Chapter 697: Xiao Yan and Mu Gu with Hidden Motives

Looking at the bustling crowd in the square below, Xuan Kongzi couldn't help but smile.

Those fervent first‑time competitors are exactly like they were when they first took part in the Pill Assembly.

"All participants who passed the second round, get on stage. The final competition has no restrictions; give it your all and produce your best concocted pill!"

Xuan Kongzi's voice, echoing across the heavens, made the blood of the thousands of competitors below instantly boil.

After exchanging a glance, they shot forward with a whoosh.

In an instant, figures shot up from the square one after another.

The sky‑covering figures caused the sunlight pouring down from the horizon to pause for a moment.

However, with numerous stone platforms above the square, there is more than enough space to accommodate these several thousand people.

Even then, there would still be plenty of space left.

"Come on, let's see how far your alchemy skills have come."

Looking at the four women before him, Lin Feng smiled and said.

"Husband, you too."

As they spoke, Ye Xinlan lightly stepped forward, brushed her lips against Lin Feng's, then said.

After speaking, her fragrant shoulders trembled and a pair of light‑blue Dou Qi wings unfurled behind her.

Then her delicate body shot straight up, flying toward the high stone platform.

Seeing this, Xiao Yixian did the same, lightly touching Lin Feng's lips before her lovely figure vanished from the spot.

The next moment, she appeared on a stone platform.

"Big Brother Lin Feng, keep going!"

After a moment of hesitation, Dan Chen came before Lin Feng, lightly kissed his cheek, blushed, and stepped into the air toward the upper stone platform.

"This girl."

Seeing her fleeing figure, Lin Feng chuckled, shook his head, then turned his gaze to Cao Ying.

Seeing his gaze fall on her, Cao Ying's charming, alluring face immediately showed a mischievous smile as she lightly opened her lips and said, "Do you also want an encouraging kiss?"

"Mm‑hm."

Seeing a chance, Lin Feng quickly nodded.

"Well then, don't even think about it, you fickle flirt!"

Having said that, Cao Ying quickly wiped off her smile and walked forward.

"I knew this seductress wouldn't be so obedient."

The speed at which she changed her expression made Lin Feng's mouth twitch.

Then he suddenly grabbed one of Cao Ying's soft hands as she tried to fly upward and pulled her toward himself.

In the next instant, Cao Ying's alluring, soft, delicate body fell into his embrace.

"Smack!"

Lin Feng sucked hard on her soft lips, and the next second he shot up toward the stone platform in the sky.

At the same time, he turned his head, smiled, and said, "If you won't give me one, I'll give you one."

After saying that, his figure sliced through space, avoiding the most popular central area, and landed on a less‑crowded stone platform at the edge.

After all, the pill he intended to refine this time was extremely difficult and required his full concentration.

Just like the platforms in the central area, almost every one of them was already occupied.

If, while he was refining, someone nearby blew up their furnace and affected him, he wouldn't even have time to cry.

After all, the Bodhi Pill he planned to refine uses extraordinarily precious Bodhi seeds as its main ingredient; he must succeed in one attempt to avoid waste.

Because this item can be used to seek the priceless treasure of the Bodhi Heart; wasting even one would make him feel heartbroken.

"Lin Feng, you bastard!"

After being attacked by him, the dazed Cao Ying finally reacted and angrily shouted.

However, when she glanced around the field and saw that everyone's attention had been drawn to the stone platforms above,

since the earlier incident hadn't caused a big stir, she finally let out a relieved sigh.

If what had just happened—her being forcibly kissed—had attracted many people's attention, she doubted she would have the courage to stay here and continue the competition.

Immediately afterward, Cao Ying silently cursed Lin Feng for his sneak attack while flying toward the stone platform in the sky.

As for Lin Feng at this moment, he was surveying the stone platform where he had landed.

This stone platform isn't large, only about two or three zhang across.

But it is still more than enough to hold just him.

After finding a spot, he sat cross‑legged and glanced at Cao Ying, Dan Chen, Xiao Yixian, and Ye Xinlan in the distance.

The three of them had also tacitly kept some distance, and like him, they did not go after those grand‑looking central platforms.

Instead, they similarly chose a quiet stone platform near the edge.

After his gaze swept over the four women, it suddenly fixed on a stone platform three platforms away from them.

There, Xiao Yan sat cross‑legged, eyes closed, cultivating.

Lin Feng found this unremarkable.

Because Xiao Yan's disposition likewise dislikes drawing attention.

And just as Lin Feng's gaze swept over Xiao Yan, the latter's eyes were also fixed on the distant disguised Old Man Mu Gu.

"According to Xuan Lao, this Old Man Mu Gu is also an eighth‑rank alchemist. Among the many competitors, hardly anyone could surpass him. Although the Pill Pagoda promised that anyone who makes the top ten of the Pill Assembly would get a chance to subdue the Three Thousand Yan Flame Fire,"

"But judging from this old thing's greed for strange fire and its ruthless methods, he probably won't let anyone else act before him on the Three Thousand Yan Flame Fire."

Thinking that Old Man Mu Gu also knows the Burning Technique can absorb various strange fires, Xiao Yan's face turned somewhat cold.

Although, by relying on his previous opportunity, he led a group of Dou Zun experts in wreaking havoc and capturing the guardians.

Relying on a large number of dharma protector entities and souls, he finally, before the pill gathering, raised his soul power to the spirit realm.

He had only just entered the spirit realm not long ago, and compared to old monsters like Mugu Lao Ren, he certainly had a considerable gap.

"Soul Hall, you not only captured my kin, but repeatedly opposed me; you'd better not let me grow stronger. Otherwise, I will surely wipe you out completely from the Battle Qi Continent."

Thinking of the trouble the Soul Hall had brought him, Xiao Yan immediately gritted his teeth and said.

"However, even if the champion of this pill gathering falls into Mugu Lao Ren's hands, I am likewise unafraid. With my current strength, at that time, as long as I summon Wind Elder, the two of us can quickly kill that Mugu Lao Ren. By then, even if the former subdues the Three Thousand Flame Fire, it will merely be doing my bidding."

After figuring out a solution in his mind, Xiao Yan immediately curled his lips and continued to quietly rest with closed eyes.

"Hmph, Xiao Yan, you brat, enjoy yourself for now. Once we reach the Star Region, let's see how you escape the palm of the Nine Heavens Venerable!"

Thinking back to not long ago, when Nine Heavens Venerable Mo Yu suddenly showed up, amiably seeking cooperation and giving him a spatial jade slip so that upon entering the Star Region he could summon it, the Mogu Old Man couldn't help but lift his head.

At that time, the Nine Heavens Venerable had already promised to help him kill Xiao Yan in the Star Region and hand over his soul and all his wealth.

Thinking of Xiao Yan's Burning Technique and those few strange fires, which would soon become his, the Mogu Old Man couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

But the frustrating part was that those Three Thousand Flame Fires had to be handed over to the Hall Master of the Nine Heavens Venerable Mo Yu, and he could not take them.

Of course, if the Hall Master of the Soul Hall knew about these two items, preparing to kill Xiao Yan and take the loot, he might very well give both of them a few slaps on the spot.

After all, they don't even know where the Xiao Clan's She Gu Emperor Jade is, yet you two went and killed the Xiao Clan's young chief—clearly you think I, the Hall Master, am too idle and need you to find me something to do, right?

"Boom!"

Meanwhile, as the two harbored their own thoughts, the Mysterious Void Master's gaze slowly swept over those Shi Tai in midair, then he lightly flicked his sleeve, and in an instant a deep, resonant bell toll rang out suddenly between heaven and earth.

"The time has come, all participants, please raise your cauldrons and begin alchemy!"

As the Mysterious Void Master's words fell, the previously noisy clamor of heaven and earth instantly fell silent.

Immediately thereafter, as thousands of alchemists nearly simultaneously controlled their storage rings, a sky-filling array of medicine cauldrons flashed into existence and then heavily landed upon the Shi Tai.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The low, metallic clang then rang out continuously across the sky.

Meanwhile, the spectators surrounding the square, upon seeing the countless medicine cauldrons, also let out a low murmuring sound.

Such a vast number of high-quality medicine cauldrons appearing almost simultaneously was likely the first time they had ever seen anything like it.

And after most of the alchemists in the arena summoned their medicine cauldrons, the sky was filled with a series of soft puffing sounds.

In an instant, various flames of many colors rose up.

From afar, they looked like a cloud of fire.

Even the warm sunlight pouring down was blocked by those thousands of extraordinarily gorgeous flames!

However, Lin Feng on the arena did not rush to summon flames.

Instead, he lightly stroked his storage ring and took out a piece of snow-white jade mother roughly half a zhang high and an arm's length wide.

"Earth Core Jade Mother!"

At the moment that white jade stone appeared, some of the more knowledgeable participants around exclaimed.

"Bang!"

However, the next second, due to his excessive excitement, the flames inside his medicine cauldron ahead also lost control and surged violently.

This sudden outbreak of flames instantly incinerated many precious medicinal ingredients inside the cauldron, reducing them to a handful of black ash.

That sound also drew the attention of those nearby.

Some of the alchemists who knew of the Earth Core Jade Mother, upon seeing the actual object, saw the medicinal ingredients in their own cauldrons also fall into ruin, turning into a handful of black ash.

Seeing this, those alchemists all gave Lin Feng an extremely resentful look.

If it weren't for the latter suddenly producing such a precious treasure, could the medicinal ingredients in his cauldron have been destroyed?