The Pill Gathering Begins
"The second thing is that there is no restriction on killing in the Pill Realm. In addition to being wary of the magical beasts inside, you also have to be wary of the underhanded tactics of other contestants. Sometimes they are even more dangerous than the magical beasts."
"The final competition will be held on those floating stone platforms, where medicine will be refined. The one who refines the medicine to the highest grade will be the champion."
After hearing all this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but admire them. Those who could stand on the stone platform after passing two rounds of trials were all people with considerable strength. At that time, these people would be sought after by various forces.
He scanned the entire square and saw all the contestants from the Five Great Families, but he couldn't spot Xiao Tian.
But in the VIP seats next to that towering stone platform, he saw Medusa and others, Yun Yun and others, as well as Nalan Yanran. Even Hai Bo Dong and Xiao Zhan were there. The stone platform was completely filled with people from the Free and Unfettered Hall.
Thump!
A clear, resonant bell suddenly rang out across the land, its sound spreading far and wide, even suppressing the deafening clamor.
As the bell tolled, the world became much quieter. Countless gazes instantly fixed on the towering, pagoda-like stone platform on the east side of the plaza—the place where the higher-ups of the Pill Tower would later appear...
Shortly after the bell tolled, a series of whooshing sounds suddenly arose, followed by a slight distortion of the space on the stone platform, from which more than a dozen figures slowly emerged...
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the dozen or so figures, then stopped on the four figures in the very center. In particular, when he saw one of the figures clearly, Xiao Yan couldn't help but show a look of surprise.
It was Xiao Tian, Xuan Kongzi, Xuan Yi, and Tianleizi. Besides Xiao Tian and his wife, Xiao Yan had also met Xuan Kongzi and even received some benefits from him.
"Hey, who's that young man between President Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi Leader Xuan Yi? Judging from his position, he seems to be on par with the three guild leaders. How come I've never heard of him before?" Ye Zhong also noticed Xiao Tian, then his gaze fell on the badge on his chest. "Holy crap, holy crap, this young man, Rank 8 Alchemist???"
Ye Zhong could easily tell Xiao Tian's age at a glance. He wasn't someone who maintained a youthful appearance due to high cultivation, but a genuine young man.
I'm already quite old, and I'm only Seven Rank Alchemist. I probably won't have the chance to reach the Rank 8 Alchemist level in my lifetime.
Although there seems to be only one level difference between the Seventh Grade and Eighth Grade, the gap between them is indeed as vast as an insurmountable chasm, no less difficult than the breakthrough from Nine Revolution Dou Zun to the Half-Saint realm.
Among the Cao Family members, Cao Ying, dressed in a black dress, had slightly red eyes and was filled with excitement. She had finally seen him again after searching for so long.
The last time she went to see Xuan Yi, the two of them harbored ulterior motives, intentionally or unintentionally probing and revealing various information.
If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, she would have rushed up to him and asked why he was avoiding her. But being as clever as she was, she didn't intend to do that. Since she had already shown up this time, it meant that she was getting closer and closer to him.
However, seeing Xuan Yi and Xiao Tian practically glued together whispering to each other, she felt like a helpless wife, her heart aching as if she'd eaten several lemons.
Cao Dan, standing next to Cao Ying, was also excited. He was excited mainly because Xiao Tian had finally appeared, and perhaps his current days of either refining medicine or getting beaten up would finally come to an end.
You're practically my double savior! From now on, you call me brother-in-law, and I'll call you brother. We'll treat each other as equals.
Xiao Tian's appearance also slightly shocked many people from various forces. Some even mobilized their intelligence organizations to investigate Xiao Tian's whereabouts, attempting to prepare for future attempts to win him over or establish a relationship with him.
"Hehe, I am Xuan Kongzi, and on behalf of the Pill Tower, I welcome all the Alchemist who have come here. In the days to come, this will be your stage to show your skills..." Xuan Kongzi, with his white hair, slowly walked out, and his gentle voice rang clearly in the ears of everyone present.
The entire hall was silent as Xuan Kongzi continued to explain the rules and competition format of the Pill Gathering, which were almost identical to those of previous competitions. "Whoever passes these three selections and remains standing will become the champion of this year's Pill Gathering."
Xuan Kongzi gazed at the sea of people whose emotions were stirred by the word "champion," and smiled faintly, saying, "This year's champion will not only receive a spot as a candidate for Pill Tower Giant, but will also obtain an ancient Soul Cultivation Method and a Soul Dou Technique. With the Soul Cultivation Method, reaching the Eighth Grade or even ninth rank is just around the corner! And the Soul Dou Technique may grant your soul combat power."
The Soul Cultivation Method will hold a fatal attraction for all Alchemist!
The appearance of these two items made all the Alchemist in Xihu become much more ruddy, their eyes turning red with greed.
Xuan Kongzi's words unlocked a long-forgotten history for many, revealing that many present were unaware that souls could also possess Dou Technique.
Many historians and theoretical masters jumped out at this time to loudly explain to those around them, hoping to become famous overnight.
Xuan Kongzi smiled slightly, glanced at the sky, and then lightly waved his sleeve. An invisible wave spread out, striking the void and producing another long, resonant chime. "The time has come! All participants of Fifth Grade, please enter the first stage: the Soul Illusion!"
As soon as Xuan Kongzi finished speaking, countless figures suddenly flashed out from the seemingly endless sea of people, then, like locusts, swept across the sky and plunged into that Twisted Space...
Watching the figures rushing into the Twisted Space like a torrential rain, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and slowly stepped out.
"Go for it!" Ye Xinlan shouted, waving her arms at Xiao Yan.
Meanwhile, Nalan Yanran in the audience cast an encouraging glance at Xiao Yan.
Cao Ying glanced at Xiao Tianyi, and then also rushed towards the dark gray, Twisted Space.
"I should go over there too." Xiao Tian stretched and said softly to Xuan Yi and the others.
"You'd better take it easy, don't blow up this Illusion Space," Xuan Kongzi hurriedly said to Xiao Tian.
"Alright, alright, I know. You've said it countless times, my ears are practically calloused." Xiao Tian waved his hand helplessly, then headed towards the checkpoint.
Xuan Kongzi initially planned to use his special privileges to exempt Xiao Tian from this opportunity, but Xiao Tian still wanted to experience this illusion.
"Holy crap, he's a contestant too???"
If Rank 8 Alchemist participates, then no one else has a chance.
"That's not quite right. I've heard there are many Rank 8 Alchemist this year, and I've also heard that the Cao Family Demoness was already a Rank 8 Alchemist a year ago."
"Looks like there's going to be an exciting match. I'm really looking forward to it."
Amidst the crowd gathered in the square, murmurs of discussion and anticipation erupted; the more exciting and lively the spectacle, the more excited they became.