This Young Man Was Far Too Powerful

Several days passed.

Word that an Eighth-Tier Nine-Colored Pill would be auctioned at the Space Trade Fair reached Thunder Venerable, master of the Wind-Thunder Pavilion.

Inside the Wind-Thunder Pavilion's main hall.

Thunder Venerable sat in the seat of honor, clearly intrigued by the pill.

He had attended plenty of auctions, but he had never encountered a pill like this. Otherwise, he would have advanced to Dou Sheng long ago.

"A pill that can take a Dou Zun expert straight to Dou Sheng... I've never heard of such a thing."

A young woman beside him froze at those words. She was Feng Qing'er, a leading candidate to become the Wind-Thunder Pavilion's next master.

She was also Thunder Venerable's disciple and came from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, a powerful Magical Beast clan.

Even so, she could not help being shocked by a pill that could help a Dou Zun reach Dou Sheng.

"We don't know much yet. All we know is that word of the auction came from the Space Trade Fair. We haven't learned the identity of the alchemist selling the pill."

The Wind-Thunder Pavilion elders began discussing it. Surely only the Pill Tower or the Yao Clan could produce a pill of this caliber.

"Both are centers of alchemy. The Yao Clan is even one of the Eight Ancient Clans. In all likelihood, the pill came from one of them."

"But judging by what we know, I'd say it's probably the work of a Pill Tower alchemist. The Pill Tower has sent pills to the Space Trade Fair for auction over the years."

The only surprising part was when the Pill Tower had trained an alchemist capable of making a pill that could bring someone to Dou Sheng.

Seeing the elders' astonishment, Thunder Venerable spoke from his chair. He looked down at Feng Qing'er. "Why don't you visit the Pill Tower on my behalf? Are you willing to make the trip?"

Feng Qing'er froze at her teacher's words. Could he mean...?

Thunder Venerable's thinking was simple. Plenty of people would fight for the pill at auction. If he could arrange a private deal with the Pill Tower, he might get his hands on it without competing against everyone else—and possibly losing. If he lost, what hope would he have of reaching Dou Sheng?

"You've thought this through, Teacher. I'm impressed. Don't worry—I'll go."

Pleased that she had agreed, he told her to take a few modest gifts to the Pill Tower. She was to sound them out first: had someone there made the pill, and if so, would they consider a private deal?

"I understand, Teacher."

Feng Qing'er turned and left the hall to prepare for the journey.

After she left, Thunder Venerable settled back into his chair, his thoughts returning to the pill. If it truly could raise a Dou Zun straight to Dou Sheng—not merely Half-Saint—getting his hands on it would change everything.

He had been stuck at Peak Dou Zun for years, unable to find a chance to break through. Now that a pill capable of taking him straight to Dou Sheng had appeared, he could not let it slip away.

After all, the gap between Peak Dou Zun and Dou Sheng was immense. If he broke through, the Wind-Thunder Pavilion's standing on the Dou Qi Continent would soar. No one would dare look down on him again, and his pavilion would stand out among the Four Pavilions.

He was determined to obtain the pill. But fighting the other factions for it at auction would cost too much. Settling matters privately was by far the better choice.

At that thought, he asked, "By the way, do we have anything more on the alchemist behind the pill?"

"I've also heard that a young man delivered it to the Space Trade Fair. No one seems to have discovered who he is or where he came from."

Thunder Venerable froze. That couldn't be right, could it?

As soon as the elder finished speaking, shock spread across Thunder Venerable's face. He could hardly believe the young man's age.

The elder beside him was surprised too, but the information was unlikely to be wrong.

Thunder Venerable's frown deepened. For a moment, he did not know what to say. A young man around twenty years old? How was that possible?

A pill of this caliber was exceedingly precious anywhere on the Dou Qi Continent. Even an alchemy center like the Pill Tower would not take it lightly. The Pill Recipe alone might be beyond the Pill Tower's reach.

Powerful as the Pill Tower was, surely it could not have trained a top alchemist capable of making an Eighth-Tier Nine-Colored Pill at such a young age?

And this was no ordinary Eighth-Tier Pill. It was the Nine Netherworld Underworld Pill, capable of taking a Dou Zun to Dou Sheng. Making it was far harder than making a typical Eighth-Tier Pill. How could a twenty-year-old possibly manage it?

The more Thunder Venerable thought about it, the less he could believe it. He even wondered whether the report was mistaken. But the elder did not look as though he was joking, and there was no point lying about something that would soon be exposed.

After a long silence, Thunder Venerable said slowly, "If this report is true, then a visit to the Pill Tower is all the more important."

If an alchemist who could make Eighth-Tier Nine-Colored Pills at twenty really belonged to the Pill Tower, it had found itself a treasure.

And building ties with an alchemist of that caliber could only benefit the Wind-Thunder Pavilion.

"Have Feng Qing'er come see me as soon as she returns."

"Yes."

Silence fell over the hall. Thunder Venerable sat in the seat of honor, staring into the distance as he turned the report over in his mind.

If it's true, who is that young alchemist? A descendant of the Yao Clan? Or the disciple of some old monster living in seclusion?

Whatever the answer, anyone capable of making such a pill was worth every effort the Wind-Thunder Pavilion could make to win their goodwill. They must not offend him. They might well need his help someday.

Meanwhile, Feng Qing'er had left the Wind-Thunder Pavilion with gifts and several attendants and was making her way toward the Pill Tower.

As she traveled, she was just as curious. Who had made that pill?

If it really was someone from the Pill Tower, when had it produced an alchemist of such monstrous talent?

Full of questions, Feng Qing'er picked up her pace and sped toward the Pill Tower.