Chapter 1184-1187 (1/2)
Chapter 1184: Experts Appearing One after Another
Rolling thunder continued to reverberate over this vast, azure sky. The thick clouds gave one an extremely pressurizing feeling.
”Bang!”
A silver-colored giant-python-like bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the sky from the thick, dark cloud. It explosively rushed down before being forcefully received by a human figure on a stone platform. Immediately, a substance-like pill fragrance spread apart…
”Ha ha, I have succeeded!”
That man, whose hair was a little white, laughed wildly at the sky in front of everyone's eyes. His hand held a dragon-eye-sized medicinal pill that was emitting an alluring l.u.s.ter.
None of those present reprimanded this man, who had lost himself and laughed out loud. Instead, there was an additional heat in their eyes as they looked at him. An alchemist grandmaster, who could refine a tier 7 middle grade medicinal pill would definitely receive VIP treatment no matter where he went.
Currently, the Pill Gathering had entered its last stages. At this moment, there were only two types of people still continuing to refine medicinal pills. The first type were those who truly possessed great talent while the other type were those simply making up the numbers. Of course, in this kind of situation, the first group held the majority. After all, there were very few people with faces thick enough to embarra.s.s themselves in this kind of event.
If one were to carefully count the number of pill fires still rising on the stone platforms, one would find that there were still thirty-six left. In other words, there were still thirty-six compet.i.tors focused on preparing the medicinal pill that they were best at with great care.
These thirty-six people naturally included Xiao Yan, Cao Ying, Old Mu Gu, Dan Chen, and the other compet.i.tors who were viewed as the people with the most potential to become this Pill Gathering's champion.
Xiao Yan sat on his stone platform. Rolling thunder reverberating in the air had already been filtered out by him. All of his focus had been thrown into the medicinal cauldron.
A jade-green flame was fiercely burning within the medicinal cauldron. The hot temperature caused the Pill cauldron to appear a little red. All of this, however, was not the target of Xiao Yan's focus. His eyes had been staring at the slowly rotating spherical object within the flame…
This so-called spherical object was naturally something that was the merger of over a hundred types of medicinal essences. However, this thing shrank from the size of a fist to the size of a pigeon egg. Moreover, its shape was becoming rounder within the burning flame.
An energy ripple that caused Xiao Yan to feel shocked was vaguely being formed following the gradual shrinking of this spherical object. This kind of ripple had already exceeded that of an ordinary tier 7 peak grade medicinal pill.
Xiao Yan's heart was filled with joy over this kind of change. The current him was confident that he could raise the Bone Growing Blood Fusing Pill to the eighth tier!
Xiao Yan suppressed the slight excitement within his heart and hurriedly stabilized his mind. Currently, he was in the most crucial moment. He could not afford to lose even the slightest focus…
The faces of everyone on the other stone platforms were also filled with grave expressions while Xiao Yan was refining his medicinal pill with all his effort. The faces of some of them had even revealed a paleness. Clearly, this kind of exhaustion was really something that they had difficulty enduring.
”Bang!”
A certain part of the sky suddenly emitted a low, deep explosion in front of the eyes of a countless number of people. The hearts of everyone immediately sank. Their gazes swiftly flew over, only to see a middle-aged man staring at the medicinal cauldron in front of him with a stunned expression. There was a chaotic energy ripple being emitted from within. Clearly, an unexpected situation had occurred during the refinement…
”How is this possible…”
The middle-aged man was dull as he looked at the medicinal cauldron. His eyes instantly turned blood-red. He had worked hard for twenty plus days only for all his effort to go to waste. This kind of blow was really a little too difficult for him to endure.
Everyone quietly sighed within their hearts as they watched the dull expression of the middle-aged man. They felt a little regretful for this person.
Failure was not rare when it came to pill refinement. However, a slight failure at this moment would decide if one would lose the qualification to compete with the other experts.
There were those who were happy and those who were anxious. If there were those who succeeded, there would naturally be those who failed. The Pill Gathering had never been a stage for comedy to be performed.
During the remaining time, there were people continuously refining a medicinal pill successfully among the thirty plus people who remained. Of course, there were also those who failed. All of these people who failed became a lot more dispirited without exception. Although they might not be able to obtain the top ten position even if they were to refine their pills successfully, there would, at the very least, have been a chance. However, if they failed in their refinement, they would not have even the slightest chance…
The compet.i.tors who could still remain at this moment were people who could definitely be compared with some of the Elders of the Pill Tower. Some of the top experts were even at a level that the Pill Tower's Elders were far from being able to match.
The moods of a countless number of people in the stadium were growing better during this period of time. Within the blink of an eye, a compet.i.tor, whom they viewed as the dark horse of this Pill Gathering, might end up failing his refinement due to some small mistake, losing his qualification to continue competing within the blink of an eye…
At this time, they realized that refining pills was something that ordinary people couldn't do.
Another five days quietly pa.s.sed amid the antic.i.p.ation of a countless number of gazes.
Nine people had successfully refined their medicinal pills during these five days. The highest grade medicinal pill was a tier 7 high grade medicinal pill. This medicinal pill had immediately attracted Pill Lightning when it appeared. The continuous sound of roaring thunder caused quite a number of people to feel afraid.
The one who had successfully refined this medicinal pill was an old man with an elderly face. This person likely had some reputation on the continent. Hence, it was not too surprising that he was able to be the first to refine a tier 7 high grade medicinal pill.
Of course, with some people succeeding, it was only natural that some people failed. Nine people succeeded during these five days while seven others failed. They chose to withdraw with great unwillingness in front of many pitiful eyes.
Following the withdrawal of these sixteen people, and the compet.i.tors who had withdrew earlier due to some reasons, there were only seventeen people who remained on the stone platforms refining pills…
The filter of time was extremely accurate. Currently, the seventeen remaining people, judging from their auras, were definitely not ordinary individuals. The lowest tier badge on their chests was that of a tier 7 middle grade alchemist. The highest tier was surprisingly a genuine tier 8 alchemist guru!
This tier 8 alchemist was someone that Xiao Yan was extremely unfamiliar with. Moreover, he had never paid attention to this person in the past. Clearly, this person had purposefully hid his aura.
This unfamiliar tier 8 alchemist was a gray-haired, old man. His elderly face was like an orange peel. Clearly, he should also be an expert from the older generation. Although his outer appearance was lacking, his face was always covered in a warm smile, giving him a more pleasing appearance than Old Mu Gu.
Time was the best filter. It was able to eliminate those lacking from the thousands of compet.i.tors and allow those true experts to remain.
”It is unexpected that Old Qing Hua has survived…”
Xuan Kong Zi's group on the tall stage looked at the gray-haired, old man that had finally been revealed from the sea of people. They were slightly startled and immediately looked at each other. All of them felt a little helpless.
”This old fellow can really embarra.s.s himself… looking at the fluctuations within his medicinal cauldron, it is likely a tier 8 medicinal pill.” The pretty woman gently nodded as she spoke.
”The most cherished wish of this old fellow is to obtain a type of Heavenly Flame. Back then, he and Yao Chen had remained in that terrible place for a number of years. However, Yao Chen was still the one who found the Bone Chilling Flame. He would naturally come and give it a try now that he had an opportunity to obtain the Three Thousand Burning Flame.” The dark-skinned elder reminisced.
Xuan Kong Zi helplessly shook his head. After which, his eyes suddenly turned to a certain stone platform. A black-clothed Old Mu Gu was focusing his attention and refining his medicinal pill at that spot.
”This person's aura has remained hidden even now. Moreover, his face seems to have been altered. I wondered just who that expert is?”
”Could it be the disguise of some old fellow who is unwilling to embarra.s.s himself?” The pretty woman knit her eyebrows and wondered aloud.
”No idea. However, he will definitely be unable to hide his aura once the medicinal pill embryonic form was created. At that time, one will know with a glance… it is alright as long as he is not a member of the Hall of Souls.”
The pretty woman and the rest nodded upon hearing this.
A wild wind whistled over the azure sky. The dark clouds had scattered. However, rolling thunder continued to appear for an unknown amount of time…
This strange scene caused quite a number of people to quietly feel stunned. However, everyone with some experience was aware that these thunderous sounds did not fall from the sky. Instead, they were emitted from the medical cauldrons on the stone platforms…
”Bang!”
A low, deep sound suddenly appeared. Before everyone could hurriedly s.h.i.+ft their eyes, they sensed a majestic energy ripple suddenly surge from the stone platform in a lightning-like fas.h.i.+on. Following the surging of this energy, the dark clouds in the sky instantly gathered as a countless number of silver snakes wiggled in all directions.
”It's Song Qing!”
Some of the sharp-eyed people finally saw Song Qing, who had been seated cross-legged, suddenly stand up. He looked at the thick, dark clouds in the sky with high spirits. This was clearly his doing!
The Pill Lightning that appeared this time around was even wilder and more violent compared to any of the earlier Pill Lightnings. This was enough to cause him to feel proud.
”It is actually a tier 7 peak grade medicinal pill! Looks like its quality is even higher than the tier 7 peak grade medicinal pill that appeared earlier.”
Song Qing raised his hand slowly amid the backdrop of lightning all over the sky. An unusually round medicinal pill, like a bright night pearl, was lifted high up!
The Pill Lightning in the sky appeared at this moment!
Upon hearing the exclamations of the many people mixed with the loud thunder, a wild smile was slowly lifted on his face. Immediately, his gaze, that contained slight provocation, shot to a distant stone platform. That spot was where Xiao Yan was located!
Chapter 1185: Tier 8 Medicinal Pill
Xiao Yan randomly glance at this provoking gaze that had been shot over from a distance. After which, he withdrew his eyes. This fellow had hid himself quite well. However, he was really a little too excited today. A tier 7 peak grade medicinal pill?
The corner of Xiao Yan's mouth involuntarily revealed a cold smile when he thought of this. With this result, it might not be difficult for him to enter the top ten. However, that was it. This Song Qing still did not possess the qualification to truly s.n.a.t.c.h the champion's spot!
Xiao Yan's eyes once again focused on the interior of his medicinal cauldron as this thought flashed across his heart. A round medicinal pill was slowly rotating within the rising jade-green flame. The medicinal pill was dark-red in color, appearing just like it had been agglomerated from fresh blood essence. Moreover, there was some vague lights flas.h.i.+ng over it, causing it to appear just like an eye and giving one an extremely unusual feeling.
”Soon…”
A fiery heat quietly surfaced within Xiao Yan's heart as he looked at the medicinal pill that was slowly rotating within the flame.
Numerous dark clouds were present in the sky. Occasionally, a large silver snake tore across the sky with a cras.h.i.+ng sound as it rushed to the stone platform where Song Qing was located. Immediately, they were all received by Song Qing.
The face of Song Qing involuntarily twitched after seeing that his provocative gaze was ignored by Xiao Yan. His eyes swept around, only to discover that Cao Ying, Dan Chen, and the rest did not throw surprised gazes toward him. This caused him to feel a little depressed. Tier 7 peak grade medicinal pill. Even among some of the experienced Elders of the Pill Tower, their chances of refining one was quite low. Currently, he had refined it, but it had not stirred the commotion that he had expected. This caused his vanity in wanting to enjoy being the focus of everyone's attention to fail to obtain his desire.
Song Qing endured the depression within his heart and focused his mind. The Pill Lightning that was formed from a tier 7 peak grade medicinal pill was quite strong. If he did not deal with it seriously, it was likely that even the medicinal pill would be struck by it until nothing remained. If that was the case, it would really end up his turn to cry.
While Song Qing was going all out to deal with the Pill Lightning in the sky, the energy within it had also become much more violent. Clearly, this was a phenomenon caused by the Pill Lightning.
Perhaps it was because of the attraction of the Pill Lightning this time around, but a couple of compet.i.tors also began to emit shocking energy ripples from their medicinal pills. Clearly, the medicinal pills that they were refining were about to be formed.
The expressions of these compet.i.tors became much more solemn when they sensed the change. If any mistake were to occur at this moment, they would really end up with nothing despite all their efforts.
”Bang!”
Dark clouds covered the sky. A low thunderous rumble continued to resound over the square. Suddenly a majestic energy ripple swept out. Immediately, everyone saw numerous dark clouds form in the sky above a certain platform.
”Another tier 7 peak grade medicinal pill is born!”
This scene immediately caused an excited uproar to appear in the stadium.
”Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Before their uproar had sounded, a couple of energy ripples suddenly erupted one after another. Dark clouds surged from all directions as dense silver snakes covered the entire sky. There had been a bright sun earlier, but now, it was as dark as night. Occasionally, a silver lightning would flash across the sky, and a glaring glow would pierce down.
There were nine tier 7 high grade medicinal pills being born at the same time within a short ten minutes!
In other words, nine pill lightnings had appeared in the sky at this moment!
This scene was really one that was rare to find. Hence, the surrounding black sea of people felt their hearts boil because of this kind of thunderbolt-like explosive atmosphere. A deafening cheer resounded over compet.i.tion grounds. Finally, this thunderous cheer gathered in the sky, transforming into a terrifying wave that spread apart. The entire Pill Region could vaguely hear that terrifying sound wave…
The eight Pill Lightnings that had suddenly appeared also caused Song Qing to be startled. A cold smile flashed across his eyes after he glanced at the surrounding Pill Lightnings. Fortunately, the Pill Lightnings of these people were inferior to his. In other words, the grade of their medicinal pills should be inferior to his.
Swoosh swoosh swoos.h.!.+
This silver lightning rushed over the sky from all directions. Finally, it explosively struck those stone platforms. In an instant, the entire sky was reverberating with a kind deep thunderous roar.
Xiao Yan, Cao Ying, Old Mu Gu, and the rest acted as though they had not heard anything in the face of this spectacular scene of numerous bolts of lightning rus.h.i.+ng down from the sky. Their eyes were fixated on the interior of their own medicinal cauldrons.
Dan Chen was seated with her legs crossed on a stone platform. At this moment, her face had already become extremely pale. Her body was originally weak. If not for the support of her Spiritual Strength, it was likely that she would not have been able to endure until now. Fortunately, she had managed to persevere…
”I'm about to succeed!”
The eyes of Dan Chen seemed to be focused on her medicinal cauldron. Her hand seals continued to change. A vast and mighty Spiritual Strength continuously surged into the medicinal cauldron. There was a faint spiritual aura that was vaguely spread over the Spiritual Strength.
”Grug!”
Dan Chen's face suddenly turned red while the seal formed by her hands changed. Immediately, a mouthful of fresh blood was spat out before being shot into the medicinal cauldron. Finally, it merged with the medicinal pill that was rolling within the flame.
”Boom!”
A bright and powerful glow suddenly appeared within the medicinal cauldron like a sun after the fresh blood touched the medicinal pill. A terrifying energy ripple, which caused people to be shocked, explosively surged out of the medicinal cauldron with a 'bang.' The medicinal cauldron that could endure burning of any Heavenly Flame had been blasted into countless number of fragments under this kind of frightening ripple!
”Sizzle!”
A green light pillar, a hundred feet in size, shot out of the medicinal cauldron when it blasted apart. It shot toward the sky in the process!
The silver lightning that densely covered the sky appeared to meet some terrifying thing under this green-colored light pillar. It hurriedly withdrew. The thunderclouds that had been acting triumphantly earlier hurriedly shrank back. They did not dare to even make the slightest contact with the light pillar.
The light pillar entered the sky in front of a countless number of eyes. Soon after, clouds suddenly appeared wherever the light pillar rushed past. Within the short blink of an eye, it had agglomerated into a hundred-meter-large thundercloud!
Moreover, the thing that caused others to feel shocked was that the thundercloud that has been formed this time around possessed a green and a silver color!
”Two-colored thundercloud?”
The entire stadium made a great uproar when they saw the two-colored thundercloud that had appeared in the sky!
Many people present were seeing Pill Lightning with two colors for the first time in their life!
Xuan Kong Zi and the others on the tall stage were also looking at the two-colored thundercloud with grave expressions. A moment later, they looked at each other and nodded, ”This girl from the Dan clan is indeed extraordinary. She has refined a tier 8 medicinal pill and has even attracted a two-colored thundercloud.”
Tier 8 medicinal pills could already be considered the peak level of the golden paG.o.da within the alchemist world. Tier 8 and tier 7 might only differ by one tier, but that difference was like the heaven and earth.
A tier 8 medicinal pill possessed some spirituality. One could even say that it possessed basic intelligence. In other words, a tier 8 medicinal pill already possessed a life force that belonged to it!
It could already be categorized as a creature!
Moreover, the division within tier 8 medicinal pills was exceptionally harsh. Its quality could no longer be differentiated by one's naked eye. Instead, it was differentiated through the colors of Pill Lightning!
The higher the grade of the medicinal pill, the Pill Lightning that it would attract when it was formed would possess even more colors. It was rumored that if one could attract a nine-colored Pill Lightning, it meant that the medicinal pill had already advanced to the ninth tier, which possessed the strength of creation!
It would not be overboard to describe a medicinal pill of this tier as a divine pill.
By being able to attract a two-colored thundercloud, it meant that she had successfully refined a tier 8 medicinal pill. Moreover, it was a tier 8 medicinal pill that possessed two-colored Pill Lightning
The two-colored thundercloud lingered over the vast sky. A mighty thunder spread down from it. The Pill Lightnings attracted by Song Qing and the rest around appeared exceptionally small when compared to this two-colored thundercloud.
Song Qing and the rest widened their mouths as they looked at the two-colored thundercloud. Their mouths were immediately filled with bitterness. The appearance of this two-colored Pill Lightning had completely suppressed all of them.
Dan Chen wiped off the trace of blood on the corner of her mouth as she stood on the stone platform. Her pale-white face looked at the two-colored Pill Lightning in the sky. A smile surfaced on the corner of her mouth as she stood up with some difficulty. Her delicate, small body caused even the Dou Zun cla.s.s experts to be afraid of underestimating her.
Regardless of the results today, the name of the Dan clan would completely resound over the Central Plains because of this girl!
”Ha ha, sister Dan Chen, you have indeed improved during these few years. However, it is not so easy to get me to admit defeat…”
A lovely laugh was suddenly transmitted from the distance just when a smile surfaced on Dan Chen's face. Dan Chen turned her head, only to see Cao Ying slowly standing up. Her enchanting face was also filled with a paleness. Even though this was the case, the smile on her beautiful face was still bewitching.
Pill Refinement was a source of pride in Cao Ying's heart. The 'witch' reputation was not an empty one. Her many years of tough training in the Pill Tower would completely reveal themselves in front of the many eyes currently present!
A phoenix-like haughtiness surfaced on Cao Ying's face. Her hand suddenly formed a hand seal as she softly cried out, ”Rise!”
”Bang!”
Her cry had just sounded when a large light pillar also erupted out from the medicinal cauldron in front of Cao Ying, shooting into the sky!
The clouds in the sky swiftly gathered as the light pillar erupted. After which, two colors appeared in front of the countless number of shocked eyes below. However, a sharp-eyed person could tell that there seemed to be a trace of an extremely faint-red color mixed within the green and silver colors!
”It is another tier 8 medicinal pill!”
The entire stadium was boiling at this moment. Countless numbers of eyes were red as they looked at the bright thundercloud in the sky. An excitement surged within their hearts as the blood in their bodies began to boil!
This was the true Pill Gathering!
Song Qing was stunned as he looked at the thundercloud in the sky. A sense of defeat rose within his heart. He was indeed lacking when compared with these monsters like Cao Ying and Dan Chen…
”Fortunately, that Xiao Yan should…”
Song Qing's eyes suddenly paused when this thought flashed across his heart because he discovered that Xiao Yan, who had been seated like a statue on a distant stone platform, had finally stood up…
Swoosh swoosh swoos.h.!.+
Countless numbers of fiery hot gazes appeared to have teleported as they suddenly paused on Xiao Yan's body when he stood up!
Xuan Kong Zi and the rest on the tall stage also gently clenched their hands without being able to control themselves. Their gazes were gathered on the somewhat skinny figure under the dark clouds that permeated the sky!
Back then, that man called Yao Chen had obtained the greatest glory in an extremely shocking manner!
Today, would the disciple of the man, who was considered the most dazzling genius of the alchemist world, be able to follow him in obtaining glory?
Chapter 1186: Three-Colored Pill Lightning
Xiao Yan slowly got up in front of a countless number of gazes. Lightningbolts rumbled in the sky. Occasionally, the lightning that rushed through the sky would carry a powerful light that lit up that young face, which appeared exceptionally calm.
Cao Ying, Dan Zhen, and the rest s.h.i.+fted their eyes from the thunderclouds in the sky when they saw Xiao Yan stand up. All of their eyes were shot onto him.