After settling everyone from the Little Pill Tower, Spirit Pearl returned to the center of Holy Pill City.
Looking at the bustling Holy Pill City around him, as lively as ever, a hint of self-mockery rose in his heart:
"So this prosperity is just what others allow me to see."
Immediately, he looked towards the Little Pill Tower Pavilion. Everything there seemed normal, but he knew that some of the strongest individuals on the continent were currently clashing within it.
A cracking sound echoed, and Spirit Pearl's heart leaped into his throat.
As the seal broke, a massive cauldron, seemingly capable of suppressing everything, abruptly appeared before his eyes.
Beneath the giant cauldron was Hundan, who had turned into a streak of light and vanished, and the traitor who had fled into the spatial wormhole. Then he saw the giant cauldron pursue the traitor, smashing into the spatial wormhole.
As the smoke and dust cleared, only Old Huang remained above the Little Pill Tower Pavilion.
Seeing this, Spirit Pearl slowly walked up and noticed the bloodstain at his mouth. Spirit Pearl's heart tightened:
"Old Huang, are you alright?"
If something happened to Old Huang, and the Soul Hall attacked again before the Ancestor returned, there might be no one left to handle it.
Huang Wen clenched his teeth, his throat moved slightly, and he gently shook his head:
"I'm fine. Let's go back to the Pill Tower first."
Immediately, he flashed and disappeared, and Spirit Pearl followed.
At the top of the Pill Tower, Huang Wen looked up at the starry sky, where a hidden seal had been added.
Spirit Pearl followed Old Huang's gaze, only vaguely sensing that the violent aura within the seal felt somewhat familiar. His eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of confusion in them:
"Old Huang, is that?"
"Three Thousand Burning Flame."
Old Huang gave Spirit Pearl an answer that was both unexpected and yet made perfect sense.
Spirit Pearl was slightly startled, then realized. The Three Thousand Burning Flame was originally known as the Starry Sky Flame. The only thing that could make Old Huang go to such lengths to seal it in the starry sky was it. But...
"Why is this?"
Spirit Pearl still had doubts. The Three Thousand Burning Flame had been subdued by Old Huang for at least several hundred years. He didn't understand why Old Huang would seal it away.
Although Old Huang rarely used it against enemies after becoming a Dou Sheng, the Starry Sky Flame's ability to use the power of the stars to repair the body and soul meant that as long as one wasn't instantly Soul Scattered, they could almost always slowly recover, making it a form of alternative immortality. Of course, if you only had one breath left, you'd first need to live longer than the time it took to repair.
But no matter what, Old Huang's lifespan was limited. In his twilight years, he could still unleash peak combat power, and the Three Thousand Burning Flame played a significant role in that.
Old Huang fell silent. Earlier, Hundan had used some unknown method to incite the Three Thousand Burning Flame to riot within his body. Not only did it stop using star power to repair his body, but it also absorbed the centuries of accumulated star power within him, causing his condition to rapidly decline. In his helplessness, he could only extract it from himself and seal it away.
But he was old after all. When he had the Heavenly Flame, he didn't feel much. But after extracting the Three Thousand Burning Flame, many of his bodily functions declined, and he was no longer at his peak. If not for the burning anger in his heart, he might not have been able to suppress Hun Xuzi and the other person all this time.
"I'm fine, don't worry. I just feel that the Three Thousand Burning Flame doesn't have much use for me anymore. Let it be sealed in the starry sky for now. In the future, if the Pill Tower has outstanding juniors, they can try to subdue this Starry Sky Heavenly Flame. If anyone succeeds, it can be considered their opportunity. From now on, that place will be called the Star Domain. You must pay attention to the seal in the Star Domain from time to time and absolutely not let it break through."
Old Huang shook his head and sighed, not telling Spirit Pearl about his condition. He simply designated the Star Domain as a forbidden area and ordered them to guard it strictly.
Spirit Pearl nodded:
"Don't worry, Old Huang. We will definitely watch over the seal, reinforce it frequently, and guard this Heavenly Flame."
Although he had never controlled a Heavenly Flame, he knew a little about them. He was aware of the Three Thousand Burning Flame's extremely difficult-to-capture
characteristic, so he naturally didn't dare let it escape.
Hearing this, Old Huang simply nodded, then suddenly asked a question, changing the subject:
"How are they?"
Spirit Pearl naturally knew who Old Huang was asking about and said:
"I've settled them all. Except for Zhao Li and Old Bai, who are still unconscious, the others are fine."
Spirit Pearl briefly told Old Huang about the situation of everyone from the Little Pill Tower.
Huang Wen nodded, made arrangements, then sighed softly:
"It's good that they're alright. For Little Zhao and the others, see if there are any Pills that can help them recover quickly. Don't be stingy. It's truly a time of trouble."
The Pill Tower had been passed down for countless years and had never encountered such a situation.
"Since the Soul Hall suddenly appeared hundreds of years ago, the continent hasn't been peaceful. Our Pill Tower has also faced changes unseen in hundreds of years. We should integrate our strength from now on. If we continue like this, being more of a symbol than a force, I'm afraid we will gradually be completely eroded."
Old Huang thought about the recent changes, and a sense of urgency rose in his heart.
Hearing this, Spirit Pearl frowned deeply. Change wasn't just talk; it was quite difficult to actually implement. A hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he chuckled:
"The Pill Tower has never been a force belonging to anyone. If we want to integrate, I'm afraid there will be many dissenting voices."
No matter where, there were always some short-sighted individuals.
Old Huang's expression darkened, and his tone turned cold:
"They are all leeches and short-sighted people. In special times, special measures are needed. They want to use the Pill Tower's Momentum to act arrogantly and enjoy privileges, but they don't want to contribute to the Pill Tower's operation. How can they take all the advantages?"
Although he also knew that after countless years, making sudden changes was difficult, it had to be done.
He didn't know when it started, but Alchemists had developed the habit of being condescending, with a mentality of being looked up to wherever they went. But it was this complacency that easily bred disaster. It was fine in normal times, but if it was still like this when the Pill Tower was in trouble, let alone seeking allies, it would be good if others didn't step on them.
Spirit Pearl pondered for a moment, then nodded and agreed to the matter:
"Don't worry, Old Huang, we'll handle the arrangements. Old Xiao, he..."
He thought of his partner of over a hundred years, and his heart ached with grief. He couldn't continue.
Old Huang also fell silent. After a long while, he spoke again, his voice low:
"If his disciple returns, take good care of her. Also, keep an eye on that kid Yao Chen. When the time is right, let him take Old Xiao's place."
With that, Old Huang's figure faded. Spirit Pearl reached out towards Old Huang's phantom, seemingly wanting to say more. Seeing this, he could only swallow the words in his throat, turning them into a deep sigh.
...
In Holy Pill City, within a rather ordinary small building, the Little Pill Tower group was settled in.
At this moment, Zhao Li was still unconscious. His aura was extremely weak. If not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, there was a high chance he would be treated as a corpse if left outside.
Zhao Li had no idea what was happening in the outside world. His consciousness seemed to have fallen into an abyss, a realm of complete darkness, with only the sensation of falling. He kept sinking, sinking, as if there was no end. And he could only watch himself fall, unable to do anything.
After a long time, Zhao Li sensed a familiar aura and subconsciously looked towards it.
In the distance, a bone-white speck of light was trying its best to shine, bringing a sliver of brightness to the pitch-black consciousness space.
Skipping a chapter, will make up for it if possible.
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