The exit of the Pill Realm lay in the northern region, a considerable distance from the Myriad Medicine Mountain Range. Thankfully, the Mystic Bird that Xiong Zhan had found was extremely swift; at this speed, they should be able to reach the exit within a day. Along the way, Xiao Yan and his group encountered many other participants who were also rushing towards the exit. Some of these participants envied the giant bird that Xiao Yan’s group was riding on. With such a mode of transportation, it would save them countless troubles. Alas, the magical beasts inside the Pill Realm were all extraordinarily violent, making taming them no easy task.
According to the rules, anyone who had not reached the exit by the time the Pill Realm closed would lose their eligibility to continue participating. Only after two days, when the Pill Tower’s strong experts entered the Pill Realm, would they bring back all those who had remained inside. Thus, for the sake of reaching the exit in the final moments, the remaining participants hurriedly rushed towards the exit, filled with urgency.
Nearly a day passed as they traveled swiftly. By the next morning, a massive plaza constructed from white boulders appeared in the distance. On the plaza, one could faintly see some speck-sized dark figures.
“Is this the exit of the Pill Realm…?” Xiao Yan gazed at the vast plaza from afar and felt a sense of relief. Luckily, there was no delay.
“Chirp…” The Mystic Bird let out a sharp cry, then its giant wings flapped, generating a fierce gust of wind as it swiftly soared toward the plaza. The sudden appearance of this massive creature drew wary gazes from the people on the plaza. After experiencing several days inside the Pill Realm, everyone now understood the formidable nature of its magical beasts. Therefore, upon seeing the Mystic Bird’s size, no one dared to underestimate it easily.
Under the watchful eyes of the onlookers, the Mystic Bird circled above the plaza. Three figures leaped down from it, and their feet landed steadily on the ground.
As the trio appeared, the crowd’s gazes immediately turned to them. Curious and incredulous eyes scanned Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan. Their vastly different sizes made it difficult for people to consider them as alchemists.
Xiao Yan and his companions ignored the gazes. He glanced around the plaza and stopped on a few familiar figures at the front.
At the front of the plaza, a beautifully curvaceous woman in a black dress, Cao Ying, fixed her gaze on Xiao Yan as soon as he appeared. Seeing that he was unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.
Beside Cao Ying, Song Qing watched and couldn’t help but twitch his lips. A hint of shame crossed his face, and he whispered, “Fortunately, Xiao Yan didn’t have any accidents. I can rest assured now. Yinger, that old man secretly used hidden force to push me away. Had my reflexes not been quick, that hidden force could have taken my life.”
Upon hearing this, Cao Ying’s eyes flickered, and she chuckled lightly, covering her mouth. “Senior Brother Song, don’t blame yourself. At that time, staying would have only meant death. How could I blame you?”
Her words, though delivered with a charming smile, hid a cold, underlying disdain. No matter how domineering she usually was, in such a life-or-death situation, she was still a vulnerable woman. Small actions by others would leave deep impressions.
Clearly, in her heart, Song Qing had already been marked as a blacklisted person.
Cao Ying’s subtle emotions went unnoticed by Song Qing, and he, too, let out a breath of relief.
Xiao Yan’s gaze wandered over Cao Ying, who exuded endless allure even in her most casual smiles. When she saw him looking at her, her bewitching face softened with a rare, gentle smile.
Xiao Yan was taken aback by Cao Ying’s gentle expression. Her usual coquettish smiles often carried a certain aloofness and coldness. It seemed that even Song Qing had never seen such a smile.
Returning her smile, Xiao Yan, who had no enmity with Cao Ying, recognized that this young woman had an extraordinary future. Cultivating a good relationship with her would be quite beneficial.
After a brief exchange of glances, Xiao Yan’s gaze shifted to another direction, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
“Old Man Mu Gu!”
Xiao Yan’s gaze fell upon a black-robed man, who was none other than Old Man Mu Gu, the same one who had pursued Xiao Yan and was repelled by Xiong Zhan.
As soon as Xiao Yan appeared, Old Man Mu Gu noticed. His gaze swept over Xiao Yan, then to the robust Xiong Zhan beside him. A frown appeared on his face, and a cold snort escaped his nose.
“Lucky little rascal!”
Xiao Yan stared coldly at Old Man Mu Gu. Those shadowy figures that had been behind Mu Gu were now nowhere to be seen, but Xiao Yan knew they must be hiding among the alchemists.
“Looks like the old guy is also after the Heavenly Flame,” Xiao Yan thought, his fingers stroking his storage ring. He surveyed the entire plaza, noticing many elderly figures who were clearly seasoned experts.
“The attraction of the Heavenly Flame is indeed great. Even these veterans are willing to set aside their dignity for it.”
Xiao Yan sighed internally. This Dan Meet truly lived up to its name. To stand out in such fierce competition required real skills.
“That Dan Family girl, Dan Chen, is here early too. She’s no ordinary person.”
Xiao Yan’s gaze paused on a particular figure. It was Dan Chen, whom he had met a few times before. She sat calmly, her frail appearance concealing her powerful soul. As Xiao Yan looked at her, he noticed a strange, continuous pull emanating from her, specifically absorbing soul energy.
“Her body is unusually weak, but her soul is exceedingly strong. Quite a special constitution, much like Little Healer Immortal or Qing Lin.”
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan anticipated intense competition in the Dan Meet.
As time passed, more and more participants arrived at the plaza, and most of them were far from weak. After all, surviving in the Pill Realm was no small feat.
While waiting, Xiao Yan noticed an elder in the center of the plaza, his staff in hand. The elder, wearing a Pill Tower robe, held a staff and had a weathered, orange peel-like face. A Pill Tower emblem with a shimmering purple-gold tower was on his chest.
“One of the Pill Tower’s Eight Elders!” Recognizing the emblem, some people gasped in awe and quickly fell silent.
The elder paid no mind to the murmurs. Like a meditating monk, he stood still until he finally opened his eyes and said, “Time is up. Hand over your medicine lists and task materials. Then, you may leave through here and proceed to the final Dan Meet contest.”
With a tap of his staff, a dark spatial rift appeared.
Hearing the elder, the crowd stirred. Many faces turned despondent; they had not completed their tasks. Soon, a cold-faced middle-aged man stepped forward and handed over his list and materials. After a quick inspection, the elder nodded, and the man entered the spatial rift, disappearing.
Following this, others began to submit their materials and enter the rift. Some tried to bluff with incomplete tasks, but the elder quickly saw through it, sending them sprawling with a blow from his staff.
As Cao Ying and others prepared to enter the rift, Xiao Yan turned to Zi Yan, “I’ll go first. We’ll meet again outside.”
“Okay.” Smiling, Xiao Yan smoothed his robe and walked briskly to the elder. He handed over his list and materials. The elder inspected them, nodded, and motioned for him to enter.
Xiao Yan bowed respectfully and, taking a deep breath, stepped into the dark spatial rift, feeling a step closer to the Heavenly Flame.
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