Amidst waves of noise, Elder Shennong took the lead. A cluster of emerald green flames materialized from beneath his feet, supporting him like an auspicious cloud as he entered the central square.
The emerald green flames were incredibly strange. Far from feeling scorching, they instead emanated an endless aura of life, constantly permeating the heavens and earth, bringing a sense of tranquility and peace to the very breath.
He bowed towards the medicinal pills and Elder Zhu Wen on the dais, then turned to Chen Guan.
"I see that your soul is as powerful as mine. I'm afraid your alchemy skills are beyond the legends. Wouldn't you like to test your skills at this rare event?" A
gentle smile permeated Elder Shennong's aged face, his eyes kind and peaceful.
This was true not just for Chen Guan, but for everyone.
Chen Guan still shook his head. He needed to conserve his energy.
"Well, it looks like only Elder Wanhuo will be showing off with me this time in the Pharmacopoeia."
"Elder Shennong, what do you mean by that? Do you think possessing the Flame of Life guarantees victory? Claiming the title of the continent's foremost alchemist isn't easy."
Elder Wanhuo swept up, his sleeves swirling like a gust of wind and fire as he approached Elder Shennong. His sarcastic remarks elicited a roar of laughter from the latter, suggesting they had a history.
Elder Shennong possessed the power of a six-star Dou Sheng, a rare alchemy master on the Dou Qi Continent. He reached this rank through pure talent and perseverance, without the aid of ancient bloodlines. Even among the ancient races, his reputation was resounding.
Without the Flame of Life, Elder Wanhuo was confident he would be no worse than the other.
Unfortunately, with this miraculous fire, the other side likely had a slight lead, though he hated to admit it.
Apart from other things, relying solely on the properties of the Flame of Life, Elder Shennong was able to refine precious medicinal herbs with minimal effort, a trial-and-error investment that even the Medicine Clan envied.
As he sighed, a sudden explosion echoed from the distant horizon, followed by bursts of arrogant laughter.
"Hahaha! The title of the continent's greatest alchemist is something our Soul Clan is also somewhat interested in. Soul Clan alchemist Hunxuzi has come uninvited. I believe the Yaodan Clan leader won't blame me for this?"
Upon hearing this, the square erupted in an uproar.
Tensions between the Soul Clan and the other ancient clans were already escalating. Their Soul Hall had caused chaos in Zhongzhou, having just been purged by the Alchemy Alliance. Now, this was the Medicine Clan's headquarters, and Chen Guan, the Alchemy Alliance leader, was present. How dare the Soul Clan brazenly come to participate in the Pharmacopoeia?
The implications of this were worth pondering.
A distant voice rebuked a Medicine Clan elder. Yao Dan narrowed his eyes, the worry intensifying. Then, as if struck by a thought, his emotion faded. He slowly stood, hands clasped behind his back, and coldly gazed at the black-robed figure swooping across the sky. He then gave orders to the restless Medicine Clan elders.
"Let him come! Since he's entering the pharmacopoeia as an alchemist, there's no reason for our Medicine Clan to refuse. If word gets out, people will think our Medicine Clan is just as unreasonable as the Soul Clan."
"Yes!" the elders roared in agreement.
"Hahaha, I knew that Chief Yao Dan has a generosity beyond compare."
As he spoke, the black-clad Hunxuzi had already landed on the square. His gaze swept over the Medicine Clan elders, who were showing no signs of concealing their hostility. A sinister, smirk crossed his gaunt face, like a hungry wolf stalking a flock of sheep.
His gaze shifted, and soon, he noticed Chen Guan and the two elders on the stage.
For a moment, his smile faltered. He was about to open his mouth again to challenge, but seeing Elder Zhu Wen's look, as if to smite you with a single word, he dared not say anything more.
"Hunxuzi, let me be frank. If you peacefully participate in the Pharmacopoeia, that's fine. But if you dare harbor any sinister intentions, I will kill you on the spot!"
Yaodan flicked his sleeves, unleashing the powerful aura of a Seven-Star Dou Sheng, which enveloped Hunxuzi.
Under the overwhelming pressure, Hunxuzi was forced to bow his head slightly, but his smile only grew more sinister. Glancing at the Soul Clan elder, who remained motionless and eyes closed on a stone bench nearby, Hunxuzi chuckled.
"Clan Leader Yaodan won't have that chance."
The same words carried completely different meanings depending on who heard them.
Yaodan, taking it as a statement, snorted coldly, then casually withdrew his aura. His powerful voice spread out, echoing in everyone's ears.
"Three individuals will compete in this Pharmacopoeia Conference. Their identities are self-evident. Now that all three are in place, I hereby declare this Pharmacopoeia officially open!"
His words were met with renewed cheers.
At this moment, the three individuals in the field distanced themselves appropriately, forming a three-legged tripod, dominating the sky above the square.
Elder Wanhuo glanced solemnly at Elder Shennong and Hunxuzi. He snorted softly, then waved his sleeves. A sudden, gust of pale black wind whistled out from his sleeves, rapidly swirling through the air.
A closer look revealed that this wasn't just any wind, but a strange flame!
"Haha, Elder Wanhuo, your Nine Nether Wind Flame is truly reaching new heights of perfection."
Seeing Elder Wanhuo take the lead in summoning the strange fire, Elder Shennong laughed heartily, tapping the air with his herbal cane.
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"Since that's the case,
let me show you a few of my skills." As he finished speaking, the emerald green flames, supporting him like auspicious clouds, suddenly surged, the flames surging against the wind, sending layers of mist rising. From within the mist, strange herbs sprouted, emanating a moving aura of life.
The Flame of Life was so bizarre and incredible!
Not only the people in the square, but even Chen Guan on the high platform watched with envy.
The Flame of Life, ranked fifth on the list of Strange Fires, differed from the destructive power of other Strange Fires. It was renowned for its unparalleled life force.
With this flame, simply dropping a herb seed into it would cause it to rapidly germinate and grow. Its value was undeniable, and any alchemist would be envious.
Furthermore, the Flame of Life was known as the Fire of Longevity.
Those who possessed it would have a lifespan comparable to that of the Warcraft race!
"Elder Shennong, you are truly blessed. This Flame of Life has me brimming with excitement."
Hunxuzi licked his lips, his greed undisguised.
He wondered if, after this achievement, he might be able to ask Lord Xuwu and the clan leader for this exotic fire.
After all, he was the face of the Soul Clan's alchemists, and a longer lifespan would be of great benefit to the Soul Clan.
Without giving Elder Shennong time to respond, Hunxuzi waved his sleeves, and a torrent of black flames erupted from his body. Instantly, in the sky before him, it coalesced into a massive black cauldron a hundred feet tall.
A faint, strange, devouring force emanated from the cauldron.
Another blast of Void Devouring Flame!
The fire cauldron took shape, and Hunxuzi flashed, appearing atop it. He then sat cross-legged and, with a wave of his hand, countless medicinal herbs flew out from his sleeves like a blanket, instantly filling the air with a rich medicinal fragrance.
Seeing Hunxuzi's advance, Elder Wanhuo and Elder Shennong stopped short and each used their own fire to condense a fire cauldron.
At their level, a medicine cauldron was almost dispensable; a fire cauldron condensed with strange fire could surpass the finest.
Elder Wanhuo then unearthed a vast quantity of medicinal herbs, while Elder Shennong tossed handfuls of herbal seeds into the cauldron. Visibly, the seeds quickly took root and sprouted within the flames, thriving and growing. Harvest after harvest followed...
As the three men moved, a vast sea of medicinal herbs quickly appeared in the sky. Looking out, the total number of herbs exceeded at least 100,000, causing the crowd outside to stare wide-eyed and exclaim in amazement.
Witnessing such a magnificent spectacle was a truly rewarding experience for most!
Any ninth-grade elixir required at least tens of thousands of medicinal ingredients to refine. Even though the three were renowned alchemists on the mainland, this simplest step still took a full three days to complete.
"Energy of Heaven and Earth, obey my command, gather!"
When the elixir was about to form, Hunxuzi, acting with a unique detachment, a sinister smile crossed his face.
He formed hand seals, unexpectedly gathering the energy of Heaven and Earth. Every ninth-grade elixir required immense amounts of Heaven and Earth energy to create. Without sufficient energy, the elixir would be impossible.
As Hunxuzi's hand seals shifted, black flames soared into the sky, forming a massive vortex of flames that frantically slurped up the surrounding energy.
As the vast energy of Heaven and Earth was absorbed, the vortex of flame expanded, unbridled, reaching towards Elder Shennong and Elder Wanhuo.
"Hunxuzi, how dare you!"
"Beast!"
they each shouted. Unwilling to sit still and wait for death, they unleashed their own methods to divide the energy.
Suddenly, the entire area within a thousand miles of Yaoshan Mountain was affected. Pieces of medicinal fields began to turn yellow, some even withered and died. Many of the Yao Clan elders were so shocked that they couldn't even watch and hurriedly sealed the small space containing the precious medicinal fields.
The wind whistled incessantly. Yaodan casually grabbed a handful and could sense that the natural energy within the ten thousand-mile radius had dropped to a critically low level. Energy from thousands of miles away automatically filled the gap, but it still couldn't keep up with the speed of its absorption.
"These three are actually aiming to refine the Ninth-grade Profound Pill. But at this distance, the natural energy simply isn't enough to sustain three Profound Pills..."
The wind grew louder, whistling. Yaodan shook his head slightly, as if he had already foreseen the outcome.
Chen Guan also watched with interest as the three frantically scrambled for energy.
He envied them for experiencing the difficulty of obtaining a Ninth-grade Profound Pill. He surely must be enjoying it right now. Unlike him, no one disturbed him while he was refining the Thunder Tribulation Pill. Not only did he have Xiaojiu as his guardian, but
he also had the endless energy of the Void Thunder Pool at his disposal. Just as Versailles was pondering this, he suddenly felt a slight, unusual fluctuation in the space he had been carefully sensing.
At the same time, the voice of Great Elder Zhukong echoed in his mind.
"That Void Devouring Flame you mentioned has arrived!"
"Its movements are subtle, masking their presence through the turbulence of heaven and earth's energy. I can sense that this space is entering a strange land, or more accurately, being gradually devoured!"