Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

”I’ve come today to ask Elder Wang about a few things.”

Yang Xiao, seated in the place of honor in the main hall, stated his purpose with a gentle expression.

”Please, speak freely, Vice Chief Yang. As long as it’s something I know, I will tell you everything without reservation!”

Wang Zongping’s expression was solemn.

”It’s nothing major. I just wanted to inquire if there are any powerful Fire Element Barbaric Beasts near White Cloud Town. Tier Four or higher would be ideal.”

”Tier Four or higher Barbaric Beasts?”

Wang Zongping was inwardly shaken.

’He couldn’t understand why this young Vice Medicine Peak Master was inquiring about Barbaric Beasts.’

Beasts, after all, were not weak. On the contrary, they were incredibly powerful.

It went without saying for common wild animals, which couldn’t even reach Tier One. But Tier One and Tier Two Fierce Beasts were equivalent to the Martial Artist and Martial Master Tiers, respectively. And in most cases, a beast of a certain level was several degrees stronger than a human Cultivator of the same level.

They were not to be underestimated.

Take himself, Wang Zongping, for instance. He was an expert at the Innate Realm Eighth Layer and one of the few Elders with true authority in the Foreign Affairs Hall, stationed to defend White Cloud Town.

Yet if he were to actually leave the town and confront a Tier Three Barbaric Beast, he would have to be incredibly careful and cautious.

In fact, he only dared to take on Barbaric Beasts at or below the Mid-stage Tier Three.

If he encountered a Late-stage Tier Three Barbaric Beast, he would need the cooperation of others and a well-laid plan.

And if he ran into one of the top-level Tier Three Beast Kings, it would be a huge question whether he could even escape with his life.

And yet, here was Yang Xiao, asking him about Tier Four Barbaric Beasts.

’What… does he mean by this?’

’Could it be that Sect Leader Yang Zhentian intends to kill a Tier Four Barbaric Beast for its Inner Core?’

”What? Are there none in the area?”

Yang Xiao frowned.

Wang Zongping shook his head.

”It’s not that there aren’t any. There is one. About one hundred thirty li south of White Cloud Town, there’s a volcano called Flame Sun Mountain. An Earth Fire Qilin Beast is said to live there. However, I don’t know if it’s still around, as no one has seen it for a hundred years.”

”An Earth Fire Qilin Beast?”

Yang Xiao’s eyes instantly lit up, and he felt an irrepressible surge of excitement.

’This creature possesses a trace of the Ancient Qilin Divine Beast’s bloodline! If I can get its Inner Core, not only could I refine my Fire Element Pill to at least the Seventh-Level Upper Grade, but it would also guarantee my breakthrough to the Orange Flame Realm. I might even be able to reach the Mid-stage Orange Flame Realm directly.’

’There’s also a small chance I could refine its Qilin True Blood and fuse it with my own body to gain Qilin True Power. The benefits would be endless.’

’Moreover, it is said that a Qilin Divine Beast never appears where there is no treasure. Since this Earth Fire Qilin Beast has a trace of its bloodline, Flame Sun Mountain must surely hide some priceless treasure as well.’

’If I obtain all of that, this paltry Purple Sun Sect will no longer be able to hold me back.’

And so, Yang Xiao made his decision instantly.

He would go to Flame Sun Mountain.

He would hunt the Earth Fire Qilin Beast.

The Earth Fire Qilin Beast was as good as his.

...

Afterward, Yang Xiao asked for more details about the surrounding area. He learned that within a three-hundred-li radius, the only other Tier Four Barbaric Beast besides the Earth Fire Qilin Beast was a Cyan Wind Eagle, located two hundred eighty li to the southeast.

All the rest were Tier Three.

There were also a few Top Tier Dominator Level Tier Three Barbaric Beasts whose true combat strength was on par with that of an average Martial Arts Grandmaster.

Yang Xiao mentally noted it all.

He also inquired about Liu the Sixth. Upon learning that Liu the Sixth had committed no great evil and was merely a cowardly gossip, his killing intent faded.

Instead, he began to probe into the relatives of Wang Qianhe—a matter he had previously ignored.

”Wang Qianhe had two other brothers. The eldest, Wang Qianying, was once a True Disciple of the Purple Sun Sect. Unfortunately, he died in the Celestial Cloud Mountain Range over a decade ago, leaving behind a son, Wang Kaitai.”

On this topic, Wang Zongping naturally held nothing back.

Instantly, Yang Xiao understood the family situation. There were three Wang brothers in total. The eldest had died in the Celestial Cloud Mountain Range over a decade ago, leaving behind a single son: Wang Kaitai.

The second brother was Wang Qianhe himself, who was childless. As for the third brother, Wang Qianshan, he was said to have a daughter of exceptional talent who had joined the Profound Celestial Sect—one of the Upper Three Sects—in her youth.

She hadn’t returned in a very long time.

’The Profound Celestial Sect? Hmph. What trouble could one little girl possibly cause?’

Yang Xiao didn’t pay it much mind.

’I dealt with the likes of Wang Qianhe and Wang Qianshan easily enough. What hope would a defeated foe’s son and some woman I’ve never even met have?’

’If Wang Kaitai and that... Wang Xiyan from the Profound Celestial Sect don’t come looking for death, I won’t go out of my way to target them. But if they insist on coming here to die, then they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.’

’Killing them all would be a good deed, in a way. A family reunion.’

As for Wang Zongping, when he heard this, the corner of his eye couldn’t help but twitch.

’After all,’ he thought, ’Yang Xiao is just a teenager, yet he managed to kill Wang Qianhe. But Wang Xiyan is a genius who entered one of the Upper Three Sects.’

’Those are the Upper Three Sects, super-Sects presided over by Martial Arts Saints! And she’s in the Profound Celestial Sect, which is currently the most powerful of them all!’

’It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to be worried about her, right?’

’And yet...’

’It seems I’m really getting old. I just can’t understand the world of these young people anymore.’

Wang Zongping sighed to himself.

His face, however, betrayed none of his thoughts. He extended a warm invitation, offering to host a welcome banquet for Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao, of course, refused.

’He had no time to waste drinking with a bunch of complete strangers.’

’He’d rather use the time to fuse the new Spirit Medicines he’d acquired into his Fire Element Pill, see if he could raise its quality, and improve his own strength.’

’Doing so would greatly increase his chances against the Earth Fire Qilin Beast.’

Although Wang Zongping felt a little helpless at this, he didn’t dare to insist.

He simply had a portrait of Yang Xiao distributed, hoping to prevent any shortsighted fools from offending this new dignitary from Medicine Peak and stirring up trouble.

At the same time, he arranged for a meditation chamber to be prepared for Yang Xiao in the best location in the rear courtyard.

Nor was Yang Xiao one to stand on ceremony.

He went straight into the meditation chamber, shut the door, and began to take stock of the day’s spoils.

First, he took out all the Spirit Medicines that were Level 5 or higher.

Using his Medicine Condensation Skill, he refined them one by one into his Fire Element Pill.

Unfortunately, a Fire Element Pill that had already reached the Sixth-Level Upper Grade was not so easily improved. Even after he refined the single Sixth-Grade Spirit Medicine from Wang Qianshan’s collection, the pill still showed no signs of upgrading.

It merely pushed the Fire Element Pill’s quality to the Peak of Level 6 Upper-Grade.

To advance it any further, he would need at least one more Sixth-Grade Spirit Medicine.

”Looks like I’m still a little short... Huh? What’s this?”

Just as Yang Xiao was sighing with dissatisfaction and casually sorting through the belongings of Wang Qianshan and the others, a seemingly unremarkable Jade Pendant caught his eye.

He froze instantly.

A sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

’Could it be... that?’