Word Count: 3,062 Words
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Xiao Yan understood the capabilities of the Hall of Souls all too well. Backed by the Hun Clan, they possessed the complete inheritance of Emperor Hun, along with techniques preserved from the most ancient eras.
No one truly knew the extent of their terrifying thods or how many varieties existed. Not only was Xiao Yan unable to locate Mu Gu, but if the Hall Chief truly desired it, he could disguise Mu Gu so perfectly that even the Pill Tower giants would fail to recognize him.
Of course, Xiao Yan didn’t care about any of that. Regardless of how Mu Gu changed his appearance, any previously unknown 8th-tier alchemist who erged would almost certainly be him.
The process might deceive, but the results never would.
After ten days of spirited discussion throughout Holy Pill City, the Pill Gathering finally reached its climax—the pill refinent stage!
Dong!
A bell tolled, and simple stone platforms rose from the plaza, hovering in midair. These platforms would serve the alchemists during the final round. Each possessed special properties that not only kept them airborne but also blocked all Spiritual Strength perception, preventing any spying or interference.
Because the platforms were suspended, nearly everyone in Holy Pill City could witness the alchemists at work.
As the stone platforms finished their ascent, spatial channels appeared one after another. All contestants who had passed the second round were randomly assigned to a platform.
The champion would be born among them!
At the Ye Clan estate, Little Fairy Doctor and the others kept their eyes fixed on the platforms, their expressions tight with tension. Although they had great confidence in Xiao Yan’s abilities, they understood sothing of the fierce competition within the Pill Realm and couldn’t help but worry.
Venerable Tian Huo crossed his arms confidently. "Hehe, don’t worry too much. Contestants have been exiting by crushing their spatial stones all this ti. If Xiao Yan were eliminated, he would have certainly co to find us."
His reassurance finally allowed Little Fairy Doctor’s nervously intertwined fingers to relax a little.
Just as they watched the figures appearing on the platforms, a ripple passed over one of them. A familiar figure stepped from the spatial channel and landed firmly on the stone surface.
"It’s Young Master Xiao Yan!"
Qing Lin’s face brightened with joy as she hurriedly pointed toward the platform.
Their collective relief was palpable as they confird it was indeed him. All hearts eased at the sight of that familiar silhouette.
"Hehe, I told you. With Grandmaster Xiao Yan’s strength, how could he possibly fail the second round?" Ye Zhong said as he wiped a bit of cold sweat from his brow.
Xiao Yan’s gaze swept toward the Ye Clan mansion. He smiled and nodded in their direction. Even at such a distance, he could clearly make out Little Fairy Doctor’s silhouette. Seeing him look over, she returned his smile gently.
He then surveyed his surroundings. To his surprise, the number of alchemists in this third round was staggering. Over a hundred had passed the second stage, and every single one was at least a 7th-tier alchemist. There was not a single tier 6 among them.
’Truly worthy of a competition that brings together the Dou Qi Continent’s finest alchemists,’ he thought. As he marveled at the numbers, a familiar figure caught his eye.
And that person saw him too.
"Gu He?!" Xiao Yan’s expression grew a little strange. It was indeed none other than Pill King Gu He!
Xiao Yan hadn’t expected to encounter him here, but on second thought, it made perfect sense. After leaving the Jia Ma Empire, Gu He had traveled the continent, and as an accomplished alchemist, his participation in the Pill Gathering was only natural.
Furthermore, Gu He had advanced to beco a low-grade 7th-tier alchemist. He was certainly qualified for the third round.
Xiao Yan smiled politely, nodded, then slowly turned away, pretending not to have noticed him. Inside, he felt a bit awkward.
The Misty Cloud Sect was now part of the Yan Alliance, and the Xiao Clan resided on its mountain. Xiao Yan had of course heard that Yun Shan had once planned to marry Yun Yun to Gu He to tie the alchemist to the sect. Moreover, Gu He’s disciple, Liu Ling, had bitterly pursued Nalan Yanran for many years.
The results... well, everyone knew how that turned out. Both Gu He and Liu Ling eventually left the Jia Ma Empire.
Could Gu He be considered the aggrieved party? Probably not, right? After all, nothing had truly happened between him, Xiao Yan, and Yun Yun, aside from so... indescribable little things in that cave.
"Have you located that black-robed man?" Xuan Kong Zi asked from the high platform.
Cao Ying and Song Qing had reported the ambush, and everyone suspected the Hall of Souls was behind it.
Xuan Yi and Tian Lei Zi both shook their heads. The Hall of Souls’ concealnt techniques exceeded even their detection abilities.
"If nothing else, that black-robed man must be the Hall of Souls’ alchemist. Hmph! To murder so many alchemists—this grudge, the Pill Tower cannot let go unavenged!" Tian Lei Zi’s sharp gaze swept over every participant.
"Let’s address it after the Pill Gathering concludes. If a major battle erupted in Holy Pill City now, with these crowds, it would be a catastrophe." Xuan Yi suggested softly.
The others nodded in agreent. With the Pill Gathering underway, Holy Pill City was packed. They couldn’t afford a battle breaking out now.
"The ti has co."
Just as Xiao Yan was feeling sowhat awkward, Xuan Kong Zi’s gaze swept across the venue as he declared loudly, "First, congratulations to all who stand here today. You have passed the second round of selection. But as you surely know, the upcoming stage is the most crucial of the Pill Gathering. Whoever remains standing at the end will be crowned champion of this generation!"
His brief speech ignited the crowd like a spark to gunpowder. The entire venue erupted with excitent. Even the gentle Dan Chen now had fiery battle intent burning in her eyes.
Once every thirty years!
Thirty years represented a significant milestone in an alchemist’s life. The period between thirty and forty was often the watershed that determined how far one could ultimately progress. The more talented an alchemist was, the more they absorbed from their predecessors in youth, reaching impressive heights early. Then they would begin surpassing those who ca before, forging their own unique path.
Dong!
Xuan Kong Zi’s gaze slowly swept across the floating platforms. After a brief pause, he glanced at the sky, then waved his sleeve. A long, lodious bell toll resounded clearly through the air.
"The ti is here. Raise your cauldrons and begin refining!"
Over a hundred people simultaneously retrieved their personal cauldrons from their storage rings. The sound of cauldrons landing on platforms thundered through Holy Pill City like rolling sumr thunder!
Xiao Yan brought out his own Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron, then produced a mountain of dicinal ingredients and brocade boxes containing the main components, arranging everything neatly on the platform. Before long, what had been an empty stone platform was covered in herbs.
In fact, one could easily guess who was attempting a tier 8 pill simply by the quantity of ingredients, as tier 8 pills required nearly twice the supplentary herbs as tier 7!
"Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and that Xiao Yan all appear to be refining tier 8 dicinal pills," Xuan Kong Zi observed, stroking his beard with a small smile.
"Though the main ingredient that Xiao Yan needs is still hidden in a brocade box, the sheer number of supplentary ingredients ans the pill will definitely be high grade. At the very least, it will attract two-colored Pill Lightning," Tian Lei Zi nodded thoughtfully. Xiao Yan was naturally among their most closely watched participants.
The younger the alchemist, the greater their potential future. The Pill Tower’s future might well rest on Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and Xiao Yan.
Only Xuan Yi’s eyes flickered with puzzlent. "This young man’s advancent in alchemy has been extraordinarily rapid. I wonder who his Master might be. Anyone capable of producing such a disciple should be renowned throughout the entire continent."
At this, both Xuan Kong Zi and Tian Lei Zi shook their heads. They had no idea who Xiao Yan’s Master was.
After arranging all his ingredients, Xiao Yan fell into deep thought. He decided to use a rger of Heavenly Flas: the Earth Seed Fla of the Nihility Devouring Fla, the Ten Thousand Beast Fla, the Yin-Yang Twin Fla, and the Green Lotus Core Fla. The combined might of these four would create a new fla that might approach the power of those ranked in the top ten.
Just as he prepared to channel this rged fla into his cauldron, sothing extraordinary happened.
He suddenly froze completely, standing motionless on the platform. His eyes widened with surprise, then filled with joy!
"What’s this? Why has Xiao Yan stopped?" Venerable Tian Huo, who had been watching Xiao Yan closely, spoke up.
"What’s happening to Young Master?" Qing Lin was a little worried. He had been fine just monts ago. Why had he suddenly gone still?
Little Fairy Doctor attempted to extend her Spiritual Strength to sense what was happening, but the platform’s barriers blocked her efforts.
Xiao Yan’s strange behavior naturally caught the attention of the three Pill Tower giants. Their brows furrowed in unison. No one knew what was happening with him.
A smile of profound contentnt slowly spread across Xiao Yan’s face. He closed his eyes, standing as motionless as a stone statue on the platform.
"What is Grandmaster Xiao Yan doing?"
"Why has he stopped preparing?"
As one of the championship favorites, Xiao Yan naturally drew constant attention. By now, all the other alchemists had already summoned their flas—so of the fastest were already extracting ingredients—yet Xiao Yan appeared to be ditating with his eyes closed!
The first to recognize the cause wasn’t one of the Pill Tower giants but an elderly man on a distant platform. This was none other than Mu Gu!
’This is... this brat has entered sudden enlightennt?!’ Mu Gu’s aged eyes widened first in shock. Sudden enlightennt was a stroke of fortune that could never be forced. Wasn’t the legendary Bodhisattva Ancient Tree so miraculous precisely because it could induce this wondrous state?
An ugly smile soon replaced his surprise as his heart filled with savage joy. ’Hahaha, excellent! Even reaching this state at high-star Dou Ancestor takes considerable ti. If he misses the deadline, the championship will be mine alone!’
The third round had a strict ti limit: one month. Refining a tier 8 dicinal pill took just about that long. If there were no ti limit, what would stop soone with unlimited ingredients from trying endlessly until they succeeded?
Soon, the three giants, Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and the others all realized that Xiao Yan had entered a state of enlightennt. For a brief mont, the three giants were left dumbfounded. You’re having an epiphany at a ti like this?!!!
"Enlightennt?"
Ye Zhong nodded heavily, his expression grave. "Yes, it’s enlightennt. Xiao Yan is in a state of sudden enlightennt. This is a trendous blessing. Many alchemists experience a leap in skill after a single epiphany. But... why now, of all tis?"
For a while, Little Fairy Doctor and the others were at a loss for words. Sudden enlightennt was a good thing, but the timing couldn’t be worse!
Qing Lin stared at Xiao Yan, puzzled, and murmured, "Why did Young Master suddenly have an epiphany?"
Everyone shook their heads. They weren’t Xiao Yan. How could they know?
In all his twenty-six years, Xiao Yan had only experienced enlightennt once before, when refining the Green Lotus Core Fla. That ti, seven days of enlightennt had raised his cultivation by two stars and inspired the creation of the Angry Buddha Lotus Fla. When he was refining the fla, Cai Lin, who had failed her evolution and turned into a small snake, was right beside him.
This ti, his sudden enlightennt was tied to Cai Lin once again.
His child was about to be born.
Even the stone platform’s barrier couldn’t sever that thread of soul connection. Though half a continent lay between them, Xiao Yan could still feel it.
That was his blood, his child!
Far away in the Jia Ma Empire, within the Snake-People Tribe’s imperial chambers, an enormous Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python lay coiled, her body radiating a blazing, multicolored light. One could vaguely see the swelling in her abdon.
Cai Lin had already consud the Soul Pill and entered the final stage.
Bloodlines intertwined, souls rged.
At that mont, Cai Lin too slipped into a strange state. Across half a continent, their two souls t once more in the spiritual world.
Along their connected soul path, Xiao Yan held Cai Lin’s hand as they walked slowly down this great road together. They moved unhurriedly.
Cai Lin was breathtakingly beautiful, her beauty making the world seem dull by comparison. Her pure soul radiated beauty and nobility. As Xiao Yan walked with her along this soul path, their hearts understood each other completely.
Through this miraculous soul connection and fusion, they witnessed each other’s past experiences without reservation.
Xiao Yan saw the Cai Lin of the past, how she had clawed her way out of the Ten Thousand Snake Pond, shattering countless foes to forge an invincible path; how she’d fought her way out of a siege by the four great empires despite grievous wounds; how she’d charged alone into enemy ranks, her body awash in blood, seven tis to take the enemy commanders’ heads. He felt her loneliness, her helplessness, her sorrow, and experienced the excruciating agony she had endured when she swallowed the Green Lotus Core Fla.
To protect the vulnerable Snake-People Tribe, she had given up everything.
It was the sa for Cai Lin. Through Xiao Yan’s soul, she saw his past, learned the secret that he was not originally from the Dou Qi Continent, and saw how the young Xiao Yan had received Venerable Yao’s inheritance and cultivated alchemy all by himself.
Of course, she also saw his feelings for Xun Er and the internal struggle in his heart.
This kind of sudden enlightennt was extrely wondrous. Even the three giants had no idea what Xiao Yan was experiencing.
"Sigh, it’s hopeless. Xiao Yan’s enlightennt is taking too long," Xuan Kong Zi was speechless. Of all the tis, not sooner, not later, why now?
Tian Lei Zi and Xuan Yi slowly shook their heads. They unanimously believed that Xiao Yan had already lost his chance to compete. There wasn’t much ti left; he had been in his enlightened state for over half a month.
Several days earlier, so 7th-tier alchemists had already succeeded in refining their pills, their triumphs heralded by the spectacular sight of a hundred bolts of Pill Lightning. Since then, more 7th-tiers had finished, and thunder had echoed through the plaza again and again.
Boom!
A deep rumble tore across the square. Before anyone could turn, a torrent of energy erupted from one of the platforms. Instantly, dark clouds gathered overhead, countless silver serpents of lightning writhing within.
"It’s Song Qing!"
Soone with sharp eyes finally spotted him. Under those gathering storm clouds, the previously seated Song Qing now stood tall, gazing proudly at the sky. This incredible display was his achievent!
The Pill Lightning this ti was fiercer than anything before. It was enough to make him proud.
"He actually refined a peak tier 7 Venerate Breaking Pill! It can increase a peak 9-star Dou Ancestor’s chance of breaking through to Dou Venerate by twenty percent. It was one of the most difficult tier 7 pills to refine, and he succeeded!"
Song Qing barely had ti to celebrate before a richer fragrance and an even stronger Pill Lightning swept through the square.
Nearby, the delicate Dan Chen abruptly opened her eyes. Her hands moved in a blur; she bit her tongue, and a streak of radiant blood shot into her cauldron.
She possessed a very special constitution. Her blood could enhance a pill’s spirituality. There was no doubt: Dan Chen was refining a tier 8 pill!
Buzz!
A green pillar of light burst from Dan Chen’s dicinal cauldron and shot straight into the sky. The Pill Lightning that Song Qing had drawn seed to have t its nesis and actually scurried away in a hurry.
Song Qing’s face turned pale, defeat written all over it.
"Two-colored lightning clouds!!"
"Whoa, the first tier 8 pill is out!"
All eyes turned skyward, where thunderclouds of two distinct colors now churned. The crowd erupted, excitent surging like a flood!
Many present had never seen a two-colored Pill Lightning in their lives.
Tian Lei Zi nodded in satisfaction. Dan Chen was even younger than Cao Ying, having just turned twenty, yet she was able to refine a tier 8 pill that drew a two-colored Pill Lightning.
The audience gazed with new respect at the normally timid, fragile-looking young lady. Regardless of anything else, Dan Chen’s na would soon resound throughout the entire Dou Qi Continent.
"Hehe, little sister Dan Chen, you really have improved these past years. But if you want to admit defeat, it won’t be so easy."
Just as a smile blood on Dan Chen’s face, a coquettish laugh suddenly rang out from nearby. She turned her head to see Cao Ying slowly rising to her feet. Though her bewitching face was pale from exertion, her smile remained as enchanting as ever.
Though Cao Ying was three years older than Dan Chen, her alchemy talent was certainly no weaker!
A phoenix-like pride curved the corners of Cao Ying’s lips. Her jade hands ford seals rapidly, followed by a soft cry: "Rise!"
The mont those words fell, another massive pillar of light erupted from her cauldron, shooting straight toward the sky!
"Heavens! That’s! Three colors!! Cao Ying has refined a tier 8 pill that attracted three-colored Pill Lightning!!!"
Three distinct colors swirled in the clouds above Cao Ying’s head. The entire plaza erupted into absolute chaos. Countless spectators gazed at the brilliantly colored lightning clouds with bloodshot eyes, their hearts surging with excitent and their blood boiling with passion!
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