At the peak of the Medicine Mountain, clouds and mist intertwined, the strange fragrance of elixirs diffused, making one feel refreshed and as if they were in a fairyland. On top of the Medicine Mountain, vast expanses of herbs gathered like an ocean. Above these herbal seas, an enormous square was suspended in mid-air. At the four corners of the square, four massive elixir cauldrons stood, rising with the fragrance of medicines, smoke columns reaching straight into the sky.
On this suspended giant platform, there were already many figures scattered about. Chattering voices continued to rise, creating a lively scene. Looking towards the north direction from the stone platform, one could see rows of stone chairs arranged side by side. Beside these chairs, beautiful attendants moved gracefully like butterflies, filling the jade cups on the stone tables with their nimble hands.
“Shoo, shoo!”
When Xiao Yan and the Pharmacist Elder reached the mountaintop and scanned the area, just as they were about to find a place to sit, the Ten Thousand Flames Elder rose from his stone chair and laughed, “Alliance Leader Yao Chen, young friend Xiao Yan, please come this way.”
“Yao Chen? Xiao Yan? The Celestial Alliance? I didn’t expect both of them to be here,” whispered the crowd.
“From what I’ve heard, Yao Chen used to be a member of the Medicine Clan, but was expelled due to some matters later on.”
“Is that true? If it is, wouldn’t the Medicine Clan regret it deeply?”
The Ten Thousand Flames Elder’s laughter immediately drew numerous gazes toward Xiao Yan and the Pharmacist Elder. The Celestial Alliance now had a formidable presence in Central Continent, and its nominal leader and spiritual figurehead were known to everyone present. Whispering broke out among the crowd.
Xiao Yan paid no attention to the various gazes, focusing instead on the Pharmacist Elder.
“Hehe, just as you said, we represent the Celestial Alliance. Not giving us a good seat would undervalue our alliance,” smiled the Pharmacist Elder.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan also smiled, and the two of them flashed over, appearing near the Ten Thousand Flames Elder and finding a place to sit. Nearby, the clever attendants hurriedly came forward to serve them respectfully.
Seeing the two take their seats, the Ten Thousand Flames Elder gave them a smile. The other Medicine Clan elders beside him, however, appeared slightly uneasy. These elders were of a higher generation than the Pharmacist Elder, and if Yao Chen had remained in the Medicine Clan, he would have had to bow to them. However, the current reality made them realize that it might now be their turn to bow…
The title of the leader of the Celestial Alliance was enough to put him on par with the Clan Leader of the Medicine Clan!
“The prelude to the Medicine Festival is not much to see. It’s just the younger generation of the Medicine Clan showing off. The real highlight of the Medicine Festival is in the final competition,” the Pharmacist Elder gazed down at the enormous stone platform below, smiling lightly, then turned to Xiao Yan, “If you can win in the final match, the title of the number one Alchemist in Dou Qi Continent will be yours.”
“Whether I’m first or second doesn’t matter to me. The Medicine Clan is too arrogant. I just want to use the alchemy skills taught by my teacher to tell them that their rash and foolish actions back then cost the clan a true genius,” Xiao Yan smiled faintly.
“Hey, you little brat,” the Pharmacist Elder scolded with a smile, but his face was filled with satisfaction. Having such a disciple, he felt greatly rewarded.
“However, even though your alchemy skills are now advanced, standing out in the Medicine Festival won’t be easy,” the Pharmacist Elder’s face became serious, “Those who can participate in the final alchemy competition are the most top-tier individuals in the world. Their alchemy skills are such that even the Dan Tower may not have anyone to match.”
Xiao Yan nodded lightly, understanding that those who could participate in the final contest were not to be underestimated. However, the stronger the opponent, the more interested he became. Since the last time he competed in alchemy at the Dan Meeting, he had not participated in such contests for a long time… This time, the opponent was far stronger than before.
As Xiao Yan and the Pharmacist Elder conversed, the crowd around the stone platform grew larger and larger. Eventually, the sounds of bustling excitement echoed, and the noise even shook the clouds above.
Suddenly, a bell toll rang out in the sky, and the many members of the Medicine Clan quickly stood up, their respectful voices reverberating through the air.
“Welcome, Clan Leader.”
Amid the reverent welcomes, the clouds in the sky parted, and an old man in white robes emerged, his footsteps causing peculiar ripples in space, as if turning it solid.
“Clan Leader of the Medicine Clan?” Seeing the kindly-faced, white-haired old man, Xiao Yan’s eyes glinted with solemnity. He sensed an extraordinarily powerful aura from the elder, which was stronger than the Ten Thousand Flames Elder by a significant margin.
“This is the Clan Leader of the Medicine Clan, Yao Dan. He is likely at the level of a Seven-Star Dou Zun,” the Pharmacist Elder looked at the old man with a complex expression. No matter what, he had the blood of the Medicine Clan in him, and meeting the Clan Leader brought mixed feelings to his heart.
“Seven-Star Dou Zun.” Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the strongest person in the Medicine Clan, indeed stronger than the Celestial Alliance. The ancient lineage’s foundation was truly admirable.
“Hehe, all guests are welcome…” The old man, Yao Dan, smiled gently and bowed to the crowd, then his gaze suddenly shifted to the Pharmacist Elder, his eyes flickering with a complex expression.
Sitting beside the Pharmacist Elder, Xiao Yan also noticed Yao Dan’s gaze. His face remained unchanged, but a black light flashed beside him, and the North King reappeared, staring impassively at Yao Dan like a beast ready to strike.
The Pharmacist Elder slowly lifted his head and met Yao Dan’s gaze, smiling lightly, “Greetings, Clan Leader Yao Dan.”
“Yao Chen… We’ve all been mistaken,” Yao Dan’s gaze lingered on the Pharmacist Elder, then moved to Xiao Yan, pausing on the North King. With a sigh, he sat down among the greetings of the other elders.
Just as Yao Dan took his seat, another voice filled with age echoed across the sky, accompanied by an intense medicinal aroma. A distant green light flickered, and in a few moments, a pale green medicine cauldron rapidly approached, carrying an old man in simple hemp clothes. In his hand, he held a cane woven from medicinal herbs, with several jade vials hanging from it, jingling as it swayed.
“Divine Farmer Old Man, I didn’t expect to see this senior here,” the Pharmacist Elder’s eyes flickered with surprise. Xiao Yan, recognizing him, also felt a great sense of gravity. The Divine Farmer Old Man, though not very well-known, was a venerable figure in the alchemy world, even respected by the Pharmacist Elder.
“Indeed, it’s fitting for the Medicine Festival…” Xiao Yan licked his lips, his heart suddenly ablaze. Competing in alchemy with such a person would be thrilling.
“Still alive, you old man,” Yao Dan also laughed, but without any surprise.
The Divine Farmer Old Man stood up from the cauldron, waving his sleeve to put it away, and his aged gaze swept around, finally landing on Xiao Yan. He murmured in astonishment, “I haven’t left the mountains for years, and yet such a new talent appears in the Central Continent. So young, yet with soul power at the peak of the Heavenly Realm. Astonishing…”
“Greetings, Divine Farmer Senior,” Xiao Yan smiled and bowed, with a warm expression.
The Divine Farmer Old Man nodded with a smile, just as he was about to sit down, his eyebrows furrowed, and he turned around. Suddenly, dark clouds surged from behind, spreading rapidly, reaching the summit in the blink of an eye. From the black clouds, a man in black robes materialized, and with his appearance, a low wailing sound, like the lament of souls, filled the air.
“Soul Clan’s Huo Xu, arriving uninvited. I hope Clan Leader Yao Dan will not take offense,” the man in black smiled lightly, his voice calm and collected.
“Huo Xu…” Hearing this name, the Pharmacist Elder beside Xiao Yan trembled, his eyes flashing with cold light.
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