That day, the entire Water Heaven City erupted into commotion. The Great Dao Pill Sound drifted through the whole city, and countless playing children froze in place upon hearing it. Pensive expressions appeared on their tender faces as they tilted their heads to listen to that distant voice speaking, refusing to move even as their parents tugged at them—as though some powerful expert had cast a formidable spell upon them.
Most other people, however, had no idea what was happening. They couldn't understand why a voice was suddenly ringing in their ears and assumed they were hallucinating, but even clamping their hands over their ears did nothing to block it.
When the many warriors of the Heng Luo Commerce and the garrison troops of Water Heaven City mobilized en masse, the residents finally realized something major had happened.
Third Young Master Xueyue issued a decree: anyone who had heard that ethereal heavenly sound—regardless of age or gender—could join the Heng Luo Commerce and enjoy exceedingly generous treatment. For children under ten in particular, the compensation offered was enough to make many Void Return Realm warriors green with envy.
Five hundred thousand Sacred Crystals in annual stipend, a private palace to live in, twenty servants at their beck and call, status equivalent to a commerce manager...
Only then did everyone realize that the mysterious voice echoing in their ears was in fact a heaven-sent opportunity.
The sudden flood of benefits left the children's parents reeling, and combined with Third Young Master Xueyue's reputation and the credibility of the Heng Luo Commerce, countless men and women hurriedly dragged their children toward the center of Water Heaven City.
No one was willing to let such a gift slip through their fingers.
The Great Dao Pill Sound continued to resonate, sounding nine times in succession!
This situation persisted for an entire day.
One day later, on the ninth floor of the Alchemist Hall, over a hundred alchemists sat cross-legged on the ground with Yang Kai at the center, surrounding him like stars encircling the moon.
Many of the alchemists who hadn't sat down also wore pensive expressions, their faces shifting constantly—at times worried about what they might gain or lose, at times anxious and restless, at times bursting into ecstatic laughter.
They had clearly all gained something.
After the ninth sound, the Purple Void Cauldron fell silent, and the hazy purple qi gradually dissipated.
Yang Kai had long since stopped his pill-gathering motions. Half a day ago, he had already sat cross-legged once more with his eyes tightly shut, allowing the Great Dao Pill Sound to emanate freely from within the Purple Void Cauldron.
His gains far exceeded those of any other alchemist present. After all, the Great Dao Pill Sound was the voice of the Heavenly Dao that he himself had drawn forth—to others it sounded ethereal and intangible, but in Yang Kai's ears it was perfectly clear.
In a state beyond conscious awareness, an ancient and desolate voice echoed by his ear, explaining to him the profound mysteries of the Dao of Alchemy. The voice was soft, but every word was distinctly articulated.
Each sentence, each word, branded itself upon Yang Kai's mind like a searing mark, allowing him to grasp and comprehend everything without effort.
His gains far surpassed what he could have obtained from studying the True Compendium of Alchemy ten million times over.
The knowledge of alchemy that flooded into his mind was the ultimate secret naturally nurtured between heaven and earth. Only by summoning the Great Dao Pill Sound could one catch a glimpse of its true depths.
Of the five hundred-plus alchemists, over a hundred sat cross-legged, another quarter or so wore pensive expressions, while the remainder could only clench their fists in regret and sigh—they lacked the fortune and the comprehension needed to hear anything from these nine resounding pulses of the Pill Sound.
But the way they looked at Yang Kai had completely changed. Gone were their earlier discontent and disdain, replaced by solemnity and respect.
Could anyone truly believe that a man capable of summoning the Great Dao Pill Sound—and making it resonate nine times in succession—was not an alchemist?
Though Yang Kai had yet to open the furnace and retrieve his pill, they were all certain that a fully refined Primordial Soul-Turning Pill already lay within.
This man was not merely a Void King Stage Two warrior, but a genuine Grandmaster Alchemist! Thinking back on their own narrow-mindedness, countless alchemists burned with shame.
"Why wasn't it me?" An untimely voice suddenly rang out, and the alchemists who were still conscious frowned. Following the voice, they saw that the speaker was none other than Zhan Yuan, who had been opposing Yang Kai all along.
Zhan Yuan's face was pale and stricken. He kept scanning the alchemists sitting cross-legged on the ground, muttering incessantly: "How could it not be me? I heard it too! Why didn't they let me hear it clearly? I, Zhan Yuan, am an alchemical prodigy the likes of which appears once in ten thousand years! I taught myself from a young age with no guidance—how can the secrets of the Dao of Alchemy not include me?"
Hearing such brazen boasting, many alchemists showed expressions of disgust.
Whether one could hear the Great Dao Pill Sound came down to fortune and comprehension—something that could not be forced. It was the choice of the Heavenly Dao, beyond the influence of human effort. Zhan Yuan's grandiose posturing naturally rubbed everyone the wrong way.
"There's no way it wasn't me!" Zhan Yuan suddenly snarled, his face twisting into a mask of rage. He whipped his head toward Yang Kai and spat through gritted teeth: "I understand now—it must be your doing! You're the one who summoned the Great Dao Pill Sound, and you're the one who blocked me from hearing it! It was definitely you!"
With that, he charged straight at Yang Kai.
Of the five hundred-plus alchemists present, over a hundred sat cross-legged, and another hundred or so looked deep in thought—roughly half and half. Yet Zhan Yuan had received nothing. He was on the verge of a breakdown.
Such a magnificent opportunity—why should others have it while he did not?
Had he obtained this chance, he could have eventually advanced to become a Void King-level alchemist.
And so he was utterly unable to contain his rage.