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**
Amid the noisy chatter, Ah Da led Xiong Zhan inside.
This instantly drew everyone's attention. Xiao Yan's face showed surprise; he had thought Xiong Zhan was surely doomed.
Zi Yan also glanced at Wei Yang in puzzlement, then slipped free of Xiao Yan's hand and ran forward, happily saying, "Wei Yang, I thought you were going to kill him."
Wei Yang only smiled without answering.
"Master." Ah Da gave a slight bow.
Behind him, Xiong Zhan stepped forward two paces and suddenly dropped to his knees. With a respectful expression and a voice like muffled thunder, he called out, "Xiong Zhan greets Master!"
This scene left Xiao Yan and Zi Yan both stunned.
They couldn't understand how the bear, who moments ago would rather die than yield, had changed so drastically. And they could tell Xiong Zhan's reverence was genuine, not forced.
Only Xian'er seemed thoughtful.
Wei Yang nodded slightly and said calmly, "Rise."
"Thank you, Master."
Seeing the respectful look on Xiong Zhan's face, Wei Yang gave a small smile and paid him no further attention.
Ah Da had not killed the bear, but had used a Soul Control Technique to enslave him. This indirect method of enslavement was no different in effect from Wei Yang personally controlling him.
Now, Wei Yang was the master of Xiong Zhan's master. The sight made Xiao Yan a little envious. After all, having a Dou Zun-level subordinate was an incredible rarity.
That was a true Dou Zun!
And then he looked at himself—pathetically, he had only a half-damaged Dou Zong-level puppet. Compared with Wei Yang, the gap was far too great.
After this small episode, everyone turned their attention back to the medicinal-herb square.
Wei Yang strolled among the stalls, selecting the herbs he needed. What he required most now were auxiliary ingredients to harmonize with the Core Soul Marrow.
Among them, the most critical was a special herb called Tianma Jade-Stone Essence. This item was the key to blending the Core Soul Marrow.
As long as he found it, he could begin the refinement, and by then Xian'er's soul would undergo a transformation. With it, she might truly step into the Spirit Realm, and even reaching the Tier 8 Alchemist would be highly possible.
Wei Yang's gaze swept across the many herbs covering the square, carefully discerning each one. The Tianma Jade-Stone Essence was not easy to find.
It was neither quite herb nor stone; without keen eyes and rich experience, it was nearly impossible to distinguish it from an ordinary pile of rocks. Fortunately, he remembered from the original story that this very square did contain the item.
So Wei Yang searched patiently.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan and the others quietly looked for herbs they liked or needed. Once everyone had chosen, the leftovers could simply be divided at random.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Wei Yang walked at a leisurely pace, breathing in the dense medicinal fragrance that was almost tangible, and his gaze slowly scanning each area of the square. Whenever he spotted something he liked, he casually put it away.
Time passed quickly during this careful inspection. In the blink of an eye, an hour had gone by, and everyone had gained a rich harvest.
Only little Zi Yan grew bored. From time to time she yawned, then simply picked a blood-red ginseng-like herb as thick as a baby's arm, happily carried it to the steps at the edge of the square, propped her cheek in one hand, and with the other held the herb, nibbling on it with great relish.
Wei Yang cast her a sidelong glance, silently cursing this little spendthrift, then ignored her and kept selecting at an unhurried pace.
Xiao Yan and Xian'er were the same, their minds completely captivated by the endless array of herbs.
"Now it's only the Tianma Jade-Stone Essence left." Wei Yang muttered, continuing the search without the slightest impatience—identifying herbs allowed no distraction.
Many medicinal plants looked nearly identical on the surface, so without careful attention it was truly difficult to tell them apart.
Hmm?
Just as Wei Yang's steps brought him to the far side of the square, he suddenly stopped. His gaze locked onto an unremarkable little corner.
There lay a piece of emerald-green stone, quietly nestled in the fragrant soil. From a distance it seemed ordinary, hardly different from any other rock amid the sea of herbs.
But once closer, faint, unusual patterns could be seen on its surface. The stone's outer layer held a slight translucence, resembling an uncut jadeite boulder. Placed under strong light, one could faintly glimpse viscous liquid coursing within.
Wei Yang's eyes lingered on the emerald stone for a long moment before a smile broke across his face and he exhaled lightly. He bent down and picked up the palm-sized piece.
The instant his hand touched it, a cool warmth spread through his palm, and when he gave it a gentle shake, a subtle sloshing of liquid sounded from inside.
"Tianma Jade-Stone Essence—finally found it."
Wei Yang inspected it carefully again and again, confirming beyond doubt that this was the final blending ingredient he needed.
"No wonder the Myriad Medicine Mountain Range is so famed—everything can be found here. With this, Xian'er reaching eighth grade should be no problem."
Outside, even in Holy Pill City, acquiring this would have required immense effort. If luck was bad and the market had none, it might have taken ages to find.
He stored the Tianma Jade-Stone Essence and couldn't help a quiet sigh of relief. Turning with a smile, he saw that Xiao Yan and Xian'er had also nearly finished their selections. The three exchanged satisfied smiles.
For an alchemist, nothing was more exhilarating than standing amid a ground covered with priceless herbs and freely picking whatever one pleased. This trip to the Pill Gathering was already more than worth it.
Wei Yang's eyes shifted to Ah Da and Xiong Zhan, standing silently like two guardian statues. Then to Zi Yan, sitting on the stone steps at the square's edge, her head bobbing as she dozed.
Sensing their gaze, Zi Yan perked up, quickly hopping to her feet and running over. "You finally finished picking?"
"Mm." The three nodded with smiles.
"So are we heading out now?" Zi Yan asked excitedly.
"No rush—we may need to wait a few more days," Wei Yang said with a smile. "I still have some things to handle."
"Oh, fine." Zi Yan obediently nodded, then added, "Then you have to make tasty medicine pills for me."
"Got it, plenty for you," Wei Yang replied, a little exasperated.
Xiao Yan and Xian'er both shook their heads in amused helplessness.
Glancing at the wide square full of rare herbs, Wei Yang waved his hand. "All right, everyone take a share—let's divide them."
He looked at Xiao Yan with a grin. "Since Xian'er and I already claimed two shares, you choose first."
"Deal." Xiao Yan grinned broadly, drew a deep breath, and without hesitation produced an empty storage ring. With a sweep of his hand, countless herbs floated up like rivers converging, surging into his ring and vanishing.
In moments, a third of the once-filled square was bare.
Done, Xiao Yan held the ring and smiled happily. "Brother Wei, I'm set."
Seeing that Xiao Yan was finished, Wei Yang nodded and said to Xian'er, "Xian'er, collect the rest. We'll sort them later."
"Okay." Xian'er produced another empty ring and, with a graceful motion, stored all remaining herbs.
So many priceless ingredients—an unimaginable fortune.
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