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  Xiao Yan hadn't inally po don the robe, but as dusk approached and the air grew chilly, he found himself in need of an arment to prevent catg a cold.

  When everyone saw Xiao Yan take out the 5th-tier alchemist robe and put it on, all doubts vanished instantly.

  Possessing a Heavenly Fme and being a 5th-tier alchemist, he clearly had the qualifications necessary to refine a low-grade tier 5 Dragon Strength Pill. Everyo relieved and finally uood.

  This was clearly a trap set by Xiao Yan!

  "No wohis Xiao Yan not only possesses a Heavenly Fme but is also a 5th-tier alchemist. No wonder he's so formidable."

  "Exactly! He has a Heavenly Fme!"

  "Heavenly Fmes are truly incredible."

  All the alchemists present knew about Heavenly Fmes. They khat Heavenly Fmes were the kings among fmes and had all heard the saying: 'When a Heavenly Fme appears, all other fmes submit.'

  But none of them had ever seen an alchemist who possessed a Heavenly Fme, let alonessed someone using it to refine pills. They weren't clear oly how a Heavenly Fme beed an alchemist; they just k must provide signifit advantages. So they attributed everything to the power of the Heavenly Fme.

  Xiao Yan didn't mind how others viewed it. Whether it was the Heavenly Fme or his powerful Spiritual Strength, these were all his own, part of his strength.

  Han Xian's face turned pale as he stared at Xiao Yan with hollow eyes. He had no excuses; this was an absolute suppression of strength.

  Xiao Yan shrugged and said, "There are always mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people. Of all the alchemists I've met, you're actually one of the most talented."

  Among the numerous alchemists he had entered, perhaps only the Little Princess could refiier 5 pill by the age of twenty-five, while Yao Li might be parable to Han Xian.

  In terms of talent among alchemists of the same geion, Han Xian could indeed rank iop three of those Xiao Yan had met.

  "Well said. There are always higher mountains and people beyond people," Han Xian said, letting out a bitter ugh as he shook his head wryly.

  "Xiao Yan, you indeed have the ability. Today, I, Han Xian, accept my defeat wholeheartedly. However, the Medie Gang doesn't belong to me alone. I, Han Xian, will withdraw from the Medie Gang and join your Xiao Hall, but I ot and its members," Han Xian stood up and said solemnly.

  He had already decided that if he truly lost, he would bear the sequences alone. He would join the Xiao Hall ahem refine pills until he graduated from the Inner Academy.

  Xiao Yan smiled as he patted Han Xian's shoulder and said, "As the gang leader, how you hog all the bes for yourself?"

  "Uh?" Han Xian was pletely baffled, not uanding why he said this.

  Xiao Yan turo face the members of the Medie Gang, waved his sleeve, and said loudly, "To all Medie Gang members, those who follow Han Xian and merge into my Xiao Hall will not only be able to learn the pill recipes for the Qi Returning Pill and the Minor Blood Rec Pill, but once you reach tier 4, I, Xiao Yan, will personally teach you how to refihe Marrow Washing Ice Spirit Liquid."

  Everyone was momentarily puzzled, not immediately reag to Xiao Yan's words.

  Han Xian was the first to read asked in astonishment, "You're willing to teach us alchemy?!"

  The expressions of all the Medie Gang members immediately ged. A 5th-tier Grandmaster personally teag alchemy! For a moment, they began discussiedly among themselves. They had all witnessed Xiao Yan's formidable alchemy skills, and if they could receive his guidaheir own alchemy skills would surely improve!

  "That doesn't sound bad at all."

  "Yeah! Even if we merge into the Xiao Hall, improving our alchemy skills befraduation is worth it. The profits from refining pills be sidered as tuition fees."

  "Most importantly, we learn three types of pill recipes that are not low level and witness Grandmaster Xiao Yan using a Heavenly Fme to refine pills up close!"

  "Watg alchemy performed with a Heavenly Fme is a on-a-lifetime opportunity!"

  Xiao Yan looked at Han Xian and said, "Go bad tally up the numbers. I believe quite a few will be willing to follow you. Moreover, my Xiao Hall isn't a bck-hearted anization. We won't strip you of all your alchemy profits; we'll only charge a small patent fee for the pill recipes."

  Discussioed among the Inner Academy students in the pza. They all uood that Xiao Yan's tactiploying both carrot and stick would definitely be effective. After all, the Medie Gang had inally united due to Han Xian's exceptional alchemy skills, as following him meant gaining the opportunity to learn from him.

  Now that someoh even stronger alchemy skills had appeared, the Medie Gang members were naturally willing to follow.

  "Wow, he's abs the Medie Gang! Doesn't that make Xiao Hall strohan the Wolf Teeth and Splitting Mountain now?"

  "In just over half a year, this Xiao Hall has bee the number one fa in the Inner Academy!"

  Only now did everyone realize, and they looked at each other in astonishment. In just over half a year, this freshman Xiao Yan had not only united all the freshmen to establish the Xiao Hall but had also absorbed the Medie Gang!

  Unknowingly, he had surpassed the Wolf Teeth and Splitting Mountain to bee the number one fa in the Inner Academy!

  "Xiao Yan, that low-grade tier 5 healing pill was yours, wasn't it?" Elder Hao secretly transmitted his voice to Xiao Yan.

  In fact, there was a reason why Elder Hao chose a low-grade tier 5 pill recipe for the petition. He had guessed that Xiao Yan was very likely a 5th-tier alchemist.

  Only Zi Yan could have quietly taken the medial ingredients from within the protective barrier, but that girl never paid for anything she took. Moreover, Zi Yan wasn't an alchemist herself, so where would she get a tier 5 pill from?

  This proved that there was a sed person at the crime se back then. Zi Yan did take the medial ingredient, but it was needed by that sed person, who was also a 5th-tier alchemist. That's ill was left behind in exge.

  Xiao Yan smiled lightly and nodded. Good thing he had paid for it!

  From then on, the genius alchemist of the Inner Academy, a 5th-tier alchemist possessing a Heavenly Fme and known among the students as the Medie God, became famous throughout Jia Nan Academy. His reputation even spread across the entire Bck-er Region, and some gossipmongers even pared him to the Medie Emperor Han Feng.

  Although Han Feng was already a peak 6th-tier alchemist and even had the ce to refiier 7 pills, Xiao Yan was much younger by parison.

  …

  "Medie God Xiao Yan?"

  At this moment, in a pce called Feng City within the Bck-er Region, ihe main hall of a massive bck castle at its ter, an exceptionally handsome man eared to be only around thirty couldn't help but ugh.

  Although Feng City wasn't rge, it held a crucial position within the Bck-er Region. The reason was simple: the Medie Emperor Han Feng resided here.

  As the number one alchemist in the Bck-er Region, Han Feng, who had long bee a 6th-tier alchemist, held a rather high position in the hearts of many fas and powerful individuals. Of course, a 6th-tier alchemist was quite rare even across the entire ti. Even ordinary Dou Emperors and Dou Aors had to be polite wheing him. After all, everyone knew what kind of influence a 6th-tier alchemist possessed!

  The man's slightly thin lips were tightly pressed, giving off a sharp and cold demeanor, which oddly added to his unique charm.

  His bck hair cascaded to his shoulders, and his body seemed to exude a unique medial fragra all times. On the chest of his -colored alchemist robe was an a-looking medial cauldron emblem with six golden lines, symbolizing his rank as a 6th-tier alchemist.

  Embroidered on the back of his alchemist robe was an exquisitely crafted character 'Feng.'

  Without a doubt, this person was her than Han Feng, the one revered throughout the Bck-er Region as the Medie Emperor!

  Han Feng said indifferently, "Medie God? Even that teacher I killed wasn't qualified to be called Medie God. He merely reached the level of a 5th-tier alchemist early, thanks to sheer lud the assistance of a Heavenly Fme. Does he deserve to be called Medie God?"

  After hearing his subordinate's report, Han Feng swice disdainfully.

  "Besides, acc to reports from our spies in the Inner Academy, the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower has erupted twi the past half-year. Oion occurred half a year ago when the freshmeered the Inner Academy, suspected to be caused by this Xiao Yan's Heavenly Fme."

  "The other time was a short while ago, but both were miions and were quickly suppressed by the First Elder Su Qian."

  Han Feng's eyes grew solemn as deep blue fmes suddenly surged within his pupils.

  "Heavenly Fme... Keke, I, Han Feng, have een years in the Bck-er Region, waiting for the eruption of the Falle Fme. As long as I obtain a sed Heavenly Fme and devour and refi, perhaps my inplete Fme Mantra be altered. Even if it 't be pleted, it could be improved somewhat. And that Xiao Yan also possesses a Heavenly Fme..."

  His usually cold face suddenly filled with fanaticism. He ched his hand tightly, and just as he was about to speak, his brows furrowed. He clutched his chest and coughed urgently several times, his breath growiic.

  The coughing persisted for a while befradually subsiding. The man took a deep breath and muttered through gritted teeth, "Damn that old geezer! None of this would have happened if he had let me cultivate the Fme Mantra back then. What nonsense about an unsteady mind. My talent in alchemy is much strohan yours!"

  By the end, his voice had lowered siderably, but judging from his tightly ched fist, one could imagihe anger and hatred in his heart.

  …

  Time passed swiftly, and awo months went by.

  During these two months, Xiao Yan naturally no longer o worry about Fire Energy after abs the Medie Gang. He spent twenty days each month in the No. 1 cultivation room.

  In addition to improving his own cultivation, he also assisted Medusa in densing her physical body, accelerating the process as much as possible.

  However, after reag the 7-star Dou Spirit stage, Xiao Yan clearly felt that even the speed boost provided by the No. 1 cultivation room had signifitly slowed down.

  Therefore, he focused intensely on refining pills during the remaining time and successfully ied himself into the ranks of the elders. Uhe pretext of helping to refiier 5 pills, he acquired rge quantities of main ingredients for tier 6 pills.

  Alchemists capable of refining tier 5 pills were as rare as phoenix feathers and uni horns in the Inner Academy. They seldom refined pills for others. But now, Xiao Yan was 'doing good for the people.' As long as they provided tier 6 medial ingredients, he would help refiier 5 pills and even use a Heavenly Fme to do so. Moreover, his success rate and the quality of the pills were exceptionally high.

  This attracted even Dou Kings from the Bck-er Region who were willing to pay hefty prices to request his alchemy services.

  Xiao Yan began to improve his alchemy skills using the tier 6 medial ingredients he obtained from refining pills, creating a beneficial cycle.

  After spending over a month fog solely on alchemy, Xiao Yan had truly reached the level of a low-grade 6th-tier alchemist. He could now refine low-grade tier 6 pills with aremely high success rate.

  …

  On a mountain peak ier forests of the Inner Academy, Xiao Yan adjusted his breathing for about ten minutes, bringing himself to his optimal state.

  The moment he opened his eyes, a sharp glint fshed within them.

  'Less than two months remain until the Strong Ranking Grand petition.'

  Xiao Yan took out all the ingredients for the Ground Spirit Pill and alsht out the Bck Demon Cauldron.

  The Ground Spirit Pill wasn't a low-grade tier 6 pill; it was a high-grade tier 6 pill. Even with Xiao Yan's current abilities, he had to utilize the power of the Bck Demon Cauldron.

  The greatest be of the Bck Demon Cauldron was that it could elevate an alchemist's abilities by a level, allowing a low-grade 6th-tier alchemist to refine middle-grade or even high-grade pills with a retively high success rate.

  Only with such a miraculous effeproving an alchemist's skill could it be called a Heavenly Cauldron.

  Xiao Yan was about to challenge his limits by attempting to refihe high-grade tier 6 Ground Spirit Pill!