"This compensation isn't bad. This palace will accept it."
Yang Cheng said calmly.
"Crown Prince Yang, you mustn't!"
Deputy Valley Master Tan cried out. "The Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill is the very lifeline of Divine Medicine Valley…"
Yang Cheng cut him off coldly. "Valley Master Tan, didn't you just say yourselves that you willingly offered this pill to this palace, with absolutely no other thoughts?"
Tan's words froze in his throat.
"In any case, you cannot take the Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill!"
One elder shouted.
Yang Cheng waved his hand without hesitation. The Samadhi True Fire roared forth and engulfed the elder.
In an instant, the man's body ignited. Within a few breaths, he turned completely to ash.
"Do you really think this palace won't kill again?"
Yang Cheng swept his gaze across the hall.
This time, not a single person dared make a sound.
Ding!
[Host unleashed divine might in Divine Medicine Valley, cutting down many in the Martial Dao Hall.]
[Afterward, Host subdued the Yin God expert Mo Qingxuan, shattered the Sword Ruins, and forced the entire Divine Medicine Valley to bow in fear. Even the Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill was handed over to Host.]
[The Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill had been subdued by Zuo Qiuming four hundred years ago. How Host managed to seize it from him is unknown, but the method is nothing short of miraculous.]
[Not only has Host escaped crisis, but by sheer force alone has suppressed Divine Medicine Valley. Task undergoing re-evaluation.]
[According to system evaluation, Host's achievement has far surpassed task requirements. Task rewards are being adjusted.]
[Congratulations to Host, you have obtained the Two-Star Pill Domain.]
With the Two-Star Pill Domain, he could now refine Yin God level pills, even Yang God level pills.
Once Yang Cheng fused this reward, his mastery of pill dao would rival that of a Pill God.
Rumble!
Just then, Divine Medicine Valley began to shake violently.
"What's going on?"
The disciples panicked.
Boom!
The ground suddenly collapsed, revealing a bottomless abyss.
Everyone present fell downward.
After dozens of breaths, the group found themselves at the base of a mountain peak.
At the summit, four figures faced each other.
"Valley Master!"
"True Disciple Zuo!"
The disciples of Divine Medicine Valley lit up with joy.
On the left stood Valley Master Yu Qiuyue and the First True Disciple Zuo Qiuming.
Yang Cheng looked across at the two figures on the right.
They were none other than Cheng Junyi and Tang Xingyu.
"Cheng Junyi, your strength is indeed impressive, and your disciple's talent even more astonishing," Yu Qiuyue said. "But if you want this Starfall Ancient Platform, the test is pill dao mastery. There's no need to waste time—better admit defeat early."
"No rush," Cheng Junyi replied calmly. "Until the final moment, no one can claim victory."
Yu Qiuyue shook her head. "I can tell you know some alchemy skills, but it's only superficial…"
Before she finished speaking, her expression changed.
Rumble!
The space beside them suddenly collapsed, and one figure after another tumbled down.
Yu Qiuyue frowned. She saw that the scenery above the rift seemed to be the inside of Divine Medicine Valley.
So the Starfall Secret Realm was beneath the valley all along.
But why had the ground above collapsed?
At that moment, Cheng Junyi smiled. "The one who will compete in pill dao with you has arrived."
For matters not too critical, Yang Cheng hadn't concealed much from Cheng Junyi and Tang Xingyu.
That's why Cheng Junyi knew Yang Cheng possessed pill dao mastery at the Perfection level.
With such skill, she felt Yang Cheng was fully qualified to contend with Zuo Qiuming.
"Teacher."
Yang Cheng walked toward the summit and bowed respectfully to Cheng Junyi.
Yu Qiuyue's brows knit tightly.
Zuo Qiuming's expression stayed calm, not even sparing Yang Cheng a glance.
He had heard of Yang Cheng's fame.
But when it came to pill dao, he didn't need to care about anyone.
Even Yu Qiuyue, the current Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley, could no longer suppress him in alchemy.
Before long, his mastery of pill dao would surely dominate the entire Wasteland Realm.
Ding!
[It is Zuo Qiuming.]
[Host has encountered Zuo Qiuming.]
[Do you still remember your past humiliation, Host?]
[Who snatched Jiang Hengwu away from you? Who forced you to lose your foothold on Heavenly Heart Island, leaving you no choice but to flee again?]
[Host, wash away this shame and strike back at Zuo Qiuming.]
[What Zuo Qiuming is most proud of is his pill dao. If Host can contend with him in alchemy, it will deal a heavy blow to him.]
[This task is an Achievement Mission. The better Host performs in pill dao against Zuo Qiuming, the higher the achievement value.]
[Task Reward: Golden Dantian (One-Star to Nine-Star).]
Golden Dantian?
Yang Cheng's breath hitched.
He had heard of the legends surrounding the Golden Dantian.
Among all the heavens, only a tiny number of the most peerless prodigies possessed it.
Ordinary cultivators' dantians, like Yang Cheng's, had reached ninety-nine zhang in diameter—that was already freakish.
But the Golden Dantian started at one hundred zhang in diameter.
"Chengcheng, look, there's a pill wall ahead," Tang Xingyu said. "Inside it lies a nine-layered pill dao secret realm. One must use spiritual power to enter and refine nine different pills. Whoever clears all nine wins directly. If no one clears all nine, then within seven days, whoever clears the most wins.
Teacher and I couldn't even pass the first trial. Now everything depends on you."
Cheng Junyi spoke gently. "Chengcheng, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Opportunity is a matter of fate. If you gain it, you're fortunate. If you lose it, it's destiny. Even if you fail, it doesn't matter."
"He's already at the third trial?"
Yang Cheng glanced at Zuo Qiuming.
Cheng Junyi nodded. "Young Master Zuo of Divine Medicine Valley has astonishing talent in pill dao."
Yang Cheng's eyes shifted to the pill wall before him.
It was a bronze ancient wall a hundred zhang tall, its surface covered in complex pill patterns. Nine pill gates stood in sequence, each one leading to a layer of the pill dao secret realm.
At this moment, the third gate glowed faintly. Clearly, Zuo Qiuming's spiritual power was inside, attempting the trial.
In the void, rippling images appeared like water, showing Zuo Qiuming refining pills as he challenged the trials.
"Third trial?"
Yang Cheng chuckled softly, then turned to Cheng Junyi. "Teacher, rest assured. Your disciple will be back shortly."
With that, he sat cross-legged. A strand of spiritual power transformed into a streak of light and dove straight into the pill wall.
Buzz!
The wall trembled. The first pill gate suddenly burst into dazzling golden radiance.
"This…"
Yu Qiuyue's face showed surprise. "His spiritual power is actually this strong!"
Normally, when a pill master entered the wall, the gates would only flicker faintly. But Yang Cheng's spiritual power triggered the wall into full resonance.
Still, she didn't think too much of it.
A powerful spirit didn't necessarily mean mastery of pill dao.
Many Martial Sovereigns had terrifying spiritual power but knew nothing of alchemy.
"Crown Prince Yang is really going to compete with Zuo Qiuming in pill dao?" Mo Qingxuan was stunned.
"I say he's overestimating himself," Murong Cong sneered.
Valley Master Tan agreed. "In martial dao talent, Crown Prince Yang is indeed terrifying. Perhaps even Zuo Qiuming can't compare."
"But pill dao is not martial dao. They are two completely different paths. Crown Prince Yang may be unmatched in martial dao, but he can't possibly be accomplished in pill dao as well."
"Forget Zuo Qiuming—even an ordinary disciple of Divine Medicine Valley might crush him in pill dao."