Goku glanced at the pill recipe in his hand and shook his head.
"A task with no challenge? How boring. Fine, I'll treat it as a way to kill time."
With that, his body rose into the air, soaring deeper into the dense forest.
Hissss!
Suddenly, a giant python—dozens of meters long—shot out of the trees like lightning. Its bloody maw opened wide, snapping straight at Goku.
But with just a flick of Goku's finger, a sharp gust of wind exploded outward. A shrill scream echoed as the massive serpent crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom, gouging a massive crater into the earth.
Descending lightly, Goku reached into a crack between the rocks and plucked a small violet herb. A faint smile curved his lips.
"Immortal Ascension Grass, acquired."
Deeper in the forest, Goku set his sights on the ground. At his command, the soil parted as if alive, pulling back to reveal a huge pit. From within, a chunk of pure white jade gleamed.
"Earth Core Mother Jade… it's already nurtured an Earth Core Soul Marrow. A treasure of heaven and earth—but useless to me. Forget it, I'll take it back for Zi Yan."
With a thought, the jade vanished into his possession. As the Sovereign of this world, collecting its most precious treasures had become effortless.
Bored, Goku let his soul force sweep across the entire Pill Realm. One after another, peerless spiritual herbs and treasures that would shake the continent appeared before him. With a flicker of will, each vanished into his World Ring without a trace.
Meanwhile, countless other contestants had also entered the Pill Realm. The once tranquil realm grew lively with rivalries and violent clashes as people fought to seize herbs.
The Myriad Medicine Mountains—a range as vast as a coiled dragon, veiled in thick fog condensed from pure energy—echoed with ceaseless beastly roars. The air stank of blood as savage howls shook the skies.
A terrifying beast of unmatched ferocity stormed forth, trampling corpses beneath its feet, leaving carnage in its wake.
"Who the hell provoked such a monster?!"
Panicked figures fled in terror, the ground littered with the dead.
The culprit? At that very moment, Goku was cheerfully roasting meat by a crystal-clear stream.
The Myriad Medicine Mountains had been plundered by him. With its treasures inexplicably stolen, the enraged guardian beast had awakened from its slumber, its fury unleashing a massacre.
Elsewhere, bloodshed spread as magical beasts rioted across the Pill Realm. A casual act had unknowingly triggered a catastrophe.
ROAR!
"Who?! Who stole my treasures?! Show yourself!" A colossal beast, towering tens of meters tall, thundered across the land. Mountains cracked and trees toppled in its wake.
"Damn it! Who disturbed this calamity-bringer?!"
The Pill Tower guardians, who had been monitoring the trials, turned pale. The awakening of such a beast meant slaughter on an unimaginable scale.
---
In a small basin, nearly a hundred contestants were gathered. Among them were Cao Ying and Dan Chen, who had barely escaped from the Myriad Medicine Mountains with their lives. Their relief didn't last long, for a black-clad man had intercepted them, sealing them within a soul barrier.
"Sir, what is the meaning of this? Do you intend to strike down everyone here?" Cao Ying demanded, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger.
The man had attacked suddenly, killing over a dozen alchemists in the blink of an eye. Had she not reacted swiftly, she too might have perished.
"Heh… the two little geniuses of the Pill Tower. Impressive titles indeed. Your souls must be delicious… especially yours." The black-clad man licked his cracked lips hungrily as his gaze locked on Dan Chen.
"May I ask which elder you are? Do you not fear the Pill Tower's wrath if you kill us here?" Cao Ying asked coldly, trying to stall.
"Do I look like an elder to you?" He sneered. "The Pill Realm is in chaos—it's heaven's gift to me. When you die, it won't be by my hand, but by the beasts' rampage." His smile was chilling, filled with malice.
"You overestimate yourself! There are so many of us—do you think we fear you?" a young man shouted.
The black-clad man's grin only grew more twisted. His figure blurred—then screams rang out. In an instant, ten heads flew into the air, blood spraying like fountains.
His black scythe dripped with fresh gore, his wicked grin sending shivers through all who saw him.
"Twisting space…?! This man is a Dou Venerate!"
Despair swept through the trapped alchemists. Against such a being, death was inevitable.
Some fought back in desperation, but their efforts were futile. With a wave of his hand, the space around them warped, tearing bodies into clouds of blood mist.
Dark chains shot from his body, piercing corpses and ripping out their souls. Screams echoed as he devoured them whole. Even Cao Ying, proud daughter of heaven, turned pale with horror.
In moments, of the hundred alchemists, only Cao Ying and Dan Chen remained alive.
"The souls of alchemists… exquisite! Heh heh… now it's your turn. Don't be afraid—it's only a little pain. Then, you'll become part of me. Heh heh… hahahaha!" His laughter was deranged, his eyes gleaming with madness.
"This method… it's the Soul Hall's! But I thought the Soul Hall was annihilated overnight by that peerless expert. To show yourself now—aren't you afraid he'll come for you?" Cao Ying said, forcing calm.
"Heh… I'm not Soul Hall. Thanks to that great one, the Soul Clan was wiped out. By chance, I obtained some of their cultivation arts. And what marvelous techniques they are! Hahaha!" His twisted face was hideous. "Not long ago, I was only a Dou Ancestor. Now, I'm a Dou Venerate—in just over a month! Isn't it incredible? Heh heh… hahahaha!"
"Cao… Cao Ying…" Dan Chen trembled, hiding behind her.
"This man has practiced evil arts until his mind is shattered…" Cao Ying whispered, her heart sinking. The aura of death pressed heavily upon her.
"Today… we might truly die here. Damn it…" She clenched her teeth, unwilling. As one of the Pill Tower's brightest prodigies, she had protective measures, but before such overwhelming power, they were useless.
The man's chains lashed out once more. Trapped in a sealed space, neither Cao Ying nor Dan Chen could move. The chains shot straight for their chests.
"Damn it! To think I would die at the hands of a lunatic like this…" Bitterness welled in her heart.
'I still haven't settled the score with that infuriating man…'
"Well, well! Looks like someone's thinking about me."
A playful voice suddenly rang out. A figure appeared before the two girls, his hand casually flicking the incoming chains aside.
"Who?!" The black-clad man's eyes widened in shock.
"Goku?" Cao Ying gasped, her eyes full of disbelief. Dan Chen too stared at him, relief flooding her expression.
"Well, weren't you full of pride before? Why so pitiful now?" Goku turned to the two women, smirking teasingly at Cao Ying.
"Y-you… mind your own business!" Cao Ying snapped, her cheeks flushing crimson.
"Be careful, he's a Dou Venerate!" Dan Chen warned seriously, her voice trembling.
"See? Dan Chen's the sensible one." Goku chuckled, reaching out to pinch her delicate cheek. Her face turned crimson as her heart pounded—never before had anyone treated her so intimately. Flustered, she quickly lowered her head.
"Are you seriously flirting right now? Handle him first!" Cao Ying glared at him, regaining her composure. "He's a Dou Venerate. Can you really deal with him?"
Goku smiled faintly, offering no answer. Instead, his gaze shifted back to the black-clad man.
"That attire… Soul Hall? Impossible. I wiped the Soul Clan from existence in this world. How could there still be survivors?"
"Soul… Soul Clan?" The man froze mid-sentence, his face suddenly draining of color. His eyes widened in horror as he stammered, "You… you were the one who erased the Soul Clan? You… you… could it be… that you're that one?!"
__
T/N:
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