Second Generation Tian Shu, Pill Tower Exposed

Central Continent, Starfall Pavilion.

Watching the Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking's introduction to the Hall of Souls.

Xiao Yan's fists clenched beneath his sleeves, while fury, restraint, longing, and other emotions swirled in his eyes.

After a moment.

He could not help but murmur, "I'm still too weak. A Three-star Dou Zun is no different from an ant in the eyes of the Hall of Souls, which has a Six-star Dou Saint guarding it—not to mention the Soul Clan behind it."

"To rescue my father."

"I must grow stronger as quickly as possible."

Nearby, hearing Xiao Yan's muttering, Yao Chen's eyes flashed with heartache. In his view, this little fellow, not yet thirty years old, truly carried far too much responsibility...

"Foolish boy!"

After coming back to his senses.

Yao Chen patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and said earnestly, "How can cultivation soar to the heavens in a single bound? As long as you advance steadily, you'll break through to the Dou Saint realm one day, join the ranks of the Supreme Experts on the continent, and rescue your father from the Soul Clan and the Hall of Souls."

With that said.

Yao Chen's thoughts stirred,

and he summoned the pale-white Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

He erased the Soul Mark on it and handed it to Xiao Yan. "I've already broken through to the Dou Saint realm. The Bone Spirit Cold Flame is useless to me now. Take it, absorb it, increase your strength, and evolve the Flame Mantra."

"Teacher, how can I accept this? I can't take your Bone Spirit Cold Flame."

Seeing this.

Xiao Yan instinctively waved his hands. "Heavenly Flames are so important to an alchemist. How could yours become useless just because you broke through to the Dou Saint realm?"

"I'm not the ignorant Xiao Yan I was back in the Monster Beast Mountain Range."

"Don't even think about fooling me..."

Hearing this.

Yao Chen helplessly shook his head. Now that the child had grown up, he really was impossible to fool.

Then, without giving Xiao Yan a chance to refuse, he directly injected the Bone Spirit Cold Flame's origin into his body. "A gift from an elder cannot be refused. Since your teacher is giving it to you, take it!"

"If you truly feel uncomfortable accepting it."

"Then consider it a Heavenly Flame I'm lending you... Once you break through to the Dou Saint realm, become a Supreme Expert of the continent, and rescue your father, you can find another Heavenly Flame for your teacher!"

Looking at Yao Chen's kindly face.

Xiao Yan's nose stung, and he nodded firmly. "Rest assured, Teacher. Xiao Yan will definitely not disappoint you!"

"Hahaha, of course I'm at ease. You're my disciple, Xiao Yan."

While replying with a laugh.

Yao Chen silently said in his heart, "Xiao Yan, aside from being my disciple, you're also the candidate personally selected by the Ice Emperor for the 'Second Generation Tian Shu'!"

"Grow up quickly."

"Our enemies aren't limited to the Dou Qi Continent..."

As undercurrents surged across the continent.

High above the firmament, the image of the Hall of Souls within the Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking rapidly faded.

In its place appeared the Alchemist Association branches scattered throughout the various regions of the Dou Qi Continent.

Within the image, various alchemists refined pills, Pill Furnaces exploded, and Heavenly Flames and Beast Flames of every color surged upward. The scenes flashed by rapidly like slides.

After some time.

The image on the Gold Ranking suddenly shifted.

It changed into scenes of thunderclouds appearing above one round, lustrous pill after another.

Then, as Pill Lightning ranging from one color to nine colors appeared in succession, followed by the manifestation of Black Demon Lightning during the refinement of Ninth-Grade pills... countless pills were successfully refined, dazzling the viewers and leaving them visibly excited.

In the end

the image on the Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking.

froze on a Tower-shaped building complex that every powerhouse in the Central Continent knew well.

[Second place on the Sect Power Ranking: Central Continent—Pill Tower]

[Reason for ranking: The Pill Tower is a sacred land for alchemists. Its headquarters are located in Sacred Pill City in the Central Continent, while its branches are spread throughout the various regions of the Dou Qi Continent. It possesses unparalleled prestige and influence;

The strongest expert in the Pill Tower is a Dou Saint Ancestor who took human form from a Ninth-Grade Profound Pill.

His current cultivation has reached the Mid Seven-star Dou Saint realm.

In addition.

The Pill Tower also has Lin Laoguai, the Great Elder of the Lesser Pill Tower, who publicly possesses the Early Two-star Dou Saint realm but is actually an Early Four-star Dou Saint,

two Puppets with Three-star Dou Saint combat strength, three Lesser Pill Tower elders at the One-star Dou Saint realm, as well as numerous High-level Half-Saint elders, including the Pill Tower Three Giants, and the Dou Zun Experts guarding the tower...

Because the Pill Tower's High-Level Combat Strength surpasses that of the Hall of Souls without the assistance of the Soul Clan.

It ranks second on the Sect Power Ranking.]

[Ranking reward: two Heavenly Grade High-level Cultivation Methods, two Heavenly Grade High-level Dou Techniques, two Soul Defense Secret Techniques, and one Ninth-Grade Golden Pill Alchemist's Handbook.]

[One Puppet with Five-star Dou Saint combat strength, capable of absorbing Pill Lightning to advance!]

[The cultivation of all alchemists registered with the Pill Tower will increase by one star. (For those whose level has already been raised by the Heavenly Dao Blessing, this will instead become an increase of one minor realm in soul cultivation.)]

[Three Ninth-Grade 'Golden' pills.]

!!!

As the Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking revealed the Pill Tower's strength.

After the Dou Qi Continent fell silent for a moment, it instantly erupted.

"Wo Cao! Wo Cao! Wo Cao!"

"I'm not seeing things, am I?"

"The Pill Tower, which has remained neutral for years and usually kept a low profile, actually has seven Dou Saint-level combatants! And the Pill Tower Ancestor is a Mid Seven-star Dou Saint who took human form from a Ninth-Grade pill!"

"Wait... no one ever told us the Pill Tower had so many experts!"

"How does it have a Lesser Pill Tower too?"

"Aren't the Pill Tower Three Giants publicly known as peak Dou Zun Experts? How are they all High-level Half-Saints now?"

"Why do all these factions like hiding their cultivation and playing the fool..."

"The rewards for second place are truly invincible: Heavenly Grade High-level Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques, a Five-star Dou Saint Puppet that can absorb Pill Lightning to evolve, Soul Defense Secret Techniques, a Ninth-Grade Golden Pill Alchemist's Handbook, and three Ninth-Grade 'Golden' pills."

"The Pill Tower Ancestor only took human form from a Ninth-Grade 'Profound' pill!"

"Three Ninth-Grade 'Golden' pills..."

"How terrifying!"

"Hahaha, I never expected that even this alchemist from Burning Flame Valley would receive the Heavenly Dao Reward twice—once for cultivation and once for the soul..."

"..."

As the Dou Qi Continent shook.

Yao Dan, who was traveling toward the Yao Clan, saw the Pill Tower's strength.

His expression suddenly changed.

He exclaimed, "How is this possible? The Pill Tower Ancestor actually took human form from a Ninth-Grade Profound Pill, and even possesses the same Mid Seven-star Dou Saint cultivation as me."

"Besides that, the Pill Tower has six other Dou Saint-level combatants, and Lin Laoguai is a Four-star Dou Saint?"

"This strength is already on par with my Yao Clan."

"Wait..."

"This is before the Heavenly Dao Blessing. After receiving the Heavenly Dao Blessing, the Pill Tower Ancestor will advance to the Mid Eight-star Dou Saint realm. Wouldn't that place him directly above my Yao Clan, second only to the Lei Clan and Yan Clan?"

The Soul Clan, Soul Realm.

After seeing the Pill Tower's strength announced on the Gold Ranking.

Hun Tiandi subconsciously muttered, "No wonder the Pill Tower ranks above the Hall of Souls. Its strength truly isn't weak."

"It has remained hidden and bided its time all these years."

"Could it be that they know the Pill Tower Founder was schemed against and killed by my Soul Clan back then?"

"Wasn't Hun Xuzi's betrayal of the Pill Tower Founder carried out cleanly?"

"Could there be another reason..."

Hearing this.

The Nihility Devouring Flame beside him suddenly spoke. "Hun Tiandi, the Ninth-Grade Profound Pill that took human form, a Mid Seven-star Dou Saint who is about to break through to the Mid Eight-star Dou Saint realm, is useless to you, but if you let me devour him, there's a high chance I could advance to the Late Nine-star Dou Saint realm."

"Or you could let Hun Shengtian or the Four Demon Sages devour him!"

"That could add another Nine-star Dou Saint-level combatant to the Soul Clan."

Hearing this.

Hun Tiandi cast a sidelong glance at the Nihility Devouring Flame.

The corners of his lips lifted slightly. "Nihility, what you said makes sense. It seems that this operation will require us to deal with the Pill Tower as well, aside from the faction ranked first."