BTTH: From Genius to Invincible

Word Count: 2,707 Words

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"Green Fungus Pill?"

The name stunned Venerable Tian Huo for a moment. Then, the fervor in his eyes surged dramatically, and a hint of raw excitement flashed across his face.

"Is it the legendary Green Fungus Pill, said to restore those who've regressed in strength back to their peak?"

Venerable Tian Huo had heard of it before, having come across mentions of this tier 8 medicinal pill during an auction in the Central Plains. It was a low-grade tier 8 pill designed specifically for Dou Venerates, capable of allowing one whose cultivation had regressed to recover their strength to the 3-star Dou Venerate stage.

Xiao Yan was now a high-grade 7th-tier alchemist with two years remaining before the Pill Gathering. To stand a chance against Mu Gu, he needed to refine a pill capable of attracting at least two-colored Pill Lightning.

In other words, Xiao Yan had to step into the realm of 8th-tier alchemists.

The Green Fungus Pill was not considered particularly difficult among its tier. An ordinary one might only attract a single strike of Pill Lightning, and only those of exceptional quality could possibly attract two-colored Pill Lightning.

Tier 7 pills drew one Pill Lightning. While some peak 7th-tier alchemists could successfully refine relatively simpler tier 8 pills, they could not necessarily summon a second strike.

To truly become an 8th-tier alchemist, one had to not only refine a tier 8 pill but also attract at least two Pill Lightnings.

Xiao Yan planned to use the Green Fungus Pill as his stepping stone. If he could refine one that summoned two Pill Lightnings, he could advance to tier 8 while also restoring Venerable Tian Huo to the peak of 3-star Dou Venerate, bolstering the Yan Alliance's strength.

To establish a foothold in the Central Plains, the Yan Alliance needed a Dou Venerate who could stand at the forefront.

Venerable Tian Huo looked at the smiling Xiao Yan. Resurrecting him had not been free. Bluntly put, he now had to work for Xiao Yan for several more years.

"Xiao Yan, what do you want?" Venerable Tian Huo asked, fixing his gaze on him. This fellow definitely wouldn't offer something for nothing.

Although Venerable Tian Huo had helped greatly, that was, frankly, part of their agreement. A single tier 8 medicinal pill, however, was enough to make a Dou Venerate risk their life for it.

Alchemists, oh alchemists, they truly invoked both love and hate.

"Elder Yao, are you interested in joining the Hall of Souls?" Xiao Yan asked with a grin.

Venerable Tian Huo's mouth fell open, his eyes somewhat dazed. The Hall of Souls was not an organization with a good reputation. To put it plainly, it was an unscrupulous and evil organization that specialized in hunting alchemists and soul bodies.

He had once been a soul body himself and had feared encountering them. As fate would have it, his fears had come true; he really did encounter Venerable Yan.

And now they wanted to recruit him??

"This... I..." Venerable Tian Huo didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Actually, he wasn't truly a member of the Yan Alliance. More accurately, he owed Xiao Yan a favor and was to serve as his bodyguard for ten years.

However, if he joined the Hall of Souls, it wouldn't just be ten years.

But the temptation of a tier 8 medicinal pill was difficult to resist, especially the Green Fungus Pill, which was so perfectly suited for his current condition!

Moreover, he believed that Xiao Yan's Green Fungus Pill would definitely attract two Pill Lightnings, allowing his cultivation to reach the peak of 3-star Dou Venerate.

Increasing his strength by nearly three full stars at once would save him over a dozen—no, several decades—of cultivation time!

Venerable Tian Huo's physical body might be young, but his soul was not. Without the Green Fungus Pill, he might struggle to return to his peak before his life came to an end.

It would save not just time, but his very potential. With this pill, he might even reach new heights, perhaps advancing to a high-star or even 9-star Dou Venerate!

His hesitation was natural. The Hall of Souls definitely had 'performance quotas,' which meant he would have to compel himself to hunt soul bodies.

Xiao Yan, as an Honorable Elder, had obligations commensurate with his status. His identity was special, however. If he lacked soul bodies, he could compensate with medicinal pills. But as had just become very apparent, six digits of soul points meant he had already made a killing.

At the very least, this year's quota was already met!

Xiao Yan exchanged a glance with Xiao Li, who then spoke slowly, "Venerable Tian Huo, joining the Hall of Souls doesn't impose too many restrictions. For cultivators like us who defy the heavens, forming enmities and being decisive in killing is fundamental.

We annihilate our enemies thoroughly, not giving their soul bodies a chance to escape. There's nothing wrong with that—we're dealing with those who have opposed us."

Recruiting Venerable Tian Huo was actually Xiao Li's idea. Although the Misty Cloud Sect's Hall of Souls branch had Xiao Yan as an Honorable Elder, its actual strength ranked among the weakest on the Dou Qi Continent.

In the North-Western Region, besides their branch, there were two others. One was in the Burial Stream of the Sky Heart Empire, managed by a Human Grade Protector named Protector Tie. This was a relatively weak branch.

The reason Xiao Li wanted to recruit Venerable Tian Huo was because of the other Hall of Souls branch, located within the ocean of the Profound Lion Empire where the Profound Lion Sect resided.

The Honorable Elder managing it was called Venerable Qing Hai, named after the cyan-colored sea, and he was a figure of astounding strength. Originally, all three branches in the North-Western Region should have been under his control, but Xiao Yan's appearance had created a rift.

Xiao Li estimated that if the Yan Alliance continued to expand its influence, the Misty Cloud Sect's Hall of Souls branch would inevitably clash with Venerable Qing Hai sooner or later.

Naturally, the Hall of Souls didn't consist of just one type of hall. The Heaven, Earth, and Man Halls were respectively overseen by the Hall Chief, Deputy Hall Chief, and the First Tianzun. Below them were the twenty-four Disha Halls, generally managed by the Nine Tianzuns, the Black and White Tianzuns, and other such high-ranking members.

Other than these, the remaining branches were akin to the one Xiao Yan belonged to.

Naturally, the stronger a branch was, the more resources it received.

The three Xiao brothers planned to dominate both the righteous and unorthodox paths! That was why they wanted to recruit Venerable Tian Huo—to increase the strength of their own branch. If they could eventually absorb the other two branches, they might even have a chance to become one of the twenty-four Disha Halls!

At present, Xiao Li understood the Hall of Souls better than Venerable Yan himself did.

Venerable Tian Huo looked at Xiao Yan, then sighed and said, "Following a fellow like you, how could fights be few? Fine, I'll join."

The two Xiao brothers exchanged a glance, their hearts already filled with 'Jie Jie Jie' laughter.

Xiao Yan took out the Soul Command Token and placed it on the Soul Offering Altar. Forming a hand seal, a surge of black fog emanated from the altar, and a black, pouch-like item emerged from within.

Ordinary Soul Envoys hunted soul bodies below Dou King and used Soul Stones to collect them. Protectors, on the other hand, hunted Dou Emperors and Dou Ancestors, using that pouch-like item from the black fog known as Soul Sack.

Even Xiao Yan couldn't immediately make Venerable Tian Huo an Honorable Elder. Although he had reached the Dou Venerate realm, there were quite a few Dou Venerates in the Hall of Souls who remained at the level of Heaven Grade Protectors.

"Elder Yao, this is a Soul Sack for a Heaven Grade Protector," Xiao Yan said with a smile as he handed it over. "The Soul Robe will need to be delivered by the Hall's enforcers, which will take some time."

Venerable Tian Huo was somewhat surprised upon seeing the Soul Sack. "This is a valuable treasure. It's at least a rank 7 storage tool, perhaps even rank 8."

The Soul Sack wasn't just for collecting souls. If Venerable Tian Huo ever found himself in a predicament like before, his soul could hide within it for preservation while awaiting rescue.

"Second Brother, we must obtain the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva within a year, no matter the cost," Xiao Yan suddenly said in a solemn voice.

Noticing his grave expression, Xiao Li understood the severity of the situation and nodded firmly. "I understand. I'll spare no expense and even enlist Protectors from other branches to help search."

…

After resolving these matters, Xiao Yan left for the Alchemist Association. He now needed a large quantity of medicinal ingredients!

He wouldn't exchange for them through the Hall of Souls; instead, he planned to refine tier 7 pills and trade them with the Association for the ingredients required for the tier 8 Green Fungus Pill.

He hadn't asked the Alchemist Association to join the Yan Alliance because this way, he could maintain a channel of communication with the Pill Tower. When he needed high-grade medicinal ingredients, he could exchange for them through Fa Ma.

Fa Ma was dumbfounded for a full three minutes when he heard Xiao Yan's request. He wanted to exchange for a peak tier 7 pill recipe called the Great Ancestor Pill, three portions of its ingredients, and several low-grade tier 8 main ingredients.

Venerable Yao's collection had lacked a pill recipe that could guarantee a breakthrough to Dou Ancestor. Xiao Yan had investigated and found that the peak tier 7 Great Ancestor Pill could allow a 9-star Dou Emperor to break through with absolute certainty, which was why he had come.

"You can already refine the Great Ancestor Pill?"

A peak tier 7 medicinal pill!

But the moment he asked, Fa Ma felt his question was superfluous. Xiao Yan was purchasing so many main ingredients for low-grade tier 8 pills. Wasn't he obviously preparing to practice and step into tier 8?

Tier 8... Fa Ma felt like his worldview was collapsing!

Xiao Yan shook his head with a smile. "Chairman Fa Ma, I'm still a high-grade 7th-tier alchemist. I plan to start refining some peak tier 7 pills to improve my alchemy skills. I'm just taking this opportunity to acquire some tier 8 ingredients."

"High-grade tier 7... Sigh, forget it, forget it. It's not the first day I've known about your heaven-defying talent in alchemy. Are you planning to exchange tier 7 medicinal pills for these ingredients and the recipe?" Chairman Fa Ma waved his hand, indicating he didn't want to continue this conversation. It was pointless.

"Yes. I can refine high-grade tier 7 pills. If the providers of the ingredients require it, I can help refine any high-grade tier 7 pill as payment. Moreover, I can use a Heavenly Flame for the refinement. Of course, this is all as long as they can afford the price," Xiao Yan replied with a chuckle. He wasn't just any ordinary high-grade 7th-tier alchemist; his value was sky-high.

"Alright, I'll communicate with the headquarters. Pills refined by an alchemist like you would probably be in high demand even in the Central Plains," Fa Ma said, stroking his beard with a smile. If Xiao Yan became famous, his Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Association would also rise with the tide. He was naturally happy to help.

After leaving the Alchemist Association, Xiao Yan headed to the peak of a mountain outside the Sacred City to find the Amethyst Winged Lion King. He was here to fulfill his promise.

"Hey, Xiao Yan, when are you going to refine pills for me!" Zi Yan pouted. She was also here, enjoying the comfortable environment of the mountain peak.

She was now just short of the pills from Xiao Yan to break through to Rank 7. In the recent battle, she had captured quite a few Dou Ancestors for him!

Xiao Yan patted her little head and smiled. "Isn't that why I'm here? Let me give something to the Lion King first. Once I'm done, I'll refine pills for you and help you break through!"

"Hehehe, that's more like it." Zi Yan swung her ponytail and waved her sleeve.

For Zi Yan, an Ancient Void Dragon, breaking through ranks didn't require assistance from pills like the Zong Breaking Pill or Emperor Heaven Pill.

Magical beasts didn't have bottlenecks; they simply grew. However, they did have bloodline shackles. A low-grade bloodline meant they might never break through, no matter how much energy they absorbed.

This was the case for Queen Medusa. The limit for her race was Dou Ancestor, which was why she had risked using a Heavenly Flame to evolve and shatter her bloodline's shackles.

As for the Ancient Void Dragon race, Xiao Yan conservatively estimated that there wouldn't be any shackles below the Dou Venerate realm. Zi Yan just needed enough energy.

The Amethyst Winged Lion King abruptly stood up when it heard Xiao Yan had come looking for him, a somewhat nervous expression on its face.

Could it be!!

Little Fairy Doctor, who was planting medicinal herbs nearby, couldn't help but smile at the Lion King's anxious appearance.

Xiao Yan didn't tease the Amethyst Winged Lion King any further. He retrieved a brocade box from his storage ring and slowly opened it. Two blood-red medicinal pills were quietly lying inside. These pills were as red as fire, and a red medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Body Transformation Pills!

"Two of them?" the surprised Amethyst Winged Lion King asked.

"Rest assured, Lion King. The promise I made to you still holds. Consider the extra one a reward for taking care of Little Fairy Doctor and fighting for the Yan Alliance. The Little Lion King is also at the peak of Rank 5; the sooner it transforms, the better."

The Little Lion King's eyes shone brightly. One was actually for it!

"Thank you, Grandmaster Xiao Yan. I will forever remember this kindness," the Amethyst Winged Lion King hurriedly said, expressing his gratitude.

"Alright, alright. This was my promise to you, Lion King. Hurry up and refine them; otherwise, I'm afraid someone might steal and eat them," Xiao Yan said with a smile.

"What do you mean! I've already eaten a Body Transformation Pill!" Zi Yan puffed out her chest, then grinned. "But if you give me another one, I could eat it too."

Xiao Yan merely glanced at Zi Yan and chose to ignore her. Giving her another Body Transformation Pill would be a waste of its effects. Besides, they weren't easy to refine. Not only was he out of ingredients, but a single one took nearly half a month!

Alchemy was truly arduous work.

He looked to the side. Today, Little Fairy Doctor was dressed in a white gown, her long white hair cascading like a waterfall. Her jade-like hands tirelessly planted herbs, appearing pure and unstained by the earth. The little specks of dirt only seemed to enhance her sanctity.

Her gray-purple eyes had lost some of their battlefield coldness, replaced by a touch of gentleness.

Seeing that white hair swaying in the wind, Xiao Yan's heart sank, and he sat down on the ground with a thump.

"The ground is dirty," Little Fairy Doctor said softly.

"You still have the mood to plant herbs..." Xiao Yan looked at her, his eyes filled with guilt. The Woeful Poison Body would erupt prematurely all because she had fought to protect the Yan Alliance.

Little Fairy Doctor wiped her forehead, revealing a smile that tugged at the heartstrings. "It was my decision to take action. It has nothing to do with you. The Jia Ma Empire is also the country where I was born. I couldn't just watch it be destroyed."

Xiao Yan fell silent. Then, he reached out and gently wiped away a speck of dirt on her face, unwilling to let it be obscured by grime.