Support me at patreon for 360+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk
**
Under the gaze of the entire crowd. The old monster Qing Hua flicked his sleeve and slowly rose to his feet.
His eyes first paused on Xian'er, giving her a slight nod, then shifted toward Xiao Yan. His lips moved and a faint voice slipped directly into Xiao Yan's ears.
"Little fellow, well done, you didn't embarrass that scoundrel of a master of yours."
The sudden voice transmission made Xiao Yan startle. From the words, it sounded as though this person had some connection to Yao Lao. Not daring to be rude, he cupped his hands toward Qing Hua in a distant salute.
Qing Hua smiled faintly, then turned his gaze toward Wei Yang and Mu Gu, who still showed no movement, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He slowly drew back his gaze, said nothing more, and fixed on the cauldron before him. Under countless watching eyes, he flicked his sleeve, blasting the lid of the cauldron into the air.
Boom!
As the lid fell away, a surge of energy no weaker than that of Xiao Yan or Xian'er erupted outward. A pillar of light shot from the cauldron straight into the sky. Space trembled. Dark clouds swiftly gathered and condensed into a thundercloud.
After a fierce churning, two colors emerged first, followed by a third quietly blooming. Finally, the Pill Lightning solidified with three distinct hues.
"Three-color Pill Lightning as well!"
Seeing the thundercloud settle on three colors and slowly cease its rolling, exclamations of surprise spread across the square.
Qing Hua's Pill Lightning was not far off from Xiao Yan's and Xian'er's. Judging the depth of the colors by eye alone, it was hard for the crowd to say which of the three was superior.
"Next, only those two remain."
All eyes turned toward Wei Yang and Old Mu Gu.
The final result was about to be revealed.
Under the weight of all those expectant gazes, Old Mu Gu opened his eyes, a strange smile slowly curling across his face.
He rose unhurriedly, his cold eyes sliding briefly toward the still motionless Wei Yang, then shifting to Xuan Kongzi and the others, mockery flashing within. Sensing Mu Gu's look, Xuan Kongzi and the others felt a sudden heaviness in their hearts.
A bad premonition began to surface.
"Jie jie jie, Xuan Kongzi, my apologies, but it seems the champion of this Pill Gathering is about to fall to me, hahaha." Mu Gu's eerie laughter echoed. This time his voice was no longer disguised, but rang out in its true tone. As his laughter faded, Mu Gu flicked his fingers.
Boom!
An immensely terrifying pillar of light, like a beam piercing heaven and earth, erupted with a vast, shocking force, spearing straight into the sky.
"Jie jie jie, so this is all a disciple of Yao Chen amounts to."
The mighty pillar soared upward as Mu Gu's chilling laughter reverberated across the heavens. The immense power within that beam made everyone present pale with shock. Judging by the sheer force of the energy waves alone, none who had gone before could compare.
The square exploded in uproar.
Such an overwhelming presence—though the colors were not yet clear—was already without question the strongest so far. The faces of Xuan Kongzi and the other two tower masters darkened. The lady in the qipao grew visibly colder, her eyes locked icily on Mu Gu.
"Three Great Leaders, what should we do?"
Behind Xuan Kongzi, an elder in white robes also turned grim, quickly lowering his voice.
If Mu Gu were to seize the Pill Gathering championship, the Pill Tower's dignity would truly be trampled.
Everyone knew of the Pill Tower's long-standing enmity with the Soul Hall. To have a Soul Hall member seize their highest honor in full public view—what a humiliation that would be.
Xuan Kongzi's expression grew as black as ink, both hands slowly clenching into fists. A moment later, Xuan Kongzi slowly unclenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the still-silent Wei Yang. His voice sank low. "It isn't the final moment yet. Watch."
"Whatever we might try now is too late. Even though Old Mu Gu is from the Hun Clan, he is, after all, an alchemist. He meets every condition to compete in the Pill Gathering."
"If we stripped him of that right in front of everyone, not only would the Hun Clan never let it go, it would also ruin the reputation of the Pill Tower."
"For now, all we can do is hope for that Brat Wei."
"He… can handle it?" The white-robed elder couldn't hide the anxiety in his voice.
Xiao Yan is Yao Chen's disciple, and he only achieved three colors. Could Wei Yang, another of Yao Chen's students, truly surpass Xiao Yan?
Xuan Kongzi's face stayed dark and he gave no reply. The woman in the cheongsam exchanged a worried look with the dark-skinned elder. They couldn't be sure either.
In their eyes, Xiao Yan's performance was already extraordinary. For someone of the younger generation to contend with so many old monsters proved more than enough.
As for Wei Yang, they hardly dared to hope. Could a miracle really happen?
On one stone platform, Xiao Yan's eyes were locked on Old Mu Gu, a cold glint flashing as his fists slowly tightened. He hated the thought of losing to him.
But facing the sea of eyes from every direction, Old Mu Gu remained indifferent. He merely cast Wei Yang a faint glance. Then he lifted his head toward the end of the blinding light pillar in the sky. There, within that terrifying surge of energy, dense black clouds began to boil.
They gathered at frightening speed, condensing into a massive thundercloud. The cloud churned violently. Azure and silver burst forth almost instantly, dyeing the thundercloud two-colored.
It didn't stop. Another hue emerged.
The thundercloud rolled again, and a streak of crimson quietly surfaced. Under countless burning gazes, the red spread fast until it matched the other two in strength.
Then, after the third color stabilized, a dazzling golden light—like a hidden sun—slipped from the depths of the cloud, releasing a single shimmering ray.
"Hua—"
The atmosphere hit an unprecedented peak.
Four colors!
Four-colored Pill Lightning!
Since the start of the Pill Gathering, the strongest Pill Lightning finally appeared. The sole four-colored thundercloud crushed the entire field.
On the high platform.
Several Pill Tower elders stared at the sky where the four-colored Pill Lightning slowly stabilized. Their faces turned pale. They looked to one another, speechless.
For a moment, oppressive silence blanketed the place. Once this day's events spread, the Pill Tower's reputation would suffer a massive blow.
The proud Pill Tower, the holy land in the hearts of alchemists, would see its ultimate champion taken by a member of the Hun Clan.
What bitter irony.
The Hun Clan—the mortal enemy of countless alchemists!
"Creak—"
Xuan Kongzi's face grew frighteningly dark.
A trace of ferocity flickered between his brows as his dry fists clenched until they creaked. The space around him rippled in violent waves with his shifting mood.
"Calm yourself."
The dark-skinned elder beside him saw it, his own expression tightening. He pressed a heavy palm onto Xuan Kongzi's shoulder and barked in a low voice, "That Brat Wei hasn't moved yet."
Under the man's sharp command, the ferocity on Xuan Kongzi's face gradually eased, though his expression remained grim.
In truth, Xuan Kongzi held little hope. In his judgment, Wei Yang's alchemy could not possibly surpass Xiao Yan's.
------------------------------------------------------------
Support me at patreon for 360+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk