123: Returning to Dan City on the eve of the storm

At the edge of the Illusory Mist Swamp, two streaks of light, like startled swans escaping a cage, tore through the dense fog and shot out. They were Li Ao and Medusa.

Their speed was pushed to the limit, even burning their Dou Qi, just to get away from the area locked by the Hall of Souls Heavenly Venerate's will. That icy, palpable killing intent, like maggots clinging to bones, still made them uneasy even a thousand miles away.

"That Heavenly Venerate's will... is at least Peak Dou Zun, and might even have touched the threshold of a Half-Saint!" Medusa's purple eyes were solemn as she felt the lingering tremor deep in her Soul, speaking in a low voice. Although she had advanced to Seven-Star Dou Zong and possessed royal Bloodline, she still felt insignificant before such an existence.

Li Ao's face was stern, and he nodded: "Protector Wu used his Soul as a guide to summon a will that is no small matter. The Hall of Souls is truly enraged this time, and the pursuit that follows will likely be relentless."

As he flew, he circulated the Annihilation Rule, attempting to erase the locking imprint attached to the edge of his Soul perception. However, the imprint was extremely stubborn, containing a very high level of power. With his current mastery of the Annihilation Rule, he could only temporarily suppress and blur it, unable to completely clear it.

"We must return to the Pill Tower as soon as possible! Only with the power and Formation of the Pill Tower can we cut off the tracking of this Heavenly Venerate's will and plan for the long term," Li Ao said decisively. As the only force on the surface capable of contending with the Hall of Souls, the Pill Tower's headquarters must have means to resist this level of investigation.

Medusa had no objection to this. Although she was proud, she knew what was important. Facing a behemoth like the Hall of Souls, going it alone was certainly not a wise move.

The two stopped speaking, fixed their direction towards the Central Plains, and pushed their speed to the limit, transforming into two streaks of light tearing through the sky, speeding away.

Along the way, they could vaguely feel cold gazes sweeping over them from some hidden corners, but perhaps out of fear of their strength, or perhaps because they had not yet received clear instructions, no one tried to stop them. The Hall of Souls' pursuit network had clearly spread, but it had not yet fully closed in.

Half a month later, the two dusty travelers finally crossed endless mountains and rivers, once again seeing the majestic, towering city shrouded in a canopy of ten thousand flames—Pill City!

Before they even got close, a familiar rich medicinal fragrance and scorching heat wafted towards them. Pill City was still bustling and noisy, with people flowing like a river, as if all the commotions of the outside world had nothing to do with it.

However, Li Ao and Medusa could keenly sense the undercurrents beneath this calm. The guards checking at the city gate had noticeably increased, their auras were stronger, and their gazes sharply scanned every person entering the city. A faint, almost imperceptible tension seemed to permeate the air.

"It seems the Hall of Souls' actions have already affected this place," Li Ao murmured.

The two restrained their auras and entered the city like ordinary cultivators. Medusa covered her face with a light veil, concealing her astonishing beauty, but her unique noble temperament and unfathomable aura still drew many side glances.

They did not delay, heading directly towards the towering giant pagoda in the center of the city—the Pill Tower.

The closer they got to the Pill Tower, the more obvious the invisible sense of solemnity and tension became. The patrol teams around the Pill Tower had clearly increased in strength, and they could even see several Elders wearing Seventh-Rank Alchemist badges on their chests, stationed there.

When Li Ao and Medusa arrived before the grand entrance of the Pill Tower, they were immediately stopped by a team of elite guards.

"Stop! The Pill Tower is an important place, idlers are not allowed!" The guard captain, a Three-Star Dou Huang, shouted sternly, his eyes vigilantly scanning the two.

Li Ao did not get angry, but calmly took out a token—it was the Guest Elder token that Elder Xuan Yi had given him.

"I am Li Ao, and I wish to see Elder Xuan Yi."

"Li Ao?" The guard captain was startled at first, finding the name somewhat familiar, then suddenly remembered something, his face changing dramatically, and he blurted out: "You... you are the one who won the championship at the Pill Gathering, and was later targeted by the Hall of Souls..."

He did not finish his sentence, but the shock and awe in his eyes said it all. Li Ao's name had already spread throughout the Pill Domain after the Pill Gathering, and his subsequent conflict with the Hall of Souls added a layer of legendary and dangerous color to that name.

"Go and report quickly!" The guard captain dared not neglect, and immediately instructed a guard next to him, while respectfully bowing to Li Ao: "So it is Elder Li who has graced us with his presence. Please forgive this Junior's poor eyesight, please come in and rest quickly!"

His attitude instantly did a complete U-turn.

Li Ao and Medusa followed the guard into a side hall on the ground floor of the Pill Tower to wait.

After only a moment, a rapid sound of footsteps came, and the door to the side hall was pushed open. It was not Elder Xuan Yi who entered, but a middle-aged man in an Alchemist's robe with a refined face. His aura had reached the Eight-Star Dou Zong level, and he wore an Intermediate Seventh-Rank Alchemist badge on his chest.

"Young Friend Li Ao, it really is you!" The middle-aged man showed a look of pleasant surprise when he saw Li Ao. Then, when his gaze fell on Medusa, whose face was covered by a light veil, his pupils slightly contracted, clearly sensing the aura that made his heart palpitate. He cupped his hands and said: "I am Elder Qiu Ling of the Pill Tower. Elder Xuan Yi and Elder Tian Leizi are currently discussing important matters with the Pill Tower Master at the top of the tower, and have specially ordered me to receive the two of you."

"Elder Qiu Ling." Li Ao returned the bow, "The situation is urgent, we need to see Elder Xuan Yi immediately."

Qiu Ling's expression became solemn, and he nodded: "I understand. The Hall of Souls has been unusually active recently, not only searching for Soul bodies across the Central Plains, but also directly targeting our Pill Tower with multiple provocations. The Pill Tower Master and the Elders are currently discussing countermeasures. The two of you, follow me, I will take you to the deliberation hall."

He clearly knew about Li Ao's grievances with the Hall of Souls, and also understood what their return to the Pill Tower at this moment meant.

Under Qiu Ling's guidance, the three passed through an internal teleportation Formation and arrived directly at the upper levels of the Pill Tower.

In a simple yet solemn, huge deliberation hall, several figures sat in a circle. In the main seat was an old man dressed in ordinary linen clothes, with a kind face and eyes as deep as the Universe's starry sky. He was the Pill Tower Master! Beside him sat Elder Xuan Yi and Tian Leizi, as well as several other core Pill Tower Elders whom Li Ao had not met before, all with extraordinary auras.

The moment Li Ao and Medusa stepped into the deliberation hall, all eyes converged on them.

A hint of surprise and solemnity flashed in Xuan Yi and Tian Leizi's eyes.

The Pill Tower Master's gaze fell on Li Ao, and he nodded slightly, his voice gentle but carrying an invisible pressure: "Young Friend Li, long time no see, your demeanor is even better than before. It seems this trip out has brought you considerable gains." His gaze then turned to Medusa, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, "This... must be Queen Medusa? Physical Body reshaped, royal might contained within, congratulations."

He saw through Medusa's true state at a glance!

Medusa nodded slightly in return, but said nothing more.

"Pill Tower Master, three Elders." Li Ao cupped his hands, "This Junior's return this time is truly out of necessity. The Hall of Souls Heavenly Venerate's will has locked onto the two of us, and only the Pill Tower can provide refuge."

He did not hide anything, directly and briefly explaining what had happened in the Illusory Mist Swamp and how they had been locked onto by the Heavenly Venerate's will.

After listening to Li Ao's narration, the deliberation hall fell into a silence.

The faces of several Elders became extremely solemn.

"Heavenly Venerate's will... It seems the Hall of Souls is determined to capture you two," Tian Leizi's voice was low, with a hint of anger, "These sneaky rats are getting more and more arrogant!"

Elder Xuan Yi looked at the Pill Tower Master: "Pill Tower Master, Young Friend Li Ao has an alliance with our Pill Tower, and is an invaluable ally. Both publicly and privately, our Pill Tower cannot stand by and do nothing."

The Pill Tower Master pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "The Hall of Souls is powerful, and backed by the Hun Clan. They have long been irreconcilable with our Pill Tower. Protecting Young Friend Li and Her Majesty the Queen is our undeniable duty."

His tone shifted, and his gaze became sharp: "However, since the Hall of Souls dared to lock a Heavenly Venerate's will onto our Pill Tower's honored guests, it is an open provocation. This matter cannot be simply overlooked."

He looked at Li Ao and Medusa: "The two of you shall stay in the Pill Tower for now. The tower has its own Formations that can block the Heavenly Venerate's investigation. As for the Hall of Souls... it is also time to let them know that this Central Plains is not a place where they can do as they please!"

Although the Pill Tower Master's tone was calm, the resolve and power contained within it seemed to raise the temperature of the entire deliberation hall by several degrees.

Li Ao and Medusa felt their hearts settle. With the Pill Tower's clear stance, they finally had a chance to breathe.

However, they both knew that this was merely the brief calm before the storm. The Hall of Souls' retaliation and the Pill Tower's counterattack would undoubtedly unleash a monstrous wave that would sweep across the entire Central Plains!

And they were at the very center of this storm.