After hearing this, Yao Lao also looked surprised. He did not expect that the strange fire Xiao Tian mentioned would be the Three Thousand Burning Flame, which was known as the immortal fire.
It is rare for someone to become an enemy or mortal foe of someone who possesses the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
Because they are not immortal beings, they are like a demonic cockroach. No matter how you attack them, as long as you do not inflict a fatal wound, they can quickly heal their injuries and regain their fighting power.
"Brother Tian, where is this strange fire?" Xiao Yan asked with a look of longing in his eyes, rubbing his hands together.
"Where the location is is related to the next message." Xiao Tian looked at Yao Lao. "Does Yao Lao remember the Pill Gathering?"
Upon hearing this, the old apothecary froze, stroking his beard as he lost himself in thought. He then snapped out of it, squinting at Xiao Tian, wondering what he was thinking.
"The Pill Gathering?" Xiao Yan was taken aback and murmured to himself. He had heard of the Pill Tower from the old doctor, but he had never heard of the Pill Gathering.
"The Pill Gathering is similar to the Alchemist competition you participated in before, but it is much larger in scale because it is a major event across the entire continent. Countless Alchemy prodigies from all over the world gather together to compete, and the winner will become famous worldwide. The Pill Tower Three Giants are all former champions of the Pill Gathering."
"And your teacher was also one of the champions back then, and after winning the championship, he gradually became a hot figure in the Dou Qi Continent."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes lit up as he looked at Venerable Yao. He had not expected his teacher to be so amazing; he could now boast about it: *"My teacher is Venerable Yao Yao Tiann! Who is your teacher?"*
"You are not going to say that the Three Thousand Burning Flame is in the Pill Tower, are you?" Yao Lao looked at Xiao Tian and asked suspiciously. "You are not planning to make us go to the Pill Tower to rob it, are you? Putting aside those stubborn old fogies inside, just offending the Pill Tower for a strange flame is clearly more harmful than beneficial."
The old apothecary had never heard of any strange fire inside the Pill Tower before, and it must have been only discovered after his own demise.
The Pill Tower is the Holy Land in the hearts of all Alchemists in the Central Plains and even other continents. It is home to countless high-ranking Alchemists. Offending the Pill Tower is equivalent to offending the vast majority of Alchemists, which is not a good thing.
Xiao Yan also suppressed his eager expression and awkwardly said to Xiao Tian, "Brother Tian, although I am a bit reckless, I have not gone to such a depraved level."
Just thinking about how Alchemists have offended the entire continent sent a chill down Xiao Yan's spine. As an Alchemist himself, he naturally understood just how extensive the Alchemist network and influence truly were.
"The Three Thousand Burning Flame is such a rare and precious flame. Given the nature of the people in the Pill Tower, they would definitely protect it extremely well. Obtaining it would be no easy task, and they might have already subdued it." Yao Lao also shook his head slightly. Even when he was at his peak, he was quite wary of the Pill Tower.
"They have not refined the Strange Fire, nor do they know how to refine it. To obtain this Strange Fire, you do not need to snatch it; you just need to participate in the Pill Gathering for a chance to get it." Xiao Tian smiled slightly as he saw the two of them.
"Participate in the Pill Gathering? What does that have to do with the Strange Flame? Could it be that the prize for the champion of this Pill Gathering is a Strange Flame? Only a madman would do that, right?" Xiao Yan asked, scratching his head, completely bewildered.
"You could say that," Xiao Tian nodded and said.
"Huh? The ninth-ranked strange fire can be used as a reward? That is too extravagant!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan exclaimed in shock.
"The people in the Pill Tower cannot be that generous. Do you know the reason behind it, Xiao Tian?" Yao Lao thought he knew the people in the Pill Tower quite well.
"I know a little bit about it."
Xiao Tian then continued, "When the Pill Tower discovered the strange flame, the Three Thousand Burning Flame had already existed for quite some time and was extremely powerful. During this period, the people of the Pill Tower tried to subdue it, but all attempts ended in failure. In fact, many Alchemists were killed by it. Faced with such losses, the Pill Tower had no choice but to seal it away."
"The top ten in this Pill Gathering will receive generous rewards and the opportunity to capture the Three Thousand Burning Flame."
After listening, the old apothecary said in a deep voice, "From what you have said, it feels a bit like Jia Nan Academy's Fallen Heart Flame. One is for development, and the other is helpless. I suppose the Pill Tower is also in a mess because of this strange fire, which is why they gave it away at the Pill Gathering to see if anyone can help solve it."
"No matter what, the Pill Tower will profit. Whether the qualified person has acquired it or not, the Pill Tower can gain a favor. You should know that the people who can get into the top ten are very powerful in terms of potential or Realm. They will have no problem becoming Grade 8 Alchemists or Ninth-Grade Alchemists in the future."
"If you do not subdue them, you gain favor; if you do subdue them, you gain favor and resolve potential problems. As expected of the ever-shrewd Pill Tower, they maximize their profits with a seemingly illusory opportunity."
Xiao Tian also strongly agreed with Yao Lao's words. Another point is that generally, Alchemists know that there is a strange fire, but they do not have the strength to subdue it now. However, that does not mean they will not in the future. So, they might choose to join the Pill Tower to prepare for obtaining the strange fire in the future.
The Pill Tower will also benefit from the addition of geniuses, thus enriching its foundation.
Although part of the reason is that this strange fire was originally prepared for the chosen one Xiao Yan, others do not know that.
"Is it only possible to try and subdue a creature if it is among the top ten?" Xiao Yan clenched his hands and muttered to himself, head down.
Xiao Tian nodded and said, "Yes, unless you are strong enough to suppress the Pill Tower's attempt to take it, the only legitimate path is to participate in the Pill Gathering and enter the top ten."
The old doctor looked at Xiao Yan quietly, without offering any words of comfort or encouragement, leaving it entirely to Xiao Yan's discretion.
The initial purpose was to exploit Xiao Yan, which is why various tricks were used to seduce and even guide him to cultivate the Burning Technique. But after spending so much time together, Yao Lao had long since recognized Xiao Yan as his Personal Disciple.
After two or three breaths, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled, a burning light appearing in his eyes. A slight smile played on his lips, widening into a wide arc, and he laughed heartily:
"I never thought I would be lost here. It seems I have been living too comfortably lately. My teacher was able to outshine everyone and win the championship back then. As his student, how can I let him down? I must make sure I am in the top ten, and I will even fight for the championship."
Xiao Yan originally wanted to say that he was sure to win the championship this time, but when he thought that Xiao Tian's alchemy skills were much better than his own, he figured he would have a better chance of losing if he competed with him, so he chose to be more reserved.
"Hahaha, not bad, not bad. That is more like you—taking life and death lightly, and ready to fight if you are not convinced." Xiao Tian patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
The old apothecary looked at Xiao Yan with satisfaction, unable to suppress the smile on his lips. The fledgling under his wings had grown up and could now soar through the blue sky on its own.