This lonely and tedious process was something Xiao Yan had already endured for ten days.
During this period, some alchemists did fail and have to leave the stage, but their numbers have decreased significantly. Nowadays, most of the alchemists on the platform are High-Level Alchemist with considerable skills, so they would not easily fail unless something unexpected happens.
While the pressure from the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron was considerable, it was far from posing a threat to High-Level Alchemist.
All the pills in the cauldrons were gradually refined into wisps of milky-white mist under the scorching flames. In the end, the situation inside the cauldrons could no longer be seen with the naked eye. One could only rely on one's skillful control of the flames and one's vast soul perception to slowly surround the mist wisps around Black-Maned Clam, patiently waiting for it to slowly absorb the mist.
So little by little, the white mist in the cauldron grew thicker and thicker, yet it remained quietly surrounding the clam shell, showing no change whatsoever.
But at a certain moment...
"Bang!"
Suddenly, a heavy creaking sound came from somewhere in the arena as the lid of the medicine cauldron was opened. The group of powerful figures in the stands, who had been bored for several days, were immediately awakened. Their gazes instantly focused on one spot, and then, amidst countless surprised and suspicious gazes, a ball of light emitting a faint pink glow flew out from the opened cauldron and was immediately caught in a fair hand.
A figure dressed in a green robe slowly rose. His face was calm, but a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. With a flick of his finger, he tossed the Fragrance-Nurturing Pill in mid-air. When he tilted his head slightly, he revealed a handsome appearance, none other than Xu Qinghe.
"Whoosh!"
"The first person to retrieve the Fragrance-Nurturing Pill was actually him!"
"While it's astonishing, it's not surprising at all!"
Xu Qinghe's first achievement naturally caused quite a stir in the venue. The Pill Tower stipulated a half-month period, Xu Qinghe obtained the Fragrance-Nurturing Pill in just ten days. The strength of this Tier Eight Alchemist was indeed not just empty talk.
" Xu Qinghe's strength seems to be much greater than we expected; he's no ordinary person!"
On the platform, Yuwen Zong frowned and exchanged a glance with Ji Yao beside him, then spoke in a slightly low voice.
"Hmph, not only them, but those scheming old geezers are no different. It seems they're getting impatient with Xu Qinghe taking the pill."
Wu Changfu gaze swept across several spots on the platform, and he transmitted his voice in a deep voice without expression.
"Hehe, it seems there are quite a few outstanding individuals at this year's Pill Gathering, even those young people are not to be outdone."
Chen Xuanling withdrew his gaze with interest, and with a smile, reassured the people beside him. Just as he finished speaking, several sounds of cauldrons being opened suddenly rang out from the platform below. Then, three people stood up one after another, throwing three pink pills into the air, their faces full of smugness.
Meanwhile, inside the medicine cauldron in front of Xiao Yan, enveloped by three layers of flames, the pill at the center of the cauldron had shrunk from the size of a longan to the size of a soybean. At the same time, a two-finger-wide gap had appeared between the shells of the Black-Maned Clam, from which a faint pink spiritual light emanated, and the absorption rate of the Pill Qi had also noticeably increased.
Another day has passed in the blink of an eye.
At this point on the platform, more than ten medicine cauldrons had been opened one after another, and the remaining people were not far from successfully obtaining the elixir.
"Bang!"
Another medicine cauldron was activated. Huoxun Mingcheng breath and slowly stood up. His gaze swept across the entire scene, and when he saw the old men standing in mid-air, a slight smile appeared on his face. Only when he looked at Xu Qinghe did his expression become much more serious.
"Whoosh!"
Just then, a pink streak of light suddenly shot into the pink orbs of light in the sky. Xiao Yan Huoxun Mingcheng an eyebrow and looked in the direction of the light. Xiao Yan, dressed in a black robe, stood up. Noticing the gaze from the former, Xiao Yan smiled faintly, offered a simple congratulation, and then flashed into the air.
"Mr. Xiao Yan is truly remarkable. Among everyone here, you are the second Tier Seven Alchemist to retrieve the Fragrance-Nurturing Pill. If we disregard your identity as a member of the Huoxun Mingcheng Pill Tower, then you are undoubtedly the number one Tier Seven Alchemist present."
Xu Qinghe stepped forward with a beaming smile and politely cupped his hands in greeting to Xiao Yan, though his voice sounded somewhat sarcastic.
Xiao Yan's eyes flickered slightly. He glanced at Huo Xunmingcheng not far away without showing any emotion, Huoxun Mingcheng his hands in a fist and said calmly:
"Brother Xu, you're too kind. I only managed to speed up my progress a little by taking advantage of the Heavenly Flames. Compared to you and those seniors, there's still a considerable gap between us."
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xu Qinghe opened his mouth slightly and let out a soft laugh, but then fell silent. At that moment, several sounds of cauldrons being opened rang out from the platform below, and then several figures leaped into the sky. Among these people, a rather tall and burly man caught Xiao Yan's attention, but this man seemed somewhat aloof, standing quite far away from the others. Xiao Yan glanced at him briefly, and as he was feeling curious, a presence suddenly came from above.
As everyone looked up, Ji Yao, dressed in a beautiful dress and exuding a fragrant aroma, slowly descended from the platform. Noticing everyone's gaze, she immediately smiled with a gentle and charming expression.
"Hehe, you are all truly outstanding individuals. Now that you have passed this second trial, the Pill Tower naturally has no reason to keep you waiting here..."
"Hahaha, Fairy Ji Yao, why bother with further words? Just open the entrance to the third level. I have quite a bit of experience dealing with the Pill Qi inside!"
Before Ji Yao could finish her sweet whisper, an old man in white robes among the alchemists in mid-air waved his hand and laughed arrogantly.
Strangely, although this person's voice was not very loud, it contained the Power of the Great Dao, which spread invisibly throughout the huge venue, causing everyone in the venue to feel slightly agitated. When Xiao Yan noticed this person, his expression suddenly sharpened.
This old man was not only an Tier Eight Alchemist, but his cultivation had also reached the Yuan Zun realm.
"Hehe, since Elder Zhong has said so, it would be my fault if I were to say anything more."
Ji Yao smiled lightly, her expression unchanged. As soon as she spoke, the laughter echoing in the arena quietly subsided. At the same time, the old man surnamed Zhong also secretly felt a chill and withdrew his Power of the Great Dao, saying no more.
Just as Ji Yao finished speaking, she slowly extended a fair and delicate hand. As her fingers opened and closed, more than a dozen slender streams of light suddenly appeared in the void in front of her. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be more than a dozen golden needles emitting a faint golden light. With a sudden swing of her hand, the golden needles transformed into slender streams of light, passing by the figures in mid-air at an extremely fast speed. The movement was so fast that even Xiao Yan did not have time to catch them before they disappeared into the platform below.
"Click, click..."
With a faint cracking sound, the floor tiles in the center of the platform quietly shattered and transformed into nothingness, revealing a huge hole several tens of feet wide, connecting the sky and the earth.
Immediately, with a flick of Ji Yao's finger, a jet of water mysteriously gushed out from the hole, reaching a height of nearly a hundred feet, sweeping across the air like a fountain.
The cascading water strangely condensed in mid-air, eventually forming a vast water curtain. After a moment, the water curtain boiled and transformed, eventually forming a large white mist from which a rich fragrance of elixir emanated. This fragrance of elixir was none other than the water flowing from the river below the venue!
Ultimately, the pervasive fragrance of elixirs formed a dense network of eerie passageways within the venue.
Just then, Ji Yao's bright laughter rang out again.
"Gentlemen, this is the entrance to the third level, the Pill Sea Illusion Realm."