Above the plaza, a dazzling, warm ray of sunlight pierced through the layers of thick fog like a golden sharp sword and fell precisely upon the natural stone terrace at the summit of Pill Tower Mountain, bathing the entire plaza in brilliance.
For a moment, a long, ancient bell chime, as if it had passed through endless years, slowly rippled through this independent space like waves across water. It entered everyone's ears clearly, cleansing their minds and heralding the arrival of an important moment.
Before the lingering echoes of the bell had faded, faint ripples like water suddenly stirred in the space above a naturally formed grayish-green stone platform near the cliff at the edge of the plaza.
The next moment, seven aged figures appeared on the stone platform without warning, as though they had stepped out of nothingness.
All seven had white hair and beards and wore simple robes. Their faces were either gaunt or ruddy, but without exception, their gazes were as deep as ancient wells, and their bodies gave off a calm aura that faintly harmonized with heaven, earth, and nature.
Their appearance brought no sense of oppression, yet the noisy plaza instantly quieted. Every gaze gathered toward them with respect.
"Greetings, elders!"
After a brief silence, the vast majority of people in the plaza—including Xuan Kongzi, Tian Lei Zi, and Xuan Yi, the three giants of the outside world, as well as many members of the Little Pill Tower—gave a slight bow and saluted in unison, their voices filled with respect from the heart.
Within the Little Pill Tower's system, which was relatively loose yet strictly hierarchical, the Great Elder Council held the highest decision-making authority.
None of these seven elders had failed to distinguish themselves over the Little Pill Tower's long history. Only through extraordinary