Cao Ying's gaze locked directly on Goku. It was obvious—she had come for him. Her records had been broken again and again, and each time by exactly double. Was it provocation? Coincidence? Either way, her curiosity toward Goku had grown dangerously strong.
---
The hall fell silent at Cao Ying's move. Countless eyes shifted back and forth between her and Goku, many filled with schadenfreude.
Some had noticed the strange pattern: Goku's results seemed tailored to target Cao Ying, each time precisely double her record. One instance might be dismissed as chance. But twice? That smelled of deliberate mockery. Such precise control over soul force was unheard of, hinting at mastery beyond imagination.
Whether coincidence or not, the message was clear: Goku had challenged Cao Ying.
Everyone also knew her intervention wouldn't affect the outcome of the assessment. Whether she won or lost, Goku would still place first or second—meaning the Ye family's spot was already secure. But to knock Goku down a peg, even just symbolically, was a way for Cao Ying to vent her anger. After all, this man had humiliated her younger brother, Cao Dan, leaving him bedridden. Even if she had little affection for that brother, family was family. She couldn't just let it go.
Elder Sheng frowned. He knew Cao Ying well. Behind her ever-smiling face was a pride as cold as steel. This sudden challenge wasn't just about avenging her brother; more than anything, it was about cutting Goku's momentum short.
"So you like breaking my records, do you? Let's see if you're as untouchable as you think."
Helpless, Elder Sheng glanced at Goku. The entire hall's attention now focused on him. Would he accept?
Arms folded across his chest, Goku looked at Cao Ying with a teasing grin.
"And who do you think you are? You want to fight me, and I should just agree? Wouldn't that make me look cheap?"
"Wha—?!"
The hall erupted in murmurs. Everyone had expected bravado, maybe even a dramatic acceptance. Instead, Goku brushed her off like she was beneath him.
Cao Ying's smile twitched. For once, her calm elegance cracked, anger flashing across her face. This man… utterly without manners!
"But…" Goku's voice cut smoothly through the hall again, "if there's a proper wager involved, I might reconsider."
"A wager?" Cao Ying scoffed. With a flick of her wrist, a luminous pill appeared in her palm.
"Fine. If you win, this Seventh-Grade Profound Spirit Pill is yours."
The hall stirred violently.
"The Profound Spirit Pill! That can instantly restore a Dou Ancestor's battle qi in the middle of combat. With one of those, it's like having an extra life!"
But Goku only smirked, snapping his fingers. With a thought, a cascade of pills appeared in his hand—dozens, all of seventh and even eighth grade. The air thickened with intoxicating fragrance.
Eyes went red. Breathing quickened. Greed flashed everywhere.
Cao Ying froze, dumbfounded. Even Dan Chen, watching nearby, was shaken to her core.
'So many high-grade pills? Even the continent's greatest alchemists wouldn't have this much stock… Who exactly is this man?'
With a casual wave, Goku made the pills vanish. His tone was flat:
"Try again. That wager's too cheap."
"You—" Cao Ying stammered. For once in her life, she had nothing to say. Eight-grade pills weren't enough? What on earth was enough?
"Pathetic. If you've got nothing better, get out of my way. Don't waste my time," Goku said, waving her off like a beggar.
The humiliation was unbearable. Cao Ying, the revered genius admired by countless alchemists, treated like trash in front of everyone. Her pride screamed.
And then, in a flash of reckless temper, the words burst out of her mouth before she could stop them:
"If you win—then I'll chase you! I'll court you myself!"
The hall went dead silent.
Eyes bulged. Mouths dropped. Gasps filled the room. Was this real? The proud, untouchable Cao Ying offering herself as a prize—and not to be courted, but to do the courting?
Even she realized too late what she had said. Her face paled, then flushed crimson.
'Damn it! That bastard made me lose control… how could I say something so shameful?!'
The crowd erupted into conflicting emotions—shock, excitement, disbelief. But one thing was certain: countless men now glared daggers at Goku. Their eyes screamed, If you dare say yes, we'll mob you right here and now!
Goku, unfazed, studied Cao Ying slowly from head to toe. Then he nodded.
"Not bad. Passable enough. If I refused, I'd look downright rude, wouldn't I?"
"You—you… shameless!" Even Cao Ying's practiced composure cracked. She grit her teeth, cheeks burning with rage and… something else. Still smiling sweetly on the surface, she leapt gracefully onto the arena. Her movements were light as a butterfly, yet her aura was razor-sharp.
"Big Brother Cao Xiu, let me handle this one," she said calmly.
Cao Xiu gave a wry smile and stepped down. He knew better than to interfere when his sister was this angry.
"Very well. Begin!" Elder Sheng announced.
Soul force erupted across the stage. Five contestants released their power at once. Predictably, Cao Ying's first strike was aimed straight at Goku.
But Goku didn't even acknowledge her. Instead, he released a single tendril of soul force—thin as a thread, yet overwhelming as a tidal wave. It swept across Dan Xuan and the other three like a storm.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The three collapsed instantly, faces drained of all color, souls writhing in agony. In that fleeting contact, they had seen death itself. One brush, and they were crippled.
Goku grinned wickedly.
"Hehe. That leaves… you."
Cao Ying froze. Her soul force, unleashed against him, had vanished into an endless ocean. In that instant, she understood—his soul strength dwarfed hers so completely that resistance was meaningless.
She had lost. Badly.
Her heart pounded with panic. And then she remembered her words—the reckless wager. Heat rushed to her face.
'What have I done?!'
"This man… what kind of monster is he?!"
Shaken to the core, Cao Ying could only raise her trembling hand.
"I—I surrender! I admit defeat!"
The hall exploded in confusion. Three down in an instant, and the "Witch" Cao Ying conceding without a fight? What had just happened?
Not waiting for judgment, she fled the stage, her face flushed crimson. Just before disappearing into the crowd, she threw one last glare at Goku, half fury, half something harder to name.
"Goku… I won't let this go."
Goku blinked, slightly surprised. He hadn't even attacked her—just brushed her soul with the lightest touch. But her reaction… had been intense.
Unsurprisingly, he claimed first place once again. Though this time, many found his victory baffling and inexplicable.
__
The Pill Tower was located at the very heart of the Holy Pill City's inner domain—a sacred ground for alchemists across the continent. With the city currently overflowing with countless outsiders, the inner domain was under heavy guard, ready to deal with any sudden disturbances.
Early the next morning, Goku and his group set off for the inner domain, the true site of the Pill Gathering.
As they entered, an awe-inspiring sight greeted them: a colossal black tower nearly a three hundred metres tall stood upright like a mountain, its peak piercing the clouds. One could hardly see the top, shrouded in drifting mists, lending it an air of profound mystery.
"So this is the Pill Tower? It's magnificent!" Zi Yan craned her tiny neck, her delicate face full of wonder. Just the day before, she had raided several treasure vaults belonging to the city's major forces, stirring no small commotion. But thanks to Goku—Ruler of this realm—she had been blessed with full mastery over space itself, able to slip in and out unnoticed. Not a soul could catch her mischief.
As the group arrived at the inner domain, they heard an elder announce the beginning of the competition. Ye Zhong, who had been tense all along, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After bidding farewell to Xin Lan and the others, Goku stepped into the testing grounds. Spotting him, Dan Chen shyly gave a small nod, her cheeks instantly reddening as she lowered her head.
Cao Ying, on the other hand, shot him a fierce glare. Normally poised and refined, she didn't even understand why—but whenever she saw Goku, her temper flared.
The First Trial: The Soul Illusion.
For Goku, this trial might as well not exist. The illusion formation lacked even the ability to draw him in. Ignoring the twisted folds of space around him, he strolled leisurely past the phantasmal barriers. Before long, a massive black vortex loomed ahead, its warped form spanning more than ten feet. This was the passage to the Pill Realm!
Before the vortex lay a broad platform, its surroundings filled with spatial distortions. Clearly, the Pill Tower's experts had forcibly constructed this stable resting point within the void.
Naturally, Goku was the very first to arrive.
An elder seated in meditation slowly opened his eyes. Surprise flashed across his gaze. "So soon? To cross the Soul Illusion so quickly… truly remarkable."
"You're the examiner for the second round?"
Goku asked indifferently. "What's the trial this time? Hurry it up."
The elder frowned slightly. "The Pill Realm is not meant to be entered alone. It would be wiser to wait for others and go as a group."
"I don't have time to waste on such trivial matters. Just give me the task and let's get this over with."
The elder sighed helplessly. "Ah… young people are always impatient. Very well, if you insist…" He produced a scroll, a map, and a shimmering space stone, handing them over. "This is the task list of herbs, along with a map of the Pill Realm and a space stone. You must gather every herb on the list inside the Pill Realm. Only then will you pass this trial."
Goku nodded, snatched them up, and with a flicker of his figure, stepped directly into the swirling space vortex.
A dense forest awaited him on the other side. The distant roars of magical beasts echoed faintly through the trees.
Suddenly, the air rippled unnaturally. The void twisted… and a figure shot out of the distortion.
___
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