Inside a manor in the eastern part of Pill City.
"What happened? How did you get injured like this?"
Seeing Xiao Siyu rush back, Xiao Yan quickly stepped forward. Upon noticing the pallor on Xiao Yan's face, she immediately asked with some concern.
"Even with the intervention of the Yuan Zun, I couldn't detect that person's whereabouts."
Xiao Ming shook his head helplessly, and for the first time, killing intent appeared in his gray pupils.
Regardless of the past, Xiao Yan is now a member of the Xiao Clan. For the other party to dare to attack him in such a place is nothing short of a provocation!
" Yuan Zun expert actually attacked Xiao Yan?"
"This guy is really troublesome; he actually dares to provoke even a powerhouse of that level."
Upon hearing Xiao Ming's words, Murong Qianqian and Mu Leng, who were following closely behind Xiao Siyu, also showed expressions of shock. Mu Leng was especially worried for Xiao Yan. The difference between Yuan Zong cultivator and a Yuan Zun expert was like an insurmountable chasm, yet Xiao Yan was able to return unscathed. This was truly astonishing.
At this moment, Xiao Siyu naturally had no mind to think about those things. She knew that Xiao Yan had the Northern King by his side, and with his body full of Heavenly Flames and various methods, it was impossible for an ordinary Yuan Zun Venerable to injure him like this. It seemed that the other party's cultivation was at least above the Four-Star Yuan Zun.
Although Xiao Yan had taken several pills in succession, he had not yet refined and absorbed them. As a result, his physical condition was not good. He even felt a faint sense of pressure within his body, which left him exhausted and his face even paler.
After reminding the others not to disturb him, Xiao Yan forced himself to quickly enter a secret room.
The methods used by that Ghost Gate expert not only damaged his body, but also slightly injured his Spiritual Strength. The Power of the Great Dao is indeed worthy of being a power above the Origin Qi. If it weren't for his Seventh-Tier Soul power, Xiao Yan probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
Inside the secret chamber, Xiao Yan quickly sat cross-legged, focused his mind inward, and swiftly examined the surging medicinal power within his body. With a thought, he activated his cultivation technique, and the medicinal power transformed from the pill within his body was mobilized, circulating orderly along the various meridians to repair the damage. Under this slow refining and absorption, Xiao Yan's pale complexion gradually regained its rosy hue.
Meanwhile, in a hidden space in the central area of Pill City, four figures stood out. Three of them were Chen Xuanling, Yuwen Zong, Ji Yao, whom Xiao Yan had met before, while the other was a burly man with thick limbs and a bushy beard.
"Since Nian Sheng is in seclusion, he probably won't be able to come. It'll just be the four of us."
The burly man raised his thick arm and spoke first.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xuanling nodded slightly and said:
"That's fine. The four of us are enough to open Fallen Immortal City. However, we'll have to be extra careful during the Pill Gathering to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from causing trouble."
"Has the identity of the person who made the move in the city been found?"
The burly man asked again, and upon hearing this, the other three all shook their heads helplessly. Chen Xuanling frowned and said:
"That person only used a wisp of their spirit to attack, and withdrew it extremely quickly. In addition, there are many Yuan Zun experts in the city now, so even I cannot track down the villain."
"However, I suspect that the mysterious Yuan Zun might be a member of the Ghost Gate?"
Just as the former shook his head and sighed, Ji Yao suddenly spoke thoughtfully. As soon as she said this, the other three people present changed their expressions and their eyes all fell on the woman.
Although the four of them often met, this sudden scene still caused Ji Yao's face to flush slightly. Yuwen Zong coughed lightly, and the other two immediately turned away, then walked to Ji Yao's side and teased her:
"We're an old married couple now. Are you going to be as shy as a little girl if I just glance at you?"
"Go!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Yao couldn't help but scoff, and the others burst into laughter. The somewhat serious atmosphere in the room immediately dissipated considerably, but the words the woman had just spoken were still lingering in the minds of the other three.
"It seems there are quite a few unexpected things happening at this year's Pill Gathering. Xu Qinghe from the Heavenly Yuan Zong's appearance a few days ago really surprised me. When I first saw him, he was only a newly entered Tier Seven Alchemist. I never imagined that after so many years, he would have grown to such a level. Coupled with his Yuan Zun- level cultivation, even among the younger generation of the entire Pill Tower, no one can match him."
Coming to his senses, Yuwen Zong continued calmly. The burly man opposite him nodded solemnly upon hearing this, and then said:
"Not long ago, I discovered that the aura left behind by the Nine Netherworld Python Clan seemed to have appeared around the Pill Tower. It seems that not only the Heavenly Yuan Zong, but even the magical beast clan wants to get involved in this Pill Gathering."
"Hmph... Two major sects, three major clans, and now even the demonic beast race has gotten involved. They really are obsessed with the Heaven Inquiry Pill!"
Chen Xuanling took a deep breath, nodded, sighed, and said something. Then, turning to the three of them, he asked curiously:
"Given that all parties have taken action, who do you think is most likely to stand out in this Pill Gathering?"
"No matter which team wins, it might not be a good thing for the Pill Tower. In my opinion, it would be better to send an Tier Eight Alchemist to participate, which would save those guys from resorting to any underhanded tactics."
The burly man clapped his fist and grinned decisively.
The two men beside her remained silent, while Ji Yao rolled her eyes at them and scolded:
"If even our Pill Tower acts in this way, what is the point of the Pill Gathering? If word gets out, what face will the Pill Tower have left?"
Upon hearing this, the burly man couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly, scratching his head. He didn't know what else to say. After a moment's thought, Yuwen Zong slowly said:
"It seems that we can only pin our hopes on the young men of the Huoxun Clan. Among the younger generation, only Huoxun Mingcheng has reached the bottleneck of Tier Eight Alchemist. He may have a chance to compete at the Pill Gathering."
"Indeed, Huoxun Mingcheng enjoys extremely high prestige among the younger generation of the Huoxun Clan. He is also one of the most promising candidates to become Pill Tower Elder in recent years, alongside the Yao Clan. Some of the Huoxun Clan family's fire control techniques possess considerable power, giving him a strong chance to compete with Xu Qinghe."
A seductive smile appeared on Ji Yao's beautiful face as she echoed Yuwen Zong's words, while the burly man shook his head with disapproval, his brows furrowed as he said in a deep voice:
"Approaching is just approaching. Xu Qinghe has successfully refined an eighth-grade pill. If he were to take the title of champion of the Pill Gathering, wouldn't our Pill Tower be inferior to the Heavenly Yuan Zong in the future?"
Although these words were somewhat encouraging to the other side, they were also undeniable facts, immediately silencing the former couple.
"Hehe, you all have your own opinions, it seems you all already guessed the outcome of the Pill Gathering. However, I do have a different candidate..."
Seeing the atmosphere become somewhat tense, Chen Xuanling smiled faintly, drawing the attention of the three men. He then turned his gaze and said:
"What do you all think of Xiao Yan?"