BTTH: From Genius to Invincible

Chapter 196: The Hall of Souls Within the Misty Cloud Sect

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"All right, finished with all the farewells?" A soft, alluring voice pulled Xiao Yan out of his contemplation as he gazed in the direction of the Hall of Souls.

Turning around, he saw Medusa staring at him with her enchanting eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched into a slightly awkward yet polite smile as he sheepishly asked, "Does Your Majesty need something from me?"

Medusa gave a faint smile, her black-colored hair fluttering in the wind with a unique exotic charm. Her snake-like pupils looked at Xiao Yan like a predator sizing up its prey as her snow-white jade hand suddenly extended toward him.

After her evolution, Medusa's skin was as tender as a baby's. Her fair, delicate hand stirred an impulse in others to take a bite.

"What is it?" Xiao Yan looked puzzled, not understanding her intention.

"The recipe for the Spirit Fusion Pill," Medusa explained leisurely, dispelling Xiao Yan's confusion.

With a light flick of his storage ring, the scroll containing the Spirit Fusion Pill recipe was casually handed to that jade-white hand.

Slender fingers gripped the pill recipe as Medusa's enchanting face revealed an impatient expression for the first time. She swiftly unrolled the scroll, her beautiful eyes meticulously reading the recorded effects of the Spirit Fusion Pill. Only after a long while did she slowly roll up the scroll.

"When can you refine it?"

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Xiao Yan spread his hands and said, "You think the ingredients for a tier 6 pill are like cabbages on the roadside? Even if I emptied out your tribe's treasury, I still couldn't get more than a few ingredients for a tier 6 pill."

A flash of murderous intent passed through Medusa's eyes upon hearing this. She had nearly forgotten that this bandit Xiao Yan had not only snatched away a Heavenly Flame but also plundered many precious medicinal ingredients from her tribe's treasury.

"You really think I wouldn't dare to kill you!"

Xiao Yan shrugged again and replied, "These medicinal ingredients are ultimately going to be used for you. If I die, who will reconstruct the body of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python for you?"

"Moreover, I can make the Heavenly Flames collide and erupt before I die. By then, you'll either be dead or severely injured. I believe the vast majority of people in the Jia Ma Empire would prefer to see your corpse rather than a living Queen Medusa."

"If you fight me to the death and end up seriously injured, even if you don't die, your Snake-People Tribe will be annihilated by the joint forces of several major empires the very next day. Now that the news of your successful evolution has spread, the Snake-People Tribe will at least enjoy peace for a good while."

Seeing Medusa's expression of barely suppressed anger yet unable to do anything to him, Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, feeling a bit smug inside.

He slowly extended his hand, imitating her earlier gesture, and said, "Time to return the Heavenly Flame."

Crack, crack, crack. The joints of Medusa's fingers cracked as a hint of crimson surfaced on her lovely face. This was from sheer rage.

In the end, she didn't make a move against Xiao Yan. After all, she bore the weight of the entire Snake-People Tribe on her shoulders. She was a queen. After retrieving the Heavenly Flame, Xiao Yan said calmly, "Ahem, don't be so angry. Once we gather all the ingredients, you should have already completed your body reconstruction. By then, you can continue being your queen, and I'll continue being my impoverished alchemist. We'll mind our own business and stay out of each other's way. Doesn't that sound good?"

Xiao Yan slowly descended back to the square. Watching his figure, Medusa slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and after pondering for a moment, could only follow behind him.

At this point, she needed his power more than ever.

After they slowly landed in the square, which had long been reduced to ruins, there was no one left except Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran. The other uninjured disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect had taken the wounded to the Medicine Hall for treatment.

As for Yun Shan, there was no need to mention him. Gu He probably had his hands full.

This battle ultimately concluded with Yun Leng and the other three being used as scapegoats and expelled from the Misty Cloud Sect, bringing the matter to a close.

As for the deeper reasons, Xiao Yan and Yun Shan naturally chose to remain silent; after all, matters concerning the Hall of Souls were a closely guarded secret.

Yun Yun looked at Queen Medusa following behind Xiao Yan and asked with slightly furrowed brows, "You're also staying at the Misty Cloud Sect?"

Medusa glanced at Yun Yun but didn't bother answering her question at all. As a Snake-Person, she still harbored a deep hatred for humans in her heart. Except for Xiao Yan, who elicited some special emotions due to their soul contract, other humans were nothing more than ants in her eyes.

Xiao Yan and Medusa followed Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran deeper into the heart of the Misty Cloud Sect.

Looking out over Misty Cloud Mountain, one could see a vast expanse of lush greenery and undulating peaks. The mountain peaks soaring above the clouds even featured breathtaking waterfalls cascading down, and ancient trees twisted like dragons clung to sheer cliffs.

No matter who it was, upon seeing the grandeur of these mountains, they would marvel at the beauty of the landscape before them.

"Truly worthy of being the most powerful sect in the Jia Ma Empire. This scenery is indeed unparalleled," Xiao Yan didn't hold back his praise. As the number one sect in the Jia Ma Empire, the Misty Cloud Sect's scenery surpassed that of the imperial palace, the Snake-People Tribe's palace, the Magic Beast Mountain Range, and even the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy by

quite a margin.

Medusa looked at this magnificent landscape, and there was a hint of envy in her eyes. After all, the Snake-People Tribe resided in a land of yellow sands, where even oases were a rarity, let alone such splendid mountains and

rivers.

Pavilions and grand halls were built along the mountains, shrouded in clouds and mist, with some places even emitting bursts of light.

From this, one could discern that the Misty Cloud Sect had indeed experienced

a glorious past.

After a long while, Xiao Yan followed Yun Yun to a secluded building.

"You can rest here for now. We'll head to the Gate of Life and Death

tomorrow."

Yun Yun looked at Xiao Yan and, after pondering for a moment, said, "I heard from Yanran that you want to enter the Gate of Life and Death because of a

Heavenly Flame?"

Xiao Yan didn't conceal it and nodded. "Indeed, I'm a fire-attribute Dou Qi cultivator and an alchemist to begin with. It's not strange that I want a

Heavenly Flame, right?"

All three women looked at Xiao Yan strangely. Wanting one Heavenly Flame is understandable, but you already have the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, Green Lotus Core Flame, plus that black flame!

Although they all found it odd, the three women didn't press the matter

further.

"If you need anything, just find Yanran. She resides in the building on the other mountain peak," Yun Yun said.

"So you've truly become a servant?" Xiao Yan chuckled.

"You... I..." Nalan Yanran wanted to retort, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say. After all, this was the wager she had made herself. "All right, I'm just kidding. With how clumsy you are, I'd find you more of a

hassle than a help." Xiao Yan pushed open the door, walked into the building, and gently closed the door behind him.

Seeing Xiao Yan close the door, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran exchanged glances

before taking their leave. As the Sect Leader, Yun Yun had numerous matters to handle in the aftermath of this incident.

Once Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength confirmed that the two had departed, the playful expression on his face immediately vanished.

"You went to great lengths to cause such a huge commotion in the entire Misty Cloud Sect-not just for a Heavenly Flame, is it?"

"If you just wanted to enter the secret realm of the Misty Cloud Sect, you should have had plenty of methods to do so." Medusa sat on a chair and asked

softly.

"Since when did Her Majesty the Queen become so concerned about me?" Xiao Yan sat across from her, smiled, and casually poured two cups of tea.

"I'm only concerned about the pills."

Xiao Yan lightly tapped his storage ring, retrieving the Green Colored Lotus Platform, and said, "In a moment, I'll use the Ten Thousand Beast Flame to refine some pills that will help accelerate the growth of your physical body. With the assistance of the Green Colored Lotus Platform, I believe you'll be able to return to Rank 7 in less than two years."

"Tonight, you can cultivate on the Green Colored Lotus Platform by yourself;

you don't need to follow me."

Medusa furrowed her brows and said, "You're going out?"

"Just planning to investigate some matters."

In the evening, not long after Nalan Yanran delivered his meal, Xiao Yan,

following the guidance of the Soul Command Token, passed through the dense forest and arrived at a wooded area within the Misty Cloud Mountain Range. The strange thing was that the soul light seemed to be abruptly severed,

stopping in mid-air.

'An illusion barrier, huh....

The corners of his mouth curved upward. He retrieved the long-unused Soul

Robe from his storage ring, donned it, and pulled down the hood to conceal his appearance.

When he reached out again, he discovered that his hand actually passed through a layer of barrier and disappeared.

'To think it's actually a formation that can distort space!'