376: Storm sweeps across Central China

After the heaven-shaking phenomenon of Venerable Donghua’s eight-color Pill Lightning, the atmosphere of the entire final competition became somewhat subtle.

The remaining Eighth-Grade Alchemist Grandmasters, who were still struggling, continued to exert their utmost to complete their pills, but their mindset had completely changed.

They were no longer contenders vying for the championship; they were more like participants persevering to finish the competition.

That competitive spirit had dissipated in the face of absolute disparity in strength.

After more than another day, these top Grandmasters finally completed the final nurturing steps one after another.

Above the sky, Pill Lightning descended once again.

Venerable Shi Yu, leveraging the advantage of his unique flame, the Volcanic Stone Flame, ultimately drew forth a four-colored pill thunder!

This achievement, which would have originally allowed him to look down upon all others, now appeared dim and lusterless.

He resisted the thunder with a complex expression, collecting the pill into a bottle. The entire process remained steady, but it lacked some of the excitement it should have had.

The other veteran Grandmasters, meanwhile, each drew forth a three-colored elixir lightning.

After successfully collecting their pills, they gazed at the shimmering, fragrant elixirs in their hands, yet their faces couldn't hide a hint of bitterness and helplessness.

If not for Venerable Donghua's previous brilliance, any one of their achievements would have been enough to ignite the entire venue, making them the focus of attention, and even giving them a strong chance to contend for the championship.

However, compared to the previous scene of eight colors intertwined, shaking heaven and earth, their Pill Lightning phenomenon now appeared so simple and unadorned.

Although the audience in the stands still gave enthusiastic applause and exclamations, those exclamations always carried a hint of 'it's not bad, but it's far inferior to that one.'

On the high platform, the Dan Ta Three Giants looked at this scene, filled with emotion.

Venerable Xuan Kong shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a rare hint of teasing.

"In previous Pill Gatherings, if a pill with a four-colored pill thunder appeared, it would be enough to make us content for a long time. This year, alas, it really makes these old fellows feel wronged."

Fairy Suxin chuckled.

"Isn't that right? Look at Venerable Shi Yu's old face, it's almost wrinkled into a bitter gourd. Crafting a four-colored pill thunder should have been his moment of fame."

Venerable Yan also curled his lips.

"There's nothing to be done. Who told Sound Valley to hide such a monster? eight-color pill thunder, tsk tsk, this old fellow feels an itch just watching it."

The Three Giants exchanged glances, their decision already made.

The champion of this Pill Gathering required no discussion; the answer was already written on everyone's faces.

When the last Alchemist completed the pill collection, the entire square fell silent once again.

Everyone's gaze focused on the Three Giants on the high platform, awaiting the final judgment.

Venerable Xuan Kong slowly rose, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue, finally settling on Venerable Donghua. His voice was loud and solemn.

"This Pill Gathering, the final competition, has concluded!"

"After joint evaluation by the three of us and the elders of the Pill Tower, based on pill quality, Pill Lightning phenomena..."

Before he finished speaking, everyone's gaze involuntarily flickered towards the jade bottle in front of Venerable Donghua.

Even through the jade bottle, everyone seemed to feel the vast spiritual energy and power contained within that pill.

As if to respond to everyone's expectations, the jade bottle in front of Venerable Donghua trembled slightly, and the stopper was pushed open by an invisible force.

"Buzz!"

A spiritual light shot out from the bottle's mouth, transforming in the air into a small, eight-colored dragon, only as thick as a finger, yet with distinct scales and claws, lively and vivid!

The small dragon happily circled in the air, exuding an invigorating medicinal fragrance and powerful spiritual fluctuations, before contentedly burrowing back into the jade bottle.

Pill Spirit manifesting!

This was the sign of an Eighth Grade Pill reaching the pinnacle of its spirituality!

And at the moment this eight-colored small dragon appeared, on the other stone platforms in the square, those three-colored and four-colored pills that had just been successfully refined, also possessing considerable spirituality, seemed like subjects encountering their monarch. They all trembled slightly in their jade bottles, their emitted medicinal light dimming a few shades, as if huddling together, shivering, not daring to overstep in the slightest!

This scene, incredibly vivid and direct, declared who was the true king!

Any words at this moment seemed pale and powerless.

Seeing this, Venerable Xuan Kong also smiled faintly, no longer elaborating, and directly announced.

"The champion of this Pill Gathering is—Sound Valley, Venerable Donghua!"

"Congratulations!"

"Boom—!"

Although the result was long anticipated, when the announcement truly came from the mouth of the Pill Tower giant, the entire Holy Pill City still erupted completely!

Cheers, exclamations, and applause, like a tsunami, swept across heaven and earth!

The champion of the triennial Pill Gathering was born!

And this champion, with an unprecedented eight-color Pill Lightning pill, without a doubt, entered the annals of history!

Venerable Donghua stood in the center of the square, feeling the countless gazes converging from all directions, calmly accepting everything.

And Venerable Donghua finally left a profound mark in the Alchemy world of the Fighting Qi Continent.

The voice of Venerable Xuan Kong, a giant of the Pill Tower, announcing the champion's name, was like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves throughout Holy Pill City and even the broader Central Plains region!

It was foreseeable that the name Venerable Donghua, along with the prestige of Sound Valley behind him, would, with the passage of time, sweep across the entire Central Plains like a storm, becoming the focus of discussion for all forces for a long time to come!

However, Venerable Donghua, standing under the gaze of tens of thousands, did not show much joy or excitement from winning the championship.

His expression was unusually calm, as if what he had just claimed was not the crown of the triennial Pill Gathering, but a trivial matter.

He raised his hand and pressed it down, an invisible pressure naturally emanating, gradually quieting the bustling square.

Tens of thousands of gazes, filled with doubt and reverence, focused on him, awaiting his champion's speech.

Venerable Donghua's gaze slowly swept across the entire venue, his profound eyes seemingly able to penetrate the void and look into an unknown distance.

He took a deep breath, his voice not particularly loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, as well as the leaders of various major forces watching the competition through special means.

"Thank the Pill Tower for providing this platform, and thank all my fellow daoists."

He first spoke a polite formality, then his tone shifted, becoming incredibly solemn, even carrying a hint of barely concealed reminiscence and earnestness.

"Today, taking this opportunity, I, Jiang, have one matter I wish to inquire about from all heroes under heaven!"

As these words came out, the entire venue fell silent!

Everyone perked up their ears; the weight of a request from a newly crowned Pill Gathering champion, an Eighth-Grade Alchemist Grandmaster, was imaginable!

Venerable Donghua's voice continued to echo between heaven and earth.

"I, Jiang Donghua, hail from Jia Nan Academy."

"Whoa—!"

A low gasp arose from below the stage.

Jia Nan Academy?

That academy located in the remote Black-Corner Region?

It could actually cultivate such a person?

Venerable Donghua ignored these discussions, his gaze becoming distant as he fell into reminiscence.

"During my time at the academy, my esteemed master, who enlightened me in the art of alchemy, was named Mo Xuan. He was a respectable Sixth-Rank Alchemist."

He paused, a hint of undetectable tenderness entering his voice.

"It was also there that I met the love of my life, my wife—Red Silk."

When Red Silk's name was mentioned, the emotional fluctuation in his tone could be felt even by those furthest away.

Immediately, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and his voice also rose slightly, carrying an undeniable weight.

"However, many years ago, due to circumstances, my master and wife became separated from me, and there has been no news since!"

He scanned the entire venue, speaking each word clearly and forcefully.

"Today, I, Jiang Donghua, swear here! In this world, no matter who, no matter what force, as long as they can provide accurate information about my master Mo Xuan, or my wife Red Silk, and help me find them!"

He flipped his palm, and a warm jade bottle appeared in his hand. The stopper was slightly ajar, and the immense medicinal power and spirituality of the supreme venerable pill, which had just been refined, drew forth an eight-color pill thunder, and had already manifested a spirit, instantly permeated the entire venue!

"I shall reward them with an Eighth Grade Pill, a supreme venerable pill! I will not break my word!"

"Boom—!"

The entire Holy Pill City completely erupted!

Eighth Grade Pill!

supreme venerable pill!

And it was a top-grade supreme venerable pill that had drawn forth an eight-color pill thunder!

The price of this bounty was enough to drive any force, any expert, to madness!

A supreme venerable pill meant a huge hope for a Dou Zun Expert to break through a bottleneck!

Its value simply could not be measured by money!

Venerable Donghua added in conclusion, his voice spreading in all directions.

"For the next period of time, I will temporarily reside in the Pill Tower. If there is any information, you can come to the Pill Tower to find me!"

After speaking, he gave a slight nod to the Three Giants on the high platform, then said no more.

The jade bottle containing the supreme venerable pill disappeared from his hand.

But his words, the promise he had made, like the most violent hurricane, centered on Holy Pill City, swept madly towards every corner of the Fighting Qi Continent!

The shock and storm brought by this message even far surpassed his winning the Pill Gathering championship itself!

The bounty for finding relatives, offered by an Eighth-Grade Alchemist Grandmaster, would generate unprecedented attention and influence.

Countless forces, experts, and intelligence organizations would, due to the temptation of this one supreme venerable pill, frantically spring into action, digging up all information related to the names Mo Xuan and Red Silk!

Venerable Donghua stood in the center of the square, enduring countless gazes—some shocked, some greedy, some calculating—his heart utterly calm.

He knew that using this method was perhaps the fastest and most effective way he currently had to find his master and Red Silk.

To find them, what was an Eighth Grade Pill worth?