Struck by the giant dragon, the black figure transformed into a sky full of flames that shot out violently, then quickly converged again.
The Void Swallowing Flame was both shocked and enraged; that last hit had struck him quite hard.
He hadn't expected a newly born ninth grade golden pill to be so troublesome.
The Ancient Dragon's body granted it unparalleled strength, and the Heavenly Phoenix's wings gave it lightning-fast speed; when the two combined, even without any Dou Technique, its terrifying physical body alone could unleash extremely powerful combat ability.
Before he could think further, the giant dragon charged up again, and the Void Swallowing Flame could only meet it in battle.
A pill and a Heavenly Flame thus began fighting high above the Medicine World, each collision creating a violent energy storm that made the entire Medicine World tremble.
The people in the square watched the battle from afar, their expressions particularly strange.
Not everyone had seen the Soul Emperor and Gu Yuan; in their understanding, these two were the strongest individuals on the Dou Qi Continent.
"Damn it, is this World crazy? Forget the Heavenly Flame, I've cultivated so hard for so long, yet I can't even compare to a pill?" a rogue cultivator grumbled.
"Relax, even the entire Dou Qi Continent would be hard-pressed to find a few people stronger than this pill," someone consoled.
A person with a wandering mind suddenly asked, "You guys, what if I ask the Medicine Saint to refine me too? Can I become a Dou Saint?"
"No, you'll just turn into dregs..."
Seeing that the situation was no longer so critical, many guests relaxed again and began chattering and discussing. Originally, they wanted to leave quickly, but the scene was too exciting, so they changed their minds and decided to stay and watch the show.
The ninth grade golden pill and the Void Swallowing Flame fought until the sky changed color and the sun and moon lost their light, the entire Medicine World almost shattering.
One had the strength of a mid-stage Nine-Star Dou Saint and a Dragon Phoenix body, while the other possessed an Heavenly flame body, the early-stage Nine-Star Dou Saint realm, and various cultivation methods and Dou Techniques... For a time, it was difficult to determine a victor between the two.
Ultimately, Soul Kill, Soul Butcher, and Soul Flame risked their lives, seized an opportunity, and struck the ninth grade golden pill. Although they didn't cause him much damage, they disrupted the battle, giving the Void Swallowing Flame a certain advantage.
The Void Swallowing Flame was not to be trifled with either; his seasoned combat experience allowed him to press the attack relentlessly, turning his advantage into a decisive victory.
After taking a punch to the head, the enormous Dragon Phoenix suddenly turned its body, tore open the space of the Medicine World, and fled without looking back.
"Don't think of running!" The Void Swallowing Flame quickly gave chase.
Soul Flame, Soul Butcher, and Soul Kill exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and followed.
Hun Xuzi was already injured, and after a moment's thought, he decided that chasing would be of no use, so he left directly and returned to the Soul Clan.
Gu Lie hesitated for a moment, then finally gave up on the idea of chasing to watch. The strength gap between him and the Void Swallowing Flame and the ninth grade golden pill was somewhat large; if either of them had a free hand to deal with him, he might be in danger of falling.
With no more excitement to watch, the guests bid their farewells and departed.
"Teacher, what should we do?" Xiao Yan scratched his head and asked Yao Chen.
Currently, Yao Chen was the most confused. He truly hadn't expected that a meticulously prepared pill refining session would evolve into a crisis that nearly led to the Yao Clan's demise.
Yao Chen considered for a few seconds before replying, "This place is not suitable for long stays. We'll return to Starcloud Pavilion."
He was currently weak, and even if they were to discuss compensation or anything, it couldn't be now, otherwise wouldn't he be at their mercy?
He didn't deny that he had to bear some responsibility in this matter, but the exact proportion was debatable.
"Little friend Yao Chen, wait a moment," Yao Dan called out, stopping him.
Yao Chen paused, then turned around helplessly, a look of embarrassment on his face: "My apologies, Clan Leader Yao Dan, this was my fault. This truly was an accident."
Yao Dan shook his head: "You can't be blamed. I also believe you didn't do it on purpose. After all, in this matter, you are the one who suffered the greatest loss..."
Oh right, I lost a ninth grade golden pill! This loss is much greater than the Yao Clan's! Yao Chen realized, suddenly not feeling so guilty. The organizers failed to consider various situations and even let the pill escape. What does that have to do with him, a participant?
As he thought about it, Yao Chen relaxed. Even if he had to compensate, he wouldn't compensate too much, after all, he was just participating normally and didn't do anything out of line.
"Here, this is the reward you won for this Yao Ceremony," Yao Dan handed over a scroll.
Yao Chen was stunned, feeling a bit awkward.
"Heh heh, your first place is well-deserved. After all, we were competing on who could refine the best pill. As for whether the pill could be subdued, that was not within the scope of our competition," Yao Dan forced a smile.
Yao Dan was so polite that Yao Chen felt awkward just leaving like that. He took the scroll and said seriously:
"It was not my intention for the pill to cause such destruction. If Clan Leader Yao Dan has any need of my help, please speak freely, so I can make some amends."
Yao Dan shook his head: "Who can say whether it's a blessing or a curse? You might have saved my Yao Clan."
"Hmm?" Yao Chen's face showed confusion.
Yao Dan sighed and explained to him: "Your refining of the ninth grade golden pill was a sudden event; no one knew about it beforehand. But the Void Swallowing Flame bringing Soul Flame, Soul Butcher, Soul Kill, and Hun Xuzi, four Seven Star Dou Shengs, to my Medicine World was premeditated.
"If the appearance of the ninth grade golden pill hadn't diverted their attention, what do you think their original target was?"
Yao Chen's pupils contracted. If there had been no ninth grade golden pill, the only thing worth the Soul Clan dispatching such a lineup for was the Yao Clan itself! Such a lineup could completely wipe out the entire Yao Clan!
He replied in a low voice: "The Yao Clan?"
"Most likely us..." Yao Dan shook his head, his expression bitter and helpless. "I want to ask you for a favor."
"Clan Leader, please speak," after this ordeal, the bit of resentment Yao Chen held towards the Yao Clan had mostly dissipated.
"I hope you can take Yao Ling and a group of Yao Clan disciples to your Starcloud Pavilion. This way, if something happens to the Yao Clan someday, a group of seeds will still remain, and the Yao Clan can continue."
After realizing the Void Swallowing Flame's possible objective, Yao Dan felt an unprecedented heaviness in his heart. He was very certain that the Yao Clan could not have withstood that lineup from earlier. His unease prompted him to decide to relocate some of his clansmen.
Yao Chen thought for a moment, then nodded: "You are most welcome!"
Yao Dan's expression relaxed a little: "Later, I will have the young people who are going with you come over. I hope that in your spare time, you can give them some pointers on alchemy...
"I've already given instructions regarding the clan's Monument of Merit ; you may do as you wish. I originally wanted to directly add the names of the two elders, but after thinking about it, I felt you might prefer to write them in yourself."
Yao Chen's expression became a little more complex, and he nodded slightly.