Chapter 368: The Pill Meeting Begins, Drawing Attention
Time flew by amidst the busyness, and Xiao Ze, assured that the elders were handling the preparations for the Pill Meeting, relaxed. Back at the Elder Tower, he spent his time chatting and joking with Qing Lin, sparring with Medusa, and discussing poison techniques with Little Doctor Fairy. Their cultivation levels were a bit behind Xiao Ze's. Although Little Doctor Fairy had broken through to Dou Zun later than Qing Lin and Medusa, her progress was faster due to frequent exchanges about her poison techniques with Xiao Ze.
After another session of exchanging poison techniques with Little Doctor Fairy, the diameter of Xiao Ze's Origin Tree successfully broke through to 500 meters. Xiao Ze could clearly feel that he was one step closer to breaking through to Dou Sheng. Every 100 meters the Origin Tree expanded, he felt closer to Dou Sheng. This made him speculate that once the diameter of the Origin Tree reached 1000 meters, he might successfully break through to the Saint Realm. According to the nine-turn saint-making method, every 100 meters equated to one turn, meaning he was currently at the peak of five-turn Dou Zun.
Little Doctor Fairy's beautiful face blushed lightly. Ever since Xiao Ze had helped her manage her poison techniques, she had been able to fully control her internal poison power. Now, consuming poison was no longer a double-edged sword but beneficial. Every time she exchanged techniques with Xiao Ze, it was a nourishing experience for her.
With a breath that smelled like orchids, Little Doctor Fairy's aura fluctuated. Xiao Ze immediately noticed she was about to break through, quickly grabbing her hand to help manage the poison power exchange. Only when her aura suddenly surged did Xiao Ze let go. She opened her eyes and smiled gratefully at him.
"I suddenly sensed a breakthrough opportunity. Without your help, I might have missed it," she said.
"Opportunities are rare. It's good that you seized it," Xiao Ze said, getting up from the bed and stretching. He called out towards the door, "Qing Lin, how long have we been in seclusion? How long until the Pill Meeting?"
Qing Lin rushed in, relieved to see Xiao Ze and Little Doctor Fairy. "Luckily, you came out now. I was about to interrupt your cultivation. Today is the day the Pill Meeting begins."
Xiao Ze and Little Doctor Fairy exchanged relieved smiles. "Better early than late. Let's get ready for the Pill Meeting," he said.
Little Doctor Fairy nodded, and Qing Lin handed Xiao Ze a uniform from her storage ring. "Xiao Ze, this is the uniform the Pill Tower sent, specially tailored for you."
Xiao Ze looked at the uniform, which had many similarities to the elder's uniform but with different patterns. The most significant difference was the badge on it, adorned with eight dazzling purple-gold stars, symbolizing a peak eighth-rank alchemist. Xiao Ze quickly put on the uniform, and Qing Lin carefully pinned the badge on him.
Medusa and Little Doctor Fairy, now ready, joined them and were immediately struck by Xiao Ze's new look. "Wow, this uniform really suits you, Xiao Ze," Little Doctor Fairy said, admiring him from all angles.
Even the usually reticent Medusa gave him an approving nod. "Very nice," she said.
As Xiao Ze and his group stepped out of the Elder Tower, they heard a deafening roar of noise from the northern region of the inner area.
"So lively! This truly is the grandest gathering of alchemists on the continent," he remarked. "I've never seen so many alchemists before."
The crowd was a sea of people, dressed in various uniforms, creating a dazzling spectacle. As they moved towards the northern region, the scene became even more exaggerated. The vast northern area was packed with people, and the thunderous noise echoed far and wide, heard clearly for miles around.
No wonder the noise reached all the way to the Elder Tower, Xiao Ze thought, impressed by the scale of the event. In the core area was a massive plaza with numerous floating stone platforms, the stage where alchemists would demonstrate their skills after passing the tests.
Scanning the area, Xiao Ze led the three women towards a nearby building. After a spatial shift, they appeared inside, surrounded by high-ranking members of the Pill Tower, including the three heads: Xuankongzi and the other two elders.
"Xiao Ze, you finally made it," Xuankongzi said, welcoming him warmly.
Xiao Ze informed the three women to make themselves comfortable and approached the three heads. "Greetings, Presidents!"
"Haha, no need for such formality. Are you confident in hosting this grand event?" Xuanyi asked with a smile.
"It should be no problem," Xiao Ze replied.
The three heads nodded. "Alright, let's go," Xuankongzi said, waving his sleeve. A melodious bell rang out, silencing the noisy crowd. The space around them twisted, and they reappeared on a high platform, overlooking the sea of alchemists below.
Countless alchemists looked up with admiration at the platform, where the three heads stood. But what surprised them most was the young man standing at the front, wearing the Pill Tower uniform with a badge symbolizing a peak eighth-rank alchemist.
Xiao Ze, finding himself in the forefront position, smiled calmly and began to speak. "I am Xiao Ze, Vice President of the Pill Tower, and I will be hosting this Pill Meeting. On behalf of the Pill Tower, I welcome all alchemists from across the continent to participate."
His words left many people in awe. Although it had been rumored for some time that Xiao Ze had become Vice President, they didn't expect him to be hosting the Pill Meeting. The crowd buzzed with whispered discussions.
"Wow, I've heard that past Pill Meetings were always hosted by the Pill Tower's president. I didn't expect Vice President Xiao Ze to host this time."
"It seems like Xiao Ze is already on par with the heads of the Pill Tower, just missing the official title."
"Yes, it's incredible. Everyone here is probably older than him, yet he's already a top figure in the Pill Tower!"
"Can we start calling him the fourth head of the Pill Tower now?"
"It seems appropriate. Although his strength is unknown, it's been said that he can refine eighth-rank pills with Nine-Colored Dan Thunder!"
"Unbelievable!"
(End of chapter)