The Higher I Fly, the Smaller I Seem to Those Who Cannot Fly

After a brief teleportation through the Space Channel, in less than a minute, the light in front of Xiao Yuan suddenly intensified. When he opened his eyes, he found himself atop a towering Wan Ren Qing Feng, surrounded by clouds and mist, resembling a fairyland.

"Such a strong Medicinal Herbs aroma."

Xiao Yuan took a light breath and glanced around. To his surprise, he found that there were countless Herb Garden on the entire mountain. Medicinal Herbs that were quite rare in the outside world appeared in large patches here.

"This is practically another Pill World."

Looking at this scene, a hint of surprise flashed across Xiao Yuan's eyes.

"These Herb Garden all have their own owners; they're the lifeblood of those old folks."

Xuan Kongzi smiled and then set off towards the mountaintop. Xiao Yuan and the others quickly followed behind. Along the way, among the lush sea of medicinal herbs, they could see some old figures. Although these old men looked like farmers who cultivated Medicinal Herbs, Xiao Yuan could sense an extremely powerful soul fluctuation from them.

Clearly, these elderly men who appear to be herbalists possess considerable skill in spiritual power.

No one paid much attention to Xiao Yuan, this stranger. Instead, it was the Yao Lao who attracted a lot of surprised looks. Along the way, some old guys kept coming up to greet the Yao Lao, who were obviously old acquaintances of the Yao Lao.

After traveling along several mountain paths, the group finally stopped at the mountaintop. Xuan Kongzi and the other two first arranged for Yao Lao and Xiao Yuan to stay in a simple but clean stone house, and then went to find the person in charge of the Little Pill Tower.

After all, the Yao Lao didn't come here just for some prescriptions; more importantly, he hoped to get Xiao Yuan to join the Little Pill Tower.

This will be somewhat helpful in dealing with the Soul Hall in the future.

Having learned his lesson about being alone, Yao Lao now aspires to build Starfall Pavilion into the number one sect on the continent, strong enough to rival the Ancient Eight Clans.

Xiao Yuan and Yao Lao both knew that this matter couldn't be rushed, so they sat down to rest in the house. After about half an hour, Xuan Kongzi and the other two returned.

"You've come at an inopportune time. The Great Elder Council of the Little Pill Tower still has two years before it begins to recruit new members. Although the three of us have some influence, it's impossible for us to set up a separate assessment for Xiao Yuan."

Therefore, the Great Elder Council will hold its recruitment drive seven days later, but all the old men qualified to participate will be involved. Furthermore, even if Xiao Yuan ultimately wins, he will have to face the challenges from those old men who also want to enter the Great Elder Council two years later.

Xuan Kongzi said with a hint of helplessness.

The fact that they were able to do this much already shows how much face they have.

Moreover, the soul of a quasi -Emperor Realm does indeed possess the ability to alter some rules.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan smiled confidently, "Two years from now, I doubt they'll dare to challenge me again!"

"Good! That's ambitious!"

Xuan Yi nodded with a smile.

"However, speaking of which, the one with the best chance of entering the Great Elder Council among this group of old guys is a pedantic old guy, and you know that person too."

In the end, Xuan Kongzi turned his gaze to Yao Lao.

The Yao Lao frowned slightly and said, "Is it Old Freak Hou?"

"Yes, it's that old guy who's never gotten along with you." Xuan Kongzi said helplessly, "He's been unhappy for years about how you trampled him underfoot at the Pill Gathering back then. It probably won't be easy for Xiao Yuan to face him this time."

"Tch, Yao Chen is now Ninth Grade Alchemist, and Xiao Yuan has long been Eighth Grade Alchemist. With their soul power greatly increased, there's no reason why they shouldn't be a match for that old man."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi sneered, clearly indicating that she did not have a good impression of that Old Freak Hou.

The Yao Lao nodded and laughed, "Yes, let Xiao Yuan go and fight that old guy. Let that old monster know that not only can I, Yao Chen, defeat him, but now even the disciple I trained can defeat him!"

"If that's the case, Old Freak Hou's face will probably turn green."

Heavenly Lightning laughed loudly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan didn't care. With his current alchemy skills, he wasn't afraid at all, even when facing those ancient monsters of extremely high seniority.

"Then how many types of pills with lightning-infused properties can Old Freak Hou refine?"

Despite his confidence, Xiao Yuan was not arrogant and immediately asked the question.

When facing such an opponent, it is natural to know yourself and your enemy.

"It's been many years since I've seen that old monster go all out. The last time I saw him refine pills with all his might was probably twenty years ago. Back then, he successfully attracted Eight-Colored Pill Tribulation Lightning. I suppose he can attract Nine-Colored Pill Tribulation Lightning now."

Xuan Kongzi thought for a moment and then said.

"Nine-Colored Pill Tribulation Lightning?"

Xiao Yuan nodded slightly. As expected of someone who could compete with the old Pill Gathering for the championship of the Yao Lao Refining Competition, his alchemy skills were among the best in the Central State Plains.

"That old guy has improved quite a bit over the years. So, if Xiao Yuan wants to defeat him, he must refine Rank 9 Pill?"

The Yao Lao Rank 9 Pill frowned slightly. Even the lowest-level Ninth Grade Treasure Pill was troublesome for him to refine. Although Xiao Yuan was strong, alchemy required the accumulation of experience. That old monster had been immersed in alchemy for so many years, and his experience was probably several times that of Xiao Yuan.

"Hmm." Xuan Kongzi and the other two nodded, then turned their gazes to Xiao Yuan and asked, "Are you confident?"

"If it's just Ninth Grade Treasure Pill," Xiao Yuan rubbed his fingers together lightly, then said softly, "Although I do lack some experience, my soul power at the Quasi- Emperor Realm can completely make up for that."

Upon hearing Xiao Yuan's words, Xuan Kongzi and the other two breathed a slight sigh of relief, and then said:

"Hehe, since that's the case, then we'll see how you perform. You can stay here for the next few days; the environment here is quite suitable for alchemists."

Xuan Kongzi also stood up, chuckled, and then quickly left with Xuan Yi and the other two. They still needed to make some preparations for Xiao Yuan's participation in the elder selection. After all, although the Great Elder of the Great Elder Council had agreed, they still needed to make some arrangements for the other elders.

For the next seven days, Xiao Yuan and Yao Lao temporarily resided in Danta Mountain. During those seven days, many senior alchemists came to the place. Of course, this was because of Yao Lao. Most of these old fellows knew Yao Lao and, having not seen him for many years, naturally came to exchange pleasantries.

The old alchemist, Yao Lao, made a point of introducing Xiao Yuan to these veteran alchemists who once enjoyed great renown in Central State. These old fellows had a wide circle of friends in Central State, and getting to know them would naturally be quite beneficial.

Xiao Yuan was well aware of Yao Lao's thoughts, so he was quite polite and respectful when meeting these seniors. This pleased the old folks. Moreover, when they learned that Xiao Yuan's alchemy skills were comparable to Yao Lao's, they became even more enthusiastic towards him. No matter where you are, having strength always makes it easy to gain recognition from others.

After seven days, the Yao Lao had obtained all the prescriptions he needed. That night, he followed Xiao Yuan into the Heavenly Tomb and, taking advantage of the slow flow of time there, gave Xiao Yuan a crash course in refining Rank 9 Pill.

As the morning of the eighth day enveloped Danta Mountain, this usually quiet mountain suddenly became much more lively. Inside the Little Pill Tower, there was not much noise on weekdays. Everyone would exchange and discuss alchemy techniques and manage their own Herb Garden. Although life was peaceful, it was extremely suitable for those old men who were tired of the conflicts on the continent.

At the summit of Danta Mountain, there is a naturally formed plaza surrounded by clouds and mist, resembling a celestial palace. Xiao Yuan quite liked this environment.

This plaza, which is usually deserted, is now bustling with people. Most of them are elderly, with white hair and advanced age. Any one of them would be highly sought after by powerful forces in Central State. If a sect had an alchemist of this caliber, the benefits would be immense.

As the number of people on the square gradually increased, Yao Lao and Xiao Yuan, led by Xuan Kongzi and the other two, stepped onto the square. As soon as Yao Lao appeared, many people gathered around, greeting him with smiles. This shows that Yao Lao had a very good reputation in the Little Pill Tower back then.

"Yao Chen, you old bastard, you're still alive after all."

As the Yao Lao apothecary greeted his old friends with a smile, a slightly discordant voice suddenly rang out. Immediately, the crowd parted to make way for a rather thin old man in a gray robe, who slowly walked in.

"Hehe, Old Freak Hou, you're still alive, how could I possibly be the first to go before you?"

The Yao Lao smiled slightly, looked at the gray-robed elder, and said calmly.

"Is this the Old Freak Hou?"

Upon hearing the address "Yao Lao," Xiao Yuan's heart stirred, and his gaze turned to the gray-robed old man. The latter's physique was indeed like a monkey's, and his aged and stern face looked extremely difficult to get along with, a veritable dead man's face.

"When you left the Little Pill Tower on your own initiative back then, I thought you would have the backbone to never come back."

The gray-robed old man spoke calmly, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm. He and Yao Lao had always been at odds, and he had always tried his best to surpass Yao Lao, but this idea had never been realized, which had become a thorn in his side.

The Yao Lao smiled and didn't argue with him. With his current strength, even in the entire Little Pill Tower, only the Great Elder of the Little Pill Tower could surpass him. This Old Freak Hou was nothing more than a defeated opponent who could never catch up with him.

"I knew it! This election was two years earlier than expected. I'm afraid it was you, old man, who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. It's been so many years, let me see if your alchemy skills have improved."

Seeing that the Yao Lao in the gray robe ignored him, the old man frowned and spoke again.

Upon hearing this, the Yao Lao couldn't help but smile, shook his head, and said:

"This time it's not me running for office, but my disciple."

"Your disciple?" Upon hearing this, the gray-robed elder turned his gaze to Xiao Yuan beside him. After seeing the latter's age, his expression immediately darkened, and he sneered, "This little brat is qualified to participate in the competition? Yao Chen, this isn't the way you would use connections! This is the Little Pill Tower, not the Central State!"

Some elderly people around who were unaware of the situation also cast surprised glances at Xiao Yuan, clearly wondering why the latter was able to participate in the election.

"Old Freak Hou, Xiao Yuan is the future president of the Danta. The champion of this year's Pill Gathering is his younger brother, Xiao Yan, who is also another disciple of Yao Chen. However, Xiao Yuan's alchemy skills are stronger than Xiao Yan's."

Xuan Kongzi glanced at Old Freak Hou and said.

"Pill Gathering champion?"

Upon hearing this, Old Freak Hou Hou's expression changed slightly. Back then, he had lost the Pill Gathering championship to Yao Chen by a hair's breadth, and this matter had always been a thorn in his side. He never expected that now, even the disciples Yao Chen had taught had achieved this position, and there was even a disciple who was said to be stronger than the Pill Gathering champion! "It seems that the quality of this year's Pill Gathering is not good."

"Old Freak Hou said sullenly."

"You're mistaken. At this Pill Gathering, Xiao Yan refined Rank 8 Pill with Nine-Colored Pill Tribulation Lightning. You old codger, after all these years of practicing alchemy, you're nothing special, aren't you?"

The Xuan Yi spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

"Nine-Colored Pill Tribulation Lightning?"

Hearing this, the surrounding elders also showed surprise. Refining pills of this level might not be difficult for them now, but back when they participated in the Pill Gathering, being able to refine a pill that could attract pill lightning was already quite impressive. Even now, some of them couldn't refine Nine-Colored Pill Tribulation Lightning. Was this year's Pill Gathering really that fierce? Having suffered another setback, Old Freak Hou Hou's face darkened even more. These repeated rebuffs were making him quite angry, and he was losing face. With a flick of his sleeve, he coldly snorted, "According to you, this kid can refine Rank 9 Pill? I don't believe it!"

"Hehe, to those who cannot fly, the higher I fly, the smaller I appear in their eyes."

Xiao Yuan wasn't going to tolerate this old man. Although Yao Lao didn't care, the Old Freak Hou kept calling Yao Lao" old man" really annoyed him.

"You sharp-tongued brat, let's see how you handle things when you fail to refine Rank 9 Pill!"

Being mocked to his face by a junior, Old Freak Hou's expression grew increasingly ugly. He let out a cold snort, and without lingering any longer, he swept his sleeves and stormed off in a huff.

The Yao Lao squinted at Old Freak Hou's departing figure, patted Xiao Yuan on the shoulder, and chuckled, "So, are you confident?"

Xiao Yuan smiled slightly and nodded gently, "Don't worry, teacher."