Chapter 354: Full Evolution of the Heavenly Demon Puppets
"Nine-colored thunderclouds... what a treasure!"
Within the thunderclouds, Xiao Yuan gazed at the roiling nine-colored sky with a flicker of excitement in his eyes. The last seven-colored pill lightning had already given him a delightful surprise. This nine-colored pill lightning would undoubtedly yield even better results!
With a swipe of his hand across his storage ring, he released several puppets at the peak Dou Zong level, scattering them into the thunderclouds to absorb its immense power.
As for Xiao Yuan himself, he activated his Demon Lightning Physique to the fullest. A dark-golden Heavenly Flame in his hand transformed into a hundred-meter-long flaming whip. With a flick of his wrist, he lashed fiercely within the thundercloud, provoking the already unstable nine-colored lightning into a complete fury.
Boom! Boom!
Brilliant bolts of lightning raged like dragons roaring across the sky, bursting outward in magnificent brilliance. A torrent of thunderbolts cascaded down, crashing head-on into Xiao Yuan's chest.
The lightning slammed into him with tremendous force, its radiant arcs of nine-colored energy bursting into thousands of tiny electric serpents that slithered across his skin, tunneling into his body.
The force of the thunderbolts surged through Xiao Yuan's body, rapidly reinforcing his bones, tendons, and flesh.
If one could see through the thundercloud, they would witness a god-like scene—Xiao Yuan floating in the sky like a Thunder God, with lightning flickering wildly within ten meters around him. The terrifying aura was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.
From the stone platform, Xiao Yan watched calmly through the bluish-green flames rising from his body, clearly perceiving what was happening inside the cloud.
Xiao Yuan was taking every strike of the nine-colored pill lightning head-on, allowing Xiao Yan to completely relax, without lifting a finger to handle the fierce lightning tribulation himself.
High above, thunder rumbled endlessly. The churning nine-colored clouds, like a monstrous lightning engine, ceaselessly expelled increasingly powerful thunderbolts that struck both the demon puppets and Xiao Yuan without pause.
This rampage lasted nearly half an hour before the clouds began to calm. Hundreds of terrifying lightning strikes had burst forth during this time. Yet instead of being damaged, the demon puppets' once-silver bodies had transformed into a brilliant golden hue.
"As expected of nine-colored pill lightning!"
At the heart of the thundercloud, Xiao Yuan's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. His demon puppets had all advanced into Heavenly Demon Puppets. His own body had grown stronger, and most importantly, the Black Demon Lightning nurtured within him had significantly intensified!
As he mulled this over, Xiao Yuan deliberately provoked the rainbow cloud once more, drawing even more thunderbolts to absorb their power.
Under Xiao Yuan and his puppets' near-cheating ability to absorb the thunder's might, the lightning thrashed wildly for ten more minutes before finally giving up. The once-fierce energy in the clouds faded, and the oppressive storm slowly dispersed under countless stunned gazes.
As the thick thunderclouds receded, warm sunlight once again bathed the world, illuminating the land ravaged by the lightning. Many felt as though they had been reborn under the sunlight's embrace.
After savoring the sunlight, all eyes turned to Xiao Yuan. At that moment, a terrifying aura—strong enough to unsettle even Dou Zun experts—surrounded him. The lightning tribulation had clearly benefited him tremendously.
Colorful arcs of lightning coiled around Xiao Yuan's body, giving him an almost divine appearance. But as the awe wore off, everyone finally realized—the Pill Gathering had officially reached its conclusion. It was time to announce the results.
Under everyone's gaze, Xiao Yuan smiled and slowly descended. His gaze swept across the crowd and finally settled on a lean figure.
"Well then, the tribulation has ended. I ask all participants to now bring out the pills you have refined."
Upon hearing Xiao Yuan's voice, the ten or so people still on the stone platforms hesitated briefly before lifting their completed pills into the air.
As the pills emerged, a rich medicinal fragrance flooded the air, intensifying the atmosphere.
Countless eyes turned toward the pills. Nine of them gleamed like luminous pearls. Though their appearance was excellent—high-grade Tier Seven pills—they failed to draw much attention, for five other pills floated above them, shrouded in spiritual mist.
The difference between Tier Seven and Tier Eight pills, though subtle in appearance, was immediately obvious—even to laymen. The difference lay in their spirit.
Tier Seven pills were dead pills, regardless of their strength. Tier Eight pills, however, possessed their own consciousness. These were known as living or spiritual pills!
The five Tier Eight pills floated slightly apart, repelling each other. Among them, the spiritual aura of Cao Ying and Dan Chen's pills was a bit weaker, with faint spirit mists coalescing into the shapes of a fox and a rabbit.
Spectators watched the scene with wonder. This was the first time many had seen spiritual pills—the mystery and majesty of Tier Eight pills was fully on display.
Nearby hovered three larger and more dominant pills. One was from Old Monster Qinghua and had manifested a bear-like spirit that simply sat guarding its space, avoiding conflict—knowing full well it couldn't compete.
Another belonged to Xiao Yuan's unofficial disciple, Old Wang, a two-colored pill refined with a weaker spirit.
Above them all floated Xiao Yan's pill: the Bone-Forging Blood-Melding Pill. Its spiritual energy surged violently, transforming into a half-meter-long multicolored dragon. It exuded a terrifying aura that suppressed the other four spiritual pills with ease.
As the pills fully manifested, beams of light suddenly erupted from each, arranging themselves into a glowing pyramid in the sky. At the apex, the little dragon roared toward the heavens, shining with a radiance like the sun itself.
In that instant, everyone could sense the terrifying purity and power housed within the tiny pill.
From the high platform, Xiao Yuan looked at the other four pills—utterly suppressed by the Bone-Forging Blood-Melding Pill—and smiled before announcing loudly:
"In the world of pills, spirit reigns supreme. Today, the most distinguished pill of the Pill Gathering has appeared, and its master is our champion—Xiao Yan!"
With his firm declaration, thousands of eyes shifted to the stone platform. Moments later, thunderous cheers erupted across the square, shaking the heavens.
They had witnessed a miracle. A youth in his early twenties had, at the Pill Gathering, given his all and successfully refined a legendary Tier Eight pill with nine-colored pill lightning. From this day forth, the name Xiao Yan would be known throughout the Central Plains—and even across the entire Dou Qi Continent!
Standing atop the platform, Xiao Yan looked down at the roaring crowd and couldn't help but smile. Then he looked toward the sky and whispered softly in his heart, "Master, your disciple didn't let you down."
Cao Ying and others gazed at Xiao Yan with envy. At this moment, he was undeniably the brightest star on the stage.
The Pill Gathering champion—a title not just of prestige, but of power. Every past champion had gone on to become a top powerhouse. But Xiao Yan was different. He was already a top-tier existence, capable of refining nine-colored pill lightning pills!
Song Qing looked at Xiao Yan with a complicated expression. There was jealousy in his eyes—but also helplessness. Xiao Yan's performance left him feeling utterly defeated. He couldn't even muster the will to compete.
Nine-colored pill lightning... a height he would likely never reach in his lifetime.
"Xiao Yan, you are the champion of the Pill Gathering. From now on, you will also be considered a candidate to become one of the Pill Tower's future leaders."
Xiao Yuan smiled as he looked at Xiao Yan.
With that announcement, countless eyes turned toward Xiao Yan with envy and admiration. Becoming a future leader of the Pill Tower meant ascending to the very top of the Dou Qi Continent.
Everyone knew what the Pill Tower meant—its leaders were revered by all alchemists. Though the Pill Tower had never gone to war, no one doubted the terrifying influence it wielded.
Amid all this attention, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Whether or not he would truly become a leader someday, for now, he would not reject the honor.
Of course, people also realized something else—Xiao Yuan had also refined a Tier Eight pill with seven-colored lightning. Had he not been officiating, sparks might have flown between him and Xiao Yan.
Moreover, Xiao Yuan's combat strength was even more terrifying. He had effortlessly dealt with a tribulation that even Dou Zun experts dreaded. The younger generation truly was fearsome.
"As champion, by the rules, you shall receive a soul cultivation technique passed down from ancient times."
Xiao Yuan lifted his hand. A scroll made of ancient parchment appeared in his palm, then shot toward Xiao Yan wrapped in a beam of light.
This was a gift from Xuan Kongzi—but its true ownership lay with the Pill Tower.
Xiao Yan's face brightened with surprise. Having reached Tier Eight, he knew this kind of soul technique was a rare treasure.
He reached out and caught the glowing scroll. As the light faded, the ancient parchment felt oddly mystical in his hand.
"This really is something special."
Feeling that strange aura, Xiao Yan couldn't help but praise it. Then, smiling, he stored it away without examining it—there would be time for that later. He turned toward the Pill Tower's three leaders and bowed respectfully.
Seeing the satisfied expression on Xiao Yan's face, Xiao Yuan chuckled. As the applause finally faded, he announced:
"The champion has been chosen. Two days from now, the Star Region will open. The top ten alchemists of this Pill Gathering will have the opportunity to enter and attempt to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame!"
At his words, Xiao Yan's eyes immediately lit up with irrepressible excitement. That Heavenly Flame was exactly what he needed!
And he wasn't the only one—others, including even Old Monster Qinghua, had their eyes shine with heat. The Three Thousand Burning Flame clearly held tremendous allure.
With everyone's faces now burning with anticipation, it was clear—the Pill Gathering had reached its end. But the real battle had yet to begin. This time, the prize was not a title—but the legendary immortal flame: the Three Thousand Burning Flame!
Who would claim it in the end?
Xiao Yuan's lips curled into a faint smile.
He had already learned of its origins from Zi Yan. According to the three leaders, the current strength of the flame—discounting the effects of the seal—was enough to fight all three of them to a standstill.
If not for the early sealing that limited its full power, the seal would've been broken long ago.
In truth, many had tried and failed. Even the Pill Tower had dispatched elite elders, but none had succeeded. That's why the right to subdue the flame had been offered as the grand prize of the Pill Gathering.
After all, the flame had been sealed within the Star Region, where the dense starlight continued to strengthen it over time. If this went on, even the Pill Tower might be unable to contain it.
But Xiao Yuan believed unconditionally—Xiao Yan would succeed in subduing the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
After all… he bore the mark of an Emperor.
(END CHAPTER)
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