell they were not locals.

Those stares gradually grew bolder.

Then Zi Yan casually punched a nearby tree. The thick trunk shattered with a bang, splinters flying everywhere.

Every mercenary on the street instantly shrank back. Not a single one dared utter another word.

A ruthless little thing!

Xiao Yan led Zi Yan along the road. Shops lined both sides, and thanks to the favorable location, the place bustled with considerable activity. His gaze swept with idle interest over the brightly lit storefronts until it came to rest on a rather spacious little eatery. His steps paused.

The two exchanged a look. After a brief, thoughtful pause, they walked into the establishment bearing the sign ’Xiao Zhang Noodle Shop’.

Both of them had sensed something unusual emanating from this unassuming place. The aura within was hidden extremely well, yet it still could not escape Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength or Zi Yan’s magical-beast perception.

A top-tier expert lurked inside. Definitely at the Dou Saint level!

Xiao Yan quietly palmed the Soul Command Token within his sleeve. This was no longer the Small Pill Tower. What they were about to face was the Pill Tower Old Ancestor, the one even the Hall of Souls’ Hall Chief was unwilling to provoke.

From what he had quietly gathered during his time in the Small Pill Tower, this Pill Tower Old Ancestor, transformed from a Tier 9 Mysterious Pill, possessed power shrouded in mystery. The last time he had revealed himself, he had displayed the terrifying strength of a 5-star Dou Saint and exchanged blows with the Hall Chief of the Hall of Souls, ultimately forcing the Hall Chief to retreat.

Many years had passed since then. Who knew how much stronger the Old Ancestor might have become?

...

Walking into the noodle shop, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan paused to take in the old establishment before them. To an ordinary person, this place would already count as very old, with at least thirty or forty years of history etched into its walls.

Thirty or forty years meant nothing at all to a Dou Saint, but in a little town like this, it absolutely qualified as an old establishment. The beams and roof tiles had been smoked by years of cooking fires until they wore a thick layer of aged, sooty gray.

A slightly crooked plaque hung above the entrance. The board itself wasn’t old; in fact, it looked fairly new, likely replaced not long ago. The four large words ’Xiao Zhang Noodle Shop’ were painted in bright gold, gleaming brilliantly.

Those four words were written quite properly. From the brushstrokes alone, one could tell the writer had been serious and diligent, approaching the task with earnest care. But they were just ordinary words. No sword intent, no Dao intent, no trace of any mysterious power hidden within.

Just four very normal words.

Xiao Yan and Zi Yan walked further in. Several tables filled most of the space inside. These five or six tables were clearly not new, but they had been wiped down with great care and gleamed cleanly. There was no sense of grime or filth at all.

A few tables of mercenaries were already seated, eating their noodles. Xiao Yan chose an empty corner and sat down. A back room lay beyond the main area, but a cloth curtain hung over the doorway, concealing whatever was behind it.

"Noodles are up."

Xiao Yan had barely settled into his seat when a robust young man who appeared to be in his twenties or early thirties lifted the curtain from the back kitchen. He carried a wooden tray laden with several large rooster-patterned bowls, each heaped full of noodles and generous chunks of meat.

A rich, enticing aroma of pork bone broth rolled instantly across the room, potent enough to make even Zi Yan swallow involuntarily.

Zi Yan usually ate pills by the handful and rarely touched human food. Yet the fragrance assaulting her nose proved irresistible; her eyes glazed over slightly, and saliva glistened at the edges of her lips.

"Finally! If I go a day without your noodles, I feel like I’ve got no strength at all. Can’t even muster the energy to hunt magical beasts."

"Exactly, exactly. Your noodles are still the most filling."

"Hahaha, Xiao Zhang, you’ve grown up quite a bit. My daughter’s reached marriageable age now. Interested?"

The young man carrying the tray flushed red to his ears. He shook his head in a fluster and stammered, "I-I’ll... go serve the other guests first."

He practically fled, rushing over to Xiao Yan and Zi Yan’s table. He collected himself and asked with a smile, "Two guests, what would you like to order?"

Xiao Yan studied the bashful youth with a deep, searching gaze, then let a faint smile touch his lips. "Two bowls of your signature noodles. And a few side dishes."

As if by chance, he placed the little card inscribed with ’Dongtian Town’ on the tabletop. The instant the youth’s eyes fell on it, a glimmer of light flashed through them, then vanished as swiftly as it had come, as if nothing had happened at all.

Had Xiao Yan and Zi Yan not both possessed Dou Saint-level strength, they never would have caught that fleeting change.

Naturally, Xiao Zhang himself was none the wiser. He simply noted down the order and gave a nod. "Please wait a moment. It’ll be right out."

Without question, this young man everyone called Xiao Zhang was none other than the legendary Pill Tower Old Ancestor, guardian of the Pill Tower’s safety, the one even the Hall of Souls’ Hall Chief was wary of.

It was hard to imagine. A being who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent, a Tier 9 Mysterious Pill possessing its own will and consciousness, was actually here in this small, out-of-the-way town... running a noodle shop.

"Xiao Yan, that person’s strength is very powerful." Zi Yan’s delicate brows drew together as a trace of gravity settled over her features. She too had perceived the youth’s true identity and cultivation, and transmitted her voice quietly to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan, by contrast, appeared perfectly calm. "Since the Pill Tower Old Ancestor deliberately set up an empty vault to draw us out here for a meeting, he’s hardly going to pick a fight with us."

"Let’s just enjoy the noodles. Being able to taste the Pill Tower Old Ancestor’s cooking... in the entire Small Pill Tower, not a single person has ever had that honor."

He couldn’t help but chuckle. The mercenary groups in this little town were truly blessed. A Tier 9 Mysterious Pill was personally cooking for them. He wondered idly whether eating these noodles might actually extend their lifespans.

Of course, the Pill Tower Old Ancestor had most likely sealed away every last trace of his memories and power. The young man before them was just an ordinary person, ordinary to the very extreme.

Even if someone were to kill him, his sealed strength likely wouldn’t stir to protect him. For the Pill Tower Old Ancestor, what mattered was experiencing a human lifetime in full. Birth, aging, sickness, and death were all part of that cycle.

Only when this physical body’s life truly ended, when it perished in the most natural and mundane sense, would the Pill Tower Old Ancestor revert to being a Mysterious Pill once more.

Xiao Yan wasn’t in any hurry. After finishing their noodles, he and Zi Yan wandered the streets of Dongtian Town, strolling idly until deep into the night, when the Xiao Zhang Noodle Shop finally closed its doors.

As was his custom, Xiao Zhang had retired early and fallen fast asleep. Then, without warning, his eyes snapped open. A strange ripple of power spilled quietly outward from within his body.

His gaze turned unfathomably deep. The green awkwardness of youth vanished from his features, replaced by a faint mask of indifference. His eyes took on a weight of calm steadiness and seasoned experience. Such eyes absolutely should not have belonged to someone so young.

Dongtian Town had its share of cultivators, but the strongest among them was no more than a Dou Master. Only Xiao Yan and Zi Yan could sense that ripple of power.

...

On a mountain peak in the range beyond Dongtian Town, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan stepped out of the void. There stood Xiao Zhang in his sleepwear, hands clasped behind his back, as a powerful aura erupted from within him without restraint.

6-star Dou Saint!

This strength actually surpassed the Hall of Souls’ Hall Chief by a considerable margin!

’Xiao Zhang’ sensed their arrival and slowly turned to face them. Perhaps it would be more appropriate now to call him the Pill Tower Old Ancestor.

"Late-stage 2-star Dou Saint. Late-stage Heavenly State soul. And... the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe." His voice carried the weight of ages. With but a single glance, he had seen through both Xiao Yan’s and Zi Yan’s cultivation and identities entirely.

Xiao Yan felt no surprise that the Pill Tower Old Ancestor could accomplish this. He smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance greets the Old Ancestor."

"Xiao Yan..." The Pill Tower Old Ancestor released a heavy sigh. "This is truly what I least wished to see. You really are an alchemist of the Hall of Souls."

He was now virtually certain of Xiao Yan’s hidden identity.

When they had first met, he had already sensed something off. Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength had grown far too rapidly. Venerable Yao’s alchemy was indeed extraordinary, and with that inheritance Xiao Yan’s achievements in alchemy were not surprising. But Spiritual Strength was another matter entirely. Its growth was never so easy.

Even back then, Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength had been abnormally powerful, completely surpassing what should have been possible at his cultivation level. Not even an alchemist could possess such formidable Spiritual Strength.