Battle Through the Heavens - chapter-290

Within the quiet room, Xiao Yan, who was seated cross-legged on the bed.
slowly opened his eyes. A glint flashed across his dark eyes. Turbid air
moved along his throat as he exhaled. Xiao Yan’s face faintly emitted a
weak glow. Clearly, the Dou Qi in his body had greatly increased after
this training session.

“The energy contained within this ‘Searing Poison’ is indeed very
large. Even though I have refined it a number of times, it still
possesses such substantial energy.” As he sensed his Dou Qi that was
becoming more thicker and more powerful, Xiao Yan could not help but
mutter softly.

“The energy may be substantial, but… it also has a price.” Xiao Yan
laughed bitterly. He shook his right hand and a cluster of green colored
flame rose. On the outer surface of the flame, vague black colored marks
were writhing slightly. Finally, it was completely suppressed to Xiao
Yan’s middle finger. Immediately, his long finger turned as black as
ink, appearing extremely strange.

“Ah, the ‘Searing Poison’ is increasingly dense…” Eyeing the
color of his finger, which had turned darker, Xiao Yan shook his head. He
pressed his finger on the bed pillar by the side. The tough wooden pillar
was instantly corroded and an empty hole was formed.

“Forget it. As long as I get hold of the ‘Seven Magical Green Spirit
Saliva’, I will be able to wake Teacher. When that time comes, there
should be a solution that solves these problems.” Xiao Yan stared at
his finger for a long while as he muttered, “Although this thing is
very dangerous, I have absorbed quite a lot of energy from this
‘Searing Poison’ during the last two days. According to the energy
level, it will likely be sufficient for me to advance from a six star Dou
Shi to a seven star Dou Shi by the time I completely absorb all the
‘Searing Poison’ in Nalan Jie’s body.”

Xiao Yan shook his head and curled his finger slightly. The dark black
color on it was withdrawn and a moment later, returned to its normal
color.

“Creak.”

As Xiao Yan was withdrawing his hand, the tightly shut door was gently
pushed opened. Hai Bo Dong walked in lazily. He glanced at Xiao Yan in
the room saw his slightly ugly expression and could not help but ask with
a smile. “What? Have you suffered some wrong at the Nalan clan? Do you
want me to accompany you next time?”

Xiao Yan helplessly shook his head. He leaped down from the bed and said
“It is still the matter of the ‘Searing Poison’. My ‘Heavenly
Flame’ seems to be unable to do anything to it. Each time I help Nalan
Jie remove the poison, the ‘Searing Poison’ in my body becomes
increasingly dense.”

“Increasingly dense?” Hai Bo Dong was startled upon hearing this. He
immediately frowned and said, “Since it is like this, then why are you
still helping him remove the poison? I don’t believe you are one of
those good people who try to help everyone. Moreover, you seem to have
some grudges with Nalan Yanran of the Nalan clan.”

“I want that ‘Seven Magical Green Spirit Saliva’. Don’t tell me
we should go and steal it?” Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and replied
faintly.

“That won’t do. Due to Nalan Yanran, the Nalan clan and the Misty
Cloud Sect have an extremely good relationship. Moreover, the clan also
possesses some weight in the empire’s government. I think that old
demon from the royalty would also act. Do you think that our ability
would be able to contend with these two large strengths?” Hai Bo Dong
smiled awkwardly as he replied to Xiao Yan.

“Then what is there to say? For now, if I want to obtain the ‘Seven
Magical Green Spirit Saliva’, I can only help cure Nalan Jie. Although
this ‘Searing Poison’ is extremely dangerous, at the very least it
currently does not appear to hurt me in any way.” Xiao Yan helplessly
shook his head. After this analysis by Hai Bo Dong, his heart became a
little more serious. This Nalan clan indeed lived up to its reputation as
one of the three large clans of the empire. There were far too many
strengths behind them that would be dragged into the matter.

“Do what you want as long as you don’t end up causing yourself to
sink into it. I am still waiting for you to help me refine the
‘Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill.” Hai Bo Dong waved his hand and said.

“Relax. As soon as you can gather all the medicinal ingredients, I will
help you refine it. Although my Spiritual Strength was slightly damaged
because of the ‘Angry Buddha Lotus Flame’, refining the ‘Spiritual
Recovery Purple Pill’ should not be something too difficult.” Xiao
Yan slowly walked toward the side of the table. He removed all the
clutter of things on it, took out a medicinal cauldron from within the
storage ring and randomly said superficially,

“Ke ke, I naturally have confidence in you.” Hai Bo Dong smiled and
nodded. He eyed Xiao Yan’s action and inquired in a stunned manner,
“What are you doing?”

“I think that you should continue to wander around outside. I am about
to train my refining skills.” Xiao Yan removed numerous medicinal
ingredients from the storage ring and said with as smile to Hai Bo Dong.

“Uh… I haven’t been back that long.” Hearing Xiao Yan’s words,
Hai Bo Dong smiled bitterly and shook his head. A moment later, he
noticed Xiao Yan staring at him with a tilted head and could only
helplessly smack his lips. He said, “Forget it. You can train. I will
go out for a stroll…”

As he spoke, Hai Bo Dong turned around and opened the door unsteadily
before reluctantly walking out. He knew that an alchemist did not like
their surroundings to be disturbed by anyone while they were refining
medicinal pills

Xiao Yan eyed the door which slowly closed before turning his gaze to the
medicinal cauldron in front of him. His palm slowly caressed some of the
medicinal ingredients on the table as he knit his eyebrows together and
thought deeply. After around a year of tough training in the desert and
especially after having consumed the Fire Lotus Seed recently which
resulted in his compatibility with the ‘Green Lotus Core Flame’ to
soar, Xiao Yan was extremely confident that it would not be something
overly difficult to pass the test for a tier three alchemist. This was
because the most important thing for a tier three alchemist was the flame
controlling ability. On this aspect, Xiao Yan even had the confidence to
compare with a tier four alchemist.

“Ugh but even if it is like this, it would not be an easy thing for me
to successfully obtain the champion spot in the Alchemist Grand Meeting.
Those opponents aren’t ordinary people…” Xiao Yan sighed and shook
his head. He recalled Gu He’s disciple, Liu Ling, whom he had met
today. Although he had not personally seen the other party refining, it
was only natural that with Pill King Gu He’s ability, the disciple that
he taught would not be someone useless. Moreover when they were facing
each other, Xiao Yan had also sensed the confidence contained within the
other person’s action and voice. This confidence was not a forceful
act. This was something that a person was only able to have when he
really possessed some ability.

Xiao Yan’s palm rubbed the icy cold medicinal cauldron. He suddenly
shrugged his shoulders and laughed softly, “Of course, I am not an
ordinary person either. If I were to lose to Liu Ling in the Alchemist
Grand Meeting, won’t it mean that Teacher cannot be compared to Gu
He?”

“That won’t do…” Xiao Yan slowly exhaled a breath of air. He
pursed up his lips slightly. A long while later, he faintly smiled. His
finger gently flicked at the flame outlet of the medicinal cauldron and a
wisp of green colored flame was swiftly inserted in. Following a soft
muffled sound, a green colored flame immediately rose and burned within
the medicinal cauldron.

“I will first try to refine a tier three medicinal pill…” Xiao
Yan’s palm slowly moved over the medicinal ingredients on the
table.After which, it stopped at a few medicinal plants. His palm curled
slightly and a subtle absorption force pulled them into his palm and
randomly threw them into the medicinal cauldron.

Watching those medicinal ingredients that were separated and wrapped by
the green colored flame, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. A medicinal formula
for a tier three medicinal pill automatically surfaced in his mind.
During his training, Yao Lao would occasionally use his Spiritual
Strength to pour all these medicinal formulas into Xiao Yan. It was
naturally extremely easy for him to be able to use them now.

“‘Refreshing Pill’, tier three medicinal pill. It is able to let
the senses of person who consumes it to be even more sensitive to the
exterior natural energy in the outside world while in one’s training
mode, increasing the speed at which one absorbs energy. The quantity of
it would also increase significantly. The ingredients needed to refine it
are: a thirty year old ‘Pure Heart Three Leaves Grass’, a ripe
‘Buddha Heart Fruit’, a ten year old ‘Spirit Absorption Tree’…
a rank three monster core.”

Xiao Yan’s mind slowly recalled the medicinal ingredients recorded in
the medicinal formula. A long while later, his ten long fingers gently
flicked. Immediately, the flame in the medicinal cauldron burned
turbulently.

As Xiao Yan began to refine the medicine, the temperature in the room
also gradually increased. A faint smoke seeped out from the cauldron.
After which, it lingered within the room, causing the place to be
shrouded by fog.

Due to this being his first time refining such a medicinal pill, Xiao Yan
expectedly incinerated the medicinal ingredients during his first two
tries. However, this did not cause him to feel any disappointment. After
all, failures when refining medicinal pills were difficult to avoid even
if it was Yao Lao who personally performing the refining.

Therefore, after ceasing the flame and summarizing the failure
experiences, Xiao Yan swiftly grasped the necessary flame temperature,
etc. During his third refinement, a round, shiny ‘Refreshing Pill’
was finally freshly created after two hours of refining…

Eyeing the ‘Refreshing Pill’ that was quietly lying in the jade
bottle, Xiao Yan wiped the perspiration on his forehead. He smiled with
satisfaction. After which, he once again raise the flame and continued to
refine…

By consuming the entire afternoon, the success rate for Xiao Yan refining
the ‘Refreshing Pill’ had increased at a joyfully swift pace. When
the medicinal ingredients on the table were about to be exhausted, three
‘Refreshing Pills’ had already appeared in the jade bottle.

Xiao Yan stored the jade bottle containing the three ‘Refreshing
Pills’ carefully into his storage ring. The tired expression on his
face was difficult to hide. Once he cleaned up the table, he took a few
weak footsteps and planted his head onto the bed.

……

By the time Xiao Yan woke up from his deep sleep, he realized that it was
already the morning of the next day. He shook his somewhat drowsy head as
he climbed out of his bed. He watched the empty room and shook his head
with a bitter smile. Refining medicinal pills was indeed very tiring
work. The loss experienced by his spirit strength was really too large.

Xiao Yan climbed out of his bed and cleaned himself up in a simple
fashion. Once he was wide awake, he walked out of the room and headed
toward the Nalan clan to begin today’s poison removing session for Nalan
Jie.

Although he had not seen Hai Bo Dong for a day, Xiao Yan was not very
concerned. With the old man’s strength, other than those old fellows
and the leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, it was likely that no one in this
Jia Ma Empire could pose any big trouble to him.

……

The poison removing session today was about the same as the last time.
During the session, there was nothing special that happened. Once Xiao
Yan had helped Nalan Jie removed the poison, he was also invited to sit
in the Nalan clan for a while. For some unknown reason, Nalan Yanran had
come forward with great interest during the time that they were seated
and inquired about some things related to Xiao Yan. However, these
questions were all vaguely withstood and dealt with using Xiao Yan’s
indifferent expression and tone. Although the current her appeared to
have changed a lot compared to back then, it was really difficult for
Xiao Yan to form any good opinions of this woman.

Anywhere that Nalan Yanran was present, that Liu Ling would naturally
also follow closely behind. Xiao Yan could sense the peripheral vision of
that fellow repeatedly drifting over during the times when he was
conversing with Nalan Yanran. Although Liu Ling’s face still maintained
a smile without speaking, Xiao Yan was able to sense that the former was
in some sort of a bad mood and had also formed a faint enmity against
him. However, Xiao Yan merely shrugged his shoulders in response to this.
“It is not my concern if you are unhappy… I even dared to snatch the
‘Heavenly Flame’ that Gu He had his eyes on. In what way can you, as
a disciple that has not graduated, frighten me?”

Under Liu Ling’s slightly cold gaze, Xiao Yan sat in the living room
for nearly half an hour. Only then did he stand up and bid them goodbye.
After which, he was sent off by Nalan Jie and the others as he walked out
of the Nalan clan and slowly disappeared from their sight.

Looking at Xiao Yan, who had disappeared, with narrow eyes, Liu Ling
turned his head around and suddenly laughed, “Grandfather, do you know
the background of this alchemist called Yan Xiao?”

“Why?” Hearing the question, Nalan Jie was distracted and he
immediately said with a frown, “Mister Yan Xiao is a distinguished
guest of our Nalan clan. I only care about whether he can help me expel
the ‘Searing Poison’. I am not concerned about his exact identity.”

“Young people should have wider hearts. Don’t feel enmity over some
little things. You may be Gu He’s disciple, but I dare to say that the
Teacher behind Yan Xiao would likely not be any weaker than Gu He.
Becoming an enemy with such a person is not going to be a good
thing…” Nalan Jie glanced at the smiling Liu Ling and spoke
meaningfully with a soft voice. With his old and sharp gaze, he could
naturally sense the thoughts Liu Ling had about Xiao Yan.

“Ha ha, Grandfather must be joking. Mister Yan Xiao and I have never
met. Why would I have any enmity toward him?” Liu Ling’s expression
changed slightly. However, he was not an ordinary person. He swiftly
withdrew his expression, drifted his gaze toward the slightly frowning
Nalan Yanran and laughed.

“It would naturally be best if it is like this. That Yan Xiao may not
be able to compare with you now, but his potential is extremely great. If
I have the chance, I really want to pull him into our Nalan clan.”
Nalan Jie faintly smiled. Without looking at the stiffened expression of
Liu Ling, he turned around and walked through the main door.

Nalan Yanran glance at Liu Ling who was helplessly shrugging his
shoulders and said softly, “You better not try anything stupid. My
grandfather has already said that he is a distinguished guest of the
Nalan clan.” Once she said those words, her hand pulled aside the black
hair in front of her forehead and slowly followed Nalan Jie in front of
her.

“Yanran, after so many years, you should know how I…”

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Watching the enchantingly graceful back, Liu Ling could not help but say
those words. However, before he managed to say all that he wanted to,
Nalan Yanran, who had her back facing him, randomly waved her delicate,
white jade-like smooth hand under the sunlight. She sighed, “You should
know that I don’t wish to discuss about these matters now. You are one
of the few men who was able to become my friend during all these years.
Perhaps you might be able to move me in the future, but at least for now,
I merely treat you as an ordinary friend. I do not deny that you are
outstanding. However, you have not met my requirements. My man will
definitely not be a mediocre person.” Once she said these words, she
did not linger any longer. She moved with successive footsteps and walked
through the main door.

“I know that you have high expectations. This time around I will take
the throne at the Grand Meeting to prove that I, Liu Ling, am a good
match for you.” As he watched that enchanting back, a fanatical emotion
flashed across Liu Ling’s eyes. Being the future leader of the Misty
Cloud Sect, Nalan Yanran’s status in the Jia Ma Empire was nearly even
more distinguished than the empire’s princess. With the haughtiness in
Liu Ling’s heart, he would naturally need to subdue such a woman in
order to prove how outstanding he was.

“Wait until you become the champion before discussing it.” A faint
moving voice moved through the door and slowly transmitted over.

“Just wait…” Liu Ling shrugged his shoulders, turned around and
stared at the spot where Xiao Yan had been seated earlier. He gave a
shady soft laughter as he softly muttered, “I will let him be ashamed
of his foul appearance in the Grand Meeting. The disciple of Pill-King Gu
He is without a doubt, the most outstanding person in the Jia Ma
Empire.”