BTTH: From Genius to Invincible-Chapter 548: That Person

Word Count: 2,672 Words

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Impressive as Xiao Yan had looked defeating two opponents with only his Four-Change cultivation, his success owed as much to his enhanced physique as to the unique advantages of the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree’s space. Possessing the Bodhisattva Heart allowed him not only to channel the energy of the world for his Dou Techniques but even to draw upon a portion of the ancient tree’s own power.

Even so, the gap between him and a Half-Saint remained enormous. Second Tianzun Gu You was a high-level Half-Saint, merely one step removed from becoming a true Dou Saint.

Gu You’s brow furrowed the instant he emerged from the spatial jade slip’s passage. He didn’t recognize Xiao Yan at all, yet something struck him as odd. Neither the young man’s tone nor his demeanor suggested bluffing. Moreover, few people in this world dared to call him ’Old Second,’ and Xiao Yan certainly shouldn’t have been among them.

"Jie Jie Jie, Xiao Yan, have you gone mad with death at your door? This is Saint Gu You, Second Tianzun of the Hall of Souls! Save your attempts at claiming kinship for your next life!" Hun Yu sneered, convinced this was merely the delirium of a man about to die.

Jiu Feng respectfully cupped his hands toward Gu You. "Senior, this person’s methods are devious and he’s extremely cunning. Please act quickly before he pulls some trick!"

Vicious light gleamed in Jiu Feng’s eyes as he glared at Xiao Yan. Maintaining this barrier space had consumed vast amounts of his essence blood. If he couldn’t obtain the Bodhisattva Heart or something else of comparable value, his bloodline might even regress. Xiao Yan simply had to die!

"Elder Gu You, don’t waste time with him. Delays breed complications. Seize Xiao Yan first and deal with the rest later!" Hun Yu urged grimly.

Gu You’s eyes narrowed slightly. Though he leaned on his staff like a decrepit elder who could barely walk, his gaze cut as sharp as an eagle’s. The aura of a high-level Half-Saint warped the surrounding space as he spoke in a heavy voice. "Boy, I have no interest in what your words mean. You’re coming back to the Hall of Souls with me."

BOOM!

Gu You’s Dou Qi condensed into a massive hand. The pitch-black palm tore through the void and reached straight for Xiao Yan.

As it closed in, Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength clearly sensed the crushing pressure bearing down on him. Though he possessed the Bodhisattva Heart, he had yet to refine it. Compared to a high-level Half-Saint like Gu You, the disparity in raw power was simply too vast.

Yet the corners of Xiao Yan’s mouth curved upward. Not only did he make no attempt to dodge, he stood so perfectly still that even Gu You wondered whether the young man had truly given up.

But!

The instant Xiao Yan produced a certain item, Gu You’s ancient eyes flew wide. The Dou Qi-wrought hand froze in midair, stopping dead before Xiao Yan’s face.

"You!! You!!"

A Soul Command Token! And not just any token. This was unmistakably the Soul Command Token of the Hall of Souls’ Tenth Tianzun!

Gu You’s scalp went numb the moment he laid eyes on it, his entire body jolting as if struck by lightning! In that single instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and understanding crashed down like thunder!

"Tenth Tianzun! So that’s how it is. You’re the mysterious Tenth Tianzun! No wonder Old Third inexplicably obtained a Nine Revolutions Heaven-Changing Pill and advanced from early to intermediate Half-Saint."

"It was all because of you!"

The Soul Command Tokens of the Ten Great Tianzun were unique, distinct from ordinary Tianzun tokens. Each bore an engraved serial number, and the character for ’ten’ on Xiao Yan’s was unmistakable. How could he possibly miss it?

Moreover, he harbored no doubt about its authenticity. Soul Command Tokens were bound to one’s very soul; forging them was impossible!

As Second Tianzun, Gu You knew certain things. He knew the Tenth Tianzun was an alchemist, one directly elevated by the Hun Clan’s Pill Saint Hun Huzi. He had even heard that this Tenth Tianzun and Hun Huzi did not share a master-disciple relationship. Their statuses were equal! The transcendence of such standing defied imagination!

Having lived for countless ages, the Second Tianzun naturally understood these waters ran deep, and so he had never dared investigate further.

Now, discovering that Xiao Yan was the Tenth Tianzun made his mind feel ready to explode!

The Hall of Souls—no, the Hun Clan was planning something enormous!

Xiao Yan’s reputation across the Dou Qi Continent was crystal clear to Second Tianzun, Jiu Feng, and Hun Yu alike. He wasn’t merely the initiator of the Yan Alliance Treaty but simultaneously the Pill Gathering champion, a Pill Tower Giant candidate, a peak 8th-tier alchemist, and a supreme genius who could enter the Small Pill Tower at any time.

This was Hun Huzi 2.0!

If capturing soul bodies to collect soul essence and raise one’s Spiritual State seemed unremarkable, no one would question it. After all, the Hun Clan primarily cultivated souls. One need only look at Hun Yu, whose soul had reached the Heavenly State before he had even broken through to Dou Saint.

But now the Hun Clan was actively cultivating another top-tier alchemist, and this person happened to be the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, the Hun Clan’s mortal enemies. That was deeply thought-provoking!

Some things simply couldn’t withstand close scrutiny!

"That’s a Soul Command Token! How could you possibly possess my clan’s token?!" Hun Yu’s scalp prickled with dread. As a bearer of the Hun Clan’s Divine Grade bloodline, he could sense beyond any doubt that Xiao Yan’s Soul Command Token was genuine!

Jiu Feng, meanwhile, was the most bewildered of all. What was happening? So he was the only outsider here??

"Senior, this person absolutely cannot be from the Hun Clan! He’s from the Xiao Clan!" Jiu Feng shouted desperately.

"Noisy!"

BOOM!

Gu You waved his hand dismissively. A terrifying streak of Dou Qi, massive as a mountain, crashed into the tactless Jiu Feng. Even a casual strike from a high-level Half-Saint could prove lethal, let alone when the target had already expended tremendous essence blood to maintain this sealed space.

"Puh puh puh!!"

Blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spewed from Jiu Feng’s mouth as he instantly reverted to his true form and collapsed, barely clinging to life. No matter how desperately he turned it over in his mind, he simply couldn’t grasp why things had turned out this way!

"You!! Elder Gu You... this!" Hun Yu’s composure cracked as panic set in. What on earth was happening? Could someone please explain!

Hovering in midair, Xiao Yan felt not a shred of pity for Jiu Feng. The man had tried to steal his Bodhisattva Heart and launched a sneak attack against him. Even without Gu You’s intervention, Xiao Yan would never have let him walk away.

His gaze locked onto Hun Yu, a fierce glint flickering in his eyes.

That old saying about ’ignorance excuses guilt’ was nothing but a fairy tale for children. Hun Yu had summoned Gu You with the express purpose of killing Xiao Yan and seizing the Bodhisattva Heart. Most importantly, the two of them had a direct conflict of interest: Hun Yu wanted the Bodhisattva Heart, and the Bodhisattva Heart was in Xiao Yan’s hands.

Had this been a situation like Qiu Ping’s, someone who merely tripped him up or tossed a few insults his way, then making Hun Yu pay until he went bankrupt might have been enough for Xiao Yan to let the matter drop. But this went far beyond petty tricks.

Gu You’s expression shifted when he noticed Xiao Yan targeting Hun Yu. "Old Tenth, this Hun Yu possesses the Hun Clan’s Divine Grade Bloodline. Kill him, and you’ll provoke some old monsters within the clan, the kind even the Hall Chief wouldn’t dare offend."

"Hall Chief?" Xiao Yan glanced at Gu You and revealed a meaningful smile. "Old Second, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not from the Hun Clan. I’m the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan."

"The one I deal with isn’t Hall Chief Hun Mie Sheng. To that person, a so-called Divine Grade Bloodline propped up by blood bottles is nothing remarkable. Creating another such weakling wouldn’t be difficult for the Hun Clan."

Even without Xiao Yan spelling it out, Gu You understood exactly who he meant!

Hun Tiandi!

Xiao Yan had dealings with Hun Tiandi! The two sides must have struck some kind of bargain!

Divine Grade bloodlines were precious. For any Dou God Clan, even the Hun Clan with the Tunling King’s power at their disposal, they were treasured beyond measure. But set against the Di Pill Plan, all of that was mere trash.

The Bodhisattva Heart wouldn’t merely allow Xiao Yan to break through to Dou Saint. With its power to see through illusions and maintain absolute focus, even his alchemy could break through to tier 9!

Hun Yu had truly kicked an iron plate by provoking the one person he should never have touched.

A solemn look settled in Gu You’s eyes. This Xiao Yan showed absolutely no mercy to enemies. Decisive in killing, thorough in elimination. He was more like the Hall of Souls than the Hall of Souls itself!

After a moment of deliberation, Gu You accepted that Xiao Yan wasn’t bluffing. The two words ’Hun Tiandi’ alone could make the entire Dou Qi Continent tremble.

With a resonant hum, Gu You stepped toward the spatial passage that Hun Yu’s jade slip had torn open. He wanted no part of this, nor could he afford to get involved. If Xiao Yan truly was the Tenth Tianzun, these waters ran far too deep. Forget a high-level Half-Saint like himself; even the First Tianzun or the Deputy Hall Chief would have to turn tail and run.

Despair flooded Hun Yu’s face the instant he saw Gu You preparing to leave. He couldn’t win fighting two-on-one; going it alone would only mean dying faster!

"Elder Gu You! Take me with you! I possess the Hun Clan’s Divine Grade Bloodline! I’ll become the next Clan Head!" Terror shattered Hun Yu’s voice as he realized that Gu You had already sealed this entire space!

Gu You merely cast him a single, ice-cold glance without uttering a word. Hun Yu had made the wrong choice. He would not make the same mistake!

"No!!"

...

Outside, within the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree’s special space, the stench of blood hung heavy in the air. The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe and Hun Clan forces had been all but annihilated. Some had been poisoned, others electrocuted, still others dispatched with a single sword through the throat.

But the most common cause of death was a pierced heart, each victim felled by a single, precisely lethal strike.

Gu Qing Yang gripped his Silver Dragon Battle Halberd, blood aura radiating thickly from his body. The overwhelming might of a peak Six-Change Dou Venerate suppressed everyone present.

The Gu Clan’s First General had claimed the most kills by far!

Anyone who assumed Gu Qing Yang owed his position solely to his Dou God Bloodline grade would be gravely mistaken. This was the man who had once driven Xiao Yan to the brink of desperation!

"Young Miss, should we summon clan reinforcements?" the burly Gu Xing asked in a low voice, producing a spatial jade slip.

True Dou Saint experts would not casually descend upon a place like the Ancient Wasteland Region; doing so would trigger an all-out war. Half-Saints represented the limit, and this particular jade slip connected directly to Elder Tong Xuan.

A strange gleam flickered through Xun Er’s beautiful eyes before she slowly shook her head. "No need. Xiao Yan ge-ge will be fine."

Cai Lin, having just finished off a Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe member nearby, turned her beautiful eyes toward Xun Er. Certain matters about Xiao Yan were secrets best left unspoken, and in that moment she understood: Xun Er stood firmly on Xiao Yan’s side.

The realization gradually eased some of the wariness Cai Lin had long harbored toward her.

No sooner had those words settled than the massive Ancient Phoenix Bell began to shatter. A gigantic Heaven Demon Phoenix corpse plummeted from the sky and slammed into the earth with a resounding thud, gouging a small crater into the ground.

Though the body had reverted to its true form, everyone present could guess whose it was. That corpse belonged to Jiu Feng!

"Tsk tsk tsk, you even killed an Eight-Change Dou Venerate from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe. When they find out, they’ll go absolutely mad." Gu Qing Yang praised without restraint as he observed Xiao Yan standing atop the corpse with only minor scratches marring his body.

Gu Qing Yang certainly possessed the strength to slay Jiu Feng himself, but Hun Yu’s presence would have complicated matters enormously. Yet here stood Xiao Yan looking completely untroubled after killing Jiu Feng. Hun Yu likely hadn’t fared much better.

"Xiao Yan ge-ge, are you alright?" Xun Er approached, concern filling her lovely eyes.

"Don’t worry, just a minor matter." Xiao Yan smiled and gently stroked her silky hair. He offered no further details; some things were better left unsaid.

"What about Hun Yu?" Gu Hua scanned the area but couldn’t find any trace of him, not even a corpse.

Xiao Yan spread his hands with a slight smile. "He summoned a Tianzun from the Hall of Souls. Couldn’t beat the man, so the fellow escaped."

Sharp intakes of breath rippled through the group. Whatever Tianzun Hun Yu had summoned was certainly no ordinary expert! Had Xiao Yan’s strength truly reached such heights?!

Only Venerable Tian Huo wore a knowing smile. He was now a Tianzun himself, his strength having reached the 8-star level. He even stood a chance at challenging the Ninth Tianzun.

"Strange, though. Why haven’t the Bodhisattva Seeds appeared yet?"

With all enemies eliminated, excitement quickly replaced tension. After all, hadn’t they come to the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree for its Seeds and Heart? Xiao Yan had already claimed the Heart; surely it was time for the Seeds to be distributed.

All eyes turned toward the mystical space, focusing on the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree’s projection. The tree soared thousands of feet overhead, its crown lost from sight, its entire form wrapped in emerald radiance that made it impossible to tell whether any Seeds had formed.

"Do we need to fly up and harvest them ourselves?" Hai Bodong wondered aloud.

As everyone puzzled over this question, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree’s projection suddenly erupted with sheets of brilliant emerald light. Something stirred within, as though ready to burst forth at any moment.

Everyone’s guard went up at once. Xiao Yan alone seemed to have noticed something, pleasant surprise flickering through his eyes.

Just as the others settled into defensive stances, a string of muffled pops sounded from within the tree. Emerald motes of light shot outward one after another and drifted through the space like scattered celestial flowers.

"Bodhisattva Seeds!"

Astonishment held the group motionless for a heartbeat before a chorus of shocked exclamations rang out.

"They’re all Bodhisattva Seeds!"

Little Fairy Doctor and the others were stunned, but even Xiao Yan found himself genuinely amazed. He had believed every last Bodhisattva Seed had been consumed during the purification. Yet here were more!

He gazed at those emerald motes, scarcely able to fathom the sight. These treasures, so impossibly rare in the outside world that a single one could drive experts to war, had just erupted from the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree in a shower of twenty.

Rustle rustle rustle~~~

A familiar sound brought a quiet smile to Xiao Yan’s face. He beckoned with one hand, and the floating green motes responded as though summoned by their master. With several swift flashes, every last one gathered in his palm.

Boss Bodhisattva even provided year-end bonuses!