96: Dan will start!

Chapter 96: The Pill Gathering Begins!

The next day, as the first ray of morning light poured down from the horizon, piercing through the night that enveloped the land, the winding shadows continuously stretched outwards. The entire Saint Pill City, like a giant dragon prostrating on the ground, its scales opening and closing with a clang, let out a deafening roar to the world. Male voices, female voices, all clamored, like a pot of boiling water, noisy and boisterous!

Upon arriving at Saint Pill City, because participants were required to have an Alchemist badge of Tier 4 or above, Lu Chuan went to a sub-tower of the Pill Tower for an Alchemist test. However, for this test, he only used the soul power of the late Mortal Realm, which was the strength of a Tier 7 high-level Alchemist.

Ascending the layers of bluestone steps, a towering blue tower, with ancient and mottled stone walls exuding an ancient aura, came into view. This was the sub-tower!

It had endured countless years since the establishment of Saint Pill City!

“Such a young Tier 5 Alchemist, his future prospects are simply limitless!”

“Even in the current era, teeming with geniuses, he can be called a prodigy!”

“He truly brings glory to his family!”

“As long as this child doesn’t die, the Gu Lin clan will surely soar in the future!”

The surrounding crowd either sighed softly or praised him, among them many old men who were already frail, but all showed expressions of respect, simply because in Saint Pill City, everything was judged by alchemy.

The strong were revered!

Beside the measuring demon monument, a young man in a blue Xuan Yi robe outlined his upright figure. A luxurious brocade belt, embroidered with soaring golden dragons, was tied around his waist. His ink-black hair was swept to one side, his face sharp, his eyebrows like swords, and his posture straight, like a sharp sword, as if he would cut through the sky in the next moment, arrogant and confident!

In front of him, the surface of the demon monument, which was as large as a human head, was covered with ancient and intricate patterns. As his hand pressed into the groove, soul power surged through the medium. Red, orange, blue, green, cyan, purple… seven different colors of light diffused in the air.

Corresponding to the Alchemist ranks, the highest purple light represented having the soul power of a Tier 7 Alchemist. Although soul power does not equate to Alchemist rank, those with low soul power can certainly not become high-tier Alchemists.

This was like an admission ticket; only by passing it could one participate in the next assessment!

“Tier 5 soul power!” The Pill Tower Elder, dressed in black, repeated again, his voice echoing and causing an uproar in the crowd.

Just a young Tier 5 Alchemist was enough to astonish these old fellows, even considering him a prodigy!

Lu Chuan found it rather amusing. If he unleashed his full strength, wouldn't he scare these old fellows to death?

He stepped forward, his posture steady, his face incredibly handsome, attracting the attention of a large number of people. Many cast their gazes upon him, some with surprise, some with admiration, some with regret!

“This child has a calm demeanor and commendable character, but unfortunately, his aura is a bit weak.”

“Alas! Going up now, he will only serve as a foil to that person.”

“After all, such a young Tier 5 Alchemist, such a prodigy is extremely rare even in the Central Plains. It’s impossible for a whole bunch to appear at once, and then another one to pop up, right!”

“That one from the Gu Ling clan, his talent was already astonishing, and now he has made his mark. It seems there will be excitement to watch at the gathering!”

Several old folks discussed animatedly, their facial wrinkles jiggling as if they could be easily pulled off. They looked as if they were about to step into their coffins.

Their slightly faded robes, unkempt appearance, and white beards all indicated that these individuals were fully immersed in the great path of alchemy.

They believed that it was impossible for several, or even a few, prodigies like the one from the Gu Lin clan to suddenly appear.

Lu Chuan, this newly emerged young man, might be a prodigy judging by his aura, but at most a Tier 4 Alchemist, as all those who could participate in the Pill Gathering had met this requirement.

A scorching, dazzling red halo, making it impossible to open one's eyes, streaked across the sky, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Lu Chuan's expression was calm. He nonchalantly placed his right hand on the groove, gently using his strength as a Tier 7 Alchemist.

The soul power of the late Mortal Realm surged through his palm into the measuring stone monument below him.

Immediately, a red halo emitted, evolving into orange, blue, green, and cyan!

Not only that, the measuring stone monument beneath Lu Chuan seemed to be stimulated, almost turning into a small sun, and it continued to evolve.

The several old men among the onlookers were so excited they nearly pulled off their beards. Their eyes were fixed intently on Lu Chuan's back, their gazes fervent, as if they were looking at some peerless treasure? Or perhaps a peerless beauty.

“This child is terrifying!”

“Another Tier 5 Alchemist has emerged!”

“Not only that, it seems this young man’s strength hasn’t been fully displayed yet!”

As soon as the words fell, everyone’s gazes became fervent. Such a young Tier 5 Alchemist, taking another step upwards was simply unimaginable!

A Tier 6 Alchemist? Or even a Tier 7 Alchemist! Or an even higher tier.

Lu Chuan had given everyone too many surprises. Several old men stared intently at the measuring demon monument. At this moment, the halo appearing in mid-air underwent a new change. A faint purple light, like a prairie fire, swept through everything, devouring all other colors completely, leaving only a pure, ultimate purple.

What met their eyes was a magnificent, vast ocean of purple light that made it impossible to open their eyes.

The soul power of a Tier 7 Alchemist!

“Tier 7 soul power!” The Elder wearing a Pill Tower uniform nearly dropped his beard. His eyes widened like copper bells, and he stammered, repeating, “Tier 7, Tier 7 soul power!”

It was as if a drop of water had fallen into a pot of boiling oil, instantly exploding. The crowd became incredibly noisy, with exclamations, praises, and worshipful gazes all directed at Lu Chuan.

A luxurious carriage, at some unknown time, had stopped not far from the Pill Tower. Even the demonic beasts pulling the carriage were high-tier demonic beasts. The light cyan gauze curtain was brushed aside, and a jade hand caressed a string of beads. A woman, clad in a purple robe, with a graceful and exquisite figure and a stunningly beautiful face, sat quietly in the carriage. Her two jade legs were casually laid out, seductive and enchanting. Her phoenix eyes curiously surveyed Lu Chuan's figure. Suddenly, she let out a soft chuckle, full of amusement, and said, “Interesting, such a young Tier 7. It seems the Pill Tower championship will undoubtedly be his!”

Even by only displaying the strength of a Tier 7 high-level Alchemist, Lu Chuan attracted Cao Ying's attention. Cao Ying, nicknamed 'Demoness', was the proud daughter of the Cao family, one of the five great families of the Pill Tower, and a strong contender for the championship of this Pill Gathering.

The next day, as the first ray of morning light poured down from the horizon, piercing through the night that enveloped the land, the entire Saint Pill City instantly boiled over...

Today, Saint Pill City would truly be the center of attention, with the eyes of the entire Central Plains converging here, awaiting the appearance of the one who could stand tall at the very last moment. And to emerge victorious from these alchemy geniuses from all corners of the Dou Qi Continent, that person would undoubtedly be a true favored child of heaven!

This glory was enough to drive anyone mad, for in life, no one wished to be among the mediocre masses.

Lu Chuan, wearing an Alchemist robe with a Tier 7 Alchemist badge, walked out of his room, full of vigor.

The Pill Gathering, the most revered assembly in the hearts of countless Alchemists, finally drew back its curtain today, a curtain that many Alchemists yearned for and were driven mad by...

Chapter 96: Who exactly is Lu Chuan?!

The venue for the Pill Gathering was located in the northern district of the inner region, and that area had been occupied by a terrifying sea of people several days prior. Therefore, when Xiao Yan and the others arrived, they could only see an endless, dense ocean of heads. The earth-shattering clamor soared into the sky, finally transforming into a terrifying sound wave that spread out, clearly audible within a hundred-mile radius.

“Dong!”

As they waited, a clear bell chime suddenly resounded throughout the heavens and earth. The bell chime spread out grandly, even suppressing the earth-shattering clamor.

As the bell chimed, the world became much quieter. Countless gazes, with a whoosh, fixed upon the towering, tower-like stone platform on the eastern side of the Plaza. That was where the high-ranking officials of the Pill Tower would appear.

The three giants of the Pill Tower appeared: Xuan Kongzi, Tian Leizi, and Xuan Yi.

As soon as these three appeared, the world became much quieter. In the endless sea of people, countless gazes, filled with various emotions, converged on these three figures. The three giants of the Pill Tower—this title, let alone in the Central Plains, even across the entire Dou Qi Continent, was truly renowned.

“Everyone has traveled thousands of miles for the Pill Gathering, so I won’t waste any more time here. Hehe, the Pill Gathering, as always, will be divided into three stages. First…” Xuan Kongzi began to explain the rules.

While Xuan Kongzi was explaining the rules, Cao Ying, Xuan Yi, Xun'er, Xiao Yu, Xiao Mei, and others scanned the dense crowd below, searching for Lu Chuan's figure.

However, ten years had passed, and the eight-year-old child had become a young man. Even Xun'er, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei, who had seen Lu Chuan before, found it difficult to recognize him.

“Lu Chuan Ge-ge, where are you?”

“Yu’er misses Lu Chuan Ge-ge so much!”

“Lu Chuan, once I catch you, I’ll tie you to the bed and torture you!”

The women, some with longing, some with worry, or even with extreme thirst, scanned the entire venue. Heads bobbed and swayed, a sea of people—this was the scene.

It could be said that if not for the fact that only high-level cultivators with certain cultivation levels were allowed to enter, and if the restrictions were eased even a little, perhaps an area of several hundred miles would not be able to accommodate so many people.

This was the grand occasion of the Pill Tower!

Countless Alchemists flocked here, just to obtain that supreme glory!

Xiao Xun Er, with her face veiled, had matured somewhat compared to 10 years ago. Her figure was exquisite and graceful, like a ripe peach, ready to be plucked and devoured.

A light golden dress outlined her beautiful figure, with phoenixes soaring embroidered on the hem, noble and elegant, as if a goddess had descended.

Crystal clear earlobes dangled pearl-like ornaments, and her swan-like, slender, porcelain-white neck was adorned with a luxurious and delicate necklace.

Carefully dressed!

The young girl appeared graceful and lithe, swaying like a willow in the wind. Just a frown or a smile could stir one's heart. Simply standing there, she seemed to be the born protagonist, capturing most of the presence.

Some had already recognized her identity, simply because Xiao Xun Er had no intention of concealing it.

A peerless prodigy dominating the Central Plains, the proud daughter of the ancient clan!

It was just unknown why she had come here.

People were already discussing in whispers, not daring to disturb Xiao Xun Er, who was searching for Lu Chuan.

Xiao Xun Er frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping over the sea of people. Her slender, porcelain-white fingers helplessly fiddled with her hair. Her tone was rather dejected as she said, “Lu Chuan Ge-ge…”

“I don’t seem to be able to find you…”

“How can there be so many people…”

“If I keep looking like this, the day will be over!”

At that time, Lu Chuan might be snatched away by other women without her even knowing!

This was not impossible. With so many high-level cultivators and their mixed auras, it could be said that ordinary detection methods had long since failed in the gathering.

Later, when a group of Alchemists summoned beast flames and abnormal flames to refine pills, the auras would be even more incredibly mixed, like a large pot of strange medicinal ingredients boiled together, the mere smell making people's faces incredibly strange.

Because it was truly unpleasant!

When Alchemists refine pills, they extract the essence from the medicinal ingredients, and the remaining parts, as waste, are naturally expelled. Some remain as pill ash inside the pill furnace, while others evaporate into gas and enter the air.

And there are at least several thousand Alchemists qualified to enter this gathering.

At that time, with thousands of pill furnaces opening simultaneously, the scene is simply unimaginable—wreaths of smoke rising, clouds steaming and glowing, or perhaps just thick, foul smoke.

Not to mention the occasional furnace explosion.

It can be said that the profession of Alchemist is far from as glamorous as it appears on the surface. Just the difficulty of refining pills and the money required to cultivate an Alchemist often mean that a small family might exhaust all its funds and still not succeed.

This is also one of the reasons why Alchemists hold such a noble status on the Dou Qi Continent.

Seeing Xiao Yu's mood somewhat low, Xiao Mei could only comfort her with a smile, her face calm. Her slender jade hand rubbed the young girl's small head, and she said with a gentle, unhurried tone, “Don’t worry, with Lu Chuan’s strength, he might stand out at any moment.”

“Given his personality, he is not one to be subservient to others.”

“Perhaps, he will even appear before you and me in a moment.”

This was very likely!

A man who could write in his diary about taking hundreds of beautiful women as wives was not an easy person to deal with.

A philanderer! But it must be said that Lu Chuan indeed had the strength and capital.

A young Dou Sheng powerhouse, his status was even higher as a Tier 7 Alchemist, not to mention having a Heaven Rank Combat Skill.

If Xiao Mei had such capital, she would have already been strutting around with her tail in the air!

The young girl's mood improved somewhat. Her eyebrows curved into a smile, a tacit agreement.

Xiao Yu felt that what her older sister, Xiao Yu, said was also very reasonable!

For others, this Pill Tower Pill Gathering was naturally as difficult as ascending to heaven. To achieve a good ranking, one needed talent, strength, opportunity, and effort, all indispensable.

But for Lu Chuan, it was an easy task.

That mysterious man was always so omnipotent!

In Xiao Yu's heart, Lu Chuan's status was already equivalent to a god; there was simply nothing this man couldn't do.

And in some ways, her idea was correct.

Lu Chuan's strength on the Douluo Continent was unknown how many times stronger than the so-called God Kings! He only needed to move a finger to instantly kill a so-called God King.

With a flick of his finger, the heavens and earth would collapse, and a single gaze could knock a so-called deity off their divine throne.

Incredibly powerful!

Even on the Dou Qi Continent, he was still a supreme powerhouse!