Battle Through the Heavens: The Alchemist Starting from the Ye Family

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"Uh... well, it's not really anything serious, but I just need your help. If you have time, come with me." Hei Qing scratched his head and said.

Nodding, Ye Chen naturally knew about Zi Yan's current situation.

“Alright, in that case, let’s go now. But I have some things I’d like to ask the Ancient Dragon Clan for help with, so could you please bring one more person with you?”

Although Hei Qing was somewhat surprised, he did not object.

However, when she saw Ye Chen bring Qing Lin over, she was a little curious, but then she immediately led the two of them through space and headed towards Dragon Island.

……

……

Ancient Dragon Island is located in the void, and without the guidance of dragons, it is unlikely that anyone could find its location.

Led by Hei Qing, the three of them traversed the spatial passage for nearly an hour.

The monotonous silver light all around made the little girl Qinglin feel dizzy, and just as she was about to lose her senses, the speed of the black beast in front of her suddenly slowed down...

Holding Qinglin's hand, Ye Chen looked into the distance and saw a faint silver halo appearing at the end of the passage.

"It's alright, we're almost there..." Ye Chen patted Qing Lin's soft little hand and comforted her gently.

As they rushed into the light, Ye Chen and his companion's vision suddenly brightened after a brief moment of confusion...

The monotonous silver color had disappeared, and what appeared in their view was lush greenery and endless mountain peaks.

"As expected of Dragon Island, what a grand gesture!"

Standing high in the sky, Ye Chen looked down at the vast, boundless continent below and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Chapter 401 Zi Yan's Current Situation

Led by Hei Qing, Ye Chen and his companion landed on a certain part of the massive Ancient Dragon Island.

"Young Master, the atmosphere here is terrifying..." Qing Lin whispered beside Ye Chen.

Ye Chen nodded slightly. He could naturally sense that there were many extremely powerful and hidden auras on this Dragon Island, which should all belong to the powerful members of the Primordial Void Dragon Clan.

"This is only Donglong Island..." Ye Chen sighed inwardly.

At this time, Donglong Island could be considered the weakest of the four major dragon islands. Moreover, many powerful members of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan preferred to cultivate in the void, and when they went to a certain place, others could not find them at all. This resulted in the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan's strength being exceptionally weak...

The current leader of Donglong Island is the Third Elder, Zhu Li, whose strength is that of a high-level half-saint. He appeared silently beside Ye Chen and his companion as soon as they landed.

"Greetings, Third Elder!" Hei Qing was the first to bow.

Then, pointing to Ye Chen behind him, he said, "This is Zi Yan's friend, Ye Chen."

"Hehe, don't blame us for being rash in calling young friend Ye Chen here in such a hurry." Zhu Li, dressed in white robes, said to Ye Chen with a kind smile.

Ye Chen smiled and said, "Elder Zhu Li, you are too kind. Zi Yan is my friend. I would naturally not stand idly by if she encountered trouble."

Despite the old man's kind smile, Ye Chen could still sense the faint yet terrifying aura emanating from him.

Moreover, he hadn't even noticed when the other party appeared beside him before. This spatial ability alone was something Ye Chen had to look up to.

Zhu Li smiled, stroked his snow-white beard, and his calm eyes suddenly glanced at Qing Lin behind Ye Chen...

Upon seeing this, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "This is... the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Child? And that scent... it's actually an ancient celestial serpent?"

As he finished speaking, the look of surprise on Zhu Li's face deepened, and he said with some doubt, "I never imagined that the soul of an ancient celestial serpent still exists in this world."

Qinglin glanced cautiously at the old man in front of her, and timidly gave a soft "hmm".

Clearly, this old dragon put a lot of pressure on the little girl...

"Elder Zhuli, let's talk about Ziyan instead. I wonder what happened to Ziyan?" Ye Chen changed the subject.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Li fell silent. After a moment, he sighed softly and said, "It's all the fault of the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit."

Ye Chen remained silent, waiting for the other party to continue.

"Young friend Ye Chen may not know, but Zi Yan is of royal blood from my Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan!"

Her father, who was once the king of my ancient dragon clan, suddenly disappeared, and Zi Yan also vanished without a trace...

She disappeared for countless years until a few years ago when she came to Zhongzhou, and we were able to sense her presence... Speaking of which, we have to thank you for that."

Elder Zhuli sighed.

Ye Chen remained silent, since he already knew all of this, so he simply listened quietly to Zhu Li's reflections.

Finally, Zhu Li got to the point, saying, "We were so focused on getting Zi Yan to absorb the power within the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit that we overlooked the fact that the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit's energy is extremely strong..."

"With Zi Yan's still immature body, she couldn't absorb such terrifying energy at all, which ultimately led to the energy materializing..."

Ye Chen's expression finally changed. He frowned and said, "Energy materialization... I wonder if Elder Zhuli could take me to see it?"

"Sigh, come with me..."

Elder Zhuli sighed, turned and walked toward a stone hall on the mountain peak, and Ye Chen followed behind.

A short while later, the group stopped deep inside the main hall.

The great hall was built of huge stones. At the center of the hall was a towering altar, and at this moment, a petite figure lay silently on the top of the altar.

A strange, crystalline layer, resembling ice crystals, covered every part of the figure's body...

Ye Chen scanned Zi Yan's body with his soul power and immediately discovered that the crystal layer seemed to have completely occupied not only her body but also her body, and he could not sense any vitality at all!

The severity of the situation made Ye Chen's expression turn somewhat grim.

He never expected that Zi Yan's condition had become so serious.

Beside Ye Chen, Elder Zhu Li sighed upon seeing this, saying, "The energy of the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit is too terrifying. It has directly solidified and filled every part of Zi Yan's body. If she cannot absorb this energy, Zi Yan will remain like this forever, like a living dead..."

Ye Chen was somewhat angry, but he didn't say anything to accuse anyone. Instead, he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "These crystal layers are entirely composed of the energy of the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit. I'm afraid it would be very difficult to break through them even if we wanted to..."

However, if these crystal layers are shattered, then the energy will probably be completely wasted.

Only by using a different kind of fire to refine and accelerate Zi Yan's absorption can there be a glimmer of hope!

So, this is why you summoned me, isn't it?

Zhu Li nodded slightly, but was somewhat surprised by Ye Chen's quick reaction.

“That’s right. Zi Yan is of royal blood, which is very important to our Dragon Island. She must grow up quickly, otherwise not only us, but she herself will be in danger!”

Ye Chen was naturally aware of this, since among the four major dragon islands, only the Eastern Dragon Island lacked a royal family. The other three dragon kings were all scheming to seize the Eastern Dragon Island in order to gain the power to unify the dragon race...

However, Ye Chen did not inquire about these matters and said directly, "Since that's the case, let's not delay any longer. Elder Zhuli, please feel free to ask if there's anything you need from me!"

"Hehe, alright, then you should rest for the next two days. I also need to prepare some things first. Once they're ready, we'll get started!" Zhu Li said with a smile, his face beaming with joy.

For the next two days, Ye Chen and Qing Lin stayed on Ancient Dragon Island, while Elder Zhu Li was busy preparing things to refine the energy crystal layer for Zi Yan...

However, before that, Ye Chen also mentioned that he wanted to use the dragon energy in the Dragon Tomb to suppress the nine-headed celestial serpent in Qing Lin's body and help her control the serpent's soul.

Elder Zhuli considered it for a moment and then agreed, subsequently instructing Hei Qing to take Qing Lin into the Dragon Tomb.

So when Zhu Li appeared before Ye Chen again on the morning of the third day, his face grave, Ye Chen understood that today was the day to begin...

Chapter 402 The Enemy Appears

Above a mountain peak belching white smoke, Ye Chen's gaze swept downwards, landing on a massive, emerald-green cauldron suspended above the crater. Through the cauldron, he saw a petite figure silently floating within—it was Zi Yan. "Young friend Ye Chen, this is the place on Dragon Island with the most concentrated fire-attribute energy. Using the strange fire here will enhance its power," Elder Zhu Li said, pointing to the cauldron with a grave expression. "However, the strange fire is extremely domineering, so refining the energy crystal layer requires extremely strong control to ensure that Zi Yan isn't burned. With your current abilities, young friend Ye Chen, you should be able to manage that, right?" Ye Chen nodded. He was very confident in his fire control abilities. "That's good," Elder Zhu Li nodded in relief. However, even with the blessing of the strange fire, refining the Dragon-Phoenix Crystal Layer would not be easy. It would be a time-consuming task that could not be interrupted, thus consuming a significant amount of battle qi. Although he could see that Ye Chen's cultivation was quite impressive, Elder Zhu Li, just in case, still took out a bottle of ancient dragon essence blood for Ye Chen to replenish his strength, just like in the original story. Ye Chen naturally did not refuse. After all, this thing was a truly rare item, not only possessing extremely large amounts of energy, capable of instantly restoring a large amount of battle qi, but also having the miraculous effect of tempering muscles and bones—something that money couldn't buy in the outside world! In the following time, Elder Zhu Li left the volcano crater, but led many experts from Dragon Island to hide in the surrounding area, preventing any possible external interference. Ye Chen took a deep breath, glanced at Zi Yan sealed within the cauldron by the purple crystal layer, his expression solemn. He opened his mouth and spat out a ball of purplish-brown flame, letting out a roar as it transformed into a purple fire dragon. The dragon directly entered the cauldron, completely enveloping Zi Yan within the crystal layer. Extremely hot pillars of fire continuously spewed from the dragon's massive mouth, eventually coiling around Zi Yan's body lying within the cauldron. With this terrifying heat, the dragon-phoenix crystal layer on Zi Yan's body emitted a faint, strange crystalline light, resisting the scorching heat of the strange fire. The emanating energy was terrifying, but Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged as he watched this scene. Although the strange fire could burn anything, the energy of this crystal layer was clearly not ordinary, so now he could only rely on time to slowly wear it down. And so, day after day passed. The people of Dragon Island outside were also anxiously waiting, especially the elders. They were still skeptical about whether Ye Chen could help Zi Yan. It was only Elder Zhu Li's insistence that kept everyone patiently waiting for the result. Ye Chen, confident in his abundant battle qi, was beginning to feel the strain after half a month of relentlessly circulating and consuming his internal energy. Fortunately, on the tenth day, the Dragon-Phoenix Crystal Layer had begun to show signs of melting; otherwise, even Ye Chen himself would have doubted his ability to help Zi Yan refine it. However, after half a month, Ye Chen had to start consuming the ancient dragon essence blood given to him by Elder Zhu Li to replenish his internal battle qi. While battle qi could be replenished, the constant mental strain required to control the flame was much harder to recover from. This level of mental exertion was even more terrifying than refining a Nine-Colored Thunder Pill. Under these circumstances, Ye Chen isolated himself from all external interference, focusing all his attention on controlling the strange fire. He believed that with Donglong Island's current strength, it was capable of temporarily blocking the chaos from the outside world, which was indeed similar to Ye Chen's assessment. Although Donglong Island had been trying its best to block Zi Yan's news, so much time had passed that the other three major dragon islands, unless they were incompetent, would definitely have received the news. And those who came this time were...

"The Dragon Armor Army of West Dragon Island and the Savage Dragon Army of South Dragon Island seem to have dispatched their elite warriors. Xia Ao has arrived with the Dragon Armor Army, but who leads the Savage Dragon Army?" Zhu Li stood high in the sky, looking at the two menacing armies opposite him, and coldly questioned. "Haha, Elder Zhu Li, long time no see! I'm late!" An old man with pale white skin appeared out of thin air and laughed at Elder Zhu Li. "Man Yan," Elder Zhu Li glanced at the old man, his voice still calm. Xia Ao was at the peak of the Dou Zun realm, while Man Yan was a low-level Half-Saint. Neither of them were as strong as Zhu Li, but if their two elite warriors were added, Zhu Li would have a headache. After all, the problem facing him now wasn't what to do with these people, but preventing their commotion from disturbing Ye Chen, who was refining the Dragon-Phoenix Crystal Layer. "Alright, no time for your nonsense!" Xia Ao coldly shouted, "Hand over that royal bloodline, or your Donglong Island will be a river of blood today!" Elder Zhu Li's eyes turned cold, and an unnamed fire rose in his heart. He roared, "With your abilities, I'd like to see how you manage to make my Donglong Island a river of blood!" "Attack!" In an instant, the battle began! Elder Zhu Li threw a punch, and a purple dragon roared out, charging directly towards Xia Ao. Although Xia Ao spoke arrogantly, his expression changed drastically after feeling the power of Elder Zhu Li's punch. "This old thing actually broke through to the Half-Saint level?!" He was both shocked and furious, and desperately launched his own attack to defend. However, although the peak of Dou Zun and Half-Saint seemed to be only one step apart, the two were completely incomparable. Xia Ao alone was certainly no match for Zhu Li's furious attack. At the critical moment, it was Man Yan, also a half-saint, who came to his aid, and the two of them together managed to block Zhu Li's attack. "Be careful, this old bastard is stronger than me!" Man Yan, his body encased in a layer of bluish-white armor, said to Xia Ao in a deep voice. Seeing that the combined forces of the two islands had been blocked by Donglong Island, Xia Ao's expression turned grim. He then looked up at the sky and shouted angrily, "You, why aren't you attacking?!" This startled Zhu Li. Although he only then realized that of the three dragon islands, only those from Xilong Island and Nanlong Island had appeared, and those from Beilong Island were still missing. "Not good!" This discovery greatly alarmed Zhu Li, and he immediately prepared to head towards Ye Chen's direction. Unfortunately, having finally created a defensive gap in Donglong Island's forces, how could Xia Ao and Man Yan let him go back? The two immediately went all out, keeping Zhu Li firmly on the battlefield.

Chapter 403 The Dragon Emperor's Kiss

"You bastard! Qingyan! If you dare to harm even the slightest bit of my royal bloodline, I will fight to the death to kill you today!" Zhu Li was instantly enraged at the sudden appearance of the powerful figure from Beilong Island. Unfortunately, the semi-saint powerhouse from Beilong Island, known as Qingyan, was completely unconcerned about Zhu Li's threat. He merely sneered and took a step, appearing above Ye Chen. Looking at Ye Chen below, who was still continuously manipulating the flames to help Zi Yan refine the crystal layer, Qingyan raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Is this the Three Thousand Blazing Flames, ranked ninth on the Strange Flame Ranking? Kid, you're quite lucky." "Kid, stop your flames, and I can spare your life." However, Ye Chen, looking haggard, seemed not to hear him, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the giant cauldron. "Hmm? How dare you ignore me? You're courting death!" Qing Yan was enraged and raised his hand to strike Ye Chen's head. Just as Qing Yan's palm slammed down, within the giant cauldron, Zi Yan's lifeless body suddenly emitted an invisible wave. An aura containing boundless pressure suddenly emanated from the cauldron. Qing Yan, who was directly hit by this aura, froze instantly, and his palm, which was about to strike, stopped in mid-air. "Buzz!" The pressure spread throughout the entire battlefield and then enveloped the entire Donglong Island. The two powerful figures who were fighting simultaneously felt this pressure from the depths of their souls. They couldn't help but stop what they were doing and faintly wanted to bow down in that direction. "Impossible! How is this possible? It's actually a fully realized royal bloodline!" Man Yan trembled as he watched this scene. As for Zhu Li, he was trembling with excitement, roaring in his heart, "It's a success! It's really a success! There's hope for my Donglong Island! There's hope for my Ancient Dragon Clan!" At the same time, Qing Yan, who was closest to the center, was already pale-faced. Before he could make a move, a streak of purple-gold light shot out violently, piercing through the void and striking his body with lightning speed in the blink of an eye. "Bang!" The purple-gold light exploded on Qing Yan's body, and the terrifying force made his throat taste sweet, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying backward in a sorry state. Amidst the raging flames, a slender figure slowly appeared before everyone's eyes. At this moment, Zi Yan was wearing a purple-gold robe, with dragons and phoenixes dancing on it as if they were alive, exuding an undisguised aura of nobility. The once delicate, girlish body had grown tall and slender, with long purple hair cascading down like a waterfall, complemented by a pair of ten-foot-long purple-gold wings on her back, making her a breathtaking sight. "It's a success! It's a real success!" On the battlefield, Hei Qing, who had been fighting Xia Sha, the fourth commander of the Dragon Armor Army, murmured to himself as he watched this scene. Suddenly, a huge cheer echoed through the sky: "Welcome, Dragon Emperor!" "Welcome, Dragon Emperor!" "Welcome, Dragon Emperor!" With one person leading the way, all the powerful figures from Donglong Island instantly knelt down with fanatical expressions, chanting in unison. "The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan has finally produced a Dragon Emperor!" Zhu Li, watching this scene, couldn't help but shed tears. "With the Dragon Emperor appearing, the three Dragon Kings are truly going to panic," Man Yan sighed softly. Even he, feeling the pressure emanating from the depths of his soul, although he tried his best to suppress his urge to kneel, still lacked the courage to throw a punch at the figure. As for the remaining elites of the three major dragon islands, they were even more pathetic, practically devoid of any fighting power. This was the unique majesty of the Dragon Emperor! When the Dragon Emperor appeared, all dragons submitted! Everyone belonging to the three major dragon islands lowered their heads in fear, awaiting punishment from the Emperor. Without Zi Yan's command, they didn't even dare to flee. "Commanders of the three islands, within ten breaths, lead your men away from East Dragon Island!" In the sky, in the calm...

An irresistibly majestic voice slowly descended. But to the elites of the three islands, it was like the most beautiful heavenly music. "After returning, tell the three Dragon Kings that the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void has only ever had a Dragon Emperor. Those without a trace of royal blood will be personally taken back by this Emperor!" These words sent a shiver down everyone's spine. They seemed to already see the bloody battle between the Emperor and the three kings. However, whatever the outcome, it was beyond their control. Ultimately, the power of their bloodlines, whether it was the three Dragon Kings or the current Dragon Emperor, was enough to suppress them. Watching the three island dragons silently depart, Zi Yan paid no attention, landing directly beside Ye Chen. "Brother, how are you?" Seeing Ye Chen's haggard face, especially his bloodshot eyes, Zi Yan felt a pang of heartache. The reason she hadn't retaliated against the people of the three Dragon Islands was not only because she hadn't finished refining the power of the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit, but also because she was worried about Ye Chen's condition. "Hehe, it's nothing, just some mental exhaustion. I'll be fine after a few days of rest." Lying in the arms of the now-grown Zi Yan, Ye Chen felt the softness behind his head and smelled her delicate fragrance, instantly feeling much better. Outside, Zhu Li and Hei Qing, who had rushed over, were about to speak when they saw this scene. Zhu Li immediately grabbed the impetuous Hei Qing and even used his fighting spirit to gag the brute. "Mmm..." Hei Qing, caught off guard, had his eyes rolled back in his head as the old woman covered his mouth. "Stop yelling! The Dragon Emperor is busy right now, we'll come back later." Zhu Li transmitted his voice and then quietly and quickly left with Hei Qing. Although the two moved quickly, they still couldn't escape the notice of Zi Yan, whose strength had greatly increased. Although the girl blushed deeply at their actions, she didn't put Ye Chen down. Seeing this, Ye Chen chuckled and said, "What, haven't you had enough? Don't worry, I'm really fine. I'll recover after a rest." Looking into Ye Chen's eyes, Zi Yan suddenly pouted as before, adding a touch of playfulness to her otherwise noble demeanor. "Of course not! I not only want to hold you, but I also want to kiss you!" With that, Zi Yan actually leaned down, her rosy lips pressing directly onto Ye Chen's. "You—" Ye Chen was startled by this scene, but just as he was about to speak, he felt a warm golden current suddenly invade his body from between Zi Yan's lips. Then, his previously weary body felt as if it were bathed in the warm winter sun, warm and gentle, making him want to drift off to sleep.

Chapter 404 Terrifying Defense

When Ye Chen awoke again, the previous warm and soft embrace was gone, replaced by a purple dragon bed. With a slight sigh of nostalgia, Ye Chen tried to sit up, but a snapping sound rang out as he pressed the sturdy bed frame into powder. This sudden change stunned him, and he stared blankly at his hands. Had his power increased again? Although the Star Essence Chart had continuously enhanced his body and strength before, such enhancements hadn't caused him to lose control of his power. The reason this was happening now was clearly due to external factors causing a mutation in his physique. He opened the Star Essence Chart to check his current attributes: Name: Ye Chen; Realm: Six-Star Dou Zun; Star Essence: 1500; Absorbable at 100 points per session; Star Soul: 28 points; Note: Special hidden Star Soul, primary fire, secondary wood. Essence: 2400/1000; Qi: 2350; Spirit: 2600/1500; Speed: 780; Strength: 1800/1000; Skill: 500; Soul Control: 400/50; Fire Control: 400; Flame: A fusion of Three Thousand Starry Sky Fire, Three Thousand Blazing Fire, and Starfire; Other: Omitted. His physique and strength increased by a thousand points simultaneously! This was Ye Chen's second and third attribute boosted by external factors, following his soul attribute. "This must be thanks to Zi Yan," Ye Chen thought to himself, recalling Zi Yan's actions before he fell unconscious. At the same time, footsteps sounded from outside, and the previously closed door was pushed open. "Hehe, young friend Ye Chen, are you awake?" Before anyone even entered, Zhu Li's voice rang out from outside. "Elder Zhu Li," Ye Chen stood up and greeted Zhu Li. "Hehe, young friend Ye Chen, please don't be so polite. You have done a great favor for my Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, and we cannot accept such a gift." Elder Zhuli waved his hand and laughed. Because of Zi Yan's existence, their Donglong Island, which was originally struggling to survive between the three major dragon islands, suddenly had the opportunity to unify the dragon race. This favor was too great! Of course, Ye Chen had no intention of repaying the favor, after all, given his relationship with Zi Yan, the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan would definitely be on his side in the future. "Elder Zhuli, you flatter me. Where is Zi Yan? She should have succeeded, right? Why haven't I seen her?" This girl, she teased me and then ran away. "The energy of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit within the Dragon Emperor's body has not been fully absorbed. After appearing and defeating the invaders that day, she went into seclusion again. This time, it will probably take quite a while." Elder Zhuli laughed. Ye Chen frowned. He hadn't expected Zi Yan to have been forcibly awakened. But that was fine too. Now that Zi Yan was completely exposed to the three Dragon Kings, improving her strength was the most important thing. As for helping her, it would probably take some time. "It seems I also need to speed up my own improvement." Thinking this, Ye Chen said to Zhu Li again, "I've heard there's a Void Thunder Pool in this void. Does Elder Zhu Li know its exact location?" Zhu Li was surprised by this question. He was very curious how Ye Chen knew about this place. "A Void Thunder Pool? I do know it. But what are you looking for, young friend Ye Chen? You should know that the power of the thunder in that Void Thunder Pool is terrifying. There's even Black Demon Thunder. Even I would be in danger if I wasn't careful." Ye Chen smiled inwardly. Black Demon Thunder? There wasn't just Black Demon Thunder there. There was even the stronger Nine Profound Golden Thunder! "I'm cultivating a secret technique that requires the power of thunder to refine my body!" Ye Chen said directly. Currently, his Nine Revolutions Thunder God Technique is still quite far from being perfected. If he could use this Void Thunder Pool, he was confident he could directly cultivate it to the ninth revolution, achieving perfection and forging the Thunder God's body! "I see," Zhu Li nodded. "If it were before, I would have advised you against it, after all, that Void Thunder Pool is indeed dangerous." "However, previously, the Dragon Emperor injected a wisp of Dragon-Phoenix power into your body and activated the ancient dragon blood essence you consumed that day, thus causing your flesh..."

"Your physical strength has been greatly enhanced. Now, your physical strength is no less than that of some magical beasts that have reached the Dou Zun level, and you can even protect yourself to a certain extent." Ye Chen smiled noncommittally. No less than a magical beast at the Dou Zun level? Even without Zi Yan's Dragon-Phoenix power, his physical body was already stronger than that of an ordinary Dou Zun level magical beast. Now, Ye Chen felt that his physical strength was even comparable to that of Hei Qing, the eight-star Dou Zun Taixu Ancient Dragon! Among humans, even a half-saint might not be able to compare with Ye Chen. Seeing Ye Chen's calm expression, Zhu Li thought that he did not understand the power of the Dragon-Phoenix and explained, "The power of the Dragon-Phoenix is ​​not as simple as you think. Concentrate your mind and activate your body..." "Let's see what happens to that unfamiliar power within me," Ye Chen chuckled softly. He knew Zhu Li was referring to the Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor, but he didn't object. Instead, he followed Zhu Li's instructions and directly activated the Dragon-Phoenix power within his body. With the activation of this energy, Ye Chen felt a tingling, itchy sensation throughout his body. Then, except for his head, countless purple-gold dragon scales rapidly appeared on his body. These scales covered Ye Chen's body like armor, giving him an indestructible aura. This feeling was familiar to Ye Chen, as one of his Star Orbit Techniques, the Heavenly Dragon Armor, was identical to this Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor. "This is Dragon Scale Armor, a defensive skill possessed by all members of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan. However, yours is not an ordinary Dragon Scale Armor, but the highest-level Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor," Elder Zhu Li said, looking at Ye Chen with a hint of envy. "With this Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor, you can now withstand even attacks from an eight- or nine-star Dou Zun!" Ye Chen nodded slightly. It could be said that once his Thunder God Body was fully developed, he would have the triple protection of the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor, the Heavenly Dragon Armor, and the Thunder God Body. At that time, attacks from those below the peak of the Dou Zun level would be practically negligible. Even those peak Dou Zun, or even half-saints, would find it difficult to penetrate his defenses. He could be said to already possess the innate ability to fight beyond his level. "Alright, I won't say anything more about other matters. Young friend Ye Chen, you can check it yourself. Since you want to go to the Void Thunder Pool, I'll have Hei Qing take you there later. As for that little girl, the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Child, don't worry. With the dragon energy of the Dragon Tomb suppressing her, she will definitely be able to successfully refine the Heavenly Serpent's soul. I will naturally take care of her then."

Chapter 405: Thunder God Body

In the pitch-black void, a colossal black dragon tore through everything around it, advancing with lightning speed. Atop the dragon's head, a figure sat cross-legged, occasionally glancing at the shattered silver spatial energy around him. That figure was none other than Ye Chen. "As expected of the Ancient Void Dragon, its spatial talent is too strong. Even with my Sky-Soaring Serpent still intact and having broken through to such a level, it's probably far inferior in this aspect." The black dragon, carrying Ye Chen, was unaware that the creature atop it was comparing it to a mount; otherwise, it probably would have easily flung the bastard away. "Brother Ye Chen, we're almost there!" After an unknown amount of time, the colossal black dragon suddenly uttered a sentence. Upon hearing this, Ye Chen immediately stood up, and the sight before him made him gasp in astonishment. "Truly worthy of being called the Void Thunder Pool!" Before Ye Chen lay a vast "lake," nearly a thousand feet in size. However, this "lake" was not ordinary water; it was filled entirely with dazzling silver lightning. A deafening roar of thunder emanated from the lightning pool, causing one's mind to tremble. Even Hei Qing, in his original form, appeared exceptionally small here. "Indeed, this is a dangerous place. Brother Ye Chen, are you sure you want to cultivate here?" Hei Qing, now a giant dragon, stared in astonishment at the vast lightning pool and couldn't help but ask. The energy here was terrifying even to him. If an ordinary Dou Zun entered, they would likely be reduced to dust within a short time! "Of course," Ye Chen replied excitedly. "With this place's assistance, not only can I cultivate my Nine Revolutions Thunder God Technique, but even my dozen or so Heavenly Demon Puppets can evolve once." Ye Chen possessed a total of fourteen Heavenly Demon Puppets, three of which were crafted from Dou Zun-level Heavenly Demon Phoenixes, their combat power comparable to a four- or five-star Dou Zun—his trump cards. However, after breaking through to the sixth-star Dou Zun level, these three Heavenly Demon Puppets were temporarily no longer needed. Therefore, Ye Chen planned to upgrade them and leave them to his father as the family's last resort. As for the remaining Heavenly Demon Puppets and ten Earthly Demon Puppets, Ye Chen would upgrade them and place them in Ye City as a force to guard Ye City. Although the Ye family would be qualified to enter Holy Pill City after he became the president of the Pill Tower, Ye City was, after all, their ancestral home, and they certainly couldn't abandon it. Therefore, they needed branch experts to protect it. It was only because Ye Chen currently had many trump cards at his disposal that he was able to manage everything. Otherwise, with the Ye family's resources, they might not have been able to manage everything. "Brother Hei Qing, I'll go in first now. If anything happens, I'll give you a signal." Thinking of this, Ye Chen was also a little impatient and smiled at Hei Qing. Seeing this, Hei Qing had no choice but to nod and say, "I will guard outside the Thunder Pool during this time until you finish your cultivation. If you encounter any unexpected events, just send the signal as agreed beforehand, and I will come in to rescue you." Ye Chen smiled and nodded, then stepped directly towards the sea of ​​thunder. "Sizzle!" The moment Ye Chen stepped into the Thunder Pool, numerous bolts of lightning shot out like silver snakes, striking him with lightning speed. Crackling sounds filled the air as Ye Chen was instantly enveloped in silver lightning, and the robes he was wearing instantly turned to ashes under the lightning. "Tsk tsk, it seems that this Brother Ye Chen is really strong!" Hei Qing couldn't help but admire him as he watched this scene. Directly withstanding lightning with his bare body, such a physique is probably only comparable to those magical beasts with ancient inherited bloodlines, right? Since that's the case, he was no longer worried. After transforming back into human form, he crossed his legs and sat cross-legged in the void, his eyes fixed on the Thunder Pool. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Within the sea of ​​thunder, bolts of lightning, like silver snakes, continuously exploded in all directions. Ye Chen's originally fair and jade-like skin was now covered in numerous bolts.

The black spots left by the thunderbolts, some even with wisps of black smoke rising from them. Sensing the power of the heavenly lightning, Ye Chen nodded slightly, then flicked his hand, and eleven silver figures appeared directly in front of him. Boom! Boom! Boom! As soon as the Heavenly Demon Puppets appeared, countless bolts of lightning seemed to have found their target, relentlessly bombarding them. However, these seemingly violent bolts of lightning, upon contact with the Heavenly Demon Puppets' bodies, vanished instantly, like water hitting a sponge. At the same time, under the bombardment of this terrifying lightning, the aura of the originally silver Earthly Demon Puppets began to slowly increase, even their color deepening, eventually showing signs of turning golden. "It really works!" Seeing the speed of these demon puppets' improvement, Ye Chen was overjoyed. At this rate of evolution, these Earthly Demon Puppets would probably advance to Heavenly Demon Puppets in just a few days. As for the golden Heavenly Demon Puppets at the head, their advancement would be slower, but it was still acceptable. Ye Chen ignored them and sat down cross-legged himself. Then, guided by his aura, a terrifying bolt of lightning, over ten zhang in size, struck him directly. Boom! A heavy bolt of silver lightning struck Ye Chen's body. Even someone as powerful as him trembled violently from the impact, a sharp pain shooting through his skin. Dazzling lightning enveloped his body, arcs of lightning leaping and surging into his veins. Ye Chen, however, couldn't care less. He immediately activated the Nine Revolutions Thunder God Technique, the violent lightning energy rapidly coursing through his body. His flesh and blood cells were subtly changing under the constant tempering of the lightning. After an unknown amount of time, Ye Chen sensed that the lightning around him seemed to be weakening, forcing him to open his eyes from his deep cultivation. However, seeing the unchanging lightning around him, a fleeting question crossed his mind. "What? The lightning seems unchanged, but why do I feel its power has weakened?" After pondering for a moment, the only reason Ye Chen could think of was that his body's resistance to the lightning here had increased. "It seems it's time to go deeper." Sensing his gains, his Thunder God Nine Revolutions had reached the seventh revolution. Once unleashed, it could condense a twelve-zhang Thunder God body, and his cultivation would directly rise to the peak of the Seven-Star Dou Zun! It should be noted that as strength increases, the higher the cultivation, the weaker the effect of this secret technique that forcibly raises one's realm becomes. After exceeding the Five-Star Dou Zun, almost every star increase represents a huge difference in combat power. Therefore, the effect of the Thunder God Nine Revolutions hadn't weakened; on the contrary, it had strengthened! "The complete Thunder God body is thirty-six zhang long. If I unleash it, it might even allow me to leap directly from Dou Zun to Saint-level combat power. So, I must complete its condensation this time!" Thinking this, Ye Chen's gaze turned to the depths of the lightning pool. There, the original lightning was no longer silver, but pitch black!

Chapter 406 Crispy Chicken Flavor

Black Demon Lightning, a terrifying lightning bolt said to be summoned only when refining ninth-grade precious pills, possesses immense power. In the original story, it merely touched the Heavenly Demon Puppet and pulverized it. After Ye Chen continued to penetrate a hundred meters deeper, looking at the pitch-black lightning that was now almost within reach, he even felt his hair begin to curl, slowly being dissolved into nothingness by the lightning's energy. "I can't go any further, otherwise a single strike from that Black Demon Lightning could seriously injure me!" Sensing the deadly danger emanating from the lightning, Ye Chen decisively stopped. With a thought, three purple-gold figures flew out again, none other than the Heavenly Demon Puppet he had refined using the three Heavenly Demon Phoenixes. "With the lightning power here, these three Heavenly Demon Phoenix puppets should be able to reach their highest level, right?" Sitting cross-legged again, Ye Chen began to attempt the final two revolutions of the Nine Revolutions Thunder God Technique. Half a month later, on this day, while cultivating, Ye Chen suddenly felt his body rapidly boiling, and then a solid and powerful feeling instantly filled his entire body. Buzz! An invisible force emanated from Ye Chen's body, causing the previously fierce thunder to pause briefly! Streaks of silver lightning rapidly covered his jade-like body, momentarily imbuing him with a mysterious, wild beauty. Thump! Thump! A tremendous tremor emanated from Ye Chen's chest. With each tremor, his body grew by one, ten, twenty feet, until it reached its limit of thirty-six feet, before this terrifying growth slowly ceased. At this moment, Ye Chen's once handsome face now bore a hint of ferocity; his eyes shone like stars, his mouth was like a blood basin, and his silver hair stood on end. Combined with the mysterious lightning patterns, he resembled a vengeful ghost, a demon, or a malevolent god! A strange "gurgling" sound suddenly emanated from the surrounding lightning pool. Streams of exceptionally powerful and violent energy, like tangible bolts of lightning, swirled around Ye Chen before surging wildly towards his body. Facing this onslaught of lightning energy, Ye Chen's massive form remained completely still, his body like a bottomless pit, allowing the raging energy to pour in. This scene seemed to provoke the entire lightning pool. The thunderclouds in the sky began to spin rapidly, instantly forming a massive lightning vortex. A terrifying roar, neither purely beastly nor purely animalistic, erupted from the vortex, and then a terrifying lightning python composed entirely of silver lightning slowly emerged. Silver lightning python, black scales—clearly, this lightning python was showing signs of transforming into a Black Demon Lightning. As the lightning python descended, Ye Chen, transformed into a lightning giant, rose to his feet. A hint of joy appeared on his ferocious face. Then, his massive hands gripped the python's neck tightly, like a child who had just bought their favorite spicy snack. The lightning giant opened its enormous maw and viciously bit off half of the python's head. "Crunch, crunchy, tastes like chicken, okay, actually, it doesn't have much flavor." With one bite, Ye Chen felt a terrifying surge of lightning liquefy and flow down his throat into his stomach. A tingling, stinging sensation spread through his mouth, causing him to smack his lips in slight discomfort. "Hmm, not bad, plenty of energy!" Thinking this, Ye Chen eagerly took another bite. And so, half an hour later, the nearly hundred-foot-long lightning python was completely devoured by the lightning giant! *Burp!* A plume of black smoke drifted from Ye Chen's mouth, followed by a burnt smell. Clearly, while the fully developed Thunder God Body was indeed powerful, simply swallowing lightning would still injure his body. After the thunder python was devoured, the thunder vortex above gradually weakened, finally stopping abruptly and slowly dissipating. "Boom!" The next moment, the instant Ye Chen opened his eyes, a massive, almost tangible bolt of lightning shot forth from them, like a giant...

Like a dragon, it roared and tore through layers of lightning, charging madly into the depths of the lightning pool before slowly disappearing. "Whoosh!" Lightning shot out like a giant dragon, and a breath of electricity-laden energy also escaped Ye Chen's throat. He had quickly returned to normal human size, and the mysterious lightning patterns on his body were rapidly fading, leaving only faint traces of electricity dancing on his skin. "Seven-Star Dou Zun?" A lightning python had raised his Dou Qi cultivation by one star, a truly unexpected surprise. Of course, this was a one-time occurrence. Although Ye Chen had heard that similar lightning creatures existed deep within the lightning pool, the weakest level further in was Black Demon Lightning. Even after breaking through to the Half-Saint realm, Ye Chen dared not venture too deep, so such an event was impossible to repeat. "It's time to leave." Ye Chen glanced at the three Heavenly Demon Puppets not far away. They had turned dark gold, and even the weakest one had faint cracks. Clearly, they had reached their limit. If they continued to absorb lightning, these puppets would probably be destroyed. So Ye Chen didn't hesitate and directly put away all the Heavenly Demon Puppets. He himself quickly headed out of the lightning pool. "Phew, finally you're here! I thought you wouldn't be able to get out for so long!" Seeing Ye Chen safe and sound, Hei Qing breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but say. Ye Chen smiled slightly and said, "It was a bit of a waste of time, but my cultivation is complete. Let's go back." "Okay, I'm getting bored of staying here." Hearing this, Hei Qing was overjoyed and quickly nodded. Then, his whole body shone brightly, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a huge black dragon. After a roar, he took Ye Chen and turned into lightning, disappearing into the end of the void in the blink of an eye. The departing man and dragon were unaware that just as Ye Chen emerged from the Thunder Pool, an invisible force shot forth from its depths. Wherever this force reached, terrifying lightning was instantly annihilated, leaving a figure emerging in a disheveled state. Behind him, a dozen enormous, chillingly black lightning bolts followed like black dragons. If Ye Chen had witnessed this, he would likely have been terrified and turned to run! Even with his greatly increased strength and the completion of his Thunder God Body, facing those dozen terrifying black demonic lightning bolts, Ye Chen would have had no choice but to flee.

Chapter 407 Leaving Dragon Island

"What happened? Why did this Thunder Pool suddenly erupt?" A silver-haired old man emerged from the Void Thunder Pool, looking rather disheveled. "This shouldn't be happening. In my estimation, this Void Thunder Pool is usually quite stable unless it's been provoked." He had been extremely cautious during this time, never daring to do anything to anger the Thunder Pool, not even daring to make a move. "Could it be because of that sudden aura that appeared on the outer perimeter earlier?" He had also sensed a violent fluctuation on the outer perimeter of the Thunder Pool earlier, even slightly affecting the interior. But could anyone else have come to this place besides himself? Unable to figure it out, the old man could only accept his bad luck. Looking at the Thunder Pool, which showed no signs of calming down anytime soon, he shook his head and headed deeper into the void. Meanwhile, Ye Chen and Hei Qing returned to Ancient Dragon Island once more. However, Ye Chen noticed a slight change in the atmosphere on Dragon Island; the subtle yet powerful aura within the island had unknowingly increased considerably. This discovery eased Ye Chen's mind slightly. These must be some of the elders of the Primordial Void Dragon who had been cultivating in the void. Now that Zi Yan's identity as the Dragon Empress had been fully exposed to the entire dragon race, these elders who couldn't stand the internal divisions and infighting had all returned to East Dragon Island. With their presence, at least East Dragon Island's safety was assured until Zi Yan emerged from seclusion, and they would have more combat power to use when unifying the dragon race in the future. "Hehe, young friend Ye Chen, you've finally returned. That Void Thunder Pool was too dangerous; I was worried something might happen to you there," Elder Zhu Li appeared before Ye Chen and Hei Qing as soon as they entered East Dragon Island, smiling at them. "Thank you for your concern, Elder Zhu Li," Ye Chen smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. However, the next moment, his gaze was drawn to the two white-robed elders behind Zhu Li. Although Ye Chen didn't recognize the two, he could tell from the faint aura emanating from them that their strength was at least on par with Elder Zhu Li, that they were half-saint level experts. "Indeed, the Dragon Clan's strength is unfathomable. Even the weakest of the generally acknowledged East Dragon Island possesses a foundation and a number of powerful individuals comparable to the entire Pill Tower." Using this as a benchmark, even disregarding the peak-level mid- and high-level Dou Sheng, their strength was enough to suppress the entire Central Continent! "Alas, it seems that even if I become the Pill Tower's president, my strength is still far inferior to these ancient forces." The arrogance that had arisen from his impending control of the Central Continent's largest power was completely suppressed. Competing with these ancient forces in terms of foundation was utterly impossible. The only way forward for Ye Chen now was to cultivate his own top-tier combat power! Even possessing one or two four- or five-star Dou Sheng level fighters would be sufficient. Besides Ye Chen himself, who possesses extraordinary abilities, only Cai Die is truly capable of meeting these requirements. As for Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin, they are slightly inferior to Cai Die. This comparison considers not only current strength but also future growth potential. "Although the Little Pill Tower still has many peak Dou Zun and even half-saint level experts, these old guys may not be able to serve me. Even with my teachers there, my decisions are unlikely to influence those in the Grand Elder Council. Therefore, for me now, the most important thing is to nurture the next generation of genius alchemists in the Pill Tower." Only such people can Ye Chen use effectively. Fortunately, the strongest young alchemists in the Pill Tower currently have good relationships with Ye Chen, especially those with limitless potential like Cao Ying and Dan Chen. While Ye Chen was secretly pondering this, Zhu...

Li had already introduced the two people behind him to Ye Chen. After exchanging pleasantries, just as Ye Chen was about to inquire about Zi Yan's current situation, a clear voice interrupted their conversation. "Young Master!" A joyful voice came from below, and then a graceful figure in cyan robes flashed over, standing beautifully before him. "Qing Lin." Looking at the charming girl before him, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, his face slightly pleased, and said, "You've emerged from seclusion?" "Yes, thanks to the dragon energy in the Ancient Dragon Tomb, and with the help of several elders of the Ancient Dragon Clan to suppress it, I was able to refine the soul of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent," Qing Lin said with a smile. "Hehe, the soul of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent within Qing Lin's body has not been completely refined, but after this, it will no longer be able to pose a threat, and will eventually be assimilated by Qing Lin," Elder Zhu Li laughed. "Not bad, she's already a six-star Dou Zun, her strength is almost catching up to mine!" If he hadn't broken through to the next star in the Void Thunder Pool, his cultivation would have been surpassed by this little girl, which made Ye Chen a little nervous. However, this was normal, after all, the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Child was the number one prodigy in the world, and probably only Qing Lin possessed it on the entire continent. Moreover, the soul of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent was extremely rare, perhaps even unique. Without either of these, Qing Lin's strength wouldn't have increased so dramatically. After inquiring about Zi Yan's situation with Zhu Li and learning that she might not be able to leave seclusion anytime soon, Ye Chen decided to leave. "Since Zi Yan needs more time, we won't disturb her any longer. We've been out for too long, and there are still some matters to attend to at the Pill Tower, so let's part ways here." Zhu Li didn't stop him. He had already received news that Ye Chen would be succeeding as the Pill Tower's president in a month, and he certainly couldn't stay on Dragon Island for too long. However, the Dragon Clan is currently divided, so even if Zhu Li wanted to make a gesture during the succession ceremony, he would be powerless to do so. However, sending someone to support Ye Chen at that time would be feasible, so Zhu Li smiled and said, "In that case, I won't keep you any longer, young friend. A month later, I will have Hei Qing represent His Majesty the Dragon Emperor to congratulate you on your succession as the head of the Pill Tower!" Ye Chen didn't refuse, nodding and smiling, "Alright, then we'll see you again in a month!" After speaking, Hei Qing led the way again, tearing through space and taking Ye Chen and Zi Yan back to the Pill Domain. (Your latest reading progress has been detected as "Chapter 225 Earthly Fiend Hall". Do you want to sync to the latest? Close sync)

Chapter 408 On the Eve of the Succession Ceremony

Following the conclusion of the Pill Gathering, Saint Pill City once again became bustling with activity. With ten days remaining until the succession ceremony, Saint Pill City was already teeming with people. Moreover, compared to the previous Pill Gathering, a carnival for alchemists, the forces and numbers arriving this time were far greater and more terrifying! Many reclusive sects had sent their strongest members, so walking the streets of Saint Pill City, one might unexpectedly witness an old monster, thought dead by many, "resurrected" and appear before you. "Hey, that's the Earth Core Elder of the Earth Path Sect! Even this old monster has come out?" Seeing the strange old man with yellowish-brown hair and beard who suddenly appeared, many powerful figures of extraordinary origin quickly recognized his identity. Of course, the Earth Path Sect, as a reclusive sect within the Central Continent, was not widely known. "The Earth-Walking Sect's Earth Core Elder? Who's that?" "You don't even know the Earth-Walking Sect? Don't you know about the Space Trade Fair on the continent? This Space Trade Fair is hosted by the Earth-Walking Sect, the Void Profound Sect, and the Treasure Appraisal Mountain—three major sects." The Space Trade Fair is a rather unfamiliar term in Zhongzhou. Looking across the entire continent, only the top forces and powerful individuals know anything about it. However, since someone in this group recognized the Earth Core Elder, the sect leader of the Earth-Walking Sect, they were clearly powerful individuals from top forces. "So it's them." After hearing their companion's introduction, the surrounding people nodded in understanding. Although they only knew a superficial understanding of the Earth-Walking Sect and the other two sects, it didn't prevent them from recognizing their strength! In terms of reputation alone, these three sects were probably not as well-known as the Four Directions Pavilion, but in terms of strength, even forces like the Burning Flame Valley and the Heavenly Nether Sect wouldn't dare to underestimate them. Zhongzhou is a place where dragons and tigers hide! The so-called "One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions" cannot possibly represent the strongest forces in the Central Continent. Some sects may seem unassuming, but that's merely a matter of keeping a low profile. In terms of foundation, these sects are incredibly powerful! "I didn't expect the Earth Core Elder to be here. I wonder if the sect leaders of the other two major sects have arrived yet." Just as these people were whispering among themselves, the yellow-haired, yellow-bearded Earth Core Elder was already being welcomed into the Pill Tower by the elders of the Pill Tower. After all, he was a prominent figure on the continent, and a supreme being of a sect, so the Pill Tower naturally couldn't be impolite. "Hahaha, old friend Earth Core, it's been decades, and you're still as dashing as ever!" In the reception hall on the top floor of the Pill Tower, Xuan Kongzi greeted the Earth Core Elder with a hearty laugh as he entered. Ye Chen naturally followed closely behind Xuan Kongzi. "Hehe, President Xuan Kong, congratulations on taking on such a fine disciple!" The Earth Core Elder also replied with a smile. The two men belonged to the same era, and due to the unique techniques of the Earth Path Sect, they were skilled at discovering spiritual herbs, thus having some connections with the Pill Tower. Therefore, Xuan Kongzi and the Earth Core Elder were considered old acquaintances. However, the sudden arrival of the Earth Core Elder still surprised Xuan Kongzi, who wondered about the purpose of the elder's personal appearance. The Earth Core Elder made no attempt to hide his intentions. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he revealed his purpose: "I've come to deliver a Space Token to Young Master Ye." With that, the Earth Core Elder flipped his hand, and a jade-like, cyan token appeared in his palm. "This is a Space Token for the Space Trade Fair hosted by our three sects. With this token, you can freely set up a stall at the Space Trade Fair, participate in auctions, and enjoy a 10% discount. Of course, even if the trade fair isn't open, with this token, you can directly trade with our three sects." Hearing the Earth Core Elder's words, Ye Chen's expression shifted, showing some surprise. He hadn't expected that, while he was still figuring out how to participate in the Space Trade Fair, the owner had directly delivered the token to his door. Xuan Kongzi, standing nearby, was equally surprised; he naturally possessed a space token as well, but it was indeed...

Strictly speaking, the gift given to the Pill Tower by the other party did not belong to Xuan Kongzi. Yet now, this Earth Core Elder had personally come to his door and even gifted his disciple such a precious spatial token—a treatment far superior to that of his teacher! Of course, Xuan Kongzi wasn't jealous of his disciple; he was simply curious as to why the three sects valued Ye Chen so highly. Despite his doubts, Ye Chen quickly thanked the Earth Core Elder and accepted the spatial token. There was no reason to refuse something so readily offered. Besides, he already knew the spatial token's function from his teacher's soul transmission—it could only benefit him. After seeing the Earth Core Elder off, the Pill Tower's elders arranged accommodations for such a distinguished guest in the inner city. Ye Chen and Xuan Kongzi received many powerful individuals, which gave Ye Chen a real understanding of the complexities of the Central State. The vast majority of these people came from hidden sects or were veteran independent cultivators. Even the weakest among them were at the third-rank Dou Zun level, and many, like Xuan Kongzi, had reached the peak of the ninth-rank Dou Zun. The reason these people were willing to appear at this time was because every appointment and removal of a leader from the Pill Tower was a major event for the Central State. Although they were indifferent to the turmoil in the Central State, none could guarantee that their cultivation breakthroughs wouldn't require the aid of pills. At their level, even auxiliary pills needed to be of the eighth rank or higher, and obtaining such pills was inseparable from the Pill Tower! It was for this reason that these reclusive cultivators, focused solely on cultivation, had to leave their secluded homes. After entertaining the guests, Ye Chen could finally leave the Pill Tower and relax. As the next apparent leader of the Pill Tower, there were many things he had to do—things that Xiao Yan in the original story couldn't access. After all, even with the resurrection of Yao Lao, the Starfall Pavilion's scale still couldn't compare to the Pill Tower. In the eyes of the Central Continent's experts, the two were completely incomparable. Just as Ye Chen stepped into Saint Pill City, a figure suddenly rushed over. Upon seeing Ye Chen, the person's expression clearly brightened, and they immediately rushed over, saying, "Brother Ye, I've finally found you! Come with me quickly!" There weren't many people in Saint Pill City who could speak to Ye Chen with such respect, but Dan Xuan was one of them. Although the gap between the two was now quite large, it didn't create any distance between them.

Chapter 409 The Mother-in-Law Summons Me

Dan Xuan arrived in a hurry, bringing only one piece of news for Ye Chen. Dan Chen's mother had come and wanted to see Ye Chen. Wasn't Dan Chen's mother the Valley Master of Yin Valley? The next moment, Ye Chen's mind conjured up the image of a beautiful woman who seemed like a fairy descended from heaven. Of course, this woman gave Ye Chen a very cold feeling, even colder than Queen Medusa, and her aura of ethereal beauty was otherworldly. Ye Chen didn't like her. "By the way, Brother Dan, this Valley Master of Yin Valley and you..." Ye Chen asked curiously. "Uh, Brother Ye, please don't overthink it. Chen'er's mother has nothing to do with me." Seeing Ye Chen's pointed question, Dan Xuan quickly said, "She has nothing to do with my father either." "Chen'er is the daughter of one of my uncles, but my uncle passed away early, so my father raised her and always treated her like his own daughter." Ye Chen suddenly understood. So that's how it was. When Ye Chen first heard the Valley Master of Yin Valley say she was Dan Chen's mother, he secretly admired the Dan family head's irresistible charm—he could even tame such a woman. Now, it seemed he had misunderstood. Saint Pill City, outer city, Dan family manor. The Ye family had the Ye Academy in the outer city of Saint Pill City, and the Dan family naturally had a similar place as their base. Moreover, compared to the Ye Academy, the Dan family's manor was larger and more luxurious. When Ye Chen saw Dan Chen again in the manor, the little girl was chatting happily with a woman in a white dress, and the genuine smile on her face proved that the little girl and this woman had a close relationship. Of course, this woman was not the Valley Master of Yin Valley, but Yin Wu, the eldest disciple of Yin Valley, and Ye Chen was an old acquaintance. Upon seeing each other, Dan Chen was extremely excited. Since the Dan Gathering, she hadn't seen Ye Chen for a long time, so upon seeing him again, the young girl couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Faced with this, her older brother, Dan Xuan, couldn't help but feel a little jealous, sensing that his little cabbage was secretly plotting to run away and become a lamb to the slaughter. As for Yin Wu, although she had also understood some things, she had become taciturn again, giving Ye Chen a somewhat distant and unfamiliar feeling. Ye Chen didn't mind this, after all, he had learned from their previous interactions that this girl, Yin Wu, was just like that; they were merely acquaintances and didn't have much of a relationship. "Hmm, little girl, not bad. Looks like you haven't been slacking off lately." Sensing the aura emanating from Dan Chen, it was clear that her battle qi cultivation had greatly improved, and her soul power was more profound and unpredictable, indicating considerable growth. "But I'm still far behind Brother Ye," Dan Chen replied softly, though her words inevitably carried a hint of disappointment. Clearly, since the Pill Gathering, the little girl had resolutely secluded herself to cultivate for a period of time, originally thinking she could close the distance between herself and Ye Chen. But now it seemed that the distance had not only not been shortened, but had actually widened. Ye Chen simply chuckled and gently patted the little girl's head, without saying much. "I heard your mother wants to see me, so I'll trouble you to lead the way, Chen'er." Upon seeing this, Dan Chen's pretty face flushed red, as if she were recalling her mother's words from the previous night. Her head was lowered, her chin almost touching her breasts, and she nodded almost imperceptibly. She turned around and hurriedly ran ahead to lead the way. Ye Chen, who was standing there, looked bewildered, wondering why this girl had suddenly become shy. Was it because he had patted her on the head? But the two of them were quite familiar with each other, weren't they? Ye Chen had always treated her like a younger sister, so such actions were normal for him. Dan Xuan, who knew a bit about the situation, gave Ye Chen a mysterious smile, then gestured for him to follow quickly, before leisurely leaving with her hands behind her back. "Young Master Ye, please follow me," Yin Wu's cool voice rang out, then she gestured to lead Ye Chen to the backyard. Seeing this, Ye Chen abandoned his wild thoughts and followed Yin Wu directly. After so many years, seeing the Valley Master of Yin Valley again still amazed Ye Chen. However, he quickly lowered his gaze and respectfully bowed. There was no other way.

After all, she was Dan Chen's mother, an elder in his eyes. This Valley Master of Yin Valley remained as direct as ever, offering no pleasantries and stating her purpose directly. "I've come to see you to discuss something," Ye Chen said, unsurprised. After all, she had come all this way for a reason. "Valley Master, please speak. Dan Chen and I are like siblings. If it's possible, I certainly won't refuse," Ye Chen replied directly. "Like siblings, fine. What I want to say is that I want to betroth Chen'er to you. What do you think?" "Huh? You…" Even Ye Chen was completely bewildered by this woman. I just said I was like siblings to your daughter, and you immediately say you want to betroth her to me? What kind of understanding is that? Ye Chen was completely bewildered. He turned his gaze to Dan Chen, who was nearly burying her head in the ground. Seeing this, the Valley Master of Yin Valley suddenly understood and said, "Don't worry, I've already spoken to Chen'er, and she's willing." "Mother!!" Finally, Dan Chen, who was already mortified, couldn't take it anymore. She let out a soft cry, covered her face, and ran out of the room. Ye Chen opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. He watched helplessly as Yin Wu, looking completely confused, chased after her, seemingly not understanding why the girl was behaving this way. Ye Chen could only shake his head, secretly sighing that it was fortunate Dan Chen had been sent to the Dan family to be raised from a young age. Otherwise, who knew what kind of person this Valley Master of Yin Valley would raise her to be? However, Ye Chen didn't notice that when the Valley Master of Yin Valley saw her daughter run away, her eyes flickered. It wasn't that she was truly lacking in social skills, but rather that she disliked beating around the bush, and what she was about to say wasn't suitable for Dan Chen to hear. Therefore, letting her leave on her own was the best option. Seeing Ye Chen about to speak, Valley Master Su Lingyin interrupted him, saying, "Don't rush to refuse. I know you're about to inherit the position of President of the Pill Tower, but compared to your teacher, even if you take this position, it's unrealistic to expect you to master the Pill Tower's power in a short time. Moreover, the Pill Tower is a relatively loose organization, and as an alchemist, while you have strong connections, your own strength is limited. So, even if you become the President, you probably won't be able to control this power for at least ten years. This is very disadvantageous for you. Given the relationship between the Pill Tower and the Soul Hall, I think those guys will definitely not let this opportunity pass by to attack the Pill Tower's power. Even if the Pill Tower can withstand their attack, your prestige as the new president will likely suffer a huge blow. And I can do everything I can to help you overcome this difficulty!"

Chapter 410 Hasty

Su Lingyin's words made Ye Chen frown. It wasn't hard to tell from her words that rather than wanting to marry Dan Chen to him, she was making a deal with him. Although this kind of thing was common in this world, Ye Chen disliked it very much. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Su. As I said before, Chen'er and I only have brotherly and sisterly feelings, not romantic love, at least not now. As for what will happen in the future, I can't guarantee it, but I can say that even if Chen'er and I end up together, it will only be because we are mutually attracted, and it will definitely not be a transaction of mutual benefit!" "As for what you said, Senior, although it is very true, I am not without a solution, so I won't trouble you to intervene." Seeing Ye Chen's decisive refusal, Su Lingyin didn't even change her expression, but simply nodded slightly and said, "I see, I understand." "However, what I said before, Chen'er's attitude was not unfounded, which shows that she has feelings for you, so I hope you will not let her down." Ye Chen couldn't help but scratch his head when he heard this. Why does this sound like I'm a scumbag? Although he can't say that he has no romantic desire for Dan Chen, he hasn't reached the point of wanting to get married yet. Ye Chen admitted that he wasn't a person who would be faithful in relationships, after all, he had more than one wife at home. But he believed more in letting things develop naturally, like with Little Fairy Doctor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept such a charming and beautiful woman like Cai Die by his side without making a move. "By the way, there's one more thing to remind you of," Su Lingyin said suddenly after a moment of silence. "Please speak, Senior!" "You should know that every time the Pill Tower's leaders change, the Soul Hall comes to cause trouble," Su Lingyin glanced at Ye Chen and said softly. "That's right, my master also mentioned this, and our Pill Tower is prepared." This kind of thing wasn't a secret. Every time the Pill Tower's leaders changed, the Soul Hall would cause trouble, the purpose of which was to undermine the prestige of the new leaders. If they could take advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters, then the blow to the Pill Tower would be even greater. When Xuan Kongzi and his two companions took office, the Soul Palace dispatched experts, and even the Soul Palace Master's avatar appeared. Although the battle was known to the outside world as a draw, Xuan Kongzi and his companions actually suffered a crushing defeat, only managing to save face thanks to the intervention of a Dou Sheng from the Pill Tower. Xuan Kongzi had always held a grudge about this. This time, for Ye Chen's succession ceremony, Xuan Kongzi went to great lengths to prevent any unforeseen events. Not only were the three of them on high alert, but two Half-Saint experts from the Pill Tower Elder Council were also brought in to oversee the proceedings. As long as the Soul Palace didn't send a Dou Sheng, everything would be foolproof! Not to mention, Ye Chen himself was extremely powerful, and he had many trump cards up his sleeve. So after Ye Chen finished speaking, he quietly waited for Su Lingyin to continue. "I've received information that the Soul Palace might send a Tian Zun at the peak of the Dou Zun level this time," Ye Chen's brows furrowed, and his expression became serious. It's not that the people from the Soul Hall are too strong; on the contrary, they're too weak. Based on Ye Chen's understanding of the Soul Hall, the top three Heavenly Venerables should all be Saint-level figures, while the Fourth Heavenly Venerable, Blood River, who appeared in the original story, was only a peak First-Rank Dou Zun. While such strength is enough to suppress most first-rate or even top-tier forces, it seems a bit weak to cause trouble in the Pill Tower. Moreover, there are rumors throughout the Central Continent that the new Pill Tower President possesses Dou Sheng-level combat power. The Soul Hall itself has personally experienced that even without the intervention of the Pill Tower's experts, a single peak Dou Zun wouldn't be enough for Ye Chen to handle. Could the Soul Hall be sending him a stepping stone to establish their authority? "Have you noticed anything suspicious? Given the Soul Hall's style, considering how many of their experts you slaughtered in the Tianxing Mountains, they would never allow you to complete the succession ceremony so easily. This peak Dou Zun is very likely..."

"This could just be bait. The Soul Palace might send a real Dou Sheng expert this time. I'm afraid Saint Pill City will inevitably experience a great battle!" "Is your Pill Tower prepared to deal with the Soul Palace's Dou Sheng?" Hearing Su Lingyin's question, Ye Chen's heart sank. A Dou Sheng! Facing such a level of expert, the Pill Tower is far inferior to the Soul Palace. Do we really have to ask the Grand Elder to come? Within the Small Pill Tower, the only real Dou Sheng is Old Monster Lin, who appeared in the original work. As the Grand Elder of the Elder Council, he has the cultivation of a two-star Dou Sheng and is the strongest person in the Pill Tower besides the Ancestor. But it's just a succession ceremony for a Pill Tower giant. Even if we invite him, he might not show up. At most, it will be like when Xuan Kongzi and the others saw that the other party had gone too far, and the Grand Elder would step in to save face for the Pill Tower. Ye Chen's eyes narrowed, and his mind raced. "Thank you for informing me, Senior. I will prepare a countermeasure." "Ye Chen thanked Su Lingyin. This was both a crisis and an opportunity. If he could really defeat or even just repel that Soul Palace Dou Sheng, it would be a huge boost to his future reputation in Zhongzhou, and perhaps it would make it easier for him to control the Pill Tower. Seeing the confident light flashing in Ye Chen's eyes, Su Lingyin was slightly surprised. Could the rumors be true? Did this kid really have combat power comparable to a Dou Sheng? With doubts in her heart, Su Lingyin still tossed him a spatial jade slip, saying, "If you really can't handle it, you can crush this jade slip, and I will help you repel the enemy!" Ye Chen looked surprised and couldn't help but ask, "May I ask what realm you are in now, senior?" "Knowing the enemy might be a Soul Hall Dou Sheng, this person is still so confident. Could she also be a Dou Sheng? Impossible! It's said that this Valley Master of Yin Valley isn't very old; outsiders speculate she's at most a high-level Dou Zun. When Ye Chen first met her, he guessed she was at most around the same age as his teacher, but how long has it been? She's already a Dou Sheng? My cultivation level? Peak three-star Dou Sheng!" The voice wasn't loud, but it was deafening to Ye Chen! A three-star Dou Sheng? How could she be a three-star Dou Sheng? Her strength is terrifying! Even more terrifying than those truly ancient monsters who have lived for hundreds of years! "Could she also be born with some ancient bloodline?" Ye Chen quickly pondered. Was his refusal too hasty? Is it still possible to back out now? Your latest reading progress has been detected as "Chapter 225 Earthly Fiend Hall." Do you want to sync to the latest? Turn off sync.

Chapter 411 Succession Ceremony in Progress

Three days later, at dawn. As the morning sun shone on the earth, the entire Saint Pill City was already bustling with activity, the vast city filled with noise. Today was the day the succession ceremony began, and countless people flocked to the huge square in the inner city of Saint Pill City. As for the top forces or top experts, they had already been personally led to their respective seats by the elders of the Pill Tower. "Look, look! Among those seats up there, Starfall Pavilion, Burning Flame Valley, Flower Sect, these first-class forces are all here!" Looking at the different areas on the high platform, many people recognized the identities of those forces. "Starfall Pavilion, huh? I heard that the Medicine Venerable who disappeared for many years has reappeared. Otherwise, Starfall Pavilion probably wouldn't be qualified to sit with these forces." A young master with a dashing and debonair air said sourly, his tone full of envy. There was no way around it; although the original Four Directions Pavilion had a great reputation in the Central Continent, its strength was indeed not that great. This young master's family was already stronger than the Starfall Pavilion's, yet he was now huddled among a group of uncouth people, while the other sat alone on a high platform. The contrast was stark. However, his words were not accepted by the surrounding crowd. "Hehe, you can't call him Medicine Venerable anymore, you have to call him Medicine Saint! With the former number one alchemist of Central Continent at the helm, and now a half-saint, the Starfall Pavilion is no less powerful than the two major sects. Naturally, he has the right to sit on the high platform. Your jealousy is useless!" Of course, besides these easily recognizable forces, there were many others that more than 70% of the people present did not recognize, or had never even heard of. Most of these were reclusive sects or older generation rogue cultivators who had not traveled in Central Continent for decades or even centuries, so few people knew about them. Forces like the Earthwalking Sect, the Meteorite Heaven Gate, and the Void Trap Cave were all powerful forces with peak Dou Zun or even half-saints at their helm. However, because they acted in secrecy and mostly operated in the wilderness, few people knew about them. Perhaps only the Pill Tower possesses such extensive connections and influence to bring these people back into the public eye. Amidst the clamor, a clear bell chime suddenly resounded throughout the land, its powerful sound spreading outwards and gradually silencing the commotion. As the bell rang, everyone knew the main character had appeared, so countless eyes turned to the high platform, eagerly awaiting the protagonist's entrance. Of course, the Pill Tower didn't resort to any tricks. The instant the bell fell, in a spatial distortion, the original three giants of the Pill Tower appeared on the high platform alongside Ye Chen. The three in the lead were naturally Xuan Kongzi, Xuan Yi, and Tian Leizi, with Xuan Kongzi in the center, representing the three giants and presiding over the succession ceremony. As for Ye Chen, he lagged behind the other three, silently waiting for his turn to appear. "Hehe, I am Xuan Kongzi, and on behalf of the Pill Tower, I welcome all fellow cultivators who have come here. Today is the day of the succession of the new generation of Pill Tower leaders, and I also ask all fellow cultivators from Zhongzhou and all over the continent to witness this. Today, I am Xuan Kongzi." "Xuan Yi" and "Tian Leizi" followed Xuan Kongzi's words, and Xuan Yi and Tian Leizi also stepped forward, their majestic voices resounding in all directions. "I hereby announce that, from this day forward, we voluntarily resign from our positions as leaders of the Pill Tower!" This statement caused a huge stir! It can be said that the words of Xuan Kongzi and the other two shocked everyone in the entire square. Even the major forces and independent cultivators on the high platform. "These three old guys really have a lot of guts!" Yao Chen's expression changed slightly as he looked at Xuan Kongzi and the other two and couldn't help but mutter to himself. Everyone initially thought it was just Xuan Kongzi stepping down and then pushing his own disciple into the position. But no one expected Xuan Kongzi to be so audacious, having all three leaders retire simultaneously, handing over the entire power of the Pill Tower to a junior! "Do those old monsters really dare to let these three old geezers run rampant?"

Yao Chen shook his head, somewhat incredulous. Beside him, Xiao Yan, seeing his teacher's expression, couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, is something wrong?" Although under Yao Chen's personal tutelage, Xiao Yan's strength and vision had greatly improved during this time, he still knew very little about some secrets. Just like the existence of the small pill tower within the pill tower. "Nothing, just some reflections," Yao Chen chuckled. This was clearly not the time to enlighten his disciple, so Yao Chen planned to wait until after the succession ceremony to tell his disciple some secrets about the Central Continent, allowing him to understand the true face of this continent. At this moment, countless envious or jealous gazes fell upon the young figure on the high platform in the square. A young man in his twenties could actually control the largest alchemist force in the Central Continent—such an opportunity was enough to make everyone envious! After Xuan Kongzi and the other two announced, it was Ye Chen's turn to perform. Although the succession ceremony was grand in scale, the steps were actually very simple: the older generation announced their abdication, and the new generation simply took the stage. Of course, the most crucial thing in this process is for the newly appointed leader to demonstrate to the entire Central Continent, and even the entire continent, that he possesses the strength to sit in this position! As the largest alchemist force in the Central Continent, the way to demonstrate their strength is naturally through alchemy. Therefore, Ye Chen must now refine sufficiently high-grade pills in his strongest state to conquer everyone present! Turning to look at his confident disciple, Xuan Kongzi smiled gently and said, "Next, it's up to you." The stage has been set; how well he performs depends entirely on Ye Chen himself. "Teacher, don't worry," Ye Chen smiled, full of confidence! With one step, Ye Chen appeared on the huge alchemy platform above the plaza. Feeling the countless gazes coming from below, Ye Chen remained calm, waved his hand to release his Star Cauldron, which spewed out a purplish-brown fire dragon, which he then directly threw into the cauldron. He then began warming the cauldron and refining the pills, the entire process flowing smoothly like water. In fact, when refining high-level pills, many people have noticed that high-level alchemists don't use a cauldron at all, but instead use flames directly as their vessel. This isn't because they're deliberately showing off; rather, it's because the more potent the pill, the greater the impact on the cauldron during the extraction of the ingredients. Often, this can cause the cauldron to explode, leading to refining failure. Therefore, without a sufficiently powerful cauldron, using one is actually worse than not using one at all. This also means that many powerful alchemists, despite having the ability to refine pills of a certain level, are hampered by the lack of suitable tools, thus limiting their full potential.

Chapter 412 The Pill Becomes the Enemy's Trail (Part 1)

Watching the figure refining medicinal herbs with fluid grace in the sky, many in the arena were filled with curiosity. "I wonder what level of pills Ye Chen can refine," the Earthly Sect Master, the Earth Core Elder, mused to himself, observing the figure from the high platform. Judging from Ye Chen's growth trajectory, he was undoubtedly the most talented alchemist in the entire Central Continent in the last three hundred years. His rapid growth was something even the countless reclusive old monsters of the Pill Tower would envy. The Earthly Sect, having frequent contact with the Pill Tower, certainly possessed more information. After careful consideration, and even after consulting with the leaders of the other two major sects, they decided to send out that precious spatial jade talisman. They were gambling! Gambling that Ye Chen's future was boundless, and that establishing a connection with him beforehand through the Space Trade Fair might bring unexpected benefits. The Space Trade Fair was originally established by numerous powerful forces across the continent. Their three sects weren't the strongest, but the reason they were ultimately chosen as the organizers was due to their foresight and connections! Meanwhile, it wasn't just those below speculating about what grade of pill Ye Chen was going to refine; even Xuan Kongzi and the others were filled with curiosity. "Old man Xuan Kong, what kind of pill is your disciple preparing to refine? It looks quite complicated!" A voice suddenly entered Xuan Kongzi's ears, causing him to glance at the source of the voice. "Hmph, Yao Chen, you old fellow, you're quite lucky. You've actually gotten ahead of us and entered that realm first. As for what pill Chen'er is going to refine, I don't know. After all, that's all my ability can offer. I can't even refine a ninth-grade pill myself, so I just gave him the formula and let him choose for himself." Old Yao raised an eyebrow, not expecting Xuan Kongzi to have such a high opinion of his disciple. Could this kid really be going to surpass his master? If that were truly the case, it would be far too perverse. Just as he was about to ask further, he suddenly felt a gaze fixed upon him. This made Yao Lao's heart tighten, and he couldn't help but follow the gaze. Then, he saw a pair of alluring eyes, those eyes even carrying a certain warmth, and even slightly misty. Upon seeing the owner of the gaze, Yao Chen couldn't help but twitch his eye, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "So many years have passed, Xuan Yi, you are still so radiant, not at all like us old geezers." Yao Lao's words made the somewhat flustered Xuan Yi regain his composure. What he had just experienced was merely an emotional outburst after seeing each other again after so many years. Xuan Kongzi also noticed the strangeness between the two. After glancing at the person beside him, he immediately stopped his soul transmission with Yao Chen, sat up straight, and looked at the medicine platform in the sky. Although they were both over a hundred years old, matters of the heart were still tangled and messy, so it was best to leave it to the two of them to resolve themselves. As an outsider, he absolutely couldn't get involved. However, upon closer inspection, he did indeed glean some insights. "Hmm, Golden Flame Spirit Marrow, Heaven-Mending Fruit, Thousand-Leaf Dew." "Is Chen'er planning to refine the Seven Treasures Soul-Cleansing Pill?" "The highest level of the Seven Treasures Soul-Cleansing Pill can indeed attract nine-colored pill lightning. If it succeeds, it will be enough to demonstrate his strength." After ending his telepathic conversation with Yao Chen, Xuan Yi frowned slightly and said. However, he wondered if Ye Chen's current alchemy skills were sufficient to refine the highest level of the Seven Treasures Soul-Cleansing Pill. "Don't worry, since he chose this kind of pill, he must have his own plans." Tian Lei Zi, who rarely spoke, finally spoke up. However, he clearly had a lot of confidence in Ye Chen, which made Xuan Yi look at him with some surprise. Unfortunately, the dark-faced old man remained unchanged, his expression cold and indifferent. In the sky, under Ye Chen's control, the densely packed medicinal herbs formed a continuous line, flowing endlessly.

The ingredients were thrown into the medicine cauldron. Within minutes, a terrifying energy fluctuation emanated from the cauldron, causing the surrounding space to ripple. "So many medicinal herbs, exceeding the amount needed to refine the Seven Treasures Soul-Cleansing Pill. Isn't he refining the Seven Treasures Soul-Cleansing Pill? But why are most of the herbs similar to those used for the Seven Treasures Soul-Cleansing Pill?" Xuan Kongzi frowned and muttered to himself as Ye Chen's next move occurred. The two men in black robes beside him shook their heads, equally unsure of Ye Chen's intentions. Did he have some new pill formula? With these questions in mind, the three of them watched Ye Chen's alchemy process intently as time slowly passed. Ye Chen's alchemy continued, reaching its final stage. *Buzz!* Suddenly, Ye Chen, who had been sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes and quickly stood up. As Ye Chen stood up, a faint buzzing sound emanated from the Star Cauldron in front of him. "What is this?!" Before the crowd could even figure out what was happening, everyone noticed that the once blazing sun had suddenly dimmed, and the previously hidden stars in the sky had suddenly appeared, their light growing stronger and stronger until it even overshadowed the sunlight! "Stars chasing the sun! Such a strange phenomenon, what is this kid doing?" Yao Chen, who had been sitting upright, instantly stood up, his eyes burning as he watched everything happening in the sky, and couldn't help but exclaim. "There's the aura of a pill coming from that medicine cauldron, could it be that it's about to form a pill?" Xuan Kongzi also frowned, silently watching everything. Ye Chen paid no attention to the commotion below. He rose, his aura suddenly surging, and a fire dragon burst forth from his head, letting out a deafening roar! A scorching wave of fire erupted, instantly raising the temperature of the surrounding area. Those who had tried to use their soul power to investigate were forced back by the terrifying flames; some even felt a burning sensation in their souls. "What is this all about?!" someone cried out. They had seen alchemy before, but this scene was clearly beyond their comprehension. Unfortunately, no one could answer him. Above, the fire dragon devoured stars, absorbing countless amounts of star power. Then, the enormous Star Cauldron exploded, its lid blown off, and the fire dragon, having absorbed enough star power, rushed directly into the cauldron. "This is the gathering of star power, the fire dragon condensing the pill!" Yao Chen stared in disbelief at the scene, finally understanding what Ye Chen was trying to do.

Chapter 413 Pills Become Enemy's Traces (Part 2)

"Using fire to condense matter, and storing the elixir within it—this is actually a method of condensing matter to nurture the elixir! I never expected Ye Chen to have mastered this technique!" Looking at the elixir fluctuations emanating from the fire dragon's body in the sky, Yao Chen finally exclaimed in shock. And most importantly, Ye Chen could actually use stellar phenomena to enhance the energy level of the Three Thousand Blazing Fires. The resulting elixir would be even more terrifying, perhaps even improving its quality. "Even I haven't mastered this technique," Yao Chen's words shocked Xiao Yan beside him. So, does this mean Ye Chen's alchemy skills have surpassed his teacher's? How could that be! Xiao Yan wasn't the only one thinking this; everyone present who had reached the eighth-grade alchemy master level was utterly astonished. "Heh, this truly is a case of the student surpassing the master. Old man Xuan Kong, your disciple's alchemy skills have probably already surpassed those of us three old folks, haven't they?" Xuan Yi's expression was somewhat complicated, but he still turned his head and said to Xuan Kongzi with a hint of mockery. "Hehe, isn't this a good thing?" Xuan Kongzi said calmly. Xuan Yi paused for a moment, but before she could answer, Tian Lei Zi spoke up: "Yes, it's a good thing!" Xuan Yi: "" It was precisely because of Ye Chen's rapid growth that the three of them were able to put down their burdens ahead of time and pursue higher levels of alchemy. "Boom!" As the fluctuations emanating from the fire dragon's body grew stronger, a pillar of light erupted from the Star Cauldron, shooting straight into the sky. A loud bang suddenly rang out in the sky, and then everyone felt that the world seemed to darken instantly. Clouds rapidly gathered from all directions. Calling them dark clouds seemed a bit inaccurate, because the clouds at this moment were not black, but an extremely deep and dark color. The black clouds filled the sky, and there was no sound of thunder, but when people looked at the dark clouds that were so deep that they could suck in their eyes, it seemed that even their souls trembled slightly at this moment. "Teacher, what kind of thunderclouds are these? How can they be so terrifying?" Xiao Yan looked at the sky above his head, his heart trembling, and asked his teacher beside him. Yao Chen concealed his astonishment, took a deep breath, and said, "These thunderclouds are Black Demon Thunder, even more terrifying than the Nine-Colored Pill Thunder!" Xiao Yan's mouth dropped open, and he murmured, "Black Demon Thunder, isn't that the kind of pill thunder that only ninth-grade pills can summon?" Ninth-grade pills?! He had actually witnessed the birth of a ninth-grade pill? "Black Demon Thunder... I haven't seen it for so many years." The Fourth Elder of the Little Pill Tower, dressed in black linen robes, who had been hiding in the shadows, also looked up at the eerie black clouds in the sky and murmured. Even in the Little Pill Tower, there were only two people who could refine ninth-grade pills: the First Elder and the Second Elder. The Fourth Elder and the Third Elder of the Soul Domain were only one step away from being able to refine them, but that one step had restrained them for hundreds of years. In the distant sky, the black clouds continued to churn. The entire world was silent, without the slightest sound of thunder. However, it was precisely this deathly silence that made it so terrifying. As the black clouds continued to churn, about ten minutes later, a circular hole slowly opened up in the center of the clouds. Inside, it remained pitch black, like the deepest black hole, instilling boundless fear. Ye Chen watched this scene, his overwhelming aura surging forth from his body without reservation. However, the three on the high platform, including Xuan Kongzi, showed worried expressions. "Old man, do you think Ye Chen can withstand this pill lightning? That's Black Demon Lightning! Even we need to be fully prepared beforehand, otherwise we'll suffer a great loss!" Xuan Yi said solemnly. "I don't know, we'll see," Xuan Kongzi said, looking up at the black clouds in the sky, his eyes filled with seriousness. "Swoosh!" As a burst of golden light erupted from Ye Chen's body, a black lightning bolt, about the thickness of an arm, shot out from the hole and then silently disappeared.

It hurtled towards the fire dragon below. Even from a distance, many people on the plaza and platform instinctively retreated at the sight of this small bolt of black lightning, which, despite its relatively small size, brought a deadly sense of crisis to everyone present. Boom! The black lightning flashed and struck Ye Chen directly. This scene startled everyone, and they quickly looked at the guy who had used his bare body to block the lightning. "Ouch, that really hurts!" Within the golden light, black lightning spread along Ye Chen's body before dissipating into the air. Looking again, Ye Chen was now enveloped in golden scales, as if he were wearing a sturdy dragon scale armor, the Heavenly Dragon Armor. Ye Chen's second Star Orbit Skill summoned the Heavenly Dragon Armor for defense, similar to the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor he obtained from Zi Yan, although the former was only at a beginner level, so its defensive power was inferior to the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor. Even so, Ye Chen was somewhat surprised that the black demon had actually pierced through his Heavenly Dragon Armor's defense with a single strike. With a long exhale, Ye Chen knew he had to unleash his ultimate technique; otherwise, he truly wouldn't be able to withstand this terrifying lightning. With a stomp of his foot, Ye Chen appeared directly above the fire dragon. Looking up, black lightning flashed through his dark eyes. Watching the approaching black lightning, Ye Chen's hand seals rapidly changed. As the lightning struck, his figure suddenly swelled by dozens of feet, and in the blink of an eye, a towering giant, thirty-six feet tall, appeared before everyone. "Break!" A violent aura erupted from the giant Ye Chen, energy gathering on his fist, transforming into a dazzling, shimmering crystal. Then, amidst the astonished gazes, he slammed his fist fiercely into the black lightning. "Boom!" The two collided, and a terrifying storm of destruction swept outwards from the man and the lightning, shattering the space around them like broken glass. "Boom!" A terrifying energy storm raged across the sky, turning the space within a thousand feet radius into complete darkness, causing the space itself to collapse! At this critical moment, a chilling voice suddenly resounded throughout the heavens and earth. "Blood Transformation Technique, Great Blood Devouring Art!" As this shout fell, within a thousand feet, all those with strength below the Dou Zun level felt their blood instantly flow backward, as if it were being forcibly extracted.

Chapter 414 Heavenly Dragon's Wrath

The sudden scene shocked everyone in the square. Many Dou Zun experts rushed to protect their juniors. As for those without elders' protection, they could only groan as their blood rapidly condensed within their bodies, eventually exploding. Of course, this was the thought of both those who attacked and those who were affected. Knowing that a Soul Hall expert would definitely cause trouble today, how could the Pill Tower not be prepared? So, as soon as the attack was unleashed, several powerful auras rose instantly around the square, directly suppressing the hidden culprit. "Blood Transformation Technique, Blood River of the Four Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Hall?" Xuan Kongzi snorted coldly, taking a step forward and arriving at a certain spot above the square. Beneath his feet, a figure hidden in a black robe slowly raised his head. This person had long, blood-red hair, red eyes, and red eyebrows; at a glance, a chillingly bloody aura permeated the air. As the name "Blood River" spread, everyone in the plaza was terrified. Those who had just been beside Blood River fled frantically, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire. On the high platform, many powerful figures rose to their feet, their expressions shifting slightly as they looked at Blood River Celestial Venerable, who stood facing Xuan Kongzi. "The Soul Palace actually sent this old fellow to cause trouble?" Yao Chen's face darkened, his long, snow-white eyebrows furrowing involuntarily. On the other side, Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, his face filled with hatred, and said, "Teacher, should we take action and kill this Soul Palace Celestial Venerable?" "Don't be reckless," Yao Lao shook his head directly, telling the hatred-filled Xiao Yan, "A mere Blood River can't cause any waves. The Soul Palace's methods are definitely more than this." Blood River was merely a peak First-Rank Dou Zun; even Xuan Kongzi alone could easily defeat him. Don't forget, this is the Pill Tower! "Hehe, Xuan Kongzi, long time no see." Blood River Celestial Venerable seemed unconcerned about his own predicament, greeting Xuan Kongzi with a calm expression despite facing the Heavenly Net of the Pill Tower. This unusual scene made Xuan Kongzi's heart sink. Clearly, the Soul Palace had a backup plan, making Blood River fearless! For a moment, the atmosphere in the arena became somewhat tense. In the sky, Ye Chen's Pill Lightning continued unabated. The quantity of this Black Demon Lightning was less than that of eighth-grade Pill Lightning, but its power was extremely terrifying. Even a half-saint wouldn't dare to casually withstand that attack. Ye Chen unleashed the Heavenly Dragon Armor and activated the Thunder God Body. At this moment, his strength was comparable to that of a beginner half-saint. In the sky, the raging energy storm, after lasting for more than ten minutes, finally slowly dissipated. As the storm subsided, the collapsed space gradually repaired itself. "Oh? He's about to pass through? To be able to unleash strength comparable to a half-saint at the Seven Star Dou Zun realm, it seems Ye Chen is indeed extraordinary." Xue He looked up at the sky, sensing the increasingly rich fragrance of pills in the air, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. This scene raised Xuan Kongzi's vigilance to its highest level. "These guys, their target is the pills refined by Ye Chen?!" In an instant, Xuan Kongzi suddenly understood the Soul Palace's purpose and hurriedly looked up at Ye Chen in the sky. At the same time, "Roar!" The moment the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, the fire dragon gestating inside the Star Cauldron below suddenly roared to the sky and rushed out of the cauldron. The fire dragon's huge body suddenly burst out with a dazzling light, and an astonishing energy wave surged out from its body. "Bang!" As the energy fluctuations grew increasingly violent, the enormous fire dragon finally let out a groan, its massive body exploding in front of astonished onlookers. In the instant the dragon's body shot away, a stream of light suddenly burst forth from its body, rapidly soaring towards the sky amidst the scattering flames. "Trying to run?" Seeing this, Ye Chen's lips curled into a smile. With a wave of his right hand, a surge of immense soul power erupted. Then, the space above the stream of light suddenly rippled, and an invisible, sky-covering...

His hand reached out directly to grab it! "Roar!" Facing Ye Chen's grasp, the stream of light rapidly expanded, instantly transforming into a gigantic, ferocious dragon. With a twist of its body, its massive tail whistled through the air, and it slammed its tail against Ye Chen's giant hand. Eighth-grade pills already possessed sentience, and ninth-grade pills were nearly indistinguishable from real living beings. However, as the saying goes, the mantis dies while the oriole lurks behind. Clearly, many were interested in the ninth-grade pill today. Just as the pill resisted Ye Chen's grasp, its escape route was suddenly disrupted by space. Lines of pitch-black chains emerged, like giant black pythons, completely binding the dragon formed from the pill. The roaring chains touched the pill dragon's body, instantly sizzling like branding irons. The pill dragon roared in pain, its body beginning to crumble. Seeing this, Ye Chen snorted coldly, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. He struck out with a palm, and another dragon's roar resounded. Space collapsed, and a golden dragon descended from the sky, its ferocious head slowly emerging from outer space. "A divine dragon descends from the heavens! Is Ye Chen about to summon a Saint-level dragon again?" Seeing this, coupled with the rumors already circulating throughout the Central Continent, many people widened their eyes, waiting for the dragon to reveal its true form. However, this time they were destined to be disappointed, because Ye Chen was not using the Dragon Soul True Body, but his first Star Domain Skill, Heavenly Dragon's Fury! Heavenly Dragon's Fury, Power: High-level Heaven Rank, cannot be upgraded. Summoning the Heavenly Dragon True Body, attacking all targets with earth-shattering dragon fury, all people and things affected by the sound waves will be reduced to dust, even their souls and energy. The dragon's head emerged, letting out a silent roar at the space where the chains had flown out. A terrifying ripple spread from the dragon's mouth, instantly turning everything in its path—clouds and space alike—into nothingness. Under the invisible ripples, the chains binding the dragon pill vanished instantly, and the pill, finally free, had no more thoughts of escape. It obediently flew into Ye Chen's palm, transforming into a perfectly round, golden pill, roughly the size of a dragon's eye. The next moment, layers of pill mist emanated from within the pill, rippling around it, appearing exceptionally mysterious and wondrous.