Chapter 354 Entering the Pill Realm and Subduing Xiong Zhan

The rules for the second stage of the assessment were very simple.

Enter the Pill World, find the medicinal ingredients on the list, and then come out.

Shen Wen took the piece of paper and glanced at it.

Three items: the tier 7 medicinal ingredient Dragon Blood Ganoderma, the tier 7 medicinal ingredient Nine-Section Green Bamboo, and the tier 7 medicinal ingredient earth core fire lotus.

Their rank wasn't particularly high, but they were all rare items.

Dragon Blood Ganoderma grows in places where the Dragon Clan has fallen; Nine-Section Green Bamboo only grows in bamboo forests after being struck by lightning; and the earth core fire lotus is buried deep within lava.

For an ordinary Alchemist to find these three within the vast Pill World, it would be impossible without spending ten days to half a month.

But for Shen Wen, it was just a matter of walking a few extra steps.

He tucked the list into his sleeve and was about to set off when Yao Ling squeezed through the crowd toward him.

“Shen Wen, why don't we travel together?” Her eyes, born with the Heavenly Realm Soul, held a hint of expectation. “We can look out for each other.”

Shen Wen shook his head. “I'll be fine on my own.”

Yao Ling's expression dimmed slightly, but she still nodded. “Then... be careful.”

Shen Wen gave a hum of affirmation and turned to walk toward the entrance of the Pill World.

Behind him, Yao Tian stood not far away, watching this scene with his lips pressed tight.

His gaze fell on Shen Wen's back, his brow furrowing.

His sister was a Prodigy of the Medicine Clan; usually, so many people begged to travel with her that they couldn't even get in line. Yet here was this Shen Wen, acting as if he couldn't even be bothered?

Yao Tian let out a cold snort and walked toward the other side with a flick of his sleeves.

Yao Ling looked back at her brother, hesitated to speak, and finally followed him.

At the entrance, a grey-robed old man raised his hand, and a silver-grey light surged from his palm, tearing a rift in the Void Realm.

Beyond the rift was a vast and desolate world.

The moment Shen Wen stepped into the rift, the surrounding scenery shifted abruptly.

The Pill World.

This was an independently created Small World. The sky was a hazy grey, devoid of sun, moon, or stars; light spilled evenly from all directions, making it impossible to tell north from south.

Beneath his feet was a wasteland where withered yellow grass reached his knees. In the distance were several low hills, and further still, the faint outlines of continuous mountain ranges could be seen.

Shen Wen stood still, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

This wasn't the core of the Pill World, but it was considered an area close to the core.

The signs of the wasteland were very apparent: the ground was parched and cracked, vegetation was sparse, and a faint sense of energy disorder permeated the air.

A Dou Sheng could create space, but maintaining that space required a continuous infusion of power.

For a Small World like the Pill World, which had existed for nearly a thousand years, it would have collapsed long ago if not for the continuous reinforcement by generations of experts from the Pill Tower.

Those Emperor Clans could maintain their respective Small Worlds for ten thousand years without them perishing by relying on several Dou Shengs from the clan taking turns to guard them.

Although the Pill Tower had Old Monster Lin, he needed to guard Pill City and couldn't possibly stay inside the Pill World at all times.

Shen Wen pulled back his thoughts, took out the list from his sleeve for another look, and his Soul Power spread out like mercury spilling across the ground.

The locations of the three items were instantly clear.

The Dragon Blood Ganoderma was three hundred miles to the east, in a low-lying area where a faint aura of the Dragon Clan remained.

The Nine-Section Green Bamboo was to the north; past two mountains was a bamboo forest, where several stalks had been struck by lightning.

The earth core fire lotus was to the west, where there were traces of lava flowing deep underground.

Shen Wen put away the list and, with a flicker of his body, sped toward the east.

His speed was extremely fast, and in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he reached that low-lying area.

Calling it a low-lying area was generous; it was actually more like a dried-up pond.

The bottom of the pond was covered in a layer of black silt, and in the center grew a solitary, entirely crimson ganoderma about the size of a palm. Its surface had fine patterns resembling dragon scales.

Dragon Blood Ganoderma.

This thing required the Essence Blood of the Dragon Clan to be poured over it to grow; it seemed a Dragon had once fallen in this Pill World.

Shen Wen beckoned with his hand, and the Dragon Blood Ganoderma was pulled up by its roots, falling into his palm.

He took out a jade box from his storage ring, carefully stored the medicinal ingredient, and turned to speed toward the north.

The location of the Nine-Section Green Bamboo was slightly more remote than he had expected.

That bamboo forest covered quite a large area, but most of the bamboo were common varieties; only a few stalks that had experienced lightning strikes had grown nine segments.

Shen Wen circled over the bamboo forest for a moment and quickly locked onto his target.

A stalk of entirely verdant bamboo stood deep within the forest, half a head taller than the surrounding bamboo. Its segments were distinct, exactly nine from the root to the tip.

He descended, chopped the bamboo off at the root with a wave of his hand, and stored it in his storage ring.

Two items were in hand, and less than an hour had passed.

The last item, the earth core fire lotus, was located deep underground to the west.

When Shen Wen found the traces of lava flow, he discovered a faint red light peeking through the cracks in the surface.

He closed his eyes, his Soul Power probing deep into the earth, and soon found that entirely fiery-red lotus in the center of a lava pool.

The petals were layered like burning flames, swaying gently within the lava.

Shen Wen raised his hand, and an invisible force probed deep underground, pulling the lotus up by its roots. It passed through the rock layers and lava, being delivered steadily before him.

All three items were now in his possession.

Shen Wen put the earth core fire lotus into his storage ring and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His gaze turned toward the north, in the direction of the Myriad Medicinal Mountain Range.

If he remembered correctly, there should be an Ancient Dragon Bear in the Pill World.

The overlord of the Myriad Medicinal Mountain Range.

That creature was the descendant of a Heavenly Dragon and an Ancient Giant Bear; its Bloodline was rare, and its strength was not weak.

Later, it was subdued by Zi Yan and became an aid to Xiao Yan. Now that he was wearing the dragon phoenix ancient armor, this fellow was naturally his subordinate.

After all, what was Zi Yan's was his.

Shen Wen pondered for a moment, then his body flickered as he sped toward the Myriad Medicinal Mountain Range.

The Myriad Medicinal Mountain Range was the place with the most complex terrain in the Pill World. The peaks were steep, the valleys deep, and the vegetation was so dense it almost blotted out the sky.

Shen Wen landed before a mountain valley, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings, and suddenly spoke: “Xiong Zhan.”

As his voice fell, a low roar echoed from the depths of the valley.

The next moment, the earth trembled.

A giant bear nearly a hundred meters tall rose from the valley. Its body was pitch black, and its fur stood on end like steel needles.

There were eight silver fur markings on the giant bear's chest, which were particularly striking in the dim light.

Behind it trailed a twenty-meter-long black tail. The end of the tail was thick and powerful, and as it swung, it brought about a whistling sound of breaking wind, like a section of a dragon's tail.

The giant bear lowered its head, its amber eyes staring at Shen Wen. After watching for a moment, it suddenly growled: “Are you... that kid who was fighting in the depths of the Pill World before?”

Shen Wen's brow twitched slightly.

He had indeed been to the Pill World before to test his moves with Old Monster Lin.

The commotion caused back then was not small; it wasn't surprising that this Dragon Bear had sensed it.

Xiong Zhan did not attack, but merely stared at him warily, continuing: “I have an agreement with your Pill Tower. I am responsible for guarding this place, and you won't interfere with me.

What is it you want to do?”

Shen Wen didn't say much.

He raised his hand, and a purple-gold light lit up in his palm.

That was the power of the dragon phoenix ancient armor that Zi Yan had left with him.

Although it was only a strand he had separated out, it contained the pressure of the Dragon Phoenix Bloodline.

The moment that light appeared, Xiong Zhan's massive body suddenly stiffened.

It stared at that purple-gold light, its amber eyes flashing with shock, fear, and a trace of submission stemming from the depths of its Bloodline.

Dragon Phoenix.

That was the ultimate Fusion of the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan Bloodlines, the topmost existence in the Demonic Beast world.

And since half the blood flowing in its body was from the Dragon Clan, it simply could not resist in the face of this pressure.

With a "thud," Xiong Zhan's front limbs gave way, and its massive body knelt on the ground.

“You...” Its voice trembled, carrying an irrepressible awe.

Shen Wen withdrew the light and spoke: “The Dragon Emperor of the Void Ancient Dragons is my... partner. She has already evolved into a Dragon Phoenix. You are also considered a part of the Dragon Clan, so it just so happens that I can take you out with me.”

Xiong Zhan was stunned for a moment.

It looked down at Shen Wen, its amber eyes filled with complex emotions.

There was shock, disbelief, and a trace of expectation that even it hadn't noticed.

Guarding the Pill World was its agreement with the Pill Tower, and also its fate.

But if there were a choice, who would want to be trapped in this hazy grey space?

Shen Wen nodded: “I also have an Ancient Dragon Bear under my command; you two can keep each other company.”

Xiong Zhan was silent for a moment.

Then its massive body began to shrink, its black fur receded, its needle-like mane softened, its limbs contracted, and its torso straightened.

In just a few breaths, a sturdy man stood before Shen Wen.

The man was about ten feet tall, with a back like a tiger and a waist like a bear. His features were coarse, and a head of black hair was draped over his shoulders.

He wore a short hide vest of unknown origin, revealing two arms with knotted muscles.

Xiong Zhan cracked his neck, his bones making a series of popping sounds. He looked down at Shen Wen and grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

“Then I'll go with you.”

Shen Wen nodded and took out a jade talisman from his storage ring, handing it to him: “This is a communication talisman.

Wait here for now. Once I've finished my business, I'll take you out.”

Xiong Zhan took the jade talisman, weighed it in his hand, and casually tucked it into his chest.

“Fine.” He paused, then added another sentence, “But don't make me wait too long. I've had enough of this crappy place.”

Shen Wen smiled and turned to leave.

Xiong Zhan stood in place, watching the black-robed figure disappear outside the valley before withdrawing his gaze.

He looked down at the jade talisman in his hand, then looked up at the hazy grey sky, and suddenly let out a long sigh of turbid air.

Finally, he was going out.

After Shen Wen left the Myriad Medicinal Mountain Range, he was in no hurry to go to the exit.

He landed on a cliff, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The three items were already in hand, but he didn't plan on leaving so soon.

In this Pill Gathering, what he wanted was not just the Three Thousand Burning Flame.

In the original timeline, Mu Gu Old Man would sneak into the Pill World to snatch medicinal ingredients and even attack the contestants.

That fellow was from the Hall of Souls; his Alchemy was not weak, and he was ruthless.

And Hun Xuzi, that Hun Clan Genius who had sneaked into the Pill Tower to learn from a master in his early years and whose identity was later exposed, might not necessarily miss this occasion either.

The news of the fall of two Dou Shengs was something the Hun Clan couldn't possibly be unaware of.

The Pill Tower's declaration of war against the Hall of Souls had brought the conflict out into the open.

At a time like this, they wouldn't sit by and watch the Pill Gathering proceed smoothly.

Shen Wen opened his eyes and cast his gaze toward the distant horizon.

He would wait right here.

If they didn't come, then so be it.

If they did come... then they shouldn't expect to leave.