BTTH: From Genius to Invincible-Chapter 315: Journey to the Sky Serpent Empire

// The final arc of this volume and the entire North-Western Region has begun.

Word Count: 2,762 Words

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Even someone like Xiao Yan, who grew up in a remote place such as the Jia Ma Empire, was familiar with the term 'Pill Gathering.'

The Pill Gathering, held once every thirty years by the Pill Tower—the headquarters of the Alchemist Association in the Central Plains—was designed to discover and nurture young alchemist talents. In fact, the Alchemist Grand Meeting held every four years in the Jia Ma Empire was merely a small-scale imitation of this Pill Gathering.

Unlike the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Grand Meeting, the Pill Gathering was a grand event that brought together alchemists from every corner of the Dou Qi Continent to compete. Its scale was on a level that the modest Alchemist Grand Meeting could not hope to match.

Moreover, the Pill Gathering required participants to be 5th-tier alchemists or above, and the champion would receive an exceptionally precious prize.

Venerable Yao, the former owner of the storage ring in Xiao Yan's possession, had been the champion of the previous Pill Gathering.

Xiao Yan knitted his brows and asked in a deep, measured tone, "Enter the inner sanctum? With your strength, shouldn't obtaining a pill recipe from the Pill Tower be a simple matter?"

Hun Huzi narrowed his eyes with a strange smile. "It's impossible for me to enter."

"Why?"

"Jie Jie Jie, because I once studied alchemy in there. Just when I was about to obtain that pill recipe, the then Tower Master discovered my identity as a member of the Hun Clan. I killed him and escaped. Afterwards, the Hall of Souls and the Pill Tower erupted into a great war."

Xiao Yan's scalp tingled upon hearing this. Not only had Hun Huzi once studied alchemy in the inner sanctum, but he had also killed its Tower Master!

The Tower Master of the Pill Tower could not have been weak, at least a 9th-tier alchemist with the strength of a Dou Saint, yet he had died at the hands of Hun Huzi. This incident alone revealed just how terrifyingly powerful Hun Huzi was.

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. He sensed that Hun Huzi was hiding something.

The tension between the Pill Tower and the Hun Clan was well known. The Pill Tower had been established to counter the Hall of Souls' widespread capture of alchemists, uniting all alchemists against the Soul Envoys, Protectors, and Honorable Elders of the Hall of Souls.

And since the Hall of Souls itself was an organization established by the Hun Clan, the enmity between them was self-evident.

"Your Hun Clan is a Dou God Clan. Can't you simply exchange for any pill recipe you want from the Yao Clan?" Xiao Yan asked, perplexed. Wasn't the Yao Clan the clan of Emperor Yao? Could there be pill recipes more powerful than those created by Emperor Yao?

"Those fellows from the Yao Clan are stuck in their old ways. They think that what Emperor Yao left behind is unsurpassed. The pill recipes of the Yao Clan have hardly changed over ten thousand years, and their alchemy methods remain the same. Only a scant few are worth referencing. However, the things from the Yao Clan, my Hun Clan will eventually obtain. Jie Jie Jie."

Xiao Yan merely shrugged. The Yao Clan also possessed a piece of the Tou She Ancient God's Jade, and a war was inevitable sooner or later.

Without elaboration, it was clear that winning the Pill Gathering championship was meant as a test from the Hun Clan, a trial similar to the one he had undergone to obtain the Soul Command Token.

After all, to refine a Di Tier Pill, not to mention that the Pill Tower and Yao Clan lacked the capability, even someone as arrogant as Hun Huzi needed to join forces with another peak alchemist before success was possible.

He would clearly be unqualified if he could not even win a mere Pill Gathering championship.

As for that Venerable Mu Gu, he was probably also arranged by Hun Huzi to participate in this Pill Gathering to win the championship. Or perhaps Hun Huzi had more confidence in Xiao Yan and deliberately arranged such an 8th-tier alchemist as his opponent.

A strange light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes, which quickly turned somewhat fierce as Hun Huzi finished speaking.

Noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, even Hun Huzi was a bit curious. He asked, "With such an expression, is there something else you desire? Since you're a candidate for the Di Pill Plan, my clan will naturally provide you with resources befitting your status. Mu Gu and Han Feng, for example, have received rewards that helped them achieve their accomplishments."

Hun Huzi had just mentioned that the Di Pill Plan needed only one person. This wasn't to say that having more than one was impossible, but even for the Hun Clan, assisting someone in breaking through to Emperor State Spiritual Strength was a monumental task; resources simply could not be provided for a second person.

"Pill recipes? Alchemy techniques? Pills? Or treasures, Dou Techniques, Qi Methods? With your current potential, you indeed can receive some rewards. Consider them prizes." With a wave of his hand, Hun Huzi conjured various treasures from within the black fog, including Tian Class Dou Techniques and tier 8 pills. Each of them was enough to make one's heart race.

Yet, facing these items, Xiao Yan did not even glance at them. In a deep voice, he said, "The Gu Clan. I want all the information you have on the Gu Clan."

Even Hun Huzi showed a hint of astonishment upon hearing this. Faced with so many treasures, he had actually chosen this!

"Jie Jie Jie, hahaha! Such obsession—I like it! Then as you wish, accept this. It's everything my clan has gathered about the Gu Clan." A mass of black fog surged forth, enveloping Xiao Yan as streams of information about the Gu Clan flowed into his mind.

It was unknown how much time had passed. When the black fog dissipated, Xiao Yan retrieved his Soul Command Token and left. No one knew what he was thinking.

...

Creak!

As Xiao Yan walked out from the Hall of Souls, he was greeted by a dense crowd of Soul Envoys wearing lower-grade Soul Robes.

"Greetings, Venerable Yan!"

A unified shout like thunder pierced the air. Among these people, there were quite a few Dou Kings. Their Dou Qi soared into the sky. This scene left Xiao Yan somewhat stunned. He had only been inside for a short while—what was going on!

Xiao Li slowly approached from the side and shrugged. "These Soul Envoys heard that you, Venerable Yan, appeared, and all said they wanted to come and see you."

Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly, but this wasn't surprising. An Honorable Elder! That was the status of a Dou Venerate in the Hall of Souls.

If a Dou Venerate suddenly appeared in Jia Ma Sacred City, perhaps even the entire city and the imperial family would come to seek an audience.

Xiao Yan waved his hand and lowered his voice, "Return to your duties."

"Yes, Venerable!"

None of the Soul Envoys dared to disobey Xiao Yan's words. In an instant, everyone dispersed. They had merely wanted to see the legendary Venerable. Even though Xiao Yan was wearing a Soul Robe with his hood up, and they couldn't see his face, their fanaticism toward someone of his status did not diminish in the slightest. This instead added to Xiao Yan's mysterious aura.

"All done? If there's anything you need help with, just tell Second Brother. Even though my cultivation isn't as good as yours now, if there's anything I can help you with, Second Brother will do his best," Xiao Li said, placing his arm around Xiao Yan's shoulder with bold camaraderie.

Xiao Yan could naturally tell that his second brother genuinely meant it.

"Nothing else for now. Just keep an eye out for news about the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva. If there's any information, inform me immediately through the soul jade piece. That item is very important," Xiao Yan said seriously.

He had previously inquired about the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva through Hun Lao Gui. It was just that the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva was related to the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree and was extremely rare, as there was probably only one Bodhisattva Ancient Tree in the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Even the Hall of Souls currently did not know the whereabouts of the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, so there was no news at all.

After everyone left, Xiao Yan returned to the Misty Cloud Sect with Xiao Li. After all, they would be heading to the Sky Serpent Empire together the next day.

...

Early the next morning, after having breakfast and tea with his father Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan, along with his second brother Xiao Li, flew to the front of the imperial palace in Jia Ma Sacred City.

When Xiao Yan and Xiao Li arrived, the others had been waiting for quite some time. In front of the palace stood a massive blue Serene Sea Scaly Beast, attracting astonished gazes from passersby.

This time, they were not flying individually to the Sky Serpent Empire but riding the Serene Sea Scaly Beast. As a magical beast, its endurance surpassed that of ordinary Dou Emperors; it could sustain flight for a very long time.

Originally, the Serene Sea Scaly Beast had been reluctant to let anyone ride it. However...

"Xiao Yan, hurry up! We're all waiting for you!" Standing atop the Serene Sea Scaly Beast's head, Zi Yan waved at Xiao Yan. Naturally, she was extremely excited to be going to the Sky Serpent Empire.

No matter how many grievances the Serene Sea Scaly Beast had, at this moment, it dared not voice them. After breaking through to Dou Emperor, Zi Yan's bloodline suppression over it was overwhelming. With just a squint of her eyes, the Serene Sea Scaly Beast would become petrified, completely unable to move.

Xiao Yan smiled, flew up to the Serene Sea Scaly Beast, cupped his fists, and said, "Sorry to trouble you this time, Flood Dragon Emperor."

"Not at all, not at all! Grandmaster Xiao Yan cured my chronic ailment; this is just a small matter, nothing worth mentioning," the Serene Sea Scaly Beast said in a booming voice.

"No need to be polite with it. If this guy dares to refuse, I'll twist him into a pretzel," Zi Yan raised her small fist, threatening the Serene Sea Scaly Beast.

"Absolutely, absolutely! Being able to carry Miss Zi Yan is this old flood dragon's honor. Hehehe," the Serene Sea Scaly Beast replied in a fawning manner.

Seeing the Serene Sea Scaly Beast behaving like this, Queen Yao Ye and Jia Xing Tian couldn't help but smile wryly. Even when facing Jia Xing Tian, who had broken through to Dou Ancestor, this fellow still maintained his arrogant demeanor. Now, acting like this in front of a little girl who had just entered Dou Emperor—how could Jia Xing Tian not be speechless?

After everyone stood on the Serene Sea Scaly Beast's back, a pair of huge blue Dou Qi wings grew out from its back. Its strength was not inferior to the Amethyst Winged Lion King. The Serene Sea Scaly Beast, now equivalent to an 8-star Dou Emperor, flapped its wings vigorously, stirring up a gust of air that carried a hint of moisture.

It then carried the group of over a dozen people and flew toward the center of the North-Western Region, heading to the Sky Serpent Empire, which possessed the most ancient heritage and the strongest power in the North-Western Region!

...

In the distant center of the Black-Corner Region, a massive academy renowned throughout the entire Dou Qi Continent stood.

Today was a rather lively day in the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy. According to tradition, the Inner Academy would organize an activity every month where all students could enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower to cultivate. The students were very supportive of this kind of activity because, on this day, entering the tower to cultivate didn't require paying any 'Fire Energy.' And today happened to be this month's collective cultivation day.

Back when Xiao Yan was in the Inner Academy, he had heard of such activities but seldom participated. With his wealthy status, he didn't need to worry about Fire Energy and naturally didn't need to compete with so many people for cultivation rooms.

Due to Han Feng's attack on the Inner Academy in the past, there had been some policy changes over the past two years. The number of students had gradually increased, injecting more fresh blood to strengthen the academy's power.

Therefore, the current number of people in the Inner Academy was far more than before.

Shortly after the morning bell rang, groups of students began heading toward the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. By the time the sun hung high in the sky, the spacious plaza outside the tower was already packed with a sea of people.

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Now, the area surrounding the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower had been reconstructed into a huge plaza. In the center of the plaza was the tip of the tower that only protruded a short distance above ground. Moreover, at the tower's entrance stood a statue. The statue depicted a very young man wearing a black robe and holding a Heavy Xuan Ruler. His expression was as calm as an ancient well, accentuating his handsome and refined face.

Almost everyone in the Inner Academy had seen the statue standing at the entrance, so when passing by, they didn't show expressions of surprise. Occasionally, some students would stop and look at the inscription below the statue that recorded the man's deeds, and they couldn't help but marvel at his astonishing achievements.

The Inner Academy's youngest and most talented genius alchemist, the hero who defeated the villain Han Feng who attacked the Inner Academy, the founder of the strongest faction in the Inner Academy... Various titles and achievements were engraved on the inscription.

At this moment, a tall and elegant woman stood quietly in front of the statue, her gaze carrying an indescribable emotion as she stared in a daze at the familiar features of the statue. She was quite pretty in her own right, but what most caught people's attention were her exceptionally long and shapely legs. Male passersby couldn't help but sneak a glance, though they did so discreetly, not daring to show any disrespect.

Because they were well aware of this woman's identity: a special elder of the Inner Academy, and the cousin of the person depicted in the statue—Xiao Yu.

"I wonder how you're doing now," a faint smile appeared on her face as she sighed and murmured.

Only when she was alone would she reveal her true thoughts about Xiao Yan. As for news about him, she could only learn bits and pieces through the Miteer Auction House in Xiao City.

Now, Xiao City was developing exactly as Xiao Yan had planned. Not only had it become a famous city ranking among the top in the Black-Corner Region, but also because half a year ago, Ya Fei had personally come to hold an auction featuring medicinal pills that Xiao Yan had personally refined. Coupled with the people from the Medicine Gang back then, Xiao City had completely become the gathering center for alchemists in the Black-Corner Region.

To seek medicinal pills or request alchemists to refine pills, the best place in the Black-Corner Region was Xiao City.

"Cousin Xiao Yu, the First Elder is looking for you." A sweet-looking girl with an astonishingly voluptuous figure walked over from a distance. Her 'weapons of mass destruction' bounced with every step, causing passersby to swallow hard!

Seeing Xiao Mei approaching, Xiao Yu collected her thoughts, nodded, and had just taken a step forward when suddenly, an unexpected change occurred!

A terrifyingly hot temperature was rapidly rising from the bottom of the tower! The ground began to tremble, and the entire Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower started to shake. An extremely frightening aura emanated from beneath the tower.

"What's going on?!"

"What's happening?!"

Xiao Yu was stunned at first, then thought of something and murmured, "Could it be...!"

The First Elder appeared instantly. At this moment, even the First Elder, who possessed the strength of a Dou Ancestor, had an extremely solemn expression. He roughly guessed what was happening, but this aura and level of power were far more terrifying than he had imagined!

"How... did her cultivation increase so drastically?!"