Capítulo 419: Chapter 418: Departure, Eerie Tranquility
"Finally... succeeded," Tang Zhen exclaimed excitedly. "Elder Xiao Ming, rest assured and focus on pill refinement. Leave this Pill Lightning to me; there's no need for you to worry about it."
"Valley Master Tang, please refrain from interfering. These Pill Lightnings are useful to me," Xiao Ming directly refused. Although the Pill Lightning was only for a seventh-tier pill, even a mosquito's leg was still meat. He couldn't let Tang Zhen waste it.
He waved his hand and released a golden puppet, a slightly weaker Sky Demon Puppet equivalent to a peak three-star Dou Venerate.
Boom!
Suddenly, a silver-white lightning bolt descended from the sky and arrived above the medicinal cauldron in an instant. Xiao Ming's mind moved, and the hollow eyes of the Sky Demon Puppet flashed with a cold light. It stomped the ground like a cannonball and collided head-on with the lightning bolt.
Bang!
The Pill Lightning of a mere seventh-tier pill couldn't cause any harm to the puppet. It was directly shattered and absorbed.
As if a switch had been flipped, a chain reaction occurred within the thunderclouds. One silver-white lightning bolt after another "boom, boom" struck towards the Sky Demon Puppet.
As expected, the thunderclouds continued to strike for a full minute, dispersing their thick clouds, but they still couldn't harm the puppet in the slightest.
This continued until the thunderclouds completely dissipated from the sky.
Tang Zhen looked at the Sky Demon Puppet in astonishment. Not only was its body incredibly tough and powerful, but it could also absorb Pill Lightnings to enhance itself.
For an alchemist, this was nothing short of a divine weapon. The biggest concern for high-tier alchemists was that their painstakingly refined pills would be destroyed by the Pill Lightning.
But with this puppet, there was no need to worry about their hard-earned pills being destroyed.
On the seats, the other alchemists were envious of Xiao Ming's puppet, but they didn't dare to harbor any covetous thoughts.
After all, they still valued their lives.
The Sky Demon Puppet descended again, now at the four-star Dou Venerate stage. Xiao Ming casually put it away in his storage ring.
Looking at the red and green pills spinning, jumping, and swirling inside the Mountain Melting Cauldron, their surfaces smooth and engraved with mysterious and exquisite patterns, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance, Xiao Ming raised his hand and exerted a suction force in his palm. The Fire Bodhisattva Pill flew out of the cauldron and landed in his hand.
He took out a creamy white jade bottle, placed the Fire Bodhisattva Pill inside, and casually tossed it to Tang Zhen, who was approaching. Finally, Xiao Ming stretched his body leisurely.
"Valley Master Tang, take a look at the quality of the pill."
Being a sixth-tier alchemist, Tang Zhen naturally had the ability to discern. He smelled the medicinal fragrance and examined the color before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! Truly worthy of a Master Alchemist. This is the highest-quality high seventh-tier pill I have ever seen!"
"Valley Master Tang, I've been bothering you for quite some time now. I must depart today." Xiao Ming said with a smile. He had no reason to stay in the Burning Flame Valley now that he had obtained the Sky Fire Three Mysterious Change and finished the pill refinement.
"Are you really leaving..." Tang Zhen wanted to persuade him to stay after hearing this, but all he could do was sigh and nod. "I'm sure you have important things to attend to. You are welcome to visit my Burning Flame Valley if you have the opportunity. You will always be our honored guest as long as I, Tang Zhen, am the Valley Master."
"Thank you for your kind offer, Valley Master Tang." Xiao Ming smiled and nodded. Then he signaled to Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, and Venerable Tian Huo, who had gathered by his side.
They soared into the air and flew quickly towards the exit of the Burning Flame Valley.
Once outside the Burning Flame Valley, Xiao Ming and his companions didn't linger. They swiftly flew towards the location of the nearest wormhole.
On their way, Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help but ask with some confusion, "Xiao Ming, you just made a breakthrough. Why didn't you spend a day or two consolidating your cultivation in Burning Flame Valley before leaving?"
"I have a premonition that something major will happen in Holy Pill City," Xiao Ming replied.
He hadn't forgotten that after returning to Holy Pill City in the simulation, he killed a Dou Venerate. He didn't think it was for no reason. It would be better to return earlier to confirm his suspicions.
'Something major will happen?' Xiao Yi Xian furrowed her eyebrows. Although she still had some doubts, she didn't pursue the matter further. If Xiao Ming wanted to share more, he would continue, and if he didn't, there was no need to ask.
"I see. Let us then accelerate and travel through space directly."
The space before them distorted as Xiao Yi Xian spoke, revealing a pitch-black rift. Without hesitation, they flew straight into it...
...
After a long journey, Xiao Ming arrived in Holy Pill City two days earlier than the time mentioned in the simulation.
Upon returning, perhaps due to arriving ahead of schedule, Xiao Ming didn't notice anything amiss. He bid farewell to his partners and Venerable Tian Huo before heading straight to the headquarters of the Pill Tower.
"Elder Xiao Ming!"
"Good morning, Elder Xiao Ming!"
"Hello, Elder Xiao Ming!"
"..."
Along the way, many people greeted Xiao Ming with respect, bowing their heads as they exchanged greetings.
As internal members of the Pill Tower, they were privy to certain truths. For instance, the rumors circulating outside about Xiao Ming single-handedly defeating ten Dou Venerates while destroying the Hall of Souls' branch hall.
Many outsiders dismissed these achievements as mere rumors due to their extraordinary nature. However, these insiders were aware that these events had indeed occurred.
Initially, they had been skeptical, but after hearing accounts from their fellow colleagues, they had no choice but to believe. Phrases like "obliterating the Black White Tianzuns with a single palm" and "easily handling Eighth Tianzun with a wave of his hand" had been uttered by Elder Shangguan, a respected figure among the Eight Great Elders. Naturally, such claims couldn't be false.
At this point, everyone was in awe of Xiao Mind and understood why he was known as the "Dual Master of Alchemy and Dou Qi." It was a well-deserved title.
...
At the highest level of the Pill Tower, there was a spacious and grand hall. Typically, only on significant occasions would the top figures of the Pill Tower gather there for meetings.
The hall, which had been empty for a long time, was now occupied by several people, while servants respectfully served tea and water on the side.
"After Xiao Ming led the operation to rescue the soul bodies of the alchemists, the Hall of Souls has been relatively quiet. What are your thoughts, Elders?" Xuan Kong Zi, the Association Head, looked at the Elders in the hall and asked in a soft voice.
"In recent years, the Hall of Souls has been aggressively capturing soul bodies, indicating their grand ambitions. So far, we have destroyed two of their branch halls, and two additional branch halls were destroyed by other unknown powerhouses. We will undoubtedly bear the blame for these actions. Knowing the Hall of Souls, they seek revenge for even the smallest grievances. If they are not taking action now, it means they are secretly plotting something," Qiu Ling, the leader of the Eight Great Elders, said solemnly.
"The Hall of Souls is exceedingly powerful. If they continue to cause disturbances in secret, it would be extremely challenging for the Pill Tower to confront them alone. Unless we find allies, we will inevitably fall into the clutches of the Hall of Souls," another Elder said with a grave tone.
His words were not baseless. The Pill Tower had engaged in wars with the Hall of Souls before, but most of the time, the Pill Tower ended up at a disadvantage.
It wasn't because the Pill Tower was weak. Although they had fewer powerful individuals compared to the Hall of Souls, the Pill Tower was wealthy and influential. They could hire a large number of powerful individuals to charge into battle. However, with each battle, the Pill Tower's numbers diminished, while the Hall of Souls swiftly replenished their ranks, no matter the extent of their casualties.
The reason behind this was that the Hall of Souls had the backing of the Hun Clan, one of the Eight Ancient Clans. Not to mention anything else, the Hall of Souls definitely had an abundance of Dou Venerates, and no matter how wealthy the Pill Tower was, they couldn't withstand such continuous losses.
However, despite that, every time the Pill Tower couldn't bear it any longer, they would retaliate. Alchemists were a proud group, with their eyes set high above the sky.
"Perhaps we can unite with other powers to overcome this predicament," a relatively young Elder suggested.
"We can seek alliances with sects like the Flower Sect, Burning Flame Valley, and the Falling Star Pavilion."
At the top position, Xuan Kong Zi looked at the people below who were discussing and sighed lightly. In truth, he called for this meeting because he had received information that the Hall of Souls was planning a significant move. However, he was unaware of the specifics.
The question he posed earlier was meant to encourage everyone to think, but now the discussion had veered off track.
Helplessly, Xuan Kong Zi redirected the conversation.
"As the Pill Tower, we have always remained neutral. It is not up to us to decide on changing our stance by forming alliances with others."
Upon hearing this, the Elders who had been discussing how to win over allies felt slightly embarrassed. They had been too preoccupied with dealing with the Hall of Souls and had forgotten about this aspect.
Under normal circumstances, the Pill Tower adhered to the sole authority of the Pill Tower Ancestor.
However, with the Ancestor's absence, major decisions of the Pill Tower had to be determined by the Main Elder Council, located in the Small Pill Tower.
Some of the council's obstinately elderly members, though, were fiercely conservative and held opposing views on forming alliances. If there was even a slight difference in votes, the final outcome would be fixed and unshakable. What use was it if only the Three Giants agreed?
"If the Ancestor were here, it would be much better. With a single word from him, the final decision would be determined..." Xuan Yi sighed with a furrowed brow on the left side, clearly expressing her support for the alliance.
"The Ancestor enjoys wandering in the mortal world, coming and going as he pleases. He's probably still 'experiencing life' now," Xuan Kong Zi replied with a wry smile.
"Hmm, I believe this matter can still be accomplished. The Main Elder Council consists of ten elders. Excluding the three of us, there are seven others. Among these seven elders, two bear a deep-seated grudge against the Hall of Souls. If we can persuade these two individuals, our votes would reach five, putting us on equal footing with the other old fogies. We just need to convince one more person, and then we can change our stance," Tian Lei Zi calmly expressed his opinion, his solemn face devoid of emotional fluctuations.
He also believed that forming alliances with other forces was a good strategy. The situation in Central Plains was becoming increasingly chaotic, and he sensed the Hall of Souls' shadow everywhere, which made him suspect a grand conspiracy. However, he couldn't find any evidence.
"Hmm, after the meeting, let's take a trip to the Small Pill Tower," Xuan Kong Zi concisely and reasonably suggested, nodding his head.
"Alright, back to the main topic. I have received some information that the Hall of Souls may take action. We need to strengthen our defenses in Holy Pill City, inform the outer branch towers to proceed with caution, and expedite the recruitment of powerful individuals," Xuan Kong Zi stated.
"Yes!" the crowd responded.
Satisfied with their response, Xuan Kong Zi was about to announce the adjournment of the meeting when he noticed an empty seat, furrowing his brows.
"Elder Xiao Ming hasn't returned yet?"
"No."
"Has anyone been sent to Sound Valley?"
As the leader of the Eight Great Elders, Qiu Ling was about to answer that someone had been sent, but before he could speak, a crisp knocking sound came from the entrance.
"Please come in!"
All eyes turned to see a familiar figure pushing open the doors and entering slowly.
Upon seeing the newcomer, smiles appeared on everyone's faces.
"Xiao Ming! We didn't expect you to be back."
"The way you handled the Hall of Souls' branch hall last time truly showcased the might of our Pill Tower!"
"Uhm? Why do I feel an even stronger pressure from you? Your strength hasn't increased again, has it?"
Xuan Kong Zi greeted Xiao Ming with a friendly smile.
"You brat, you finally came back. But every time you return, you can't stay for more than a few months. Among the Eight Great Elders, you're the most leisurely one."
After nodding greetings to everyone, Xiao Ming pretended to be helpless and said, "Old Xuan, it's not that I don't want to stay, but there are some matters that force me to leave."
"Alright, I know you're a busy fellow. Just remember, the situation in Central Plains will become even more chaotic. Since you've made a name for yourself in the Hall of Souls, it's best to avoid going out unnecessarily."
Xuan Kong Zi stroked his beard. He had no intention of saying much to him. After all, Xiao Ming had done so much for the Pill Tower. He was only concerned that the Hall of Souls would target and ambush Xiao Ming.
"Well, if there's nothing urgent, I won't go out." Xiao Ming replied with a smile.
"You..." Xuan Kong Zi sensed the hidden meaning in his words, that if there was something urgent, he would go out.
Xuan Kong Zi could only helplessly shake his head. 'Oh well, this young lad has exceptional strength. To achieve such accomplishments and growth, his mental acuity must be extraordinary. He knows how to exercise discretion, so I shouldn't worry unnecessarily.'
With these thoughts in mind, Xuan Kong Zi stood up and said, "The meeting has concluded. You can ask Qiu Ling for the specifics. Let's adjourn."
'Oh, really? The meeting ended just as I arrived?' Xiao Ming was somewhat surprised. It seemed too coincidental. He was about to stop Xuan Kong Zi and ask if there were any suspicious people lurking near the Holy Pill City. However, he changed his mind and decided not to say anything. He walked towards Qiu Ling instead.
"Elder Qiu Ling, could you please inform me about what was discussed during this meeting?"
"Of course, this time..."
As Xiao Ming listened to Qiu Ling's account, he pondered, and his speculations became more certain.
In fact, he used the simulator on his way back to Holy Pill City, and the Hall of Souls was mentioned in it.
Combining that with the content of this meeting, it seemed that the Hall of Souls was planning to teach the Pill Tower a lesson.
For example, destroying the location where the Pill Tower's headquarters resided - Holy Pill City.
This would cause the Pill Tower to lose face and prestige while simultaneously eliminating tens of thousands of registered alchemists, weakening their power.
The Hall of Souls had such intentions in the original story, but they failed.
However, they were unlikely to send only a few Dou Venerates this time.
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