Chapter 231: Selling Blood
The world of nothingness, countless black flames rising continuously, burning and shattering the space, which then reconstructed itself. These flames seemed alive, constantly illusionary and vanishing.
In the center of it all, two figures sat cross-legged. One appeared to be the master of this world, surrounded by countless flames bowing to him. Beside him sat Hun Void Master, the chief alchemist of the Hun Clan.
As Hun Void Master opened his eyes, a flash of black flame appeared within them and quickly vanished. A faint smile appeared on his lips, seemingly in a good mood.
"It seems your disciple has brought you some pleasant surprises," the figure opposite Hun Void Master spoke, sensing the change in his mood.
"Indeed," Hun Void Master smiled, "Watching a piece of work gradually reach perfection, it is hard not to be moved."
Indeed, in Hun Void Master's eyes, Yao Yan had always been a project. A person like him didn't care for the so-called master-disciple relationship. Everything in this world was false; only strength was real. The strong could decide everything!
"Control yourself. I am not far from that step. At this critical moment, we must avoid causing any trouble. In recent years, the attention from those clans towards the Hun Clan has grown too close," the voice of Void Devouring Flame echoed with no emotion, merely offering a casual reminder.
He knew that Hun Void Master had created a unique 'half-breed,' but as a Heavenly Flame user, he had no interest in the human hybrid.
Currently, he only wanted to elevate his Hun power to the Imperial Realm. Aside from that, nothing else could disturb him.
"Understood," Hun Void Master restrained his smile, replying respectfully.
However, in the depths of his gaze, a hint of coldness surfaced. His respect for Void Devouring Flame was not sincere, but simply because of his power. If it weren't for that, he would have tried to use him for his own benefit. Unfortunately, the Hun Clan still relied on him.
Void Devouring Flame fell silent once again, as if quietly accumulating something.
This silent meditation had lasted nearly a thousand years.
...
...
In the nameless mountain range, Yao Yan slowly stepped out of the cave, gazing at the azure sky and feeling the energy of the world around him. If he could, he would prefer to live a leisurely life, like a carefree wanderer. In some ways, his personality was quite similar to Yao Lao's. But sometimes in life, there is no choice, especially in a world of fantasy. One wrong move, and even one's Hun could become someone else's plaything.
"Since I have no choice, I'll just go all the way," Yao Yan thought, a dark gleam flashing in his eyes. With a flash of his spatial ring, the blood-red Dragon Jade, which recorded the coordinates of the Gu Dragon Island, appeared in his hand. As his Hun power surged into it, a faint purplish-red light glowed from the Dragon Jade, and a general direction appeared in Yao Yan's mind, guiding him toward a place of nothingness.
As the information from the Dragon Jade was transmitted, Yao Yan's expression became strange. He realized that in order to reach Gu Dragon Island, he first had to pass through a void traversal, and to do that, his strength needed to be at least at the Dou Zun level.
Below Dou Zun, one would be torn apart by the spatial force if they were careless.
In the endless void, violent spatial forces occasionally stirred up. This power was enough to crush most Dou Zong experts. Even with good luck, it was easy to get lost in the void, and some might even fall into other regions.
"Indeed, the Gu Void Dragon Clan is as powerful as rumored. To enter their territory, at least Dou Zun level is required," Yao Yan thought to himself. Then, he took a step forward, his body distorting the space around him as he instantly disappeared into the endless void.
For an ordinary Dou Zong, it might indeed be impossible to reach Gu Dragon Island, unless they were willing to take risks.
Yao Yan wasn't worried. While his control over spatial forces wasn't yet enough for spatial travel, his Hun power was strong enough, far surpassing some Dou Zun-level experts. He didn't need to worry about the risks of void traversal.
Even if he encountered something he couldn't resist, he could just tear through space and escape.
Surrounded by his Hun power, he traversed the void, the scenery along the way reminding him of some past events. He wondered how Yao Nong was doing. The events of the past would undoubtedly bring punishment from the Yao Clan, but it was unlikely that his life was in danger.
After a moment, Yao Yan suppressed these thoughts. Without enough strength, thinking about these things was meaningless.
One day, he would return to the Yao Clan in full glory.
Clearing his mind, Yao Yan accelerated his pace through the void. The scenery before him remained as dark as ever, with only occasional flashes of silver light. The darkness was so intense it could freeze the heart. If he hadn't had the coordinates in hand, no one would like to traverse through this meaningless expanse.
Actually, the Gu Void Dragon Clan seemed to enjoy doing such things...
Time passed slowly. Eventually, the Dragon Jade in Yao Yan's hand began to tremble. In the next instant, an enormous dragon figure appeared in front of him, its entire body pitch-black with scales glowing faintly with purple light. It lay in the void, its breathing causing the surrounding space to warp.
"Swish!"
A dragon head, as massive as a mountain, descended, its cold and violent eyes silently staring at Yao Yan. At the same time, an invisible pressure immediately swept over him.
The pressure made Yao Yan feel as though a death omen was flashing before his eyes. His hand instantly revealed two jade tokens. If the situation became too dangerous, he could only call for help, with Xuan Yi and the others being his first choice, and Hun Void Master as his second option... However, if he contacted Hun Void Master, he would have no choice but to kill the witnesses.
"Human?"
A voice that seemed to shake the space echoed as the massive Gu Void Dragon's body began to emanate black and purple light. In the next moment, a burly figure appeared in Yao Yan's line of sight.
The man appeared to be in his prime, with a muscular build and a fierce aura. He looked Yao Yan up and down with interest. When his gaze landed on the Pill Tower emblem on Yao Yan's chest, he paused slightly and said, "Kid, you're from the Pill Tower? An eighth-tier alchemist?!"
As he spoke, surprise appeared in his eyes. It was clear that he hadn't expected an eighth-tier alchemist from the Pill Tower to show up here, and even more so, one so young.
"Yes, I encountered an Gu Dragon Bear in the Pill Tower's Pill Realm, and got the coordinates for Gu Dragon Island from it. So, I came here to try my luck," Yao Yan nodded and explained his intentions.
"Heh, you've got guts," the burly man chuckled, eyeing Yao Yan up and down. "What brings you here? We don't welcome outsiders. You're lucky to have met me. If it were anyone else from the other islands, you might have been dragged back to be a laborer... Tch, an eighth-tier alchemist? Now, even I'm a bit tempted."
As he spoke, his gaze toward Yao Yan gradually became more intense. The strength of this eighth-tier alchemist was so weak that he could easily capture him and make him work for him, even if Yao Yan tried to tamper with the pills. With the physique of the Gu Void Dragon Clan, they weren't afraid of that. As long as the energy was sufficient, it would be fine.
"Are you sure? Actually, I have another identity. I'm from the Yao Clan. If the Gu Void Dragon Clan doesn't mind going to war with the Yao Clan, you can take me back," Yao Yan casually invoked the Yao Clan's name, knowing that the weight of the Imperial Family would be more effective than the Pill Tower.
The Yao Clan?!
The burly man's fiery gaze instantly disappeared. He was well aware of the domineering nature of the imperial families. If something happened to this kid here, with the Yao Clan's protective habits, they would definitely come after them. This wasn't good news for the Gu Void Dragon Clan.
This was troublesome!
However, Yao Yan's words were filled with a threatening tone, making the burly man lose face. "Kid, you're using the Yao Clan to threaten me? You think I'm afraid of the Yao Clan?!"
"You're not afraid, so I'm just saying it," Yao Yan chuckled lightly, giving both sides a way out.
The burly man's expression softened slightly. He glanced at Yao Yan again, sizing him up. "Are you really from the Yao Clan?"
"Used to be, but now I'm with the Pill Tower," Yao Yan omitted the middle part and continued, "I came to the Gu Void Dragon Clan to seek some pure dragon blood for pill refinement. In exchange, I can refine some eighth-tier pills for the Gu Void Dragon Clan."
Upon hearing the first part of Yao Yan's words, the burly man was about to shout, but hearing the latter part, his anger immediately dissipated, and he became a bit dry-mouthed. As a member of the Gu Void Dragon Clan, they usually devoured the materials directly. They were used to that, but Yao Yan's offer was tempting.
"How much?" The burly man's gaze flickered, and he immediately began negotiating with Yao Yan.
It was just a little bit of blood. He could sell it, as long as Yao Yan offered a good price. An eighth-tier alchemist was something he had never dealt with before. In the past, when Dragon Island needed pills, it was always the old man who dealt with the Yao Clan. That was the only reason he had been holding back.
Actually, selling blood wasn't a shameful thing. The elders of the clan had organized the sale of blood before.
Otherwise, where would the dragon blood of the imperial families come from?
Every major family had Dou Sheng-level experts. It was better to trade peacefully than fight.
However, Yao Yan was unaware of this. Hearing the burly man's words, he was a bit surprised. He didn't expect the burly man to be so unscrupulous, so quick to sell his blood. But thinking of his massive physique earlier, a little blood probably wasn't a problem.
"Three drops of blood will be enough," Yao Yan's eyes flashed as he spoke directly.
Yao Yan planned to refine an Yin-Yang Xuan Dragon Pill, and with his current alchemy skills, he could upgrade Yao Lao's recipe. The blood of this Gu Void Dragon definitely had better quality than the magic cores or blood of ordinary dragon beasts.
"Alright, but you need to make three eighth-tier pills for me!" The burly man fixed his gaze on Yao Yan, speaking in a deep voice.
"One pill," Yao Yan shook his head and calmly replied.
"No, three! I'm an eight-star Dou Zun, and I'm a pure Gu Void Dragon. My blood is precious! One pill? Are you trying to fool me?!" The burly man's face twisted, his tone explosive.
"One pill. Take it or leave it. I'm sure the Gu Void Dragon Clan has other members willing to trade," Yao Yan said nonchalantly.
"F*ck!" The burly man fell silent instantly, glaring at Yao Yan. He wanted to tear him apart, but his special identity made it difficult for him to do anything. The jade pendant Yao Yan held in his hand was clearly a signal that if he acted, Yao Yan would call for help.
As for spatial blocking... this method worked well for those below Dou Sheng, but for Dou Sheng-level experts, it was useless.
The two powers were simply on different levels.
Most importantly, he knew how things worked in his clan. The younger ones didn't have his backbone. One eighth-tier pill was enough to make them sell a dragon's leg.
"Cough, cough. Fine, one pill, three drops of blood. I'll give it to you!" The burly man suddenly burst into laughter, switching his tone to a more enthusiastic one, as if not at all embarrassed. After a pause, he continued, "But I haven't asked for your name. I'm Hei Qing, an elder from East Dragon Island, responsible for this area."
Hei Qing?!
Yao Yan's eyes flashed, thinking of some of the plot in the original story, but he didn't stop there. He followed the burly man's lead, climbing up the ladder, "I'm Yao Yan, nice to meet you, Elder Hei Qing."
Yao Yan... indeed from the Yao Clan.
Hei Qing's expression grew warmer, now treating Yao Yan as a true brother. With Yao Yan's status as an eighth-tier alchemist, they could call each other brothers. As for any face-saving, magical beasts weren't as petty as humans. He smiled and said, "This isn't the place to talk. Come on, I'll take you to Dragon Island."
"Don't you need to keep an eye on this area?" Yao Yan asked.
"It's fine. I'll send a little brat over to keep an eye on things," Hei Qing laughed, then waved his hand. Immediately, an endless void opened in front of them, forming a silver portal as if leading to another world.
Seeing Hei Qing's abilities, Yao Yan couldn't help but marvel at the Gu Void Dragon Clan's talent in spatial manipulation. This casual creation of a spatial wormhole was something even the peak of a Nine-Turn Dou Zun would find hard to accomplish.
"Yao Yan, come on," Hei Qing gestured for Yao Yan to step in, his eyes filled with a hint of playfulness.
Yao Yan wasn't afraid. He stepped forward, knowing that if there was an ambush, he could always call Hun Void Master. With his Void Devouring Flame, spatial blocking techniques were useless against him. From the previous incidents with the Yao Clan, it was clear that even in dire situations, he could escape.
If Hei Qing really wanted trouble, Yao Yan didn't mind swallowing him whole.
Three drops of blood weren't enough to satisfy his hunger. To truly transform into the body of an Gu Dragon, one Gu Void Dragon wasn't enough. Even the bodies of the three Dragon Kings combined might not suffice, so more would be better!
"Good courage, little brother," Hei Qing chuckled loudly and followed Yao Yan into the spatial portal as they sped off into the distance.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997