Breaking the Masked Man

As for Xuan Yi's feelings, does he really not feel them?

Back then, Xuan Yi even humbled herself to confess her feelings to him, but unfortunately, he had already adopted Han Feng and had to refuse her in order to better teach Han Feng.

Besides.

Yao Lao also disliked being bound by rules. Although joining the Pill Tower had many benefits, it also restricted his freedom. This was a drawback of joining a major power. For example, his two friends, Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi, rarely went out after becoming the three giants of the Pill Tower. They stayed in Saint Pill City for most of the year. Even when fighting with others, they had to consider the consequences.

Unlike him, who can do whatever he wants.

However, now, Yao Lao has to consider the future path, especially Yao Yan, a junior with whom he has a 'blood' connection. He wants to cultivate him, and with Yao Yan's talent, as long as he doesn't perish along the way, the chances of him becoming a Dou Sheng are extremely high. This is also the reason why he is considering joining the Pill Tower.

After all, although Yao Yan's talent is exceptional, he also has a lot of troubles. If he doesn't have a powerful force behind him, he might not be able to guarantee that the other party can fully grow up.

As for himself... after living so carefree for so many years, it's time for him to change his way of life.

Xuan Yi looked at the stern-faced old man, then stopped looking at him and turned her gentle, beautiful eyes to Yao Yan, asking with a curious smile, "Your surname is Yao?"

"Yes, I am from the same clan as Elder Yao, but I have been expelled from the Yao clan and can no longer be considered a member of the Yao clan." Yao Yan nodded, pretending to be a junior and responding quite obediently.

"Medicine clan?"

Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi were both somewhat surprised to hear this, as they had never expected that Yao Yan was actually a member of that clan.

"This lad's background is rather complicated, but he and I are indeed from the same clan," the old apothecary said slowly, stroking his white beard.

"The trouble you mentioned earlier, could it be this kid?" Xuan Kongzi suddenly realized something, his gaze involuntarily turning to Yao Lao, his brows slightly furrowed, and he said in a deep voice.

He felt something was strange when he heard what Yao Lao said. Given Yao Chen's personality, he probably wouldn't turn back even if he suffered a great loss, unless it was for someone else, just like when he rejected Xuan Yi for Han Feng back then.

This old guy may seem carefree and unrestrained, but he is actually very sentimental, especially towards those he respects, for whom he is willing to give everything.

"I suppose so," the old apothecary admitted, seeing that he couldn't avoid it any longer.

“If it’s trouble from that clan, the Pill Tower might not be able to handle it,” Xuan Kongzi said in a deep voice.

"The trouble with the Medicine Clan shouldn't be too great. This kid's former teacher held a high position in the Medicine Clan. Otherwise, with his cultivation level back then, he wouldn't have been able to walk out of the Medicine Realm unscathed." The old medicine master wasn't worried about the Medicine Clan at all.

Having once been a member of the Medicine Clan, he knew better than anyone how arrogant that clan was. Moreover, the Medicine Clan would never publicize what Yao Yan had done back then.

"What did Yao Yan do wrong?" Xuan Yi asked.

"To avenge his parents, he wiped out the entire family."

Before Yao Lao could speak, Yao Yan directly gave the answer to the question, his expression showing little emotion and his eyes extremely calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself.

Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi were both shocked, and at the same time they understood what Yao Lao meant. If Yao Yan's teacher had been of a lower status, given the things Yao Yan had done, there would have been no chance of him leaving the Medicine World alive.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Xuan didn't know about these things before," Xuan Yi said, looking at Yao Yan with an apologetic expression.

"That's all in the past," Yao Yan shook her head, indicating that it was alright.

Xuan Kongzi remained silent for a moment, stared at Yao Lao, and pressed, "Is there any other trouble?"

"There are no other troubles, but this kid's cultivation technique is a bit special. He needs to devour different flames to evolve his technique. He came to the Pill Tower this time for the Three Thousand Burning Flames that are sealed in the starry sky," Yao Lao said with a soft laugh.

Yao Lao had no intention of hiding anything from his old friend, and in order to obtain the Three Thousand Burning Flames, he would ultimately need the approval of the three giants of the Pill Tower.

As for outright robbery...

Even a Dou Sheng powerhouse probably wouldn't have that kind of confidence.

Rather than taking a risky approach, it's more appropriate to obtain the qualification openly and honestly. This is why Yao Lao was willing to join the Pill Tower. As long as he recovers his physical body and strength, and with the support of his two old friends, Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi, it will be no problem for Yao Yan to obtain the qualification to refine the Three Thousand Burning Flames, given his talent.

"That scroll of cultivation technique from back then?" Xuan Kongzi obviously knew about the Burning Technique, and then turned to look at Yao Yan with a look of surprise and doubt in his eyes.

He had heard about the unique nature of the Burning Technique from Elder Yao. The fact that it evolved by devouring strange fire was already quite bizarre. If it hadn't been obtained from that ancient battlefield, he would have even suspected that Elder Yao was joking.

He never imagined that there would actually be someone in this world who could successfully cultivate the Burning Technique, and even be alive and standing in front of him.

"You made Yao Yan practice that cultivation technique?!" Xuan Yi's expression hardened slightly, and he stared at Yao Yan with unfriendly eyes, his tone somewhat serious.

Although it was her first time meeting Yao Yan, she still admired this eloquent and handsome young man. However, upon suddenly hearing that he had cultivated the Burning Technique, the joy she felt at reuniting with Yao Lao vanished instantly.

"It wasn't me who made him cultivate; he chose to cultivate on his own while I was asleep. I didn't have the ability to stop him at the time..." Old Yao said with a wry smile, while also feeling a bit emotional.

If it were now, he would never let Yao Yan cultivate the Burning Technique. However, back then, he and Yao Yan were not so familiar with each other, and their relationship was nothing more than a transaction.

But when people spend a lot of time together, friendships naturally develop.

“I think the Burning Technique suits me very well,” Yao Yan said softly, while raising her hand to summon a sky-blue flame that glowed with white light.

Flames rose in his palm, their colors dreamlike. With a slight shift in Yao Yan's mind, the magnificent flame instantly split into four flames of different colors, floating clearly in his palm.

However, this scene made Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi's eyes widen. Even for the three giants of the Pill Tower, this was the first time they had ever seen such a magical scene.

This was completely beyond their comprehension.

“Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Sea Core Flame, Fallen Heart Flame…” Xuan Kongzi looked at the four floating strange flames and muttered to himself. He felt a little unreal. There really was someone in this world who could contain four strange flames at the same time, and even merge them at will.

"How old is Yao Yan this year?!" Xuan Yi looked at Yao Yan manipulating the flames, his eyes flickered slightly, and his voice became slightly stern.

"In my early twenties," Yao Yan said truthfully.

"Strength, the rank of an alchemist!" Xuan Yi pressed.

"A four-star Dou Zong, in terms of grade, should currently be considered the peak of the seventh rank. However, I feel that I should have no problem refining some low-grade eighth-rank pills." Yao Yan said slowly, as if he were talking about an extremely ordinary matter.

Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi were speechless at these words. They had seen many prodigies before. Among the five major families of the Pill Tower, the eldest daughter of the Cao family was extremely talented. In addition, the eldest daughter of the Dan family in this generation was also a little monster. Her soul had reached the Spirit Realm by birth, and she even had the ability to devour the soul power of others.

However, compared to Yao Yan, it's not quite up to par.

After all, the difficulty of possessing both battle qi and alchemy skills is unimaginable. Moreover, Yao Yan also controls four different flames. If he were to devour the Three Thousand Burning Flames, he might become the youngest Dou Zun powerhouse in Zhongzhou.

"The conditions are met. If Yao Yan is willing to join the Pill Tower, he can directly obtain the opportunity to refine the Three Thousand Burning Flames!" Xuan Yi said with delight in his eyes.

Xuan Kongzi frowned, but did not refute anything.

The old apothecary looked puzzled and asked, "Wasn't the Three Thousand Burning Flames always kept under wraps by the Pill Tower? Why, are they being released now?"

“Times have changed. The Three Thousand Burning Flames have been sealed for nearly a thousand years, and their power is now quite terrifying. In recent years, they have even caused several riots. Fortunately, the seal is strong enough, so there is no need to worry about anything. However, many elders of the Pill Tower are considering finding a master for it. Otherwise, if it is allowed to grow like this, it will break free from the seal sooner or later. At that time, it will definitely be a disaster for the Pill Domain.” Xuan Yi explained softly.

“According to the elders, the Three Thousand Burning Flames will be the reward for the champion of the next Pill Gathering, which is still more than ten years away,” Xuan Kongzi added.

There was a pause.

He continued, "If Yao Yan wants to directly obtain the qualification to refine it, he needs to persuade those elders. After all, the interests involved in the Three Thousand Burning Flames are too great, and it is not something that you and I can decide on our own."

The Dan Tower is not a one-person Dan Tower. As the leaders of the three giants, the first thing they need to do is to be fair and impartial.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi said directly, "With Yao Yan's talent, they have no reason to refuse."

“But Yao Yan has only just entered the Pill Tower,” Xuan Kongzi said calmly.

Yao Yan interrupted their argument and said softly, "I'm not in a hurry, we can take it slowly... The main reason for coming to the Pill Tower this time is to help Elder Yao restore his physical body. I wonder if there are any Dou Sheng level skeletons in the Pill Tower. I want to try and see if I can directly help Elder Yao break through the Dou Sheng level."

"?!" Both Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi were taken aback.

"To restore Elder Yao's physical body, we need the remains of a powerful expert. If we could find the remains of a Dou Sheng level expert, I think with Elder Yao's talent in life, there should be a considerable chance of breaking through that barrier," Yao Yan continued.

The old man fell silent, looking at Yao Yan with a complicated expression. He hadn't expected Yao Yan to be so indifferent to the Three Thousand Burning Flames, but instead to care about his own affairs.

“There are some!” Xuan Yi’s eyes flashed slightly as he said directly.

As one of the three giants of the Pill Tower, how could she not know the Pill Tower's assets? The Pill Tower has existed in the Central Continent for so many years, and it is filled with high-grade alchemists of the seventh rank or above, and even has many Dou Sheng. One can imagine how many good things it contains.

The remains of Dou Sheng are extremely rare in the outside world, and are even unheard of, but the Pill Tower has stored some.

When one's strength reaches the level of Dou Sheng, their bones will transform into jade bones. Some jade bones even contain the essence of Dou Sheng level, which is a good thing that can increase the chance of breaking through to Dou Sheng. In addition, it can also be used to refine pills, which can increase the success rate of refining ninth-grade pills.

“I have some shares that I can get for you,” Xuan Yi continued, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"That was after your breakthrough..."

Xuan Kongzi was about to say something when he was interrupted by Xuan Yi.

“It’s alright. I’m still quite far from that point. Let Yao Chen try first. If he fails, he can repay me slowly over the rest of his life.” Xuan Yi stared at Yao Lao with a smile in his eyes and chuckled.

Clearly, compared to Yao Lao, the cultivation resources needed to break through to the Dou Sheng realm have become less important.

Feelings are sometimes such a strange thing; some people disdain them, while others value them above all else.

Old Yao's lips moved as if he wanted to refuse, but Yao Yan grabbed his arm and said, "Aunt Xuan, don't worry, if this old man dares to be irresponsible towards you in the future, I'll break his old legs for you!"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi blushed slightly. She glanced at the uneasy Yao Lao, her smile widening, and said, "Alright!"

Listening to the conversation between Xuan Yi and Yao Yan, Yao Lao was at a loss for words.

Back then, he rejected Xuan Yi's confession in order to nurture Han Feng. Years later, Yao Yan put back what he had once lost.

Fate is really wonderful.

Xuan Kongzi, who had just witnessed the dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing a couple's public display of affection), chuckled and glared at his old friend Yao Chen, warning him, "Xuan Yi used this resource, which is equivalent to giving up all her contribution points in the Pill Tower over the years. Don't let her down in the future, or I won't let you off the hook!"

The old apothecary shook his head with a wry smile and said nothing more. Xuan Yi had already gone to such lengths; if he were to refuse again, it would be too hurtful.

Moreover, he does indeed need this essence of the Battle Saint right now.

"We've arrived just ahead." Xuan Kongzi looked ahead, raised his hand and waved it gently. The space in front of him slowly unfolded like a curtain, and an indescribably huge city instantly came into view.

Saint Dan City! (End of Chapter)

Chapter 221 On How to Live Off a Woman

Saint Pill City is located in the very center of the Pill Domain. Its scale far surpasses any city Yao Yan has ever seen. Even from ten thousand meters in the air, one can feel the magnificence of this city. It stretches for more than a thousand miles. It is hard to imagine that a city could be built to such an extent.

In the center of this enormous city stands a towering black tower that reaches into the clouds, its imposing presence enough to make anyone feel insignificant.