Pill Realm
On the high platform.
Just as Lin Ming was actively "refining his mind" in the illusion, the attention of the three giants was drawn to the arrival of an "uninvited guest."
The space rippled slightly, and an old yet upright figure quietly appeared. The newcomer wore a simple robe, had a gentle face, and deep eyes. It was none other than Venerable Yao Yao Chen!
"Hehe, Yao Chen, you old codger, you've finally shown your true form." Xuan Kongzi greeted him with a smile. Xuan Yi glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, snorted coldly, and turned her head away, seemingly still angry. Tian Lei Zi also nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Several figures standing at the pinnacle of the continent briefly exchanged a few words on this high platform regarding matters such as Xiao Yan, the Soul Hall's movements, and the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
However, in those few short breaths of distraction, when they turned their gaze back to the vast Soul Illusion Realm below, the scene that appeared before them instantly stunned the three giants, who were well-versed in the world and whose minds were usually as calm as still water!
In the core area that maintained the operation of the entire illusion, the dozens of Seventh Order Demonic Beasts, known as "Illusionary Soul Beast Qi," which were kept by the Pill Tower to generate "Phantom Soul Beast Qi," were now limp on the ground, their eyes unfocused, foaming at the mouth, and their bodies twitching involuntarily, as if all their energy and Soul Origin had been drained. They were clearly exhausted and in a deep coma!
As a result, the dark gray gas in the entire illusion space became thinner and more unstable, and the illusions in many areas even began to collapse and dissipate on their own!
"What... what's going on?!" Xuan Kongzi exclaimed in shock, his face filled with disbelief.
Even Tian Lei Zi's stern face was filled with surprise, and his sharp gaze instantly swept across the entire illusion.
Xuan Yi also stopped in mid-air, her phoenix eyes wide open. "The Phantom Soul Beast are all exhausted? This has never happened before! Who? Who has such terrifying Soul Power that they can overload all the Phantom Soul Beast at the same time?!"
This unprecedented sight instantly threw the three giants of Dedan Pill Tower off balance!
However, the person who started all this has already disappeared without a trace.
Just as the Phantom Soul Beast collectively went limp and the illusionary realm began to fluctuate, Lin Ming, relying on his increasingly solid and clear Soul Perception honed through trials, precisely grasped that fleeting spatial pattern.
He took a step forward, his figure passing through the last few complex spatial folds like a ghost. Ahead, a huge, slowly rotating, twisted Black Hole, about ten feet in size, suddenly appeared before him!
Within the Black Hole, Spatial Fluctuations from the illusion, brimming with vitality and an ancient aura.
This cave entrance is the Space Passage leading to the second level, a realm filled with countless rare treasures, opportunities, and dangers— the Pill Realm!
Without any hesitation, Lin Ming, a faint, satisfied smile on his lips, flashed and plunged into the Black Hole, disappearing from sight.
Behind him, all that remained was Soul Illusion Realm that had been briefly thrown into chaos by his presence, and the three Pill Tower Giants on the high platform, looking at each other in disbelief and utterly shocked.
My journey to the Pill Gathering, second stop: the Pill Realm, here I come!
Stepping out of that distorted Space Passage, the view before me suddenly opened up.
This was a spacious open space that had been forcibly cleared out; the ground was flat and paved with some kind of hard Jin Shi.
Around the open space, the space presents an unstable, distorted state. Light bends and breaks here, as if it might collapse at any moment, yet it is firmly held in place by an invisible, powerful force.
Clearly, this was a temporary resting point forcibly constructed at the entrance of the Space Passage by powerful members of the Pill Tower using extraordinary means. It was used to buffer the discomfort caused by spatial travel and to serve as the last gathering place before entering the Pill Realm.
The methods and grand scheme of stabilizing and distorting space to create safe zones impressed Lin Ming, who secretly praised them as remarkable. In his current knowledge, only the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, who were born with the Space Power, could steadily surpass the Pill Tower in this regard.
At this moment, a large number of figures had gathered on this not-so-small open space. Most of these people possessed strong auras, sharp eyes, and faint Soul Fluctuation swirling around them, clearly indicating that they were the best among those who had passed the first stage of the Soul Illusion Realm.
Most of the figures were now lined up in a rather disorganized long queue, at the far end of which was a slowly rotating Space Passage radiating a deep light.
Outside the queue, a very small number of individuals or small groups did not participate in the queue. They simply stayed quietly in place, either resting with their eyes closed or talking in hushed tones, appearing quite eccentric.
Lin Ming's gaze swept over the individuals, both alone and in small groups. He saw Xiao Yan sitting alone in a corner, his expression calm and composed; he also saw Cao Ying, who was not alone, but accompanied by a young man, the two seemingly forming a small team.
Lin Ming's sudden appearance naturally attracted the attention of some people.
Xiao Yan opened his slightly closed eyes a crack, glanced at Lin Ming, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes before returning to calm, but his hands, resting on his knees, clenched slightly.
Cao Ying also turned her head as if sensing something. When she saw that it was Lin Ming, a meaningful smile appeared on her alluring face. She nodded slightly to Lin Ming as a greeting. The young man beside her, however, swept his gaze over Lin Ming like lightning, with scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible apprehension.
Besides them, several other contestants from the Five Great Families or other well-informed forces also recognized Lin Ming, the "monster" who had set an astonishing record in the assessment, and their eyes were filled with curiosity, awe, or strong fighting spirit.
However, only a minority paid attention to Lin Ming. To the many people in the open space who didn't know him, Lin Ming was just a "latecomer" who had only emerged from the illusion at this particular moment.
In their understanding, the sooner one passes through the Illusionary Realm Trial, the more it proves the strength and sensitivity of Soul Power. Someone like Lin Ming, who only emerges around the middle of the process, has likely expended a lot of energy in the illusionary realm, and his Soul Power is probably not very strong; he's just a filler.
Therefore, most people just glanced at him casually and then stopped paying attention, refocusing their attention on queuing or adjusting themselves.
Lin Ming paid no attention to the gazes, whether overt or covert. His gaze was fixed on the entrance to the Space Passage.
There, an unremarkable old man dressed in ordinary gray clothes sat Cross-legged on a gigantic creature. The creature was entirely black, gleaming with a metallic luster, and resembled a giant, armored tortoise magnified countless times. It lay prostrate on the ground, its aura as heavy and imposing as a mountain.
The old man sat leisurely on the turtle's back, closing his eyes to rest.
The old man wore a badge of the Pill Tower on his chest, and his profound aura was not much weaker than that of Hei Qing! Clearly, he was also a reclusive expert of the Pill Tower with strength reaching the High-Grade Dou Venerate level! The presence of such an expert here was enough to show the importance that the Pill Tower attached to the entrance to the Pill Realm.
At this moment, the old man riding the tortoise was at the very end of the long queue. In front of him was a thick stack of parchment and a pile of inconspicuous gray stones. Whenever a contestant reached the front of the line, he would weakly lift his eyelids, casually pick up a piece of parchment and a gray stone, and hand them over, his lips moving slightly as if repeating some words.
Seeing several new figures emerge from the illusion in the center of the open space, the old man riding the tortoise didn't even bother to fully open his eyes. He simply repeated lazily in a tired, sleepy voice:
"Listen carefully to the rules before entering the Pill Realm. Everyone who enters must come to me to receive a mission medicine list, a map of the Pill Realm, and a Spatial Stone."
"The mission list specifies the medicinal herbs you must find and collect within the Pill Realm. Only by collecting every single herb on the list will you pass this second stage and qualify for the final competition."
"I don't need to elaborate on the map's purpose, do I? It marks some of the main areas within the Pill Realm, and most importantly—the exit location! Once you've gathered all the medicinal herbs, use the map to yourselves and hurry towards the exit."
"As for this Spatial Stone..." The old man weighed the inconspicuous gray stone in his hand, "It's for saving your lives. If you're unlucky enough to encounter a life-threatening danger in the Pill Realm and feel you can't hold on, quickly crush this stone. Then, it will automatically teleport you out of the Pill Realm and save your lives."
He First Revolution, his tone turning indifferent. "However, let me make this clear first. Crushing the Spatial Stone means you've forfeited your right to continue competing. Whether it's saving your lives or fighting for your future, you must weigh the options carefully. Do you all understand?"
As he finished speaking, the contestants who had already lined up and heard the prescriptions showed little expression on their faces, silently accepting the items and carefully examining the prescriptions. The newcomers, on the other hand, nodded in understanding, their faces showing realization and seriousness, and they understood why there was such a long queue.
"Also, let me remind you a few more things." The old man's lips curled into a slight smirk, still maintaining his lazy demeanor, but his words sent a chill down many spines. "The Pill Realm, due to its antiquity, has some damage to its spatial rules and a harsh environment, making it unsuitable for humans to stay for extended periods. Therefore, you only have... ten days!"
"You must gather all the medicinal herbs on the prescription within ten days and get to the exit! If you fail to do so within the time limit, it will be considered a failure, even if you manage to collect them all!"
"As for identifying medicinal herbs, that's a basic skill for Alchemist. If you can't even recognize all the herbs on the list, or if you pick the wrong ones... then you can only blame your own lack of skill. No one will teach you."
He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy old eyes. "Furthermore, while the Pill Realm isn't suitable for humans, it's paradise for many Magical Beasts! After so many years of breeding, some of the Magical Beasts there are incredibly powerful. If you're unlucky enough to run into one, watch your head! Don't expect anyone to come to your rescue. The Pill Tower people won't go in, and the other participants... well, they'll be lucky if they don't kick you when you're down."
"You should have been mentally prepared for this before you came. The Pill Gathering is not child's play, nor is it one of those casual matches that end with a few touches. This is a real battlefield! Arena forged in blood and fire!"
"The one who can rise from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, stepping on the shoulders of countless losers, and ultimately stand to the end... will be the champion of this Pill Gathering!"
"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand! The same applies to the Pill Gathering!"
As he finished speaking, the old man's voice suddenly turned cold and sharp, as if carrying a bloody aura, causing many of the participants present to feel a chill in their hearts and turn pale. Only at this moment did many people truly realize the cruelty and bloodshed behind the glory of this Pill Gathering.
"Enough with the small talk, I've said everything I needed to say." The old man waved his hand, resuming his lazy demeanor. "Those who are mentally prepared, come and collect your belongings. If you want to back out now, it's not too late..."
As he spoke, people at the front of the group silently stepped forward, took a parchment and a Spatial Stone from the old man, and then, with firm steps or a little trepidation, stepped directly into the slowly rotating Space Passage that resembled the mouth of a giant beast. Their figures were quickly swallowed by light and disappeared.