On the final level of the Pill Tower, the oppressive pressure vanished along with Mo Huaiyuan, and the three no longer felt suffocated.
Shen Xuan felt lighter, immediately becoming much more agile. âItâs gone?â
Murong Yan appeared completely bewildered. âWhat happened? Could this have been a test? We lasted this long, did we pass it?â
Yang Ying shook his head. âProbably not. Look at it.â
The humanoid figure that had stood motionless before pill chamber forty-five spun around once more. It drifted toward the second-floor entrance and vanished from sight in an instant.
Shen Xuanâs brow furrowed slightly. âIt moved again? Whatâs the reason this timeâ
huh?
â
His expression shifted dramatically. Everything before his eyes seemed to be covered by a thin veil, becoming hazy. Within that haze, there was a sense of illusion.
Murong Yan was startled and uncertain. âWhatâs going on?â
Yang Ying sighed. âThis whole place is going to disappear soon.â
Having been there before, he understood this place a bit better than the other two.
Shen Xuan swallowed hard. âDonât tell me it has something to do with Brother Gu?â
Murong Yan was the first to make a move. âOnly one way to find out. Nine times out of ten, this change has something to do with him!â
***
Gu Han was still frowning in frustration inside pill chamber number one. Just then, he sensed something and whipped his head around. Somehow, Dan Chen had found his way here!
After staring blankly at the pill furnace for a moment, Dan Chen waved his hands repeatedly, forming a set of hand seals. They were far more complex and profound than the ones used to unseal the restrictions.
Gu Han was startled, then overjoyed.
Thatâs right! I donât know how to refine pills, but someone else does!
Dan Chen was the youngest and most promising alchemist in the pill tower. When it came to alchemy dao, he was ten thousand times better than Gu Han!
Without hesitation, Gu Han immediately performed the same set of hand seals. Dan Chen provided the hand seals, while he provided the spirit power. The two coordinated seamlessly!
However, Gu Han had clearly overestimated his cultivation level and the grade of the pill. The moment the hand seals were formed, a tremendous sucking force suddenly came from the pill furnace. Like a whale devouring water, it drained a third of his spirit power. The flickering, unstable pill flame temporarily stabilized.
Gu Han instinctively wanted to pull back. Yet the pill flame pressed down with unbearable force, gripping him tightly and constantly draining his spirit power. There was no escape. Now, he had only two paths. He would either be drained completely and fail, or survive until the pill was fully refined.
As if Iâd give up! No matter what, I will obtain this pill!
Gritting his teeth, he relentlessly stuffed the previously scavenged pills into his mouth. Even though most of their medicinal power had been lost, they were still more potent than ordinary pills.
A torrent of spirit power poured into him, swiftly absorbed and transformed into cultivation by his extraordinary meridians. However, it still wasnât enough. Although the rate at which his spirit power was depleting had slowed, there was still no hope of enduring the full twenty minutes.
More!
His eyes were bloodshot. He took out even more pills and crammed them all into his mouth. If he could absorb divine power, then why not spirit qi? The extraordinary meridians he gained after his rebirth were his foundation.
Murong Yan and the others, who had rushed over, were dumbfounded upon seeing this scene.
***
Meanwhile, inside the great palace...
âGone again!â
âGreedy bastard!â
âDamn it, he beat us to it again!â
Chu Kuang and his group cursed loudly, full of hostility. They hadnât even gotten a single scrap, having only licked the bottom of the pot.
One could only imagine how overjoyed they were upon discovering these hundred-plus pill chambers. They had intended to thoroughly loot them, but the result disappointed them once more.
If the previous palaces were like theyâd been licked clean by a dog, then this place had been licked ten times over. They hadnât found even one ruined pill. Not knowing the whole story, they of course attributed all of this to Gu Han.
Wu Han stared intently at Di Kan and Zhao Mengyou, blazing with anger. âI told you! Forget those palaces for now, finding him and getting the pills is the real priority! You just wouldnât listen! And now? He had taken everything again!â
Despite joining forces, breaking through the palacesâ restrictions still took a considerable amount of time. They were too late.
Di Kan wouldnât accept this criticism. âStop with the useless talk! When I suggested sharing, didnât you all agree?â
Zhao Mengyou remained impassive. âCorrect. And when we were dividing the pills, no one saw you taking any less.â
Chu Kuang rubbed his brow, suppressing the anger in his heart. âEnough! He should be in that tower right now. The opportunity there is the most important. If we keep arguing, Iâm afraidâ
huh?
â
His pupils constricted sharply. Their surroundings were growing hazy and indistinct, as if fading from reality. Of course, they were familiar with this situation.
âDamn it! The Profound Pill Pavilion is about to disappear!â
Chu Kuang stopped hesitating. âLetâs go! We must force him to hand over the pills before the place disappears! Once weâre outside, forcing him wonât be so easy! He has the backing of the Flame Emperorâs legacy, after all!â
They no longer had the heart to argue and rushed straight for the giant tower. The pavilionâs opportunities were beyond imagination! They had to force a portion of those benefits from him!
***
Inside pill chamber number one, Gu Han barely maintained the status quo, downing pill after pill. Yet he didnât dare pause for even a moment. He knew stopping would drain him and destroy the pill. With all his attention on the pill furnace, he didnât notice Murong Yan and the others arriving.
Unbeknownst to him, the pill was at its final moment of formation. Simply maintaining the pill flame was enough, which reduced the consumption of spirit power significantly.
Even though his cultivation level wasnât high, he managed to preserve the pill furnace by sheer luck. Had it been anyone else, they would have failed miserably. Not even Chu Kuang, with Dan Chenâs hand seals, could have succeeded.
Murong Yan tried to call out to him, âBrotherââ
However, Shen Xuan stopped her. âDonât. Heâs in a very special state right now. He absolutely cannot be disturbed, otherwise the consequences would be dire.â
Silently, the few of them withdrew and stood guard outside.
Murong Yan sniffed the air, instantly discerning the pillâs purpose. She couldnât help but grin. âYang Guy, it looks like your luck isnât so bad.â
Shen Xuan smiled. âJunior Brother Yang, congratulations. The only worry now is whether he can get that pill before this place completely disappears.â
He could see that the place was growing hazier.
Yang Ying remained silent, his feelings complicated. He stared at Gu Han, whose eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and persisted stubbornly. A thought surfaced in Yang Yingâs heart,
Maybe, I really could be saved?
Just then, Shen Xuanâs expression shifted slightly, as if sensing something. âShit! Theyâre here!â