"Dong!"
A clear peal of a bell suddenly rang out, its mighty reverberations spreading far and wide, instantly silencing the clamor between heaven and earth...
Countless gazes swiveled toward the towering stone platform on the eastern side of the square. That was where the Pill Tower's senior figures would appear.
As the bell's reverberations faded, the space above the platform twisted slightly, and a dozen or so figures slowly emerged...
At the center of those figures stood three who clearly held precedence: a white-haired elder in white robes, a dark-skinned elder in black robes with a stern expression, and a beautiful woman in a qipao who appeared to be in her thirties.
The moment those three appeared, the dark, densely packed sea of people stirred. Countless gazes, laden with all manner of emotions, converged on them...
The three Pill Tower Giants were truly renowned throughout the entire Dou Qi Continent. In some people's eyes, they were figures who existed only in legends. Seeing all three appear together now felt almost unbelievable...
"Heh heh, I am Xuan Kongzi. On behalf of the Pill Tower, I welcome every alchemist who has come to participate in the Pill Gathering. In the days ahead, this will be the stage upon which you display your talents..."
The white-haired Xuan Kongzi stepped forward slowly, his gentle voice softly reaching everyone's ears.
The entire gathering fell silent. Even the most arrogant and unruly dared not offer the slightest defiance at this moment. After all, the three people on that platform stood not far below the pinnacle of this continent...
"You have all traveled great distances for the Pill Gathering, so I shall waste no more of your time. As in previous years, this Pill Gathering will consist of three stages. First..."
Everyone listened in silence. In truth,