Xiao Yan smiled faintly: "Sect Leader Yan, you've been a Dou Huang expert for about ten years now, right? If you join the Poison Sect and provide enough materials, you can exchange them for a sixth-tier pill, the Huangji Pill."
"If you're lucky, you might even break through two levels next year and reach the three-star Dou Huang level."
"A sixth-tier pill, the Huangji Pill?" The red-robed old man's expression changed, and his eyes fixed intently on Xiao Yan. "Do you have it?"
The other four also looked at Xiao Yan with burning eyes, though Wu Ya, the peak Dou Huang expert, was slightly less eager.
The Huangji Pill, considered one of the top sixth-tier pills, allows a Dou Huang expert to increase their level by one or two stars in a relatively short time.
This alone makes the Huangji Pill one of the most sought-after pills among Dou Huang experts.
After all, when one reaches the Dou Huang level, it's not uncommon for some unlucky individuals to struggle for years without advancing even a single level.
The red-robed old man, Yan Yan, is a perfect example. In ten years, he's still a one-star Dou Huang.
Moreover, the Huangji Pill has another effect: it strengthens meridians and refines bones.
The residual medicinal energy after the pill's primary effect helps the user strengthen their body. While this enhancement isn't as miraculous as Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame and cultivation techniques, it still significantly boosts combat power.
In the Chu Yun Empire, where poison-based Dou Qi is prevalent, the physical condition of cultivators is generally mediocre. If they could obtain the Huangji Pill to strengthen their meridians and bones, they could close the gap with ordinary Dou Huang experts, making the pill even more desirable.
"I don't have it," Xiao Yan said, nearly causing the five to curse out loud—until he added, "But I can refine it."
"Huh?" Wu Ya exclaimed in surprise.
He had considered this pill when he became a Dou Huang, but the Chu Yun Empire had no alchemist capable of refining sixth-tier pills.
The Chu Yun Empire is famous for its poison. Although the vast empire has an Alchemist Association and alchemists, poison is generally seen as something beneath the notice of powerful alchemists.
In the entire continent, the nearest sixth-tier alchemist to the Chu Yun Empire is probably Gu He, the Pill King of the Jia Ma Empire.
But given the hostile relationship between the Chu Yun Empire and the Jia Ma Empire, Pill King Gu He would never refine any pills for experts from the Chu Yun Empire.
"Are you also a sixth-tier alchemist?" Wu Ya looked at Xiao Yan in disbelief.
At his age and with his strength, such a figure would be a rarity even in the entire Northwestern Continent.
The more advanced the technique, the more effort it takes to master. Although it's unclear how many techniques Xiao Yan knows, the two he's demonstrated are undoubtedly extraordinary.
With such achievements, how could he still have the time to study alchemy?
Wu Ya knew most of the famous alchemists in the Chu Yun Empire. Most were over fifty and only at the third or fourth tier.
This Poison Sect member before him, who looked no older than twenty, claimed he could refine sixth-tier pills!
Even the renowned Pill King Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire was probably only a second or third-tier alchemist at twenty.
Not only was Wu Ya deeply incredulous, but the other four Dou Huang experts were also equally shocked.
There were already many powerful experts in the Chu Yun Empire who could defeat them, and the vast continent beyond the empire had countless more.
But a young alchemist with such strength who could also refine sixth-tier pills? Even in the entire Dou Qi Continent, such a figure would be exceedingly rare.
Xiao Yan smiled at Wu Ya: "You should have sensed that I cultivate fire-attribute Dou Qi. The Poison Sect has always been eager for medicinal materials and magic cores, all to pour resources into developing alchemy.
Sect Leader Wu, rest assured. Among the sixth-tier pills, there's one called the Po Zong Pill, which increases the chance of a peak Dou Huang expert advancing to the Dou Zong level by ten percent. Even if the breakthrough fails, it stabilizes the cultivator's strength at the pre-breakthrough level."
"Can you really refine it?" Despite his years of restraint, Wu Ya couldn't suppress his excitement upon hearing about the Po Zong Pill, a dream for countless peak Dou Huang experts, and blurted out the question.
The four Dou Huang experts all looked at Wu Ya. If Wu Ya succeeded in breaking through, he would become a Dou Zong expert, nearly invincible in the Chu Yun Empire.
After asking, Wu Ya quickly realized: "If this is such a good deal, how was the Poison Spider Sect destroyed?"
Xiao Yan shook his head: "The Poison Spider Sect initially agreed to join the Poison Sect. But when I mentioned the pill, they didn't believe I could refine it. Instead, they thought I had stumbled upon a great opportunity and that my ring must contain more than one Huangji Pill."
"That father and son thought they were on their home turf, and I was alone, so they tried to rob me. Unfortunately, they overestimated themselves..."
A Wu Tian Sect elder, watching his sect leader gripped in the Flame God's palm, thought: "If only we had known about this strange technique earlier. If the sect leader, these Dou Huang experts, and the thousands of Wu Tian Sect disciples had attacked together, this Protector Yan might not have been able to destroy the Wu Tian Sect."
Wu Ya and the others, however, were inwardly frustrated. Why hadn't Xiao Yan mentioned this earlier?
Then they realized that if Xiao Yan had spoken up sooner, they might have thought the same as the Poison Spider Sect and met the same fate.
In truth, Xiao Yan hadn't planned to fight these people. It was just that Wu Ya and the others had attacked before he could explain.
Rolling his eyes, Wu Ya smiled warmly: "Protector Yan, I, Wu Ya, am willing to join the Poison Sect. This was all a misunderstanding."
Although he was a spy for the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, infiltrating the Poison Sect wouldn't be much different.
Given the Poison Sect's development, it would eventually clash with the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect. By joining now, he could preserve his life, infiltrate the enemy early, and benefit the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect.
With Wu Ya, the strongest among them, surrendering, the other four Dou Huang experts had no desire to die and readily joined the Poison Sect.
Xiao Yan dispelled the Flame God, informed the five Dou Huang experts of the materials needed for the Huangji Pill and Po Zong Pill, then flapped his Dou Qi wings and shot into the sky like a beam of light.
Xiao Yan wasn't sure if the other Dou Huang experts sincerely wanted to join the Poison Sect, but he was certain Wu Ya was a spy for the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect.
The reason he still agreed to refine pills for these scheming individuals wasn't because he was a naive fool helping others for no reason.
Whether they were good or bad, Xiao Yan didn't care much. What mattered was their bodies.
The advanced puppet-making technique he had learned at Ya Fei's home could create incredibly powerful puppets.
The art of puppetry demands extremely苛刻 materials.
To give a puppet formidable strength, rare materials combined with secret methods are essential.
If these individuals remained loyal to the Poison Sect, all would be well. If they harbored ulterior motives, turning them into puppets would only require a bit more effort.
(End of Chapter)
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