Chapter 314: Zhu Yan: "A Good Figure and Pretty? She Must Be a Bad Woman!"
"Oh? So it really is Soul Essence Paste. What a treasure!" Lu Bu grinned, his eyes lighting up as he stared at the stone block in Xiao Yan's hand.
Earlier, he had been searching for the Sky Marrow Jade Essence in the central area of the Myriad Medicine Mountain with Xiong Zhan. In the original story, Xiao Yan found this very treasure here and used it to advance his Soul Realm and become an eighth tier alchemist.
Lu Bu intended to help Qing Lin and Yun Yun break through to the Soul Realm as well, so there was no way he would miss out on such a valuable treasure. With Xiong Zhan, the local "kingpin," guiding the way, finding it had been straightforward. Of course, Lu Bu hadn't taken it for free he promised to refine a Breakthrough Pill for Xiong Zhan to help him advance by one star.
"Hey, this is mine. Don't even think about robbing me!" Xiao Yan said with a wary expression, hurriedly moving the Soul Essence Paste behind him. This time, he owed Lu Bu nothing.
"Do I look like the type to use brute force to take what isn't mine?" Lu Bu frowned, feigning displeasure.
Yes, you do! And you just did yesterday!
Xiao Yan said nothing, but his expression was clear enough.
"How about we strike a deal?" Lu Bu chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "Here's the deal: I'll take down Mu Gu, give you the Xuan Huang Flame, and you give me some of that Soul Essence Paste in exchange. Fair?"
"You…" Xiao Yan fumed, glaring at him. "Don't think I don't know your position! You're supposed to be guarding the contestants in the Pill Realm on behalf of the Pill Tower. Logically speaking, you have to deal with Mu Gu no matter what."
"Plus, you've already robbed him twice. That means he's escaped from you twice. Knowing your personality, there's no way you'd just let him go."
"Well, look at you, getting clever," Lu Bu teased, raising an eyebrow before grinning slyly. "But even so, so what? If I capture him, the Xuan Huang Flame will become my spoil of war. Why should I give it to you for free? Don't you think you should offer me something in return?"
Xiao Yan's face contorted into a bitter grimace. The Heavenly Flame was within reach, but now the Soul Essence Paste he had just acquired was already at risk of being taken. Should he be happy or sad?
"Well? What's your answer? Do we have a deal or not?" Lu Bu asked, crossing his arms impatiently. "You won't find a Heavenly Flame just lying around, you know. And if you think it's expensive, well, so do I!"
"Fine!" Xiao Yan sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "In life, you have to learn to let go. I'm not upset at all! Not even a little!"
"Good." Lu Bu smirked, his eyes gleaming. "The usual deal: leave me one bottle, and I'll take the rest."
With a pained expression, Xiao Yan poured out a small bottle of the Soul Essence Paste. But before he could react, the stone block was already in Lu Bu's hands.
"Excellent!" Lu Bu said, inspecting the treasure with delight. With this, Qing Lin and Yun Yun's strength would rise to new heights.
"I'm leaving. Enjoy your new toy!" Xiao Yan muttered darkly, his face grim as he walked away. He needed to find a place to advance his Soul Realm.
Yet, seeing Lu Bu's joyful expression somehow made his chest ache, as if Lu Bu had taken something far more precious than the Soul Essence Paste.
"If you spot Mu Gu, let me know," Lu Bu called out. "You still have the communication talisman I gave you, right? Use that to contact me."
"Got it," Xiao Yan replied irritably before vanishing with a flicker of movement.
"ROAR!"
Just as Xiao Yan disappeared, the Xuan Shui Tiger Python awoke from the effects of the Watercloud Drunken Immortal Fruit. Its eyes fell on the Soul Essence Paste in Lu Bu's hands, and it roared in rage, water attributed Dou Qi surging wildly around it, filling the air with a chilling aura.
"Huh?" Lu Bu snorted coldly, narrowing his eyes.
"What are you yelling about?" Zhu Yan scolded, baring her tiny silver teeth in a threatening manner.
"Whimper…" The Xuan Shui Tiger Python shrank back, its tiger like face twisting into a fawning smile. Slowly, it curled up and slithered back into the depths of the pool.
Obedience was key!
"Let's go find Mu Gu," Lu Bu said, stretching lazily. "This time, I won't let him get away again."
Xiao Yan was right Lu Bu wouldn't let Mu Gu escape. Especially not after he had already fled from him twice.
Time passed quickly in the Pill Realm. Night fell, and the sun rose again. Days blurred together, yet Mu Gu remained elusive.
Despite Lu Bu's efforts, it was impossible for one person to cover the entire Pill Realm, even with his Soul Perception fully activated. Doing so would only alert Mu Gu and make him harder to track.
Eventually, Lu Bu sought out Xiong Zhan for assistance. As the ultimate "local kingpin" of the Pill Realm, Xiong Zhan could get things done far more efficiently.
However, there was a minor hitch: Xiong Zhan was still busy packing up the treasures of the Myriad Medicine Mountain. While his subordinates were numerous, handling two tasks at once stretched them thin, meaning it would take more time to locate Mu Gu.
Lu Bu didn't waste time waiting idly. He reasoned that Mu Gu had come to the Pill Gathering primarily for the Three Thousand Burning Flame. But since the flame was gone and Mu Gu couldn't afford to return empty handed lest Hun Miesheng kill him he would be forced to seek alternative targets.
The most obvious choice was Xiao Yan, whose Heavenly Flames Wan Beast Spirit Flame, Sea Heart Flame, and Bone Chilling Flame were valuable enough to make up for the loss of the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
Beyond Xiao Yan, there were three others: Song Qing, Cao Ying, and Dan Chen. As top disciples of the Pill Tower's giants, they represented the future of the organization. Capturing them, even if Mu Gu couldn't fully placate Hun Miesheng, would at least save his own life.
After some thought, Lu Bu retrieved a white jade plaque, about the size of a palm, from his storage ring. Two faint lights shimmered on its surface.
"What's that?" Zhu Yan asked curiously, stretching her neck to get a closer look. It seemed important, though it didn't look edible.
"A soul tracker," Lu Bu explained. "Their teachers asked me to look after them while I was here. It's time to check in."
"Oh? Are they men?" Zhu Yan asked.
"No, they're women," Lu Bu replied casually.
"Hmm?" Zhu Yan's brows furrowed, her face darkening slightly. I'm going to tell Medusa about this!
In the southern foothills of the Myriad Medicine Mountain's outer range, the terrain was a series of rolling hills. The quality of herbs here paled in comparison to the main mountain range. If it weren't for the Pill Gathering's requirements, no one would bother coming here.
Two curvaceous figures stumbled into a dense thicket, collapsing amid the foliage. Their ragged breaths quickly faded as they concealed themselves in the underbrush.
"Is… is he still chasing us?" Cao Ying asked breathlessly, her enchanting face flushed red, beads of sweat sticking stray strands of hair to her cheeks.
"I… I don't see him…" Dan Chen replied weakly, her voice soft. Like Cao Ying, she was panting heavily, clearly exhausted from the chase.
Dan Chen's frail constitution made matters worse her pale complexion took on a sickly hue, making her seem even more delicate and pitiful.
Gritting her teeth, Cao Ying gently pulled Dan Chen into her arms, partly to comfort the frail girl and partly to soothe her own anxieties.
Their guards had all perished in self sacrificial explosions, leaving no traces behind, not even their souls. Worse still, the spatial stones meant for escape had been shattered by the Dou Zun from the Hall of Souls at the very start.
The two girls huddled together in the thicket, trembling and clutching each other tightly… no, hugging each other out of sheer terror.
Above them, the air roared as a figure in a billowing black robe hovered menacingly. Mu Gu's hawk like gaze swept over the dense shrubs below, sharp as a pair of steel blades.
"These two little brats are surprisingly tricky!" Mu Gu muttered darkly, furrowing his brows in frustration.
Cao Ying had shattered his soul barrier, and his most lethal soul attacks had been blocked by the seemingly frail Dan Chen. That girl looked so delicate, as though a gust of wind might topple her, yet her soul strength was unexpectedly formidable.
"The disciples of the Pill Tower are not to be underestimated," Mu Gu muttered gravely, his old face etched with both respect and murderous intent. He couldn't afford to let these two escape; leaving them alive would create endless trouble in the future.
With this thought, his eyes glinted coldly. Slowly raising his hand, a fierce yellow flame ignited in his palm, emitting an intense heat that distorted the surrounding air.
Boom!
The flame descended violently, igniting the dense vegetation and trees in an instant. The alien flame's violent energy devoured the landscape indiscriminately, reducing an entire hilltop to a raging inferno.
"Awooooo!"
A light green demonic wolf howled toward the sky, its fierce aura surging. It pawed the ground, baring its fangs at Mu Gu in a show of defiance.
"Hmph! Be gone, beast!" Mu Gu snorted coldly, releasing a wave of soul power that blasted out in all directions. The demonic wolf let out a whimper, blood spurting from its nose and mouth as it was sent flying.
Mu Gu didn't bother to finish it off. He wasn't interested in causing more complications otherwise, he would've already slain the creature and taken its magic core.
Down below, Cao Ying and Dan Chen trembled in fear. Although the hill engulfed in the flame wasn't where they were hiding, it was dangerously close. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.
"What do we do…" Dan Chen whispered, her pale face streaked with tears. Instinctively, she looked to Cao Ying, clinging to her like a younger sister seeking comfort.
"I… I don't know…" Cao Ying's voice quivered, her own eyes welling up with tears. From childhood, she had been pampered and shielded, focusing only on alchemy and cultivation. She had never faced a life and death situation like this.
Meanwhile, another hill nearby was suddenly set ablaze. The roaring flames crept closer, illuminating their surroundings. In no time, their hiding spot would be exposed.
Boom!
At that moment, a strange and powerful aura erupted, and waves of immense soul energy surged through the air.
"Hm?" Mu Gu froze in midair, his expression changing drastically. "Someone is breaking through to the Soul Realm?"
Not far away, atop another hill, a faintly translucent figure began to materialize. The surrounding energy converged steadily toward it.
"Is that… Xiao Yan?" Mu Gu's face twisted in alarm as he immediately recognized the figure.
That brat already possessed the strength to challenge a Dou Zun. If he succeeded in advancing to the Soul Realm and becoming an eighth tier alchemist, his potential would become truly terrifying.
"Damn it! I'll kill him right now!" Mu Gu growled, his face contorting with murderous intent.
Down below, Cao Ying and Dan Chen exchanged glances, their eyes widening in disbelief. Someone was breaking through to the Soul Realm within the Pill Realm? Advancing to an eighth tier alchemist here?
"Incredible… If we survive this, that person will become a formidable rival," Dan Chen murmured in awe.
"It's not the time to think about alchemy!" Cao Ying snapped, her tone exasperated. After all, there was already one rival she could never surpass.
Cao Ying sighed softly. Lu Bu… I may never be able to defeat this man.
Still, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of gratitude toward Xiao Yan. His breakthrough had distracted Mu Gu, giving them a slim chance of survival.
"Xiao Yan, today will be your funeral! Hand over your life!" Mu Gu sneered, his tone dripping with malice. With a wave of his sleeve, his soul power surged alongside the Xuan Huang Flame, condensing into a crystalline yellow spear.
Whoosh!
The spear tore through the air like a blazing comet, aiming directly for Xiao Yan's vulnerable soul.
"Hmph! You think I'm afraid of you?!" Xiao Yan roared, his rapidly expanding soul energy surging like a massive tornado.
In an instant, a colossal soul hand materialized, clenching into a fist and striking toward the incoming spear.
But just then
The space trembled, and a pale, slender hand emerged from thin air, effortlessly catching the fierce, destructive yellow spear.
Crack!
The spear shattered into countless shards that scattered to the ground.
Lu Bu appeared, walking out of the void with Zhu Yan at his side.
Nearby, Xiao Yan staggered, his punch landing on empty air. His soul rippled slightly as he grumbled, "Damn it! Can't this guy just let me finish one move?!"
"Who's there?!" Mu Gu roared, his face dark and filled with killing intent. But he didn't act recklessly; the aura of this newcomer unsettled him, making him feel an unfamiliar sense of pressure.
"You two girls can come out now. It's safe," Lu Bu said, ignoring Mu Gu as he called down to the thicket below.
In a flash, Cao Ying and Dan Chen flew out from the underbrush.
"Thank goodness you're here, Lu Bu!" Cao Ying exclaimed joyfully, shoving Dan Chen aside as she prepared to throw herself into Lu Bu's arms.
Zhu Yan: (ಠ益ಠ)
Big chest, long legs, and she's stunningly beautiful? Aside from Medusa, Xiao Yi Xian, and Yun Yun, any woman like this is definitely trouble!
Under Zhu Yan's piercing glare, Cao Ying awkwardly stopped in her tracks and offered a sheepish smile.
Meanwhile, a faint rumble of thunder heralded Xiao Yan's arrival. He streaked through the air, his expression eager.
"Heh heh… Mu Gu, you're done for this time!" Xiao Yan declared, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.
"Hmph! Perfect. Saves me the trouble of hunting you all down one by one," Mu Gu sneered, his tone filled with murderous resolve. Xiao Yan and this strange man might be challenging opponents, but as a three star Dou Zun, he was confident in his advantage.
"Netherworld Demon Fire Arm!"
Mu Gu's face twisted with malice as he unleashed his attack. A massive crystalline claw wreathed in dark yellow flames materialized, its spikes and ridges radiating a sinister, violent aura.
"Die!" Mu Gu roared, sending the claw crashing down toward Lu Bu and the others like a falling meteor.
Boom!
A vortex of purple black flames surged into the sky, forming a flaming dragon that radiated overwhelming might. The fire dragon roared downward, obliterating the giant yellow claw and sending it hurtling into a nearby ravine.
Mu Gu coughed up blood, his face turning pale with fear as he stared at Lu Bu.
"You… you're…" Mu Gu stammered, his hand trembling as he pointed at Lu Bu, his face full of terror.
"That's right, but no prizes for guessing," Lu Bu said softly, vanishing into thin air before Mu Gu could react.
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