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**
Within the ruins of the small courtyard.
"Brother Wei, this Hall of Souls Dou Zun called Mu Gu seems to have some kind of grudge with master, do you know his background in detail?" Xiao Yan asked.
"I've heard a little. He's an elder of Hall of Souls, known as Old Man Mu Gu. His status in Hall of Souls isn't low, because he is a Tier 8 alchemist, and thus, it's said that he is highly valued by the Hall Master of Hall of Souls." Wei Yang said after some thought.
"Old Man Mu Gu huh?" Xiao Yan muttered softly, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.
The other party had set his eyes on both his Heavenly Flame and the Flame Mantra, which made killing intent surge wildly in his heart.
"He and Yao Lao indeed have a long-standing grudge. It's said that back in the day, he and Yao Lao apprenticed under the same master, but later, because of certain reasons, he was expelled from the sect, and thus grew extremely hostile toward Yao Lao. He often seized every chance to oppose him. Back then, even Han Feng's betrayal and strike against Yao Lao was due to his instigation." Wei Yang explained.
"What?!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression couldn't help but change.
This Old Man Mu Gu, he actually once came from the same sect as master?
"This time he failed, he surely won't give up, and will definitely find another way to strike at you again. After all, he has been eyeing the Flame Mantra for more than just a day or two. It's not safe for you in this Outer Region, you'd better come to my residence."
Wei Yang continued, "At my residence, even Mu Gu wouldn't dare to act recklessly in broad daylight."
Xiao Yan nodded.
The Pill Gathering was about to be held, and right now his focus was on the Pill Gathering, on entering the top ten, and obtaining the qualification to seize the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Securing that Heavenly Flame was what truly mattered.
As for everything else, it could be set aside for the time being. He turned his gaze toward Tian Huo Zun Zhe, with a questioning look, "Elder Yao?"
Tian Huo Zun Zhe chuckled when he saw this, "This old man doesn't mind, anywhere is fine."
When it came to Hall of Souls, even Tian Huo Zun Zhe did not dare to act arrogant.
At this moment.
Ye Zhong arrived outside the small courtyard, his face full of guilt, "Mister Xiao Yan."
For such a thing to happen, it could be said that his Ye Clan had failed to protect them well enough.
Xiao Yan smiled, "This has nothing to do with you, the intruder was simply too strong. Even Mister Yao Lao did not sense him, so it's not the Ye Clan's fault."
Ye Zhong's strength was only that of a Nine-Star Dou Zong, even if he knew, he could not have stopped it at all. Ye Zhong gave a bitter smile and nodded, asking, "Mister Xiao Yan and Elder Yao, are you leaving?"
"Mm, the Pill Gathering is about to start. To avoid more accidents, Elder Yao and I will first stay at my senior brother's residence for a while, and focus on preparing for the Pill Gathering. We'll all be in Holy Pill City anyway, if you need me, you can find me there."
Wei Residence.
Inside a secret chamber.
Wei Yang sat cross-legged upon a futon, eyes tightly shut. Hand seals shifted slowly in his hands.
Nine-Refinement Heavenly Soul.
The first three refinements were Mortal Realm. The middle three refinements were Spirit Realm. The final three refinements were Heaven Realm. It was a method for tempering and cultivating the soul.
Treating the soul as if it were a block of raw iron to be hammered, forged, until it became steel refined a hundred times. In this process, the strength and toughness of the soul would be constantly enhanced.
Nine refinements to achieve a Heavenly Soul!
At present, Wei Yang had cultivated to the sixth refinement. Back then, even Yao Lao had only cultivated to this level, though he had reached the later stage of the sixth refinement, while Wei Yang was still in the early stage.
Within the vast spiritual sea space, mist pervaded, a dim haze.
Deep within, a rather condensed soul form sat cross-legged, with the exact same appearance as Wei Yang, also forming hand seals, cultivating.
As the cultivation progressed, the entire soul body trembled slightly, as if undergoing some form of forging.
At the same time, with every inhalation and exhalation of the soul, within the misty air, there were faint, almost imperceptible mysterious specks of light, carrying the faintest wave of spiritual aura, invisible to the naked eye, as though they were falling from the depths of the void, eventually circling around Wei Yang's soul, slowly pouring into it, being absorbed.
"Hmph!" The intense stinging pain caused Wei Yang's brows to knit tightly.
Cultivating the Nine-Refinement Heavenly Soul was not something that could be achieved overnight, but required long years of persistence and accumulation, only then could one trigger the qualitative transformation.
It was like a block of stubborn iron, only through countless strikes and smelting could it finally become refined steel.
And while tempering the soul, there would always be a stabbing pain accompanying it. This kind of pain was continuous, always in sync with the soul's cultivation.
Moreover, the further one progressed, the sharper and more unbearable this pain would become. From the first refinement to the sixth refinement, the stabbing pain had increased more than tenfold. Therefore, each time Wei Yang cultivated, the duration was gradually shortened.
Inside the secret chamber.
The space faintly rippled, with wisps of extremely faint spiritual energy quietly seeping out from the depths of space, then slowly drilling into the space between Wei Yang's brows. This kind of spiritual energy was very mysterious, completely different from Dou Qi.
It was a type of energy that only when the soul reached the half-step Spirit Realm could one faintly begin to come into contact with.
The room was silent and calm.
Only after a long time did Wei Yang slowly open his eyes.
He exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
"Finally, I've stepped into the sixth refinement, the soul realm has also reached the late-stage Spirit Realm. Just one step away from the peak of Spirit Realm." Wei Yang murmured softly.
"And after reaching the sixth refinement, this stabbing pain acting on the soul becomes increasingly intense. Every cultivation session is torment and suffering!"
"Every time I practice this Nine-Refinement Heavenly Soul, it's like in my previous life having to get out of bed on a freezing winter morning, needing to summon every bit of courage and fight through an intense inner struggle."
Wei Yang shook his head with a bitter smile.
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If one wanted to be stronger than others, then the silent persistence and effort behind it was naturally indispensable.
Even if two people both had Spirit Realm level souls, the one who had cultivated the Nine-Refinement Heavenly Soul would surely have a slightly stronger toughness.
Although it wasn't as huge as the difference between iron and steel, it could still barely be used as a metaphor.
Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
During this half month, as the Pill Gathering drew closer day by day, it caused the flow of people in Holy Pill City to expand at an explosive pace. This vast region was now filled everywhere with countless streams of people.
With the swelling crowds, trouble naturally followed.
Fortunately, the Pill Tower was no ordinary force, and its maintenance of order was quite thorough, so the worst chaos and riots did not occur.
As the time for the Pill Gathering approached day by day, the entire Holy Pill City was in a state of boiling excitement.
After all, the Pill Gathering was not only the grand event of the Pill Region, but also of the entire Central Plains.
For countless alchemists, their dream was to shine brilliantly in the Pill Gathering, to become the dazzling rising star admired by all across the continent. Of course, beneath that boiling surface, there were naturally undercurrents as well.
This Pill Gathering was different from the past. Because of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, many major factions had sent their own alchemists to compete. From their attitude, it was obvious they had intentions toward the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
This Pill Gathering would become the battlefield where countless outstanding alchemists competed. Every effort, was for this Pill Gathering.
Countless alchemists would clash here to determine who was the strongest. And amidst the citywide excitement, time finally reached the day of the Pill Gathering.
Inside the secret chamber.
Wei Yang slowly opened his eyes.
At this moment, the space rippled with a strange, invisible wave.
As the wave spread out, it gradually faded and calmed.
Wei Yang took a deep breath, the corner of his lips curling into a smile, "Has the time come?"
At the same moment.
In another part of the residence, Xiao Yan, who sat cross-legged like an old monk in meditation, slowly opened his pitch-black eyes.
"The Pill Gathering, it finally begins!"
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