By saying this, Yang Han was essentially changing the way he would meet the so-called Mad Alchemist.
"Oh? Really? Then let me help you make contact." The waiter smiled, then told Yang Han and Ember Yang to wait in the room.
After a short while, the waiter returned, smiling at the waiting Yang Han and Ember Yang. "Senior Mad Alchemist said you should wait here for an hour. He'll come after finishing his business."
"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll go browse around for now. My inner cores are all top quality—some are as good as those from divine beasts. Have you heard of the Fire Phoenix?" Yang Han said with a smile.
"You have a Fire Phoenix inner core?" The man exclaimed in shock.
"Not an inner core, but I do have a Fire Phoenix egg. The one that hatches is a Fire Phoenix," Yang Han replied.
Yang Han then cheerfully left the shop with Ember Yang. The man felt it necessary to inform the Mad Alchemist again.
"Dad, why did you mention the Fire Phoenix?" Ember Yang asked, puzzled.
"For the Mad Alchemist, what could be more tempting than a Fire Phoenix? Since he likes Fire Phoenixes so much, let's use that to our advantage." Yang Han smiled.
"Dad, you're so clever! So what do we do next?" Ember Yang asked curiously.
"Next, of course, we set up an array and wait. After all, he's a Heavenly Dao cultivator, which is extraordinary. I don't know how many strands of Heavenly Dao Intent he's gathered, but anything over a few hundred is terrifying," Yang Han said.
Ember Yang muttered, "I hope he's only just stepped into the Heavenly Dao."
"Alright, let's not worry about that for now. Let's go set up the array. If he's not that strong, we'll take him down; if he's strong, we'll think of another way," Yang Han said.
Ember Yang nodded. "Okay. I'll follow Dad's lead."
Yang Han took Ember Yang outside the city and found a valley surrounded on all four sides by mountains.
"This is the spot," Yang Han said.
"All four sides are mountains? Dad, what kind of array are you setting up?" Ember Yang asked curiously.
Yang Han smiled, "Just wait and see." He then began to lay out the strongest array he could currently arrange in the valley—a new formation he comprehended after becoming an Immortal Sovereign.
The formation was called the Lock-Spirit Grand Array. It had nine tiers, but Yang Han could only deploy the first three. The remaining six tiers couldn't be activated yet, since the process required not just powerful Divine Sense but also enough cultivation to support it.
Yang Han was very curious about the elder who once taught him this array. Where was he now? Was he also a Heavenly Dao cultivator? These questions echoed in Yang Han's mind.
The more he worked on the array, the more Yang Han understood its power and complexity, making him admire that elder even more.
It had taken Yang Han quite some time to figure it out, but with limited time now, he could only lay the first tier. The second and third tiers would take too long, since his Divine Sense already detected a middle-aged man with red and black beard arriving at the shop they left.
The man entered the shop and asked the waiter, "Where are they?"
"They said they went out for a walk," the waiter replied.
"Went out for a walk? What do they look like?" the man asked.
The waiter showed the Mad Alchemist the appearances of Yang Han and Ember Yang. The Mad Alchemist then released his Divine Sense to scan the small city. After a while, he frowned and said, "They're not here."
"How is that possible?" the waiter exclaimed in shock.
"If you can't find them, you might as well quit," the Mad Alchemist said coldly. He was focused on the Fire Phoenix egg—if they really had one, he had to seize it first.
"Senior Mad Alchemist, I really don't know where they went. He only said he'd be back," the waiter replied.
"Hmph," the Mad Alchemist snorted coldly.
"Senior, are you looking for me?" Yang Han appeared behind him. The waiter was overjoyed, while the Mad Alchemist was stunned—he really hadn't noticed Yang Han earlier; had he missed something?
"How come I didn't sense you just now?" the Mad Alchemist asked curiously.
"Oh, I was in another inn just now, so of course you didn't find me," Yang Han replied with a smile.
"I see," the Mad Alchemist muttered.
"You're the Mad Alchemist, right?" Yang Han asked.
"That's right, it's me. I heard you have a Fire Phoenix egg, so I came to take a look," the Mad Alchemist said calmly. But in his heart, he wanted to grab Yang Han and force him to hand it over, rather than waste time talking.
"To prevent losing it, I left it outside the city. If we agree on the price, I'll take you there," Yang Han said.
"That's simple. If it's really a Fire Phoenix egg, anything you want that I can give, I'll give you," the Mad Alchemist said with a smile.
Yang Han smiled. "So straightforward. Alright, I hope you'll keep your word, Senior."
"Of course. Who am I, the Mad Alchemist?" he said with a smile, though inwardly he thought, "Once I kill you, no one will know, kid."
Yang Han smiled. "Alright, let's head out."
Yang Han took the Mad Alchemist to the valley. Along the way, the Mad Alchemist asked, "Kid, how did you find the Fire Phoenix egg?"
"It's a strange story. One day, I was walking through a forest and came across a cave. Out of curiosity, I went in and saw many Fire Phoenix illusions. After defeating those illusions, I found them guarding an egg. I guessed it must be the Fire Phoenix egg," Yang Han explained.
"Fire Phoenix illusions—that's an ability only powerful Fire Phoenixes possess. Seems likely," the Mad Alchemist said.
"I heard Senior needs divine beast inner cores. I don't have any, so I'm trading the egg for some precious items," Yang Han said with a smile.
"You've chosen the right person. Good thing you found me," the Mad Alchemist said with a smile.
Yang Han smiled. Soon, they entered the valley. Yang Han asked curiously, "I heard Senior once encountered a powerful Fire Phoenix. Is that true?"
"Of course. But how do you know that? No one else does," the Mad Alchemist asked suspiciously, looking at Yang Han.
"Because I've met the Fire Phoenix you attacked, and she was struck by your Life-Severing Talisman, right?" Yang Han said with a smile.
Hearing this, the Mad Alchemist stared at Yang Han. "Who exactly are you?"
"Senior, don't get excited. Let's make a deal: you give me the antidote for the Life-Severing Talisman, and I'll give you the egg. How about it?" Yang Han said with a smile.
"Kid, do you think I'm a fool? If you're willing to beg for an antidote for a Fire Phoenix, you wouldn't hand over the egg. I think you're tired of living! Daring to lure me here!" The Mad Alchemist was no ordinary person; he quickly sensed something was off and snorted, then punched Yang Han.
Yang Han's body was destroyed, but there was no soul—only a clone. The array activated, and Yang Han's voice echoed: "Senior, you only attacked my clone, so it doesn't affect me. The reason I invited you here is exactly what I said—the antidote for the Life-Severing Talisman."
"Kid, I already said you're courting death. You think this shabby array can do anything to me? Overestimating yourself!" the Mad Alchemist snorted coldly.
"I heard Senior has stepped into the Heavenly Dao. I want to see what the true Heavenly Dao is like," Yang Han said with a smile.
"Is that so? Fine, I'll make sure you regret this." The Mad Alchemist sneered, then his body was surrounded by over a hundred shadows—strands of Heavenly Dao Intent. He gripped his hands, absorbing all the shadows, then unleashed two punches at the array.
Boom! The two punches were powerful, punching a hole in the array. At just a glance, Yang Han realized the first tier of the array couldn't trap the Mad Alchemist at all.
The Mad Alchemist punched the air several more times, quickly shattering the array. He stood in the valley and looked up, laughing, "Kid, don't think hiding will keep me from finding you. Watch how I flatten these mountains."
He transformed into a gigantic figure, smashing the mountains with his palm, turning them into dust.
Watching in secret with Divine Sense, Yang Han was awed by the power of the Heavenly Dao.
Fortunately, Yang Han had prepared in advance—there was no one here, only clones. Even though the Mad Alchemist destroyed the array and mountains, he still couldn't find Yang Han.
"Gone? Not here? Kid, you're pretty good at hiding. But that's fine—you want the antidote? I'll wait for you at Medicine King Heaven. Here's a token; it lets you freely enter and exit Medicine King Heaven. If you have the guts, come find me. If you want to hide, I won't stop you." The Mad Alchemist confidently placed a token on a stone and left with a cold laugh.
Yang Han's clone appeared, picked up the token, checked it for any residual aura, and muttered, "The Mad Alchemist really is arrogant—so confident."
The Mad Alchemist knew Yang Han was after the antidote. If he came once, he'd come again. Rather than search for him, it was better to let Yang Han come to him—this way, he might even find the missing Fire Phoenix.
"Dad, how did it go?" Ember Yang asked anxiously from another location.
"He's strong, very strong. His Heavenly Dao Intent has surpassed a hundred strands, and he broke the array with just two punches," Yang Han replied.
"What do we do? Is there no way?" Ember Yang was stunned by the news.
Yang Han pondered and said, "Don't worry. He left a token that allows free entry to Medicine King Heaven. At least we have another chance to meet him. But now that he knows we're after him, he'll definitely be wary. Going to Medicine King Heaven might be walking into a trap."
"No matter what, I have to go," Ember Yang said determinedly.
"Don't worry. I said your problem is my problem. Since he left a token, there's no reason not to go," Yang Han said with a smile.