The warm sunlight illuminated the strange flowers and exotic plants in the courtyard, casting a colorful glow on the petals and leaves swaying in the breeze. Vines and flowers grew in layers on the high walls, spreading their fragrance throughout the area.
Sipping his tea in the courtyard, Xiao Ming admired the scenery, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.
Tap, tap!
Suddenly, he heard footsteps and turned to see a young girl in uniform approaching him.
"Xiao Qing? The courtyard has been cleaned today, hasn't it?"
Xiao Ming's residence was not big, nor was it small, and it required daily cleaning. Xiao Qing was responsible for cleaning and also served as a maid to deliver messages.
"Master Xiao Ming, someone from the Pill Tower is here to see you. He said it's an Elder of the Pill Tower."
"Oh? Please invite him in."
...
Soon, Xiao Qing brought the Elder into the courtyard.
Upon seeing the visitor, Xiao Ming showed surprise on his face.
"First Elder Qiu Ling, I didn't expect you to come personally."
"Does it surprise you that the old man came?" Qiu Ling chuckled.
"Indeed, I am a little surprised. After all, you have many responsibilities as the First Elder... Please have a seat."
"No need to. Your soul has entered the Spirit Realm, right? In that case, you will soon become one of the core members of the Pill Tower as one of the Eight Great Elders. I came to take you to meet the other Elders and the Three Association Heads."
"Haha, speaking of which, your name as the first genius has echoed throughout the Central Region in recent days. Everyone is curious about you."
"First Elder is just joking. The Central Region has hidden tigers and crouching dragons, this first genius may not be so true..." Being famous was a good thing, Xiao Ming initially wanted to make a name for himself, but being too famous was not always a good thing.
"You don't need to be too modest. You deserve this first place." Qiu Ling smiled and led the way back on the same path he had come.
"Since everything is fine, let's move on. They might all be waiting for us."
...
The Pill Tower was located in the central area of the Holy Pill City, considered a holy land in the hearts of countless alchemists.
Generally, only forces related to the Pill Tower or high-tier alchemists were allowed to stay in the inner area of the city.
The inn where Xiao Ming stayed before was somewhat related to the Pill Tower.
As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, he could see a nearly 340 meters high black tower standing toweringly, like a small mountain, giving people a sense of majestic grandeur.
The top of the giant tower was deeply immersed in the clouds. At a glance, it was almost impossible to see the top. Amidst the mist, it appeared exceptionally mysterious.
That black giant tower, like a pillar that supported the sky, was naturally the Pill Tower that Xiao Ming had visited twice before.
However, he had only wandered on the first floor of the Pill Tower on both occasions. At that time, he did not have the qualifications to enter the higher floors.
With Qiu Ling's guidance, Xiao Ming easily passed through the guards' defenses and headed straight for the high floors of the tower. After a long time, they finally stopped outside an extremely spacious hall.
"The Elders and the Association Heads are all inside. These people are all veterans of the Pill Tower. Be careful when you meet them, especially with the Association Head Xuan Kong Zi and the others..." Hearing Qiu Ling's reminder, Xiao Ming's face also became serious, and he nodded.
Seeing this, Qiu Ling finally felt relieved, straightened his clothes, took two steps forward, respectfully pushed open the door of the hall, and then made a gesture to Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming nodded and walked into the hall slowly. The hall was filled with numerous bookshelves, giving it a messy feeling. Flames of different colors filled the hall, interweaving to form a dreamy and hazy atmosphere.
A massive square table stood in the center of the bookshelves. Sitting at the table, directly across from Xiao Ming, were two old men and a beautiful woman.
None of them seemed to emit any aura and appeared to be ordinary mortals. To Xiao Ming's soul perception, they seemed non-existent.
Six elderly men with white beards occupied all the chairs on each side of the table except for the first chair on the left and the last chair on the right.
Although Xiao Ming had never met any of these people before, he was certain that the three individuals in front of him were the Association Heads of the Pill Tower - Xuan Kong Zi, Tian Lei Zi, and Xuan Yi - while the others were the remaining Eight Great Elders.
As Xiao Ming arrived, everyone's attention turned towards him.
"Greetings, Three Association Heads and Elders," said Xiao Ming respectfully.
"You must be Xiao Ming? You're quite impressive, little friend. I wonder who was lucky enough to take you as their disciple. It's truly envy-inducing," said one of the three Association Heads.
This man had a face full of deep wrinkles, and his eyes were tiny and intricate. However, they exuded a sense of warmth and friendliness.
"Senior is kidding," replied Xiao Ming, bowing politely.
"I'm not kidding. Achieving the level of an eighth-tier alchemist at your age is a remarkable feat. There's no one else on the continent who has done it," said the elder, sweeping his gaze over Xiao Ming with admiration. "I'm Xuan Kong Zi, and if you don't mind, you may address me as Old Xuan."
The Eight Great Elders sitting on the side looked a bit strange when they heard this. It seems that the Association Head Xuan Kong Zi held Xiao Ming in high regard.
"Since that's the case... I will respectfully comply with Old Xuan's request," said Xiao Ming without refusing.
Xuan Kong Zi smiled and said to Qiu Ling, who had just come in, "Qiu Ling, let Xiao Ming take a seat."
Qiu Ling bowed and took the seat on the left, while Xiao Ming took the remaining seat after bowing.
"The purpose of convening the elder's meeting today is probably known to everyone. It's to get to know Xiao Ming, our youngest Eight Great Elder. Please introduce yourselves first."
Xiao Ming's situation was quite special. He had only joined the Pill Tower a few days ago and had already risen to the core of it. The Pill Tower had never encountered such a situation before, and it was quite amusing to think that Xiao Ming didn't even know the names of the Eight Great Elders.
"I'm Tian Lei Zi," said the stern-looking elder on the right side of Xuan Kong Zi, who spoke first.
"Xuan Yi," said the beautiful woman with a slight smile.
"I'm Sheng Yao, in charge of..."
"..."
Everyone introduced themselves to Xiao Ming in a very calm tone, especially the Eight Great Elders, who did not look down on him because of his youth, but instead took him very seriously.
After all, Xiao Ming had already reached the same level as them at such a young age, and they had no reason to be proud.
The self-introduction didn't take much time, and soon Xiao Ming knew everyone's name.
"Alright, the self-introduction is over. Next, I will tell you some things to pay attention to as one of the Eight Great Elders, as well as some benefits."
"Huh? Am I taking over as one of the Eight Great Elders now? Wasn't I the backup of the Eight Great Elders before?" Xiao Ming expressed some confusion.
The warm sunlight illuminated the strange flowers and exotic plants in the courtyard, casting a colorful glow on the petals and leaves swaying in the breeze. Vines and flowers grew in layers on the high walls, spreading their fragrance throughout the area.
Sipping his tea in the courtyard, Xiao Ming admired the scenery, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.
Tap, tap!
Suddenly, he heard footsteps and turned to see a young girl in uniform approaching him.
"Xiao Qing? The courtyard has been cleaned today, hasn't it?"
Xiao Ming's residence was not big, nor was it small, and it required daily cleaning. Xiao Qing was responsible for cleaning and also served as a maid to deliver messages.
"Master Xiao Ming, someone from the Pill Tower is here to see you. He said it's an Elder of the Pill Tower."
"Oh? Please invite him in."
...
Soon, Xiao Qing brought the Elder into the courtyard.
Upon seeing the visitor, Xiao Ming showed surprise on his face.
"First Elder Qiu Ling, I didn't expect you to come personally."
"Does it surprise you that the old man came?" Qiu Ling chuckled.
"Indeed, I am a little surprised. After all, you have many responsibilities as the First Elder... Please have a seat."
"No need to. Your soul has entered the Spirit Realm, right? In that case, you will soon become one of the core members of the Pill Tower as one of the Eight Great Elders. I came to take you to meet the other Elders and the Three Association Heads."
"Haha, speaking of which, your name as the first genius has echoed throughout the Central Region in recent days. Everyone is curious about you."
"First Elder is just joking. The Central Region has hidden tigers and crouching dragons, this first genius may not be so true..." Being famous was a good thing, Xiao Ming initially wanted to make a name for himself, but being too famous was not always a good thing.
"You don't need to be too modest. You deserve this first place." Qiu Ling smiled and led the way back on the same path he had come.
"Since everything is fine, let's move on. They might all be waiting for us."
...
The Pill Tower was located in the central area of the Holy Pill City, considered a holy land in the hearts of countless alchemists.
Generally, only forces related to the Pill Tower or high-tier alchemists were allowed to stay in the inner area of the city.
The inn where Xiao Ming stayed before was somewhat related to the Pill Tower.
As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, he could see a nearly 340 meters high black tower standing toweringly, like a small mountain, giving people a sense of majestic grandeur.
The top of the giant tower was deeply immersed in the clouds. At a glance, it was almost impossible to see the top. Amidst the mist, it appeared exceptionally mysterious.
That black giant tower, like a pillar that supported the sky, was naturally the Pill Tower that Xiao Ming had visited twice before.
However, he had only wandered on the first floor of the Pill Tower on both occasions. At that time, he did not have the qualifications to enter the higher floors.
With Qiu Ling's guidance, Xiao Ming easily passed through the guards' defenses and headed straight for the high floors of the tower. After a long time, they finally stopped outside an extremely spacious hall.
"The Elders and the Association Heads are all inside. These people are all veterans of the Pill Tower. Be careful when you meet them, especially with the Association Head Xuan Kong Zi and the others..." Hearing Qiu Ling's reminder, Xiao Ming's face also became serious, and he nodded.
Seeing this, Qiu Ling finally felt relieved, straightened his clothes, took two steps forward, respectfully pushed open the door of the hall, and then made a gesture to Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming nodded and walked into the hall slowly. The hall was filled with numerous bookshelves, giving it a messy feeling. Flames of different colors filled the hall, interweaving to form a dreamy and hazy atmosphere.
A massive square table stood in the center of the bookshelves. Sitting at the table, directly across from Xiao Ming, were two old men and a beautiful woman.
None of them seemed to emit any aura and appeared to be ordinary mortals. To Xiao Ming's soul perception, they seemed non-existent.
Six elderly men with white beards occupied all the chairs on each side of the table except for the first chair on the left and the last chair on the right.
Although Xiao Ming had never met any of these people before, he was certain that the three individuals in front of him were the Association Heads of the Pill Tower - Xuan Kong Zi, Tian Lei Zi, and Xuan Yi - while the others were the remaining Eight Great Elders.
As Xiao Ming arrived, everyone's attention turned towards him.
"Greetings, Three Association Heads and Elders," said Xiao Ming respectfully.
"You must be Xiao Ming? You're quite impressive, little friend. I wonder who was lucky enough to take you as their disciple. It's truly envy-inducing," said one of the three Association Heads.
This man had a face full of deep wrinkles, and his eyes were tiny and intricate. However, they exuded a sense of warmth and friendliness.
"Senior is kidding," replied Xiao Ming, bowing politely.
"I'm not kidding. Achieving the level of an eighth-tier alchemist at your age is a remarkable feat. There's no one else on the continent who has done it," said the elder, sweeping his gaze over Xiao Ming with admiration. "I'm Xuan Kong Zi, and if you don't mind, you may address me as Old Xuan."
The Eight Great Elders sitting on the side looked a bit strange when they heard this. It seems that the Association Head Xuan Kong Zi held Xiao Ming in high regard.
"Since that's the case... I will respectfully comply with Old Xuan's request," said Xiao Ming without refusing.
Xuan Kong Zi smiled and said to Qiu Ling, who had just come in, "Qiu Ling, let Xiao Ming take a seat."
Qiu Ling bowed and took the seat on the left, while Xiao Ming took the remaining seat after bowing.
"The purpose of convening the elder's meeting today is probably known to everyone. It's to get to know Xiao Ming, our youngest Eight Great Elder. Please introduce yourselves first."
Xiao Ming's situation was quite special. He had only joined the Pill Tower a few days ago and had already risen to the core of it. The Pill Tower had never encountered such a situation before, and it was quite amusing to think that Xiao Ming didn't even know the names of the Eight Great Elders.
"I'm Tian Lei Zi," said the stern-looking elder on the right side of Xuan Kong Zi, who spoke first.
"Xuan Yi," said the beautiful woman with a slight smile.
"I'm Sheng Yao, in charge of..."
"..."
Everyone introduced themselves to Xiao Ming in a very calm tone, especially the Eight Great Elders, who did not look down on him because of his youth, but instead took him very seriously.
After all, Xiao Ming had already reached the same level as them at such a young age, and they had no reason to be proud.
The self-introduction didn't take much time, and soon Xiao Ming knew everyone's name.
"Alright, the self-introduction is over. Next, I will tell you some things to pay attention to as one of the Eight Great Elders, as well as some benefits."
"Huh? Am I taking over as one of the Eight Great Elders now? Wasn't I the backup of the Eight Great Elders before?" Xiao Ming expressed some confusion.
