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A Earth Class Dou Technique was still within reason—after all, his Master had taught him one before. Other than secretly cursing the seller as a "spoiled rich brat," Xiao Yan didn't have too much of a reaction.
But when he heard there would be a seventh-tier pill up for auction, he couldn't help but take in a sharp breath of air, his heart filled with utter shock.
As an alchemist, it was only natural that he longed for high-tier pills.
At this moment, he finally understood why his Master had been pushing him to come to the Black-Corner Region.
Right then, Yao Chen's chuckling voice echoed in his mind:
"Hehe, now you understand why I kept urging you to come here? As one of the most infamous black markets on the Northwestern Region, the cultivation resources here are far beyond anything the Jia Ma Empire has to offer."
"Indeed… you'll never know your true worth if you don't step out and experience the world."
Xiao Yan shook his head and gave a bitter smile.
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to the merchant beside him and asked again, "Uncle, what exactly is the Black Ranking?"
The merchant slapped his forehead and said, "Look at me, almost forgot! The Black Ranking is pretty much like the power rankings you'd find in an empire, but the competition here is way fiercer.
Just over the past two years, the bottom three on the Black Ranking were replaced entirely. Rumor has it that even the weakest among them had been Seven-Star Dou Wang.
But now, the lowest-ranked person on the list is already a Dou Huang-level expert. So, Sir Yan Xiao, once you get to the Black-Corner Region, do not mess with any of those people."
"Oh?"
Xiao Yan's expression shifted slightly.
Back in the Jia Ma Empire, the top ten powerhouses would only see changes roughly once every decade.
But here, even Dou Wang experts were eliminated so quickly—it was hard to imagine how brutal the competition must be.
"Who are the top few on the Black Ranking then? How strong are they?"
After a moment, Xiao Yan asked quietly, a trace of curiosity in his tone.
"The first and second-ranked individuals are just too mysterious—few have ever seen them, so I don't know much.
But the third-ranked one is quite a figure. It's said he's already at the peak of Dou Huang and extremely skilled in alchemy.
He's recognized as the number one pill refiner in the Black-Corner Region. Most people respectfully call him the 'Medicine Emperor.'"
The merchant paused for a moment in thought before answering.
"Medicine Emperor? That's quite a title."
Xiao Yan chuckled lightly. "What's his real name?"
"Hmm, let me think… I believe it's…"
"Han Feng!"
Before the merchant could finish, an excited male voice suddenly rang out from above.
"So it is him…"
Xiao Yan was just about to look up when he suddenly heard Yao Chen's voice, filled with disappointment.
"Master, what's wrong?"
Xiao Yan asked, looking up at the man who now hovered above them, watching from midair.
"Get ready to run. That man brought four Dou Huang experts with him—he's here to kill us."
Yao Chen sighed with a bitter smile.
He had sensed their presence earlier, but by the time he confirmed it, they were already surrounded.
And just as he was still wondering who it could be that wanted to ambush them, he felt a familiar aura—one from his memories.
"Dou… Dou Huang experts!"
The merchant, now staring up at the group above them—especially the wings of Dou Qi behind Han Feng—began to tremble.
He couldn't understand it at all.
Why would such a powerful expert target a merchant caravan whose strongest member was only a Dou Shi?
Looking down at the people below, Han Feng had no intention of sparing the merchant caravan.
With a flip of his palm, a mass of dense, nearly solid Dou Qi surged violently in his hand.
The immense energy rapidly condensed, then began to tremble at an accelerating pace.
The terrifying fluctuations made it clear that he was gathering power for a powerful attack.
The swirling Dou Qi in Han Feng's palm now emitted an intense light—so blinding it resembled a miniature sun, impossible to look at directly.
"Old man, go to hell with these ants!"
At some point, Han Feng's face had twisted into one of madness and cruelty.
With a sharp shout, he hurled the searing orb of Dou Qi downward toward the group!
"Radiant Seal!"
Though it seemed like a drawn-out process, from initiation to release, the attack took only an instant.
Before the merchants below could even react, a blinding beam of light shot down from the sky.
Within the beam, the faint image of a massive handprint could be seen.
Like a falling sun from the heavens, it carried a horrifying and bone-chilling power!
Sensing the threat, Yao Chen instantly seized control of Xiao Yan's body and shot up into the sky.
At the same time, a giant white flame-forged ruler rapidly took shape in his right hand.
"Flame Splitting Tsunami!"
Yao Chen swung both arms downward in a mighty arc.
A ten-zhang-long beam of white energy shot out from the tip of the ruler like a blazing sword of judgment.
Its sheer force looked as though it could split the earth in two—it was terrifyingly powerful!
The two massive waves of energy clashed midair, their trajectories like lightning bolts streaking across the sky.
And then—like two meteors—they collided!
BOOM!
The moment of impact erupted in a thunderous boom. Waves of energy rippled outward like tsunami surges across the distant sky.
All of heaven and earth seemed to freeze. Energy waves rolled outward, blotting out the sky and sun alike.
Even the bright sun hanging high above was momentarily eclipsed.
The devastating aftermath lasted nearly ten full minutes before the energies slowly began to dissipate.
As for the merchant caravan below—originally consisting of dozens of people—they had all been completely vaporized, not even ashes remained.
Several minutes later, as the billowing energy waves dispersed, two figures slowly reappeared in the sky.
Han Feng had been blasted nearly a full 500 meter backward by the terrifying shockwave.
His eyes narrowed darkly as he looked toward Xiao Yan, who had fared similarly.
If only his cultivation technique weren't limited to High-Grade Black Class… he wouldn't have needed to use a Low-Grade Earth Class Dou Technique just now.
And this old man's recovery was far better than he had anticipated.
Still… Han Feng hadn't come alone.
Yao Chen steadied himself, locking eyes with the one he had once trusted most.
In his gaze, a chilling glint flickered.
"To think… after all these years, that traitorous brat could grow so strong with only half a copy of Flame Mantra."
Before that thought could fully settle, a ripple tore through the space behind him.
Two figures—one gold, one silver—appeared behind Yao Chen like phantoms.
A cold dread ran down his spine. Without time to think, Yao Chen instinctively swung his white flame-forged ruler behind him to block the incoming strike!
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