Battle Through the Heavens, Reborn as Xiao Yan's Sister

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the beautiful woman in black finally asked the question she was most concerned about: "Miss Xiao, could you tell us how Yao Chen is doing lately?"

As soon as Xuan Yi finished speaking, the atmosphere in the area where the upper echelons of the Pill Tower were located froze. When Yao Chen was mentioned, even in front of the three giants of the Pill Tower, they had to admit that he was a legendary figure.

Xiao Yue seemed to have known she would ask this question, after all, the shady dealings between Yao Chen and this person were not only common knowledge, but also widely known in some small circles: "Old Master Yao has now broken through to the Half-Saint realm and is stationed in the Northwest Continent. Everything is fine."

Upon hearing this, the three giants of the Pill Tower were all taken aback. Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with admiration.

Although the Dan Tower had already received intelligence about this, they couldn't help but feel a pang of regret when the news was confirmed. A half-saint was a rare existence on the entire Dou Qi Continent, and Yao Chen had disappeared for many years. When they heard the news again, it was because he had actually reached this level. This undoubtedly stirred up a sense of emotion in these old friends.

Xuan Yi was so excited that she was almost incoherent: "Half-Saint... Yao Chen, has he really reached that realm?" The beautiful woman's voice trembled slightly, clearly she was more excited about this news than anyone else.

Xiao Yue nodded and continued, "Senior Xuan Yi need not worry. Yao Chen is currently overseeing matters in the Northwest Continent, and he is handling all affairs there personally. He often mentions the Pill Tower, saying it is the most unforgettable place in his life. Hmm, I should mention you again."

This is a lie; Xiao Yue had never heard Yao Chen mention Xuan Yi, her old lover, at all.

Hearing this, Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi were also deeply moved. They were of the same generation as Yao Chen, but they never expected that he could reach the semi-saint realm so quickly. The hardships and sacrifices he made during the years he disappeared were probably only something Yao Chen himself could understand.

"We are relieved that Yao Chen is safe and sound." Xuan Kongzi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Miss Xiao, since you came to Zhongzhou, has Yao Chen sent any message?"

Xiao Yue shook her head slightly and said, "He didn't leave any message. He just asked me to convey his greetings to everyone in the Pill Tower. Elder Yao said that if he has the opportunity one day, he will personally return to the Pill Tower to reminisce with everyone."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi's eyes flashed with a complex emotion. She and Yao Chen had once shared a deeply unforgettable relationship, but ultimately failed to be together for various reasons. Now, hearing the news that Yao Chen was safe and sound and would soon be returning, she felt both excited and apprehensive.

"Ahem... Okay, let's get back to the main topic."

Xuan Kongzi coughed lightly, bringing the topic back to the Pill Gathering, "Miss Xiao, since you have agreed to secretly oversee the opening of the Pill Realm with us, let's discuss the specific details next."

Xiao Yue nodded and said, "I will follow the arrangements of all the seniors."

In the following time, the three giants of the Pill Tower gave Xiao Yue a brief explanation of the overall structure and layout of the Lower Pill Realm. To ensure that no accidents would occur during the opening process, they did not hold back any information from Xiao Yue. The Pill Tower had also formulated a series of security measures to prevent hostile forces such as the Soul Hall from taking the opportunity to cause trouble.

Meanwhile, the distorted illusionary level is also about to end.

At this moment, the three giants began to secretly manipulate the complex formation. They formed hand seals, and mysterious runes flew out from their hands and merged into the distorted space.

As the formation was activated, the distorted space slowly cracked open, and a rich spiritual energy surged out, permeating the entire plaza. Everyone could clearly feel the power and purity of that spiritual energy, as if even their souls were being cleansed at that moment.

At this moment, an elder from the Pill Tower slowly stepped forward and announced: "Congratulations on passing the first test. Now that the time is almost up, you can enter the Pill Realm. Everyone who enters, come here to receive a mission medicine list, a map of the Pill Realm, and a space stone. The medicine list contains the rare and precious herbs that you must find inside. Remember, only by collecting all the rare and precious herbs on the list can you successfully pass this test; otherwise, you will be eliminated."

"I won't go into the map's purpose; it shows the exit point of the Pill Realm. Once you've collected all the rare herbs of heaven and earth, head there..."

"As for the space stone, it's for saving your life. If you encounter a life-threatening situation, you can crush the space stone, and you will be automatically sent out of the Pill Realm. However, crushing the space stone also means that you have lost the qualification to continue participating in the competition. Do you understand?" At the end, the old man slowly raised his eyes and said.

Upon hearing this, all the contestants who had passed the first round nodded slightly. Anyone who could get here at such a speed was no pushover, and they naturally knew that the old man in front of them was no ordinary old man.

"The Dan Realm is in ruins and not suitable for long stays. So you only have ten days to search for the spiritual herbs needed for the mission. Identifying spiritual herbs is a basic skill for alchemists. Surely you don't need someone to teach you that?" the old man said with a smile.

"Furthermore, although the Pill Realm is not suitable for human habitation, it is a paradise for some magical beasts. After years of breeding, the magical beasts in the Pill Realm are extremely powerful. If you encounter them, be careful not to lose your lives, because no one will come to save you. You should be prepared for this. The Pill Gathering is not a game or an ordinary competition. This is a real bloodbath arena!"

"The Pill Realm has opened; you may proceed there now."

At this moment, Xuan Kongzi's voice echoed in the sky above the square, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

As he finished speaking, the distorted spatial rift slowly expanded, forming a huge portal. Countless figures filed into the portal and disappeared from the sight of everyone outside.

Seeing this, Xiao Yue couldn't help but chuckle. The Pill Tower's move was quite clever; it was essentially using these contestants as laborers to search for rare herbs and spiritual herbs for them in the small world for free.

Of course, the Pill Tower is not stingy. If there are other gains in the Pill Realm, they will not pursue it. How many people outside want to enter the Pill Realm but cannot? But most of them fail at the first hurdle!
After all, the Pill Realm can be said to be a natural warehouse of spiritual herbs. The area of ​​its internal small world space, perhaps due to its gradual decline, is still at least hundreds of thousands of miles in circumference. Don't underestimate these hundreds of thousands of miles. With the abundance of various rare and precious natural treasures that are hard to find in the outside world, there is probably no force on the continent that is not tempted by it. Having such a small world is equivalent to having an inexhaustible warehouse of rare and precious spiritual herbs.

This also shows how rich the foundation of the Pill Tower is.

……

As the last contestant disappeared through the portal to the Pill Realm, Xuan Yi turned slightly and gave Xiao Yue a meaningful look.

According to the rules of previous years, one of the three giants of the Pill Tower would secretly enter the Pill Realm each time the competition started, hiding in the shadows to prevent any unforeseen events. This year, Xuan Yi entered the Pill Realm, but this time she wanted to bring Xiao Yue with her.

“Miss Xiao, on this trip to the Pill Realm, we will address each other as companions. If you make any discoveries, you are free to pick them without any restrictions,” Xuan Yi said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yue's heart stirred, and she immediately understood the deeper meaning. She naturally knew the value of spiritual herbs in the alchemy world, but she was also aware of the responsibilities and risks that came with them.

She nodded slightly and said softly, "Although I am not a member of the Pill Tower, since I have agreed to cooperate with you all, I will naturally do my best and live up to your expectations."

Seeing this, Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi exchanged a smile. Xuan Kongzi said, "Miss Xiao, don't worry. With us in charge outside, as long as the Soul Palace doesn't make any rash moves within the Pill Realm, there won't be much danger."

Tian Leizi added, "Although there are many spiritual herbs in the Pill Realm, there are also some forbidden areas, so please be careful when venturing there. Also, if you encounter those unruly demon cubs from the Soul Palace, you two should immediately crush the space stone, and we will rush to your aid."

Xiao Yue and Xuan Yi nodded at the same time, indicating that they understood.

Xuan Yi glanced at Xiao Yue again, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. She said softly, "Miss Xiao, let's go."

After saying that, the two of them flashed and transformed into two streaks of light, flying into the huge portal and disappearing from everyone's sight.

Looking in the direction where the two disappeared, the two giants left to guard the outside world both had a complex emotion in their eyes. Xuan Kongzi sighed and said, "I hope everything goes smoothly this time. The continent is not peaceful right now."

Tian Leizi nodded and said, "Who can argue with that? Given the current state of the entire Dou Qi Continent, our Pill Tower cannot afford the slightest mistake. If we can be on good terms with the Soul Suppressing Court, it would be a good choice."

The square returned to calm, but beneath this calm, undercurrents were surging, and countless forces were making final preparations for the upcoming Pill Gathering.

Xuan Yi would occasionally offer pointers on the strange scenery in the small world, telling Xiao Yue which spiritual herbs were rare treasures and which were miraculous medicines with special effects.

As they spoke, the two gradually ventured deeper into the small world.

“This is the outer area of ​​the Pill Realm. Although there aren’t many spiritual herbs here, there are a few rare ones.” Xuan Yi pointed to a small white grass that emitted a faint spiritual light not far away and said to Xiao Yue, “For example, that Ice Spirit Fruit has a miraculous effect on consolidating the soul power of an alchemist. If you like it, you can pick it.”

Xiao Yue looked in the direction she pointed, a strange light flashing in her eyes. She said softly, "Ice Spirit Fruit. No wonder there is a chill around here. It turns out it is coming from this. Such spiritual objects are almost impossible to find in the outside world. It is rare to encounter one."

Without further ado, Xiao Yue waved her jade hand lightly, and a flash of silver light appeared. The Ice Spirit Fruit was cut off, and a cold aura wafted out as soon as she touched it.

The inner area has far more rare and precious medicinal herbs than the outer area, and their quality is also much better. However, the magical beasts there are also extremely powerful.

Then, Xuan Yi moved and rushed into the depths. Both of them were Dou Zun level experts, and Xuan Yi was even at the peak of Dou Zun. Naturally, they had no taboos in this small world.

About half an hour later, the two arrived at the inner area.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here has become significantly richer. Underfoot is an incredibly soft meadow, and at a glance, there are at least dozens of different kinds of precious spiritual herbs. Some emit a blazing fiery aura, some are filled with rich wood-attribute vitality, and others release a faint golden light...

These are the most pristine medicinal herbs in the world, their spiritual essence preserved by human harvesting, which is why they are most effective.

The name "Ten Thousand Medicines Mountain Range" alone reveals the extraordinary nature of this mountain range. When Xiao Yue first saw the majestic mountain range stretching for 100,000 miles, she was somewhat stunned, because she discovered that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this mountain range was simply too rich.

The mountain range resembles a giant dragon coiled up, with thick fog permeating the air above it. This fog is not natural, but rather formed by the condensation of rich energy.

A continuous, undulating roar of beasts echoed through the air, filled with ferocity.

Xiao Yue hovered in mid-air at the edge of the mountain range, gazing at the mountain range shrouded in mist. Even though she had not yet set foot on this mountain range, with her keen soul perception, she could sense that this mountain range was not a safe place for the contestants.

……

"Ok?"

Suddenly, Xiao Yue paused slightly, and stood there with a strange expression on her face.

"what happened?"

Xuan Yi asked with some surprise.

"It's nothing, we just found a little mouse that crawled in to steal some food," Xiao Yue said.

"A little mouse?" Xuan Yi was even more puzzled.

“Yes, and it’s a little purple mouse…” Xiao Yue said with a smile.

Xuan Yi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. The gate to their small world in the Pill Realm was notoriously strict in the Central Continent. After all, as a small world that was rich in various kinds of spiritual herbs, it could only be opened once every thirty years. Each time, the Pill Tower would control the number of people entering to two hundred. Only in this way could the ecological balance of the small world and the sustainability of various spiritual herbs be maintained.

Each time the small world opens, the Pill Tower will send some elders and a powerful figure from the Central Continent at the peak of Dou Zun to secretly supervise and prevent anyone from causing large-scale damage to this spiritually rich small world. Therefore, the little mouse that Xiao Yue mentioned suddenly burrowed into the small world naturally attracted Xuan Yi's attention.

Faced with the beautiful woman in black frowning, Xiao Yue could only chuckle, feeling rather speechless.

Zi Yan is a restless girl, no matter where she is. She was caught red-handed by Xiao Yue stealing herbs in the Canaan Academy's herb garden back then, and now... even after coming to Zhongzhou, she still doesn't show any politeness. She even dares to wander into the small world controlled by the Pill Tower. Her habit of running around everywhere and stealing spiritual herbs from other people's herb gardens is truly something else...

(End of this chapter)