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Xiao Yan glanced at the now-obedient Feng Qing Er and nodded. "I see. So Saint Zhao Hua was indeed an herb cultivator in his lifetime."
Herb cultivators grew medicinal ingredients, which meant their most frequent associates were naturally alchemists!
In the past, no organization like the Pill Tower had existed for exchanging materials. The Pill Tower had been established specifically to combat the Hall of Souls. In ancient times, alchemists had only two ways to obtain ingredients: purchasing from medicine shops, which yielded only common herbs, or seeking out powerful herb cultivators who would grow specific herbs for them or trade rare materials for pills.
That Saint Zhao Hua possessed a large collection of medicinal pills came as no surprise whatsoever.
The Little Lion King followed the other teams through several corridors when a familiar scent caught Xiao Yan's attention. His heart stirred as he murmured, "That's definitely the fragrance of pills, and quite concentrated at that. The quantity must be substantial. If I'm not mistaken, we're approaching a pill storage chamber."
"Ancient pills, eh? This old man is quite curious as well." Hai Bodong nodded in agreement, wondering what pills from ancient times would taste like. Perhaps they might even help him break through to Dou Venerate here in Saint Zhao Hua's ruin.
Venerable Bing Hai... the dream lay within reach!
Even Feng Qing Er swallowed involuntarily at the mention of pills.
The corridors within the great hall twisted like a labyrinth, but with Xiao Yan's extensive familiarity with medicinal pills and his unparalleled Spiritual Strength, they reached their destination after about fifteen minutes. An ancient, imposing hall stood before them, with two magnificent words written above its entrance in flowing script that resembled dragons and phoenixes in flight.
"Pill Hall."
Xiao Yan murmured the name softly and lowered his gaze. The massive doors had already been forced open, and he could vaguely make out numerous figures frantically searching within.
"Such a pity we can't monopolize it. We'll have to rely on speed and strength."
He beckoned to his companions and darted first into the spacious hall. Complete disarray greeted them on the first floor. People swarmed through it like bandits, rudely barging into every pill-refining room and plundering everything they could find. Brutal battles occasionally erupted over disputed pills.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept casually across the first floor before he lost interest. With a wave of his hand, he led the group deeper into the Pill Hall, found the stairs, and headed directly to the second floor.
Before they could enter, Little Fairy Doctor's expression changed slightly. "Xiao Yan, wait. The air here is poisonous."
Everyone froze at her warning. They took a few cautious breaths and indeed sensed something amiss.
"No wonder there are fewer people on this second floor. Some must have fallen victim already." Xiao Yan's gaze fell on several corpses lying on the distant floor. They were clearly unfortunate souls who had died from the poison.
Little Fairy Doctor immediately swept her hand through the air. Streams of poison gas emerged from her sleeves, forming thin membranes that enveloped everyone. Poison against poison.
Feng Qing Er's eyes widened in alarm when she saw the poison mist floating toward her, and she instinctively stepped back.
"Don't avoid it," Little Fairy Doctor said helplessly. "This poison Dou Qi will help you resist the poison in the air."
Feng Qing Er stopped retreating and nodded. She knew that, of course, but... she was just scared.
Unfortunately, the second floor contained only tier 5 and tier 6 pills, far beneath Xiao Yan's notice. Moreover, most had already been taken.
Xiao Yan shook his head and led the group toward the third floor.
"The poison here is extremely concentrated. The poison on the second floor likely seeped down from this level. Be extra cautious," Little Fairy Doctor warned.
Although she could have absorbed all the poison using her Woeful Poison Body, doing so would also help the other treasure hunters.
The third floor had significantly fewer people, but every person present was at least a Dou Ancestor. Those below that level would be poisoned to death without special protection.
"I wonder if this third floor contains any of those legendary tier 9 pills. If so, that would be truly extraordinary," Venerable Tian Huo said, his gaze sweeping across the pill rooms.
"That's highly unlikely. Even a Dou Saint would have consumed tier 9 pills rather than leave them behind," Xiao Yan replied with a smile. For a low-level Dou Saint's ruin, tier 9 pills were simply beyond expectation.
Xiao Yan casually selected an unsearched room. After exploring it, they discovered an ancient pill recipe. Unfortunately, it was only for tier 7 pills. He glanced at it briefly before storing it in his storage ring.
Besides the recipe, they also found an unopened bottle of tier 7 pills, presumably created using that very recipe.
While tier 7 pills would be priceless treasures to Dou Ancestor experts, they were quite ordinary to Xiao Yan.
"Here, take this." He tossed the pill bottle to Nalan Yanran, who had been looking around curiously.
Nalan Yanran started in surprise and quickly caught the bottle, her beautiful eyes widening. "For me?"
"These pills are effective for Dou Ancestor cultivation. I don't need them, so they're perfect for you. What, you don't want them? Then give them back." Xiao Yan teased, reaching out as if to take the bottle back.
Nalan Yanran quickly clutched the bottle protectively, turning her head away with a cold snort. "Of course I want them. Why wouldn't I? Hmph."
"Let's go. There's probably nothing else here—"
Just as Xiao Yan waved his hand and turned to leave, a white blur shot out from the ransacked pill room, lunging toward the bottle in Nalan Yanran's hand.
The white blur moved with incredible speed, but Nalan Yanran's spiritual perception was naturally sensitive. Combined with her wind-attribute Dou Qi, she easily dodged the ambush with a quick sidestep.
The sudden appearance of this white blur startled everyone, including Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor, who had completely failed to detect its presence!
Xiao Yan's heart jolted. With his Heavenly State Spiritual Strength, how could this white blur have approached so closely without his notice? It seemed impossible!
Dou Qi instantly surged through his body as his gaze locked onto the white blur's location. A small, white-furred creature stood there, resembling both a rabbit and a cat, though its body appeared unusually plump and round, giving it a rather good-natured look.
Most peculiar was the complete absence of Dou Qi fluctuations within its body, as if it were just an ordinary pet.
Precisely because it lacked Dou Qi, it had evaded Xiao Yan's perception.
"Huhu!" The small creature shook itself, its eyes fixed greedily on the pill bottle in Nalan Yanran's hand.
Nalan Yanran immediately clutched the bottle protectively against the adorable creature's longing stare. No matter how cute you are, you can't have my pills!
Xiao Yan frowned, carefully examining the small beast that had no Dou Qi yet possessed incredible speed. After a moment of scrutiny, something seemed to dawn on him. His eyes bulged almost comically, like a startled frog.
Little Fairy Doctor and the others noticed his expression and stared in confusion, having never seen him look this way before.
Before anyone could ask, Xiao Yan blurted out, his eyes slightly bloodshot:
"Holy shit, this thing is actually a pill?!"
His cry of astonishment left everyone stunned. They all turned to look at the adorable little creature.
"Is this a Pill Beast?!" Hai Bodong's eyes widened. This was his first time seeing one.
Forget Hai Bodong; even Xiao Yan was seeing a true Pill Beast for the first time. To this day, he had not yet been able to refine a pill that could reach this level!
A Pill Beast represented perfection. Ordinary tier 8 pills simply took pill form when completed. However, tier 8 pills of exceptional quality would be enveloped in spiritual energy. Such pills not only possessed superior quality but could be preserved for extremely long periods and even had a certain degree of sentience.
But! If a high-grade tier 8 pill that could attract seven-colored Pill Lightning or above was refined with perfect quality, perfect ingredients, and a bit of luck, there was a chance for the pill's spirituality to reach its absolute limit. Not only would the pill gain sentience, but it could also transform physically, much like a magical beast taking human form!
Such pills were indistinguishable from ordinary small beasts, except for their lack of Dou Qi.
Only alchemists who had refined a Pill Beast had a chance to advance to tier 9. If tier 9 pills were further nurtured and incubated, they could cultivate independently. Achieving Half-Saint or even Dou Saint battle strength was entirely possible.
Tier 9 pills were said to 'steal the power of heaven and earth' for this very reason.
A tier 9 pill was the creation of life itself!
"This must have attracted eight-colored Pill Lightning or more. It's probably at the nine-colored level now... Damn, this Pill Hall—no, this entire corridor of pill pavilions must have been set up as its feeding ground by Saint Zhao Hua!"
Xiao Yan was utterly shocked. No wonder there were pills of varying quality. The Pill Beast had been eating its way up through them!
Saint Zhao Hua truly deserved his title!
Not only had he used the corpses of two supreme magical beasts to cultivate a Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit over a thousand years, but he had also nurtured a Pill Beast.
Such creation, even after death!
In Xiao Yan's mind, the rumored Tian Class Dou Technique that had initially drawn everyone to this ruin now seemed like garbage. Compared to the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and this Pill Beast, a Low Tian Class Dou Technique seemed pitifully shabby.
An ordinary Low Tian Class Dou Technique was worth perhaps a few tier 8 pills that attracted four-colored Pill Lightning, or at most one that attracted five-colored lightning. It would not exceed six colors. The Pill Beast before them far outvalued any Low Tian Class Dou Technique.
No wonder Feng Qing Er had thought it impossible for Xiao Yan to appear here.
"Elder Yao, Old Hai, please guard the door for me." Xiao Yan took a deep breath and said solemnly.
The Pill Beast was essentially a pill itself. They couldn't use force, or the slightest injury would cause tremendous loss.
The two of them understood and positioned themselves at the entrance. Their powerful auras immediately deterred anyone approaching. Of course, it was mainly the might of Venerable Tian Huo's peak 5-star Dou Venerate that did the trick.
"Here, take it. This is what it wants, right?" Nalan Yanran reluctantly offered Xiao Yan the pill bottle.
"Keep it. Those pills are yours," Xiao Yan smiled. So you want pills, eh? He promptly took out several brocade boxes from his storage ring.
When the boxes opened, the adorable creature's eyes went wide with desire!
All tier 7 pills! And there was even a perfect-quality Great Ancestor Pill!!
After thousands of years of development on the Dou Qi Continent, ancient pills were not necessarily superior to modern ones. At the very least, pills personally refined by Xiao Yan using Heavenly Flames were of absolute top quality!
"Follow me, and I'll ensure you're well-fed," Xiao Yan said, placing all five open brocade boxes on the ground.
Feng Qing Er felt a pang of bitterness seeing these pills laid out like pet food. She had exchanged her body and her life for the promise of one pill, and here they were, being fed directly to a Pill Beast.
Of course, the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill she was promised was of a much higher grade.
Xiao Yan smiled and slowly retreated two steps. Now that the ruin was open, he believed this little fellow, if it wasn't stupid, would know who was best to follow.
He was an alchemist, after all!
The Pill Beast hesitated, prompting Xiao Yan to go all in! He took out a cold jade box tightly wrapped in Spiritual Strength. The moment he slowly opened it, the Pill Beast's eyes bulged
Pill Beast: A tier 8 pill?! Ahhhhh!!!
What Xiao Yan didn't realize was that his extravagant display had triggered a mechanism set by Saint Zhao Hua.
The instant the tier 8 pill appeared, a wave of spiritual fluctuations surged from the Pill Beast's body. Like a cat about to vomit, it made a retching sound and spat out a scroll.
This unexpected development startled everyone. Xiao Yan's finger hooked out with lightning reflexes and caught the scroll.
"Creation Saint Classic?!"
Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor exchanged astonished glances. Could this be…!!
Xiao Yan hastily opened the scroll and read the soul message left by Saint Zhao Hua, immediately understanding the situation.
Just as they had suspected, the scroll was neither a Qi Method nor a Dou Technique, but Saint Zhao Hua's herb cultivation legacy. It contained densely written instructions for cultivating numerous ancient herbs, methods for manipulating earth veins, and secrets for stealing the power of heaven and earth.
"So this little one was the caretaker of that medicinal herb forest," Little Fairy Doctor said, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise as she looked at the small beast. This was not just an ordinary Pill Beast; it had been responsible for managing the herb forest, dealing with pests and energy imbalances.
Being a pill itself and consuming other pills, its sensitivity to medicinal herbs was far greater than any human's.
Saint Zhao Hua had left his herb cultivation legacy within the Pill Beast, set to be revealed when someone fed it a tier 8 pill after the ruin opened. Only an 8th-tier alchemist or above would have tier 8 pills to tempt it, and only they would have the capability to inherit his legacy.
This was completely unexpected. The scroll had been hidden inside the Pill Beast and sealed by a Dou Saint's power, making it undetectable even to Xiao Yan's Heavenly State Spiritual Strength.
This time, it was purely a matter of luck.
Everyone stared at Xiao Yan in amazement. You actually pulled this off?!
"Ahem." Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and said modestly, "Just a fluke."
He now held the Mysterious Yellow Flame in even higher regard. It truly had its uses! Originally, he hadn't intended to give the Pill Beast the tier 8 pill, only to tempt it by showing it.
He never expected this strange twist of fate to land him Saint Zhao Hua's most precious inheritance.
After regurgitating the scroll, the Pill Beast seemed famished. It quickly gobbled down the five tier 7 pills, then gazed expectantly at the jade box in Xiao Yan's hand.
After some consideration, Xiao Yan handed both the scroll and the box to Little Fairy Doctor.
"For me?" Little Fairy Doctor accepted them, her eyes dimming slightly. "But I don't have wood-attribute Dou Qi."
All alchemists possessed wood-attribute Dou Qi, including Xiao Yan, though it was typically very weak. Ordinary wood-attribute Dou Qi allowed one to control plants in battle, like Mu Zhan who could cover himself in vine armor. However, herb cultivators required a special, rare type of wood-attribute Dou Qi that contained immense life force to stimulate herb growth.
Xiao Yan spread his hands. "Who else should get it? You're the best choice among us."
With the jade box now in Little Fairy Doctor's possession, the Pill Beast immediately leaped into her arms, looking up at her with pitifully large, watery eyes as if it were starving.
Little Fairy Doctor's expression instantly softened. Her jade-like hand gently stroked the creature's silky fur, and the Pill Beast made contented purring sounds in response.
This directly melted her heart. Forget Little Fairy Doctor; even Nalan Yanran's expression softened as she watched. Her Psychic White Fox was still being raised back in the Flower Sect.
As expected, girls had no resistance to such cute things. Of course, Feng Qing Er was an exception. If it were given to her, she would eat it in one bite without hesitation.
"Xiao Yan..." Little Fairy Doctor and the Pill Beast simultaneously looked at him with the same big, pleading eyes, leaving him at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.
"That pill was meant for you to feed it anyway."
This made Feng Qing Er even more bitter. Although it was only two-colored Pill Lightning—but still! Her life was too miserable!
If she knew that Xiao Yan was giving the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill to Cai Lin for free, who knows what she would think.
A smile appeared on Little Fairy Doctor's face. She picked up the pill and placed it in her palm. The Pill Beast trembled with excitement and swallowed it whole.
The moment it did, its fur released a faint medicinal fragrance. It looked a bit sleepy and snuggled into Little Fairy Doctor's chest. Apparently, it liked to sleep on a hard plank bed.
Xiao Yan waved his hand, and his Spiritual Strength enveloped the Pill Beast to prevent it from being discovered by others.
"Let's go. We have the best things now, so let's head to the deepest part. As for that Great Heaven Creation Palm, we'll take it if we can and forget it if we can't." Xiao Yan now had almost no interest in the Great Heaven Creation Palm.
He had already obtained the two hidden grand prizes of the entire ancient ruin and was only continuing on with a 'since we're already here' mentality.
Without lingering, the Little Lion King's astonishing speed brought them to the deepest part of the hall.
The space here was extremely vast, making those standing within it feel like ants. In the center, ten enormous light clusters floated in mid-air. Within their blinding radiance, one could vaguely see what appeared to be scrolls.
Xiao Yan casually glanced at the light clusters before shifting his gaze downward. On a stone seat below sat a skeleton of pure, jade-white color, its hands forming seals as it sat cross-legged.
"A Dou Saint's skeleton..."