BTTH: From Genius to Invincible-Chapter 317: Yellow Spring Treasure Pavilion

Word Count: 2,927 Words

******

The people and magical beasts living in the capital of the Sky Serpent Empire, the most central and prosperous city of the North-Western Region, were accustomed to all sorts of bizarre happenings. Airships or dragons passed overhead, and colossal apes taller than the city walls roamed outside, yet none of it caused much of a stir.

In contrast, Zi Yan, visiting the Sky Serpent Empire for the first time, was utterly astonished. She clearly should have been the most peculiar and highest-bloodline magical beast here; after all, her true form was the legendary Ancient Void Dragon.

Now, however, she was more like a country bumpkin, her eyes wide with astonishment, shining brightly as she was dazzled by the array of sights.

Countless cultivators poured into the Sky Serpent Empire, especially with only a few days remaining until the Great Meeting of Factions. Visitors from all corners, including all sorts of strange beings, had converged here. Some arrived on flying treasures, others with Dou Qi wings unfurled, and still others rode on an Eight-Eyed Insect King.

In comparison, Xiao Yan's respectable-looking group did not attract much attention. The only thing drawing gazes was the group of stunning beauties accompanying him; even in the North-Western Region, they were dazzling and exceptionally eye-catching.

Zi Yan was lively and adorable, Princess Yue Er playful and sprightly, and Nalan Yanran as proud and pure as a solitary plum blossom in winter, resembling a sharp sword that made people admire from afar. As for Yue Mei of the Mei Snake Tribe, her allure needed no elaboration; even in the Sky Serpent Empire, such a stunner was rare. Her exposed snake waist, swaying with each movement, was truly mouth-watering, captivating all who saw it and making the surrounding snake-type magical beasts stare wide-eyed.

Xiao Yan himself had not been lacking in luck with beauties, having once been fortunate enough to catch a distant glimpse of that back emerging from the water in the desert.

However, he was a man who had 'matured' since then and would no longer have his mind disturbed by such trivial matters. Surrounded by them, he remained plain and ordinary, calm as an ancient well; though he had no story to tell, his eyes were full of them.

The Sky Serpent Empire bustled with heavy traffic. At the same time, countless shops selling all sorts of rare treasures lined the streets, and street vendors and peddlers were even more numerous. Upon entering the Sky Serpent Empire, one would be drowned in the ceaseless rise and fall of hawking cries.

"Hegemon Flower! Selling a stalk of Hegemon Flower, the main ingredient for the Hegemon King Pill! Selling cheap now! The effect of a peak tier 5 Hegemon King Pill needs no further explanation. Trading only for pills, requiring a tier 4 or higher pill; will sell if suitable!" On the main street, the sound of hawking rose and fell ceaselessly.

"One Ancient Puppet Crafting Scroll, obtained from an ancient ruin! Though it's only the upper scroll, its grade is definitely no lower than High Xuan Class! Selling cheap!"

"A Monster Core of a Rank 6 magical beast and a piece of Rank 6 magical beast essence bone, can be used to forge a set of Monster Core Weapons! Price is negotiable!"

In the capital of the Sky Serpent Empire, besides the shops and auction houses established by powerful factions and imperial forces of the North-Western Region, there were also many traveling merchants or locals who would take out their own items to sell or exchange for other things.

Powerful sects like the Thunderbolt Sect and the Medicine Bone Sect also had shops in other empires, and Xiao Yan even saw shops belonging to factions from the Central Plains.

Of course, there were also quite a few swindlers here; however, most of them could only deceive people who had not seen much of the world.

Like Zi Yan, for instance.

"Dragon Blood Sacred Grass! After an incomparably powerful Heavenly Dragon fell in ancient times, its essence blood dripped into the earth, ultimately nurturing this stalk of Dragon Blood Sacred Grass! That Heavenly Dragon could once challenge a Dou Saint; its power reached the heavens! Come and see, Dragon Blood Sacred Grass, price is favorable," a street vendor cried out.

Upon hearing the words 'dragon blood,' Zi Yan's twin ponytails practically jumped up, and she whipped her head to look in the direction of the shout.

Seeing Zi Yan's appearance, never mind the street vendor accustomed to doing business, even Xiao Yan and the others knew she wanted to buy it.

"Esteemed young master and young ladies, please look. This Dragon Blood Sacred Grass, this humble one risked his life to obtain it from an ancient, perilous land. This is a heavenly treasure nourished by dragon blood. Just by using it, there's a certain chance of causing a dragon race's bloodline to return to its ancestors. Even without a dragon race bloodline, one can obtain the power of the dragon race and change one's physique." This stall owner carefully took out a brocade box, opened it for Zi Yan to see, and the moment the brocade box was opened, a surge of dragon race blood energy rushed out; suddenly, the stall owner immediately closed it.

Sensing that pure dragon blood aura, Zi Yan sucked in a breath, tugged at Xiao Yan's sleeve, and said urgently, "Xiao Yan! It's real! Hurry, buy it, buy it!"

Even Little Princess Yue Er, who was also an alchemist, revealed a hint of surprise; this was indeed the aura of the dragon race.

"What's the price for this?" Zi Yan asked eagerly.

"This young lady, I'm open to negotiation. How about one middle-grade tier 6 pill?" The stall owner's eyes flashed, and he revealed a beaming smile.

Hearing that only a tier 6 pill was required, Zi Yan was overjoyed; after all, Xiao Yan could refine tier 7 pills, so he naturally had tier 6 pills on him!

Dang!

Xiao Yan landed a hand-chop on Zi Yan's little head and helplessly transmitted via Spiritual Strength, "You're really letting down your bloodline; you can even fall for this."

He then glanced at the stall owner and said with a faint smile, "Dragon Blood Sacred Grass, you say? I've had the fortune of hearing about this one."

"The Dragon Blood Sacred Grass does indeed have some history. The tip of the grass is amber-colored, its entire body transparent, with clearly visible veins flowing like blood vessels. When the wind blows, the grass takes the shape of a dragon claw and carries a surging dragon aura. Let me take a look at your Dragon Blood Sacred Grass and see how old it is. If the age is sufficient, a middle-grade tier 6 pill would indeed be worth it."

A trace of an arrogant smile played between Xiao Yan's brows, yet his eyes sternly stared at the stall owner.

He had started reading various ancient books and medicinal herb manuals from the Bone Flame Ring at the age of four. After becoming an alchemist, he had thoroughly studied a large number of pill recipes, learning information about many medicinal ingredients from them. Although this Dragon Blood Sacred Grass was rare, he had also read about it in some medicinal texts.

The moment Xiao Yan spoke, the stall owner's expression immediately changed. Without saying another word, he rolled up his stall and turned to leave, not hesitating in the slightest.

Having knocked about for so long, the moment Xiao Yan spoke, he knew he had encountered an expert; staying to swindle further would only be asking for trouble.

The sudden change left Zi Yan and the others dumbfounded. Zi Yan didn't even have time to think about teaching that deceiving fellow a lesson before he vanished without a trace.

Yue Er said doubtfully, "But... but, just now, there really was dragon aura, and its appearance was also very similar."

"This is why I told you to read more books, but you didn't listen," Xiao Yan said in exasperation.

"How long do you think the Sky Serpent Empire has existed? As long as there are people, there will be swindlers. You must be careful in such marketplaces and streets."

"Swindling techniques update even faster than alchemy techniques and emerge in endless varieties. Producing a bit of dragon aura is simply too easy."

Could Xiao Yan not know that markets had many swindlers? He was the Little Clan Leader of Wu Tan City and had wandered around the markets with his clansmen since childhood; swindlers and thieves were regulars in the marketplaces.

With his experience, he could tell who was a swindler and who had genuine goods just by looking at their micro-expressions and eyes.

Of course, his most important source of confidence stemmed from possessing extensive knowledge.

Along the way, the strange news and odd matters Xiao Yan's group encountered were not few: those hanging a sheep's head but selling dog meat, those using ostrich eggs as magical beast eggs, those selling mystery box pills, and those offering lottery-style purchases. After walking the entire street, even Hai Bodong exclaimed that his eyes had been opened.

Nalan Yanran shook her head with a wry smile and murmured, "So many people think they can catch a deal, little knowing they are the real catch."

"You're right about that. Don't think about picking up bargains; if there were any, they would have long been taken by the appraisers and alchemists of those major factions. It wouldn't be your turn."

Nalan Yanran rolled her eyes at him. Which cultivator didn't hope to stumble upon a treasure? fгeewebnovёl.com

Seeing Xiao Yan turn and enter a quaint, ancient-looking shop, Yue Mei exclaimed, "Yellow Spring Treasure Pavilion! This must be a shop belonging to the Yellow Spring Pavilion!"

The Yellow Spring Pavilion was one of the renowned Four Pavilion factions in the Central Plains. They occupied the outskirts of the Central Plains. Moreover, the leaders of the Four Pavilions were all Dou Venerates; never mind a single Sky Serpent Mansion, their strength surpassed that of the entire North-Western Region.

This was also the reason why the Sky Serpent Mansion had once aimed to unify the North-Western Region.

This shop named the Yellow Spring Treasure Pavilion was extremely large. From the outside, it looked like a single shop, but upon stepping inside, one would discover that the space within was very large; this shop actually contained a barrier somewhat like a Space Lock!

Just by looking at this point, this Yellow Spring Treasure Pavilion was definitely no ordinary place.

Walking into the Yellow Spring Treasure Pavilion, one would discover that it was an ancient courtyard extremely rich in classical charm. Within this spacious courtyard, various wall shelves and transparent cabinets were arranged, laden with all sorts of treasures: Monster Cores of magical beasts, special divine metals, weapons with extraordinary imposing manner, and even medicinal pills were for sale.

It could be said that everything one might expect was available here; this was not a shop that sold only one category of goods. Medicinal ingredients, pills, Dou Technique and Qi Method scrolls, weapons and armor, rare treasures—they had them all.

Perhaps, just as the shop's name suggested, only treasures were sold here.

Sensing the strength of Xiao Yan's group, the shopkeeper of the Yellow Spring Treasure Pavilion even came to greet them personally. Even though they had the Yellow Spring Pavilion behind them, guests at the Dou Emperor level could not be offended.

Especially Xiao Yan; at such a young age, he possessed the strength of a Dou Emperor and was accompanied by beauties. Just by looking, one could tell his identity was not simple! Even the shopkeeper could only stand respectfully by the side with his hands down, not daring to speak rashly for fear of displeasing him.

Meanwhile, Zi Yan had her face practically pressed against a cabinet of medicinal herbs, nearly drooling. Xiao Yan gently pulled her back, then handed a piece of paper to the shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper, do you have these medicinal ingredients here?"

The shopkeeper received the paper Xiao Yan handed over with both hands. After glancing at the medicinal ingredients listed on it, his expression instantly changed dramatically, and he stared straight at Xiao Yan with wide eyes.

Seeing the shopkeeper's reaction, Little Princess Yue Er stood on tiptoe and craned her neck to look. When she saw the medicinal ingredients on it, her watery big eyes grew even wider.

Because almost all the items listed on it were tier 7 medicinal ingredients; even the lowest grade ones were the main ingredients for the Zong Breaking Pill and the Emperor Heaven Pill.

At this moment, Yue Er and the shopkeeper both understood at the same time: this... this was a 7th-tier alchemist?!

"You... you've reached tier 7!!" Yue Er exclaimed. What kind of reincarnated monster are you! It hasn't even been half a year; never mind his cultivation increasing so much, how have his alchemy skills also broken through to tier 7!

Isn't it said that breaking through from peak tier 6 to tier 7 takes at least eight or ten years, and at most, one might never reach tier 7 in a lifetime! Are you kidding me!

Her exclamation drew the attention of other customers and staff, and some whispers began to spread.

Realizing her slip, Yue Er hurriedly covered her own mouth.

Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly and did not blame Yue Er for anything; his status as a 7th-tier alchemist simply couldn't be hidden for long. In a few more days, at the Great Meeting of Factions, it would be known.

"Shopkeeper?"

The shopkeeper snapped out of his daze upon hearing Xiao Yan's voice and hurriedly said, "This Grandmaster, I am truly very sorry. Our humble shop can only find four of them. For the others, perhaps I need to inquire with our headquarters, but delivery will take three days."

The shopkeeper never would have imagined, even in his dreams, that the shop opened by his Yellow Spring Pavilion in the Sky Serpent Empire would one day say it couldn't find all the items. Moreover, the Yellow Spring Pavilion might not necessarily have these items either, especially that Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva; he was certain they absolutely did not have it.

The shopkeeper picked up a pen and drew four circles on the paper, meaning that these medicinal ingredients were all available in their shop and could be obtained as ready stock.

Among them, two were the main ingredients for the Emperor Heaven Pill and the Zong Breaking Pill; after all, those two types of pills were hard currency. Xiao Yan could refine some more; even if he didn't use them himself, placing them in the Yan Alliance as rewards would be fine.

Another one was the Body Transformation Grass. Xiao Yan only had one stalk of Body Transformation Grass; he was also a 7th-tier alchemist now and needed to prepare to fulfill his promise to the Amethyst Winged Lion King. In case the refinement failed, he would at least have another chance.

And there was one more, which was the medicinal ingredient for refining the Great Soul Black Purple Pill. This low-grade tier 7 pill that could enhance Spiritual Strength was precisely what Xiao Yan needed most right now. His Spiritual Strength improvement had already become very slow; the time needed to reach the Great Perfection of the Mortal State would be very long, and he could only rely on medicinal pills for help.

The Great Soul Black Purple Pill not only had a complicated refining method, but its medicinal ingredients were also extremely hard to find. Xiao Yan was just trying his luck and didn't expect them to actually have it.

"No problem. If there are other medicinal ingredients, Shopkeeper, you can come to the residence where the Yan Alliance is temporarily staying to notify me. I want them all."

As for the price, the shopkeeper didn't need to worry at all about Xiao Yan being unable to afford it; these medicinal ingredients undoubtedly all needed to be exchanged for pills.

Before long, the shopkeeper returned holding four cold jade treasure boxes, which contained the four medicinal ingredients. Xiao Yan examined them carefully and found no issues.

"In total, that comes to the value of one high-grade tier 6 pill or two middle-grade tier 6 pills," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

Xiao Yan nodded; the price seemed fair enough. Although the Body Transformation Pill was a high-grade tier 7 pill, the Body Transformation Grass itself wasn't as valuable as the main ingredient for the Great Soul Black Purple Pill. This was because it also served as a main ingredient for the tier 6 Demon Transformation Pill.

Zi Yan's eyes were filled with deep resentment, her expression practically screaming: I have to risk my little life just to get a few medicinal ingredients, while you make a fortune refining a single pill—and you even swindled me out of so many of mine!

"How about I teach you alchemy?" Xiao Yan offered. "Then you could refine pills to trade for medicinal ingredients too." It was a well-known fact that alchemists could make a fortune from a small investment.

"Hmph!" Zi Yan simply rolled her eyes at him, snorted, and turned her proud little head away. While their Ancient Void Dragon clan could indeed breathe fire and possessed innate fire-attribute energy, she herself lacked the wood-attribute energy essential for alchemy. Besides, it was common knowledge that magical beasts inherently had weaker Spiritual Strength.