Chapter 307: "Yanran Has Always Been an Honest Child!"
Watching the three women immersed in cultivation, Lu Bu nodded in satisfaction. He left the training room with Tian Huo Zun Zhe and moved to a different location, where he spread out the Phantom Phoenix Step and True North Netherworld Art scrolls.
"I haven't practiced movement techniques in a long time…" Lu Bu stroked his chin. Since mastering Three Thousand Lightning Movement, he had come across various movement techniques, but as Three Thousand Lightning Movement suited him so well, he had grown too lazy to switch.
However, the Phantom Phoenix Step in his hands now was no ordinary technique.
In the original story, the Phoenix Heaven, patriarch of the Heaven Demon Phoenix clan, used this very movement technique to completely suppress Xiao Yan in combat, ruthlessly beating him down. It was only after Xiao Yan utilized both the clan mark and the high tier Heaven rank technique Yellow Springs Fury that he managed to turn the tide.
Even then, Xiao Yan would have been left exhausted and unable to fight further if not for Cai Lin, who had inherited the Nine Colored Heaven Swallowing Python's legacy, stepping in to aid him.
At that point, Xiao Yan had already emerged from the Heavenly Flame space after refining the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, defeated the Soul Hall's chief, Hun Miesheng, and absorbed the Soul Origin of the Soul Hall's Tian Gang branch to elevate his soul to the peak of the Heavenly Realm, only one step away from the Imperial Soul Realm.
Even with all of that, Phoenix Heaven still brutalized Xiao Yan. Besides his formidable late five star Dou Saint strength, the terror of the Phantom Phoenix Step played a crucial role.
Now, Lu Bu couldn't help but wonder was the Phantom Phoenix Step he held the same version as the one Phoenix Heaven used?
"Doesn't matter if it's not. It's still better than Three Thousand Lightning Movement." Lu Bu shrugged. Worst case, he could always go to the Heaven Demon Phoenix clan and demand a superior version. After all, as an eighth tier alchemist soon to become a ninth tier alchemist there was no way the Heaven Demon Phoenix clan would ignore him.
And if they dared to? Well, he could always team up with the Void Ancient Dragon clan and storm their lair, seizing that "bird throne" for himself!
With that thought, Lu Bu unrolled the Phantom Phoenix Step scroll and also spread out the True North Netherworld Art.
This latter technique specialized in stealth and concealment, particularly in hiding one's true strength. Lu Bu smirked, already imagining how useful it would be the next time he encountered Hun Yu… Heh heh heh!
The corners of his mouth curled upward as Lu Bu envisioned the future. He couldn't help but anticipate his next meeting with Hun Yu or even the stronger Hun Feng. What would it be like?
Northern Region of Central Plains, Tianxing Mountains
This was where the Starfall Pavilion headquarters was located. While its core was situated within the Star Realm, many facilities were scattered across the Tianxing Mountains.
Usually, the Tianxing Mountains were cold and desolate, with few signs of life. But now, shadows of countless figures flickered across the area. High atop the treetops, human outlines could be faintly seen swaying with the wind, as if every tree and blade of grass had turned into people.
Boom!
Suddenly, a low rumble of thunder echoed from the sky above. Rolling black clouds began spreading across the horizon, blanketing the entire Tianxing Mountains in an oppressive shroud.
In mere moments, the sky grew dark as if the heavens were collapsing.
Crackle!
Silver lightning streaked through the pitch black clouds, causing shivers to run down people's spines. Even a Dou Venerate wouldn't dare take such lightning strikes lightly.
The scene was truly terrifying!
"Such powerful Pill Lightning!"
"Judging by its intensity, it must be for a high tier seventh tier pill!"
"This Xiao Yan is truly remarkable. Though he isn't a 'Child of the Emperor,' he might very well rival Lu Bu, who is hailed as the pinnacle of alchemy. What a prodigy!"
"Indeed. His alchemy skills alone qualify him as a Master Alchemist. To be recognized as such in his twenties is incredible. Reaching eighth tier Grandmaster status in the future is surely within his grasp."
"With this kind of talent joining the Starfall Pavilion, their strength already far surpasses that of Yellow Spring Pavilion or Wind and Thunder Pavilion."
"Honestly, the so called Four Pavilions are an outdated title. The Starfall Pavilion should be on par with the Three Valleys."
Among the treetops, hushed whispers spread as countless people marveled at the figure in the sky Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's eyes remained half closed, but the faint upward curve of his lips betrayed his satisfaction. He wasn't arrogant these people were simply stating the truth.
Clang, clang~
From within the cauldron below him came the clear sound of a pill forming. Cracks began to spread across the cauldron's surface. At the same time, a deafening crack of lightning roared as a bolt of thunder as thick as an arm crashed down.
"Elder Feng!" Xiao Yan shouted solemnly, his eyes growing serious. He could tell the cauldron wouldn't hold against the pill's power.
"Hmph!" Elder Feng snorted coldly, his figure rising into the sky. With a sweep of his hand, a green tornado erupted, tearing through the heavens.
Boom!
In an instant, the lightning shattered, but the whirlwind didn't stop. It surged upward, striking the dark clouds above. The stormy heavens trembled under its might but retaliated with fury. Three more bolts of lightning struck down, aiming directly for Elder Feng's head.
"Worthy of the name Feng Xian. Elder Feng's reputation truly precedes him."
"In the past, he worked alongside Yao Zun zhe, Yao Chen, just like this. One refined pills while the other defended against the Pill Lightning. Such a perfect pair."
"Hey, don't just focus on Elder Feng. Look at Xiao Yan. Something's off with that kid!"
"Damn… the cauldron's in trouble!"
"It's going to explode!"
"What a pity… that could've been a fine high tier seventh grade pill…"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sky raged with deafening thunder.
Clang, clang, clang!
On the ground, the cauldron vibrated violently as the sounds of collision echoed continuously.
BOOM!
With a thunderous explosion, lightning and storms clashed in a final crescendo, then dissipated into nothingness.
Elder Feng took a deep breath his part of the job was done. Now, it was Xiao Yan's turn.
Clang!
The crisp ring of metal echoed. A faint purple light radiated out, and waves of energy rippled in all directions, swallowing Xiao Yan's figure.
"Aiya, he failed!"
"What a shame…"
Among the treetops, Mu Gu clad in black robes watched the scene intently. His frown deepened.
The Heavenly Flame was similar. Although Xiao Yan's had turned a faint purple, this wasn't unusual given the Flame Mantra's ability to fuse flames of different colors.
His cultivation speed reaching eight star Dou Ancestor so quickly was astonishing, but he was clearly not the Dou Venerate who had almost killed Mu Gu at the Swan Crystal Ice Plains.
"Damn it… who is that person? Could there really be a second Xiao Yan in this world?" Mu Gu cursed under his breath.
If not for his duties in the Soul Hall and his preparations for the Pill Gathering, he would've slaughtered the Starfall Pavilion by now!
Just then, the faint purple light began to recede. Xiao Yan stood upright, opening his palm to reveal a pale green white pill surrounded by a soft purple glow.
"Fortunately, I succeeded. This Heavenly Fortune Pill is complete!" Xiao Yan smiled faintly, revealing the pill in his hand.
At once, the surrounding mountains erupted in exclamations of awe.
No wonder Xiao Yan was so widely praised. This seemingly disastrous attempt had elevated him to a level of renown rivaling that of Elder Feng within the Starfall Pavilion.
Countless eyes gleamed with admiration, and whispers of joining the pavilion spread especially among those at the peak of Dou Ancestor, who longed for a Heavenly Fortune Pill to aid their breakthrough into Dou Venerate.
"Hahaha! Everyone, the pill is complete. Please, return home. This event has concluded, and I won't hold you any longer!" Elder Feng laughed heartily, overjoyed as though this were even more significant than Mu Qingluan's advancement to Dou Ancestor.
With that, he escorted Xiao Yan back into the Star Realm, leaving behind a sea of murmurs filled with regret.
As they entered the Star Realm, a beautiful figure stood waiting atop a mountain peak. Upon seeing her, Xiao Yan couldn't help but burst into laughter. A successful pill refinement and his fiancée waiting for him what more could he ask for?
Lu Bu? Hmph, one day, I'll make him bow before me!
Elder Feng, noticing the scene, tactfully excused himself, leaving Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran alone.
"Hahaha… Yanran, did anyone bully you on your way to the Central Plains?" Xiao Yan laughed, his tone carrying a hint of bravado as if ready to declare war for her.
"No, not really…" Nalan Yanran smiled. "I came here with Qing Lin, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Snake Mansion."
"The Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Snake Mansion…" Xiao Yan's expression stiffened slightly. He had heard of her Lu Bu's servant. Her teacher was none other than the Four Star Dou Venerate, the Azure Snake Venerable, whose strength rivaled that of Elder Feng.
Just great. Another woman in Lu Bu's growing entourage.
"Oh, by the way…" Nalan Yanran's expression turned slightly grim as she said softly, "Lu Bu recently led an attack on one of the Soul Hall's branch halls. He killed a Two Star Dou Venerate and seriously injured a Three Star Dou Venerate."
"What?" Xiao Yan's face twitched, and the joy he had felt from his earlier success in alchemy instantly evaporated.
It was as though he had been dropped from the heavens to the depths of a dark abyss utterly miserable!
Back when Lu Bu managed to take down the Azure Sea Venerable, a Two Star Dou Venerate, the latter had been alone and without the protection of the Soul Hall's defensive formations.
But this time, how did Lu Bu just a One Star Dou Venerate easily counter two Dou Venerates and even kill one while leaving the other gravely injured?
Not even Elder Feng could pull off something like that!
"Did that bastard… break through again?" Xiao Yan's eyelid twitched as he thought of the only plausible explanation.
But something was wrong. Lu Bu had only just stepped into the Dou Venerate realm. How had he managed to advance to Two Star Dou Venerate in just a month or two?
"It's very likely…" Nalan Yanran frowned slightly and continued, "Not only did he take out two Dou Venerates of the Soul Hall, but he also nearly killed an Eighth Rank Heaven Demon Phoenix. If the phoenix hadn't abandoned its companion and fled so unexpectedly, it would've also fallen at Lu Bu's hands."
"So, he really did break through…" Xiao Yan's mouth twitched, and he felt like crying. Watching Lu Bu's rapid advancement was harder to bear than watching his own progress stagnate.
"And that's not all. Lu Bu has also changed flames…" Nalan Yanran added. "He now wields a purple black flame. Moreover, Lu Bu is said to be in the Pill Tower and has been named one of the Eight Reserve Elders."
Xiao Yan's body trembled, his eyes reddened, and his nose felt sour tears nearly fell.
"What… what's wrong?" Nalan Yanran was startled and quickly held onto him.
"It's nothing… it just hurts…" Xiao Yan's eyes were red, and he sniffled. I should've seen this coming!
The last time he fought the Azure Sea Venerable, Xiao Yan had already noticed that Lu Bu's Dou Qi had shifted from its previous green hue to a purple black color. At that time, Lu Bu had already displayed the Starfire Blaze Flame.
I should've connected the dots and realized that the Starfire Blaze Flame in Lu Bu's hands was linked to the Pill Tower's Starfire Blaze Flame!
"This…" Nalan Yanran scratched her head, confused about why Xiao Yan was suddenly so upset. After a moment, her eyes lit up, and she reached into her hand. A silver scroll appeared.
"This is for you 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement,' the Wind Lightning Pavilion's Earth Tier movement technique." Nalan Yanran stroked Xiao Yan's arm gently, trying to comfort him. Cheer up already!
"Eh? Yanran, how do you have this?" Xiao Yan asked in surprise. This was the Wind Lightning Pavilion's treasured technique.
"Uh… my teacher and I…" Nalan Yanran hesitated.
"Oh, I see. It's another one of Lu Bu's handouts, isn't it?" Xiao Yan's eyes reddened again, his freshly calmed emotions once more plunging into sadness.
"Uh… not exactly. Qing Lin gave it to me, saying that Lu Bu didn't want it…" Nalan Yanran, always honest to a fault, couldn't help but spill the truth.
"Wuuuu…" This time, Xiao Yan couldn't hold back his tears.
Sacred Pill City, Sacred Pill Mountain Range
In the training grounds of the estate, a crimson alchemical cauldron stood silently. Within it, purple black flames roared as faint green light occasionally escaped through the lid.
If not for the Myriad Beast Cauldron being a ranked item on the Heavenly Cauldron List, the furnace would have exploded long ago. Xiao Yan's method of explosive alchemy would have been utterly impractical here.
"Thousand Year Green Spirit Vine…" muttered Cao Ying from the skies above.
Under Xuan Yi's guidance, she and Dan Chen had once again come to spectate Lu Bu's alchemy.
Refining an eighth tier pill consumed immense time, effort, and energy. Most eighth tier alchemists avoided opening their furnaces unless absolutely necessary. Each session would leave them so drained that they'd need a long period of rest.
Only young and energetic alchemists like Lu Bu could endure such grueling sessions. But even then, how many youthful eighth tier alchemists were there in the Central Plains?
"What kind of pill is he refining?" Dan Chen furrowed her brows in confusion. "Thousand Year Green Spirit Vine, Jade Bone Ginseng, and Blood Demon Fruit… These three ingredients are all extraordinarily rare. What pill requires such a combination?"
"He's refining a Bone Reforging Blood Merging Pill," Xuan Yi said solemnly.
The Bone Reforging Blood Merging Pill was a pinnacle seventh tier pill capable of regenerating flesh and bones. While classified as seventh tier, its efficacy could rival that of an eighth tier pill, depending on the skill of the alchemist.
"A Bone Reforging Blood Merging Pill…" Cao Ying pursed her lips. She was certain that with Lu Bu's capabilities, he could elevate this pill to the eighth tier.
Meanwhile, within the Myriad Beast Cauldron, the green glow began to fade, and the surging energy slowly stabilized. In the sky, the three women from the Pill Tower grew tense they knew Lu Bu was beginning the pill consolidation process!
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
BOOM!
A crimson beam of light suddenly shot into the sky, and dark clouds rolled in from the horizon.
Rumble!
"Pill lightning is coming!" Dan Chen exclaimed instinctively, her gaze locked onto the roiling black thunderclouds.
In the sky, streaks of green, silver, and red light began to appear within the clouds.
"Three colors…" Cao Ying bit her lip, her beautiful eyes flashing with shock. Is Lu Bu revealing more of his strength, or has he made another breakthrough recently?
No matter the reason, it was enough to leave anyone in awe.
"It's not over yet!" Dan Chen cried out, her voice trembling slightly.
In the sky, the thunderclouds continued to churn as a golden and purple hue emerged amidst the swirling chaos.
"Five colored pill lightning…" Lu Bu exhaled slowly in front of the Myriad Beast Cauldron, his face slightly pale. However, his brows furrowed as a hint of dissatisfaction crossed his face.
Only five colors? Compared to Xiao Yan in the original story, this is barely on par.
"Lu Bu, this is already more than enough!" Tian Huo Zun Zhe's voice echoed gratefully from the spatial ring. A five colored pill lightning eighth tier pill was something he had only ever experienced once during his peak.
"It may be enough, but… I want to test my new technique," Lu Bu said with a deep breath. Despite his pale complexion, his expression grew serious.
With a sudden flick of his wrist, his hand plunged into the crimson beam of light emanating from the cauldron.
Simultaneously, his other hand lightly touched his brow, and three flames began to float out.
"What is Lu Bu doing?" Cao Ying exclaimed, her face turning pale in shock.
Xuan Yi's expression darkened as her fists clenched tightly. The sight was eerily familiar to her.
Below, the Green Lotus Core Flame, Fallen Heart Flame, and Three Thousand Starfire began to spin wildly. In the blink of an eye, they merged into a gray brown flame that enveloped the dented crimson pill embryo within.
"Sacrifice the blood and gather the spirit!"
Lu Bu bit his tongue sharply, spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the pill embryo.
Instantly, an unusual white glow burst forth alongside an overwhelming medicinal aroma. Strange, almost imperceptible spiritual energy began to seep into the crimson pill embryo.
"The Spirit Ascension Method!" Xuan Yi's eyes sparkled with a sharp glint. Is this kid truly unrelated to Yao Chen? This is Yao Chen's signature technique!
Her gaze flickered, and doubt crept into her mind about the truth of Lu Bu's previous words.
BOOM!
A wave of brilliant red light erupted into the sky as the thunderclouds boiled like water doused with oil, roaring with fury.
Moments later, a trace of blue light pierced through the clouds and descended upon the world.
"Six colors… Fine, just six," Lu Bu murmured with a sigh, his pale face tinged with disappointment. He had gone all out, yet he had only managed to surpass Xiao Yan from the original story by a small margin.
Looks like I've been slacking on my soul cultivation…
Wait no. In the original story, Xiao Yan had also used Spirit Ascension Dust in addition to the Spirit Ascension Method!
Lu Bu's brows twitched as realization struck him. His mood, initially downcast, improved slightly.
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