Breaking the Masked Man

"Think these things through yourself. Alright, I've disturbed you two. It's been a long time since we last met, have a good chat~" Old Yao smiled and winked at Yao Yan, then slowly disappeared, going off to relax somewhere.

"This old guy..." Yao Yan thought to himself, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards Cai Lin, where they met.

"Does it look good?"

Cai Lin's eyes narrowed slightly as she glared at Yao Yan and said coldly.

Yao Yan smiled upon hearing this, and continued to stare at Cai Lin's oval face, blatantly teasing her, "She is indeed quite beautiful."

"...Is this how you deceived Cai Die back then?"

Cai Lin clenched her fists, narrowed her beautiful eyes, and said in a cold voice with a hint of danger in them. She had not forgotten the relationship between the other party and Cai Die. Sometimes, she had to admit that the other party was a bit greedy. She already had her own sister and two beautiful maids, yet she was still not satisfied and came to provoke her. Did she really think that she was as easy to fool as her own sister?

"I didn't lie to her. I really like her. Maybe it's because of her appearance, maybe it's because of her personality, but I just like her."

Yao Yan said with a smile, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. As for Cai Lin, he offered no explanation, nor was there any need to, since the two hadn't reached that point yet.

Because of appearance?

Cai Lin and Cai Die are twin sisters, and their faces are almost identical. She felt that Yao Yan's words were somewhat implied, but she had no evidence. She could only roll her eyes at Yao Yan, then slowly got up and returned to her room. She didn't want to stay in the same room with Yao Yan, a man and a woman, any longer. She felt a little uncomfortable, especially the way he looked at her, which was almost undisguised.

Yao Yan did not stop the other party from leaving, because he had more important things to deal with later.

"Do you really enjoy spying?"

He didn't leave immediately; instead, his eyes turned to the window, and he said irritably, "At your age, still playing these tricks. Once is one thing, but to come back again? What a shameless old man."

"Cough cough~"

With that awkward cough, Yao Lao's figure slowly emerged from the window. His method of concealing his form was clearly a unique soul power technique. However, this method of concealment could only be used to block the view of others, and it was obviously useless against Yao Yan, who possessed a spiritual soul.

Yao Yan had seen through it once before, but he never expected that this old guy would use the same trick again. His skin is really thick.

"I just suddenly remembered something, I didn't come back to spy on you... Besides, there's nothing to see." The old doctor stroked his beard and said calmly, which was quite deceptive with his teacher-like demeanor.

"You must have had your fair share of women when you were young, right?" Yao Yan said with a smile, looking at the pretentious Yao Lao. He knew a lot about Yao Lao's dark history. Putting aside everything else, just the descriptions in the original work alone mentioned several women, not to mention his romantic history.

"Back in my day, I wasn't as timid as you are. If you like something, you should pursue it. Don't miss out and regret it later."

The old doctor advised him in the tone of someone who had been through it all.

"Don't worry, I won't make those mistakes."

Yao Yan smiled. He was never timid when it came to matters of the heart. Now that he was in this world, he naturally had to fight for what he liked instead of waiting. Thinking of this, he glanced at Yao Lao. It was easy for Yao Lao to say, but he could never do it himself. If he remembered correctly, the woman who was one of the three giants of the Pill Tower was Yao Lao's old lover. He just didn't know why Yao Lao had always avoided her and never responded to her feelings directly.

"I saw it coming a long time ago, tsk tsk, you've got two sisters, and both are Medusa Queens at that! You're quite the ladies' man!"

The old apothecary floated to Yao Yan's side and made a joke.

Yao Yan was too lazy to pay attention to this old man and changed the subject directly: "I plan to refine the Ice Heart Pill."

"...The Earth Core Tempering Milk has been found?"

Upon hearing this, the old alchemist was taken aback. He forgot to tease Yao Yan and his expression became serious. He asked in a deep voice that he had not expected Yao Yan to have obtained such a rare and precious natural treasure after going to Canaan Academy. Even in Zhongzhou, this item was extremely rare, and every time it appeared, it would attract many alchemists to chase after it.

"I was extremely lucky to find it in the back mountains of Canaan Academy, and I seem to be the first person to find it." As Yao Yan spoke, he took out a bottle of Earth Core Tempering Milk from his Bone Flame Ring and threw it to Yao Lao.

The old apothecary used his soul power to control it. When it opened the bottle, a crystal-clear liquid, like amber, was revealed inside. A faint chill emanated from it, yet this chill also carried an indescribable nourishing sensation, which even had a certain effect on soul power.

"You're really lucky, kid." Yao Lao couldn't help but sigh. He had offered a bounty for this stuff back in Zhongzhou, but only managed to get a few drops. But Yao Yan's bottle contained far more than just a few drops. The value of this bottle of Earth Core Tempering Milk alone was comparable to some precious seventh-grade pills.

Yao Yan didn't feel anything upon hearing this. He knew what was going on among his own people. He hadn't found this thing by luck; he had simply been looking at it from God's perspective.

His only stroke of luck in his life was when he was refined by Hun Xuzi. At that time, he was truly helpless and could only gamble with his life. It was either live or die; there was absolutely no other option.

When do you plan to refine it?

The old doctor's eyes flickered slightly as he stared at Yao Yan and asked, his tone now showing a hint of unease. The Ice Heart Pill was not comparable to a seventh-grade pill like the Instant Qi Pill; even among seventh-grade pills, its refining difficulty was among the most challenging.

Yao Yan said softly, "There's no time like the present, let's do it today, I don't have much time."

"sure?"

The old apothecary asked in a deep voice, explaining that in his current state, he could only assist from the side, and Yao Yan had to rely on himself to refine the seventh-grade Ice Heart Pill.

Yao Yan nodded and said firmly, "Yes."

The old doctor asked, "Has the location been found?"

"Just find a deserted mountain range. I'll trouble you to isolate the surrounding space to prevent anyone from getting close. As for the final pill lightning, leave it to me." Yao Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and his tone became more expectant. He had already cultivated his Vajra Indestructible Body to the second level, and he wondered if the pill lightning could temper his body.

The old apothecary frowned slightly and asked in return, "Are you confident? The pill lightning of that seventh-grade pill is no joke."

"Weren't you supposed to be watching from the side?"

Yao Yan smiled and asked in return.

Upon hearing this, the old doctor chuckled and said, "If your life isn't in danger, I won't bother with you. Don't complain when you get chopped up and covered in dust."

……

……

Hundreds of miles away from Black Seal City, in a desolate mountain, Yao Yan was sitting cross-legged on a platform, while Yao Lao and Cai Lin stood to one side, watching Yao Yan adjust his state. Alchemy is an extremely quiet process that cannot tolerate any external disturbances. The slightest mistake will lead to failure.

About fifteen minutes later, Yao Yan opened his eyes, his pupils burning with blue flames, making his handsome face look much more eerie.

He raised his hand and took out the Black Demon Cauldron from his storage ring. Under the control of his soul power, the huge cauldron was as light as a feather, and it landed lightly in front of him without stirring up a speck of dust. As the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame emerged from the cauldron, the patterns on its surface instantly glowed red, giving the ancient cauldron a touch of the divine.

Under Yao Yan's control, the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire inside the medicine cauldron instantly reached its peak, with streams of scorching air constantly surging out from it, making the surrounding world seem even hotter.

As the flames of the Azure Lotus Earth Core rose.

Yao Yan flicked his hand, sending each medicinal herb out of his storage ring. Enveloped in his soul power, they entered the medicine cauldron in an orderly fashion. Under the high temperature, they withered rapidly, and their essence was rapidly refined at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into drops of crystal clear gems that floated in the flames.

"This kid's alchemy techniques... they have a bit of the Pill Tower's feel to them, no, they're not the same..."

As Yao Lao observed Yao Yan's alchemy techniques, his expression grew more solemn. He muttered to himself, feeling that he could see the presence of many people in Yao Yan. Who exactly was Yao Yan's teacher? How could he know so many alchemy techniques, and even seem to have simplified them considerably?

Could his teacher be a ninth-grade alchemist?!

Those in the know can see the details. Yao Lao was originally a near-ninth-rank alchemist, so his eyesight was naturally excellent, and he was no stranger to the path of the ninth rank. Everyone has their own path to reach this level, and the alchemy technique that Yao Yan was demonstrating clearly showed the traces of a grandmaster alchemist.

Thinking of this, Yao Lao's gaze flickered as he looked at Yao Yan, and he became more skeptical of the boy's previous words. If Yao Yan's teacher was really a ninth-grade alchemist, why would the Yao Clan have driven him out?

Who exactly is his teacher?!

The old alchemist pondered this in his heart, but it was clear that with his former status and identity, he had no way of getting in touch with the big shots within the Yao Clan. To those people, an eighth-grade peak alchemist was still not qualified, because the eighth grade was still the eighth grade. Even though he was only one step away from the ninth grade, that step was like an insurmountable chasm, enough to divide the world into heaven and earth.

If everything Yao Yan said before was a lie, then... Yao Lao's heart couldn't help but clench, feeling that he had been deceived again. That feeling was really unpleasant, especially since the young man in front of him was a junior he had high hopes for. He really didn't want to doubt the other party like this.

But after Han Feng's betrayal, he had to think twice.

But if the other party really deceived him, then what was their motive...?

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 154 Thunderous Body Refinement

Once a person has been deceived by their closest relatives, they will become suspicious of the whole world.

The old apothecary felt the same way. He had even suspected his close friend Feng Xian before. Now, facing the enigmatic Yao Yan, he couldn't help but have many doubts. But after a moment, he suppressed these doubts, because he no longer had anything that the other party could covet.

He was once the top alchemist in Zhongzhou, known as the Medicine Venerable, and naturally enjoyed immense prestige, with countless people trying to curry favor with him.

Now, however, he is left with only a remnant soul. Almost everything of value on him has been taken by Yao Yan, or perhaps he has made a deal with the other party. The only things that still have some value are the pill formulas he knows and his soul essence, but the former has already been agreed upon with Yao Yan.

As for the latter, unless Yao Yan is a member of the Soul Palace, it would be useless to him, since the secret technique that can absorb the soul essence of others is rare in the entire Dou Qi Continent.

If Yao Yan truly possessed such a secret method, the other party wouldn't have needed to wait until today.

He's getting more and more suspicious... The old man lowered his gaze and sighed inwardly. Then his eyes returned to calm. He felt that Yao Yan should not have any ill intentions towards him. If he did, his old bones would not have survived to this day. The other party had countless opportunities to kill him, but he did not.

It couldn't be that this kid was deliberately messing with him; if that were the case, he was actually looking forward to it.

After all, for Yao Lao now, there is nothing left to look forward to in the future. Seeing how far Yao Yan can grow is one of his few remaining interests.

Not far away, Yao Yan, who was refining medicinal herbs, was unaware of Yao Lao's complex emotions. His attention was completely drawn to the medicine cauldron. Refining a seventh-grade pill was still quite a challenge for him at the moment. Moreover, the seventh-grade Ice Heart Pill was among the very best of the seventh-grade pills, and its refining difficulty was not low, requiring a great deal of mental effort.

"The Ice Heart Pill, ranked seventh grade, is quite potent. It contains an extreme chilling power that can instantly freeze the body, making it difficult for even the power of strange fire to melt. Its most valuable aspect is that after taking it, one's consciousness will be in an absolutely calm state, unaffected by external influences, and it even has the effect of resisting inner demons. It requires a total of one hundred and twenty-six kinds of medicinal materials..."

During the process of extracting the essence of the medicinal herbs, the method of refining the Ice Heart Pill slowly emerged in Yao Yan's mind. Some key points appeared again and again, and he dared not be careless in the slightest. After all, this was the first time he had refined the Ice Heart Pill, and he did not have absolute confidence. Fortunately, the amount of Earth Core Tempering Milk was not small, which provided a certain margin of error, so there was not too much pressure.

It's just a matter of refining it a few more times.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but Yao Yan quickly suppressed them all. He looked at the extracted essence liquid in the medicine cauldron, his gaze narrowed slightly, and his fingers pressed down slightly. The surging green flames burning in the Black Demon Cauldron instantly weakened.

After pondering for a moment, he took out a jade bottle containing the Earth Core Tempering Milk from his Bone Flame Ring. He used his soul power to open the bottle, and six crystal-clear stalactites, like gemstones, dripped out. The pure energy contained in them could be clearly felt even by Cai Lin and Yao Lao, who were standing at a distance.

"let's start!"

Yao Yan spoke slowly in his heart, then his gaze sharpened, and he controlled the six drops of stalactite to fly into the Black Demon Cauldron. The Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame inside was like a ferocious beast, swallowing it all in one gulp. At the same time, the suppressed heat also burst out instantly, and the terrifying fire wave was like a volcanic eruption.

As he unleashed his full power, the drops of medicinal liquid within instantly became extremely clear, and any impurities were instantly burned away. Under Yao Yan's control, these medicinal liquids, refined to their limit, flowed into the six drops of Earth Core Tempering Milk in a unique order, making its original color much more mixed. At the same time, the aura it emitted gradually changed, even gaining a chilling power.

This scene was extremely bizarre; although it was being roasted in scorching flames, the aura it emitted was becoming increasingly chilling.

As more than a hundred drops of medicinal liquid were incorporated into six drops of Earth Core Tempering Milk, six clumps of medicinal liquid exuding a chilling aura appeared in Yao Yan's sight. They were almost solidified at this moment, like physical entities, emitting waves of chilling aura, resisting the power of the strange fire around them.

Yao Yan closed his eyes at this moment, maintaining the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame at a balanced temperature, continuously roasting the six clumps of medicinal liquid, and thoroughly fusing their medicinal properties. This process is extremely demanding on the alchemist's endurance. An ordinary Dou Wang would definitely not be able to withstand it, but for Yao Yan, this freak, what he fears least is a protracted battle.

What men need is sustained fighting power!

"This step is the most difficult in refining the seventh-grade Ice Heart Pill. It requires completely refining the medicinal properties of the six clumps of liquid. After they solidify, the medicinal properties within them will be completely fused together. Then, they need to be extracted and fused a second time before the pill can be condensed. The refining process is extremely demanding on the alchemist's control over their soul power and their understanding of hundreds of medicinal herbs... However, this kid's soul realm has already reached the Spirit Realm, so it shouldn't be too difficult for him!"

The old doctor stroked his beard, watching Yao Yan's alchemy process with a solemn gaze, and slowly spoke.