<strong><u>Chapter 285: To Scour For Treasure</u></strong>


    At the ce where two streets intersected, stood a veryrge building, which was perpetually shrouded by a faint medicinal pill-like fragrance. Above the towering main door was a que with ‘The Alchemist Association’, three ancient looking mboyantrge words. It twinkled with a pale-silver glow that caused the passersby to involuntarily throw it a respectful gaze.


    Being the headquarters of the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Association, even the emperor would have to be modest and courteous when he came to this ce. After all, the people that lived within this building could create a force that was sufficient enough to shake the entire empire. They belonged to the most respected upation in the entire Dou Qi continent.


    At therge door of the Alchemist Association, numerous alchemists who were usually rarely seen were entering with hurried footsteps. Their bodies had different colored alchemist robes which proudly represented their tier.


    Standing by therge door, Xiao Yan raised his head to look at the extremely majestic and imposing looking Alchemist Association Headquarters. He could not help but praise and shake his head. Such an imposing presence really lived up to its position as the head of the dragon for the alchemists in the Jia Ma Empire.


    “Are you nning on participating in the Alchemist Grand Meeting?” Hai Bo Dong, who stood beside Xiao Yan raised his head and also looked at the Alchemist Association which was even more crowded and lively than usual before tilting his head as he inquired.


    “We’ll see. If there is a reward that can move me, I may participate. If there isn’t...” When Xiao Yan said to this point, he waved his hand. Clearly, if there was no reward that moved him, he would naturally not want to be involved in this troublesome matter.


    “It’s up to you. This kind of Grand Meeting is an event that is indispensable for you alchemists. There are many alchemists from other countries that have also hurried over.” Hai Bo Dong nodded his head. He then patted Xiao Yan’s shoulders and said, “Since it’s like this, you should enter by yourself. I wish to go settle some things and meet some old acquaintances.”


    “You are going to the Primer n, right?” Xiao Yan nced at Hai Bo Dong andughed.


    Hai Bo Dong smiled but did not directly reply. He waved his hand at Xiao Yan before turning around and slowly walked along the street on the left side.


    Eyeing the old back which was slowly absorbed into the human flow, Xiao Yan softly muttered, “Looks like he has quite a deep rtionship with the Primer n...”


    After deliberating for a moment, Xiao Yan shook his head slightly. He threw out all these questions within his mind. Regardless of whether Hai Bo Dong had an old rtionship with the Primer n, it did not have much to do with him. Xiao Yan once again eyed the horizontal signboard that carried an ancient aura before lifting his feet and shoving into the Alchemist Association.


    The current Xiao Yan still had the ice silk mask covering his face and he wore a tier two alchemist upational robe. His ordinary manner was very inconspicuous.


    Stepping into the main entrance of the Alchemist Association, a rich pill fragrance pounced onto his front. The fragrance caused people to involuntarily inhale a breath and with a refreshed feeling they would lift their eyes to check their surroundings.


    The interior of the Alchemist Association was extremely spacious. It was roughly divided into three areas, the east, south and west. On the eastern side of therge hall, there were many square counters that were neatly constructed usingrge amounts of green granite. Some alchemists wearing long robes were seated behind these counters while many different kinds of medicinal ingredients, jade bottles, scrolls, etc, were ced on top of these counters. Looking at the appearance, it seemed to belong to the region for trading and the ce to scour for treasure.


    The southern part of therge hall, on the other hand, had quite a number of cauldrons which were burning. Some alchemists were behind the cauldrons, controlling the me with serious expressions. Completely surrounding them were some low tier alchemist. As they pointed out different things to one another, they were softly exchanging their refining experience.


    The western side of the hall was undoubtedly quieterpared to the other two sides. At the aisle, there were even some guards standing. It appeared that only alchemists who had reached a certain tier had the qualifications to enter. When some low tier alchemist asionally passed by, they would throw over a respectful and envious gaze.


    Standing at the entrance, Xiao Yan watched therge hall which was filled with lively energy. He could not help but watch somewhat stupidly. A long whileter, he gradually recovered and shook his head with a bitter smile.


    Xiao Yan slowly walked into the hall. His gaze wandered all around. After hesitating for a moment, he lifted his leg and headed to the trading and scouring treasure region. With the experience of identally scoring the ‘Vacuum Palm’ Dou Skill back at Wu Tan City, he was extremely interested in scouring for hidden treasure in such a vast dump.


    After walking into the eastern area, Xiao Yan slowly walked in front of the square counters ced all around. His gaze contained curiosity as he weighed these many rare medicinal ingredients and other things that he had never seen before.


    Although this ce was named as a trading and treasure scouring area, the people who were selling here did not shout out loudly like the shop owners at the marketces. All of them sat on their chairs in aid-back manner. asionally, their gaze would nce over at the people standing in front of their counter. If they felt that the other party may have some economic foundation, some of the alchemists who were selling would stand up and converse with them. However, most of them stillzily shrunk back onto their chairs. This kind ofid-back andzy manner totally did not look like a merchant selling something. Of course, they were not merchants. What they needed was not the gold coins or other treasures that the merchants coveted. Instead, they wanted to exchange their things for other items.


    If one wanted to obtain the necessary medicinal ingredients or medicinal pill from their hands, one must take out a rare and unique treasures that they were interested in.


    During Xiao Yan’s slow walk, Xiao Yan was able to feast his eyes on the many different kind of rare and unique medicinal ingredients and medicinal pills. Among the medicinal ingredients, he even saw a few of the medicinal ingredients needed to refine the ‘Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill’. Being driven by curiosity, he went forward and inquired. It was unexpected that the old man selling merely nced at him and indifferently mentioned a tier four medicinal pill. Therefore, Xiao Yan could only helplessly withdraw. Although those medicinal ingredients were indeed very rare, it was obviously impossible for Xiao Yan to take out a tier four medicinal pill to exchange for them. In any case, he would not need to be overly concerned about the issue of the medicinal ingredients. After he went back, he would tell Hai Bo Dong and let him think of a solution.


    As Xiao Yan slowly walked around this area of boundless treasures, he looked left and right and had made quite good gains in knowledge. The most popr spot in the scouring treasure area was undoubtedly where a somewhat old man took out a kind of pink colored me seed. The fire seed was contained in arge transparent jade bottle. It writhed slightly and emitted some peach scent.


    This kind of me was named ‘Peach Blossom me’. It only existed within a rank five wood affinity Magic Beast, Kui Wood Beast’s body, which was quite rare. It was of simr grade whenpared to the Amethyst Winged Lion’s Purple me but it was much more docile and thus, also easier to tame it. Of course the me’s temperature and its destructive power was naturally weaker than the Purple me. Even if this was the case, the ‘Peach Blossom me’ me seed also caused many alchemists in the scouring treasure area to covet it. Some of those who had some economic foundation would step forward one after another to inquire. However, the price that the old man wanted seemed to be very high. Therefore, until now, no one had sessfully managed to obtain the bottle of ‘Peach Blossom me’.


    Standing in the crowd, Xiao Yan stroked his chin. He eyed the ‘Peach Blossom me Seed’ on the counter. He frowned and mused for a moment before deciding to give up that thing. Currently, this kind of me did not have much use for Xiao Yan, who possessed both the ‘Heavenly me’ and the Purple me. Therefore, he didn’t need to pay such a high price to obtain something he didn’t need.


    After musing in this manner, Xiao Yan dispelled the thought of exchanging for it. He stood outside and merely watched the fun.


    After many people had sessively failed to trade, many people knew their limits and chose to give up. However, they did not immediately leave. Instead, they still stood on the spot and eyed that enchanting and blooming pink colored me.


    Seeing those peoples’ical expressions, Xiao Yan was a little dumbfounded as he smiled involuntarily and shook his head. He was about to turn around to leave when a silver colored shadow suddenly shoved out of the crowd. Under the full view of everyone, she hurried to the side of the rock counter. Her pretty eyes shone brightly as she stared at the pink colored me.


    “It’s her?” Eyeing thedy who wore the silver colored dress, Xiao Yan was momentarily nk as he said softly, “Is she also here to participate in the Alchemist Grand Meeting?”


    The silver robeddy that had shoved her way out of the crowd was shockingly thedy called Xue Mei whom Xiao Yan had met back at ck Rock City. She was also the personal disciple of Frank, the Branch Chairman of the ck Rock City’s Alchemist Association Branch.


    This woman who was usually a little icy appeared to have a great liking for this pink colored me. She held the transparent jade bottle with both hands. Her manner, which suggested she liked it too much to put it down, caused Xiao Yan to helplessly shake his head. This foolish woman. By revealing such a manner now, was she not obviously asking the other party to open his mouth and ask for an exorbitant price?


    Indeed, when he saw Xue Mei’s manner, a smile was pulled onto the old man’s face. His voice was indifferent as he said, “Miss, do you want to exchange for this ‘Peach Blossom me’ me seed?”


    “Yes, what do you want?” Xue Mei nodded her head and randomly asked.


    “A medicinal form for a tier four medicinal pill that has clear spiritual traces.” The old man said with a smile.


    “ck...” Hearing the old man’s words, Xiao Yan could not help but shake his head and curse quietly in his heart. Just a medicinal form for a tier four medicinal pill was even rarer than this ‘Peach Blossom me’, much less the request for the spiritual trace on the medicinal form to be clear. It should be known that every medicinal form for any medicinal pill was written using one’s Spiritual Strength. Each time it was read once, the spiritual trace within it would fade. Basically, a scroll of medicinal form could only be read about up to five times before it would gradually be blurry. When one read it at such an instance, one would have to use his own ability to try and figure out some vague portions. In this way, it would undoubtedly waste a lot of time and effort.


    TL: The ‘ck’ is the iplete word, meaning an unscrupulous merchant


    The making of a medicinal form scroll required at least a tier four alchemist’s strength. Moreover, the chances of failure were extremely high. Therefore medicinal forms for medicinal pills were not simply randomly recorded by just holding a paper and pen as one would imagine. Some of the things that rted to the me temperature, the richness that the ingredients must be refined to, the response from the mixing of different ingredients etc were extremelyplicated like chemistry form. If they were to be written on a paper, it would cause anyone to have blurry sight and a giddy head. Therefore, these medicinal forms all used Spiritual Strength to beposed. As long as someone obtained the medicinal form, one would only need to use his Spiritual Strength to scan over it in order to deeply imprint all the necessary things from this medicinal form into his mind, just like a brand.


    Hearing the request of the old man, Xue Mei’s face obviously changed. Clearly, the other party’s request ced her in a difficult situation. However, she appeared to be poor at something like bargaining. Adding this to the overly great liking for the pink colored me, she actually nodded her head in front of Xiao Yan stunned eyes after musing for a moment.


    “This foolish woman. She is actually willing to take out a tier four medicinal form? Ah, That Frank would likely be so distressed that he would die...” Xiao Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head. He suckled his tongue at the degree of thisdy’s generosity.


    Seeing that Xue Mei nodded her head so easily, the old man was also at a loss. He immediately asked half believingly, “You agreed?”


    Xue Mei did not say any more nonsense. She drew out a scroll from her storage ring and threw it at the old man. After which, she held the transparent jade bottle with both hands as though this had already be hers.


    The old man scrambled to receive the scroll. He swiftly inspected it and then used his Spiritual Strength to quickly probe into it. A joy immediately surfaced on the old man’s face.


    Seeing the expression of the two of them, Xiao Yan sighed and shook his head. He nced at Xue Mei who was hugging the ‘Peach Blossom me Seed’, loving it too much to put it down. Xiao Yan skimmed his lips. He did not have any intention of going over to greet her. Instead, he turned around and headed to the outside of the scouring treasure area.


    Before he was about to leave the scouring treasure area, Xiao Yan’s footsteps suddenly stopped at a corner that was close to the door. He tilted his head and eyed a somewhat tattered rock counter by the corner. He frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment and slowly walked over.


    Behind the rock counter was a skinny man whose appearance was a little wretched. Due to the medicinal ingredients that were disyed being not too rare, there were very few people who hade over to examine them. Therefore, his face had some bitterness. When he saw Xiao Yan slowly walking over, he was a little nk. His eyes became much brighter when his eyes drifted over to the tier two alchemist badge on Xiao Yan’s chest. He hurriedly stood up and eyed Xiao Yan fawningly.


    “Sir, what do you need?” Seeing Xiao Yan stopping in front of the rock counter, the man hurriedly asked.


    Xiao Yan nced at the man in front of him and asked with a smile, “Are you still a trainee alchemist?”


    Having his ins and outs being seen through, the man nodded his head with embarrassment. He was somewhat envious as he eyed Xiao Yan’s young face. With a bitter smile, he said, “Yes. My talent for refining medicine isn’t very good. After training for so many years, I am still at the alchemist trainee stage.”


    Xiao Yan carelessly smiled. As he eyed this man whose age appeared to be considered middle-aged, Xiao Yan felt somewhat touched in his heart. With the support of Yao Lao, he had an extremely smooth time on the alchemist path. He had almost never met any major setbacks. With the experience from his predecessor, he had taken a lot less detours. Now that he had seen this person in front of him, Xiao Yan finally understood that advancing as an alchemist was not as easy as he had imagined.


    Clearly sensing the man’s envious gaze, Xiao Yan’s heart rejoiced and sighed. He lowered his head and swept across the rock counter. Some of the medicinal ingredients that were stored in the jade bottles were even a little wilted. They naturally could not satisfy Xiao Yan’s discerning eyes. Therefore, he automatically omitted them. His hand slowly moved along the things on the rock counter one at a time. Finally, under the somewhat disappointed gaze of the skinny man, it paused above a piece of ck colored broken jade that looked extremely unattractive...