The Strange Flame Rekindles in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 83 Unexpected Clash

Xiao Yan took out a Qi-restoring pill from his storage ring and put it in his mouth. As the pill entered his stomach, his fighting spirit recovered even more quickly, and after a while, the fatigue on Xiao Yan's face disappeared.

After his strength and fighting spirit had mostly recovered, Xiao Yan began to examine the demonic beast corpses on the ground to see if they contained any demonic cores. Demonic cores were the most coveted items for alchemists; they were essential materials for refining pills and Xiao Yan's favorite trophies.

Just as Xiao Yan was searching for the demon core, a commotion came from afar. He turned his head and saw a group of people dressed in uniform walking towards him. Their leader was a tall, burly man with a ferocious face and a powerful aura, who looked like a Dou Shi.

Seeing that they were all wearing identical uniforms with lion heads embroidered on their chests, Xiao Yan knew they weren't a temporary mercenary group.

His brow furrowed slightly. He had been training for so many days, rarely encountering mercenaries, and even when he did, he would avoid them. But these mercenaries had clearly spotted him and were relentlessly closing in.

"They're here to see me?" This made Xiao Yan narrow his eyes and furrow his brows.

"Kid, not bad! At such a young age, you've managed to hunt down eight Tier 1 magical beasts all by yourself. Even I would have to put in a lot of effort to do that!" The burly man with a ferocious face laughed loudly.

Just as the burly man was laughing, his mercenaries moved slowly and inadvertently, surrounding Xiao Yan.

"Who are you people?" Xiao Yan asked coldly, looking at the people in front of him.

Xiao Yan naturally noticed the mercenaries' actions, but he didn't care. These mercenaries were only Dou Zhe level, and apart from the burly man in the lead who made Xiao Yan feel threatened, the rest were not worth mentioning.

"Hehe, young man! These magical beasts are raised by our Mad Lion Mercenary Group. You hunted our raised magical beasts without permission. Don't you owe us an explanation?" The mercenary man said with a smirk, his eyes narrowed.

"You think this is something you've kept in captivity? I could say it's my pet!" Xiao Yan said with a cold laugh.

"I won't argue with you. Just leave everything you have on you, and I'll let you go. Otherwise..." The burly mercenary looked at Xiao Yan, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"Heh, so this is your real purpose! You're here to rob us?" Xiao Yan laughed angrily.

"So what if it is! Hand over all your valuables, or we won't be polite!" the mercenary said in a menacing tone.

"Fine! I'll hand it over! The item is important, but my life is more important." Xiao Yan's lips curled into a wicked smile. He reached into his robes, feigning resignation.

Seeing that Xiao Yan had compromised, the burly mercenary gradually revealed an excited smile on his face, but he did not let his guard down, his eyes fixed on Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan took out a crystal-clear pill from his pocket, handed it to the mercenary, and smiled, "This is the latest pill I refined that can enhance the strength of a Dou Shi. After taking it, you will be able to increase your strength by at least one star, up to two stars, and if you are lucky, three stars is not impossible."

The burly mercenary took the pill from Xiao Yan's hand, smelled it, and found that the speed of the battle qi circulation in his body had obviously increased. He then showed an excited smile on his face.

The mercenary has been a One-Star Master for a long time; if he takes this pill, his strength will increase dramatically, greatly enhancing his prestige within the mercenary group. Although he doesn't know if the pill is genuine, he can simply return to the city and pay someone to have it appraised.

"You're offering me just one pill? You think you can fob me off like this? Hurry up and hand it all over!" The burly mercenary urged again after receiving the reward.

"Okay, okay! I'll get it now! I'll get it now!" Xiao Yan pretended to be timid and cowardly, and reached into his pocket again to rummage around.

This time, Xiao Yan took out an even larger pill, its surface golden and emitting a rich medicinal fragrance. All the mercenaries around him shuddered upon smelling it.

"What kind of pill is this?" the burly mercenary asked excitedly.

The mercenaries around him were also waiting expectantly for Xiao Yan's answer, as they all knew that the effects of this pill must be extraordinary.

"This is a pill that can directly transform someone into a Dou Huang!" Xiao Yan slowly uttered these words that shocked them greatly.

"Can I become a Dou Huang?" The mercenaries around him all stared wide-eyed at the pill, imagining what it would be like to become a Dou Huang.

"If I become a Battle Emperor, even the leader won't be a match for me. Then I'll be the boss of the mercenary group! Hahaha!"

"If I become a Dou Huang, wouldn't all the beauties in the capital be mine? I could even enjoy the imperial princesses."

"If I become the Battle Emperor, who in the world will be my match? Those who have bullied me will all die by my hand."

After Xiao Yan took out the pill, the mercenaries around him had bloodshot eyes and their desires were amplified. At this moment, they only had the pill in front of them in their minds, and nothing else mattered.

"Give it to me! Give it to me! Give it to me..." The mercenaries desperately lunged at the pill in Xiao Yan's hand, all wanting to swallow it.

"But I only have this one pill! Fine, you can fight over it yourselves! Whoever gets it first keeps it!" Xiao Yan said with a smile. He then tossed the pill into the air and took a few steps back.

Upon seeing the pills tossed into the air, the mercenaries immediately began scrambling for them. They had completely lost their minds, transforming into wild beasts, each one frantically lunging for the pills.

"Hahaha! I got it! I got it! I'm going to become a Dou Huang!" A mercenary who had snatched the pill laughed with joy.

Unfortunately, before he could even enjoy his victory, he was instantly beaten to death by the other mercenaries, and he died with a slight smile on his face.

The pills in his hands changed hands again, but each time they changed hands, one of them would die.

The pill these people were fighting over was a formula that Xiao Yan had found in Yao Lao's collection; it was called the Hallucination Pill. Its original effect was to induce hallucinations, and placing it in a room while sleeping would give one a pleasant dream.

However, after Xiao Yan refined it with black flames, it became a pill that could amplify people's desires, making them crazy and bloodthirsty.

"I just wanted to test the effects of the pills, I didn't expect them to be this powerful." Looking at the person in front of him who had lost his mind and only knew how to kill, Xiao Yan felt a little scared.

As the pills changed hands several times, they eventually ended up in the hands of a powerful mercenary. However, although he obtained the pills, he now faced an attack from over a dozen mercenaries. These mercenaries, wielding various sharp blades, relentlessly attacked the burly man, displaying a fearless and resolute attitude.

Although the mercenary was a powerful Battle Master, his injuries multiplied, eventually leaving him severely wounded. However, his strength was considerable; despite his injuries, he could still barely hold on. His face, however, was ashen, clearly indicating the severity of his injuries.

After the burly mercenary killed the last mercenary who had surrounded him, he knelt on the ground, covered in blood, his body trembling violently and panting heavily, clearly on the verge of death.

(End of this chapter)