Void-swallowing Flame is ranked second among Strange Fires!
Just the Three Thousand Flames Fire alone was already giving them a headache in the Pill Tower, so the second ranked Void-swallowing Flame must definitely be much more powerful.
They knew that the status of the Void-swallowing Flame in the Hun Clan was second only to the Soul Clan Leader, Hun Tiandi.
With the resources of the Hun Clan, the power of the Void-swallowing Flame must have reached the pinnacle of Dou Sheng, but...
Generally speaking, an alchemist must be more powerful than the Strange Fire to successfully subdue it. Even Hun Tiandi could only choose to cooperate with a Strange Fire at the pinnacle of Dou Sheng, but it ended up being subdued by Xu Ran.
Hiss!
At this time, Xuan Kongzi and the others came to understand that those rumors weren't so simple.
Could the person who had subdued the Strange Fire at the pinnacle of Dou Sheng have truly reached that legendary realm?
The three of them couldn't dare to imagine it; that realm had been unreachable for a thousand years.
Moreover, no one even knew how to advance to Dou Di.
"Lord Xu Ran, could you really be..." At this moment, the three of them didn't dare to look at Xu Ran's face. Especially upon thinking that Xu Ran might be a powerful Dou Di, they felt an unprecedented pressure on themselves.
When they had first seen Xu Ran, if it weren't for Xu Ran's ghostly appearance, they might have thought he was just an ordinary person. But now, understanding Xu Ran's power, they vaguely sensed an immense authority emanating from him.
That seemed to be the authority of heaven itself.
That kind of presence made it hard for them to breathe.
Probably, those with greater strength could sense this aura on Xu Ran's body even more.
"If you say it is, then let it be so."
Xu Ran smiled.
He no longer saw any need to hide his power. The Pill Tower was home to some of the most powerful alchemists in Zhongzhou. If he could bring them into his fold, he would gain access to countless precious materials.
That way, he could also help the women around him increase their strength more quickly.
Xu Ran didn't want them to undergo any more trials. Otherwise, if they fell into enemy hands, it would be troublesome.
Although he didn't take someone like Hun Tiandi seriously, if they targeted the people close to him, he would find it troublesome.
Dou Di!
Seeing that Xu Ran did not deny it, they understood that Xu Ran was truly one of the legendary Dou Di powerhouses!
They were overjoyed.
"We greet you, my lord."
All three of them bowed down to the ground.
A Dou Di powerhouse deserved such veneration.
"Rise," Xu Ran said, and a formless hand lifted them up.
"However... you had better keep your distance from me. I've offended a formidable enemy, and if you get too close to me, you might become a target for retaliation," Xu Ran said with indifference.
"Ah? Lord Xu Ran must be jesting, you're already a Dou Di, who could be your opponent?" the three of them said tentatively.
"What about Tuo She Ancient Emperor?" Xu Ran said with a smile.
The smiles on their faces froze. Tuo She Ancient Emperor was a Dou Di from a thousand years ago; could he still be on the Continent?
Was there a feud between two Dou Di powerhouses?
The three of them had expressions that shifted rapidly. They hadn't imagined that the Continent had become so dangerous. If two Dou Di powerhouses fought, it would surely force a reshuffle of power among all the major forces in Zhongzhou. If they chose the wrong side...
Hiss!
The three didn't expect a trip to the Ye Family would reveal such secrets.
"The Pill Tower is willing to follow your lead," Xuan Kongzi didn't overthink and immediately voiced his loyalty to Xu Ran. To think of switching sides in front of a Dou Di powerhouse? Only someone out of their mind would do that.
Even if there was to be a fight between two Dou Di powerhouses, who would win or lose was yet unknown.
The battle between Dou Di powerhouses was beyond their imagination.
Tuo She Ancient Emperor's whereabouts were unknown, while right before them stood a genuine Dou Di.
"Congratulations on making the right choice." Xu Ran raised his hand, and three streaks of light entered the minds of Xuan Kongzi, Mysterious Robe, and Tian Lei Zi. It was Xu Ran's understanding and insights into alchemy.
With these, they would surely advance to Ninth Grade Alchemists in the future.
They were all Eighth-Grade Peak Alchemists now, just lacking an opportunity.
"Thank you, my lord, for your guidance."
The three of them sincerely knelt to the ground again, bowing deeply.
This time, it was not out of awe for Xu Ran, but out of gratitude.
In a sense, having received Xu Ran's alchemy inheritance, they were akin to Xu Ran's disciples.
It's just that they were too embarrassed to formally acknowledge Xu Ran as their master.
What virtues and abilities did they have to acknowledge a Dou Di as their master?
However, at that moment, they already regarded Xu Ran as their respected teacher.
What Xu Ran had imparted to them was the inheritance of a Ninth Grade Alchemist. Those understandings and insights were the most precious. As long as they went into seclusion after returning, they could basically advance to become Ninth Grade Alchemists.
"My lord, we have another matter."
Xuan Kongzi hurriedly informed Xu Ran about the situation of Three Thousand Flames Fire being trapped in the star realm. They hoped Xu Ran could help to subdue it.
Xu Ran did not refuse, as such a powerful Strange Fire was not without allure to him.
After resting for a night, the next day Xu Ran went to Holy Pill City together with the three of them.
...
"Our Ye Family has missed a soaring opportunity,"
"Originally, our Ye Family could have done better."
Watching Xu Ran leave, Ye Zhong felt a profound sense of regret.
And those Ye Family elders, learning that thanks to Xu Ran the Ye Family had directly gained a permanent Elder seat in the Pill Tower, were even more astonished.
If they hadn't provoked Xu Ran, perhaps they could have watched Xin Lan's relationship with Xu Ran develop further. But... they probably had deeply hurt Xin Lan's heart this time, so much so that she might no longer care about the family's affairs.
The day after Xu Ran left, the lineage of Cao Dan from the Cao Family suddenly disappeared without a trace, yet no one dared to comment. The Cao Family, like the Ye Family one of the Five Great Families of the Pill Tower, was actually much more powerful than the Ye Family. Cao Dan was not the Cao Family's top talent; the Cao Family's most gifted alchemist, Cao Ying, had become a Seventh Rank Alchemist by the age of twenty, and she was even a closed-door disciple of Xuan Kongzi. Considering this, and that the Cao Family hadn't really provoked him, Xu Ran spared the Cao Family. Only the persistent Cao Dan who harassed Xin Lan was not so lucky.