Boiling

"The portal has opened!"

Just as the Spatial Fluctuations in the center of the square began to ripple violently like waves, the dense, endless sea of people surrounding the Central Plaza of Sacred Pill City, like a calm lake surface tossed with a boulder, suddenly erupted into a thunderous cheer!

The roar surged and soared into the sky, seemingly scattering even the drifting clouds on the horizon.

Countless expectant and fervent gazes, like spotlights, suddenly shifted and fixed intently on the spatial gate that was gradually stabilizing and revealing a distorted light curtain.

The once-a-decade Pill Gathering, the final stage of which is finally about to begin! Those who can emerge from such fierce competition in the Pill Realm are all true elites among Alchemist!

Under the intense gaze of everyone present, the fluctuations of the spatial gate grew more and more violent, and the Silver Space Power surged like electric snakes.

Later, figures, slightly weary but with exceptionally bright and sharp eyes, began to slowly emerge from among them.

When their feet landed firmly on the smooth ground of the square, deafening cheers and applause erupted from the stands once again, wave after wave of sound, and the vast square seemed to tremble slightly under the powerful sound waves.

Those who have successfully left the Pill Realm and stand here can basically be considered the best Alchemist on the entire continent! Even if they choose to give up the competition now, they will definitely be treated as honored guests by various forces on the continent and will be tried their best to win them over.

As more and more figures emerged from the spatial gate, the atmosphere in the square grew increasingly lively. Each appearance of a figure drew cheers, especially from those already famous or highly regarded genius Alchemist.

"Boom!"

A noticeable fluctuation emanated from the spatial gate once more, and then, an extremely captivating and Man Miao figure slowly emerged.

Sunlight streamed down, illuminating her curvaceous figure. A black dress accentuated her snow-white skin, and a faint, confident smile, seemingly radiating an air of absolute control, graced her alluring face. It was Cao Ying!

Her appearance instantly propelled the atmosphere to another climax, with cheers erupting like a tsunami.

The reputation of Cao Family Demoness has been extremely renowned over the years, and everyone knows that she is undoubtedly one of the strongest contenders for the Pill Gathering Champion.

Compared to Cao Ying was radiant and instantly became the focus of attention, Song Qing, who appeared right behind her, seemed much less impressive.

Despite his extraordinary talent and reputation as a genius, he ultimately couldn't compete with the brilliance of this peerless Demoness and could only serve as a foil, causing a barely perceptible hint of gloom to flash deep in his eyes.

Following Cao Ying and Song Qing, a large number of figures emerged one after another. Dan Chen, Xiao Yan, and other Alchemist with considerable aura appeared, drawing cheers from their respective supporters in the stands.

In a specially designated area on one side of the plaza, Xiao Yi Xian, Xin Lan, Ye Zhong, and the others stared intently at the spatial gate from which figures were constantly emerging, their faces filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness.

"Why haven't we seen Big Brother Lin yet?" Xin Lan stood on tiptoe, her pretty face filled with anxiety. Her eyes searched among the figures that came out, but she still couldn't find that familiar figure in green.

Xiao Yi Xian's pale purple eyes narrowed slightly, and her jade-like hands involuntarily clenched into fists.

However, she had absolute confidence in Lin Ming's strength. Lin Ming was strong enough to kill even Dou Venerate, so he must have been delayed by something. Even so, her absence at such a momentous time inevitably caused her a little worry.

Just as a trace of worry had begun to rise in the hearts of Xiao Yi Xian and the others, before it could spread, the ever-fluctuating spatial gate once again rippled noticeably.

Immediately, a tall, slender figure in a green robe stepped out from the crowd, as if taking a leisurely stroll, and finally landed steadily on the ground of the square.

Sunlight shone on him, and his young and calm face wore a relaxed smile, as if he had just finished not a brutal Elimination Match, but a leisurely stroll.

"It's Big Brother Lin!"

Upon seeing this figure, Xin Lan's face immediately lit up with an uncontrollable look of surprise and joy. She hurriedly grabbed Xiao Yi Xian's sleeve and exclaimed excitedly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian and the others were also invigorated. Their tense nerves instantly relaxed, and their eyes quickly looked in that direction. Sure enough, they saw that unusually familiar figure.

"This guy... always shows up at the last minute." Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help but shake her head, muttering helplessly in a low voice, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her inner relaxation and joy.

"Hehe, I knew it. With Mr. Lin Ming's strength, how could he possibly fail to pass this second test..." At this moment, Ye Zhong, who had been on Ye Zhong, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He stroked his beard and smiled, his old face full of satisfaction and pride.

As everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Lin Ming, who had just stepped out of the spatial gate, seemed to sense something. His gaze suddenly turned, passing over the noisy crowd, and landed precisely on the area where Xiao Yi Xian and the others were. He then smiled and nodded at them, indicating that he was unharmed.

Standing in the plaza, Lin Ming's gaze swept around. Looking at the spatial gate that was still continuously spewing out people, and the increasing number of contestants gathering in the plaza, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.

Judging by the number, there must be at least a thousand!

He hadn't expected that after two extremely rigorous rounds of selection, so many people would ultimately remain.

The sheer number of high-level Alchemist gathered here surpasses even the grand Alchemist Grand Meet held by the Jia Ma Empire years ago, in both scale and quality. Any one of them here possesses alchemy skills sufficient to easily win the championship of that Alchemist Grand Meet...

Lin Ming's gaze swept across the crowd, taking in the aloof Xiao Yan, the alluring Cao Ying, the timid Dan Chen, and many other unfamiliar faces with calm demeanor and sharp eyes, clearly not to be trifled with. Those who stood here were all elites who had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

His sweeping gaze, after a moment, suddenly stopped at the highest seat in the square. There, the Three Pill Tower Heads Xuan Kongzi, Xuan Kongzi, Tian Lei Zi, and Xuan Yi, were seated, their auras profound and imposing. However, Lin Ming's gaze lingered more on the figure beside the three giants.

He was an elderly man dressed in a hemp robe, with a gentle face and eyes as deep as the starry sky. He exuded a powerful and vast Soul Pressure and a gentle temperament that Years of Sedimentation.

"The Venerable Yao Yao Chen... has indeed been successfully resurrected."

Lin Ming silently thought to himself, "Moreover, judging from the refinement and power of his soul aura, it's not much different from Old Sir Yao's. It seems that after his resurrection, his strength has also reached the level of Nine-Revolution Dou Venerate."

Lin Ming could sense the terrifying power within Yao Chen's body, like a dormant volcano, which, once unleashed, would be earth-shattering. It seemed that Xiao Yan had also expended countless efforts to revive his teacher.

In the plaza, after the fluctuations of the spatial gate lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they finally gradually subsided. The distorted Spatial Fluctuations also slowly dissipated, the light dimmed, and the spatial gate returned to calm, signifying that the Pill Realm passage was completely closed, and those who failed to exit in time lost their qualification for the finals.

As the spatial gate closed, the number of participants in the plaza increased significantly, roughly reaching nearly two thousand! These people were almost all outstanding Alchemist from various parts of the Dou Qi Continent, the pride of countless forces, and elites who had gone through layers of selection!

To win the supreme Pill Gathering Champion, one must climb step by step, stepping over the heads of others, until standing at the top, receiving the attention and admiration of everyone! The cruelty of the competition is unimaginable.

The moment the portal closed completely, the once bustling and lively square gradually quieted down. An invisible atmosphere of tension and solemnity began to permeate the air. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the highest seat.

They all knew that the real highlight of this Pill Gathering was about to begin! The final showdown to determine who would claim the glory was about to start!

On the high platform, Xuan Kongzi, who was sitting in the center, slowly stood up.

He didn't make any gesture, but that soft cough seemed to contain a strange magic, instantly resounding clearly in the ears of every contestant in the square and every spectator in the stands, silencing all other noise.

Instantly, all eyes, whether on the contestants or the audience, were focused on this Pill Tower Giant.

Xuan Kongzi's gaze, like a deep lake, slowly swept across the nearly two thousand young and spirited faces in the arena. His calm yet authoritative voice once again clearly reached everyone's ears:

"First of all, congratulations on standing here. You have successfully passed the second round of selection, proving your strength and perseverance..."

His voice paused slightly, making the solemn atmosphere even more somber.

"However, you should also know that the next round is the most important part of the Pill Gathering! The one who can stand to the end in this round, then..."

Xuan Kongzi's voice suddenly rose in pitch, carrying a stirring and rousing force.

"He will be the champion of this year's Pill Gathering!"

Look there!

He suddenly raised his arm, pointing it towards the sky.

Following the direction he pointed, everyone looked and saw that hundreds of feet above the plaza, there were thousands of massive stone platforms floating in densely packed array! Each stone platform was ancient and imposing, covered with traces of time and mysterious runes, silently floating in the clouds, exuding a vast and ancient aura.

"The stone platform in the sky is your stage for performance!"

Xuan Kongzi's voice was like a resounding bell, deeply moving and awe-inspiring.

"There, I hope you can shine with all your might, giving your all to the most dazzling moment of your lives!"

"Glory will be born among you!"

His brief words, without much embellishment, were like a spark igniting an explosion, instantly igniting the oppressive atmosphere that had been building up in this place!

"Roar--!"

The entire Central Plaza of Sacred Pill City erupted in cheers! Shouts, cheers, and encouragement merged into an indescribable torrent of sound that soared to the heavens! Even the distant buildings of Sacred Pill City trembled slightly under this terrifying wave of sound!

Countless Alchemist gazed up at the stone platforms in the sky, their eyes blazing with unwavering fervor and determination. Their blood was boiling, their fighting spirit burning!

The grandest and most prestigious event in the Yao Realm —the final of the Pill Gathering Competition—has finally arrived!

Everyone's hearts were in their throats, anticipating the thrilling showdown and the coronation of the ultimate champion!