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**
Swoosh~
One spatial ship after another shot past the dark sky like streaking meteors, before diving into the massive silver light ring ahead like fish plunging into the sea.
The black spatial ship carrying Xiao Yan followed the tide, braving the violent spatial turbulence as it plunged into the halo and vanished from sight.
After a moment of intense shaking, everything suddenly calmed down again. Almost immediately after, an ear-piercing roar of noise surged forth like a tidal wave, flooding Xiao Yan's ears and making him momentarily dizzy and lightheaded.
He opened his eyes and swept his gaze around him — appearing before his sight was a vast square, forged entirely from crimson rocks.
Just a single glance was enough to make him realize that the size of this square was beyond imagination. Even straining his eyes, he couldn't see its end — all he could glimpse was a faint thin red line stretched to the distant horizon.
And at this moment, the square was already packed with a sea of people, so many that it was impossible to count. Everywhere he looked, it was a dense mass of heads.
Xiao Yan, standing amidst this endless crowd, felt as insignificant as a tiny ant dropped into a swarming anthill — completely unremarkable.
The deafening roar of voices merged into a tremendous wave of noise, rolling straight into the sky. Even the clouds above were faintly thinned by the pressure of sound surging below.
"So… this is Holy Pill City?"
Staring at the boundless square before him, Xiao Yan couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Turning slightly, he glanced behind him — in that section of distorted space, spatial fluctuations kept violently rippling as one spatial ship after another burst out, rapidly shrinking in size, while countless figures descended from the sky like falling beans.
"Little friend Xiao Yan, this is only one of the spatial checkpoints outside Holy Pill City. There are eight such spatial squares in the outer region."
Beside him, an old man spoke with a faint smile. This man was Ye Zhong, the Grand Elder of the Ye Clan, one of the Five Great Clans of the Pill Region.
At this moment, Ye Zhong swept his gaze around them, his expression slightly complicated. Ever since the Ye Clan's decline, their people rarely came here anymore.
Even during the Five Great Clans' assessments, the Ye Clan would always come here in shame, only to leave in even greater humiliation afterward.
Holy Pill City had long become a painful wound in the hearts of all Ye Clan members.
Hearing his words, Xiao Yan's eyelids twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but take another deep breath.
Just this one spatial square alone… its size was already close to one-tenth the size of Ye City, and yet Holy Pill City had eight of them?!
"Hehe, no need to be surprised," Ye Zhong chuckled softly as he explained, "Holy Pill City is divided into the Outer Region and Inner Region."
He paused, then added, "Although it's called a city, it's nothing like an ordinary city. If we're talking about sheer size… dozens, even hundreds of Ye Cities, couldn't compare to it."
Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. This… this was no city. Calling it a nation wouldn't even be an exaggeration!
"And right now, this isn't even the peak period for crowds," Ye Zhong continued with a light laugh. "There's still about a month left before the Pill Gathering officially begins. As time goes on, more and more people will pour in."
"When the Gathering starts, that's when it becomes truly terrifying. Hehe, don't be fooled by how big Holy Pill City is — when the time comes, it'll still feel cramped. You shouldn't underestimate the Pill Gathering's influence."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan could only give a helpless, bitter smile and shake his head.
"In a few more days, the Five Great Clans' assessment will begin," Ye Zhong said after a brief pause. "We've been on the road for days. Let's find a place to rest first. Tomorrow, I'll take you to one of the Pill Tower's testing points."
"You'll need to obtain a certified Alchemist Rank Badge issued by the Pill Tower."
"An Alchemist Rank Badge?" Xiao Yan blinked in surprise. "I still need that?"
Back in the Jia Ma Empire, Xiao Yan had only ever obtained one such badge — a Tier 3 Alchemist badge. After that, he had never bothered to get another.
"Hehe, the Pill Tower's certification isn't like those from other regions. It's notoriously strict," Ye Zhong explained with a smile. "And if you want to participate in the Pill Gathering, this badge is mandatory. Without it, you won't even be allowed to register."
Following Ye Zhong's lead, the group wandered around the Outer Region of Holy Pill City for about half an hour before finally stopping in a southern district.
In front of them was a rather spacious courtyard. However, the courtyard itself looked quite old and worn, as though it had been abandoned for years, untouched by human presence.
At the very front of the courtyard, there was a wooden plaque, upon which faintly visible were two barely discernible characters: Ye Mansion.
"This used to be one of my Ye Clan's properties here in the Holy Pill City, but after the clan's decline, no one maintained it anymore. Still, with a bit of cleaning up, it should be a decent place to rest for now."
Ye Zhong turned his head slightly as he explained to Xiao Yan.
When it came to a place to stay, Xiao Yan naturally had no particular demands, and though the Ye Mansion looked somewhat old and worn, it had the advantage of being quiet and secluded.
Although there were still quite a few people passing by around the area, compared to other places, this one indeed deserved to be called tranquil.
"Hehe, as long as you're fine with it, that's what matters. It's getting late today, so let's all head in and rest for the night. Whatever needs to be discussed, we'll talk about it tomorrow."
As night gradually fell.
Inside a small courtyard within the Ye Mansion, Xiao Yan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the brilliant stars scattered across the sky.
After a moment, he flipped his hand, producing a jade pendant, and with a firm squeeze, he crushed it into pieces.
Immediately after, he stood there silently, waiting.
It didn't take long.
Buzz~
The space before him began to twist and ripple quietly.
"He's here!"
Seeing this, Xiao Yan's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of excitement flickered in his eyes as he stared intently at the distorted space ahead. From there, he could faintly sense a long-lost, familiar aura.
At that moment.
A figure slowly stepped out from within the warped space.
The newcomer wore a black brocade robe embroidered with golden patterns, his features strikingly handsome. Golden-cloud-patterned boots adorned his feet, his wide sleeves and flowing robes carrying a faint air of nobility.
Atop his head sat a jade circlet, through which was pinned a dark jade hairpin, with two golden ribbons draping down on either side, hanging like tassels over his chest.
A cascade of dark-red hair fell loosely down his back, and his eyes carried a faint crimson glow. Even his eyebrows seemed tinged with a subtle shade of dark red. From him emanated a faint aura of heat, dominance, and an almost demonic strangeness.
A soft breeze blew past, gently lifting the hem of his robe, enhancing his imposing and elegant bearing.
"Brother Wei…"
Xiao Yan froze slightly, surprise flashing in his eyes.
He hadn't expected that after just a few years apart, Wei Yang's aura and presence would have undergone such an astonishing transformation.
Wei Yang's feet slowly touched down on the ground, a gentle smile on his lips as he said, "Xiao Yan, it's been a long time."
That familiar voice pulled Xiao Yan back from his daze.
He took a deep breath, but for some reason, his nose suddenly stung slightly, and his eyes felt faintly sore.
Blinking hard a few times, Xiao Yan managed a small smile and replied hoarsely, "Yeah… Brother Wei, it's been a long time."
His voice, however, carried a subtle roughness.
The smile on Wei Yang's lips slowly faded as he let out a soft sigh. He stepped forward and, before Xiao Yan could react, he gave him a firm, heartfelt embrace.
That sudden surge of genuine emotion caused Xiao Yan's eyes to moisten almost instantly.
His hands grasped tightly at Wei Yang's robe, fingers unconsciously clenching harder and harder.
His lips trembled slightly as he choked back his voice, saying in a hoarse tone, "Senior Brother… Master… he… in order to protect me, he was captured by the Hall of Souls."
"I know." Wei Yang tilted his head back slightly, closing his eyes as his voice turned raspy as well.
After so many years, finally seeing Xiao Yan again stirred deep waves of emotion within Wei Yang's heart.
He couldn't deny it — unknowingly, Xiao Yan had already come to occupy a very significant place within him.
In this world, Wei Yang didn't have many friends.
Aside from his mentor Yao Lao, with whom he shared a bond that was both master and friend, Xiao Yan could be considered his only true brother.
Wei Yang had always regarded Xiao Yan as family.
He understood well the struggles and hardships Xiao Yan had endured all this way. Thus, at this moment, he offered him an embrace filled with care and warmth.
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