Chen Nan was stunned.
He had expected the dragon mastiff to kill him.
But he hadn't expected it to ask in such a tone if he was from Earth.
This immediately made him lower his guard, and he said, "Reporting to senior, this junior is indeed from Earth. Are you also from Earth?"
The dragon mastiff shook its head. "My ancestral home is also Earth, but I returned to Earth once a thousand years ago to send my daughter back to the Kunlun Mountains."
Chen Nan gasped, "Are you Sister Ao's father?"
The dragon mastiff looked at Chen Nan with suspicion. "Sister... Ao?"
Chen Nan smiled. "I went to Kunlun Mountain once and met your daughter unexpectedly. It's no exaggeration to say we shared life and death."
He had saved the dragon mastiff.
And the dragon mastiff had given him great fortune.
If not for that dragon mastiff in Kunlun Mountain, he would never have obtained the Tongtian Tower.
"No wonder you carry her aura," the dragon mastiff revealed a wistful gaze. "Is she well?"
Chen Nan nodded. "She lives in Kunlun Mountain and is very well."
The dragon mastiff said with relief, "That's good."
Chen Nan asked, puzzled, "Senior, why are you here?"
He was very curious.
A ninth-level demon emperor.
And a powerful species at that.
Even in the demon realm, beings of this stature were on par with dragons.
But...
Taijin Mountain seemed like such an insignificant place.
The dragon mastiff looked at the divine medicine on the distant mountain. "I am waiting here for a destined person to pluck this divine medicine."
"Someone to whom I can willingly gift this divine medicine."
Chen Nan cleared his throat. "Senior, could the destined person you speak of be me?"
The dragon mastiff lowered its head to look at Chen Nan, its eyes complex. "If I didn't want you to obtain this divine medicine, what would you do?"
Chen Nan was speechless.
He had thought the dragon mastiff would let him pluck the divine medicine out of respect for his acquaintance with the dragon mastiff from Kunlun Mountain.
But he hadn't expected it to say something like this.
Chen Nan didn't know what to do.
He didn't have absolute certainty that he could defeat the dragon mastiff and obtain the divine medicine before the Qian Emperor arrived.
"I seem to have had a dream."
"That dream was very ethereal."
"But I sent my daughter to Kunlun Mountain."
"And."
"I feel as if someone was controlling my destiny from behind the scenes."
"Using me as a pawn."
"If I'm not mistaken, you should have a Tongtian Tower on you."
"And that person's goal was to make you obtain the Tongtian Tower."
Chen Nan's heart trembled.
Could it be?
Did the Human Emperor deliberately arrange for him to obtain the Tongtian Tower?
If that were the case.
The situation was very unfavorable for him.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed his emotions. "Senior, when did you break through to the ninth-level demon emperor realm?"
The dragon mastiff said, "Five hundred years ago."
Chen Nan understood.
Luo Yuan, the previous owner of the Tongtian Tower, had once said.
The Human Emperor could use all living beings as pawns.
But he could not control powerful beings at the ninth-level immortal emperor realm.
Therefore.
The dragon mastiff's earlier words still held some credibility.
"It was also five hundred years ago that I sensed I might have been used as a pawn."
"It is precisely because of this that I have stayed here."
"I do not wish for you to obtain that divine medicine."
"If all of this is indeed a scheme set by someone."
"Not plucking the divine medicine might become the key to breaking the scheme."
The dragon mastiff offered its opinion.
Chen Nan shook his head dismissively. "But in this junior's opinion, only by obtaining the divine medicine can one approach the ultimate truth."
Let alone whether there were clues to becoming a saint in the seventh-level immortal mansion.
Merely breaking through the nine-level immortal mansion would allow him to glimpse the Human Emperor's intentions, so he had to spare no effort to open the remaining three levels.
The dragon mastiff said, "If you insist on plucking this divine medicine, I will not stop you."
"Thank you, senior."
Chen Nan bowed and transformed into a wisp of light, appearing beside the white jade ginseng.
Then.
He sat down cross-legged.
And took out the Yan Zhou Cauldron.
He intended to refine the Zhiyuan Pill on the spot.
Although the emergence of a divine pill would cause anomalies in heaven and earth.
And would anger the Qian Emperor.
But.
He had no choice.
He truly had no choice.
Chen Nan had never refined a divine pill before.
Even with his high attainments in alchemy, he wasn't confident he could refine a divine pill on the first try.
However.
He only had this one recipe for a divine pill.
And only this one million-year-old white jade ginseng.
If he failed to refine the pill this time.
He would never be able to open the seventh-level immortal mansion again.
Therefore.
Refining the pill here was the best option.
After all, this was a place of abundant spiritual energy and earthly essence.
The success rate of refining pills here could be increased by twenty percent.
Even though it was only twenty percent.
This twenty percent was crucial for success or failure.
The dragon mastiff spoke, "Refine your pill with peace of mind. I will guard you."
Chen Nan was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected the dragon mastiff to help him guard.
With its help guarding him.
The success rate of refining the pill could be increased by another ten percent.
At the very least, he could focus wholeheartedly on refining the pill without worrying about the Qian Emperor coming to trouble him.
Yes.
Even if the Qian Emperor sensed that the divine pill had been obtained and arrived, it would be difficult for him to quickly distinguish between himself and the dragon mastiff.
Chen Nan then emptied his mind and body.
And began to refine the pill.
Unlike ordinary pills.
The Zhiyuan Pill first required refining auxiliary pills, followed by the main ingredient.
------
At the same time.
In the Imperial Palace of the Qian Kingdom.
Changle Hall.
Ministers of the Qian Kingdom ranked third and above were gathered here.
As well as the Qian Emperor's offspring.
Besides them.
Envoys from the seven kingdoms had also been sent.
After all, today was the Qian Emperor's sixty-ninth birthday.
This day was very important to the Qian Emperor.
The other seven human supreme beings had also sent people to offer congratulations.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd.
The Qian Emperor, dressed in a dragon robe, appeared before them.
Everyone bowed.
Then it was time for the Qian Emperor's sons to show their filial piety.
They had all gathered many treasures, hoping to please the Qian Emperor.
But none of their gifts were as pleasing to the Qian Emperor as Qian Sheng's.
After all, it was a genuine divine artifact.
This was the second divine artifact to appear in the immortal realm thus far.
Moreover, this sword possessed astonishing sword intent, far more terrifying than the Yan Kingdom's national sword.
It was no exaggeration to call it the number one divine sword in the immortal realm.
The Qian Emperor was very happy.
He drank and conversed with everyone.
After several rounds of drinks.
The Qian Emperor looked at Ao Ji and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Ao Ji, has Master Chen not yet considered the condition I proposed?"
"There's really no need for this."
"There's no need to cling to pride and suffer."
"As long as he agrees to the condition I proposed."
"I can inform him of the whereabouts of the divine medicine."
Upon hearing this.
Third Prince Qian Feng inexplicably felt a strong sense of unease.
There was nothing he could do.
He had already informed Chen Nan of the whereabouts of the divine medicine.
Ao Ji took a sip of wine and said indifferently, "I said before, that condition is impossible to agree to."
The Qian Emperor's lips curled into a sneer. "There is only that one divine medicine in the world. Why are you all so persistent?"
As soon as the words fell!
Boom!
A blood-red lightning bolt appeared in the east.
Then a thunderous roar echoed throughout the heavens and earth.
The Qian Emperor abruptly stood up, his face contorted with anger as he looked towards Taijin Mountain. "Damn it! Did that brat Chen Nan steal my divine medicine?"