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"This old fool Mu Gu is completely useless! He couldn't even kill Xiao Yan, an Eight-Star Dou Zong!"
On a distant mountain peak, Xiao Yixian spat in annoyance as she watched both Xiao Yan and Old Mu Gu disappear from sight.
She had originally thought that with Xiao Yan encountering an ambush from a Three-Star Dou Zun within the Pill Realm, the young man would undoubtedly die there. Who would've thought that the useless Old Mu Gu actually let him escape?
Judging from Xiao Yan's battered and bloodied state, he had clearly taken heavy injuries—but he had still managed to get away.
"Forget it. Mu Gu isn't entirely without achievement. Given the current situation, Xiao Yan won't be able to live in peace for long. Let's leave this place first.
Now that the soul barrier has shattered, the shockwaves from their battle have spread. A lot of people are probably heading this way already."
Lin Feng sighed helplessly as he turned to the woman beside him.
He had originally planned to wait until Xiao Yan was killed, then strike to finish off Old Mu Gu himself and seize both the Burning Formula and the Heavenly Flames. But this Mu Gu was far too disappointing—he actually let Xiao Yan get away.
Still, Mu Gu's little scheme—turning the Pill Tower disciples against Xiao Yan—had caught Lin Feng by surprise. At least that outcome worked in his favor. After all, during Xiao Yan's earlier battle, most of the second-generation elites from the Pill Tower had been slain.
Those who escaped alive would undoubtedly blame Xiao Yan once they got out and couldn't find Mu Gu. Now, Xiao Yan had simultaneously offended both the Hall of Souls and the Pill Tower.
From this point onward, it would be nearly impossible for him to find a foothold in Central Plains.
"Fine, whatever you say. Let's go."
Xiao Yixian glanced reluctantly in the direction Xiao Yan had fled, then nodded helplessly.
Seeing this, Lin Feng signaled for the nearby magic beasts to withdraw. He had thought that the fight would drag on much longer, but Mu Gu's ploy had caused internal strife among Xiao Yan's group, ending the battle before most had even noticed what was happening.
With things settled, there was no longer any reason to linger. Lin Feng, Xiao Yixian, and the hidden beasts soon left the mountain forest.
"Lin Feng, how did it go?"
When they returned to the great stone hall, Xiong Zhan immediately stepped forward to ask.
Lin Feng shook his head slightly. "A few small accidents, but nothing serious."
Then he retrieved a pre-prepared storage ring from his robes and tossed it toward Xiong Zhan.
"At least let me keep my word—inside are the pills I promised your men earlier."
Xiong Zhan nodded, accepting the ring without complaint.
At that moment, Cao Ying, Dan Chen, and Ye Xin Lan walked up to join them.
Cao Ying spoke softly, her red lips curving slightly. "There's not much time left before the mission deadline. You should collect the rest of the medicinal ingredients from the hall quickly. We need to head for the Pill Realm's exit."
"Alright."
Lin Feng nodded, then moved among the piles of herbs, carefully gathering them all into his storage ring.
As for Xiong Zhan, seeing this didn't bother him in the slightest. After all, he'd already received the three pills most suitable for helping him advance. Losing some herbs was no big deal.
"Brother Xiong Zhan, you're not suited to head to the Pill Realm's exit with us. We'll part ways here for now."
Once everything was packed, Lin Feng and the others stepped out onto the clearing outside the hall, cupping his hands politely to Xiong Zhan. No matter what, he had gained a great deal of herbs thanks to the man—he couldn't just leave without showing respect.
"Heh, you guys all have different levels of Dou Qi cultivation. Flying there on your own would be troublesome. Let him take you instead."
As he spoke, Xiong Zhan grinned and let out a sharp whistle.
"Creee!"
A shrill bird cry echoed through the vast expanse of the Ten Thousand Medicinal Mountain Range. Moments later, a massive shadow soared out from the distant peaks, circling once before landing on a nearby ridge.
"This Xuan Bird Beast may not match a Dou Zun in speed, but among Dou Zong-class beasts, it's one of the best—and far more convenient."
Xiong Zhan waved casually, grinning at Lin Feng's group.
"Whoosh~"
As soon as he finished speaking, the enormous bird flapped its wings, descending in a gust of wind to land before them.
"Many thanks, Brother Xiong Zhan."
Lin Feng smiled, clasping his hands once more before leaping lightly onto the creature's broad back.
The four women followed close behind.
"Creee!"
Once everyone was aboard, the Xuan Bird Beast let out another sharp cry. Then, with a powerful sweep of its wings, it surged into the air, soaring swiftly toward the northern skies—the location of the Pill Realm's exit.
The exit of the Pill Realm lay far to the north of this small world, quite a distance from the Ten Thousand Medicinal Mountain Range.
Fortunately, the Xuan Bird Beast that Xiong Zhan had provided was exceptionally fast—much faster than Cao Ying and the other three women could have managed on their own. At this rate, they could reach the exit within a single day.
Along the way, Lin Feng and his group encountered many other contestants, all rushing toward the exit in haste. After all, according to the rules, anyone who failed to reach the exit before the Pill Realm closed would automatically lose their qualification to continue competing.
Only during the Pill Gathering's final stage would experts from the Pill Tower enter the realm again to retrieve those who had been left behind. Thus, every remaining contestant was racing desperately toward the exit, unwilling to lose their chance at the finals.
But when they saw Lin Feng's group riding comfortably atop the massive bird, envy filled their faces. If possible, they too would've preferred to travel on a flying beast's back—rather than trudging wearily through mountains and forests.
Nearly a full day passed swiftly in flight.
As the warm sunlight of the next morning gradually spilled over the land of the Pill Realm, a massive square made entirely of white giant rocks finally appeared on the distant horizon.
From afar, Lin Feng and his group could faintly make out tiny black dots scattered across the broad expanse of the square.
"So that's the exit of the Pill Realm, huh? Looks like this year's Pill Gathering—with the Three Thousand Burning Flame as the prize—is far fiercer than any of the previous ones."
Staring at the enormous square coming into view, Cao Ying sighed softly. Given her background, she naturally knew much about the past Pill Gatherings.
But seeing the number of people gathered on that vast plaza even made her feel a faint pressure. Although her soul power had recently broken through to the Spirit Realm, this year's competition had drawn many veteran alchemists.
Facing those old monsters, even her Spirit Realm soul offered little advantage.
"Chirp!"
Moments later, the Xuan Bird Beast suddenly let out a piercing cry toward the sky. Its massive wings flapped once, stirring up violent gusts as it sped toward the plaza.
The enormous figure suddenly appearing in the sky drew the wary gazes of many competitors below. After all, everyone here had already learned how terrifyingly savage the Pill Realm's magic beasts could be.
Sensing the intimidating aura from the creature's body, none dared act recklessly. Under countless watchful eyes, the Xuan Bird Beast slowly descended, circling above the plaza. Five figures leapt down from its back in flashes of light, landing steadily on the white stone floor below.
The moment Lin Feng and his companions appeared, curious gazes immediately focused on them. After spending several days trapped in the Pill Realm, it was the first time any of them had seen someone capable of taming—or even peacefully coexisting with—the magic beasts here.
But soon, recognition dawned among the crowd. After all, the five of them were well-known figures within the Pill Tower, so it was only natural they'd be recognized. Lin Feng, however, paid no attention to the stares.
Upon landing, he casually tossed a pill into the air toward the sky and said with a faint smile, "Here, take this as your payment for the trip."
"Chirp!"
The Xuan Bird Beast circling above let out a sharp cry, caught the pill in its beak, and turned around, flying back toward the Ten Thousand Medicinal Mountain Range.
Once it disappeared into the distance, Lin Feng swept his gaze across the plaza. Soon, not far ahead, he spotted a familiar figure.
"So, Xiao Yan managed to escape from that old Mu Gu's hands after all—but it came at a heavy price. It seems because I intercepted many of the original opportunities meant for him, even though he's made up for his Dou Qi cultivation through other means and is actually stronger than in the original timeline, his overall strength is much weaker."
Now that they were close, Lin Feng could clearly sense Xiao Yan's current condition.
Though the man was temporarily out of danger, his aura was extremely weak—obviously suffering from the backlash of the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change.
The internal injuries inside him were severe. Even if suppressed by high-tier pills, unless he spent three to five months recuperating, he'd be stuck in the Dou Zun realm for the rest of his life.
As for that old man Mu Gu, he still hadn't shown up at the exit. Most likely, he was off healing his own wounds.
"Lin Feng?!"
The commotion caused by the Xuan Bird Beast naturally caught Xiao Yan's attention. When his eyes landed on Lin Feng, his expression instantly darkened.
Lin Feng's soul power had long since stepped into the eighth-tier level before his own. Rumor even had it that when Lin Feng first entered the Spirit Realm, he was only one step away from refining a three-colored eighth-tier pill.
Now, nearly a year had passed—Lin Feng could likely refine not just three-colored, but even four-colored pills. If they were to meet in the Pill Gathering, Xiao Yan wasn't confident he could take first place.
Especially since the rewards for the top ten this year were extraordinary—even some of the old monsters couldn't resist joining in.
"It seems that Heavenly Flames hold just as much allure for these alchemists who don't practice the Flame Mantra."
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the front of the plaza, landing on those aged figures whose auras marked them as veterans. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The day passed quietly without incident.
According to the rules of the Pill Gathering, fighting was forbidden within this area. Anyone who disobeyed would not only lose their qualification to compete but also face punishment from the Pill Tower itself. So, naturally, no one dared to cause trouble.
However, as time went on, Lin Feng and the others began to notice something strange. Only a little over two thousand participants had gathered at the plaza—far fewer than expected.
"Lin Feng, something's not right," Cao Ying whispered beside his ear, her tone filled with doubt. "On our way here, we saw at least four thousand people. But now the deadline's almost here, and barely half have arrived. Judging by their speed, they should've been here long ago."
"It's probably the Hall of Souls," Lin Feng murmured, inhaling the faint fragrance that lingered from Cao Ying's hair. "They've always hunted souls across the continent—especially alchemists' souls. With so many alchemists gathered inside this Pill Realm, how could they possibly resist the temptation?"
That was what he said, but in truth, Lin Feng also found it odd.
Logically, the Hall of Souls had sent Mu Gu into the Pill Gathering mainly for the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Before achieving that, they should've stayed as low-profile as possible. So why had Mu Gu suddenly started massacring the alchemists participating in the event?
"You're probably right," Cao Ying said softly after a moment, nodding lightly, her lips parting in agreement.
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