Xiao Yan's eyes suddenly snapped open, and a strand of deep white flame flashed through them. However, the flame appeared quickly and disappeared just as fast.
Sitting up, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled and licked his lips, a look of fascination and intoxication on his face. 'Medicinal pills are truly miraculous. I feel that with another month or two of cultivation, I could break through the 3-star bottleneck and reach the 4-star Dou Practitioner stage.'
It was only recently that Xiao Yan had broken through to become a 3-star Dou Practitioner. This was also the first time he used a pill to enhance his cultivation.
'No wonder alchemists are sought after by everyone in the Dou Qi Continent. Everyone is willing to owe them a favor. This pill is indeed memorable.'
With a whoosh, Xiao Yan condensed his Dou Qi into a ball of flame. Within this flame, there was a faintly visible pale white line, moving like a dragon swimming through the flames.
Xiao Yan hadn't forgotten that the poison pill had merged with a strand of Bone Chilling Flame, which had also been devoured by his Flame Mantra.
'Heavenly Flames... With my current strength, I'm far from capable of devouring the Bone Chilling Flame. I don't know the whereabouts of other Heavenly Flames. Therefore, my primary task now should be to enhance my cultivation and gather information about Heavenly Flames.'
Xun Er's melodious, light voice came from outside the door: "Xiao Yan ge-ge, aren't you up yet?"
'This girl has come here so early in the morning.' Xiao Yan smiled softly. It had been a while since he last accompanied Xun Er to the market.
After a bit of searching in his wardrobe, he put on some presentable clothes and stepped out of the door. At the sight of the young girl waiting outside, he couldn't help but whistle softly.
Today, Xun Er was dressed in a light green-colored cloth. The soft color added an extra touch of innocence to her appearance. A pair of tight pants accentuated her slender, long legs, showcasing her curves.
"Xun Er looks really pretty today," Xiao Yan teased.
Smiling, Xun Er looked at Xiao Yan and said in a playful and cute manner, "Could it be that Xun Er was not pretty in the eyes of Xiao Yan ge-ge yesterday?"
Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat at the reminder. His fiancée showed up yesterday!
However, Xiao Yan, who had been the object of many young girls' affections for more than a day or two, had become quite the seasoned playboy.
He gently helped Xun Er tie up her hair and said with a confident smile, "Xun Er is always prettier than the moment before."
Xun Er's cheeks instantly flushed, and she gave Xiao Yan a blank stare that was tinged with a bit of affection. Quite the smooth talker!
Xiao Yan was in a good mood after his cultivation improved. He and Xun Er chatted and laughed as they walked outside the clan.
On the way, they ran into some clan members who, upon seeing him, stopped what they were doing and bowed at a ninety-degree angle to greet them.
His action of giving away a pill the day before had earned him even greater admiration from the entire clan. A 4th-tier medicinal pill, even if it was unusable for him, could be sold for a good sum. Yet, he decided to give it away to Xiao Ning for the future of the clan.
Such magnanimity won the respect of many within the clan.
Xiao Yan and Xun Er greeted the clan members they encountered as they strolled through the bustling streets at a leisurely pace.
Although Wu Tan City was not as magnificent as the imperial capital, it was still a mid-to-large city in the Jia Ma Empire with a booming economy and bustling population. The streets were still teeming with people despite the scorching sun overhead.
Xun Er became much livelier after they left the clan. She was constantly dragging a helpless Xiao Yan from stall to stall. Her light, joyous laughter seemed to cool the heat-soaked streets by a few degrees.
Although Xiao Yan claimed to be accompanying Xun Er on his shopping trip, it was actually he who ended up buying the most.
"Boss, I'll take the twenty-year Purple Bluegrass, five-year Bone Washing Flower, and three-year Twin Head Flower. Do you have any Yin Spirit type plants?"
The stall owner saw Xiao Yan approaching and hurriedly came out to greet him with a welcoming smile: "Young Master Xiao Yan! Yes, yes, we have them. Please wait a moment."
Xiao Yan spent money like it was nothing, and his expenses had reached thousands of gold coins.
Did Xiao Yan have money? Absolutely, and plenty of it.
This wasn't just because of his routine hunts for magical beasts in the wild, but also because he was the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan.
Originally, Wu Tan City was a tripartite balance between three clans: the Xiao Clan, the Jia Lie Clan, and the Ao Ba Clan. However, due to Xiao Yan, the Jia Lie Clan and the Ao Ba Clan were forced to form an alliance to stand against the Xiao Clan.
The title of 'Genius' meant a promising future, and Xiao Yan's reputation had even reached the imperial capital. Merchants, hunting teams, and even auction houses in Wu Tan City were all optimistic about Xiao Yan's future, which led to a growing number of industries for the Xiao Clan.
Moreover, Xiao Zhan's good relationship with Nalan Jie, one of the top ten powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire, had subtly established the Xiao Clan as the de facto overlord of Wu Tan City.
Naturally, the amount of money at Xiao Yan's disposal had also increased significantly.
Seeing Xiao Yan continuously purchasing a variety of low-grade medicinal herbs, Xun Er blinked and turned to him, "Xiao Yan ge-ge, are you buying all these medicinal ingredients to try alchemy?"
"Yep. Who doesn't want to be an alchemist? I'm not sure if I have the talent, but I thought I'd give it a try."
After a moment of thought, Xun Er said, "Xiao Yan ge-ge, Xun Er has some alchemy techniques and pill recipes..."
Xiao Yan felt a warmth in his heart. He could still discern who was just being superficial and who was genuinely sincere.
"No need, I don't even know if I have any talent for alchemy. I'll just play around and make some medicinal powders. If I really need pill recipes, I definitely won't hesitate to ask Xun Er."
The two of them chatted and laughed as they unknowingly walked through the entire Xiao Clan market. Yet, Xun Er still hadn't found anything that caught her eye.
"Shall we check out the place across the street?" Xiao Yan suggested.
"Across?"
The market in Wu Tan City wasn't only owned by the Xiao Clan. After the Jia Lie Clan and the Ao Ba Clan joined forces, they built an even bigger market not far from the Xiao Clan's market.
For Xiao Yan, the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, to visit the rival clans' market on the other side would undoubtedly cause a stir.
Xun Er giggled playfully and said, "Xiao Yan ge-ge, if we go to the market across the street, they might not even let us in."
Xiao Yan helplessly shrugged his shoulders, "We're not there to steal or rob. We're customers. There's no reason for them not to let us in."
After turning a few corners on the wide streets with Xun Er, they arrived at the large Ao Jia Market.
Since it was a market run jointly by two clans, both the decoration of the shops and their facades were incredibly lavish, and the variety of goods on offer was just as extensive.
Upon Xiao Yan's arrival, the two guards at the entrance of the market immediately tensed up. They pointed their long spears at Xiao Yan and asked with trepidation, "You, you... what are you doing here!"
The Xiao Clan has come to fight?!
Many people heard the guard's voice, and upon recognizing Xiao Yan, they rushed out of the market. They feared that the Xiao Clan was indeed making a move.
Xiao Yan could only respond with helplessness to this scene, while Xun Er stifled a giggle beside him. Even geniuses had their fair share of difficulties.
Before Xiao Yan had a chance to speak, a voice called out from the crowd: "Xiao Yan! What are you doing here!"
Xiao Yan looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a group of people coming through the market. Among them, a richly dressed young man was being escorted, surrounded by others like stars around the moon.
At the sight of the young man, the guards respectfully said, "Young Master Jia Lie Ao."
Jia Lie Ao, the young master of the Jia Lie Clan, wore a gold star on his chest. At the age of twenty-one, being a 1-star Dou Practitioner was considered quite talented in Wu Tan City. However, compared to Xiao Yan, he paled in comparison.
Xiao Yan glanced at Jia Lie Ao and saw the gold star, then shook his head. Merely a 1-star Dou Practitioner at twenty-one? He had reached that stage before even turning eleven.
Jia Lie Ao gritted his teeth in anger when he saw Xiao Yan's reaction. To be a 1-star Dou Practitioner at the age of twenty-one was already quite strong, okay?! Yet, the achievement he was so proud of seemed so trivial in the eyes of the other party.
"What else would I come to the market for, if not to buy things?"
Jia Lie Ao shouted, "You're not welcome here! Leave immediately!"