In a quiet room, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, his expression slightly solemn.
I learned from Murong Qianqian that the Xiao Gate of the Western Region has become the ruler of a region, but Leng Bingshuang's situation does not seem to be very good. In recent years, it seems that some forces have become involved with them. If the Xiao Gate had not joined forces with some forces on the northwestern border to resist them, I'm afraid this situation would have been difficult to maintain.
"It seems that after the Pill Gathering ends, it's time to find an opportunity to go back!"
Muttering something under his breath, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, slowly loosened his clenched fist, shook his head, and threw away all the complicated thoughts in his mind. He then slightly circulated his internal energy, focused his mind, and closed his eyes to look inward.
Deep within his soul, Xiao Yan was currently in his sea of consciousness. In the space before him, a seemingly real yet illusory incense candle was slowly floating. This was the very item Xiao Yan had obtained from the Nine-Character Soul Stele.
" Soul-Guiding Incense, while precious, does it really need to be hidden like this?"
As he muttered to himself, Xiao Yan waved his hand lightly, and a gust of wind swept by. A wisp of smoke rose from the incense and candles and then transformed into the appearance of an old man. However, after examining it, Xiao Yan still did not know what its effect was. It was not until a long while later that he withdrew it from his sea of consciousness with some helplessness.
Soul-Guiding Incense can help people preserve their souls and provide great resistance against Dou Technique or Soul Technique that disturb the soul, especially sonic Dou Technique, which can even be completely ignored.
However, the method of refining this incense is too sinister. It requires the complete Soul Origin to be refined, and the stronger the Soul Origin, the more powerful the Soul-Guiding Incense will be. But this method is no different from killing and taking lives, and alchemists hate it the most. Therefore, the chance of this item appearing on the market is extremely small.
"How strange! Soul-Guiding Incense is nothing special, so why would someone go to such lengths to store it within the Soul Stele?"
After investigating using various methods, it was found that there was nothing else in the Soul-Guiding Incense. This made Xiao Yan frown. If this secret treasure that had caused so many people to tremble was only this, it would be rather uninteresting.
After the test, Xiao Yan and his group became much more settled for the next period of time. Apart from Murong Qianqian dragging Mu Leng around Pill City out of curiosity, the rest of them stayed in their rooms, making final preparations for the upcoming Pill Gathering.
The atmosphere inside the vast manor was exceptionally tranquil, while outside the tightly closed doors, a completely different scene of bustling activity unfolded.
Until one day...
"Boom..."
A muffled rumble suddenly resounded over Pill City, followed by a shocking surge of energy. The enormous commotion instantly drew the attention of all the powerful figures in Pill City.
Immediately, figures soared into the air, all eyes turning towards the sky in the east of the city, followed by a series of exclamations.
" With the Pill Gathering Conference approaching, who would be here refining pills?"
"Judging from this commotion, the quality of this pill is probably no lower than the high-grade seventh rank. The Pill Gathering hasn't even started yet, and with this one move, I'm afraid it will dampen the confidence of many attendees!"
"Tsk tsk, daring to refine such a high-level pill at a time like this, isn't he afraid of unexpected accidents and backlash along the way? Even if he succeeds, his Spiritual Strength will probably be greatly depleted. What will he do at the Pill Gathering then? Will he compete with a pill that he has already refined?"
As more and more powerful figures gathered in mid-air, whispers filled the air, with various opinions offering praise and criticism. Many people looked towards the location of the Pill Lightning with a hint of hope in their eyes. If the refining failed at this final moment, those present would witness the departure of a formidable opponent, and they would be more than happy to do so.
In a sparsely populated part of the sky, Xiao Yan, Xiao Siyu, Murong Qianqian, and two others stood solemnly. Xiao Yan and Xiao Siyu gazed with slightly serious eyes at the location of the Pill Lightning. With their strength Tier Seven High-Level Alchemist, their sensitivity to Pill Lightning was naturally exceptional. Judging from the oppressive aura emanating from the violently churning thunderclouds, the pill about to be refined was undoubtedly top-tier even among seventh-tier pills, perhaps even...
"Laugh!"
A soft whooshing sound rang out, and then, before everyone's eyes, a streak of light shot out rapidly from somewhere in the city below the thunderclouds, finally hovering in the sky, standing directly below the thunderclouds, seemingly ready to fight the Pill Lightning.
As everyone focused their gaze, what was floating in the air was a pill emitting a faint glow. However, when everyone looked closely at the pill, another gasp of surprise rang out in the sky above the city. Even Xiao Yan and the others stared wide-eyed at the pill floating in the air with astonishment.
On the surface of the pill was a rather mysterious rune, encircling it like iron hooks and silver lines. It was this special rune that caused the expressions of everyone present to change drastically.
" Pill Rune! It's actually an eighth-grade pill!"
Despite having some suspicions, Xiao Yan's expression still betrayed his shock when he actually saw the special runes.
Unlike ordinary pills that incorporate patterns and Pill Rune, this is proof unique to eighth-tier pills and an absolute demonstration of a pharmacist's skill.
Eighth-grade pills far surpass seventh-grade pills. At this level, the demand for medicinal materials and the energy of heaven and earth is extremely large. The final result of concentrating such a huge amount of energy into this small pill is a terrifying energy that even the pill itself cannot contain!
It can be said that even with the right timing and location, it would be impossible to successfully refine an eighth-grade pill using ordinary methods.
The strength of Tier Eight Alchemist lies in their ability to forcibly seal the terrifying energy within an eighth-tier pill, thus creating a true eighth-tier pill. Pill Rune are made using this method!
"With such a person present, the outcome of the Pill Gathering may already be decided before it even begins!"
Beside him, Xiao Siyu, upon seeing the Pill Rune, remained silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice with an extremely solemn expression.
With her current alchemy skills, she might not be able to refine an eighth-grade pill for several years or even decades without a stroke of luck. However, before the highly anticipated Pill Gathering even began, someone had already refined an eighth-grade pill. This was truly astonishing.
"Hmph, I wonder where this old monster came from, causing trouble at such a time when the Pill Gathering approaching. The Pill Tower didn't even send anyone to stop him. Aren't they afraid of losing face?"
"Yes, to refine an eighth-grade pill at such a crucial moment, especially in Pill City, on the territory of the Pill Tower, is undoubtedly a high-profile announcement of the final results of the Pill Gathering. This person is audacious and has offended the Pill Tower. Whoever he is, he is destined to be ineligible for this year's Pill Gathering!"
"Sizzle..."
Just as mocking voices echoed from the crowd, a massive, black Pill Lightning, as imposing as a pillar supporting the Holding Up the Heavens, finally tore through the void from the churning thunderclouds above and slammed into the eighth-grade pill in mid-air. At the same time, the faint light emanating from the pill's surface grew even stronger, as if it was preparing to confront the Pill Lightning bolt head-on.
Upon seeing this, all eyes in the room immediately focused on one spot; everyone knew...
The main event has begun.