The Shennong Mountain Range, the forbidden land of the Yao Clan, is only accessible to members of the Yao Clan. Outsiders who trespass will be pursued by the guard team.
A Yao Clan herb-gathering team was slowly making their way through the mountain range. They were all collateral members of the Yao Clan, and their strength was generally not strong.
Although the Yao Clan regularly dispatches people to clear out the magical beasts in the mountain range, and even Dou King-level ones are rare, even if it's just a fourth-tier magical beast, if they are too careless, it can cause significant damage to this team, whose strongest member is only a Dou Spirit.
A person dressed in dark clothes, their face obscured, suddenly appeared before them.
He looked at the team leader and said in a gentle voice, "Is this the Shennong Mountain Range? Are you from the Yao Clan?"
Even though the other party's face was covered, one could still feel his refined demeanor.
This must be a powerful expert that he and his team could not contend with, the leader of the Yao Clan's herb-gathering team made this judgment. He nodded and replied:
"Yes, we are from the Yao Clan. Your Excellency, this is the forbidden land of the Yao Clan. If outsiders enter without permission, they will be pursued by the guard team. If you have something to discuss, it's best to go through the proper channels."
Out of apprehension for the other party's unknown strength, the leader's attitude was very polite.
"Ah, my apologies, I just didn't know the proper channels, which is why I came to ask you. I want to meet your clan leader, how should I do that?" Xiao Ding asked.
Although tearing through the Medicine World space directly would be faster, he came this time to discuss something, so he needed to be more polite.
"Meet... the clan leader?" The team leader was a bit stunned. Even the mid-level personnel in their Yao Clan, those seventh and eighth-grade Alchemists, couldn't just meet the clan leader whenever they wanted.
For a moment, he didn't know how to answer.
After a moment of hesitation, he said, "There's a small city not far from here. There's a guard team stationed in the city. They are the highest-ranking people I can contact. Why don't you go ask them?"
The next moment, the team leader found that the surrounding vegetation had changed. Through the gaps between the tree branches and leaves, he could vaguely see the walls of the small city not far away.
His eyes showed a look of horror, and he looked at Xiao Ding with a shocked expression. He clearly remembered that his previous position was still tens of kilometers away from the city!
What kind of means was this?
However, thinking about how the other party immediately said he wanted to meet the clan leader, he felt relieved. The other party was very likely a expert on the same level as the clan leader!
He respectfully led Xiao Ding to the captain of the Yao Clan's guard team in the city and explained their purpose.
Xiao Ding revealed a bit of his aura, almost causing the initially somewhat disdainful team captain to kneel to the ground.
Things went smoothly after that. The team captain reported layer by layer, and finally, someone of no low status in the Yao Clan arrived.
This was a white-haired Dou Venerate, dressed in a white robe, with a strong scent of medicine on his person, as if he had just emerged from a pile of medicinal ingredients.
"This humble one is Yao Cai, the Elder of Foreign Affairs for the Yao Clan's guard team. May I ask your esteemed name? The clan leader is busy with myriad affairs, and we wouldn't dare disturb him unless it was a matter of great importance."
Xiao Ding smiled slightly: "I want to ask someone to refine a pill, and the reward is this."
Saying that, he took out a transparent crystal shimmering with faint starlight from his hand.
Inside the crystal, a radish-sized ginseng lay quietly.
Yao Cai looked at this item, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes. He saw it as nothing more than an ordinary ginseng, just a larger one.
Perhaps it could also be used to refine some low-grade first or second-grade medicinal pills.
"This... please forgive my poor eyesight, I failed to see the mystery within it." Yao Cai was not angered; his first reaction was that he lacked knowledge.
Xiao Ding shook the crystal, and the ginseng inside suddenly transformed into a liquid-like green flame.
This change made Yao Cai's eyes widen, and he blurted out, "Living Spirit Flame?"
The Living Spirit Flame, ranked fifth on the Heavenly Flame list, has no offensive power but is the Heavenly Flame all Alchemists dream of.
It can help people prolong their lives, and the immense vitality it contains can catalyze seeds, allowing some plant-based medicinal ingredients to mature quickly.
Because it can disguise itself as ordinary medicinal ingredients, it is extremely difficult to discover.
For thousands of years, the Yao Clan had been searching for this Heavenly Flame's whereabouts, but they had never encountered it, and now it had appeared before their eyes.
"I will take you to see the clan leader now, please follow me, Your Excellency." Yao Cai said with immense excitement.
He led Xiao Ding to a deep ravine in the depths of the Shennong Mountain Range. Before the ravine, a massive stone archway, hundreds of feet in size, stood quietly.
They passed through the stone gate and arrived at the top of a mountain peak. The entire mountain had been cut off, leaving a flat summit, and this flat summit was used to construct a wide plaza.
Hovering above the plaza, overlooking the entire Medicine World, Xiao Ding secretly clicked his tongue:
As expected of a Dou Emperor remnant clan that has been passed down from ancient times, it is much vaster than his own newly established Xiao World!
He took a deep breath, and the air seemed to be filled with a faint scent of medicine, making one feel refreshed and joyful.
As it concerned the Living Spirit Flame, Yao Cai dared not delay and immediately led Xiao Ding towards a distant palace.
As they were about to approach the palace, several people dressed in black stopped them:
"The clan leader is resting. If it's not an urgent matter, he cannot be disturbed."
"This gentleman has brought the Living Spirit Flame and has something to discuss with the clan leader." Yao Cai said succinctly.
Upon hearing the words Living Spirit Flame, the people blocking the way dared not delay and immediately went in to report the matter.
Not long after, a young woman with long azure hair, exquisite features, but a cold, icy demeanor, walked out. She said in a cold voice:
"The clan leader requests your presence."
Led by Yao Ling, Xiao Ding arrived inside the palace. In the spacious, elegantly decorated hall, an old man with white hair and a white robe, with kind eyes, stood in the center, looking gently towards the entrance.
Upon seeing Xiao Ding and sensing a faint Dou Qi fluctuation not weaker than his own, the old man's face showed surprise, and he introduced himself:
"This old man is Yao Dan, the clan leader of the Yao Clan."
"Ding Xiao, a nobody." Xiao Ding naturally gave a false name.
"Mr. Ding, I heard you brought the Living Spirit Flame? Could you let me feast my eyes on it? As you know, this item is very attractive to us Alchemists." Yao Dan said.
Xiao Ding once again took out the crystal sealing the Living Spirit Flame, holding it in his palm, level with his chest.
Inside the crystal, the Living Spirit Flame constantly changed its form, transforming into various medicinal ingredients, some common, some rare.
"Its color is like emerald, its form like flowing water, transforming into medicine, difficult to distinguish between real and fake... It truly is the Living Spirit Flame!" Yao Dan's eyes showed a look of pleasant surprise, and he stroked his beard, saying:
"Your Excellency, what are your requirements? Feel free to speak directly. As long as our Yao Clan can achieve it, we will definitely do our best to satisfy them."
Xiao Ding smiled and said softly, "I haven't even decided to trade it with your Yao Clan yet. To obtain it, you must first prove yourselves."