Black Corner Region, Magical Beast Mountain Range, Endless Forest Sea.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…
Four streaks of light cut across the sky. Four figures, whose auras were not weak, flapped their Dou Qi wings and swiftly traversed the Endless Forest Sea. A gentle breeze stirred, and the vast, verdant forest sea rippled like a true ocean.
"This is it!"
Wang Mang stopped before what seemed like an inconspicuous small valley. The Yao brothers, who had followed him, still had a hint of disbelief and uncertainty in their eyes. They looked around, surveying the surroundings, somewhat unable to believe that the legendary Beast King Valley was actually like this.
"The Valley Master wants you to enter!"
Suddenly, a voice came from the nearby woods. The Yao brothers immediately showed signs of alert, exchanging glances with unconcealed shock. They had searched so carefully, yet they hadn't discovered the owner of the voice that had just spoken was right nearby.
A light azure giant wolf appeared before them. After the Fifth-Tier Magical Beast, the Gale Demonic Wolf King, appeared, it nodded slightly to Wang Mang, then walked into the valley.
"This magical beast can actually speak human words! This shouldn't be a Sixth-Tier..."
The Yao brothers were a bit astonished. It wasn't rare for Fifth-Tier magical beasts to possess high intelligence, but shouldn't the ability to speak human words be exclusive to Sixth-Tier magical beasts?
"Let's go!"
Wang Mang had no intention of explaining and instead urged them on. After exchanging glances, the Yao brothers followed behind Wang Mang, but their vigilance remained.
Within this small valley was a world of its own. A vast space had been opened up into a spacious plaza. On the surrounding rock walls were some grottoes, and various roars of beasts and chirps of birds rose and fell, one after another. Magical beasts came and went incessantly, truly a bustling and unique market.
"This... so many rare medicinal ingredients... And, they're trading Pills..."
The Yao brothers constantly peeked around, discovering that most of the magical beasts coming and going carried bundles of medicinal ingredients, simply to exchange them for jade bottles – the very same Pill jade bottles commonly used by alchemists. This meant that what was being exchanged here were all Pills.
"So many Fifth-Tier magical beasts, and there's even a Sixth-Tier magical beast!"
They found that there were many high-tier magical beasts in the area, many Fifth-Tier, and even a Sixth-Tier Azure Sky Horned Flood Dragon, a true Sixth-Tier magical beast. It seemed to notice their gaze and turned to give them a warning look.
Wang Mang led the Yao brothers to the end of the valley, where a huge grotto was located. A snow-white giant ape lay sleeping soundly in one spot, and a figure stood with his back to them, beside him a strange two-headed snake-type magical beast, also a Fifth-Tier existence.
"Junior Brother Yan!"
Wang Mang stepped forward and greeted the figure from behind. The Yao brothers finally saw the person turn around. Their first impression of him was youth, extreme youth; he appeared to be less than twenty years old.
Their second feeling was power, immense power, so powerful that they couldn't contend with it. A mere glance from him almost suffocated them, making their whole bodies tremble.
Wang Mang introduced him to the three: "Three Yao brothers, this is the true master of our Qingwang City, and also the origin of the title Qing Wang (Azure King). He is the current number one on the Jia Nan Inner Academy's Strong Ranking, Yan Qingshan."
"Greetings, Azure King!"
The Yao brothers quickly stepped forward to pay their respects. Although the Azure King before them was only a One-Star Dou King in cultivation, his mere aura made them tremble. This was definitely an exceptionally dangerous individual.
"No need to be polite, three of you!"
Yan Qingshan raised his hand virtually, and the Yao brothers felt their bodies straighten, unable to bow forward again. Their shock deepened.
Yao Da, representing the three brothers, stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "For the Azure King to establish such a foundation as Qingwang City and Beast King Valley at such a young age truly shames us. We three brothers are exceptionally impressed!"
"Brother Yao overpraises me. I was just lucky, received assistance from the academy, and had some friends helping me out."
Yan Qingshan chuckled and waved his hand in return, but his eyes also held a hint of pride. In half a year, to open up a new world in the Black Corner Region, even with the support of Jia Nan Academy, was a truly remarkable achievement.
Previously, Yan Qingshan had persuaded many high-ranking officials of Jia Nan Academy by claiming that the Black Corner Region had been rather turbulent in recent years. He then arranged for Wang Mang to go to the Black Corner Region to control a city, which is now Qingwang City.
Yan Qingshan's plan was meticulously detailed. Within the Inner Academy, he allied with the Medicine Gang, while the Outer Academy's Alchemist Department was secretly controlled through Han Xian's connections. Most of Jia Nan Academy's alchemist students were influenced by him.
Outside, he arranged for the Two-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent and the Snow Demon Sky Ape to contact numerous magical beasts, trading goods for goods, and Pills for medicinal ingredients, thereby forming the Beast King Valley, this magical beast alliance, to acquire a large number of medicinal ingredients.
The magical beasts obtained medicinal ingredients, and Jia Nan Academy could process these ingredients into Pills. Finally, the Pills flowed back to Beast King Valley and Qingwang City for trade. This cyclical flow greatly benefited all three parties.
Magical beasts obtained Pills to increase their strength more quickly, Qingwang City had a large quantity of Pills, which not only helped it gain a foothold but also steadily developed, and numerous alchemists had a large supply of medicinal ingredients to practice with, allowing their alchemy skills to gradually improve. This was a win-win situation for all three.
Of course, the more troublesome aspect was Beast King Valley. Magical beasts were not easy to fool, and it was best not to fool them. Low and mid-tier Pills didn't have much effect on Fifth-Tier magical beasts, so if Yan Qingshan wanted to keep them, he had to offer substantial benefits.
At this point, it depended on the alchemist's foundation. What magical beasts desired most, of course, was to transform into human form and grow faster. However, Body Transformation Grass was rare, and the Body Transformation Pill was as high as a Seventh-Tier, which was not something Yan Qingshan could solve at present.
He might not have the Body Transformation Pill, but that didn't mean he didn't possess treasures that could assist magical beasts in transforming. However, the Core Quenching Body Milk was limited, and distributing it all was unrealistic. Furthermore, it was the protective spiritual treasure of the Snow Demon Sky Ape, so Yan Qingshan couldn't simply do that.
At this point, it came down to alchemy skills. Han Yue came from the Central Plains, and in the Central Plains, there was a Sixth-Grade Pill called the Demon Transformation Pill, which could cause magical beasts to partially humanize, becoming a half-human, half-beast monster, much like a beastman.
Yan Qingshan obtained the Pill formula from Han Yue, using it to analyze and deduce. He also used Zi Yan, who had consumed Body Transformation Grass, and the Core Quenching Body Milk as research samples.
Through the analysis and deduction of the AI, Dawn, he ultimately obtained two Pill formulas that used Core Quenching Body Milk fluid as the main ingredient.
The Fifth-Grade Spirit Wisdom Pill could greatly increase the intelligence of magical beasts below Seventh-Tier, make the transformation path smoother for Sixth-Tier magical beasts, and allow Fifth-Tier magical beasts to speak human words like Sixth-Tier magical beasts.
The Fourth-Grade Enlightenment Pill could enable Fourth-Tier magical beasts to control their bestial nature and possess extremely high intelligence like Fifth-Tier magical beasts, and also increase the intelligence of Fifth-Tier magical beasts. It was considered a lower-grade version of the Fifth-Grade Spirit Wisdom Pill.
These two Pills directly enhanced the spiritual wisdom of magical beasts, helping them cultivate human form more easily, naturally making them highly sought after by magical beasts. The miraculous aspect of these two Pills was their low resistance to repeated use; the more they consumed, the clearer their minds became, and their wisdom and thought processes increased even further.
It was precisely by relying on these two miraculous Pills that Beast King Valley grew stronger and stronger, becoming the number one magical beast force in the Endless Forest Sea. Numerous magical beast lords were scattered throughout the areas outside Jia Nan Academy, serving as an outer defensive line, protecting the academy.
"Three Yao brothers, you should already know the reason I called you here from Senior Brother Wang, right?"
Yan Qingshan spoke slowly, and the Yao brothers all nodded. After getting their affirmation, Yan Qingshan continued: "The current Black Corner Region is like stagnant water. Although it appears chaotic, in reality, after years of turmoil, the various powerful factions have basically already divided their spheres of influence and will not easily go to war.
This situation, I believe, you who have been in the Black Corner Region for years should be aware of. Such a situation is quite unfavorable for our Jia Nan Academy.
For a long time, Jia Nan Academy has always been a target of covetousness and apprehension for the various dark forces in the Black Corner Region. A chaotic Black Corner Region is in the best interests of our Jia Nan Academy. Therefore, what I need you to do next is very dangerous, extremely dangerous."
As Yan Qingshan spoke, he continuously observed the Yao brothers. None of the three showed much change in expression, evidently already mentally prepared. Their demeanor made Yan Qingshan nod slightly; he needed precisely these kinds of people.
"This is a treasure containing the aura of a Heavenly Flame, and this is a scroll of a Xuan-Tier Mid-Level Flying Dou Technique. I need you to use these to incite the powerful forces of the Black Corner Region to attack each other.
It's best to involve factions like the Eight Gates, Feng City, Black Emperor Sect, and Demon Flame Valley in the struggle. After it's done, each of you three will receive a Dou Spirit Pill, and this scroll of the Flying Dou Technique. As long as you can keep it safe, it will be yours."
Yan Qingshan tossed two scrolls and a jade bottle to the Yao brothers. One of the scrolls contained some planned steps he designed to help the Yao brothers stir up the situation in the Black Corner Region. The other two items were the Heavenly Flame aura and the Xuan-Tier Mid-Level Flying Dou Technique.
Half a year of diligent cultivation finally allowed Yan Qingshan to break through to Dou King. Having achieved Dou King, he also gained the qualification to begin refining some high-tier treasures.
His alchemy skills hadn't fallen behind during this time. His cultivation had advanced to Fifth-Tier, and his spiritual force had soared to nearly the Sixth-Grade level. Under Elder Huo's guidance, he became a Fifth-Grade Alchemist. Through his research into other knowledge, he also achieved other results.
Back in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, in the cliff cave, he had obtained a method for refining a Flying Dou Technique. At that time, his strength was insufficient, but upon reaching Dou King, he was finally able to utilize it. This Xuan-Tier Mid-Level Flying Dou Technique was Yan Qingshan's highest achievement to date.
Flying Dou Techniques were incredibly rare. Coupled with a treasure suspected to contain a Heavenly Flame, it was clear that once this news was exposed, the Yao brothers would become the target of everyone.
"Three Dou Spirit Pills!"
At this moment, the Yao brothers were already astonished by Yan Qingshan's reward. Dou Spirit Pills, and three of them! These were treasures that could allow a Dou King to advance by one star. Although this task was dangerous, they ultimately chose to accept it.