Upon entering the final venue, Xiao Yan and his companions once again surveyed their surroundings.
The enormous venue stood in the air like a giant funnel, surrounded by a vast circular grandstand hundreds of feet apart, making it extremely magnificent.
Surprisingly, there was no platform for the competition below the venue, but a huge void. Looking down, the entire venue faced a wide river between the mountains. When Xiao Yan looked closely, he seemed to be able to sense some kind of inexplicable connection between the river below and the void between the venue.
Above the crowd in the stands, a smaller circular platform floated in the air. Compared to the lower platform, the latter offered a much wider view, allowing one to overlook any corner of the entire venue.
"That's the main stage for the Pill Tower. To get up there, you need at least the strength of Yuan Zun or higher, or the status of Tier Eight Alchemist, or perhaps only those who are invited or have a special status can go up."
Seeing Xiao Yan gazing curiously at the seats high above, Xiao Siyu patted his shoulder lightly and explained calmly.
"Why don't we take our seats first? There are getting more and more people here."
Mu Leng looked at Xiao Ming respectfully and reminded him in a dry voice. Judging from the look on Murong Qianqian's face beside him, she was obviously already impatient.
As a dense crowd of people poured into the archway, in just a short while, half of the huge venue was filled with people. The dark mass of people and the cacophony of noise filled the space, creating an extremely noisy atmosphere. Even so, the flow of people into the venue only grew larger and larger, showing no signs of stopping.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. His gaze quickly swept across the area, and he identified an empty seat. Just as he was about to lead the people around him to move, Xiao Ming suddenly moved and headed straight for the stage above.
"Keep up."
A cold voice rang out, and Xiao Yan and the others were immediately taken aback. They looked at each other, and finally their gazes all fell on Xiao Siyu.
Seeing this, the latter helplessly spread his hands and said with a wry smile:
"I've never attended the Pill Gathering before, and this is the first time I've seen him do anything like this. I'll just follow along."
After they finished speaking, the group quickly set off to catch up with Xiao Ming, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing on the platform high in the sky.
Compared to the circular stands below, this area was undoubtedly much more spacious. The wide seats were divided into several different sections, with the most central and special seats naturally reserved for the Pill Tower members. When Xiao Yan and his group arrived, there were already quite a few people seated there.
Xiao Ming walked smoothly to a seat, where Chen Xuanling of the Pill Tower was already waiting. Not far behind him, the other three people who had come with him were facing other guests. Only then was Xiao Yan able to observe Wu Changfu's appearance up close.
Sure enough, this person looked like a warmonger!
A slight chill ran through Xiao Yan, and his gaze slowly moved, taking in many unfamiliar faces. Among these people, apart from a few young people, the rest were all Yuan Zun experts or alchemy masters of the eighth rank or above. It seemed that during his time in Pill City, Xiao Yan had underestimated the prestige of this Pill Gathering. Not to mention anything else, there were already no fewer than ten Tier Eight Alchemist on the main stage at this moment.
After a brief moment of shock, Xiao Yan's gaze shifted to several figures dressed in the attire of the Pill Tower, among whom he spotted Xiao Yan Yao Shiling.
As soon as he saw the other party, Yao Shiling also glared at Xiao Yan with a hateful and fierce look. To this, the former just smiled faintly and did not care. His gaze then moved again and saw a hand waving at him. Looking at the face of the person, he realized that it was Huoxun Mingcheng, whom he had seen before.
After a brief exchange of glances, Xiao Yan sat down with the others beside him. Just as he looked away, a gaze shot from somewhere made Xiao Yan's heart tighten suddenly.
"Um?"
Xiao Yan turned around abruptly, his gaze instantly locking onto a group of seats next to the people from the Pill Tower. There, only one person was sitting, and the source of Xiao Yan's tense gaze was this person!
When the young man saw Xiao Yan's gaze, a kind smile immediately appeared on his handsome face. Xiao Yan remained calm, but a great pressure surged in his heart. Without a doubt, this person must be Xu Qinghe!
Two hours later.
"Clang!"
The clear, resonant chimes echoed throughout the vast hall, gradually fading into silence as everyone suppressed their excitement and gazed at the figure in the sky.
Chen Xuanling stood in mid-air, slowly stepped forward, and after another cliché under everyone's gaze, he slowly said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, many of you are likely familiar with the rules of the Pill Gathering. The content and format are largely the same as before, consisting of five parts, three trials and two tests. Anyone who passes all five tests, regardless of the final result, can immerse themselves in the Little Heavenly Pool of my Pill Tower for a month, with the opportunity to break through their soul bottleneck. Alchemists of the seventh rank and above can also receive a Guest Elder Jade Token issued by the Pill Tower Elder Council, receiving monthly offerings, and even have the opportunity to become Pill Tower Elder, enjoying all the resources of the Pill Tower to their heart's content!"
These words immediately boosted the morale of the alchemists present. Most of them knew that they had no chance of winning the championship, and that achieving good results and establishing themselves in the Pill Tower would be their greatest wish.
After all, for ordinary alchemists, let alone Spirit Ascension realm, the consumption of medicinal herbs alone is already a major worry for them. If they could rely on the Pill Tower, it would naturally reduce a lot of their burden.
Looking down at the surging crowd filled with fervent enthusiasm, Chen Xuanling smiled with satisfaction and said:
"In addition, the champion of this year's Pill Gathering will not only have the qualification to directly enter the Pill Tower Elder Council, but will also receive a Heaven Inquiry Pill personally refined by the Pill Tower Ancestor. If one obtains this pill, reaching the Origin Yuan Sheng in the future will be just around the corner!"
"Whoosh!"
Upon hearing this, a clamor erupted in the vast hall. Not only the alchemists, but also the various powerful figures who came to watch the competition, all showed a strong sense of fervor on their faces.
The Heaven Inquiry Pill is hailed as the number one pill below the ninth rank. In the past, every single person who has consumed this pill has become a super strong expert renowned Central Region. Imagine if this pill fell into their hands, wouldn't it create another peerless expert out of thin air!
Xiao Yan listened quietly to Chen Xuanling's words, his fists clenching unconsciously beneath his sleeves. One of the purposes of this trip was to obtain the Heaven Inquiry Pill. For Bai Hua's sake, he had to fight for the championship no matter what!
High above, Chen Xuanling watched the nearly frenzied emotions of the crowd, his smile growing ever wider. Then, sensing that their emotions were threatening to spiral out of control, he waved his hand, his sleeves billowing out, and a thin beam of light shot from his fingertip, landing on the empty space in the center of the arena below. The beam rapidly dispersed, forming countless fine threads that spread and gradually coalesced into the shape of floor tiles. Finally, the previously empty void solidified, and a platform seemingly a thousand feet wide mysteriously appeared.
"What are you all waiting for? Enter the arena! First challenge: Li Fire Heaven and Earth!"