The Most Powerful Bodyguard

He couldn’t wait to open the book and began to study it carefully.

The more he read, the clearer everything became, and many things he vaguely understood now made perfect sense.

Even some doubts had perfect answers.

This book was not just about pills; it was more about entering the Dao through Alchemy, closely aligning with the Great Dao.

After reading for a while, Yang Yan closed his eyes and began to comprehend the elements of the Alchemy Dao, simulating some pill-forming processes in his mind.

After a full two hours, Yang Yan’s aura grew increasingly powerful.

At the same time, the temperature on his body rose, causing the air around him to distort, as if it might ignite at any moment.

Fortunately, he had anticipated this, using the Nascent Void to open a barrier; otherwise, the residence would have already turned to ashes.

Boom!

A loud explosion sounded, dust settled, and Yang Yan’s figure emerged from within the barrier.

At this moment, he was stark naked, except for a wisp of blue flame on his outstretched palm, constantly flickering in the air, emitting a scorching aura.

Yang Yan looked at the blue flame before him, eyes flashing with ecstasy.

This was the Soul Fire mentioned in the Pill Book.

It was a high-level flame, condensed directly from an Alchemist’s soul deep sea.

Soul Fire could not only refine pills but also be used directly in combat.

For Yang Yan, who had completely lost his True Qi, this was undoubtedly an extra trump card for the upcoming test.

Moreover, at critical moments, it could serve as a lethal weapon.

At the same time, the old man who had set up a gambling game on the street was sitting cross-legged in an inconspicuous cave above Dong City, preparing to savor a cup of fragrant tea, when he suddenly shuddered.

The teacup paused, and he looked towards Yuanfang, seemingly talking to himself: "Looks like I chose the right person after all!"

After saying this, he finished the tea in one gulp.

Three days later, the final examination date for the Feather Spirit Sect finally arrived as scheduled.

In front of the Feather Spirit Sect’s gate, even before it opened, many young people had arrived early to secure the front positions.

A variety of people gathered here, all waiting somewhat anxiously.

Among them were those sincerely wanting to learn about pills as well as members from other sects with ulterior motives, planning to steal pill formulas.

But regardless, no one could afford to take any exam lightly.

Yang Yan and the woman were also among them, yet their expressions remained unusually calm.

Squeak—

As soon as the hour arrived, the gate of the Feather Spirit Sect slowly opened, and Yu Wuxing, clad in white, stepped out vigorously from within.

He glanced at the youths gathered on the square and said calmly, "There are quite a few people this time, but only one hundred will pass the test in the end."

Instantly, there was a buzz in the square as people exchanged whispers.

"Only one hundred! That’s too few..."

"Yeah, there are at least four hundred people here now! Does that mean three hundred will be eliminated?"

"We’re done for, for sure we’ll be filtered out this time."

...

Evidently, everyone was dissatisfied with the passing rate.

Yu Wuxing looked coldly at the noisy crowd and said coldly, "If you’re not satisfied, you can leave immediately. The Feather Spirit Sect will not stop you."

Immediately, everyone fell silent, and the scene turned quiet again.

Yu Wuxing lightly coughed twice and continued announcing, "This examination primarily tests your alchemy and herb-gathering abilities. You will enter the unique small world of our sect, the Valley of Ten Thousand Herbs, to find materials and perform alchemy. The time is five days. The examination begins now."

As Yu Wuxing’s words fell, the gate behind him emitted dazzling white light accompanied by a strong spatial fluctuation.

Everyone felt the power of space, and couldn’t help but look at each other.

It wasn’t clear who led the charge first, but only after he rushed out did those behind gather their wits and pushed their speeds to the utmost, racing into the white light one after another.

Everyone naturally believed that entering the Secret Realm first meant more opportunities to collect materials and more time for refining.

In summary, a single delay would set back every step; no one wanted to waste time.

Yang Yan certainly understood this logic as well and had no reason to hold back. He immediately propelled the Power of Space, and with two consecutive Instant Teleportations, he caught up to the person at the very front.

Meanwhile, not far away, the stunning woman, though not proficient in Space Technique, possessed an exceptionally high level of Body Technique, allowing her to be in the first tier even though slightly behind Yang Yan.

Once inside, Yang Yan did not slow down while quickly observing the surrounding environment.

In front of him lay a vast expanse of land with dense forests and undulating mountains, with the shadows of mystical creatures faintly visible within.

Using Spiritual Sense, he had already identified one or two potential targets worth considering.

These were places where Spiritual Medicine existed, but also where Exotic Beasts resided, exuding a powerful aura.

However, he decided to continue observing for now.

Because the items found near the entrance were either relatively low in medicinal properties or guarded by troublesome Exotic Beasts, it wasn’t worth the risk.

Whoosh!

Just as Yang Yan continued to rush forward, a blood spray suddenly exploded from his right side.

A fellow test-taker had fallen next to him.

In his hand was just a Spirit-Attracting Grass.

Even in spiritually rich places outside, this herb had a significant chance of being found.

However, it was not easy to preserve.

Once removed from its growing location, the Spiritual Qi inside would quickly dissipate, with a preservation period of at most two days, and needed careful storing.

Yet it had excellent Spiritual Power affinity properties, often able to double the effect in pill refinement when added.

Just like that, the bloody prelude to treasure-snatching and murder was set in motion.

It seemed that within these five days, not only the dangers of the forest were to be faced but also the people’s prying and covetousness.

Though Yang Yan had anticipated such an outcome, he hadn’t expected the initial killing spree to come so quickly.

Nonetheless, fear was absent from his heart. He quickly glanced at the shadowy figure that had locked onto his aura, smiled coldly, and disappeared into the depths of the forest with a single Instant Teleportation.

Yang Yan sprinted all the way, covering at least ten kilometers in one breath before suddenly stopping on a small hill.

Standing atop a protruding black rock, he carefully surveyed his surroundings.

Simultaneously, he released his Spiritual Sense to cover an area of at least one kilometer, ensuring no other cultivators were around, before darting off to the right.

The closer he got, the stronger the exotic fragrance became, carrying with it a faint pure Spiritual Power fluctuation.

Luck was on his side; it was indeed the scent of mature Spiritual Medicine.

Hope this marks a good beginning!