Battle Through the Heavens: Top Talent

Chapter 343 Heading to the Ancient Clan

The figure that appeared before the ancient demon was dressed in a blue robe, handsome beyond compare, with a faint smile on his lips, looking every bit the elegant gentleman.

No one could immediately associate him with the identity of a Dou Sheng powerhouse.

But the ancient demon recognized the other party, and he could no longer maintain his previous indifference; his voice slowly escaped his lips.

"You are...you are Xiao Yun! You actually broke through to the Dou Sheng level?!"

Looking at Xiao Yun's warm smile, Gu Yao looked incredulous.

Since being defeated by Xiao Yun in one move last time, he has come to understand that "there are always people better than you, and there is always something beyond your understanding," and he is no longer as arrogant as before.

He cultivated diligently every day and has now reached the level of a five-star Dou Zun, ranking among the top three of the younger generation in the clan! He thought he had made great progress and that the gap between him and Xiao Yun had narrowed somewhat.

But reality slapped him in the face!

How long has it been? Xiao Yun has actually broken through to the Dou Sheng level!

It should be known that even among the ancient clans, where geniuses abound, a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint) level expert is an extremely rare existence!

For those at the Dou Sheng realm, the so-called Dou Di bloodline not only has no effect, but it can even hinder the breakthrough of people from ancient families!

Gu Yao's talent ranks among the top ten of the younger generation of the ancient clan, and his Dou Di bloodline has reached the seventh grade! But even with such talent, he only has a chance to break through to Dou Sheng in his lifetime.

If luck is bad, he might end up like Yao Lao and Xuan Yi, stuck at the Ninth Revolution Dou Zun realm for life...

Therefore, Gu Yao's emotions fluctuated so drastically after seeing Xiao Yun break through to the Dou Sheng realm.

"Hmm..." Xiao Yun smiled and nodded at the ancient demon's shocked expression, then turned to look at the old man who suddenly emerged from the void.

Although the opponent did not possess a powerful aura or oppressive force, Xiao Yun could still faintly sense an irresistible danger thanks to his strong soul perception.

"The ancient clan truly lives up to its reputation as the leading family on the continent for thousands of years; its foundation and strength are indeed formidable..."

This old man possesses at least the strength of a seven-star Dou Sheng; even the Nine Profound Golden Lightning never exerted such pressure on me!

"Xiao Yun of the Xiao Clan greets the senior of the Ancient Clan!"

After suppressing his many thoughts, Xiao Yun took the lead in bowing, which was impeccable.

"Hehe, Master Xiao Yun is joking. In front of a ninth-grade alchemy master, I am hardly a senior..."

The old man walked slowly through the air, smiling broadly, and said, "My name is Gu Dao. I am here on the orders of the clan leader to welcome Master Xiao!"

Despite the fact that the old man's strength far surpassed Xiao Yun's and that he was old enough to be the latter's ancestor, he unexpectedly adopted a very humble attitude at this moment.

Xiao Yun understood without a doubt that Gu Yuan had informed some of the elders about the Emperor-grade pill formula, which was why the other party was being so polite.

After all, for peak Dou Sheng like Gu Yuan, there are only two ways to break through to Dou Di. The first is to collect all the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, combine them, and then investigate the location of the Ancient Emperor's cave.

The second option is to wait until Xiao Yun has fully grown up, and then, following the method given by the remnant soul of the Medicine Emperor, gather the power of all living beings to refine the so-called Emperor-grade pill!

However, the problem is that the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade is controlled by the eight ancient clans, making it extremely difficult to collect them all!

Now that the Soul Clan has stolen two of them, the difficulty has increased even further. Besides, even if we did get them, what then?

The ancient emperor's cave has not appeared for more than 10,000 years. The eight ancient clans have changed their clan leaders several times, and the current clan leaders, such as Gu Yuan, have only heard of them from legends.

Gu Yuan did not want to follow the old path of his father and many ancient clan ancestors, so he could only place his hopes of breaking through to Dou Di on Xiao Yun!

How could I not be polite when I need his help?

He didn't care at all about the possibility of the imperial-grade pills being leaked.

Refining Emperor-grade pills is something only a Dou Di (Battle Emperor) can do. Even if Xiao Yun gathers the power of all living beings to try, the success rate would probably be less than 10%.

Therefore, he never intended to break through to the Dou Di level using this method.

Now that the Soul Clan has fully revealed its ambitions and a formidable enemy is at hand, Gu Yuan and the others would not risk losing more than they gain by attempting to coerce or imprison Xiao Yun.

Besides, even if they were blinded by greed, Xiao Yun was not someone to be trifled with!

Did he really think that after the Xiao clan declined, he would have no one to rely on?

Xiao Yun himself is a ninth-grade Xuan Dan master, and he also has the Pill Tower, the Ancient Void Dragon and other forces behind him.

If Gu Yuan and the other members of the ancient clans really can't tell the difference, he only needs to activate the dragon seal left by Zi Yan in his hand, and Zi Yan will probably bring the Taixu Ancient Dragon Army to this place in less than half a day!

After figuring this out, Xiao Yun smiled faintly and said, "So it is Senior Gu Dao. I have long heard of the great names of the Three Immortals of the Ancient Clan."

"These are all empty titles... They can't compare to you, Master. Recently, the stories circulating on the continent about your prowess in refining half-step Xuan Dan have been so numerous that I've grown calluses on them."

Gu Dao waved his hand with a smile, his old face blooming like a chrysanthemum, and said very politely.

He had heard the title of the Three Immortals of the Ancient Clan countless times from others, but none of them could compare to this moment.

You have to be selective about who you brag to!

Xiao Yun can be considered the most sought-after figure on the Dou Qi Continent right now, especially after showing off his skills in Saint Pill City last time. There are probably so many people who want to befriend him that even the Pill Domain can hardly contain them all.

A ninth-grade master of precious pills in his early twenties! No one can say for sure how far he will go in the future.

No one would believe that Xiao Yun's future would be limited to stagnation, or that even taking just one step forward would allow him to become a ninth-grade Xuan Dan master!

The ninth-grade profound pill contains terrifying energy; even a high-level Dou Sheng could break through at least one minor realm after consuming it!

In this Dou Qi Continent, besides the Medicine Clan, renowned for its alchemists, how many other forces possess Xuan Dan Grandmasters? The number is probably less than five.

While Xiao Yun and Gu Dao were exchanging pleasantries in mid-air, the people in front of the Ancient Holy City below were in an uproar, with all sorts of thoughts flashing through their minds.

"So this is Master Xiao Yun, the newly appointed elder of the Pill Tower? He is indeed as young as the legends say..."

"Master Xiao truly deserves to be called the number one genius on the continent; even powerful clans like the Ancient Clan treat him with utmost respect!"

The ancient demon stared at the two figures in the sky, his expression growing increasingly shocked.

As one of the top five geniuses of the ancient clan, he naturally knew Gu Dao, one of the three immortals of the ancient clan.

You should know that the clan's, including his own, earnest hope is that one day he can succeed Gu Dao and become one of the new Three Immortals of the Ancient Clan.

Now, he hasn't even been considered a candidate for one of the three immortals of the ancient clan, yet Xiao Yun can make the ancient Daoist extremely polite and humble.

A few years ago, when he first met Xiao Yun, although there was a gap between them, he could still catch up. Now, however, it was like an insurmountable chasm, leaving him only to look up in awe.

Things in this world change far too quickly.

"Gu Yao, you just offended Master Xiao Yun with your words. Now, apologize immediately!"

After exchanging compliments with Xiao Yun, Gu Dao's eyes shifted slightly, his gaze locking onto the ancient demon below, and he said in a cold voice.

"I……"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yao's face turned extremely ugly. He was a very proud person, and to be forced to bow and scrape in front of so many people, especially when he had not done anything wrong, was something he was unwilling to do, even if the other party was a saint.

But this is the Dou Qi Continent, a world where the strong prey on the weak and strength reigns supreme! Xiao Yun's strength far surpasses his, so even if he's not wrong, he'll still be considered wrong!

His expression kept changing, and after a struggle, just as the ancient demon bent down, Xiao Yun finally spoke.

"No need, Senior Gu Dao. I am an old acquaintance of Gu Yao, and Gu Yao was just doing his duty. Let's skip it."

"Master Xiao... Master Xiao..." Upon hearing this, Gu Yao raised his head in disbelief, extremely surprised. His relationship with Xiao Yun was not as close as the latter had described.

On the contrary, the ancient demon once regarded it as its greatest enemy.

"Since Master Xiao has spoken, let's just leave it at that." Gu Dao was also somewhat surprised, but after thinking about it carefully, he understood the reasoning.

The dragon pays no heed to the voices of ants. Xiao Yun has already broken through to the Saint realm, while the ancient demon is still struggling in the Dou Zun realm, not knowing when he will reach that level.

They are now from two different worlds. Even without an apology, people will only praise Xiao Yun's magnanimity, so there is no need for such formalities.

Immediately, Gu Dao waved his hand, dismissing Gu Yao and his group, and said with a smile, "Master Xiao, has your visit to my Gu Clan been about the Heavenly Tomb?"

"Indeed, we are facing a formidable enemy and time is of the essence, but the flow of time in the Heavenly Tomb is different from that in the outside world."

"I need to cultivate in seclusion in the Heavenly Tomb for a period of time to prepare for the upcoming crisis." Xiao Yun nodded and said slowly.

"Secluded cultivation?" Upon hearing this, Gu Dao's expression became somewhat unnatural. After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke, "Master Xiao, are you going to borrow Senior Xiao Xuan's power to cultivate in the Heavenly Tomb this time?"

Their ancient clan has occupied the Heavenly Tomb for many years and has long regarded it as their own property, including Xiao Xuan's remnant soul!

The Xiao clan had already declined, and they had originally expected that Xiao Xuan would eventually be unable to hold on while staying in the Heavenly Tomb.

Logically speaking, the Xiao clan wouldn't have had any young talents rise to prominence at that time. Without the clan's own geniuses, there was no hope of restoring the Xiao clan's glory.

Xiao Xuan will most likely entrust everything he has to the ancient clan or Gu Yuan, just like he did a thousand years ago.

But who could have imagined that Xiao Yun would appear out of nowhere, like a demon?

The Dou Di bloodline within him had been dormant, yet he was able to fight his way out of the remote and impoverished Northwest Continent, and even the Central Continent, teeming with geniuses, could not overshadow his brilliance.

Xiao Yun's appearance shattered the ancient clans' illusions. Even though they knew that Xiao Xuan's plans were no longer feasible, some members of the ancient clans were still unwilling to give up, and the Ancient Path was the one they put forward to test the waters.

Under the somewhat hesitant gaze of the ancient path, Xiao Yun smiled and shook his head, saying, "My purpose in entering the Heavenly Tomb for secluded cultivation this time is not to borrow the power of Ancestor Xiao Xuan, but rather..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a bright red pill appeared in Xiao Yun's palm.

The moment the pill appeared, an extremely rich fragrance spread out. Gu Dao only took a light sniff and felt his whole body feel smooth. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but it seemed as if his battle qi circulation had accelerated slightly.

The next second, Gu Dao hurriedly waved his hand to set up a barrier. His voice, which was originally unhurried, became slightly hurried for the first time.

"What... what is this?"

"Senior Gu Dao, this is the Burning Flame Pure Profound Pill, a ninth-grade half-step Profound Pill!"

"By consuming this pill, anyone below the six-star Dou Sheng level will definitely be able to break through to the next level by one star, and there is also a chance that their Dou Qi will be imbued with the aura of burning flames, making its power comparable to that of a different kind of fire Dou Qi."

After showing the pill for a second, Xiao Yun put it away and said with a smile, "The only drawback is that it can only be taken by fire-attribute cultivators."

"When I first refined this pill, it was a pity my soul power wasn't enough. If I were to refine it now, I would definitely be able to reach the ninth-grade Xuan Dan level, which would probably even be effective against a Seven-Star Dou Sheng!"

"Half-step Profound Core... Ninth-grade Profound Core..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Dao's lips twitched slightly. He really was the number one alchemist on the continent!

They can eat the ninth-grade precious pill whenever they want, and refine the ninth-grade profound pill whenever they want.

Other ninth-grade alchemists, when refining pills, not only need to adjust their own state to the peak, but a very few even have requirements for the weather and day, and must continue until they are satisfied.

You should know that he is over a thousand years old now and has never tasted the flavor of a ninth-grade Xuan Dan. A ninth-grade Bao Dan can only be obtained once every few hundred years according to the contribution within the clan.

It's still over a hundred years before he can exchange for the ninth-grade treasure pill again!

"Master Xiao, you truly deserve to be called the number one genius on the continent. Your mastery of both martial arts and alchemy is remarkable, making this old man quite ashamed..."

The gap between people can sometimes be even greater than the gap between a person and a dog. Looking at Xiao Yun's young and handsome face, Gu Dao felt that he had wasted his more than a thousand years of life.

After some flattery, Gu Dao said somewhat embarrassedly, "Master Xiao, could you tell me about the materials required for your Burning Flame Purifying Profound Pill?"

"I absolutely do not intend to peek at the formula for this elixir, it's just that my current battle qi attribute happens to be fire, and I haven't made any progress in the Seven Star Battle Saint realm for decades..."

As she spoke, her gaze toward Xiao Yun was full of expectation, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.

Xiao Yun instantly understood what the other party meant, and said with a faint smile, "Of course, of course! It's just the medicinal herbs needed; I trust Elder Gu Dao's character!"

Immediately, he waved his sleeve, and a piece of white paper appeared, on which black characters began to appear out of thin air. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that these were the medicinal materials needed to refine the Burning Flame Purifying Profound Pill.

Don't believe a damn person's character. They've only met for the first time, and their understanding of each other is mostly based on what others have said!

As for why Xiao Yun gave the prescription so readily, it was because he knew that trying to deduce the elixir formula from the prescription was a complete pipe dream.

If the ancient clan truly possessed such a prodigy, Xiao Yun would gladly give him away, considering it merely a ticket to learn about the world's most extraordinary talents.

"Thank you, Master Xiao!"

As soon as the black characters fully appeared and the white paper slowly floated down, Gu Dao swiftly grabbed it and carefully put it away as if it were a treasure.

"Master Xiao, I understand the rules for alchemists. Once I have gathered all the ingredients for this prescription, I will come to you."

Even if the elixir fails, I will still offer a generous reward!

The rule for alchemists is that if you want them to refine medicine, you need to bring three prescriptions. After the pill is completed, no matter how many medicinal materials are left over, they belong to the alchemist.

In addition, those seeking medicine must also promise the alchemist other benefits, which is why everyone on the Dou Qi Continent wants to become an alchemist.

"No need for any generous thanks..." Xiao Yun shook his head, not taking the promise of a Seven-Star Dou Sheng seriously.

He is no longer the Xiao Yun of the past. With the backing of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, as long as he is willing to make a statement, countless Dou Sheng would want to form an alliance with him.

Moreover, the Seven Star Dou Sheng realm is not too far away for him.

(End of this chapter)