Starting as a supporting character in Doupo

Page 334

Given the alchemist's formidable resources and connections, once news of the Heavenly Demon Puppet arrives, the Dou Qi Continent will likely be plunged into a war between humans and magical beasts.

After all, the high-level magic core, which is indispensable, is a necessary element for refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet.

Mo Shang shook his head slightly, shaking off the thoughts in his mind. For a moment, he realized he had been thinking too far ahead. He was certain he would get his hands on the Heavenly Demon Puppet, given his personality. He just wondered how far Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan had progressed...

Finally, inside the cauldron, the elixir was completely refined by Mo Shang.

"boom!"

With a soft sound, the lid on the medicine cauldron opened instantly, and a perfectly round, cyan pill flew out of the cauldron and appeared in mid-air.

In the sky, as the pill appeared, bolts of lightning flashed with ferocious light, radiating a terrifying aura, and instantly struck down towards the pill.

Mo Shang slowly got up, looking at the pills bathed in lightning, without making any move.

This wasn't the first time he had refined a seventh-grade pill, but all of them had been destroyed by the accompanying pill lightning in the end, despite being successfully formed, due to various reasons.

After Yao Lao's "sarcasm," Mo Shang finally understood the reason. He then started refining pills again. Mo Shang was confident that he could safely pass through the tribulation of pills this time, thanks to the medicinal properties of the pills themselves.

As expected, although the thunder was incredibly powerful, amidst its unwilling roar, the dark clouds in the sky gradually faded away, restoring a sunny and breezy appearance, while the perfectly round pill remained intact, floating in mid-air.

"Hmph, you think you can just leave?"

Mo Shang looked at the pills that had successfully survived the tribulation in the sky, seemingly planning to escape. He revealed a hint of disdain, his voice was cold, and he appeared in mid-air in a flash, standing there and grabbing the pills in his hand.

Back on the ground, Mo Shang put the pills into a jade bottle. Even through the mask, his joy was palpable.

After carefully putting away the pills, Mo Shang looked up at the heavily sealed Yao Lao, bowed slightly, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Yao Venerable. I am deeply grateful."

"Humph."

Within the ball of light, Yao Lao concealed his inner joy and admiration, his gaze falling on Mo Shang. Feigning disappointment, he said, "So many attempts, and you've only managed one successful attempt at passing the Pill Lightning? A seventh-grade alchemist like you is only at the lowest level. Besides, the Soul Palace isn't as simple and benevolent as you seem. If you ask me, why don't you leave the Soul Palace and join the Pill Tower? If you're worried about not being able to join the Pill Tower, I can recommend someone..."

"Hehe, Yao Chen, people of my Soul Palace don't need to join the Pill Tower."

Chapter 56 Temporary Farewell

"Heh, the Soul Palace?"

Old Yao's aged and weary voice rang out. Having endured so much torment from the Soul Palace, with his soul power being constantly extracted from those chains, even with Old Yao's soul realm, he felt somewhat tired. Fortunately, Old Yao's soul power had once reached the mid-stage of the Heavenly Realm, which was why he was able to persevere through such extraction.

If it were any other alchemist who extracted the medicine like the Soul Palace, they would probably have been completely annihilated and died long ago.

"The Soul Hall is nothing but a den of filth and a coward who hides in hiding. From top to bottom, everyone is scheming against each other. Staying in such a power will only waste your talent and destroy your abilities."

The old apothecary glanced indifferently at the elderly figure dressed in black who had appeared to the side, then turned his gaze back to Mo Shang and said with a hint of regret, "With your talent in alchemy, if you could join the Pill Tower, you would have access to the most comprehensive alchemist training methods on the entire continent, as well as the rich alchemy experience of countless predecessors. With your talent, if you could enter the Pill Tower, your achievements in time would certainly be no less than mine."

After listening to the old doctor ramble on for a while, the man in black standing to the side, for some reason, did not say anything to stop him, letting the old doctor continue.

"Hehe, thank you for the introduction, Venerable Medicine. However, the Soul Palace has been kind to me, and Elder Venerable has also treated me very well. As long as the Soul Palace does not abandon me, I, Mo Shang, will go through fire and water for the Soul Palace without hesitation."

Mo Shang listened to what Yao Lao said, his expression behind the mask neither sad nor happy. He bowed slightly to Yao Lao and then said, "This junior has made great progress in alchemy recently and would like to receive more guidance from Senior Yao Zun. However, I have other things to attend to and I am afraid I will not have time to visit you again for the time being. I offer this first seventh-grade pill, the Soul-Returning Pill, to you as a way of repaying your help during this period."

After speaking, Mo Shang turned to the old man in black beside him, handed him the jade bottle, and respectfully said, "Elder, is this convenient for you?"

The old man in black took the jade bottle from Mo Shang's hand and poured out the perfectly round pill he had just refined. It was still slightly warm to the touch. After a brief examination, it was indeed just a simple Soul Returning Pill, which had an excellent healing effect on the soul.

The old man in black looked at the pill in his hand and spoke to the imprisoned Yao Lao in mid-air: "Hehehe, Yao Chen, no matter how much you talk, Mo Shang is still an outstanding disciple of the younger generation of my Soul Hall. Since he is so kind, consider this pill your reward for your time here. I hope you don't die too soon, hehehe..."

The old man in black examined the pill in his hand and found nothing special about it. It could only help Yao Chen recover his tormented spirit. Even if he recovered, he would still be imprisoned and drained by the Soul-Binding Chains, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

With a casual wave of his hand, a mysterious rune landed on the chains surrounding Yao Chen, revealing a fist-sized hole in the originally impenetrable array. The black-clad elder flicked the pill in his hand, which landed directly in front of Yao Chen.

Looking at the pill that restored his soul power, Yao Lao didn't stand on ceremony. He opened his mouth and swallowed it. As the pill entered his body, Yao Lao's eyes flickered slightly. He glanced at Mo Shang without leaving a trace, then said to the old man in black, "Hmph, such a gem, in the hands of the Soul Palace, is practically wasted..."

After speaking, the old doctor closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, remaining silent.

Mo Shang watched as the old man swallowed the pill, a slight smile appearing on his lips beneath his mask. He then turned and bowed to the old man in black beside him, saying, "Thank you for making an exception, sir. I will not bother you any longer. Thank you for your care during this time."

"Hehe, it's alright. If you have time, you're welcome to come visit me anytime. We..."

"Hmph!" Just as the old man in black was about to speak again, a faint snort rang out, and the old man in gray appeared directly beside Mo Shang and the other two, staring at the old man in black with an unfriendly expression, and said, "Old ghost Zhaixing, Mo Shang, we have our own arrangements in the palace, so there's no need for you to worry about it."

"Tsk tsk..."

The old ghost who picks stars glanced at Mo Shang, waved his hand at the gray-robed elder, and said, "Get lost, get lost. What are you still doing here?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Old Ghost Zhaixing vanished from the spot.

Seeing this, the gray-robed elder said nothing, turned to look at Mo Shang behind him, and softened his tone, saying, "Let's go. This time, this competition will be decided by you younger generation, and it will directly determine the resource allocation of each branch hall for the next year. It's quite important. Moreover, after this written test, you will have new tasks..."

Once the hall was empty, Yao Lao slowly opened his closed eyes, his expression a complex mix of relief and worry. He glanced briefly in the direction Mo Shang had left, then his gaze returned to the chains that bound him. A tiny, dark flame emerged from Yao Lao's body and clung to his illusory sleeve, its presence imperceptible.

Meanwhile, the old man of medicine closed his curtains again, teasing the chain. His wide, illusory sleeves moved without wind, occasionally brushing against the chains...

...................

Beneath the magma world, Xiao Yan once again annihilated the fire lizardman before him, casually picking the fire pearl left behind after its death and storing it in his storage ring.

"Senior brother is right. The fire pearl born from these fire lizardmen is truly extraordinary. In just a few days, I can already feel the battle qi about to fill my body..."

A slight smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face as he sensed his own strength. In just a few days, the effects of his cultivation were already comparable to a month of arduous training.

The map of the Salamander tribe's distribution provided by my senior brother was indispensable in enabling me to improve so much in such a short time.

It was thanks to the existence of the Fire Lizardman population distribution map that Xiao Yan was able to avoid crises many times, only attacking some small groups. Even so, the Fire Pearls he obtained still greatly improved his strength.

"What is this..."

Xiao Fan sensed a strange fluctuation coming from the depths of the magma, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

However, when Xiao Yan investigated carefully, he found that everything just now seemed to be his illusion, and he did not sense any special presence.

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yan took out the distribution map of the fire lizard people that he had obtained from Xiao Fan, compared it with the fluctuations he had just felt, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

In the direction the map points to, deep within, lies a gathering place for fire lizardmen, a region containing powerful individuals at the Dou Zun level.

"Battle Venerable level..."

Looking at the key icons marked on the map, a hint of hesitation flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. Even if he used all his strength, he could not defeat such an opponent. The gap of two major realms could not be bridged by willpower alone.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to turn and leave, he sensed a strange energy fluctuation from the depths of the magma, causing him to pause. A voice seemed to be telling him that fortune favors the bold.

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yan finally couldn't resist his curiosity and cautiously explored the location emanating from the energy fluctuations in this magma world full of opportunities.

While investigating possible anomalies within the magma, they carefully sensed the fleeting, eerie energy fluctuations they had just witnessed.

As long as I'm careful and don't get too close to the fire lizardman tribe with the Dou Zun level, I shouldn't be in too much danger. Even against a Dou Zong level lizardman, I'm confident I can escape unscathed with my Three Thousand Thunderbolts technique...

..............

In the magma world, Xiao Fan casually put the Dou Ling realm fire pearl in front of him into his storage ring. Then, the chaotic fire on his body once again concealed his aura, and he flew towards the depths of the magma.

Seeing the massive fire lizard tribe's territory appear ahead, a look of seriousness flashed in Xiao Fan's eyes. He carefully concealed his aura and chose to detour around it from the other side, away from the fire lizard tribe's territory, and flew towards the depths of the lava.

After all, judging from the map he obtained, there were two fire lizardmen at the Dou Zun realm within this group, so even Xiao Fan dared not easily reveal his aura.

Otherwise, if they venture deeper into this area and get bogged down by the enemy, with hordes of lizardmen appearing to block their way, it will be difficult to escape again.

Along the way, Xiao Fan also tried to find Venerable Tianhuo, but his search was unsuccessful. In the end, Xiao Fan had no choice but to give up and abandon his plan to continue searching for him.

Following their own plan, they began exploring the depths of the magma.

As they ventured deeper into the area, the number of fire salamanders hidden around them dwindled, but the strength of the powerful individuals among them far surpassed that of the fire salamanders on the outskirts.

After completely getting away from the fire lizardmen horde behind him, Xiao Fan carefully determined the direction based on the fire lizardmen horde's distribution map. In the magma underground, far away from the fire lizardmen horde, he took out the fixed-point teleportation talisman he had exchanged earlier and set the teleportation location there.

"Alright, let's set up the teleportation point here. Even if something unexpected happens down there, I can still teleport here using the teleportation talisman. The aura triggered by the talisman won't be detected by the fire lizard horde from before..."

After careful calculation, Xiao Fan determined the teleportation location before venturing deep into the magma and cautiously passing through the gap between two tribes that hid peak Dou Zun level cultivators.

Chapter 57 Planning, Ancient Emperor's Cave

After temporarily escaping the territories of two powerful fire lizardmen, Xiao Fan recalled the fire lizardmen settlements on the map. There were no other fire lizardmen groups within a short distance ahead, so Xiao Fan's speed increased considerably.

However, to avoid encountering lone lizardmen and being discovered, Xiao Fan continued to envelop his body in chaotic fire as he moved through the lava.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Xiao Fan's gaze was always fixed on the bright red lava. Apart from that, there was no other scenery whatsoever. Even the crimson rocks where the fire lizardmen had lived seemed to exist only within the fire lizardmen's tribe.

Finally, through Xiao Fan's persistent efforts, his powerful soul force detected a strangeness in the magma world ahead.

"Ok?"

Knowing where he was, Xiao Fan naturally wouldn't rush over recklessly. Instead, he cautiously stayed in place, carefully exploring the magma world ahead.

Finally, Xiao Fan vaguely saw a lizardman in his vision. However, upon seeing the lizardman, Xiao Fan's vigilance instantly soared to its peak, and he immediately looked away, not daring to look at it again.

Because the lizardmen in Xiao Fan's field of vision were different from the lizardmen in the lizardman tribe above. The bodies of these lizardmen had gradually turned white, which was obviously different from the crimson lizardmen above.

"Sigh~"

Xiao Fan knew that this lizardman possessed terrifying strength, likely approaching the level of a half-saint. If he were discovered, it would be extremely difficult to even escape unscathed, let alone explore the area.

"This lizardman's strength is probably at least at the seventh-level Dou Zun level..."

Xiao Fan recalled the fleeting glimpse of the figure in his mind, and couldn't help but feel fortunate. If it weren't for the protective properties of the Chaos Fire that prevented him from revealing his aura, and the fact that there were virtually no external enemies in this magma world to lull the other party into a false sense of security, he probably would have been completely doomed from that single glance...

With lingering fear, Xiao Fan glanced at the spot where the lizardman had been. Without hesitation, he immediately changed direction, carefully concealing his presence and trying not to make a sound in the magma world. Only after he was far away from the area where the lizardman had been did Xiao Fan finally exhale.

Having learned his lesson, Xiao Fan dared not explore blindly again. He focused his exploration on the depths of the magma, carefully hiding along the way, afraid of encountering another lizardman like the one he had just met. After all, luck wouldn't always be on his side.

As expected, in just half an hour, despite being extremely careful, Xiao Fan still encountered two powerful members of the fire lizardman race. Both of them were white in color, just like the former, and possessed terrifying strength.

Fortunately, the Chaos Fire concealed its aura, and Xiao Fan was also careful enough, so he successfully avoided the powerful members of the Lizardman tribe on both occasions.

"Could it be that there's really nowhere we can get in?"

Despite trying his best to change directions twice, he still encountered powerful members of the lizardman race. Xiao Fan couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Although he knew that he might not gain anything from this exploration, he was still unwilling to give up after so long without even seeing the ancient emperor's cave.