"Good, that's the spirit. Do as you wish—whatever happens, the Pill Tower will take full responsibility."
Association Head Xuan Yi's eyes lit up as she spoke sharply, her tone fiery and bold despite her graceful appearance. Though a woman, her temper was far from gentle, no less fierce than any man's. And now that Mu Gu had revealed himself as a member of the Hall of Souls, her disgust for that faction had only grown deeper with every passing day—especially because of Yao Chen.
"Cough!"
Association Head Xuan Kongzi cleared his throat, interrupting her, then turned to Liu Xi and said, "Originally, both the Pill Tower and the Hall of Souls stood among the peak powers of the Central Plains. Words that might ignite a war should not be spoken carelessly. However, this time the Hall of Souls has gone too far—ambushing competitors before the Pill Gathering, slaughtering alchemists within the Pill Realm, and now scheming to destroy the seal in the Star Region."
"Such villains care nothing for the lives of the millions in Holy Pill City. Killing them is the only proper warning to others. In other words—we're merely cutting off the claws that have reached too far."
Liu Xi understood immediately and smiled faintly. Xuan Kongzi was a man who acted with reason and justification; as the Pill Tower's leading figure, he needed a righteous pretext before taking action. Since that was the case, Liu Xi decided to let Mu Gu live a few more minutes—long enough to do whatever he had planned, before Liu Xi sent his soul scattering to the winds.
He said calmly, "Understood. Mu Gu sought to destroy the seal and endanger millions in Holy Pill City—his death will serve as a fitting lesson."
Cao Ying, Dan Chen, Song Qing, and even Xiao Yan felt their scalps tingle as they watched the elder and the young man so casually pronounce Mu Gu's death sentence with only a few exchanges. Mu Gu hadn't even broken the seal yet, but his crimes were already declared and his fate sealed. They could only mourn for him in silence.
Standing quietly behind Xuan Yi, Xiao Yan clenched his fists. Though he still resented Liu Xi, he forced himself to swallow it. 'The enemy of my enemy is my ally,' he thought bitterly. 'Even if Liu Xi and I both seek the Heavenly Flame, as long as he stands against the Hall of Souls, I must at least feign cooperation…'
Even Association Head Tian Leizi nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The Pill Tower has always been a neutral force. But if the Hall of Souls abandons righteousness, they cannot expect us to remain merciful."
Xuan Kongzi glanced at Liu Xi, deeply satisfied with how quickly he grasped the situation. Stroking his beard, he said in a firmer tone, "The most crucial matter is that Mu Gu is still a seasoned Dou Zun. Though insignificant to us, he's still a considerable threat to you for now. If things turn dire, don't force yourself—just stall him until we intervene. I don't want you risking your future for vengeance."
A faint warmth flowed through Liu Xi's chest. It had been long since someone spoke to him with such concern. He nodded and replied, "Rest assured, Elder Xuan. Mu Gu is nothing but a withered bone in a tomb. Whatever scheme he has for the Three Thousand Burning Flame, it will never succeed."
'Because that flame belongs to me.' He thought coldly.
With that, all was said. The rest depended on him. In the coming Star Region trial, only Liu Xi possessed the power to stop Mu Gu. Xuan Kongzi distributed the signal beads one by one. "That's enough for now. Rest well tonight—tomorrow the Star Region opens. Don't be late. I hope at least one of you will gain the recognition of the Three Thousand Burning Flame. If that happens, the Pill Tower need not worry about the future."
"We will not disappoint Elder Xuan!"
Everyone replied in unison and departed. Xiao Yan was held back by Xuan Yi for a private talk, though no one knew what they discussed.
Outside the Pill Tower archive, Liu Xi turned to leave, only to hear Cao Ying's cheerful laughter as she caught up beside him. On the other side, Dan Chen quickly followed as well.
Seeing this, Song Qing's forced smile froze, then faded completely. He opened his mouth to speak but found no words, his expression turning dark. Standing alone at the corridor's edge, he watched the trio's backs disappear into the distance. His voice was low and bitter: "Ignored… by an 8th Tier Alchemist…"
That title alone was like a wall separating him from them—a barrier he could not cross.
"The Three Thousand Burning Flame will be mine…" he muttered, clenching his jaw before turning and leaving the opposite way, his figure solitary and desolate. After the blows he suffered during the Pill Gathering, Song Qing now fully understood the gulf between himself and those prodigies. Without reaching the 8th Tier, even bold words would only invite mockery.
"Master Liu," Cao Ying suddenly said as she fell into step beside Liu Xi, her eyes glinting playfully, "do you know who Xiao Yan's teacher is? When we were summoned earlier, I didn't understand why my teacher valued him so much—until Xiao Yan spoke his name. You'd never guess who it is!"
It wasn't hard to guess. Yao Chen, of course. Who else could it be? Captured by the Hall of Souls, his Heavenly Flame inherited by Xiao Yan, his Flame Mantra nowhere to be felt… Liu Xi already knew the answer.
Before he could speak, Dan Chen explained softly, her tone filled with admiration, "It's Elder Yao—Yao Chen, the previous Pill Gathering champion, once hailed as the continent's greatest alchemist! Sadly, he was betrayed by the Hall of Souls, and even his soul was captured. Those people are truly despicable—always preying on alchemists."
The admiration in her tone wasn't for Yao Chen, but for Liu Xi. From the moment he defeated her during the Pill Gathering, Dan Chen had clearly become one of his little admirers. As she spoke, anger colored her delicate face, her usual gentleness replaced by indignation.
Cao Ying gave a teasing laugh. "Ah, Dan Chen, you're no fun at all! I wanted Master Liu to guess. But tell me—don't you have someone in your heart? Perhaps someone standing right beside us?"
Dan Chen's face turned crimson, the blush spreading to her ears, her eyes shimmering like mist. "I—I don't!"
Liu Xi sighed inwardly. He knew Cao Ying was doing it on purpose. Shooting her a helpless look, he said, "Why bully the girl like that? Is it so amusing?"
Cao Ying pursed her lips and grinned slyly like a little fox. "I was helping you, Master Liu! What if she'd said yes? You could've had your beauty already, and yet you blame me!"
Liu Xi chuckled, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked faster toward his residence. "You? I know you too well. What you say and what you think are two different things. I don't like that."
Cao Ying hurried to keep up, her laughter crisp and teasing. "Then I'll be honest with you, Master Liu. The truth is—" she paused, her tone playful and sweet— "I think I might be falling for you. Just making sure I know who my rivals are early!"
(End of Chapter)
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