Along the way.
Lan Gu was telling Ling Fan some intelligence about Hanshan City.
Ling Fan heard this and tilted his eyes, saying, "Who is so arrogant?"
Lan Gu replied, "With your strength, you should know about the Central Heavenly Court, right? This is the supreme power established by the current strongest being in our Central Heavenly Realm, Dao Yi Tianzun, to rule the entire Heavenly Realm. To strengthen its rule over the thirty thousand great states, the Central Heavenly Court has set up several Heavenly Court Supervisors in important cities of each state. These Heavenly Court Supervisors not only represent the supreme status of the Heavenly Court, but each supervisor's own strength is also terrifying. Our Hanshan City has a Heavenly Court Supervisor named Tian Heng, who is said to have broken through to the second-rank Great Emperor and is the strongest existence in the entire Hanshan region. This person is the most ruthless and domineering, which is why I told you not to offend him! It's best that after we enter Hanshan City, we avoid him and don't encounter him!"
Lan Gu had clearly heard many things about Tian Heng, and she seemed to be trembling with fear when mentioning him.
Ling Fan smiled and said nothing.
His smile was somewhat cold.
He was better off not knowing about any damn Heavenly Court Supervisors.
Now that he knew.
He wanted to see what kind of people were the lackeys under Dao Yi Tianzun.
If Lan Gu knew Ling Fan's thoughts at this moment, she would probably be so scared that she would turn around and flee back to the Qingcheng Sect.
Soon.
A huge city appeared before Ling Fan and the two of them.
Ling Fan brought Lan Gu and descended directly from the sky.
When they reached the city gate, a guarding strongman immediately came to question them.
Ling Fan merely released a wisp of his Emperor Realm pressure, which instantly scared the guarding Manifestation Realm strongman pale. He repeatedly apologized and offered compensation, respectfully inviting Ling Fan in.
Although the Heavenly Realm was full of strong individuals, in a remote corner like Hanshan, Great Emperor powerhouses were still rare existences.
Upon arriving at the Pill Spirit Hall, various strong individuals were crowding in and out.
When Ling Fan took out the prescription for the Qian Yuan Wu Ji Emperor Origin Pill, it immediately alerted the Ling Dan Shangren who was refining pills in the depths of the Pill Spirit Hall.
"This... this is actually a prescription for a high-grade Emperor Pill. My heavens, if I can thoroughly study this prescription, my cultivation and alchemy attainments will definitely advance to a higher level!"
Ling Dan Shangren was an elder with white hair and beard, exuding an extraordinary aura, but the moment he saw Ling Fan's prescription, he lost his composure, his eyes filled with greed.
"Where is the person holding this prescription now?"
A chilling glare flashed in his eyes, as cold and venomous as a viper's.
One of his Saint King subordinates shivered and truthfully answered.
"Hmm, summon him to see me!"
Ling Dan Shangren thought for a moment, and just as he finished speaking, he stopped the person and said, "Never mind, I'll go personally. I can't let this person sense anything unusual and escape. We must ensure it's foolproof."
Boom!
As Ling Dan Shangren's pressure descended upon the Pill Spirit Hall.
All the strong individuals present were deeply shaken.
What wind blew this Ling Dan Shangren, who held such a high status in Hanshan City, out here?
"Eh, such a powerful physique! Hiss... this is... such a terrifying, potent aura of Dao injury. No wonder this person wants to refine a high-grade Emperor Pill; it turns out he wants to repair his own Dao injuries!"
"Today is truly a double celebration. Not only can I obtain an incredibly precious prescription for a high-grade Emperor Pill, but this person's physique is also an excellent pill embryo, capable of refining a batch of Emperor Body Great Medicine!"
Ling Dan Shangren's sharp gaze appraised Ling Fan, and countless malicious schemes immediately arose in his mind.
However, he remained outwardly calm, appearing approachable, and walked over enthusiastically, saying, "This young friend has indeed come to the right place. In the vast Hanshan region, this is the only place besides mine where you can gather the materials for this high-grade Emperor Pill!"
"I, Ling Dan Shangren, am most obsessed with alchemy. To witness the birth of a high-grade Emperor Pill makes me happier than becoming a high-grade Emperor Alchemist myself!"
Ling Dan Shangren approached Ling Fan, feigning the appearance of a pill fanatic who would be content to die after hearing the Dao in the morning.
Lan Gu was instantly moved by Ling Dan Shangren.
The other strong individuals were also won over by Ling Dan Shangren's words and actions, praising his noble demeanor as a senior expert.
But who was Ling Fan?
How could he be deceived by Ling Dan Shangren?
In Ling Fan's eyes, his acting was simply clumsy and unbearable.
However, Ling Fan was too lazy to expose him.
He still needed to use the Pill Spirit Hall to collect materials for the Emperor Pill.
He gave a perfunctory reply, saying, "I am in a hurry. Tell me the price for the materials to refine the Emperor Pill. If I can afford it, I will. If not, I will compensate you in other ways to your satisfaction."
Ling Dan Shangren said, "The price is easy to discuss! I like to support newcomers. If you can truly refine this Emperor Pill, I can even give you all the materials for free."
"Eh!"
Suddenly, Ling Dan Shangren looked at Ling Fan with some strangeness, showing concern, and said, "Young friend, your injuries are so severe! Alas, it's truly remarkable that you can endure until now. You are a distinguished talent among men. Quickly, I have a healing pill here that is most effective for your condition."
Saying this, Ling Dan Shangren solemnly took out a jade box.
Upon opening it.
A rich medicinal fragrance instantly permeated the air. All the strong individuals felt light and refreshed, as if they were floating and about to ascend.
"That's wonderful. Ling Dan Shangren truly has a Bodhisattva's heart. Senior Ling, please accept and take it quickly." Lan Gu was very happy for Ling Fan.
Ling Fan pinched the pill between his two fingers and glanced faintly at Ling Dan Shangren.
Under his gaze, Ling Dan Shangren inexplicably felt a strange sense of unease.
"Could it be that this kid has seen through the problem? That shouldn't be."
Just as Ling Dan Shangren was muttering to himself.
Ling Fan tilted his head back and swallowed the pill.
Ling Dan Shangren's heart immediately settled.
"Heh heh, kid, no matter how cunning you are, you'll still drink my foot-washing water! After taking this Gu Shen Pill of mine, your life and death will be in my hands. Once I've squeezed all your secrets out, I'll refine you into a batch of precious medicine, hehe."
This Gu Shen Pill was Ling Dan Shangren's proud masterpiece.
Once someone consumed it, even if their cultivation was comparable to his, they would be controlled by him, unable to act on their own, and become his puppet.
The estimated time had arrived, and the Gu Shen Pill should have taken effect. Ling Dan Shangren silently recited the incantation: "Kid, quickly kneel down and kowtow, acknowledge me as your master, and then publicly swear allegiance to your master!"
Ling Dan Shangren looked at Ling Fan with great anticipation.
By subduing a powerful first-rank Great Emperor as a puppet, he, Ling Dan Shangren, had gained considerable prestige and his strength would also increase significantly.
However, Ling Fan opposite him suddenly laughed.
His laughter made Ling Dan Shangren feel inexplicably uneasy.
"What's going on!"