Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 605 Weighing the Options, The Pill Realm

Yao Tian's hostile gaze pierced Lin Yuan as if it were a physical object, igniting the very air around him.

However, Lin Yuan didn't care about this at all.

When the gap in strength becomes large enough, the opponent's fierce and ferocious expression appears to Lin Yuan as just a small animal baring its teeth and claws and hissing. It not only poses no threat but also adds a bit of fun for him.

At this moment, Lin Yuan was really considering another somewhat thorny issue: how to deal with the Medicine Clan this time.

Needless to say, Yao Ling is the primary target and must be captured!
Lin Yuan had basically figured out the reasons why Yao Wangui, that old codger, was hostile to him... He needed to find a suitable opportunity to get rid of him to prevent future troubles.

What Lin Yuan really needs to carefully consider is how to deal with Yao Tian and the other eight people.

It's obviously not advisable to just get rid of it.

With the Medicine Clan's Dou Di bloodline showing signs of weakening, the clan's leadership places great importance on the younger generation.

In the original timeline, when the Medicine Clan was wiped out by the Soul Clan after the Pharmacopoeia was published, Yao Dan always chose to sacrifice the high-ranking members and Dou Sheng elders to protect the most outstanding younger generation.

Especially the siblings Yao Tian and Yao Ling, who hold a very high position in the Yao clan.

Yao Ling is a blood soul spirit with the potential of an "emperor's soul," making him a true gem among the Yao clan. As for Yao Tian, ​​although his bloodline has not reached the level of a divine rank, it is still among the most outstanding of the nine ranks, making him a candidate to be established as the young clan leader early on.

Once this brother and sister successfully realize their potential and fully mature, the strength of the Medicine Clan will surely increase significantly.

For this reason, the training they received was far superior to that of the others.

In addition, Yao Tian and Yao Ling are descendants of Yao Dan, the patriarch of the Yao Clan. The combined influence of the two of them is in no way inferior to that of Gu Xun'er in the Ancient Clan.

If anything happens to them, even if Yao Wangui returns, he will still be punished after returning to the Yao clan.

In general, if the younger generation of "Ten Outstanding Youngsters" were to meet with an accident and be wiped out, it would be difficult to predict how crazy the Medicine Clan would become.

Even if Lin Yuan successfully pins the blame on the Soul Clan, the Medicine Clan is still quite likely to launch an attack on the Pill Tower.

After all, no matter how angry the Medicine Clan is, they don't have the guts to attack the Soul Clan. Instead, they are likely to take their anger out on the Pill Tower and Lin Yuan, the "cause" of the conflict. If they can't deal with the Soul Clan, can't they at least deal with the Pill Tower?

The Medicine Clan and the Pill Tower have always been rivals in the world of alchemy. Among the Medicine Clan, Yao Wangui is not the only one who wants to suppress the Pill Tower; he's just the most vocal about it.

Once this gives them a pretext, there's a real possibility that the Medicine Clan could use it as an opportunity to attack the Pill Tower!
Although Lin Yuan now possesses enough power to deal with the Medicine Clan, it would be a great loss if he were to expose his important trump card because of the Medicine Clan—his competitors are not just the Medicine Clan, but powerful enemies like the Soul Clan and the Ancient Clan!
How to strike the right balance, so that the Medicine Clan can make their move without enraging them, is a difficult problem that Lin Yuan currently needs to weigh.

"We must do what we must do, including arresting, killing, and seizing, but we cannot go too far."

As his thoughts raced, Lin Yuan made a decision. He then turned his head to look at the entrance, where another familiar figure appeared.

“Dan Chen.” Looking at that seemingly frail figure, Lin Yuan’s lips curled up slightly.

"Master, you've arrived!"

Upon seeing Lin Yuan, Dan Chen's eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over.

As time passed, more and more alchemists passed the first round of assessments and arrived at this plaza. Many of them were people Lin Yuan knew, including the remaining eight members of the Medicine Clan, Cao Ying, Xin Lan, Song Qing, Xiao Yan, Elder Huo, Gu He...

However, as the first round of assessments was about to end, only a few hundred people remained who could reach the entrance to the second stage, less than one-tenth of the total number of participants.

With Lin Yuan's intervention, this assessment was much more difficult than in previous years.

The vast majority of alchemists who can reach this place possess soul power no less than that of a seventh-grade alchemist.

However, the Soul Palace did not send anyone to cause trouble at this Pill Gathering.

With the loss of two Dou Sheng, dozens of elders, hundreds of protectors, dozens of branch halls destroyed, and a large amount of soul essence seized, the Soul Hall has no intention of causing trouble in the short term!
Even the current deputy hall master of the Soul Hall, who is in charge of the matter, will most likely have to return to the Soul Clan to accept punishment.

A three-star Dou Sheng may be high and mighty outside, but within the Soul Clan, his status is just so-so. If he makes a mistake, he will naturally be punished.

"clang--"

At a certain moment, the sound of a bell announcing the end of the first level suddenly echoed from the void.

Upon hearing the bell, the old man on the stone platform slowly opened his eyes, glanced around the area, and said, "It's almost time. We can enter the Pill Realm now."

"Everyone who enters should come here to receive a mission medicine prescription, a map of the Pill Realm, and a space stone."

"The prescription lists the medicinal herbs you must find inside. Only by collecting them all can you successfully pass this level. The map marks the exit of the Pill Realm and the approximate locations of the herbs. Once you have collected all the herbs, head to the exit."

"As for the space stone, it is used for survival. If you crush it, you will be automatically teleported out of the Pill Realm."

"But crushing the space stone also means losing the qualification to participate!"

"The Pill Realm is in ruins and not suitable for a long stay, so you only have ten days to search for the medicinal herbs needed for the mission..."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, let me remind you that fighting is not forbidden in the alchemy world. You should understand the implications of that!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and then nodded to themselves.

For the participants who have made it this far, they are more or less familiar with the relevant rules of the Dan Conference.

The second stage of the Dan Tournament is a bloody one!
The alchemy world is no benevolent place either; at each alchemy conference, a considerable number of people are left there forever.

The old man slowly scanned the surroundings: "Enough with the nonsense. Those who want to leave can leave now. Those who are prepared, come up and collect your items." However, not a single person left. They were all confident individuals; how could they be deterred by mere words?!
In the silence, Lin Yuan stepped forward first, took the item from the old man, turned and walked into the spatial passage, and his figure disappeared from everyone's sight.

The three girls, Dan Chen, Xin Lan, and Cao Ying, who had gathered around him, quickly followed...
-
Within the dilapidated Pill Realm, Lin Yuan, who had been teleported in, stood quietly in the void.

"The matter of repairing the Pill Realm must be put on the agenda!"

Looking at the increasingly dilapidated Pill Realm, a strange light flashed in Lin Yuan's deep eyes as he pondered to himself.

Compared to when I first came here, the current Dan Realm, although still rich in the energy of heaven and earth, is significantly more violent... If this continues, this huge and energy-rich alternate dimension will completely collapse in a hundred years.

The Pill Realm was a space created during the Pill Tower's heyday. Its scale far surpasses that of the Small Pill Tower, reaching a third of the size of the Pill Domain, and far exceeding the Small Pill Tower's space. Given its immense size, the Pill Realm is naturally extremely difficult to maintain.

In the Little Pill Tower disaster caused by Hun Xuzi, all the experts above the intermediate Dou Sheng level in the Pill Tower were wiped out except for the Xuan Dan Ancestor, and the tower lost its ability to protect the Pill Realm!

Although the Profound Pill Ancestor was capable of maintaining it, he traveled around most of the year and rarely returned to the Pill Tower unless there was a crisis.

Shaking his head, Lin Yuan closed his eyes and carefully sensed the spatial conditions of the Pill Realm. After a long while, he opened them again, a hint of excitement flashing across his face.

"With the power I possess, repairing this space is not impossible!"

"Let Ziyan help stabilize the core of the Pill Realm, and I will set up an array to sort out and repair the earth's energy. Maybe we can really restore the Pill Realm."

"As for how to maintain it after the repair is completed, I have the purest ancient dragon... no, I mean dragon-phoenix energy within me. In terms of spatial ability, I am no less than a Dou Sheng of the same level as an ancient dragon, and I am comparable to a mid-level Dou Sheng. This is enough to maintain this space."

"There are too many people in the Little Pill Tower, and many things are inconvenient to do there. If the Pill Realm belongs to me alone, it will be much more convenient in the future."

"After the Pill Gathering ends, I can discuss with the three giants and the Grand Elder about designating the Pill Realm as my territory and taking charge of its restoration!"

"From now on, when I'm at the Pill Tower, I'll spend my time in the Pill Realm."

"Forget it, those are things for later. Let's finish the Pill Gathering first... Let me see, the medicinal herb plaza in the Ten Thousand Medicines Mountain Range is... Found it!"

With his mind made up, Lin Yuan located the spatial mark he had left a few days ago and went straight there.
-
Danjie, the Ten Thousand Medicines Mountain Range.

On the plaza inside the massive stone palace atop the mountain, ripples suddenly spread across the tranquil space, and then a tall, imposing figure slowly emerged from the ripples.

"Greetings, sir. I have completed the task you entrusted to me!"

Just as Lin Yuan stepped out of the spatial ripples, a burly man hurried over and reported with utmost respect.

"Have you collected all the medicinal herbs? Excellent!" Lin Yuan nodded, looked up at the "honest" Supreme Dragon Bear before him, and said, "After this Pill Gathering, you won't need to stay here anymore. I can arrange for you to go to Ancient Dragon Island. Here, take this..."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a jade bottle appeared in his palm. The rich fragrance of the elixir emanating from it made Xiong Zhan involuntarily swallow.

Under those burning gazes, Lin Yuan casually tossed the jade bottle away, and it flew out, hovering lightly in front of Xiong Zhan.

"Take this pill, which has been upgraded to the eighth grade and seven colors!"

"Thank you, sir!" Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhan was overjoyed. He cupped his hands in greeting and carefully picked up the jade bottle. "I, Xiong, will now go into seclusion as ordered..."

After saying this, he left the stone hall as instructed and returned to the secluded cave where he usually secluded himself for cultivation.

On the other side, Lin Yuan's thoughts stirred, and a vast amount of soul power surged forth from between his brows, spreading in all directions to search for several figures.

Before long, he had almost taken in the entire landscape of the Pill Realm.

Having successfully located Dan Chen, Xin Lan, and Cao Ying, Lin Yuan used soul communication to transmit his voice directly to them across a hundred miles, saying, "Dan Chen, Xin Lan, and Cao Ying, come directly to the Ten Thousand Medicine Mountains. There are plenty of medicinal herbs here."

Then, Lin Yuan sent another message in the same way: "Xiao Yan, come to the Ten Thousand Medicine Mountains! To prevent the Medicine Clan from attacking you, your teacher sent a message asking me to look after you..."

When he entered the assessment space, he received a telepathic message from the old doctor.

With Xiao Yan's strength, if he encountered the Yao Clan members in the Pill Realm—those younger generation of the Yao Clan who had obtained the clan emblem—he would have absolutely no ability to resist.

The difference in strength between three stars at the Dou Zun level was enough to leave Xiao Yan powerless to turn the tide.

Finally, Lin Yuan identified Elder Huo as the likely candidate, but after some thought, he decided against having him come.

After all, with Elder Huo's alchemy skills at the seventh-grade level, he definitely wouldn't be able to get a ranking in this alchemy competition... So at least let him experience the alchemy competition in its entirety.

In this way, when Elder Huo returns to Canaan Academy, he will be able to share his experiences and insights with the students.

If he had been "carried" through the second stage by Lin Yuan, it would have been extremely safe, but it would have lacked a certain charm, and it would have been difficult to explain to his students and friends later.

As for Elder Huo's safety, Lin Yuan wasn't too worried—the mark he left on the former, as well as the two Dou Zun puppets he carried, were enough to ensure his safety in the Pill Realm.

Shortly after Lin Yuan sent the message, Xin Lan, Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and Xiao Yan arrived at the Ten Thousand Medicines Mountain Range from different directions.

"This is the medicinal herb plaza of the Ten Thousand Herbs Mountain Range. There are so many medicinal herbs here!"

"Soaring Dragon Flower Heart... Crimson Flame Fruit... Sulfur Flame Spirit Saliva..."

"I heard that this is the territory of an ancient dragon bear, and that guy is the overlord of this place. Could it have emptied the entire mountain range?"

As soon as the four entered the square, a strong, almost viscous, medicinal fragrance wafted towards them.

Before their eyes came neatly arranged medicinal herbs... These things would be considered rare in the outside world, but here they were placed casually, like cabbages.

However, all four of them were well-traveled and experienced, so they didn't have much of an emotional reaction to the rather spectacular scene before them.

As the group walked to the center of the square, Lin Yuan's back, with his hands behind his back, came into view.

"Master!" "Master!" "Senior Brother Lin!" "Brother Lin!"

Upon hearing the sound, Lin Yuan, who was exploring the earth's energy in the Pill Realm, turned around with a smile on his lips and his gentle gaze swept over the four people.

"All the medicinal herbs on the assessment list are here. You can take them directly." He pointed to the medicinal herbs in the square and said calmly, "However, the second round of assessment will last for ten days. After you get the medicinal herbs, make good use of these ten days to improve yourselves."

At this point, he took out a scroll and handed it to Cao Ying: "Ying'er, you must learn this 'Spirit Ascension Technique' in the next few days. It will effectively improve your performance in the Alchemy Competition."

"The Lesser Ascension Technique, what is that?" Cao Ying reached out and took the scroll, asking softly.

"The Spirit Ascension Technique is a secret method that I improved... no, I deduced based on Senior Yao Chen's 'Spirit Ascension Method'. Although this method is not as effective as the original 'Spirit Ascension Method', it is much easier to perform and can be performed without a high-quality flame of the Strange Flame level."

Seeing the puzzled look on the alluring young woman's face, Lin Yuan had no intention of playing the riddle-maker and answered her question directly.

(End of this chapter)