"An invitation from the Gu Clan?"
Sitting in a grand and majestic study room within the Heavenly Court's headquarters in Holy Pill City, Xiao Ming held a black jade card in his hand, decorated with intricate and enigmatic patterns, giving it an aura of mystery.
"Yes, indeed. The envoy is from the Gu Clan, and the item in your hand is the invitation. Only by possessing it will you be able to enter the Gu Realm. However, I'm not sure why the Gu Clan would invite you to visit them. Normally, the Gu Clan only invites influential forces from the Central Plains to their coming-of-age ceremony once every twenty years. In recent times, there hasn't been any significant interaction between our Heavenly Court and the Gu Clan."
Sitting across from him, Xuan Kong Zi pondered the recent events of the Heavenly Court with a puzzled expression on his face.
Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow as he examined the black jade card with only a few characters written on it. His thoughts, however, were as clear as a mirror.
The Gu Clan probably had some suspicions about the Hun Clan.
As it had been mentioned before, only the Hun and the Gu Clan had the strength to silently wipe out the Spirit Clan.
The Gu Clan knew better than anyone whether they had done it or not.
So it was natural for them to suspect, if not be certain, that the Hun Clan was behind the Spirit Clan's annihilation.
But currently, the Gu Clan hadn't publicly stated that it was the work of the Hun Clan. One reason for this might be that the Gu Clan itself was under suspicion, but another reason might be that they were still blinded by their reputation as the so-called most powerful Ancient Clan.
Unbeknownst to them, the Hun Clan could easily take on two Gu Clans...
'However, it seems that the Gu Clan is not unprepared. At least they've contacted me.'
As he pondered this, Xuan Kong Zi decided not to dwell on why the Gu Clan had invited Xiao Ming and instead asked, "Are you planning to go to the Gu Realm?"
"That... let's talk about that later," Xiao Ming replied with a shake of his head. He did have the desire to visit the Heavenly Tomb to meet his ancestor, Xiao Xuan, and possibly retrieve and learn some of the Xiao Clan's Tian Dou Techniques.
However, there might be some old-fashioned elders within the Gu Clan who would arrogantly rely on their clan's power, and the presence of traitors within the clan could further complicate matters and make the situation unpleasant.
Therefore, before visiting the Gu Clan, it seemed more prudent for him to strengthen himself. After all, the invitation from the Gu Clan didn't mention a specific time, did it?
However, improving his strength...
After a moment of thought, Xiao Ming turned to Xuan Kong Zi and asked, "Have the medicinal herbs I need been collected?"
"In the past six months, I've searched all over the Central Plains and managed to collect materials for ten sets of Xuan Pills and three sets of Golden Pills. As for more, I'll need more time to find them."
"A total of thirteen sets of ingredients? That should be enough. Have someone deliver them later."
For Xiao Ming, aside from Heavenly Treasures, the quickest way to increase his strength was to use medicinal pills.
Ninth-Tier Treasure Pills didn't do much to improve Xiao Ming's strength. It was only the Ninth-Tier Xuan Pills and the Ninth-Tier Golden Pills above that could improve it.
However, these high-tier pills tended to cause resistance when taken in large quantities. Therefore, with these thirteen sets of ingredients, he had more than enough for his needs.
It was somewhat surprising that the Heavenly Court had managed to collect so many high-grade medicinal herbs in such a short time. Perhaps it was because alchemists above the level of Treasure Pill Grandmaster were too rare in the Central Plains.
"Alright, I'll deliver it to you personally in a while."
In reality, according to the strict rules of the Heavenly Court, it was forbidden to gather medicinal herbs using the influence of the Heavenly Court. However, Xuan Kong Zi didn't seem to mind at all.
Xiao Ming's contributions to the Heavenly Court were obvious to all. If his achievements were converted into contribution points in the Contribution Hall of the Heavenly Court, there would be countless zeros after the number. Getting a few medicinal herbs was just a small matter.
The leader of the Heavenly Court wasn't even qualified for that?
Besides, Xiao Ming couldn't possibly use all the pills he had refined himself. The surplus would be placed in the Contribution Hall for the benefit of the Heavenly Court. Therefore, the entire Heavenly Court felt that Xiao Ming, their "Big Boss", was really good to them.
On the second day after receiving the medicinal herbs, Xiao Ming didn't immediately start refining pills, but instead left Holy Pill City with Zi Yan.
...
The pitch-black empty space was filled with rampant spatial turbulence and terrifying storms. The dangers here were so great that not even ordinary Dou Saints would dare to enter.
Only magical beasts like the Ancient Void Dragon, with their innate spatial abilities, could traverse this place with the ease of a fish in water.
Suddenly, a brilliant light pierced the chaotic spatial turbulence, causing the violent spatial storms to shift in response. Its power was beyond words.
In the middle of that light, a man and a woman flew side by side. They were Xiao Ming and Zi Yan.
Rumble!
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed faintly and reached Xiao Ming's ears. A slight grin appeared at the corner of his mouth; he knew they had reached their destination, the Void Lightning Pool.
In an instant, the overwhelming lightning filled Xiao Ming and Zi Yan's vision. Thick and powerful silver-white bolts of lightning converged to form a sea of lightning.
One or two of these terrifying lightning bolts were manageable, but as their number increased, even Dou Venerable experts would be reluctant to come into contact with them.
For Xiao Ming and Zi Yan, however, they were barely an itch.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Ming led Zi Yan straight into the sea of lightning. The terrifying power of the Emperor Realm Soul formed a domain around them, causing even the thunderbolts to bow before them.
Amidst the constant thunderous explosions, wherever Xiao Ming passed, even these soulless, rampant thunderbolts gave way, clearing a path for them.
With each step, Xiao Ming covered hundreds of meters. The deeper they ventured, the more the color of the lightning intensified, changing from pure white to fiery white and finally to an ominous black. It was a deep, blinding black that sent shivers down one's spine.
Black Demon Lightning!
Two years had passed, and Xiao Ming once again reached the depths of the Void Lightning Pool. The area was filled with Black Demon Lightning, each one powerful enough to make a Half-Saint take it seriously. If dozens of Black Demon Lightning were unleashed at once, even a Dou Saint would be in dire straits.
Xiao Ming's eyebrows raised slightly, and with a mere thought, the Black Demon Lightning blocking their path dispersed, leaving an open path.
After devouring numerous lightning-based Heavenly Treasures and a large amount of Black Demon Lightning, he possessed extraordinary control over lightning. Even within the Lei Clan, there were very few people who could claim to be more skilled in the manipulation of lightning than he was.
Now that his strength had reached the intermediate six-star Dou Saint stage, it was child's play for him to command these Black Demon Lightnings.
In reality, Xiao Ming rarely used the lightning attribute powers. This was because since he had reached the Dou Saint realm, he had rarely encountered situations that required him to go all out, and even his trump card, his 'Spirit', which had played a significant role in previous confrontations, was now used sparingly.
There's no other reason - among opponents of the same or even of a higher stage, Xiao Ming was simply too overpowering. He could easily defeat them barehanded. Moreover, he had a wide range of methods to deal with his opponents, making the use of his special abilities unnecessary.
Had Xiao Ming not been an alchemist, he might have used his Heavenly Flame even less. It was only in situations like this that his proficiency in using the lightning attribute came into play.
"An invitation from the Gu Clan?"
Sitting in a grand and majestic study room within the Heavenly Court's headquarters in Holy Pill City, Xiao Ming held a black jade card in his hand, decorated with intricate and enigmatic patterns, giving it an aura of mystery.
"Yes, indeed. The envoy is from the Gu Clan, and the item in your hand is the invitation. Only by possessing it will you be able to enter the Gu Realm. However, I'm not sure why the Gu Clan would invite you to visit them. Normally, the Gu Clan only invites influential forces from the Central Plains to their coming-of-age ceremony once every twenty years. In recent times, there hasn't been any significant interaction between our Heavenly Court and the Gu Clan."
Sitting across from him, Xuan Kong Zi pondered the recent events of the Heavenly Court with a puzzled expression on his face.
Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow as he examined the black jade card with only a few characters written on it. His thoughts, however, were as clear as a mirror.
The Gu Clan probably had some suspicions about the Hun Clan.
As it had been mentioned before, only the Hun and the Gu Clan had the strength to silently wipe out the Spirit Clan.
The Gu Clan knew better than anyone whether they had done it or not.
So it was natural for them to suspect, if not be certain, that the Hun Clan was behind the Spirit Clan's annihilation.
But currently, the Gu Clan hadn't publicly stated that it was the work of the Hun Clan. One reason for this might be that the Gu Clan itself was under suspicion, but another reason might be that they were still blinded by their reputation as the so-called most powerful Ancient Clan.
Unbeknownst to them, the Hun Clan could easily take on two Gu Clans...
'However, it seems that the Gu Clan is not unprepared. At least they've contacted me.'
As he pondered this, Xuan Kong Zi decided not to dwell on why the Gu Clan had invited Xiao Ming and instead asked, "Are you planning to go to the Gu Realm?"
"That... let's talk about that later," Xiao Ming replied with a shake of his head. He did have the desire to visit the Heavenly Tomb to meet his ancestor, Xiao Xuan, and possibly retrieve and learn some of the Xiao Clan's Tian Dou Techniques.
However, there might be some old-fashioned elders within the Gu Clan who would arrogantly rely on their clan's power, and the presence of traitors within the clan could further complicate matters and make the situation unpleasant.
Therefore, before visiting the Gu Clan, it seemed more prudent for him to strengthen himself. After all, the invitation from the Gu Clan didn't mention a specific time, did it?
However, improving his strength...
After a moment of thought, Xiao Ming turned to Xuan Kong Zi and asked, "Have the medicinal herbs I need been collected?"
"In the past six months, I've searched all over the Central Plains and managed to collect materials for ten sets of Xuan Pills and three sets of Golden Pills. As for more, I'll need more time to find them."
"A total of thirteen sets of ingredients? That should be enough. Have someone deliver them later."
For Xiao Ming, aside from Heavenly Treasures, the quickest way to increase his strength was to use medicinal pills.
Ninth-Tier Treasure Pills didn't do much to improve Xiao Ming's strength. It was only the Ninth-Tier Xuan Pills and the Ninth-Tier Golden Pills above that could improve it.
However, these high-tier pills tended to cause resistance when taken in large quantities. Therefore, with these thirteen sets of ingredients, he had more than enough for his needs.
It was somewhat surprising that the Heavenly Court had managed to collect so many high-grade medicinal herbs in such a short time. Perhaps it was because alchemists above the level of Treasure Pill Grandmaster were too rare in the Central Plains.
"Alright, I'll deliver it to you personally in a while."
In reality, according to the strict rules of the Heavenly Court, it was forbidden to gather medicinal herbs using the influence of the Heavenly Court. However, Xuan Kong Zi didn't seem to mind at all.
Xiao Ming's contributions to the Heavenly Court were obvious to all. If his achievements were converted into contribution points in the Contribution Hall of the Heavenly Court, there would be countless zeros after the number. Getting a few medicinal herbs was just a small matter.
The leader of the Heavenly Court wasn't even qualified for that?
Besides, Xiao Ming couldn't possibly use all the pills he had refined himself. The surplus would be placed in the Contribution Hall for the benefit of the Heavenly Court. Therefore, the entire Heavenly Court felt that Xiao Ming, their "Big Boss", was really good to them.
On the second day after receiving the medicinal herbs, Xiao Ming didn't immediately start refining pills, but instead left Holy Pill City with Zi Yan.
...
The pitch-black empty space was filled with rampant spatial turbulence and terrifying storms. The dangers here were so great that not even ordinary Dou Saints would dare to enter.
Only magical beasts like the Ancient Void Dragon, with their innate spatial abilities, could traverse this place with the ease of a fish in water.
Suddenly, a brilliant light pierced the chaotic spatial turbulence, causing the violent spatial storms to shift in response. Its power was beyond words.
In the middle of that light, a man and a woman flew side by side. They were Xiao Ming and Zi Yan.
Rumble!
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed faintly and reached Xiao Ming's ears. A slight grin appeared at the corner of his mouth; he knew they had reached their destination, the Void Lightning Pool.
In an instant, the overwhelming lightning filled Xiao Ming and Zi Yan's vision. Thick and powerful silver-white bolts of lightning converged to form a sea of lightning.
One or two of these terrifying lightning bolts were manageable, but as their number increased, even Dou Venerable experts would be reluctant to come into contact with them.
For Xiao Ming and Zi Yan, however, they were barely an itch.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Ming led Zi Yan straight into the sea of lightning. The terrifying power of the Emperor Realm Soul formed a domain around them, causing even the thunderbolts to bow before them.
Amidst the constant thunderous explosions, wherever Xiao Ming passed, even these soulless, rampant thunderbolts gave way, clearing a path for them.
With each step, Xiao Ming covered hundreds of meters. The deeper they ventured, the more the color of the lightning intensified, changing from pure white to fiery white and finally to an ominous black. It was a deep, blinding black that sent shivers down one's spine.
Black Demon Lightning!
Two years had passed, and Xiao Ming once again reached the depths of the Void Lightning Pool. The area was filled with Black Demon Lightning, each one powerful enough to make a Half-Saint take it seriously. If dozens of Black Demon Lightning were unleashed at once, even a Dou Saint would be in dire straits.
Xiao Ming's eyebrows raised slightly, and with a mere thought, the Black Demon Lightning blocking their path dispersed, leaving an open path.
After devouring numerous lightning-based Heavenly Treasures and a large amount of Black Demon Lightning, he possessed extraordinary control over lightning. Even within the Lei Clan, there were very few people who could claim to be more skilled in the manipulation of lightning than he was.
Now that his strength had reached the intermediate six-star Dou Saint stage, it was child's play for him to command these Black Demon Lightnings.
In reality, Xiao Ming rarely used the lightning attribute powers. This was because since he had reached the Dou Saint realm, he had rarely encountered situations that required him to go all out, and even his trump card, his 'Spirit', which had played a significant role in previous confrontations, was now used sparingly.
There's no other reason - among opponents of the same or even of a higher stage, Xiao Ming was simply too overpowering. He could easily defeat them barehanded. Moreover, he had a wide range of methods to deal with his opponents, making the use of his special abilities unnecessary.
Had Xiao Ming not been an alchemist, he might have used his Heavenly Flame even less. It was only in situations like this that his proficiency in using the lightning attribute came into play.
