Chapter 366: Underlying Currents
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Yao Lao smiled with relief. He didn't want to put too much pressure on Xiao Yan. Yao Lao had watched Xiao Yan grow and knew that Xiao Yan didn't need additional pressure from him. Because of Xiao Ze's existence, Xiao Yan had never been complacent. Sometimes, Yao Lao worried that Xiao Yan might break under the strain of his relentless training. Fortunately, Xiao Yan had grown steadily stronger, now just one step away from becoming a Dou Zun!
If his journey to the Pill Meeting went smoothly and he got the chance to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame, he might finally step into the Dou Zun realm! The gap between the peak of Dou Zong and Dou Zun was immense. Without fortuitous encounters, ordinary geniuses could spend decades without breaking through this barrier.
"Alright, your fourth brother's alchemy meeting has concluded. Now it's your turn," Yao Lao said, pulling Xiao Yan's attention back.
"This time, you will face the Three Thousand Burning Flame! Ranked ninth on the Heavenly Flame list, it is even more dangerous than my Bone Chilling Flame! If you're not fully prepared, attempting to subdue it might not only fail to help you break through to Dou Zun but could also burn you to ashes."
Xiao Yan nodded solemnly. He was no longer an inexperienced rookie and had already consumed different Heavenly Flames. He knew how dangerous the process was and would not take it lightly.
"Luckily, finding medicinal ingredients in Saint Pill City is convenient. Otherwise, gathering them would take a lot of time," Yao Lao said, tossing a pill recipe scroll to Xiao Yan, instructing him to gather the missing ingredients.
"So many ingredients... This will cost a fortune," Xiao Yan said, wide-eyed at the list on the scroll.
Yao Lao rolled his eyes. "Be grateful. This recipe was incredibly difficult to collect. Others would kill to see it."
"Hehe, I understand. I'll start gathering the ingredients right away!" Xiao Yan scratched his head, laughed, and quickly returned to his courtyard. After discussing with the Skyfire Venerate, the two split up to gather the necessary ingredients.
In a luxurious courtyard in the outer region of Saint Pill City, a figure in a black robe stood with hands behind his back, looking towards the inner region with a serious expression.
"Nine-Colored Dan Thunder. I didn't expect Xiao Ze to grow so quickly. I wonder what his Dou Qi level is now..." Elder Mu Gu muttered, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. Disguised as an ordinary alchemist, he had come to the Pill Meeting with a mission to acquire the Three Thousand Burning Flame. The conflict between the Pill Tower and the Hall of Souls had ended inconclusively, but the Hall of Souls wasn't one to let things go easily. Since the Pill Tower had announced the opportunity for outsiders to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame, the Hall of Souls planned to intervene. Even if they couldn't use it, releasing it would still cause trouble for the Pill Tower.
At that moment, a blood-red spot appeared on the ground in front of Elder Mu Gu, quickly spreading and filling the air with a bloody scent. The red spot expanded, forming a figure in a blood-red robe. With long hair as red as blood, and blood-red eyebrows and eyes, this figure emanated a terrifying, murderous aura, as if facing a sea of corpses and blood.
Elder Mu Gu immediately bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Blood River Heavenly Venerate!"
Blood River Heavenly Venerate, once a renowned figure in Zhongzhou, was now a formidable member of the Hall of Souls, known for his terrifying Blood Transformation Technique. Now, as one of the Four Heavenly Venerates of the Hall of Souls, his power was immense.
"Mu Gu, this plan relies mainly on you. You must secure a top ten position in the Pill Meeting. Only then can the Hall of Souls enter the star region. Once inside, the fate of the Three Thousand Burning Flame will be in our hands," Blood River Heavenly Venerate instructed.
"I understand. I have also allied with several factions, including the Xuanyin Sect. During the phase of gathering ingredients in the pill realm, we will eliminate other alchemists and reduce the competition," Elder Mu Gu said with a cold smile. "We can also seize this opportunity to harvest the soul bodies of those alchemists."
Blood River Heavenly Venerate frowned. "Avoid unnecessary tricks. Even if you plan to eliminate alchemists, stay hidden. The three presidents of the Pill Tower might be preoccupied with the star region, but the new Vice President is no pushover. He can refine an eighth-rank pill with Nine-Colored Dan Thunder, indicating his soul power might be at the late Spirit Realm or even the Heavenly Realm, with formidable detection abilities."
Elder Mu Gu shuddered at the reprimand. Blood River Heavenly Venerate was known for his ruthless methods even before joining the Hall of Souls. His power earned him the position of one of the Four Heavenly Venerates. Fearing the consequences of angering him, Elder Mu Gu quickly said, "Rest assured, Heavenly Venerate. I will not act unless absolutely necessary. With my allies from the Xuanyin Sect, eliminating isolated alchemists will be easy."
"Even in desperate situations, avoid taking action. The death of Xuanyin Sect members is inconsequential. Remember, your main role is to ensure our forces enter the star region!" Blood River Heavenly Venerate said before vanishing into the ground.
"Understood, farewell, Heavenly Venerate," Elder Mu Gu said, breathing a sigh of relief once the blood-red figure disappeared. "It seems the new Vice President of the Pill Tower has complicated matters. I must follow Blood River Heavenly Venerate's advice and stay hidden in the pill realm. With the Hall of Souls' disguise techniques, I should remain undetected until the end of the Pill Meeting."
Elder Mu Gu was confident in the Hall of Souls' disguise abilities. As for the Xuanyin Sect and other allied factions, he dismissed their fate, as they were merely pawns.
However, Elder Mu Gu couldn't foresee that Xiao Ze had already decided to eliminate him in the pill realm. Regardless of whether Elder Mu Gu acted, once Xiao Ze found him, his fate was sealed.
At that moment, Xiao Ze, having absorbed the Thunder Tribulation Pill's energy, felt the diameter of his Origin Tree expand by several meters, marking significant progress.
"With the Pill Meeting approaching, it's not appropriate for me, as Vice President, to stay in the Elder Tower all the time. I should check on the preparations," Xiao Ze thought as he left his secluded room to consult with the Grand Elder about the Pill Meeting arrangements.
(End of chapter)