Soul Emperor Martial God

Elder Mu led the way in front.

Xiao Yi and the other 17 Alchemist talents all entered.

The spectators, as well as the previously defeated Alchemy talents, were just about to follow them inside.

But they were stopped by a Deacon of Medicine King Valley.

"Please hold your steps," voiced the Deacon with a grave tone.

"The Medicine Tower is of critical importance and not to be entered lightly."

"Ah," the crowd expressed their disappointment.

But it was also expected.

The Medicine Tower was even more important than the Medicine King Valley Treasure Vault.

It was not a place for outsiders to enter.

Nevertheless, the crowd did not leave Medicine King Valley.

Instead, they waited patiently in front of the Medicine Tower.

...

Inside the Medicine Tower, on the first floor.

All around were countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

Among them were rare medicinal herbs piled up.

There were Prohibitions above them.

Within the Prohibitions, a mysterious force interacted.

Like strands of flowing light, extremely dazzling.

The Medicine Tower itself was under a massive Spiritual Energy Restriction.

33 floors, each floor having its own small Prohibitions, interconnected.

Rich and immense Spiritual Energy.

Along with this mysterious force.

Ensured that the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures retained their medicinal properties for hundreds of years.

The 18 Alchemy talents looked around in surprise at the wonders.

In the center, there were eighteen wooden platforms.

On each platform, there lay pill recipes.

Elder Mu spoke, "These platforms have been specially prepared for this competition."

"Each platform holds three pill recipes."

"Your challenge is to refine the Elixirs described in these three recipes."

"In the tower, each flight of stairs is covered with a temporary Prohibition."

"Only after you have successfully refined the Elixir from the recipes."

"And holding three Elixir Pills, can you move to the next floor."

"..."

Elder Mu explained the rules in detail.

The three pill recipes on each platform were the same.

Meaning, the Elixirs that all 18 people were to refine were identical.

Although this round was named "Climbing the Tower,"

It was, undoubtedly, an Alchemy competition.

Naturally, the heights one climbed were determined by one's Alchemy skills.

The three recipes increased in difficulty gradually.

Once all were refined successfully, one could move to the next floor.

The next floor also held three recipes, but with greater difficulty.

Upon their successful refinement, the continuation upwards ensued.

At this moment, Elder Mu continued, "The Medicine Tower has 33 floors."

"Each floor's pill recipe will incrementally increase in tier."

"And the difficulty of refining the Elixirs required will also grow."

"With each floor passed, a corresponding reward can be obtained."

"The amount of the reward is determined based on the rankings of the second round,"

Elder Mu elaborated in detail.

For each pill recipe successfully refined,

Materials needed for that particular Elixir would be given.

The first place in the second round.

Would get five sets of materials and could take away five items on that floor.

The second place would get four sets of materials and four items.

The third place, three sets, three items.

The fourth and fifth place, two sets, two items.

From sixth to eighteenth place, one set, and one item.

There were three rounds in the competition.

The first round was a qualification round, the second round determined the rankings, and the third round was a harvest round.

The rankings of the second round determined the harvests of the third round.

At this moment, Elder Mu continued, "How many floors you climb will determine how many rewards you gain."

"All depends on your own abilities."

"But remember, you only have three days."

"After three days, the climbing ends, and the rankings will be determined."

"Are there any doubts?"

"No," the crowd shook their heads.

"Good," Elder Mu nodded and then turned to leave.

He was a person who disliked tedious tasks.

He did not want to stay inside the Medicine Tower for three days.

Nor did he want to follow the 18 Alchemist talents as they climbed floor by floor.

He would wait outside the Medicine Tower.

Inside the tower, besides the temporary Prohibitions at each flight of stairs,

There were two Deacons present.

These two Deacons would strictly oversee the progression of the competition.

And occasionally report the situation to Elder Mu.

...

Elder Mu left.

The 18 participants hurried to the platforms and picked up the pill recipes to examine.

With only three days, no one wanted to waste time.

"Ah? All three are Fourth-grade Early Stage Pill Recipes, quite simple,"

The participants were initially overjoyed upon seeing the tier of the pill recipes.

However, a moment later, their expressions changed simultaneously.

For the pill recipes were incomplete.

"What's going on, this recipe is not complete."

This was the challenge of this round of climbing.

The recipes were not whole.

The refining steps were missing.

The required materials were incomplete.

Participants had to deduce and guess based on the effects of the pills, and the limited hints about the materials.

Furthermore, these recipes were temporarily created by Seventh-grade Alchemists within the Medicine King Valley.

This ensured that none of the 18 Alchemy talents had ever refined these Elixirs before.

Moreover, the effects of the Elixirs described in the recipes were quite obscure.

Undoubtedly increasing the difficulty.

Three pill recipes, all at the Fourth-grade Early Stage.

However, even within the same tier, the difficulty of working with the elixirs could vary slightly.

For instance, the first pill recipe, known as Water Spirit Pill.

Its effect, when consumed by a martial artist with a Water attribute, would increase their water attribute perception by ten percent.

It required ten ingredients.

However, the recipe only listed five.

The second pill recipe, known as Far-sighted Pill.

Its effect, when consumed, would increase vision tenfold.

Even a fly a kilometer away could be clearly seen.

It required fifteen ingredients.

Yet the recipe only listed six.

At the back of the wooden stage was a large pile of ordinary ingredients.

The ingredients lay scattered without order.

There were over a hundred different types.

But these were undoubtedly the ingredients required for the three pill recipes.

Eighteen alchemical prodigies were to find the suitable materials from this array.

Only those who successfully concocted an elixir could proceed to the next layer.

...

Despite the difficulty, nobody hesitated for a moment.

Even if these pill recipes were to be successfully concocted,

the material rewards weren't considered rare.

Rather, it was the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures under the Flowing Light Prohibition,

each one rare and immensely coveted.

Many of them were precious medicinal ingredients not purchasable outside.

Among those that Xiao Yi saw under the Flowing Light Prohibition were several Demon Blood Flame Heart Fruits and Eight Treasures Exquisite Ginsengs,

among other rare materials.

After all, this was only the first layer.

The higher layers contained even rarer and higher-tier Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

No one would pass on such a precious opportunity.

...

A minute later, suddenly, someone started to heat their cauldron for refining.

It was Jie Mo and the two Sword Masters.

The Seventh-grade Alchemists of Medicine King Valley, who could even improvise these pill recipes.

They were Sixth-grade Alchemists and could readily complete these Fourth-grade Incomplete Pill Recipes.

Before long, the three had completed the three recipes and crafted three pills.

The deacon by the stairs recorded everything.

Jie Mo casually picked four rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures from under the Flowing Light Prohibition.

The two Sword Masters each picked two.

As for the materials rewards for Water Spirit Pill and Far-sighted Pill,

they would be distributed after the competition had ended.

Holding the three pills, they passed the stairs' prohibition and entered the Second Layer.

Minutes later, several Peak Fifth-grade Alchemists continued one after another.

Completed their task, refined their pills, and entered the Second Layer.

Soon, more people succeeded.

On the first layer, only Xiao Yi and some Mid-grade Fifth-grade Alchemists remained.

In fact, the incomplete pill recipes of the first layer weren't too challenging.

With sufficient knowledge in Alchemy Technique, entering the next layer was rather straightforward.

As for Xiao Yi's slowness,

it was entirely due to his clumsy and extremely insufficient Alchemy Technique knowledge.

To complete it was indeed difficult.

In despair, he simply stopped guessing.

Instead, he memorized the content of the three pill recipes verbatim.

With the help of introspection through the Ice Phoenix Sword,

he let the Ice Phoenix Sword complete the pill recipes to produce a flawless method of refining.

The Ice Phoenix Sword had successfully completed pill recipes in the past,

so Xiao Yi was completely confident in this approach.

Of course, memorizing the pill recipes took some time,

hence his slow progress.

The deacon of Medicine King Valley at the stairs, although careful in supervising,

was only at the Earth Origin Realm First or Second Layer.

They lacked the ability to detect Xiao Yi's subtleties.

Furthermore, since Xiao Yi was introspecting,

to the onlookers, it would appear as if he were merely deep in thought.

There was no need to worry about being discovered.

After quickly refining three pills, Xiao Yi casually chose five rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures

and then proceeded to the Second Layer.

...

On the Second Layer, a Fourth-grade Middle Stage Incomplete Pill Recipe appeared.

However, Jie Mo, the three Sword Masters, and the Peak Fifth-grade Alchemists were nowhere in sight.

Apparently, they had already moved up to the Third Layer.

Following the same method, Xiao Yi silently memorized the content of the pill recipe.

...

Outside Medicine Tower, a deacon occasionally came out to report on the competition.

Elder Mu asked, "Who is leading now?"

The deacon replied, "Jie Mo has reached the Seventh Layer, working on a High Grade Fifth-Grade pill recipe."

"Oh?" Elder Mu was slightly startled, "The leader isn't Yi Xiao?"

The deacon answered, "Yi Xiao is still on the Second Layer."

"What?" Elder Mu was shocked.

The spectators around waiting also expressed surprise.

"With Purple Flame's abilities, still on the Second Layer?" Elder Mo commented in astonishment.

"What's so strange about that," scoffed the Wanshan Sword Master nearby.

"Whether it be Jie Mo, the two Sword Masters, or the other alchemical prodigies,"

"They all have solid tutoring and firm foundations in Alchemy Technique."

"Whereas that Yi Xiao just popped up from some countryside, suddenly making a name for himself."

"Who knows where he picked up such third-rate Alchemy Technique."

"When it really tests their knowledge of alchemy, naturally he couldn't even complete a Fourth-grade Incomplete Pill Recipe."

"Showing his ineptitude at this point, being inferior, is only to be expected."

Upon hearing this, Elder Mo and others frowned.

...

Inside Medicine Tower, on the Second Layer.

Since Xiao Yi needed to memorize three pill recipes, it took a long time.

Yet, he had immense confidence.

"Within three days, I will reach the Peak of Medicine Tower."

Xiao Yi muttered to himself.

Below the mask, his handsome face was filled with confidence and anticipation.

...

...

Second update.