Xiao Yan did not chat with Cao Ying and the others after walking out of the large hall. He walked to a path that led to the bottom of the Pill Tower.

“Mister Xiao Yan, please wait.”

Xiao Yan had just stepped forward when an enchanting, lovely voice sounded behind him. Hence, he could only stop after taking a step away. He turned his head and looked at the alluring face of Cao Ying. He smiled and asked, “Is something the matter miss Cao Ying?”

Cao Ying rolled her eyes. At that instant, she appeared extremely bewitching, causing one to have the impulse of not being able to shift one’s eyes away. At this moment, she was covering her mouth and slightly laughing, “Last time, I was unable to have a deeper conversation with mister Xiao Yan. Why don’t we have a chat now that we have time?”

Xiao Yan lifted his eyebrows upon hearing Cao Ying open her mouth to issue an invitation. His eyes glanced at Song Qing by her side without leaving a trace. He saw that Song Qing gently frown.

“Forget it. There are still other things that I need to do. I will chat with miss Cao Ying if I have time in the future.” Xiao Yan did not want to create enemies after having just entered the Pill Tower, especially enemies that came as a result of jealousy. Hence, Xiao Yan merely smiled and rejected her offer.

Cao Ying’s eyes slightly paused when she heard Xiao Yan reject her invitation. Clearly, she had seldom been met with rejection. However, she was not an ordinary person and none of the thoughts in her heart surfaced on her face. She sweetly smiled and said, “That is really a pity...”

“Ying-er, since brother Xiao Yan has said that he has something to do, you should not make things difficult for him. The Pill Gathering is approaching. Our pill refinement discussion from last time has yet to finish. Why don’t we finish it today?” Song Qing by her side laughed.

“Ke ke, in that case, Xiao Yan shall not disturb the two of you. This time around, I might undertake a retreat for a couple of days. I shall chat with all of you when the Pill Gathering begins...” Xiao Yan did not wait for Cao Ying’s reply after seeing that Song Qing had joined the conversation. He cupped his hands to the three of them before swiftly turning around and walking toward the path. He really did not want to provoke the unpredictable witch Cao Ying, and that Song Qing did not appear to be an ordinary person. However, from the way Xiao Yan saw it, Cao Ying would sooner or later play with him...

Cao Ying’s sleek, red, small mouth was slightly widened when she saw Xiao Yan turn around and leave without any hesitation. This fellow was really nice to play with. Other men surrounded her like houseflies. However, Xiao Yan viewed her as a fierce beast from prehistoric times.

“Interesting...”

Song Qing felt his heart sink as he watched interest appear on Cao Ying’s face. A cold glint, that one had difficulty detecting, flashed across his eyes. During these years of contact between Cao Ying and him, he had viewed her as his exclusive domain. He would definitely not allow another man to contaminate her. From the way he saw it, other than him, who could match her given her outstandingness?

Even though Xiao Yan had become the champion of the five great clans test, Song Qing still didn’t completely view him seriously. Regardless of background, talent, or strength, he possessed the qualification to look down those of his generation. If he continued developing, he would definitely become a powerful person within the Pill Tower. If he became the champion of this Pill Gathering, his name would be present as a potential successor of the Pill Tower’s giant heads. At that time, just what woman would he not be able to obtain?

“Xiao Yan, hopefully, you will not be a stone that blocks my path. Otherwise...”

Song Qing stared at the spot where Xiao Yan’s back had disappeared. There was a fierce glint that flashed across his eyes.

Xiao Yan was naturally unaware that despite his quick withdrawal, he had still attracted Song Qing’s enmity. Moreover, even if he were aware of it, he would helplessly curse him as a ‘fool...’

Xiao Yan followed the path he had taken from and roamed for nearly an hour around this enormous Pill Tower before he returned to the living quarters that Elder Cheng had arranged for him. There was quite a bit of traffic within this Pill Tower. Moreover, all of them were alchemists of the Pill Tower. There were some true grandmaster level individuals among them. It would not be an overstatement to say that this place was filled with hidden talent...

Xiao Yan greeted the Little Fairy Doctor and the rest after returning to the living quarters. He then entered his room.

After which, he sat on the bed of the room and recuperated. Following which, he clenched his hand and a pale-gray scroll appeared in it. It was the scroll that Xuan Kong Zi had given him earlier.

Xiao Yan’s hand slowly pulled open the scroll. An invisible ripple spread from it. This ripple was one that Xiao Yan was extremely familiar with. It was something emitted by the Spiritual Handprint.

There was not a single word on the scroll after Xiao Yan opened it. Only some vaguely twisted invisible folds were present. Xiao Yan thought for a moment upon seeing this. After which, he grabbed the scroll and gently placed it on his forehead.

An invisible ripple immediately surged after the scroll touched his forehead. Immediately, Xiao Yan sensed a thread of information pour into his head like floodwater.

Xiao Yan gently placed the scroll back down after the information had completely swarmed into his head. He began to arrange the somewhat strange flow of information...

The cataloguing continued for awhile before Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. A slight flicker appeared within them.

This information flow was the Soul Skill Cao Ying practiced. This thing was called Spiritual Handprint, and it was also called the Spiritual Seal. During ancient times, Soul Skills were similar to Dou Techniques and had been separated into Tian, Di, Xuan, and Huang class. This Spiritual Handprint was a kind of Xuan class High level Soul Skill. Although it was not of a very high class, it was not considered bad. Its strength was something Xiao Yan had personally experienced back then. Moreover, this thing was different from a Dou Technique. Currently, Soul Skills were extremely rare. When he fought with another, it could catch his opponent off-guard.

More importantly, this Spiritual Handprint would gradually allow Xiao Yan to understand how to unleash most of his Spiritual Strength. He would no longer need to purely rely on the strength of his Spiritual Strength in order to fight with another like he did in the past.

The Spiritual Handprint was divided into three seals. Xiao Yan had secretly learned the first seal from Cao Ying. He had not been able to secretly learn the remaining two seals. Fortunately, this scroll contained a complete record of them.

“This is a Soul Skill huh... it does indeed differ when compared to a Dou Technique...”

Xiao Yan remained deep in thought for a long time. There were few Dou Techniques that required a special hand seal, but the usage of this Soul Skill required the combination of a hand seal. Moreover, one’s Spiritual Strength needed to flow in a certain orbit as it gathered while the hand seals changed. However, all skills ultimately contained the same origin. Soul Skills and Dou Techniques were generally similar to each other.

“Hu...”

Xiao Yan inhaled a deep breath of air as his mind gradually focused. His hand was slowly extended out. After which, it began to follow the seals in his mind and slowly change.

Xiao Yan’s hand seals changed very slow. However, his face was filled with a seriousness. Spiritual Strength flowed out from between his brows. After which, it acted in combination with his hand seals and aggregated together...

Xiao Yan tirelessly displayed the hand seal time and time again within the room. This kind of training might be dull, but it was required. After all, regardless of whether it was a Soul Skill or a Dou Technique, the only way to master it was to work hard...

Time swiftly flowed by while Xiao Yan was focused in training. Following his steady seal formation, he gradually familiarized himself with the energy fluctuations that gathered around his palm...

“The limit of Soul... shut the Heavenly Spirit... absorb the spirit forge the soul...”

While Xiao Yan’s mind was completely immersed in his training, a faint muttering seemed to be involuntarily emitted from his barely moving mouth...

Under this anonymous word formula, the space within the room began to slightly ripple. Immediately wisps of faint spiritual aura quietly seeped out of the space. After which, they slowly entered the spot between Xiao Yan’s brows...

All of these changes were not discovered by Xiao Yan. The only thing he sensed was the control over his soul becoming smoother following the appearance of the word formula. Even the halting feeling when he was forming the seal had significantly weakened...

The interior of the room was silent. Only an extremely quiet sound reverberated through the room...

Time flowed by like water. Xiao Yan was unaware that this training of his lasted nearly ten days...

During these ten days, the humans within Holy Pill City swelled due to the Pill Gathering that was being held. One could see countless numbers of people flowing around the spacious city...

Trouble was naturally unavoidable with the increase of traffic. However, it was fortunate that the Pill Tower was not an ordinary faction. Hence, it maintained order fairly well. Therefore, the worst sort of chaos did not appear. Nevertheless, with the Pill Gathering approaching by the day, Holy Pill City entered a boiling state. After all, the Pill Gathering was not only a grand event of the Pill Region. It was also a grand event for the Central Plains region. The dream of a countless number of alchemists was to be able to show their best performance within the Pill Gathering and become a dazzling star among the many people on the continent...

Of course, some hidden currents were unavoidable under that boiling atmosphere. This Pill Gathering was different from the past. Due to the Three Thousand Burning Flame, many factions had dispatched the alchemists under them. From the looks of it, they intended to obtain the Three Thousand Burning Flame!

Moreover, the Pill Gathering this time around would become an arena for a countless number of alchemists to compete using all of the skills that they had learned!

All of the training was for this Pill Gathering!

Many alchemists would compete to see who was the best in this Pill Gathering!

Amid this boiling atmosphere in the city, the last day before the Pill Gathering finally arrived. Only at this moment did a young man, who was seated like a meditating old monk in a room within the Pill Tower, finally shake. After which, he slowly opened his dark-black eyes...