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 Wan Dongyang had never seen his big brother this anxious before. He did not dare to delay and quickly went to retrieve that high-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill.

Detoxification Pill was a universal type of pill which meant it could treat any poison. But as for its efficacy, it depended on exactly what sort of poison the person was inflicted with.

A Detoxification Pill could cure virtually any ordinary poison. Hence, it was the most widely used, as well as being one of the most practical pills.

In Ye Yuan’s eyes, Detoxification Pill was considered under the low-level category of pills. For this pill, there were several tiers; there were Tier 1 Detoxification Pill, Tier 2 Detoxification Pill, and all the way to Tier 5 Detoxification Pill. As for poisons above Tier 5, a Detoxification Pill was basically useless against them. That was because poisons above Tier 5 were either very unique or extremely rare; Detoxification Pills were ineffective on them.

This Detoxification Pill, refined by Wan Donghai, naturally was not an ordinary item within the State of Qin. This high-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill was his life’s most exceptional work. Not even Ye Hang could refine a Detoxification Pill of this grade.

Even though both were Alchemy Grandmasters, they had their own specializations. Ye Yuan knew that his father, Ye Hang, was inferior in terms of dealing with poisons. That was why Ye Hang could only let Ye Yuan consume a low-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill while Wan Donghai could take out a high-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill.

This Detoxification Pill essentially represented the pinnacle standard of this specialization within the State of Qin. Even the Imperial Uncle cannot be compared with Wan Donghai on this aspect.

When Wan Dongyang handed the pill over to Wan Donghai, his face twitched violently. To use such a pill on a lackey such as Liu An was a waste of God’s gifts.

Wan Donghai received the pill, looked at Ye Yuan, and gave a cold humph . Regardless of the result today, he was already bested by this junior.

Yet Ye Yuan just stood there watching Wan Donghai with a nonchalant expression.

Wan Donghai rolled his sleeves, and Liu An involuntarily sat up. Following this, Wan Donghai’s fingers rapidly jabbed Liu An with extreme speed. The crowd only saw an afterimage of fingers before hearing a series of puffing sounds.

Each of Wan Donghai’s finger jabs made Liu An groaned in anguish. As the last finger jab landed, Liu An opened his mouth in excruciating pain. Wan Donghai did not hesitate and hastily threw the Detoxification Pill into Liu An’s mouth.

After Liu An swallowed the pill, Wan Donghai then ceased his actions. Liu An who had lost his balance slumped down once more.

Clap . . . Clap . . . Clap . . .

At this moment, slow applause echoed. Ye Yuan sighed with a smile. "I’ve long heard Manor Lord Wan’s Profound Phantom Finger technique is exceedingly wondrous, capable of reviving the dead as well as granting a fate worse than death. Seeing it today truly broadened my horizons. How extraordinary!"

Wan Donghai lightly gasped for air. Clearly, the bout just now was not so easy for him. Hearing the ridicule in Ye Yuan’s praise gave him the impulse to want to kill someone.

"Humph! Who cares what poison was it. In front of my Profound Phantom Finger and the Detoxification Pill I refined, he will be as good as new."

It was not that Wan Donghai was wildly arrogant. But within the State of Qin, he indeed had never encountered any problem he could not resolve.

"That would be for the best. Just look at the state this friend is in. I also hope that he can be safe and sound." Ye Yuan then sighed.

Ye Yuan sounded very sincere, as if Liu An was an old friend for many years. But to Wan Donghai’s ears, it conjured a faint premonition.

As if confirming his thoughts, after those words, Liu An suddenly threw up a mouthful of blood.

Wan Donghai’s face changed color. Supporting Liu An, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Ma-manor Lord, pain . . . argh . . . The pain is killing me!" Liu An’s initially alleviated symptoms had flared up once more. It hurt so much that he rolled off the bed onto the ground.

It was clear that Wan Donghai’s actions failed to remove the poison from his body but instead stimulated the toxin inside him resulting in tormenting pain.

"Why . . . Why is it like this?"

Wan Donghai was utterly befuddled. Although the display just now did not seem very impressive, it was actually his limits. Who would have guessed that not only Liu An’s poison was not cured, it actually became even more intense.

Liu An rolled on the floor in agonizing pain, yet nobody stepped forward to help him.

"Yiii? Manor Lord Wan, looks like your Profound Phantom Finger and Detoxification Pill failed to have any effect. Instead, it worsened this Friend’s condition. Just take a look at that painful appearance; I can’t bear to stand it. Don’t tell me Manor Lord Wan has no other methods to ease his pain? The Drunken Star Manor is known as the number one in the capital!" Ye Yuan exclaimed questioningly.

Wan Donghai could no longer keep up appearances. Pointing at Ye Yuan, he bellowed, "Stinky brat! What on earth did you make him eat? Want to frame our Drunken Star Manor? You are still not qualified!"

Ye Yuan deliberately gave a shocked expression and said, "Why did you say that, Manor Lord Wan? As the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda. Are you telling me now that this friend is suffering like this, I have to be indifferent to it? Or is the Drunken Star Manor undeserving of its reputation, unable to even diagnose what this friend is poisoned with?

"You!" Were it not for his last trace of reason, Wan Donghai would have stomped off instantly.

Ye Yuan gave a look of pain while leaning down to say to Liu An, "This Brother, I’ve already tried my best. In the capital, if even Manor Lord Wan can’t save you, then there is nothing I can do. When you arrive at the Underworld, don’t blame me for it."

Liu An was originally half dead already. But after hearing Ye Yuan’s words, it was as if he regained terminal lucidity; his initially dull, lifeless eyes gained a trace of brilliance.

"Ma-Manor Lord! Sa-Save me! I helped you to se-sell . . ." Enduring the pain, Liu An forced out a few words between the gaps of his teeth.

At this point, Liu An only had his instinct for survival stimulated by Ye Yuan, but the second half of his words were like lightning bolt during clear weather to Wan Donghai. Initially, Wan Donghai was filled with wrath towards Ye Yuan. But right now, it was as if he was drenched from head to toe in cold sweat.

Without waiting for Liu An to finish speaking, Wan Donghai quickly leaned down and told Liu An, "Don’t worry. I will save you no matter what."

Wan Donghai’s eyes were filled with sincerity, completely different from Ye Yuan’s phony sincerity. The feeling it gave Liu An were as if they were life and death comrades.

At this moment, that sense of uneasiness stirred up by Ye Yuan got suppressed, and what replaced it was serenity.

"Ma-Manor Lord, h-he . . . said this poison . . . is called Heart Inch Fissure."

After saying this, Liu An ceased all movements just like a deflated ball.

"Heart Inch Fissure . . . Heart Inch Fissure . . ." Wan Donghai muttered it over and over while his brows furrowed even harder.

The more he repeated it, the more he felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.

"Heart Inch Fissure? HEART INCH FISSURE?! It’s actually Heart Inch Fissure?! Th-This! How could a brat like him knows Heart Inch Fissure?" A trace of astonishment flashed across Wan Donghai’s eyes.

Wan Donghai finally recalled where he had heard that name before. It was during his early years where his master once mentioned that name!

Thinking back on it now, his master had even said that this sort of poison was abnormally tyrannical, practically without any cure. A Heart Inch Fissure Pill was not some high-tier pills. In fact, it was the opposite; it was only merely a high-grade Tier 1 Pill. Yet, his master, a Tier 4 Alchemy King, back then had said it was incurable. It was evident just how terrifying this poison was.

How could Ye Yuan possibly refine such a terrifying poison? Unless it was Ye Hang’s work?

Right now, Wan Donghai could not be bothered to think about it. After being stunned for a while, he knew that no matter what he did, Liu An was beyond saving.

Since that was the case, he could only sacrifice Liu An!

His own reputation might be important, but if the matter of spies among demonic beast hunters were to be exposed, the impact on the Drunken Star Manor would be even more significant. Liu An’s incomplete sentence just now made it clear that if Wan Donghai failed to save him, he would undoubtedly expose the ugly side of the Drunken Star Manor in front of all these people. When that happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Choosing the lesser of two evils.

Wan Donghai took a deep breath and sighed, "This poison is indeed remarkably overbearing. This Wan is incompetent. I only have one last move left."

Finishing, he ordered people to hold up Liu An. Rolling his sleeves, the Profound Phantom Finger was executed once more. Only this time, the commotion was greater than before.

Flashing around Liu An and engulfing him in afterimages, Wan Donghai caused a gale to blow so fiercely that the crowd almost could not keep their eyes open.

As Ye Yuan looked at Wan Donghai giving it his all for this performance, a cold sneer appeared on his face. The Profound Phantom Finger might be a martial technique, but it could also be categorized as a technique under the Alchemy Dao. In Ye Yuan’s view, it was clumsy. But he had some understanding of this finger technique.

This finger technique could save lives while also harming others. Furthermore, the way it harmed people was incredibly vicious. This finger technique was used on the acupuncture points in order to stimulate the body. But right now what Wan Donghai was executing was precisely the malignant version of the technique.

However, Ye Yuan did not expose Wan Donghai’s intentions. Since he was willing to smash his own signboard, Ye Yuan was naturally amenable to assist him. Moreover, with Ye Yuan’s current strength, it was impossible to take down Wan Donghai. He was currently too weak.

Indeed, after Wan Donghai’s finger technique ceased, Liu An had immediately stopped breathing and slowly slumped to the ground.

"Manor Lord Wan is indeed remarkable! Displaying a set of finger technique and directly cured someone to death. Impressive! Impressive!" Ye Yuan exclaimed as he maintained the same smile as before.At the Ye Manor.

In a room, filled with medicinal fragrance and fog, located at an isolated corner of the manor.

"Young Master, you were so impressive today at the Drunken Star Manor. That Manor Lord Wan who even Old Master couldn’t deal with was completely defeated by Young Master," Lu-er said while fanning with a cattail leaf fan.

An herbal bath for Ye Yuan was prepared in an enormous wooden tub. It sat just on top of the fire that Lu-er was fanning with the cattail leaf fan.

Today at the Drunken Star Manor, Wan Donghai treated Liu An to death, stunning everyone. The highly popular Drunken Star Manor had always boasted that it was the number one in the State of Qin. Yet today, an ignorant brat walked up to their door to slap their faces, slapping so hard that it reverberated. No matter how thick Wan Donghai’s skin was, he was somewhat unable to maintain his face any further.

After Liu An’s death, Wan Donghai immediately decided to close shop for a day. Everyone was chased away to temporarily avoid immediate embarrassment.

Everyone present knew their stuff. Even though they did not know what poison this Heart Inch Fissure was, they could guess that it was something Ye Yuan concocted. Everyone felt the world changed too quickly. A former rotten mud-like silkpants actually forced a Grandmaster of his era to his wit’s end. Many people knew that Ye Yuan was dying of poison just yesterday; could it be that the poisoning actually enlightened him?

Of course, there were some who did not believe that it was instigated by Ye Yuan but instead by Ye Hang who had borrowed Ye Yuan’s hands to give the Drunken Star Manor a vicious blow. But as they thought about it, it did not make any sense. If Ye Hang had that ability, what was he doing all these years? The competition between the two families was not a matter of one or two years.

Either way, the arguments bore no fruit. But the subject became the mealtime conversation topic of the common people within the capital. Ye Yuan who was originally already well-known became even more famous now.

"Hahaha. This was just claiming back some interest. Although today’s event had a large impact on the Drunken Star Manor, it’s not fatal. That Wan Family’s father-son pair, sooner or later, I will make them pay the real price." Ye Yuan’s tone became somewhat cold upon mentioning them.

Having inherited this body, Qing Yun Zi naturally had the responsibility to take revenge for his predecessor and help the Ye Family eliminate this competitor. Furthermore, Ye Yuan already witnessed how sinister and unscrupulous this father-son pair were; he had no favorable impression towards them at all.

Only that right now Ye Yuan’s current strength was too weak. Apart from vexing Wan Donghai a little, he could not really do anything much to him. In the future when he had sufficient strength, the father-son pair naturally had to be eliminated.

If it were up to someone else, this would practically be an impossible mission. But to Ye Yuan, Wan Donghai and his son were merely a stumbling block on his road for vengeance; removing it just required some time.

"That’s right. That Wan Yuan is so hateful. In the past, he was always bullying Young Master. Young Master must work hard! I have faith in Young Master!" Lu-er always had that unconditional faith in Ye Yuan.

"Hahaha. Young Master won’t disappoint you. Oh right, Lu-er, I can see that your aptitude is excellent. Why don’t you practice martial arts?"

After being occupied for the entire day and finally able to lounge with Lu-er in the same room, he discovered that there was not the slightest essence energy within Lu-er’s body, to actually be an ordinary person. Yet Ye Yuan could see that Lu-er had an excellent aptitude; a hundred times better than that loser of a predecessor.

Hearing Ye Yuan’s question, Lu-er’s expression became a bit downcast. "Old Master said Lu-er has Nine Yin Absolute Meridian and cannot cultivate. Otherwise the higher the realm, the earlier I will die."

"Nine Yin Absolute Meridian?" Ye Yuan repeated once, before grabbing Lu-er’s wrist to take her pulse.

Having her wrist held by Ye Yuan made Lu-er’s heart pound, and her face immediately turned bright red. In her opinion, being unable to cultivate might be regretful, but as long as she can be together with the Young Master, that would be good enough.

Ye Hang had long concluded her fate, so she did not hold any hope at all. Ever since experiencing that incident, the Young Master really changed so much, becoming more mature, being concerned about others, and taking care of others.

Ye Yuan held Lu-er’s wrist; his brows initially locked tightly together, before slowly relaxing.

"En. Old Master and Madam treat Lu-er just like their own daughter. If Lu-er could cultivate, they would have definitely long taught me." Lu-er was still that considerate girl, afraid that Ye Yuan would misunderstand Ye Hang because of this.

Ye Yuan put down Lu-er’s hand and smiled. "My silly Lu-er, you’re overthinking. Of course, Father wouldn’t lie to you. But even he has times where he miscalculated. Lu-er, tell Young Master, do you want to learn martial arts?"

"Of course!" Lu-er replied without thinking.

"That’s good. From tomorrow onwards, you will learn martial arts together with me. I will impart to you a technique. With your talent, this tiny State of Qin can’t confine you," said Ye Yuan with an encouraging expression.

"Young Master, is what you said true?" Upon hearing this, Lu-er was overjoyed. But without waiting for Ye Yuan’s reply, she quickly became dejected again. "Young Master, you don’t have to comfort me. Old Master is an Alchemy Grandmaster, yet even he said it was hopeless. How could I possibly learn martial arts? Although Lu-er really wants to, Lu-er doesn’t want to die yet. Lu-er still wishes to accompany Young Master and take care of Young Master."

Feeling touched in his heart, Ye Yuan reached out and lifted Lu-er’s head and smiled. "Why would Young Master lie to you? Your body’s constitution is indeed special. However, it isn’t the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian, but instead the extremely rare Nine Yin Divine Link Meridian. This sort of physique is not only able to cultivate, but even the cultivation speed would also be exceptionally fast. If large sects know about your physique, they would definitely fight to the point of bloodshed to snatch you over."

Ye Hang’s knowledge naturally could not be compared to Ye Yuan’s. But it was also not that Ye Hang was wrong. In reality, Lu-er indeed possessed the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian, but this Nine Yin Divine Link Meridian actually was a variant of the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian. Furthermore, it was an extremely rare variant.

The Nine Yin Absolute Meridian that Ye Yuan knew was completely different from what Ye Hang knew. Having a Nine Yin Absolute Meridian did not mean entirely rejecting all possibilities of cultivating, but instead, it meant this sort of constitution was absolutely unique. Cultivation techniques and resources were extremely scarce in the Lower Realms. With the addition of inadequate information within the Lower Realms, it meant that no one had ever stepped onto the path of cultivation with a Nine Yin Absolute Meridian.

Without a matching cultivation technique, the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian was indeed a deadly constitution.

Should such a physique appear in the Divine Realm, that person would definitely be fought over by major sects to join them. Coincidentally, a technique suitable for Lu-er to cultivate resides within Ye Yuan’s memories. It was the cultivation technique of the Divine Realm’s Spirit Snow Divine King. And this Spirit Snow Divine King had the exact same variant, the Nine Yin Divine Link Meridian physique.

At this moment, Lu-er opened her eye wide in disbelief. "Young Master, was what you said is real? You are not lying to me?"

"Of course not. The Nine Yin Divine Link Meridian is certainly extremely tough to cultivate with. But having a matching technique, the cultivation speed would instead surpass ordinary people. Later, I will impart to you a set of technique, the Heaven Illusionary Ice Soul. With how intelligent Lu-er is, you will definitely be more amazing than Young Master in the future," Ye Yuan said gently.

After listening to this, Lu-er gave a playful smile. "Hehehe. Lu-er isn’t looking to be more powerful than Young Master. As long as Lu-er can stay beside Young Master, that would be good enough. In the past, Young Master was always bullied by other people. That’s why Lu-er really wanted to learn martial arts to protect Young Master. However, I was afraid I would pass away after learning martial arts, that’s why I never learned any."

Upon learning how Lu-er’s purpose of wanting to learn martial arts was actually for himself, Ye Yuan was truly at a loss for words. Ye Yuan told himself he must definitely become strong quickly. In his previous life, he could not protect the people closest to him. In this life now, he would absolutely not let his loved ones be harmed again.

"My obedient Lu-er. Alright, the water is almost ready. You go out, Young Master wants to take an herbal bath," said Ye Yuan.

Lu-er asked with a face full of doubt, "Young Master, just go ahead and take a bath. Lu-er still has to tend the fire here. In the past, it had always been Lu-er attending to Young Master’s bath. Why did you become shy about it today?"

Sweating heavily in his heart, Ye Yuan was really not used to letting a young girl attending to him while taking a bath. But he also knew that if inconsistencies appeared now, Lu-er might start to suspect him.

"Then . . . alright . . ." Ye Yuan was feeling helpless.

Hearing this, Lu-er was overjoyed and went to help Ye Yuan undress.Entering the herbal bath, Ye Yuan who was feeling embarrassed tried to reorganized his feelings and then circulated essence energy to begin absorbing the medicinal efficacy of the water in order to purge the residual toxins left within his body.

The medicinal herbs used for the herbal bath were all common Tier 1 and Tier 2 ingredients without any remarkable effects. But Ye Yuan was able to make good use of these lowly materials, extracting out the medicinal efficacy from these herbs to the utmost limit.

To most people, the higher the level of the medicinal herbs, the more valuable and more significant the effects were. But in reality, that viewpoint was not worth a sh*t in Ye Yuan’s eyes. Regardless whether it was cultivation or alchemy, foundation skills were the most vital. The stronger your foundation was, the higher you would go in the future; likewise, vice versa.

In his previous life, Qingyun Zi once spent over 10 years to bitterly study medicinal herbs and pills that were Tier 3 and below. Those years were not in vain, as his foundation skills in Alchemy Dao became terrifyingly extensive. For him to become the youngest Alchemy Emperor, that over 10 years period were absolutely critical.

In the Divine Realm, virtually no one could surpass him in terms of understanding medicinal properties. That was also the reason why he was hailed as the one from the younger generation most likely to become an Alchemy God.

Actually, even if Ye Yuan had the intention of using some high-tier ingredients, at this moment, he was powerless to do so because his current strength was too weak!

Otherwise, Ye Yuan would not have taken only a single Tier 1 pill to challenge the Drunken Star Manor; that was the limit he could refine. Although he reckoned Wan Donghai was not able to resolve the Heart Inch Fissure poison, it was somewhat risky after all. If Wan Donghai really had a way to cure the poison, then it would be as if Ye Yuan had lifted a stone to smash his own feet.

In fact, Wan Donghai had actually heard of the Heart Inch Fissure poison before. Except that this sort of pill was too obscure, he had merely heard of it. Otherwise, the outcome of the incident would be hard to tell.

Strength!

Ye Yuan gave a deep sigh as he finished absorbing the medicinal efficacy of the herbal bath in the wooden tub. Right now he urgently needed to raise his strength. Without strength, revenge and whatnot were all empty talks. He would not even be able to protect his loved ones.

With Ye Yuan’s current condition, there was no need to mention Wan Donghai; even if Wan Yuan had come, Ye Yuan would still not be his match.

Ye Yuan believed that after today’s incident, Wan Donghai would definitely view him as a thorn in his eyes. He would want to eliminate Ye Yuan as soon as possible. Furthermore, with Wan Donghai’s temperament, he would not be resigned to letting the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion continue to suppress him, and he would consider all means to counterattack.

At that time, if he did not have sufficient strength, today’s action would instead put greater pressure on his father.

"Young Master, Old Master has already waited outside for quite some time."

While Ye Yuan was engrossed in his imagination, Lu-er came in to report.

"Why didn’t you say earlier that Father came? It’s just an herbal bath and not a closed-door life-and-death seclusion."

If Ye Yuan guessed correctly, Father came to warn him to be on the lookout for Wan Donghai’s schemes. Ye Yuan was still very respectful towards this overprotective father.

Even though it had only been two short days since he transmigrated, without a doubt, Ye Hang, Ren Hong Ling, and Lu-er already became Ye Yuan’s fetters.

Lu-er pouted her mouth and said with resentment, "I wanted to come in and call for Young Master, but Old Master pulled me and didn’t allow me to enter. What could I have done then?"

Sweating profusely, Ye Yuan quickly said, "Good Lu-er, Young Master was in the wrong. Young Master apologizes to you, don’t be angry alright?"

Hearing that, Lu-er broke into a smile, "Lu-er isn’t angry. Lu-er knows Young Master loves and respects Old Master. I treat him just like my biological father and respect him deeply like you do, so why would I be angry?"

Ye Yuan was relieved hearing her reply. "Hahaha. Then it’s alright. Go outside and tell Father to wait a moment, I will be out after wearing my clothes."

Lu-er acknowledged his words and went out.

. . . . . .

Inside Ye Hang’s study room, the father-son pair sat down closely and started to talk.

"Yuan-er, what you did today really vented my frustrations. I reckon Wan Donghai that old punk is probably thoroughly livid at the moment, right? Hahaha! It’s been so many years, and yet it’s the first time I’ve seen that old punk had to swallow such a grievance. How great!" Ye Hang laughed out loud.

Clearly, Wan Donghai bullied him rather harshly these past few years with how Ye Hang was laughing so cheerfully. Although Ye Hang could stand it, he had never felt this frustration being vented out like today. Even though he was not the one who went up to smack Wan Donghai’s face, what was the difference between being smacked by his son and him?

Seeing his father laughed merrily, Ye Yuan felt pleased. "Father, it was all thanks to what Master imparted to me in my dreams that I could make Wan Donghai that old punk suffered this grievance. I dare not claim any credit."

Ye Hang waved his hands dismissing Ye Yuan’s words. "No need to be so polite with your father. I’m thrilled that you possess your abilities today. But I still have to remind you once again; Wan Donghai that old punk is very insidious. Having suffered such a loss today, he wouldn’t be able to take it lying down. Who knows if he will come up with some underhanded measures? I can still guarantee your safety at home, but once you go to the Dan Wu Academy, Father’s hands wouldn’t be able to stretch that far. Yuan-er, how about you don’t attend the Dan Wu Academy anymore, and just stay at home?"

Ye Yuan sighed in his heart. No wonder his predecessor was a good-for-nothing youth. Ye Hang’s overprotectiveness of his child was too extreme. Ye Yuan had no intention of becoming a caged canary; the Dan Wu Academy was a place he had to go to.

"Father, I have to return to the Dan Wu Academy. Even if I stay at home, it is impossible to never leave home. I can hide for a while, but I can’t hide for a lifetime. Furthermore, if I stay at home and never leave, this life would be wasted. Even if Master teaches me skills, without contending with rivals and getting affirmation, I will never become an expert. Don’t you agree?"

In Ye Yuan’s eyes, Wan Donghai could not even be considered as an opponent. If he could not even make it pass Wan Donghai, this hurdle, how would he slaughter his way back to the Divine Realm? Only by attending the Dan Wu Academy and competing with other geniuses of his generation that Ye Yuan can grow up faster. Moreover, having a high cultivation realm did not mean combat prowess will also be high. In the cultivation world, there are too many examples of the weak defeating the strong; flowers in a greenhouse would never be fully mature.

In his previous life, Qingyun Zi was a greenhouse flower. Although his cultivation realm was very high, his combat abilities were a complete mess; all because he experienced too few actual fights. In this life, being burdened with a blood feud, he naturally had to become ruthless with his own training.

"This . . . Yuan-er does make sense. It is Father who was too protective. It’s just that you have to be careful outside there no matter what. If you encounter any problems, don’t be stubborn. Remember to come back and ask Father for assistance. Something like being poisoned to death, Father just doesn’t want to witness it for the second time."

"Relax Father. Since I didn’t die in this disaster, in the future, no one will be able to bully me anymore." Ye Yuan unveiled a powerful self-confidence at this point. Ye Hang discovered that his son had really matured.

"Good! My good son! Since when have the two of us feared anyone? Isn’t it just Wan Donghai? In the future, Father will definitely have him under these feet." Influenced by Ye Yuan, Ye Hang felt his confidence swelled as well.

Ye Yuan laughed silently in his heart. He was well aware of his father’s standards. There might come a day where he could surpass Wan Donghai, but there would be no way he could trample him under his feet. Of course, that was under the circumstance that Ye Yuan did not appear.

With the current Ye Yuan, time was all it takes for Ye Hang to trample Wan Donghai underfoot.

Just as Ye Yuan was about to leave, Ye Hang stopped him. Asking with a curious face, " Oh right. What pill did you let that person eat today? To think it was so powerful. You are just at the First Level Essence Qi Realm. How did you manage to refine such a high-tier pill?"

Ye Yuan discovered that Ye Hang was also an alchemy fanatic. Upon encountering any alchemy problems, he would become extremely studious. Evidently, this question had troubled him the entire day.

In his opinion, a poison pill that could render Wan Donghai helpless definitely had to be Tier 3 and above. But Ye Yuan was clearly just at First Level Essence Qi Realm. It was impossible to refine a Tier 2 pill with this cultivation realm, not to mention Tier 3 and above.

Even if Ye Hang pulled his hair out over this paradox, he still could not understand why. Now that he finished the heart-to-heart talk with his son, he could not bear it any longer and shamelessly asked.

Towards his own father, Ye Yuan naturally did not hide anything. Beaming, he said, "Father, that pill is called Heart Inch Fissure. It’s not a high tier pill, but merely a Tier 1 pill. With my current standards, refining this pill is already at the limit."

Ye Hang’s smile froze on his face. A Tier 1 pill? How is that possible?!

If these words did not come out from his son’s mouth, Ye Hang would not believe it even if the person beat him to death.

"Ti-tier 1 pill?" Ye Hang swallowed hard and asked disbelievingly, "How could a Tier 1 pill be this amazing?"

Ye Yuan took out a brush and paper and wrote down the pill formula for Heart Inch Fissure; he also included the refining method as well as things to take note of and then passed it to Ye Hang.

Ye Hang carefully received the pill formula, treating it just like a treasure.

Ye Yuan knew he probably would not see his father for a few days . . .

The next day, Ye Yuan went to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion again.

Ye Yuan could distinctly feel a difference in the way the employees looked at him. After yesterday’s event, everybody now looked at this super silkpants with admiration.

Having enjoyed these looks too often in his past life, Ye Yuan naturally would not mind it too much. Today, he only came to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion to collect medicinal herbs. Right now, Ye Yuan desperately needed to raise his strength, and the fastest way to increase his strength was undoubtedly by taking pills as a stimulant.

Putting aside the ability of an Alchemy Emperor and not utilizing it, would that not make Ye Yuan a fool?

There were countless pill formulas inside Ye Yuan’s mind, but the medicinal pills he could refine at the moment were too few. He was only able to refine Tier 1 medicinal pills, and that was only by using his powerful soul as support. Otherwise, with his First Level Essence Qi Realm cultivation, he would not even be able to refine out medicinal dregs.

Using an entire night to search for Tier 1 medicinal pills in his memories, Ye Yuan still felt that among all the pills, a type of high-grade Tier 1 pill called Explosive Yuan Pill was the most suitable for him.

Explosive Yuan Pill, as the name suggested, was a medicinal pill that explosively increased essence energy.

Tier 1 pills which could increase essence energy to aid cultivation and currently was circulating in the market was the Essence Qi Pill. It was suitable for Essence Qi Realm martial artists. However, ordinary martial artists could not even consume medicinal pills of such quality; instead, increasing their strength by going through great pains to bitterly cultivate essence energy by themselves.

A single Essence Qi Pill could save a martial artist several months of intense cultivation. If one could use Essence Qi Pill to cultivate, then reaching the Ninth Level Essence Qi Realm was only a matter of time. However, people who could expend Essence Qi Pills in such a manner were as rare as Phoenix feathers and Qilin horns. Only the Imperial Family and the descendants of major noble families could afford to do so.

Ye Yuan naturally could afford it. But to him, Essence Qi Pill was too weak, completely unable to achieve the effect he desired.

Although an Essence Qi Pill was good, the effects would be severely reduced from overconsumption. His predecessor actually ate a lot of Essence Qi Pills, but he did not refine the medicinal effects of the Essence Qi Pills entirely at all, leading to a considerable amount of essence energy dissipated from his body. As a result, Essence Qi Pill already did not have much of an effect on Ye Yuan.

But the Explosive Yuan Pill was an upgraded version of the Essence Qi Pill, with several times the medicinal effects of the latter. It was naturally the most appropriate choice for Ye Yuan to use in order to raise his strength. Of course, Ye Yuan had even more amazing pill formulas. It was just those pill formulas were either too high-tier or their medicinal effects were too powerful, making it unsuitable for the current Ye Yuan. Refining those pills after Ye Yuan’s strength improved would only be a matter of course.

"Young Master, are you also here today to get medicines?"

The shopkeeper saw Ye Yuan walking in and immediately greeted him with a smile as if he were a different person than he was yesterday.

Ye Yuan did not point it out but simply replied with a smile, "Yes. These are the medicinal herbs I require. Help me prepare three sets of each medicinal herb."

Ye Yuan handed the shopkeeper a prescription list as he spoke. Written on it were the names of medicinal herbs that the Explosive Yuan Pill requires. Even though Explosive Yuan Pill was much more precious than Essence Qi Pill, the herbs used were only Tier 1 medicinal herbs and were available for purchase at any ordinary shop. As the largest medicinal herb business within the capital, the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion naturally had the goods.

The shopkeeper swept a look over Ye Yuan’s prescription and started to frown. Ye Yuan asked curiously, "Why? Anything wrong?"

"Young Master, the medicinal herbs listed on this prescription, everything is fine, except for this Six Leaf Grass . . ."

The shopkeeper revealed a difficult expression.

Upon hearing this, Ye Yuan was even more surprised. "According to what I know, even though this Six Leaf Grass is a little rare, it is still a commonly seen medicinal herb. It can’t be that our Fragrant Medicine Pavilion is unable to produce three portions of it?"

The shopkeeper gave a bitter laugh and said, "Young Master, of course, we have Six Leaf Grass. But we normally wouldn’t stock up too much of such medicinal herbs, with precisely just three portions all inside the storeroom. Unfortunately, all three portions of Six Leaf Grass were reserved by someone yesterday, with the deposit already paid."

At this point, the shopkeeper snuck a look to assess Ye Yuan, terrified that the latter would fly into a rage. This little ancestor was not someone that can be easily dealt with. If he were dissatisfied, he might just raise such a fearful din which can cause fowls and dogs having no peace. Ye Yuan’s performance yesterday was very eye-catching; rivers and mountains might change, but it was hard to alter a man’s nature. God knows if he might lose his temper because of this.

Seeing Ye Yuan remained unperturbed, the shopkeeper finally relaxed, thinking to himself could this little ancestor really have changed his personality?

"Who reserved the medicine?"

"A youth about the same age as Young Master. Furthermore, he needed it very urgently," the shopkeeper replied with trepidation.

Nodding his head, Ye Yuan said, "What time did he say he will come to collect the medicine? I wish to have a chat with him."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper jumped in fright thinking that Ye Yuan wanted to force people to cancel the reservation. Once something like this was done, it would be extremely detrimental to the reputation of the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion.

Seeing through his concerns, Ye Yuan assured him and said, "Relax, I won’t mess around."

The shopkeeper right now could not tell if this little ancestor really changed his personality or not, but seeing that Ye Yuan had no intention of leaving, it looks like he was hell-bent on getting those three stalks of Six Leaf Grass.

"He said he will come to collect it early in the morning. With how anxious he was, most likely he’s about to arrive?" Feeling helpless, the shopkeeper could only tell the truth.

"Alright. Then I will wait for him here." Ye Yuan found a place to sit down quietly, closing his eyes to meditate while ignoring the perturbed shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper gave a sigh and just let Ye Yuan be, praying that this little ancestor would not cause any trouble. It was not that he was worried about Ye Yuan, but it was just that in the past Ye Yuan had left way too strong of an impression on everyone.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Ye Yuan who had his eyes closed suddenly heard an urgent-sounding voice.

"Shopkeeper, I’m here to collect the Six Leaf Grass I reserved yesterday."

"This . . ." The shopkeeper once again revealed a difficult expression.

The person was a youth around the age of 15 or 16 years old. Upon seeing the shopkeeper’s expressions, he exclaimed anxiously, "Shopkeeper, we agreed on it yesterday, and you even took the deposit. You can’t go back on your words!"

"We naturally wouldn’t go back on our words after collecting a deposit. It’s just that I wanted to ask this brother, what’s your purpose for buying this Six Leaf Grass?"

The one who spoke was naturally Ye Yuan.

Turning his head around only to see a youth around the same age as him, dressed in silk clothing, he naturally did not have a good reaction. "What does it have to do with you?"

The shopkeeper jumped in fright. To dare to provoke this little ancestor, is this youth tired of living? Just as he was about to speak up, he was stopped by the expression in Ye Yuan’s eyes.

Beaming, Ye Yuan said, "Of course it’s none of my business. I was just curious why did you buy medicinal herbs instead of a finished product. Could it be that you wanted to refine them yourself? There are three types of Tier 1 pills which require the Six Leaf Grass to refine, so let me make a guess. The first one is the Heavenly Spiritual Pill, a pill meant for impacting through the Spirit Condensation Realm. You are only at the Fourth Level Essence Qi Realm, so it’s most likely not this sort of pill. The second type is the Pure Heart Pill, a pill used to maintain clarity of the mind and to chase away Heart Demons. It is suitable for use when assaulting bottlenecks. Looking at how you’re not at a bottleneck, it’s most likely not this pill. There’s still one more type called the Great Returning Pill, a sacred Tier 1 healing medicine. Looking at how anxious you are, could it be that a loved one was badly injured, and this person requires this particular pill to save his life?"

The youth’s jaw dropped, looking at Ye Yuan with shock. He was shocked by Ye Yuan’s profound medicinal knowledge but even more astonished by Ye Yuan’s torch-like eyes.

Ye Yuan’s analysis was as if he saw it with his own eyes, and the truth was precisely what Ye Yuan had said.

The youth was called Tang Yu and was at the same Dan Wu Academy as Ye Yuan. But the difference was that Ye Yuan got in through connections, while Tang Yu relied on his own abilities to get into the Dan Wu Academy.

In reality, the majority of the geniuses at the Dan Wu Academy were from noble families. Only a very small number of these geniuses came from ordinary backgrounds. Noble families had the advantage in terms of resources which the masses did not; a disparity that no amount of hard work could change. Geniuses with ordinary backgrounds already lost from the starting line.

Techniques, medicinal pills, and money. The nobility possessed the advantages that commoners could never attain even if they worked hard their entire lives. That was the advantage accumulated after generations.

Tang Yu being able to enter the Dan Wu Academy as a commoner said a lot by itself. Being at the Fourth Level Essence Qi Realm at his age was not considered outstanding, but he indeed was not mediocre.

From the Third Level to the Fourth Level, there was quite a hurdle. Being able to cross that hurdle without depending on piles of resources showed that Tang Yu was very talented in the Martial Path.

Naturally, there was no lack of personal hard work on Tang Yu’s part to have the strength he possessed today, as well as having entered the Dan Wu Academy. However, his father’s support was not to be overlooked.

Tang Yu’s father was called Tang Zonghuai, an experienced demonic beast hunter. These few years, Tang Zonghuai braved untold dangers in the Endless Forest. All for the sake of a better future for his son.

But eventually, a person would encounter ghosts if he walked around too often at night. This time around, Tang Zonghuai encountered a mighty demonic beast in the Endless Forest. Despite having narrowly escaped death, he suffered grievous injuries.

Tang Yu was a sensible child. He saw with his own eyes the countless injuries that his father suffered all these years. Hence, as he pursued Martial Dao, he also aspired to become an alchemist all so he could help to treat his father’s injuries whenever necessary. If it was not for the time wasted on the Alchemy Path, it was possible Tang Yu’s accomplishments would be far beyond what it was today.

However, being an alchemist was a profession which burned a lot of money; something that Tang Yu frankly could not support. Before entering the Dan Wu Academy, he had spent a considerable amount of time to understand theoretical knowledge, but his practical experience was nearly zero. Only after entering the Dan Wu Academy did he really have the chance to practice refining pills.

Even so, what he learned was very shallow.

In order to support Tang Yu to learn martial arts these past few years, Tang Zonghuai already depleted the household’s savings. This meant that Tang Yu could no longer afford the cost of a completed Tier 1 medicinal pill anymore. But Tang Yu could not just watch his father die in front of him like this, so he decided to take the final plunge and attempt to refine a Great Returning Pill.

Tang Yu had never spoken to outsiders about his family’s matters before, yet he spilled out everything in front of Ye Yuan. Furthermore, this youth in front of him looked to be around the same age as him, yet his accomplishments in the Alchemy Path were way above his. If this person was willing to help him refine the Great Returning Pill . . .

Thinking up to this point, Tang Yu put aside his initially indifferent attitude, cupped his hands toward Ye Yuan, and he said sincerely, "This Brother, I was being apprehensive. If I’d offended you just now with my words, I apologize for that."

Ye Yuan knew his words took effect, so he smiled and waved his hands. "Since it’s for saving a life, you don’t have to be courteous, Brother."

Briefly hesitating, Tang Yu asked, "Judging from the way you talked, could it be that you also have an interest in this Six Leaf Grass?"

Tang Yu was an intelligent man. From the words just now, he already guessed that Ye Yuan seemed to have an interest on this Six Leaf Grass which was why his tone initially was rude.

Ye Yuan did not hide this and said with a smile, "That’s right. I have great use for these three stalks of Six Leaf Grass. But I also know that you, Brother, need it to save someone. I don’t know if you trust me enough to bring me to see the patient, but perhaps I could be of some assistance?"

If Ye Yuan said this right away after they met, Tang Yu would naturally have snorted in derision. However, Ye Yuan’s words just now truly stunned him, letting him know their differences in skill. He could not help but to reconsider it.

In reality, Tang Yu did not have much assurance about Tang Zonghuai’s injuries and was even less sure about refining the Great Returning Pill. Hene, the reason why he bought all three stalks of Six Leaf Grass in preparation for failure.

Father’s injuries cannot be delayed any longer. Tang Yu hesitated for a moment and then made a firm decision. Cupping his hands toward Ye Yuan, he said, "Then I will have to trouble you. How do I address you, Brother?"

"My humble surname, Ye, with a single character given name, Yuan," Ye Yuan answered directly without hiding anything.

"Ye Yuan?" Tang Yu ruminated on this name, thinking it was somewhat familiar and wondering where he had heard it before.

When the shopkeeper standing by the side heard how the young master talked to the youth, he could not help but developed a better impression of Ye Yuan. However, when Ye Yuan reported his name, the shopkeeper shouted in his mind, ’ Not good! ’

The name Ye Yuan was too thunderous within the capital.

As expected, Tang Yu thought for a moment before connecting it to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion, and he came to a sudden realization where he heard that name before.

"You . . . You were at the last place in the ranking at the Dan Wu Academy, the one who was always first at the bottom in every subject? That super silkpants Ye Yuan?" Tang Yu blurted out.

Ye Yuan secretly sighed. He did not know if his predecessor lived a successful life or a failed one; to have made such a name for himself.

"That’s right. I’m that Ye Yuan. But you shouldn’t reject me in such a hurry first. If I’m guessing correctly, you have no confidence in refining the Great Returning Pill yourself. Am I right?

"That . . ." Ye Yuan’s words sent a chill down Tang Yu’s spine.

"How about this? Bring me over to have a look first. If I can’t resolve the issue, I will let my father personally take action and help you to refine a Great Returning Pill. How about that?" Ye Yuan offered, striking the iron while it was hot.

The instant Ye Yuan brought up his father, Tang Yu’s eyes lit up immediately. If Ye Hang would really take action personally, then his father’s injuries would definitely be under control.

"Is this true?"

"Of course, it’s true. If you don’t believe me, we can write a contract."

Tang Yu felt that it was not very nice to be this untrusting of others, but with his father’s life at stake, he honestly could not care that much any longer. Furthermore, with Ye Yuan’s distinguished reputation, he really did not dare take the risk. If his father could be saved, then he would apologize to Young Master Ye then.

Having made his decision, Tang Yu cupped his hands and said, "Then I will have to trouble Young Master Ye."

Waving his hands, Ye Yuan said lightly, "You’re welcome. Shopkeeper, help me draft a contract."

The shopkeeper naturally did not dare to delay; he quickly took a brush and a paper to draft out the contract. Only when Ye Yuan signed his name on it did Tang Yu finally relaxed.

Looking at the back view of the two who were already far away, the shopkeeper felt what happened was somewhat unreal. He knew better than anyone that in the past, Ye Yuan would definitely not be this easy to talk to; unless he really did mature after surviving a calamity.

. . . . . .

Every inch of land in the capital was like an inch of gold. Even though demonic beast hunters generally had much higher income than the average person, Tang Zonghuai still could not afford an excessively large house; let alone supporting his son to practice martial arts.

This was a very ordinary house for commoners which looked gloomy inside. The moment Ye Yuan stepped inside the house, a wave of medicinal smell wafted out.

"Tranquil Heart Lotus, Red Pine Nuts, Golden Flower Fruit . . . All of these medicinal herbs are meant for entry-level medicinal pills. It looks like Brother Tang is still practicing refining Tier 1 pills. It’s just that this Great Returning Pill is a high-grade Tier 1. With Brother Tang’s current standards, I’m afraid even if you used all three stalks of Six Leaf Grass, you wouldn’t be able to refine it, right?" Ye Yuan was not the slightest bit courteous with his words; drawing blood with a single prick, he exposed Tang Yu’s standards.

Tang Yu could not even imagine how great Ye Yuan’s skill was. Relying on his nose and sniffing just once, Ye Yuan managed to completely determine Tang Yu’s ability. Although they were around the same age, in front of Ye Yuan, Tang Yu felt as if he was just like a child stumbling while learning how to walk.

Ye Yuan also intentionally revealed some abilities so that Tang Yu would not look down on him. He did not have any choice since his predecessor was such a piece of work. He had no alternative but to show off a little.

Being talked to in such a way by Ye Yuan did not anger Tang Yu, but instead, it startled him. They just stepped into the entrance, but the medicinal herbs were placed deep within the house. Ye Yuan could not possibly see them, yet he could rely purely on his nose to discern the medicinal herbs without missing a single one. What kind of comprehension in Alchemy Dao was needed to do that? Most likely even the instructors in the academy did not have such abilities . . .

"To think Brother Ye is so well-read, to have such a level of attainment towards the alchemy path. Tang Yu carelessly believed the rumors and as a result, affronted Brother Ye. I am ashamed." With just Ye Yuan’s words, Tang Yu realized this person definitely had an undeserved reputation, and he quickly apologized.

Ye Yuan silently praised him. This Tang Yu came from a poor background, yet he was frank and forthright; a friend worth making.

On the way here, Tang Yu recounted about his household. Only then did Ye Yuan know this Tang Yu was actually a student from the Dan Wu Academy. No wonder Tang Yu knew he was at the last place in the ranking.

With a smile, Ye Yuan said, "No need for that, Brother Tang. My previous reputation was indeed horrendous, so Brother Tang can’t be blamed. As for my attainments in the Alchemy Path, it isn’t really that high. It’s just that when I was young, my father forced me to learn some of these medicinal herbs, so I ended up recognizing a few of them."

At this point, Tang Yu no longer dared to underestimate Ye Yuan. He quickly said, "Brother Ye is too humble. Please, come in."

As Tang Yu led Ye Yuan into the house, a series of faint and weak coughing sound came from someone lying on a bed. Needless to say, the person was Tang Yu’s father, Tang Zonghuai.

"Yu-er . . . cough . . . Are you . . . cough . . . back?" Tang Zonghuai’s condition did not seem to be very optimistic; coughing so severely just by saying something, and even struggling just to sit up straight.

Tang Yu looked at this scene and quickly went up to support Tang Zonghuai. "Father, I already told you not to move about."

"Hahaha . . . cough . . . This time around . . . cough . . . Father probably isn’t going to make it. In the . . . In the future, you have to . . . cough . . . take good care of yourself." Clearly, Tang Zonghuai already harbored the intention to die.

Tang Yu’s tears immediately spilled out, and he said with a choking voice, "Father, don’t speak anymore. I . . . I will definitely cure you! I already brought back the Six Leaf Grass. I will go and refine the Great Returning Pill right away."

Tang Yu was about to get up when he was grabbed by Tang Zonghuai. "No . . . No need . . . cough . . . It is useless."

It was not that the Great Returning Pill was actually useless, but rather, Tang Zonghuai knew that it was not possible for his son to refine the Great Returning Pill. Instead of wasting the medicinal herbs, he might as well leave it for his son.

"Cough cough . . . Yu-er, to . . . cough . . . to think there’s a guest. Why . . . Why didn’t you invite him in to have a seat?" Only now did Tang Zonghuai notice someone else was standing at the entrance of the room.

Upon mentioning Ye Yuan, Tang Yu immediately perked up and turned to Ye Yuan. "Brother Ye, I beg of you. Please save my father! As long as you can cure him, I would be willing to slog like a horse for you throughout my lifetime."

Even though Tang Yu’s background was not that good, it was clear that he was a person with an air of pride. To be able to say such words showed how deep the relationship between the father and son pair was.

Judging others by oneself, even the most delicate string lying within the deepest parts of Ye Yuan’s heart was strummed.

"You and I can be considered to have hit it off as brothers. Why did you have to say something like toiling for me akin to a horse? Quickly, let Uncle lie down, I will do a diagnosis." Tang Yu made space for Ye Yuan who did not bother with courteousness and sat directly on the bed.

Right when Ye Yuan was about to grab Tang Zonghuai’s wrists, who knew the latter would pull away. "No need for it . . . This Little Brother . . . Thank you."

"Father!" Seeing his father like this immediately made Tang Yu anxious.

Ye Yuan knew that Tang Zonghuai wanted to avoid causing trouble for his son. Hence, he was bent on dying. Of course, a part of the reason was that Ye Yuan was too young; he did not believe Ye Yuan can do anything.

Ye Yuan did not get angry. Signaling with his hands to stop Tang Yu, he asked, "Uncle, if I didn’t guess it wrong, you were injured by a Giant Wind Rhinoceros right?

Hearing that, Tang Yu instantly became agitated. "What a great judgment, Brother Ye, to have guessed it at a glance."

Tang Zonghuai remained unmoved. Coughing several times, he said disjointedly, "It’s . . . Yu-er who . . . told you right? Don’t . . . bother."

"Father, I really did not tell Brother Ye. He figured it out on his own." Looking at how his father was bent on dying, Tang Yu’s heart was torn with anxiety.

Looking at this situation, Ye Yuan started frowning. To treat a person, firstly, he had to address the patient’s heart. Tang Zonghuai himself did not want to live anymore. Even if he let Tang Zonghuai ate a miraculous panacea, it might not be able to save him.

With Ye Yuan’s eyesight, he could indeed see that Tang Zonghuai was heavily injured, and most likely he would not outlive the night to see the next day. If things continued delaying like this, then even if he became an Alchemy Emperor once more, he would not be able to save Tang Zonghuai. Even his current condition was not something that a Great Returning Pill could treat.

Ye Yuan decided to give a dose of fierce medicine. "Forget it, Brother Tang. What’s the point of saving such a heartless person? Since he wants to die, then let him die."

Tang Yu could not catch on of Ye Yuan’s real intention. But seeing Ye Yuan demeaned his father like that, he suddenly was in a rage. "Ye Yuan, what are you saying? My father got injured all because for my sake. How can you called him a heartless person?"

"Cough . . . Such an immature . . . goading technique . . . is useless." Tang Yu might not be able to realize it, but how could an experienced old man like Tang Zonghuai not tell.

Ye Yuan naturally did not think that it would succeed so easily. With a cold smile, he then said, "Is that so? Then just treat it as a goading technique. In the future when Brother Tang dies on the streets and goes to the Underworld to blame you, let’s see how you respond then."

A ripple finally appeared in Tang Zonghuai’s placid emotions. Turning around, he said, "What do you mean by that?"

"Didn’t you said it’s a goading technique? Why bother asking so much then? I was taking into account of Brother Tang’s filial piety, that’s why I agreed to save you. But to think that his filial piety wasn’t appreciated at all. It’s fine to not save you then. Farewell." After saying this, Ye Yuan then just turned around and walked away.

"Hold on!" Tang Zonghuai and Tang Yu called out in unison.

"Is there anything else, Uncle?" Ye Yuan ignored Tang Yu and asked Tang Zonghuai coldly.

"I would like to know . . . what did Little Brother . . . meant by . . . what you said just now." Saying how Tang Yu would die on the streets really triggered him.

"You are just someone who’s about to die, what’s the point of knowing so much? To not even care about your own son’s life and death, only caring about your own death; if you aren’t heartless, then what are you?" Ye Yuan smiled coldly.

"As . . . As long as . . . this Little Brother clarifies things . . . I . . . I’m willing to be treated." Seemingly speaking too much, Tang Zonghuai’s coughing became even more intense.

Yet Ye Yuan maintained that look of disdain. Smiling coldly, he said, "Do you think that after Tang Yu enters the Dan Wu Academy, his future would be boundless?"

"Isn’t . . . isn’t that the case?" Tang Zonghuai asked doubtfully.

"Of course not! The Dan Wu Academy is not the holy land you imagined; on the contrary, it’s an abnormally cruel place. Of course, I believe Brother Tang has never mentioned this to you before, am I right?" Ye Yuan questioned him while looking towards Tang Yu.

Tang Yu revealed an embarrassed expression, yet he still nodded his head, which was considered tacitly agreeing. Tang Zonghuai was quite familiar with his own son, so he naturally knew that he was not lying; his heart could not help but tighten.

Ye Yuan continued saying, "The Dan Wu Academy is indeed a place where geniuses congregate, but it’s also where the competition is the most intense; possibly it is even crueler than the outside world! The birth of a genius often requires stepping on the bones of other geniuses. Although Brother Tang’s talent isn’t bad, it isn’t exceedingly good. Furthermore, he is just a commoner. Without the support of massive resources, he is destined to be the stepping stone for other people. In the future when he’s eliminated, even if he survived, he can at most make a living by becoming a demonic beast hunter. There are no small numbers of people like that within the Dan Wu Academy. How many demonic beast hunters do you think could possibly lead a safe and secure life?"

As a demonic beast hunter himself, Tang Zonghuai naturally understood the circumstances of demonic beast hunters. Thinking of how his own son would possibly follow in his footsteps, Tang Zonghuai felt like even if he died, he would not have died peacefully.

"Li-Little Brother, just now . . . cough . . . was my fault. Can I trouble . . . you to treat my injuries? I . . . I’m willing to . . . pay any price." Initially, Tang Zonghuai was not willing to cause any trouble for his son. However, after discovering that his son might get into even more trouble after he passed away, this meant that no matter what, he cannot die."Brother Ye, how are my father’s injuries?" Tang Yu asked uneasily.

Tang Yu was an amateur who did not have much confidence in his diagnosis. Now that Ye Yuan displayed a standard in the alchemy path that was way above his, he naturally entrusted all of his hopes on Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan furrowed his brows, making Tang Yu’s heart sink fiercely at once.

"A Giant Wind Rhinoceros is abnormally strong and extremely fast. Uncle is already considered lucky to have escaped alive from it. His injuries are severe. A lobe of his lung is already in tatters, and his heart is also leaning towards failure; his life is in danger at any moment." Ye Yuan’s expression was somber.

Tang Yu’s heart gradually hit rock bottom along with Ye Yuan’s words. Instead, it was Tang Zonghuai whose face had the serenity of someone who saw past life and death. He was obviously aware of how severe his injuries were, which was why he was so decisive just now. Hearing Ye Yuan’s diagnosis only confirmed his speculations.

"Brother Ye, don’t tell me . . ." Tang Yu did not dare to complete his sentence. Ye Yuan could feel the despair in his heart just from these few words.

However, Ye Yuan did not answer Tang Yu’s question. Instead, he locked his brows together, as if he was pondering on a problem.

For some time, the house was eerily silent. Tang Yu could not tolerate the torture anymore. Plucking up his courage, he asked Ye Yuan, "Brother Ye, I know it’s a little presumptuous, but can you request . . . your father to take action?"

Lifting his head up to look at Tang Yu, Ye Yuan looked calm, but he remained silent.

Tang Yu felt a little self-conscious by Ye Yuan’s stare and said awkwardly, "Sorry Brother Ye. It’s not that I am looking down on you, but . . ."

"I know what you meant by that. Regardless whether you believe it or not, it’s useless, even if my father came. Not only that, even if it’s Wan Donghai or even Wu Daofeng who came, it wouldn’t help," Ye Yuan said firmly.

Wu Daofeng whom Ye Yuan had named was the Chairman of the State of Qin’s Alchemists Association. In the entire State of Qin, the one with the highest accomplishments in the Alchemy Dao was neither Wan Donghai nor Ye Hang, much less the Imperial Uncle from the Imperial Family; it was this Lord Chairman Wu Daofeng. Now that Ye Yuan said even he would not do, it was basically the same as sentencing Tang Zonghuai to death.

Except these words had a hint of quibble in Tang Yu’s ears. If it were regarding other matters, he naturally would not argue about it. But right now, Ye Yuan was sentencing his father to death right in front of him. How could he not have doubts? Who was Ye Yuan anyway? Merely a silkpants.

"Brother Ye, you . . ."

"Yu-er, let Mister Ye . . . finish his words." Tang Zonghuai interrupted Tang Yu halfway.

Tang Yu was a little stunned. Ye Yuan nodded and said, "I just said that they won’t do. But this doesn’t mean that Uncle’s situation is hopeless."

Tang Yu was elated after hearing this. Grabbing Ye Yuan, he said, "Does Brother Ye has a plan?"

"The plan actually lies with you, Brother Tang."

"Me?" Tang Yu was befuddled by Ye Yuan’s words. In reality, Ye Yuan did not know how to initiate his request; which was why he took a very roundabout way.

Nodding his head, Ye Yuan said, "Brother Tang is also aware that my past reputation isn’t that great. I wonder if Brother Tang can trust me."

At this moment, Tang Yu came to a realization. As a smart man, if he still could not understand Ye Yuan’s intention hidden in his words, then he would be a fool.

"Does Brother Ye mean . . . the Six Leaf Grass?" Tang Yu asked hesitatingly.

"That’s right." Ye Yuan did not deny it and directly acknowledged this.

In reality, there were differences in the way the Divine Realm and the Lower Realms ranked their medicines. Although a Tier 1 pill in the Divine Realm was also categorized into levels of high, middle, and low, the so-called high-level pills that the State Of Qin had to offer were merely low-level pills when placed in the Divine Realm. The variety and quality of the pill formulas in the Divine Realm were not something which a Lower Realm’s mortal country could compare to.

Logically speaking, it was impossible for Ye Yuan to refine a high-level Tier 1 pill with his strength. His essence energy could not even support the refinement of a high-level Tier 1 pill. The only reason why he could refine it was that he used to be an Alchemy Emperor. He was only able to refine medicines that surpassed his strength with his pitiful amount of essence energy by meticulously controlling the distribution of essence energy to a terrifying degree.

Yet these so-called high-level Tier 1 Pills were merely some unwanted low-level pills in Ye Yuan’s eyes.

However, high-level Tier 1 pills from the Lower Realms were no longer sufficient to treat Tang Zonghuai’s injuries; middle-level Tier 1 pills from the Divine Realm were necessary. But Ye Yuan’s current strength was way too low at the moment, making it impossible to refine pills of such a grade.

Hence, he was giving Tang Yu an option. If Tang Yu chose not to believe in him, then his fate with Tang Yu would end here; there would be nothing he could do for Tang Zonghuai’s injuries.

"H-how can I do that? What if . . . What if . . ." Tang Yu became quite flustered.

Subconsciously, Tang Yu felt that Ye Yuan was trustworthy. However, when facing the grim reality, Tang Yu really did not know what he should do. His idea was that if Ye Yuan really could not save his father, then he had the Great Returning Pill as his last hope.

"Brother Ye, it’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just . . . just . . ." Tang Yu did not know how to word it.

"Yu-er, give it to him," at that moment, the silent Tang Zonghuai said with a weak voice.

Turning over and meeting his father’s gaze, Tang Yu and his father exchanged a great deal of information from each other’s eyes. Finally, gritting his teeth tightly, Tang Yu passed the box containing the Six Leaf Grass over to Ye Yuan and said, "Brother Ye, please."

Ye Yuan did not decline and received the box calmly. He then said, "Give me a day. I will be here promptly at this time tomorrow. However, Uncle’s injuries are not very stable at the moment. If I don’t deal with it, it would be hard to endure until tomorrow. Let me carry out a set of needle technique on him to stabilize his condition to prevent it from worsening."

Tang Yu made a welcoming gesture and said, "I will have to trouble Brother Ye then."

Ye Yuan naturally did not carry golden needles on him, so he returned to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion to retrieve the needles.

After Ye Yuan left, Tang Yu asked his father uneasily, "Father, I know that Brother Ye is a man of genuine skill and knowledge, but his previous reputation is really dreadful. I still feel that this is a gamble."

After a bout of violent coughing, Tang Zonghuai gave a strained smile and said, "How can I . . . not understand my own injuries? What . . . Brother Ye said . . . was right. Even if . . . Wu Daofeng came . . . it would be futile. Even if . . . it was a gamble, there is . . . nothing that . . . we can’t afford to lose."

"Father, is it truly so serious?" Clearly, Tang Yu never thought that his father’s injuries had already worsened to such an extent.

Tang Zonghuai simply shook his head and said, "That boy . . . does not belong in a shallow pond. Yu-er . . . no matter . . . the result, in the future . . . get closer . . . to him."

Tang Yu did not expect his father to have such a high evaluation of Ye Yuan. However, his own bias toward Ye Yuan had been cast beyond the ninth layer of clouds ever since stepping into this house. Nodding his head, Tang Yu said, "Father, don’t worry. I, your son, am not an ungrateful person. As long as Brother Ye treats Father with all his might, this life of mine can be considered sold to him."

Watching Ye Yuan’s acupuncture skill and movement flowing naturally like water, Tang Yu became even more confident. At this moment, he discovered that Ye Yuan was utterly not worthless like the rumors suggested.

"Father, how are you? Do you feel better?" after the acupuncture session was over, Tang Yu asked anxiously.

Presently, Tang Zonghuai’s face color was a lot rosier, and his coughing was not as violent as before. "Mister Ye is indeed skillful. Right now I feel that my entire body is a lot more relaxed."

Even though he was still out of breath when talking, it was much better compared to previously.

This needle technique of Ye Yuan naturally was not something ordinary, but a pinnacle needle technique which was self-created. Ye Yuan named it the 72 Paths Great Cycle Acupuncture. This set of needle technique once stirred up the Divine Realm, and it possessed unfathomable capabilities.

Of course, with his current realm, he simply could not unleash the power of this needle technique. It could only control Tang Zonghuai’s condition a little right now.

"This acupuncture can only alleviate the symptoms, but it cannot treat the root of the problem. Tomorrow, I will send the medicinal pill over. There’s no time to waste. I will return first." Finishing his words, Ye Yuan immediately bade farewell and left.

. . . . . .

Ye Yuan went to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion to retrieve the medicinal herbs for refining the Exploding Yuan Pill and directly entered the pill refinement room together with the three stalks of Six Leaf Grass.

Exploding Yuan Pill was only a low-level Tier 1 medicinal pill in the Divine realm, perfect for the current Ye Yuan to refine. He even had better Tier 1 medicinal pills for increasing strength, but currently, he was unable to refine them. Once his strength increased, he would naturally be able to refine higher level medicinal pills of the same tier.

To Ye Yuan, the refinement method for the Exploding Yuan Pill was very simple. After six hours, Ye Yuan brought a few medicine bottles with him out of the pill refinement room.

Next was naturally a closed-door seclusion training. He found a quiet chamber, and informed the servants to not disturb him, and started his meditation.

Looking at the row of pill bottles in front of his eyes, Ye Yuan frowned lightly. He was very discontented with this round of pill refinement. Three sets of ingredients, yet he only managed to refine 26 Exploding Yuan Pills. Among the pills were 15 middle-grade Exploding Yuan Pills, eight high-grade Exploding Yuan Pills, and only three superior-grade Exploding Yuan Pills.

Medicinal pills were divided into several grades: low-grade, middle-grade, high-grade, superior-grade, and transcendent-grade. If it were in the past and Ye Yuan refined these sort of lowly medicinal pills, in this case, the low-level Tier 1 Exploding Yuan Pill, the lowest grade would at least be of superior-grade. And yet today, he could only refine out a bunch of trash. This was obviously something he was not accustomed to.

If the few Alchemy Grandmasters in the State of Qin were to hear Ye Yuan’s thoughts, they would definitely find a hole in the ground to crawl into. If they were to refine the Exploding Yuan Pill, they would express thanks to the heaven and earth if there was one superior-grade medicinal pill. Now, Ye Yuan refined three of them, and he still was not satisfied? Superior-grade medicinal pills to them were something that could only be encountered by luck and not by attempting to refine it. Only sometimes when they were lucky could they manage to refine it.

Ye Yuan let out a sigh. He knew that this was not something that could be helped. After all, this body had never refined medicinal pills before, so his skill was still lacking. The most important thing was still that his strength was too weak. One portion of essence energy had to be split into three to be used; naturally, he could not refine high-level pills.

Holding the bottle containing the superior-grade Exploding Yuan Pills, Ye Yuan took one out and immediately swallowed it.

The instant the pill reached his abdomen, it immediately transformed into gushes of essence energy which swept outwards. The surging essence energy repeatedly gushed through all the meridians in Ye Yuan’s body. Ye Yuan did not dare to delay, and he immediately cultivated the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art to direct the chaotic essence energy to flow along the meridians properly. The initially violent essence energy immediately became extremely subservient under the guidance of the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art. After essence energy fully circulated through Ye Yuan’s body, it finally converged within his dantian. After tempering using the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art, the initially somewhat chaotic essence energy became incomparably stable.

The Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art was divided into three chapters of Mortal, Earth, and Heaven. Right now, Ye Yuan was cultivating the early part of the Mortal chapter. The Mortal Chapter was further divided into three sections, and each section had an accompanying martial technique. That was also a strong point of the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art. A martial technique dedicated to the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art had unmatched power.

The Spirit Bristle Divine King was invincible in the Divine Realm because he had mastered the final martial technique in the Heaven Chapter of the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art; this martial technique was called the Nine Suns Burning Heaven. The moment this martial technique was unleashed, a radius of several thousand miles would burn into nothingness; it was immensely terrifying.

The supporting martial technique for the first section of the Mortal chapter was named the Absolute Yang Finger. It unleashed essence energy from the fingertips, and after mastering to the large success stage, it could smash rocks and break metal, having an extremely high attacking power.

After four hours, the medicinal efficacy was fully absorbed by Ye Yuan after cultivating with the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art. Ye Yuan felt the essence energy in his body was lacking just by a bit more before he could step into the Second Level Essence Qi Realm.

Without any hesitation, Ye Yuan threw the second superior-grade Exploding Yuan Pill into his mouth and continued to temper the essence energy in his dantian. Another four hours passed, and Ye Yuan then swallowed the third pill.

After Ye Yuan finished taking all the superior-grade Exploding Yuan Pills, he continued to consume the high-grade Exploding Yuan Pills. But the effects were much more inferior compared to the superior-grade Exploding Yuan Pills. Furthermore, with the increasing consumption of Exploding Yuan Pill, the medicinal effects would become less efficacious for Ye Yuan.

When dawn was about to break, Ye Yuan felt his entire body’s meridians and dantian slightly swelled, and he was in pain. He knew that the maximum amount of essence energy he could absorb had been reached. If he continued, his body would explode, and he would die. Once again checking his body’s essence energy, it had actually reached the peak of the Third Level Essence Qi Realm; just a little more needed before stepping into the Fourth Level Essence Qi Realm. Right now, Ye Yuan had already exhausted three superior-grade Exploding Yuan Pills as well as six high-grade Exploding Yuan Pills. It could not be said that it was not extravagant.

From the Third Level Essence Qi Realm to the Fourth Level Essence Qi Realm, there was a small bottleneck. In a mortal country like the State of Qin, many people were stuck at this bottleneck, and some might even never broke through it during their lifetime.

But this bottleneck was basically non-existent for Ye Yuan. With his extremely high cultivation realm in the past life, a small bottleneck in the Essence Qi Realm naturally could not stump him. As long as the accumulation of essence energy was sufficient, Ye Yuan could cross this threshold anytime.

It was just that continuously rising through two small cultivation realms overnight had made Ye Yuan’s foundation slightly unstable. With Ye Yuan’s experience, he naturally would not do something where the loss outweighed the gain. Even though he desired strength, he did not want to quench his thirst for it without regard for the consequences. Only by keeping his feet firmly on the ground could he walk further.

Over the next few days, his primary mission was to stabilized the sudden rise in strength and to strengthen the foundation of his Initial Stage Essence Qi Realm. Only then would he consider stepping into the next stage.

Of course, because Ye Yuan cultivated the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art, his essence energy was much thicker and purer than the average Third Level Essence Qi Realm. If someone else was to consume the Exploding Yuan Pill, one superior-grade Exploding Yuan Pill and two high-grade Exploding Yuan Pill were enough to make the First Level Essence Qi Realm promoted to the Third Level Essence Qi Realm.

Which was to say that currently, Ye Yuan’s essence energy was three times thicker than the average Third Level Essence Qi Realm! No wonder the Spirit Bristle Divine King had such power. If a person was to cultivate the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art to an exceedingly high realm, even if one squandered essence energy, one could exhaust his opponent to death.

If a person took into account of this, then even if his own strength was inadequate, his essence energy was sufficient enough to refine a Divine Realm’s middle-level Tier 1 medicinal pill.

"It’s late. Time to help Uncle Tang refine the Ink Jade Heart Returning Pill." Ye Yuan stood up and stretched his body, pushing the door outwards.

Right after stepping out the door, he saw Lu-er swaying around like a sylph. She smiled and said, "Young Master, you exited your closed-door seclusion?"

"En. Yii? You are already at the First Level Essence Qi Realm?" Ye Yuan replied with a smile while his perceptions unwittingly swept over Lu-er’s body. He discovered that Lu-er who was initially void of any essence energy was actually at the First Level Essence Qi Realm right now. Furthermore, he only taught Lu-er the Heaven Illusionary Ice Soul a day ago!

Lu-er nodded her head obediently and asked timidly, "Young Master, am I cultivating too slowly?"

Ye Yuan could not help but laughed. "You little lass. Don’t say these words outside. Otherwise, you will anger others to death. Your cultivation speed is too fast; so fast that it makes everyone feel ashamed of their inadequacy."

Lu-er had just stepped onto the path of cultivation and completely had no understanding of cultivation speed. Listening to how her young master was praising her, Lu-er was elated.

"Really? Does that mean that in the future, I will be able to help Young Master?"

"Haha. Of course. Our family’s Lu-er is the most amazing. Let’s go, follow young master to settle some matters. Tomorrow, we will depart for the Dan Wu Academy. I will bring you to the academy through recommendation," Ye Yuan said with a laugh.

These few days, the Drunken Star Manor was deserted. Its limelight was stolen by the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion.

Ever since the incident caused by Ye Yuan, Wan Donghai had been in a closed-door seclusion, rejecting all visitors. This made Wan Dongyang extremely anxious. He really wanted to send someone to finish Ye Yuan off, but without his big brother’s consent, he did not dare to make the call. Hence, he would linger around Wan Donghai’s seclusion location every now and then, hoping that Wan Donghai would exit seclusion faster.

Currently, Wan Dongyang was pacing about the room’s doorway looking very impatient. Clearly, his patience was already at its limits.

"Big Brother, if you are still not coming out, I will bring people along to cripple that punk! I can’t stomach this grievance." Wan Dongyang clearly already lost his temper.

Getting no response from Wan Donghai, Wan Dongyang stomped his feet angrily. Just as he was about to leave, Wan Donghai’s voice transmitted into his ears.

"Dongyang, come in."

Hearing this, Wan Dongyang was elated and immediately opened the door and went in.

"Uh . . . Big Brother, weren’t you in a closed-door seclusion? Why . . ." Wan Dongyang initially thought that his big brother was really in a closed-door seclusion attempting a breakthrough. Who would have thought that he would see Wan Donghai leisurely drinking tea with a very laid-back appearance?

Wan Donghai did not have a trace of frustration nor an appearance of defeat, which was completely different from what Wan Dongyang imagined. In fact, he was full of spirit and energy, as if the incident two days ago never happened.

Maintaining a look as if everything was within his grasp, Wan Donghai smiled lightly and said, "Dongyang, how many times have I told you? When you encounter problems, don’t be overly agitated. This is the capital. It is our territory, but also Ye Hang’s territory. Do you think you can eliminate Ye Yuan just by bringing people along? Not unless Ye Hang’s brain stops working."

"But Big Brother, I can’t stomach this insult! How can our Drunken Star Manor carry on operating in the capital after being smacked across the face by a brat who is still wet behind the ears?!" Wan Dongyang retorted.

"Doing business is all about harmony bringing wealth. Even if we have to fight, it should be behind the scene. There would be no meaning for you openly slaughtering your way to their doorstep other than forcing the Drunken Star Manor into a more passive position."

"This . . ."

"You just have to settle down and help me manage the Drunken Star Manor. As for Ye Yuan, you don’t have to worry about it. I’ve already made arrangements."

Wan Dongyang’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "What kind of arrangements?"

With a smile, Wan Donghai said, "He is just a First Level Essence Qi Realm brat. Why do we need to personally take action to kill him? Now that his body’s recovered, I estimate that he will be returning to the Dan Wu Academy within these two days. If he were to have some mishap along the way, then it would have nothing to do with us."

"Big Brother’s intentions are . . .?"

"I already hired a Mosha assassin to take action. He can’t possibly fail to handle a First Level Essence Qi Realm brat, right?"

"Hahaha!" Wan Dongyang laughed wildly and exclaimed with admiration, "Big Brother truly has the situation well within your grasp. This Little Brother is impressed! Why didn’t I think of this move? Mosha assassins come and go like the shadow. Within the Tranquil Cloud Ten Nations, anyone who hears that name will turn pale. With them taking action, that stinky brat definitely can’t escape death!"

"En. Mosha is the most outstanding as well as the most trustworthy assassination organization within the Tranquil Cloud Ten Nations. Since my son, Yuan-er, failed to poison that brat to death, I will send that punk on his way once more. To dare provoke me, Wan Donghai, that brat must be tired of living."

Wan Donghai’s entire personality became colder as he uttered those words.

"That’s right. Who knows where that brat got such an obscure poison from. To dare to challenge us? He simply has no idea of life from death. If he himself had some strength, then forget it. But he just had to be a wastrel at the First Level Essence Qi Realm. Eliminating him simply takes no effort at all." In Wan Dongyang’s eyes, Ye Yuan was already a dead man.

Wan Donghai laughed as if he had no more interest in Ye Yuan’s matters. In his eyes, Ye Yuan was not even being considered an opponent; at best, he was a just a flea.

"If this incident was instigated by Ye Hang behind the scenes, then he has successfully infuriated me! This time, our Drunken Star Manor will definitely strike down the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion completely! I want Ye Hang’s friends and relatives to abandon him!"

Wan Donghai took out a medicinal pill from his sleeve and passed it to Wan Dongyang. Filled with suspicion, Wan Dongyang took the pill, but even after staring at it for a while, he could not see anything special. Not every alchemist could reach Ye Yuan’s level of understanding of medicinal effects. Wan Dongyang was only able to determine that it was a pill similar to the Essence Qi Pill.

"Big Brother, this is . . .?"

"This pill is called Essence Gathering Pill. It’s the same type of essence energy accumulating pill like the Essence Qi Pill. However, an Essence Gathering Pill’s medicinal efficacy is 50% stronger than the Essence Qi Pill! What do you think would happen once our Drunken Star Manor starts to offer a large supply of this pill?" Wan Donghai could no longer conceal the pride on his face.

Wan Dongyang had a faint idea, but he never thought this Essence Gathering Pill could have such an effect. After listening to Big Brother’s explanation, Wan Dongyang’s heart felt an upsurge of emotion.

Once a pill like this was released onto the market, it would definitely be making a killing!

Even though an Essence Qi Pill could help increase strength, if one had started consuming it at the First Level Essence Qi Realm, this sort of pill would not have significant effects after reaching the Fifth Level Essence Qi Realm, much less at the Sixth Level Essence Qi Realm.

But if the person swapped the Essence Qi Pill with an Essence Gathering Pill and started consuming it at the First Level Essence Qi Realm, it would mean one’s cultivation speed became faster than the others by 50%! For the geniuses from major families, it was something they could only dream of.

Every minute and second counts in the Martial Path. With an increase in bone age, the potential in the human body would gradually be squeezed dry. Therefore, the amount of time available for getting stronger would be extremely limited. Hence, this naturally meant that anyone who could cultivate to a higher realm when they were young and could walk further along the Martial Path. Looking at things from this point of view showed the extraordinary significance of an Essence Gathering Pill.

"Big Brother, what is the cost price of this Essence Gathering Pill?" As an alchemist himself, Wan Dongyang wasn’t a fool. He asked the crucial question straightaway.

"Relax, this Essence Gathering Pill is also a Tier 1 medicinal pill. The cost price is only slightly higher than the Essence Qi Pill."

"That’s great! Big Brother, we will be able to completely take down the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion with just this Essence Gathering Pill!"

The two pairs of eyes met, and the brothers started laughing in unison.

. . . . . .

At the Tang Family’s residence.

Tang Zonghuai had just eaten the medicinal pill which Ye Yuan brought and was in a closed-door seclusion right now attempting to refine the medicinal efficacy.

The pill which Ye Yuan helped Tang Zonghuai refined was called the Ink Jade Heart Returning Pill. This sort of pill naturally did not exist in the State of Qin. But the required medicinal herbs were not difficult to find. With the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion’s resources, Ye Yuan quickly collected the medicinal herbs and refined it successfully.

This Ink Jade Returning Heart Pill was a pill specializing in treating internal injuries. The medicinal properties were about the same as the Great Returning Pill, but the medicinal efficacy was more than an entire grade higher compared to the Great Returning Pill. Not only it could help protect Tang Zonghuai’s heart meridians, but also it could repair his damaged organs. As long as Tang Zonghuai managed to absorb the medicinal properties thoroughly, he would recover within three days.

In the Tang Family Outer Hall, Tang Yu gave a deep bow to Ye Yuan. "This time around, if I didn’t coincidentally meet Brother Ye, I’m afraid Father would be doomed. Brother Ye, please accept this bow."

Stopping Tang Yu with his hands, Ye Yuan gave a smile and then said, "No need to be so polite, Brother Tang. It was also Brother Tang’s filial piety which touched me. Looking at you, a father and son pair, I would recall the anxious appearance my own father had a few days ago. How could I bear to watch the two of you be separated by death? In a way, you were the one who saved your father, Brother Tang. If you didn’t give me the Six Leaf Grass, then I would be helpless against Uncle’s injuries."

Hearing Ye Yuan said this, Tang Yu suddenly realized that Ye Yuan’s essence energy was way too abundant. To think he already reached the Third Level Essence Qi Ream after one day!

"This . . . in just one night, Brother Ye actually improved by two levels? H-how is this possible?" Just now, Tang Yu’s thoughts were completely on his father. Now that he discovered the changes in Ye Yuan’s body, he was dumbstruck with astonishment.

The Dan Wu Academy was a place where geniuses congregated. Tang Yu had seen a lot of geniuses before, but he had never heard of a genius who could improve by two levels overnight. It was completely inconceivable.

Ye Yuan smiled and said, "I just took advantage of the opportunity. I’ve incurred Brother Tang’s ridicule."

To Ye Yuan, it was naturally taking advantage of the opportunity. However, if other people had the Exploding Yuan Pill, they would not dare to consume it as he did. The result would undoubtedly be death due to the rupturing of the person’s meridians. However, Ye Yuan’s understanding of medicinal properties had reached a height that no ordinary person could understand. With the addition of the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art, it was also the reason why he dared to swallow such pills.

Recovering from his surprise, Tang Yu forced a smile. "Taking advantage of the opportunity? Incurs ridicule? Brother Ye, these words truly made me ashamed of my inadequacy!"

"Hahaha. No need to be like that, Brother Tang. I still have some medicinal pills here which aids cultivation. I will give them to you. I think there’s no longer any concern for Uncle Tang’s injuries. Can Brother Tang accompany me back to the Dan Wu Academy tomorrow?"

"Alright. After Father exits seclusion and there’s really no issues, I will follow Brother Ye back tomorrow."

"En. The medicinal pills I gave Brother Tang needs to be kept safe. Take care not to let other people know about it."

Hearing what Ye Yuan said, Tang Yu knew that this medicinal pill was no trivial thing. So he replied solemnly, "Don’t worry, Brother Ye. This Tang Yu will definitely keep his mouth shut."

An Exploding Yuan Pill naturally was not of much worth in the Divine Realm, but it was far too precious when placed in a place like this State of Qin. How could Ye Yuan not understand the logic of an innocent man getting into trouble because of his wealth?

The capital was always packed with people. Groups of them would often enter the city in threes or fives from outside. Currently, at the roadside, Ye Hang and wife were sending Ye Yuan off.

"Yuan-er, although this is only a half-day journey, I keep feeling uneasy. With Wan Donghai’s personality, he definitely wouldn’t swallow this insult and humiliation silently. My guess is that he is definitely scheming something. Ah Ping and Ah Cheng had followed me for many years. I think it is best if they escorted you along the way." Ye Hang tried his best to persuade his son.

Just like how Wan Donghai understood Ye Hang, similarly, Ye Hang too had a deep understanding of Wan Donghai. That was why he had been persuading Ye Yuan all these while to bring along the two guards but kept on being rejected by Ye Yuan.

"Father, it is only a half-day journey. It is fine. Furthermore, there is Brother Tang who is traveling with me. No matter how brave Wan Donghai is, he wouldn’t dare to openly send people to kill me."

Ye Yuan rejected with a smile like before.

"Aiya. Just listen to your father, Yuan-er. That Wan Donghai is vicious and coldhearted. It’s easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow shot in the dark." Ren Hongling tried to persuade him as well.

The couple had lost him once, and now they had him back, they did not want any accidents to happen again.

However, Ye Yuan just smiled and shook his head; the rejection was already evident.

"Aiya. You are so stubborn."

Ye Hang knew that his son, currently, could not be compared with how he was in the past. Perhaps he really had a life-preserving trump card. Yesterday, when his son appeared in front of him, he was astoundingly already at the Third Level Essence Qi Realm; this gave him a huge fright. Although he knew that Ye Yuan encountered a powerful master, this advancement speed was too terrifying.

But after thinking about the extremely mysterious methods of the expert, Ye Hang felt at ease. He knew that there were too many things beyond his comprehension in this world.

"Forget it. Since he doesn’t want to, then let him go alone. Our son is all grown up. There are some things which he must face himself." Ye Hang sighed.

Ye Yuan bowed towards his parents before setting off with Tang Yu and Lu-er.

. . . . . .

Ye Yuan was naturally aware that this journey would not be too peaceful. But he wished to face some matters by himself as he wanted to use this chance to temper himself.

Ye Yuan possessed unfathomable knowledge in Alchemy Dao; his broad horizons transcended this world as well as having countless martial techniques. However, these things do not represent strength. Otherwise, Ye Yuan could have already charged back to the Divine Realm right now.

What Ye Yuan wanted to do was to use these things and turn them into actual strength.

In his previous life, Ye Yuan was too focused on Alchemy Dao, leading to him neglecting Martial Dao. His cultivation realm was indeed high, but his combat prowess was a complete mess.

How to take the knowledge brought over from his previous life and convert it into combat power?

Ye Yuan knows that it was to fight, fight, and FIGHT!

Only through non-stop combat he could increase his battle power and slaughter his way back to the Divine Realm!

Without actual combat experience, no matter how profound Ye Yuan’s knowledge was, it would merely be like the moon’s reflection on the water, only an illusion.

Hence, Ye Yuan did not wish to grow up under Ye Hang’s protection. That was why he chose to return to the Dan Wu Academy in order to compete with other geniuses.

Just as Ye Yuan described to Tang Zong Huai, the Dan Wu Academy was not a utopia. In contrast, the competition inside was quite cruel.

And with this return journey to the academy, it would be the first time Ye Yuan going to face this challenge.

. . . . . .

The Dan Wu Academy was not situated within the capital, but rather, located a hundred miles north of the capital. The area was close to the Endless Forest; an excellent place to temper geniuses.

Ye Yuan and his group did not rush back to the academy. Instead, they rode on their horses in a leisurely manner.

"Oh right, I still haven’t congratulated Brother Tang for stepping into the Fifth Level Essence Qi Realm."

Originally, Tang Yu was at the peak of the Fourth Level. Now that he obtained Ye Yuan’s Exploding Yuan Pill, he might as well find a rock to commit suicide with if he still could not step into the Fifth level.

"No no. This was all thanks to Brother Ye’s Exploding Yuan Pill. The Exploding Yuan Pill is indeed miraculous. To think that the essence energy contained inside is several times greater than in the Essence Qi Pill. I only ate one of them and easily broke through."

Up till now, Tang Yu was still reminiscing the aftertaste of that violent essence energy, thinking to himself that increasing cultivation level was unexpectedly easy. Furthermore, because he ate the Exploding Yuan Pill, he understood why Ye Yuan could advance two ranks overnight.

What he did not know was that Ye Yuan already consumed the Exploding Yuan Pills of the best quality. Furthermore, the quantity consumed was several times of his. Those pills would have been sufficient for him to cultivate to the Sixth Level Essence Qi Realm.

Every stage within the Essence Qi Realm was not as simple as one plus one equals to two. The higher your realm was, the greater the quantity of essence energy required; furthermore, it increased multiple times. The amount of essence energy needed to go from the Fifth Level to the Sixth Level was practically the total sum of essence energy needed for the First Level to the Fifth Level. Yet, such an immense amount of essence energy was only sufficient for Ye Yuan to cultivate to the Third Level.

"Hahaha. An innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth. After Brother Tang returns to the academy, take care to not reveal the Exploding Yuan Pill. Otherwise, the consequences would be unbearable."

Wan Donghai had the confidence to take down the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion with just the Essence Gathering Pills, yet this Exploding Yuan Pill’s medicinal effects were even greater than the Essence Gathering Pill. Once it was exposed, it would definitely cause a bloodbath.

During Ye Yuan’s previous life, he spent a long time in an exalted position. Other than that wildly ambitious traitor, he was confident that he had some ability in judging people. Tang Yu had commendable filial piety and was definitely not a despicable backstabber. Furthermore, he saw a great deal of himself in Tang Yu which was why he showed his appreciation of his talent by gifting the Exploding Yuan Pill to him.

Of course, Ye Yuan was not without any selfish intention. A good man had three helpers. After Ye Yuan went back to the academy, he could not possibly personally take care of every problem he would encounter. If he had a few good friends, things would be much easier.

"Don’t worry, Brother Ye. Tang Yu isn’t someone who can’t differentiate between good and bad. I am also aware of the huge implications that this Exploding Yuan Pill has and will absolutely not reveal it in front of others. Forgive Tang Yu for being bold, but since Brother Ye has such capabilities, why is there a need to attend the Dan Wu Academy?"

Tang Yu was not a fool. Although he could only see a corner of the iceberg, he was absolutely certain that Ye Yuan’s Alchemy Dao standards had already completely surpassed the current standard in the State of Qin. Was it not an unnecessary move to attend the Dan Wu Academy?

However, there were some things that he did not feel comfortable saying, fearful that Ye Yuan might misunderstand. That was where did Ye Yuan learn all of these from? Regardless of that nameless medicinal pill used to treat his father or that Exploding Yuan Pill which Ye Yuan possessed, all of those could not possibly be refined by Ye Hang.

However, he could only let all these suspicions remained in his stomach. Unless Ye Yuan took the initiative to tell him, he would not overstep his boundaries.

"The Dan Wu Academy is still a place where the elites of the State of Qin congregate. Such a place where the wind meets the clouds; how can I, Ye Yuan, pass up this opportunity?"

"Hahaha. In my opinion, those so-called elites and geniuses, they are all just clay chickens and pottery dogs when compared to Brother Ye."

Ye Yuan shook his head and replied, "The heroes under the heavens cannot be underestimated. I think you’ve guessed it, but these few days, I’ve had a lucky encounter, which was why my changes were so big. However, my strength is still too weak. A genius who cannot grow stronger will only become stepping stones for others."

Nodding his head, Tang Yu faintly understood the reason why Ye Yuan wanted to go to the Dan Wu Academy, and at the same time, he was full of admiration towards Ye Yuan.

It went without saying that the lucky encounter which Ye Yuan came across was absolutely extraordinary. But for Ye Yuan to not be conceited or rash and remained clear of his position, it was truly hard to come by.

Among those geniuses in the academy, which one of them did not have eyes growing on top of their heads? Those people looked down upon others with ordinary backgrounds.

Tang Yu believed that soon enough, Ye Yuan would be able to display his own brilliance within the Dan Wu Academy, and those so-called geniuses would be outshone by him.

"Come on out. I believe Mister is tired after following us all the way. Am I right?" Ye Yuan suddenly shouted out loud while Tang Yu was still lost in his own thoughts.