93: Soul Realm Secret Realm, Seven-Colored Lotus Platform

Stepping into the true Soul Realm, a rich blend of Heaven And Earth energy and medicinal fragrance assailed his face, mixed with a trace of refreshing aura originating from the Soul Origin. Just taking a breath made him feel revitalized, as if his Soul had been cleansed.

Li Ao stood at the exit of a valley lush with Spiritual Plants, his gaze sharp as lightning, instantly locking onto the floating island in the distant sky, and the towering lotus shadow at the island's center, faintly visible within the seven-colored radiance.

The majestic and pure Soul vitality was exactly as he had heard in Pill City and as Hall Master Mu had described, perhaps even purer and more vast!

"The seven-colored spirit nurturing lotus... it truly is here!" Li Ao's heart settled. The most crucial main ingredient for treating Medusa finally had a definite location. Judging by its form and the aura it emitted, it seemed close to maturity, perfectly aligning with the timing of the current Pill Gathering.

He did not rush impulsively toward the floating island. Since the Pill Tower displayed this lotus as the champion's reward, openly exhibiting it here, it surely had comprehensive protection. Approaching rashly would be unwise. The immediate priority was to utilize the unique environment of the Soul Realm to prepare for the upcoming final confrontation, and simultaneously, to guard against potential enemies.

As the core Small World of the Pill Tower, the Soul Realm was not only rich in energy but also nurtured countless rare Soul-attributed medicinal materials and Heaven And Earth Treasures that were hard to find elsewhere. For an Alchemist, this place was simply paradise.

Li Ao's Soul Power spread out like mercury pouring onto the ground. His Half-Step Heavenly Realm Soul perception allowed him to clearly observe the energy flow and medicinal material distribution within a radius of dozens of miles.

"Three miles to the southeast, there is a patch of 'Soul Condensing Grass,' at least five hundred years old, which can be refined into a Sixth-Grade 'Soul Nurturing Pill.'"

"Deep within the northern mountain stream, is there a faint fluctuation of a 'Soul Infant Fruit'? No, it seems similar but isn't quite right, yet it is still a rare Soul fruit."

"In the western swamp, a Sixth-Tier Peak 'Soul Devouring Crocodile' is lurking. Next to its nest is the aura of an 'Soul Calming Nether Lotus'..."

His figure moved, transforming into a blurred green shadow, darting towards the areas of purest energy that he sensed, which would be most beneficial to him currently. He needed to gather some medicinal materials and refine several Medicinal Pills that could temporarily enhance his Soul control and density, in preparation for the intense competition that might occur during the final Pill Gathering.

Along the way, he also encountered other Alchemists who had passed the heart questioning pass and entered the Soul Realm. Most of these people were moving quickly, seizing the time to search for Opportunity, either gathering medicinal materials or finding secluded spots to sit and Cultivate, hoping to achieve some breakthrough before the final confrontation.

When they saw Li Ao, they all displayed expressions of awe and apprehension, proactively moving aside and daring not to approach him in the slightest. Li Ao's performance in the Soul Illusionary Realm, especially the "lotus steps" phenomenon and his speed in being the first to pass the heart questioning pass, had already spread, making everyone clearly recognize the vast gap between them.

Not long after, top Geniuses such as Cao Ying, Dan Chen, Tang Huo'er, and the Black-Robed Youth also appeared in the Soul Realm. They were equally attracted by the seven-colored lotus platform but suppressed their impulses, beginning to search for their own Opportunity or cautiously confronting one another.

Cao Ying found a Soul spring and was absorbing its essence. Dan Chen seemed quite interested in a certain Yin-attributed Soul flower. Tang Huo'er, with her overbearing thunder-fire, directly chased away a Sixth-Tier Demonic Beast guarding medicinal materials. Meanwhile, the Black-Robed Youth vanished like a phantom into a dark patch of woods, his whereabouts unknown.

The entire Soul Realm appeared calm, but undercurrents were surging beneath the surface.

Relying on his powerful Soul perception, Li Ao avoided unnecessary conflicts, successfully gathered several types of rare medicinal materials he needed, and found an excellent temporary Immortal Cave in a valley where a Soul Power waterfall converged.

He set up simple concealment and protection barriers, took out several Medicine Cauldrons obtained from the Blood River Sect Elder and Void Realm bandits (he did not use the Void Swallowing Flame to condense a cauldron, lest the commotion be too great), and began Alchemy.

What he refined were not high-grade Medicinal Pills, but several long-lost ancient Pill Formulas. Although their grade was only around Sixth-Grade, their medicinal effect was extremely unique, capable of gently and effectively stimulating Soul potential, making it more agile and condensed in a short period of time.

The Void Swallowing Flame Child Fire burned quietly within the Medicine Cauldron. Under Li Ao's exquisite Soul control, the medicinal materials were perfectly purified and underwent Fusion. In less than half an hour, several batches of Medicinal Pills were successively produced, their fragrance subtle and their pill halos naturally formed.

After consuming the Medicinal Pills, Li Ao sat cross-legged, guiding the medicinal power to nourish his Soul. Within his Sea of Consciousness, the hazy Annihilation Soul Origin slowly rotated, like a singularity at the center of the Universe, continuously absorbing and refining the medicinal power and the pure Soul Qi pervasive throughout the Soul Realm, causing his Soul Power, though not skyrocketing, to become more easily controlled and perfectly transparent.

Time quietly passed during his Cultivation.

About a day later, Li Ao, who was cultivating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. A gray light flashed in his pupils and quickly vanished as he looked toward a certain direction outside the valley.

He sensed two obscure yet powerful auras quietly approaching his location. These two auras carried a chill and dead silence that was incompatible with the natural Soul Power of the Soul Realm. Although they were trying hard to conceal themselves, the sense of filth originating from their Soul Origin could not escape his perception.

"People from the Hall of Souls... have they really managed to sneak in?" A cold light burst forth in Li Ao's eyes.

His figure moved, silently disappearing from the spot, as if merging into the surrounding environment.

Moments later, two figures shrouded in faint black mist appeared at the entrance of the valley. They cautiously surveyed their surroundings. One of them whispered, "According to the Hun Yu sensor, that brat named Li Ao should have stayed in this area before."

"This boy possesses a strange flame, and his Soul Power is bizarre. Even Iron Protector suffered a huge loss. The Sect Master has ordered that we must find an Opportunity to capture or kill him before the Pill Gathering finals! We must seize his strange flame and his Soul!" The other person's voice was hoarse, carrying intense killing intent.

These two individuals clearly possessed the aura of a One-Star Dou Zong! They were obviously elites dispatched by the Hall of Souls!

However, just as they were about to enter the valley to investigate, a cold voice, sounding as if it came from the netherworld, rang out behind them:

"Are you looking for me?"

The two men's expressions changed drastically in shock. They spun around abruptly, and the Nether Dou Qi within their bodies instantly erupted!

But it was too late!

A subtle silver-gray thread, seemingly born from the Void Realm, swept past silently.

"Annihilation, Soul Severing."

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any brilliant Dou Qi radiance.

The bodies of the two Hall of Souls Dou Zongs suddenly stiffened, and the black mist surrounding them quickly dissipated like smoke scattered by the wind. The light in their wide eyes rapidly extinguished like an ebbing tide, eventually turning completely lifeless. Their bodies slumped softly to the ground, completely devoid of life.

Their Souls had been utterly severed by Li Ao's Soul attack, which contained the Annihilation Rule!

Li Ao's figure slowly emerged from the Void Realm, watching the two corpses on the ground expressionlessly. With a wave of his hand, the Void Swallowing Flame Child Fire swept past, reducing the bodies to nothingness and erasing all traces.

"It seems the Hall of Souls has already gathered around like sharks smelling blood." Li Ao looked toward the deepest part of the Soul Realm, in the direction of the seven-colored lotus platform, his gaze cold and resolute.

"Since that is the case, then I shall settle the score with this bunch of sneaky scoundrels at the Pill Gathering itself!"

He no longer lingered. His figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing toward the center of the Soul Realm, the venue for the final confrontation—the Ten Thousand Herbs Plaza.

The final stage of the Pill Gathering was about to begin, and the hidden killing intent had already been quietly laid out.

--- (End of Chapter 59) Preview: Ten Thousand Herbs Plaza, where heroes gather! The rules for the Pill Gathering finals are announced. What astonishing Medicinal Pill will Li Ao choose to refine? The Hall of Souls' conspiracy surfaces. What kind of unexpected changes will erupt during the finals? Find out in the next chapter: Pills Ignite Ten Thousand Flames!