Chapter 367: Chapter 367: A Casual Chat with Fa Ma
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imperial capital, Alchemist Association.
Just as Wei Yang returned to the small courtyard where he lived, a figure as old and withered as dead wood followed closely behind him.
Fa Ma’s pair of cloudy old eyes carefully scanned Wei Yang from head to toe before he finally nodded slightly and smiled. "So you’re finally back. You’ve been gone for over two months—honestly, I was starting to think you ran into some kind of trouble."
"I’m fine. Just found a place to go into seclusion for a bit. Broke through a minor realm," Wei Yang said with a smile as he sat down behind a low table, gesturing for Fa Ma to sit across from him.
"Oh? A minor breakthrough? That’s great news. Congratulations," Fa Ma said, lowering himself shakily into the seat. Upon hearing the news, his murky eyes lit up, and he nodded with a warm smile.
At Wei Yang’s level, even a minor breakthrough was a big deal—something worth celebrating.
Wei Yang chuckled and took out a tea set, moving with practiced ease as he began boiling water and steeping tea.
Fa Ma sat across from him, smiling kindly, watching his movements in silence.
Before long, the tea was ready. Wei Yang poured a cup and set it in front of Fa Ma.
"You’ve probably heard about the alliance we’re forming, right?" Fa Ma asked casually as he picked up the teacup and gently blew on the steam.
"I’ve heard. I’ve agreed to it," Wei Yang nodded.
"Mhm." Fa Ma sipped the tea slowly, smacked his lips in approval, and gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment, clearly not surprised by Wei Yang’s answer.
After chatting idly for a bit, Wei Yang suddenly flipped his hand and took out a small jade bottle, placing it gently on the table in front of Fa Ma.
"Here. For you."
"This is...?" Fa Ma immediately set down his teacup and stared intently at the jade bottle.
In his cloudy old eyes, a faint gleam of light flickered as he locked his gaze onto it.
Even from the light medicinal fragrance wafting through the air, he could tell—it was a high-grade pill, no doubt about it.
"Zong Breaking Pill," Wei Yang said casually.
"W-What?!" Fa Ma’s body trembled violently, and he blurted out the words in shock.
Lifting his gaze, he stared at Wei Yang with disbelief written all over his face.
Zong Breaking Pill?!
That was a Tier 7 pill!
And not just low-grade, but high-grade Tier 7!
Its value was...
"You’ve been stuck at the peak of Dou Huang for years now. Maybe you’re just missing a single opportunity to step into Dou Zong. I hope this pill helps you," Wei Yang said with a faint smile.
"I... I... I—" Fa Ma’s lips quivered. His dry, wrinkled hands trembled as he slowly picked up the jade bottle. His mind was still spinning, unable to fully process it.
The legendary Zong Breaking Pill...
With utmost care, he opened the bottle cap, and instantly, an incredibly rich emerald-green medicinal fragrance swirled out, wrapping around him like a breeze of spring.
Snnnnfff~
Fa Ma inhaled deeply. His entire body immediately felt relaxed, every pore seemingly opening up.
Even the Dou Qi that had been stagnant in his body for years began to stir ever so slightly.
"What an extraordinary Zong Breaking Pill..." Fa Ma muttered in awe as he narrowed his eyes, peeking into the bottle.
Inside, a round, dragon-eye-sized pill floated silently, spinning slowly with an aura of vitality and intelligence.
Its surface was covered in mysterious pill patterns, each of them so vivid and profound that Fa Ma’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Pill Lines!
Snap!
He quickly capped the bottle and clutched it tightly, his chest heaving as he looked up at Wei Yang.
After a long silence...
"Wei Yang, this... this is far too precious, I..." Fa Ma stammered, torn between hesitation and overwhelming gratitude. His old eyes brimmed with excitement and longing, threatening to spill over.
Wei Yang couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight and waved it off. "Alright, alright. Just take it already. Don’t get all sentimental. You need it, and I made it especially for you."
"Then... then I’ll shamelessly accept it," Fa Ma said softly, carefully stashing the jade bottle away. His expression was complicated.
If it had been something else, Fa Ma might have turned it down.
After all, he was an old man now—already halfway buried in the ground. Material possessions no longer meant much to him.
But the Zong Breaking Pill was different.
It was something he desperately needed.
And so, he accepted it, thick skin and all.
...Wait a second!
"W-Wei Yang," Fa Ma suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Wei Yang in alarm. His voice trembled. "Did... did you just say you... you refined this pill yourself?!"
His voice cracked and turned sharp from the shock.
A high-grade Tier 7 pill!
Was this some kind of joke?!
"Yeah. Why would I lie to you?" Wei Yang shrugged, then blinked and added with a playful tone, "Just don’t go telling people, alright?"
"I..." Fa Ma was speechless.
A short while later...
Fa Ma finally managed to calm himself. In a softer voice, he asked, "You’re planning to leave again, aren’t you?"
"Mhm." Wei Yang nodded, lifting his teacup for a sip. His gaze drifted off toward the direction of the Black-Corner Region as he said, "I’ve been back for almost three months now. If you include travel time, it’s even longer. It’s about time I left. Xian’er and Qing Lin are still in the Black-Corner Region—I’m worried about them."
"I see." Fa Ma nodded thoughtfully. After a pause, he asked again, "I suppose this time, you won’t be returning for quite a while?"
"Correct. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll be heading for Central Plains soon," Wei Yang said frankly. "So, I probably won’t be back for the next three to five years."
"Three to five years... Central Plains, huh." Fa Ma let out a long sigh. A flicker of longing and regret flashed in his eyes as he murmured, "The Pill Tower is located there."
The Pill Tower—a sacred place in the heart of every alchemist.
"You plan to visit it, don’t you?" Fa Ma looked at Wei Yang.
"Of course. It’ll be my first stop once I reach Central Plains," Wei Yang nodded.
"Good." Fa Ma smiled with satisfaction. "With your alchemy skills, you’ll surely be among the upper ranks even in a place like the Pill Tower."
A high-grade Tier 7 alchemist—even within the Pill Tower, that was enough to become an Elder.
"Once you break through to Dou Zong, Old Fa, your alchemy skills will likely rise to Tier 6 naturally. If you’re ever interested, you could come visit the Pill Tower too," Wei Yang said with a smile.
Anyone who reached Tier 6 in alchemy could join the Pill Tower, receiving recognition and protection.
"Haha, we’ll see if I get the chance. Besides, I don’t even know if I can successfully break through to Dou Zong," Fa Ma laughed and shook his head. "Unlike you young folks, I’ve gotten old. I’m not one for running around anymore."
"Besides, this newly formed alliance needs some old-timers like us to watch over it."
"Alliance..." Wei Yang frowned slightly and said, "Everything else is fine, but what worries me most is the Hall of Souls. That group of shadow rats never sits still for long."
"The Hall of Souls..." Fa Ma’s brow furrowed too.
Then he chuckled and said, "A bunch of filthy rats. I doubt they’d dare launch a blatant assault. After all, our alliance isn’t that easy to mess with. And judging by their usual style, they probably won’t act rashly either."
"Let’s hope so." Wei Yang let out a slow breath.
Based on the Hall of Souls’ usual tactics, they wouldn’t send a large force just because a few of their Protectors were killed. If they stirred up a storm every time something minor happened, they’d tire themselves out—and destroy their own reputation in the process.
Besides, if they were that arrogant, they would’ve been everyone’s target long ago.
They usually preferred outsourcing when they wanted something done.
But things in the Jia Ma Empire were different.
Their target was here—the Xiao Clan.
Still, once Xiao Yan left, most of the Hall of Souls’ attention should shift with him.
...
After a moment of thought...
Wei Yang flipped his palm and took out two jade bottles, handing them to Fa Ma. "These are two contingencies I’m leaving behind. If you run into danger, they might help."
"Oh?" Fa Ma took the bottles, noting the multiple solid seals on the surface of each one. Curious, he asked, "What’s inside?"
"Dangerous stuff," Wei Yang said seriously, pointing to one of the bottles. "This one contains a foul substance I extracted from the soul body of that chaotic Protector Tie. It’s specifically designed to corrupt the soul."
"If anyone’s soul gets tainted by it... not even the gods can save them. So when you use it, be extremely cautious. Just pour Dou Qi into it and toss it as far as you can. I’ve set the seal to break once it receives a certain amount of Dou Qi—it’ll detonate on its own."
Wei Yang gave a stern reminder. "So remember—inject the Dou Qi, then throw it far away at the enemy. Don’t get anywhere near it."
"Understood." Fa Ma nodded with a serious expression.
"As for the other one," Wei Yang gestured to the second jade bottle and smiled, "it contains a miniature sun. Same method—inject Dou Qi, then toss it at your target."
"As for its power..."
Wei Yang thought for a moment and added casually, "Roughly about half the strength of the Ten Sun Destruction technique I used atop Yun Lan Mountain that day. Anyone below high-level Dou Zong would almost certainly die."
"A miniature sun... and anyone below high-level Dou Zong is guaranteed to die?!" Fa Ma’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the jade bottle. He quickly regained his grip, alarm flashing in his eyes.
That battle atop Yun Lan Mountain... it was seared into his memory—not just unforgettable, but trauma-inducing.
That "sun" was brutal.
"Don’t worry," Wei Yang explained, "This miniature sun is tightly sealed. It’s stable for now. But once the seal is broken by external force, it’ll trigger an explosion."
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