Battle Through the Heavens: Reap the Red Lotus Karmic Flame at the Start

Xiao Yan had just come out of the Soul Skill Pavilion when he was immediately called away by Xuan Kongzi. He hadn't even had a chance to look at the two scrolls of soul skills and Hai Ka's fighting skills that he had finally obtained.

The higher-ups at the Pill Tower are also quite helpless. They wouldn't have been in such a hurry to get Xiao Yan to take action if they weren't forced to. Ling Zhuo is simply too dominant right now, holding the top spot on five different rankings, with no younger alchemist able to threaten him. Moreover, his achievements surpass even those of many veteran alchemists.

What's even more tragic is that the young alchemists trained by the Pill Tower are either already won over by the Spirit Clan and no longer obey the Pill Tower's commands, such as Cao Ying of the Cao family.

Alternatively, their strength is too far behind Lingzhuo's, and even if they try to break through, they will only become a laughing stock, making the elders of the Pill Tower even more inclined to side with the Ling race.

So, upon learning that Xiao Yan wanted to continue preparing, Xuan Kongzi personally urged Xiao Yan to definitely attempt one of the challenges, and preferably to first secure the top spot on the ranking list. Xiao Yan could still afford to wait, but the Pill Tower couldn't.

During the days that Xiao Yan spent searching for good things in the Pill Tower, the Pill Tower had already spread Xiao Yan's name throughout the entire Holy Pill City.

"A direct disciple of the Venerable Medicine Master, Yao Chen!"

"An eighth-grade alchemy master!"

"The number one alchemist of the younger generation, and the biggest favorite to win the championship."

"I'm considering joining the Pill Tower after the Pill Gathering."

Driven by powerful forces behind the scenes, these rumors began to spread like wildfire throughout Saint Pill City. Countless people now knew that Xiao Yan was the disciple of the Medicine Venerable, and in the current situation where the Pill Tower and the Spirit Clan were locked in a fierce confrontation, Xiao Yan had undoubtedly sided with the Pill Tower.

Everyone else could understand, after all, Yao Chen, the Medicine Venerable, was a former champion of the Pill Gathering and had a deep connection with the Pill Tower, so Xiao Yan's appearance at this time could be said to have attracted a lot of attention.

One reason is that everyone knows that the Medicine Master was once the number one alchemist on the continent. So, can his disciple achieve the same results as his teacher in this alchemy competition?

Those with a deeper understanding of the situation saw one thing clearly: Xiao Yan was now the final choice for the Pill Tower, and his success or failure represented many things.

If Xiao Yan can pose a threat to Ling Zhuo, then it proves that the Pill Tower still has unparalleled appeal in the field of alchemy.

If Xiao Yan were to lose to Ling Zhuo again, the Pill Tower would be in grave danger, because the elders of the Pill Tower would obviously feel that joining the more powerful and better-treated Spirit Clan would be their best option.

At this moment, the streets leading up to the "Dragon Pillar Fire Test," one of the five tests of the Heavenly Talent Ranking, were already packed with spectators from Saint Pill City who had come to watch the spectacle. This was because Xiao Yan had chosen this place as the first test for his attempt to break through the Heavenly Talent Ranking!

Xiao Yan stood at the edge of the "Dragon Pillar Fire Test" plaza, waiting for the test to begin. To his side stood a majestic stone tablet.

The stone tablet is engraved with a total of one hundred names. This is the ranking of the Heavenly Secrets Talents List, jointly created by the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and the Pill Tower. There are five tests to assess the alchemist's abilities, each with a maximum score of one hundred points. The ranking is based on the total score of the five tests.

The first place was none other than Lingzhuo of the Spirit Clan.

Four hundred and forty-six points!

On average, the difference in points lost per item was only ten. And this was after the Dan Tower had raised the standards as much as possible after discussions, limiting Ling Zhuo's score. While this gave Xiao Yan a chance to make a breakthrough, the gap between Ling Zhuo and the other people on the list became even more astonishing.

Second, Hua Qingyu, 402 points.

Third, Yi Xu, 396.

Fourth, Cao Ying, 389.

Fifth, Song Qing, 350.

……

Eighty-seventh, Lei Jingxiao, two hundred and twelve.

……

After seeing the list, Xiao Yan understood. The top spot was firmly held by Ling Zhuo of the Spirit Clan, and the top four also indicated their preference for the Spirit Clan. It was impossible for the Pill Tower not to be under pressure.

Cao Ying is one thing, after all, she was trained by the Pill Tower, and before the Spirit Race appeared, as Xuan Kongzi's direct disciple, she was quite the star of the Pill Tower. Now that the Cao family has switched sides and joined the Spirit Race, not only is Cao Ying considered a member of the Spirit Race, but she can only rank fourth on the list.

Although Song Qing, once a prodigy, has made it into the top five on the leaderboard, the gap between him and the previous four is still too great. No wonder the Dan Tower is so eager to build momentum for him and get him to take action.

When Xuan Kongzi met him today, he made a very formal request: the first test today is very important, and you must succeed on the first try! Moreover, it would be best to win first place in this test and not let Ling Zhuo dominate the top spot on the five lists.

"Master Xiao Yan, preparations are complete, you may begin the test." A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy from the Pill Tower also came to Xiao Yan's side.

Feeling the countless gazes on the street, even though he knew he wasn't the real protagonist of this scene, the little Danta child was still shocked by the spectacle and quietly swallowed.

"Thank you." Xiao Yan smiled slightly at the child.

Then, amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xiao Yan slowly walked to the center of the plaza. Outside the center stood nine metal pillars, each over ten feet tall. Xiao Yan examined them closely; each pillar was engraved with lifelike dragon patterns. The dragon patterns were exquisitely beautiful, except for the somewhat abrupt emptiness in the dragon's eyes, which made the dragon sculptures seem lifeless.

The Heavenly Talent Ranking was held to test the abilities of alchemists, and the five selected projects tested various aspects of their skills. After discussions between the Pill Tower and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, the Pill Tower was responsible for two projects, and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion for three.

The "Dragon Pillar Fire Test" is a project overseen by the Dan Tower. The person being tested needs to use their own primordial fire to ignite the dragon pillar, causing the eyes of the dragon inscribed on the iron pillar to light up.

The test is on a crucial aspect of alchemy – fire power! The previous record was held by Ling Zhuo – lighting up nine dragon pillars in three and a half hours.

Even if Xuan Kongzi himself came, it would take three hours to light up all nine dragon pillars. Therefore, even though this was a project handled by the Pill Tower, Ling Zhuo still received the highest score of ninety points. Below him, the highest score was only seventy-six points.

There was no way around it; the difference between the Strange Flame and other flames was simply too great. When Ling Zhuo tested the summoning of the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, the way the sandstorm swept and the flames erupted truly shocked many people.

So even though the public praises Xiao Yan to the skies, most people still feel that Xiao Yan cannot break Ling Zhuo's record.