Chapter 173: Heavenly Realm!

One after another, figures clad in armor, holding spears, flew in, guarding the central area of the square. A powerful aura emanated from the many guards. Their sharp eyes, as keen as hawks, continuously scanned the surroundings, preventing any potential disturbances.

"Wow, the Alchemy Tower has really put up a grand display this time. If that Jiang Yun cannot outshine everyone and gain the world's respect, wouldn't it be a huge blow to the Alchemy Tower's reputation?" 

From a distant building, among the figures present were Gu Qingyang and his team, and a man in a silver robe, looking at the scene with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, uttered these words with bad intent.

"He won't fail!" A calm voice came. The man turned to see Gu Qingyang and the others, who had met Jiang Yun, all watching the scene with solemn expressions. 

"I'd like to see what kind of person can earn such respect from you all, big brother!" Seeing their expressions, the man put away his casual demeanor and watched below with a serious look.

"Look over there, some interesting fellows seem to have arrived!" At this moment, someone pointed out a group standing in the distance, commenting with interest. 

The onlookers turned their gaze to see several figures standing there with a medicinal gourd pattern on their foreheads, exuding a medicinal aroma, looking down on the crowd with arrogance. They were members of the Yao Clan, known to be descendants of the Medicine Emperor, who was not only a Dou Di but also an Imperial Alchemist. 

The strength of the Yao Clan was mediocre among the Seven Imperial Clans, but they boasted two profound alchemy masters, Yao Dan and Yao Wanhou. After the decline of the Alchemy Tower a millennium ago, the Yao Clan had represented the pinnacle of alchemy in the Dou Qi Continent.

Surrounding the Yao Clan were members of the Yan Clan, recognized by the flames on their foreheads. The Yan Clan's members primarily practiced fire attributes, resulting in a substantial number of alchemists comparable only to the Yao Clan.

Regarding Jiang Yun, their curiosity was second only to the Yao Clan. Unexpectedly, three of the Seven Imperial Clans showed up for Jiang Yun's alchemy performance, which surprised many.

Suddenly, the space in front of the square twisted rapidly, and a spatial passage slowly formed under countless gazes. 

As the passage took shape, a rich, strange medicinal aroma pervaded the air. Figures began to appear within everyone's sight, which included the three great leaders of the Alchemy Tower, the four elders of the Small Alchemy Tower, and the protagonist of the event, Jiang Yun.

"Unexpectedly, even the elders from the Small Alchemy Tower attended. I remember the last session, they didn't appear."

"Jiang Yun is different from past candidates. He is a significant figure and shouldn't be measured by former standards."

"True, Jiang Yun has grown, almost rivaling Xuan Kong Zi and the others. He is entirely deserving of the title of Great Leader."

"I heard the ancestor of the Alchemy Tower appeared in the great battle. Wonder if we'll have the chance to see that legendary person."

Amidst the discussions below, Xuan Kong Zi and others sat in an area crowded with older alchemists, leaving the stage to Jiang Yun. These elders were reclusive alchemists of at least Grade Eight from the Small Alchemy Tower.

"Xuan Kong Zi, Tian Lei Zi, and Xuan Yi!" In a corner of the crowd, Yao Chen, who was residing in Xiao Yan, stared blankly at the familiar figures, momentarily lost.

"Teacher." Xiao Yan spoke with concern.

"It's nothing, Xiao Yan. Watch closely, Jiang Yun will surely cause a huge stir." Yao Chen regained his composure, looking at Jiang Yun with a solemn expression.

For Yao Chen, who had returned from the brink of death and understood the mysteries of the Heavenly Realm, Jiang Yun's soul realm was unfathomable. Yao Chen took a century to reach this point, but Jiang Yun had completed it in his twenties.

"Now this should be interesting!" Yao Chen glanced maliciously towards the Yao Clan as if recalling something amusing.

"Heavenly Realm..."

The Yao Clan members fell into silence upon Jiang Yun's appearance. After a period of silence, an elder murmured incredulously.

"No, not fully. Just a half step!" The elder quickly shook his head, feeling a bit relieved.

Even so, the Yao Clan couldn't believe Jiang Yun had almost reached the Heavenly Realm, while their own young genius, Yao Tian, still lingered in the Ling Realm. The gap was like heaven and earth!

"Haha, an almost Heavenly Realm soul... What an impressive young man. I can only imagine the faces of the Yao Clan now!" said a middle-aged man with flaming red eyebrows from the Yan Clan, gloating at the Yao Clan's direction.

"Sigh— Even knowing beforehand, witnessing it in person is still unbelievable."

Hearing this, the Yan Clan members nodded involuntarily, finding Jiang Yun's youth hard to comprehend.

"So this is the person Big Brother Qingyang values?" The silver-robed youth from the Gu Clan watched Jiang Yun solemnly, "I wonder just how terrifying Yun Yi, who is his equal, must be!"

With these words, the Gu Clan members felt a heavy weight. While they had no feud with Jiang Yun, Yun Yi was a significant problem.

"Boom!!!"

An ancient bell echoed through the heavens and the earth, its powerful sound spreading across the whole square and then the vast Holy Dan City.

"It has begun!"

As the bell rang, everyone straightened, their focus on Jiang Yun in the square's center. Alchemy had begun!

Jiang Yun's eyes gleamed, and a pure white Undying Holy Flame surged from his body. Immediately, those present wielding flames were shocked.

"It's a Different Fire!"

"With the emergence of Different Fire, all fires bow."

"Unexpected, Jiang Yun actually possesses a Different Fire!"

"But... It doesn't resemble any on the Different Fire Ranking. Could a new one have been born?"

Ignoring the chatter, Jiang Yun swiped his palm across the air, and herbs poured out from his ring, filling the space above densely, nearly a thousand varieties. This scene left many gasping.

With a move, Jiang Yun summoned the eye-catching Myriad Beasts Cauldron. Fire dragons coiled around it, emitting deep dragon roars, rapidly heating the space.

"Begin."

Under Jiang Yun's control, herbs flowed into the cauldron like water.

"Such rapid refining speed!"

Witnessing this, the present alchemists couldn't help but twitch. Refining herbs so swiftly, was this for real?

Within the cauldron, it resembled a massive furnace. Every few minutes, fire clumps flew out, orbiting the cauldron. Each fire clump contained different colored medicinal liquids and powders in their purest form. 

As time passed, the number of fire clumps surrounded Jiang Yun grew, making him appear in a sea of fire.

Alchemists on the plaza marveled at Jiang Yun's seamless techniques, their eyes filled with fervor.

"Teacher, any idea what medicinal pill Jiang Yun is crafting?" Xiao Yan, too, was mesmerized but asked his teacher, an eight-colored alchemy master.

After a moment of silence, Yao Chen replied heavily, "I don't know. There's no match in my memory. However, judging by the situation, the impact won't be small!"

Nodding, Xiao Yan eagerly watched Jiang Yun's work, anticipating the highest-grade pill he had ever seen.

The same question lingered in the minds of the Yao Clan, Yan Clan, and others, but none knew what pill Jiang Yun was concocting.

Two days later, the herb refinement neared completion. Jiang Yun opened his eyes, looking at the numerous fire clumps floating around the cauldron, and exhaled deeply. With a wave of his hand, the fire clumps surged back into the cauldron.

Immediately, an intense energy fluctuation erupted from the cauldron, causing even the Myriad Beasts Cauldron to hum.

Jiang Yun's eyes gleamed. Inside the cauldron, the Undying Holy Flame spat out a pure soul essence into the medicinal liquid—a result of Jiang Yun plundering the four Underworld Halls. He had absorbed part of it and intended to refine the rest into an eight-colored Soul-Casting Pill to break into the Heavenly Realm in one go.

"Condense—"

With Jiang Yun's soft shout, the purple medicinal liquid within the cauldron gleamed with a strange luster, emitting divine fluctuations.

"Successful fusion!"

Voices echoed in countless minds.

"Condense the pill!!!"

Jiang Yun's hand seals changed swiftly. Astounding energy waves spread in the sky as a terrifying aura emanated from the cauldron.

"Boom!!!"

Suddenly, a deafening sound echoed from the sky. The heavens darkened as thunderclouds gathered from all directions.

"Pill Thunder has appeared. Jiang Yun succeeded!" Xuan Kong Zi and others exclaimed in excitement.

"Boom!!!"

In the blink of an eye, nine colors appeared, changing the skies dramatically and affecting the surroundings for miles.

"A nine-colored divine pill!"

Witnessing the thundercloud, voices filled with disbelief rang out. The Yao Clan, in particular, stared blankly at the sky. They wished it wasn't true.

"Haha, a nine-colored pill. Jiang Yun did not disappoint! Leave the rest to me!"

The Great Elder, having watched for a long time, stood up with a smile, appearing relaxed.

At this moment, Jiang Yun looked at the nine-colored Pill Thunder in the sky, his face calm. Then, under everyone's stupefied gaze, he swallowed the freshly-made pill.

As the pill entered his body, the Pill Thunder above paused as if it had never encountered such a situation before.

A terrifying medicinal power erupted within Jiang Yun, and a purple illusory figure slowly appeared behind him, emanating an overwhelming soul pressure.

"A true Heavenly Realm pressure."

Feeling the soul pressure, many elders' minds immediately echoed this thought.

"He's aiming to break into the Heavenly Realm with a soul-purification pill!" 

The purple shadow's appearance piqued the Pill Thunder's interest. Thunderous, a nine-colored bolt aimed at Jiang Yun's forehead.

"Heavenly Dragon's Eight Sounds!"

Jiang Yun's hand seals changed rapidly, and his forehead's soul power exploded. The purple soul shadow emitted a terrifying divine light, followed by a bewildering wave from its mouth, like a storm!

"Roar—"

The terrifying dragon roar surged at the Pill Thunder. For an instant, heaven and earth seemed to fall silent.

In the next moment, the nine-colored lightning shattered, and the thundercloud in the sky dissipated under the fearsome sonic wave.

"Buzz—"

A buzzing echoed in everyone's ears, causing dizziness. When they regained their senses, the thunderclouds had vanished, and Jiang Yun stood calmly, his aura peaceful as if nothing had happened.

"What was that?" Countless people looked at Jiang Yun's back in confusion.

"Soul attack!"

Some looked grave. Though rare, soul attacks weren't unheard of, but Jiang Yun's method was terrifying.

This soul attack was at least high-tier earth class!

Many began considering this initial estimation of Jiang Yun's soul attack.

"What a constantly surprising young fellow!" The Great Elder admired Jiang Yun as he looked at the dispersing clouds.

Unlike the Great Elder, members of the Gu, Yan, and Yao Clans found Jiang Yun increasingly terrifying. Such an opponent induced feelings of despair!

They silently decided never to antagonize Jiang Yun! (End of this chapter)