The Fire Lotus in the valley slowly dissipated, revealing the devastating scene beneath.
The hillside where the Wind and Thunder Pavilion members had stood was gone, replaced by a massive crater over a thousand meters in diameter.
The enormous pit looked like scorched earth from the depths of purgatory. Countless rocks had melted into irregular black glass-like substances that shimmered with an eerie luster under the sunlight. These had formed when the extreme heat turned the stone into liquid before it rapidly cooled.
"Hmm? Still alive? As expected of a Pavilion Master—he really does have quite a few life-saving methods."
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow in slight surprise as he looked at the incomplete, blackened figure lying at the bottom of the deep pit.
Upon second thought, it made sense. His Fire Lotus had two modes. The first was a guerrilla-style version, prepared in advance and then thrown. It was an area-of-effect attack, so its power was naturally a bit weaker.
The second was a personal, door-to-door service—one-on-one. No one who had ever experienced it had ever given a bad review.
Yuan Lei had relied on his clones and profound cultivation to withstand most of the explosion's force. Even so, he had lost one hand and one foot, his left eye was blind, and his entire body was covered in horrifying burn wounds with blood still seeping out. He was already on his last breath.
Xiao Yan flashed in front of him.
"Pay attention in your next life—don't give birth to such a terrible son again. Though, you probably won't get a next life."
With those words, Xiao Yan flicked out a strand of Dou Qi infused with the Fallen Heart Flame. It pierced straight through Yuan Lei's head. The Fallen Heart Flame erupted from within his body, incinerating both flesh and soul into a pile of ash, leaving behind only a purple storage ring.
Xiao Yan casually spread his soul power around as if it cost nothing. Streaks of light shot out from the ground and flew into his hand—storage rings left behind by the Wind and Thunder Pavilion members. A few of them were already broken and damaged.
"Alas, it's a pity so many are still broken," Xiao Yan said with genuine regret.
"What's the big deal?" Yao Lao's forehead was covered in black lines as he watched Xiao Yan's heartbroken expression. "If they were damaged this badly, their grades clearly weren't high. There probably wasn't anything good inside anyway."
He continued, "Besides, we should leave. Many people are already heading this way."
Xiao Yan thought for a moment and realized Yao Lao was right. He casually tossed the damaged rings onto the ground, pocketed the rest, and headed toward Nalan Yanran.
Before Nalan Yanran could say anything, Xiao Yan directly scooped her up by the waist and flew off to find a quiet place to tally his gains.
...
Two days later.
A vast crimson square, three hundred zhang in size, came into view.
Countless spatial ships flew out from the void.
A noticeably larger spatial ship emerged, then slowly shrank and landed gently in the hand of a woman wearing a cheongsam. Beside her stood a man and two little girls—none other than Xiao Jietian and his group.
"This is one of the eight spatial nodes in the outer region of Holy Pill City," Xuan Yi explained with a gentle smile.
Xiao Jietian was slightly surprised by the sheer scale of the Pill Domain. As expected of the most prestigious holy land for alchemists, its territory was truly vast.
There were countless spatial wormholes alone, and most of the people emerging from them were alchemists, which was only natural. After all, this was the alchemist holy land and the most convenient place to buy medicinal ingredients.
Rare herbs that were usually hard to find elsewhere could often be bought or exchanged for with just a casual stroll through Holy Pill City.
Hearing Xuan Yi's words, Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng widened their eyes and looked around curiously. Soon, however, they lost interest. All they saw were crimson rocks and countless people. "This looks like the wilderness. There's nothing here at all. Mother Xuan Yi, you're not lying to us, are you?"
"You don't even believe me anymore?" Xuan Yi picked up the two little girls, feeling completely at ease now that she was back on home ground. "Before, whenever there was good food, you two would say Mother Xuan Yi was the best mother in the world."
She smiled and continued, "Let's go. Although Holy Pill City is called a 'city,' its actual area is nearly a hundred times larger than Tianhuang City. It's also divided into inner and outer regions. This is just the edge of the outer region. Once we leave this square, there will be many fun places."
"Charge, charge, charge!!! Let's go! My heart is already restless!"
The moment they heard there were fun things to do, Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng's eyes lit up with excitement as they cheered loudly.
Xiao Jietian and Xuan Yi exchanged a glance at the two energetic little girls, both unable to hide the soft smiles on their lips.
The four of them set off together. As they walked, Xuan Yi continuously introduced the various sights and districts of Holy Pill City to Xiao Jietian and the girls.
Passing through many lively areas, the two little ones bought all sorts of interesting things.
Xiao Jietian also visited several market squares, where he bought and exchanged for many rare medicinal ingredients. He even managed to find three types that could be used together with the Heavenly Earth Spirit Void Sacred Liquid.
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng walked hand in hand at the front, looking around curiously, while Xiao Jietian and Xuan Yi followed behind them.
Xuan Yi noticed the faint smile on Xiao Jietian's lips. She was very familiar with that expression—it was the same one she made whenever she found a medicinal ingredient she truly needed.
"It seems those few medicinal ingredients are very important to you," she said.
Xiao Jietian nodded.
"Then make a list for me. I'll have someone help you collect them," Xuan Yi said seriously. She didn't ask what they were for. Since they were important to him, she simply wanted to help.
Xiao Jietian took out a prepared list—the same one he had asked Ya Fei to use for an auction earlier.
Xuan Yi took it, glanced over it quickly, then looked up at him with a slight frown. "These won't be easy to collect. Some are even used in refining Grade 8 and Grade 9 Pill Lightning Pills, so they are indeed very difficult to find. However—"
She folded the list neatly and placed it into her storage ring, speaking with determination, "This is the Pill Tower. This is the place with the most medicinal ingredients in the world. It might not happen quickly, but I can help you get them all."
"Good!" Xiao Jietian's hand flickered as a storage ring appeared. "Here are many other medicinal ingredients and some Grade 6, 7, and 8 pills. Consider it payment for the ingredients and your reward."
Xuan Yi shook her head and gently pushed the ring back. "Take it back. I don't need it. I'll arrange everything for you. You don't have to worry so much."
"You want to keep me?"
Xuan Yi's forehead twitched. A faint blush appeared on her face beneath her veil.
This scoundrel—saying something like that right in the middle of the street!
She felt the surrounding gazes—some surprised, some envious. The envy, of course, was directed at Xiao Jietian.
Feeling uncomfortable under all the attention, Xuan Yi couldn't help but pinch him hard before quickly pulling him away.