Chapter 323: Out of Seclusion, Off to Holy Pill City!
In the blink of an eye, half a year had quietly passed.
Xiao Yuan stepped out of his room, having completed his cultivation, and relaxed in a wooden lounge chair within the valley.
Over the past six months, his cultivation had progressed extremely well. His Dou Qi level had advanced to seven-star Dou Zong, and he had fully mastered the first four seals of the Emperor Seal Art. Even the Ice Sovereign Force from Ice River Valley had been trained to a level comparable to decades of cultivation by Elder Tian She.
But what pleased Xiao Yuan most was that, with the help of the soul cultivation method passed down by Yao Lao, he had broken through to the Soul Realm.
Now, his soul power alone was enough to suppress anyone below Dou Zun level.
The progress of the other women had also been rapid, thanks to his full support.
Xiao Yi Xian, having consumed a powerful poison pill refined by Xiao Yuan, combined with years of accumulation, broke through from two-star to three-star Dou Zun.
Yun Yun, after taking some of Xiao Yuan's auxiliary pills, had risen from two-star Dou Zong to five-star in just half a year.
Cai Lin, already at the peak of four-star Dou Zong, used her Heaven Swallowing Python's inherited secret art to skyrocket directly to the peak of Dou Zong.
Tang Huo'er took about two and a half months to gain control of her Heavenly Flame and stabilize her Dou Qi. In the remaining time, she leapt three levels, reaching eight-star Dou Zong.
Of course, such explosive growth couldn't go on forever—doing so would leave their Dou Qi unstable. Besides, the Pill Gathering was drawing near, and it was time to depart for Holy Pill City.
Although Xiao Yuan didn't plan to compete, as Yao Lao's disciple and Xiao Yan's elder brother, he had to make an appearance.
During his seclusion, Venerable Feng had also sent word—they would meet at Holy Pill City.
Naturally, with group cultivation, everyone emerged at different times.
By the time Xiao Yuan returned to the Ye Clan with his four companions, Xiao Yan and the others were already ready to leave.
Venerable Tian Huo's aura had grown even stronger—he had reached seven-star Dou Zun.
Yao Lao, witnessing Xiao Yuan's meteoric rise in both Dou Qi and soul strength over just six months, couldn't help but marvel that his student had become an eighth-tier alchemist before the age of twenty.
Though Yao Lao himself had recovered greatly—his soul power still made even Xiao Yuan, now an eighth-tier alchemist, feel some awe.
"Brother, your training speed is insane!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, sensing how much stronger his third brother had become.
"If not for needing to fill five Qi reservoirs, the power of my Dou Emperor bloodline would've let me reach the Dou Zun threshold in just six months. Xun'er's bloodline must be exceptionally strong within the Gu Clan—she reached Dou Zun even earlier."
Xiao Yuan chuckled.
"I see…" Xiao Yan nodded. He'd never fully grasped what a Dou Emperor bloodline meant—until now. The sheer benefit passed down to descendants was staggering. Truly worthy of the title "Dou Emperor."
"By the way, Third Brother, while you were gone, someone from the Cao Clan came to Ye City—apparently for Xin Lan. But I sent them away. Venerable Tian Huo also helped. Still, there might be trouble once we reach Central Plains."
Xiao Yuan calmly responded, "Doesn't matter. The Cao Clan is nothing. We've already provoked the Hall of Souls—what's one Cao Clan to us? With Venerable Tian Huo around, even an eight-star Dou Zun wouldn't be much of a threat."
As he spoke, his eyes rested on Venerable Tian Huo, the real audience for his words.
"You brat, trying to make me your bodyguard with just a few sweet words? At least offer me an eighth-tier pill first!" the old man grumbled.
"Haha! Not just one—however many you want, I'll make them all!" Xiao Yuan laughed heartily.
"Good! You've got spirit! Even if a peak Dou Zun comes for you, I'll stand in their way!" Venerable Tian Huo laughed and stroked his beard.
"You've reached eighth-tier already?" Ye Zhong approached, shocked at Xiao Yuan's soul power.
"Hehe, I broke through recently. Just a bit of luck," Xiao Yuan replied modestly.
"Good heavens, an eighth-tier alchemist under twenty! You're already at the top of Central Plains!" Ye Zhong praised.
He'd already been stunned by Xiao Yan's rise to peak seventh-tier. Now, seeing Xiao Yuan's achievement, he was utterly amazed.
Old Su Qian had really taken in two monstrous disciples!
"Senior Xiao Yuan is incredible! Even that so-called genius from the Cao Clan—Cao Ying—would have to admit defeat!" Xin Lan chimed in admiringly.
"Cao Clan's demon girl?" Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow. The name rang a bell—he recalled hearing about a genius female alchemist from that clan.
"Yes," Ye Zhong said with a grave expression. "Her name is Cao Ying. At birth, her soul power almost killed her mother. She became an alchemist at seven. By fifteen, the Pill Tower took her in as a core disciple. After five years of seclusion, she became the youngest seventh-tier alchemist in the Cao Clan—at age twenty. And now, she's twenty-two!"
His soft voice echoed through the courtyard, and many Ye Clan members bowed their heads in shame. Compared to her, they were merely wasting air.
Even Xiao Yan looked serious. He'd heard of Cao Ying, but the reminder of her terrifying achievements was still shocking.
If his success was a combination of talent and hard work, then Cao Ying's was purely heaven-given.
"Since she was already seventh-tier at twenty, it's likely she's now at the peak of that level," Ye Zhong added with a bitter smile.
"So what? I'm twenty too. Why should we be afraid? Just wait—this year's champion will be in Xiao Yan's pocket!"
Xiao Yuan smirked, clapping Xiao Yan's shoulder.
Xiao Yan's confidence soared. His third brother never wavered in his belief.
"Hehe, we Ye Clan don't dare dream of winning. We just hope to keep our seat. But I do think Xiao Yan has a shot. I didn't witness Cao Ying's rise, but I saw Xiao Yuan's shocking growth. I believe he'll make a name for himself at the Pill Gathering."
After some final discussions, Ye Zhong settled clan affairs and led everyone to a plaza in the northern part of Ye City.
Though Ye City had a space wormhole, it wasn't large enough for direct travel to Holy Pill City—they would need to transfer several times.
The group consisted of Xiao Yan as a participant, Xiao Yuan with his four companions, and Venerable Tian Huo as their top-tier Dou Zun escort.
Only Xin Lan and Ye Zhong accompanied them from the Ye Clan. Too many would be burdensome, and someone had to remain behind to guard their base.
As they moved through the city, they reached the plaza in about ten minutes. Though the Ye Clan had declined, it still held authority in Ye City. No one dared challenge them, so the wormhole remained under their control.
Clearly, Ye Zhong had made preparations. When the group arrived, the plaza was empty.
The slowly spinning space wormhole appeared before them.
Though still grand in appearance, it emitted unstable spatial fluctuations—proof it hadn't been maintained for years.
"Sigh... back in our glory days, two Dou Zuns willingly maintained this. But now… we can't hire anyone. Sorry to let you see it like this," Ye Zhong said with a wry smile.
Xiao Yuan's expression hardened. "No need to apologize. Let's fix it before we go. I'm not getting tossed into a space storm again."
"Venerable Tian Huo, Xiao Yi Xian—lend a hand."
With that, Xiao Yuan activated Heavenly Flame Triple Mystic Change, bursting into two-star Dou Zun power.
"Got it," the two agreed, knowing well how serious Xiao Yuan was about avoiding another mishap.
They weaved their spatial power into silver threads, weaving them into the wormhole's structure.
While Xiao Yuan initiated the repairs, the bulk of the technique came from Venerable Tian Huo, whose mastery of space was unparalleled. He had, after all, waited for Xiao Yuan for centuries in the depths of magma.
After half an hour, the wormhole was stabilized and safe to traverse.
"Many thanks to the three of you. Let's head out," Ye Zhong said gratefully.
He summoned a small black ship from his ring, activated it, and entered the wormhole. Xiao Yuan's group followed.
Inside the silent space tunnel, the ship expanded rapidly. It was the most luxurious spatial ship Xiao Yuan had seen since entering Central Plains.
They leapt aboard. Ye Zhong activated a barrier around it, and with a jolt, the ship launched down the tunnel at high speed.
"There's no direct wormhole to Holy Pill City from Ye City," Ye Zhong explained. "We'll transfer through Qingling City. It'll take about three days to get there, and another four to reach Holy Pill City. So, we'll arrive in seven or eight days. Rest well—there are private rooms on board. Xin Lan and I will handle the ship."
No one objected. After chatting a while, each person found a room.
Though travel through space tunnels was dull, for seasoned cultivators like them, it was simply another chance to train.
Every night, Xiao Yi Xiang joined Xiao Yuan to cultivate.
The other three women occasionally joined for warmth and company but mostly rested to stabilize their recent breakthroughs.
Xiao Yan remained focused, cultivating the soul method passed down by Yao Lao. He was nearing the Soul Realm—an eighth-tier alchemist breakthrough was only a matter of time.
Venerable Tian Huo often chatted with Yao Lao. Though they weren't from the same era—and Yao Lao had no records of the Venerable—the two shared plenty as former Dou Zuns who had lost their bodies.
The group safely reached Qingling City, took a short rest, then continued toward the city's space tunnel and their final destination—Holy Pill City!
Even just passing through Qingling City, they saw how powerful the Pill Gathering's draw was. The streets were packed with alchemists—crowds upon crowds of people.
It was the largest congregation of alchemists Xiao Yuan and the others had ever seen in their years of cultivation.
And this was just a city within the Pill Region.
One could only imagine the sheer scale once all the alchemists gathered in Holy Pill City.
The vision of ten thousand flames rising, ten thousand cauldrons falling, and ten thousand pills emerging burned in Xiao Yan's heart. His blood boiled with excitement.
To live and never witness such a sight would be a true regret.
Xiao Yuan was equally impressed, but what he looked forward to the most… was the Pill Tower's true core: the Inner Pill Tower.
(END CHAPTER)
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