364: I've never actually taken the certification exam.

Jiang Donghua waved his hand, no longer continuing the topic. Instead, as if to ease her embarrassment, he tossed the two ancient, dark storage rings, which had belonged to the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable, in his hand, and his Soul Power probed within them.

"Hmm, as expected of a Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable, he uses high-tier storage rings."

Jiang Donghua commented casually.

"This item, if placed in an auction house outside, could probably fetch an astronomical price of over a hundred million gold coins. The internal space isn't small either, a few hundred cubic meters at least."

As he spoke, he meticulously scanned the space within the storage rings with his Soul Power.

However, as he continued to look, the interest on his face faded, and he finally curled his lips, his tone clearly disdainful.

"Tsk, they look imposing, but I didn't expect them to be paupers. Besides a few herbs of decent age that are barely worth a look, what are all these other broken things?"

"The highest level of Dou Technique is only Earth Rank High Tier, and most of them are sinister paths, not very useful. It seems these fellows from the Hall of Souls have handed over all their good stuff."

After speaking, he tossed the two priceless high-tier storage rings to Mu Qingxian behind him, as if throwing away trash.

"Here, they're yours. You can deal with the contents as you see fit; perhaps they'll be of some use to Sound Valley."

Mu Qingxian hurriedly caught the two storage rings, feeling their lingering cool touch and heavy weight, momentarily stunned.

This was the entire fortune of two Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables! Even if her martial uncle didn't care for it, for Sound Valley, it was still an unimaginably vast wealth!

Just these two high-tier storage rings alone were priceless treasures!

She looked up at her martial uncle's unconcerned back as he continued on his way, and her heart was instantly filled with a warm current and gratitude.

Her martial uncle had clearly seen her predicament and was comforting her in this way, while still subtly providing benefits to Sound Valley.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle!"

Mu Qingxian carefully put away the storage rings and quickly caught up, the embarrassment on her face long replaced by emotion and determination.

She secretly vowed in her heart that even if she couldn't be of much help now, she would definitely improve her strength as quickly as possible and repay her martial uncle's kindness no matter what in the future.

At this moment, she quietly followed behind Jiang Donghua, no longer speaking much, truly appearing like a well-behaved and sensible little attendant carrying luggage for an elder.

It was just that the value of this luggage was enough to drive countless forces mad.

In the void, two figures, one in front and one behind, swiftly moved away.

After traveling through the void for most of the day, the spatial barrier ahead gradually became thinner and more stable.

Jiang Donghua sensed the external coordinates and said to Mu Qingxian behind him.

"We're here."

With that, he pointed his fingers like a sword and gently drew a line in front of him.

A stable spatial portal quietly opened, and the bright light from outside, along with an indescribably complex aura, instantly surged in.

The two stepped out, their figures detaching from the void and landing steadily on a solid, scorching ground.

As soon as their feet touched the ground, before they even had time to clearly see their surroundings, a dense, almost tangible medicinal fragrance, like a tide, washed over them from all directions!

This medicinal fragrance was not singular; rather, it was a blend of thousands of different herbal scents.

There was the fresh and elegant scent of plants, the fiery and domineering aroma of flames, the deep and rich essence of earth and stone, the icy and bone-chilling cold medicinal fragrance, and even the sweet scent of exotic fruits and the mellow aroma of aged pills. All these scents intertwined, not appearing muddled or unpleasant, but instead forming a unique, exhilarating and grand aura!

This aura permeated every corner of the air; taking a deep breath, one could feel pure energy particles integrating into their limbs and bones.

The rare medicinal fragrances, which were hard to come by even in a powerful force like Sound Valley on a normal day, were as common as ordinary air here, found everywhere, and could even be described as colorful.

Different medicinal fragrances seemed to carry different attribute glows, presenting a dazzling array of colors in one's Soul Perception.

"Is this Holy Pill City?"

Even Mu Qingxian, as a Valley Master with extensive knowledge, was now awestruck by the vast aura of pill civilization.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with wonder, and she genuinely exclaimed.

"As expected of the holy land in the hearts of all Alchemists on the Fighting Qi Continent! It truly lives up to its reputation!"

Jiang Donghua nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping around.

They were currently standing on an incredibly vast plaza.

The plaza was entirely paved with huge, dark-red stones. The surface of the stones was smooth as a mirror, yet subtly radiated warmth, hinting at the power of earth fire beneath.

The plaza was so immense that even with Jiang Donghua's eyesight, looking across, he couldn't see its end!

What was even more astonishing was that this boundless crimson plaza was now a sea of people, shoulder to shoulder, with a clamor that reached the sky!

A rough perception revealed that the proportion of Alchemists in this vast crowd was astonishingly high!

A slight probe with Soul Power could detect countless soul fluctuations, some strong, some weak, but all far more acute than those of ordinary people.

People wearing various colored Alchemist robes were everywhere, with Medicine Cauldron emblems embroidered on their robes, ranging from one silver stripe to six gold stripes and even more complex emblems, all over the place!

It could be said that here, walking just a few steps, one could see dozens of esteemed Alchemists!

Alchemists below the seventh grade were almost indistinguishable from the crowd here.

Only those figures with profound auras and hidden yet powerful Soul Power might be the Seventh-Grade Alchemists or even higher-level Master Alchemists or Alchemy Grandmasters who could establish their own sects in the outside world.

The entire Holy Pill City was enveloped in an atmosphere of fervor, anticipation, and invisible competition, because tomorrow was the official opening day of the Pill Gathering, held once every thirty years, which brought together the continent's top alchemy geniuses!

Jiang Donghua took a deep breath of the air filled with medicinal fragrance, and a genuine trace of interest finally flashed in his eyes.

"A bit interesting. Let's go, find a place to settle down first."

Walking through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd in the plaza, their ears were filled with the clamor and discussions of Alchemists from all over the continent.

Many young faces showed nervousness and anticipation, chattering excitedly.

"Quick, hurry and queue up at the Pill Tower's branch testing point! We must get the Fifth-Grade Alchemist certification today, otherwise, we won't be qualified to participate in tomorrow's Pill Gathering preliminary selection!"

"Alas, last time I was only a Fourth-Grade High Tier. After thirty years of arduous cultivation, I wonder if I can break through in one go this time!"

"This opportunity only comes once every thirty years, we absolutely cannot miss it!"

As these words reached his ears, Jiang Donghua, who had been casually surveying his surroundings, suddenly paused slightly, his brows furrowing gently, as if he had suddenly remembered something crucial that had been neglected for a long time.

Mu Qingxian, following behind him, saw her martial uncle stop and looked puzzled. Just as she was about to ask, she saw Jiang Donghua raise a hand to rub his chin, a rare, almost embarrassed expression on his face, as he muttered to himself.

"Uh ~ speaking of which, I don't think I've ever gotten certified as a Fifth-Grade Alchemist at the Pill Tower."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingxian instantly froze in place, her beautiful eyes wide, her small mouth slightly agape, her face filled with disbelief and immense bewilderment.

She even suspected that she might be hallucinating due to the surrounding noise.

Her martial uncle, an Alchemy Grandmaster who could casually refine an Eighth Grade Pill with a Seven-Colored Pill Lightning, had never passed the Fifth-Grade Alchemist emblem examination?!