Chapter 551: A Proud Walkabout Sect
Shen Qinghong heaved an internal sigh of relief when Elder
Yun Nie walked over. He was truly feeling a mix of emotions at the moment. He’d
indeed felt anger bubble up from within him when Zhu Feiyang and Wang Han were
bullying him just now, and Wei Qing had obviously fanned the flames to put him
in an uglier spot. But to be honest, he had nothing that he could say to defend
himself.
He was inferior to Zhu Feiyang and Wang Han in terms of
cultivation level, and below Wei Qing when it came to pill dao scores. If he’d
tried to retort, it would’ve only led to greater shame being piled on him. But
at that low moment, it’d been Jiang Chen who’d stepped out to rescue him from
the situation, successfully attracting the ire of the crowd.
Shen Qinghong had never known what it meant to feel
gratitude, but in that moment, he’d finally felt an inkling of that emotion. In
times of crisis, it was those from his own sect who’d stepped forward to help
him. None of those so-called friends he’d cultivated had come forward at all.
It’d been Jiang Chen, the one who’d always been at odds with him, who’d taken a
stand for him.
Moreover, it’d been Elder Yun Nie’s appearance at this time
that’d scared the group off, someone he equally disliked. After all, Elder Yun
Nie had openly argued with his master before. Yet it was the two he normally
had the worst opinion of who’d saved him from his awkwardness today.
Elder Yun Nie’s expression was a bit solemn. “How did you
all do?” He looked at Shen Qinghong first with a hint of expectation. After
all, he was the top genius of the Regal Pill Palace.
“I didn’t do so well in the second section and could only
identify five or six ingredients. I don’t think I’ll be able to obtain full
marks in the third section either.” Shen Qinghong didn’t dare hide anything at
the moment.
Ling Bi'er also responded, “My situation is similar to
senior brother Shen’s.”
“How about you, Gaoqi?” Elder Yun Nie skipped over Jiang
Chen and asked Mu Gaoqi next.
Mu Gaoqi smiled faintly. “I think I did well. I was lucky
enough to refine an upper tier saint rank pill, so I should be able to win full
points in that section. I only missed two ingredients in the second section,
and my other ingredients were correct.”
“Oh? How are you so confident in your answers?” Elder Yun
Nie smiled.
“Brother Chen said so.”
Elder Yun Nie and the other elders all looked at Jiang Chen,
their gazes a bit odd.
Elder Yun Nie smiled. “Jiang Chen, you’ve become the answer
key, haven’t you? Did you really identify the Skyheart Rebirth Pill?”
Mu Gaoqi jumped in before Jiang Chen had the chance to
speak. “It really was the Skyheart Rebirth Pill! Haha, Brother Chen, you’re too
amazing!”
The elders were rendered instantly speechless after Mu
Gaoqi’s words. They looked at each other, already convinced about the futility
of further questioning. Mu Gaoqi’s words had already given them their answer.
Elder Yun Nie sighed. “The elders have met an incredible
opponent this time, and I don’t believe we’ll be able to retain first place
with our overall performance. It seems that your genius group’s scores will be
the key to protecting our first place.”
Apart from Elder Yun Nie’s stable performance, the other
elders had only acquitted themselves nominally, with no performance that was
terribly eye catching. If the genius group had done the same, then the
championship that the Regal Pill Palace had defended multiple times would
surely be seized by one of the other sects this time.
That was the worst result in Elder Yun Nie’s eyes. He cast
his gaze over at Jiang Chen; obviously aware that the crux of this dilemma lay
with Jiang Chen. If he could take the champion’s position of the genius group,
an additional hundred points would be added to the Regal Pill Palace’s overall
score. Only then would they have the hope of keeping the overall champion’s
position.
Jiang Chen knew of Elder Yun Nie’s thoughts and gave him a
small, confident smile. Elder Yun Nie heaved a long sigh of relief in his heart
when he saw how self confident Jiang Chen was. Although he knew that Jiang Chen
was their ace, if the latter hadn’t performed well in the fourth round, then
they might lose the championship of the genius group as well.
Elder Yun Nie had been highly confident in his ability to
claim the championship of the elder group were it not for the sudden appearance
of an elder possessing a divine fire. It had thrown their initial plans into
disarray and cast a shadow over Elder Yun Nie’s chances for seizing the
championship.
If the elders didn’t cinch the championship of their group,
then they would lose the extra hundred points that they would’ve otherwise
received. If the geniuses also failed to secure their championship title, then
it would spell no end of trouble for the overall Regal Pill Palace rankings.
Jiang Chen had reason enough to be confident, because apart
from the slight uncertainty in the first section in this round, he was certain
that there would be no issues with any of the other sections. He was guaranteed
to be the champion of his group, and would outpace the first runner up by far.
The elders of the Walkabout Sect also arrived, striding
forth as if mature trees welcoming the spring. Pride and confidence was splayed
all over their faces, and it was apparent that they were very satisfied with
their results this time. They were greatly assured of their chances in seizing
the Regal Pill Palace’s throne. At least, they were certain that the
performance of the Walkabout Sect elder group was superior to the overall
performance of the Regal Pill Palace elder group. It was now down to whether
the genius group had done the same as well.
As long as their genius group didn’t lose to the Regal Pill
Palace, then the Walkabout Sect was destined to overthrow the Regal Pill Palace
and take home the championship.
This would be a historical moment! Even taking a step back,
if their genius group lost to the genius group of the Regal Pill Palace, the
overall championship would be theirs as long as their elder group score had a
more than 200 point gap! Their buoying confidence stemmed from the performance
of a heaven defying elder in their elder group. He had simply acquitted himself
too well, and the others had put forth a stable performance to support him.
When it came down to the wire, old fellows such as them wouldn’t bother wasting
time in verbal sparring, so they all settled in to await the final results
after some superficial pleasantries.
The elder group’s scores were out after roughly two hours.
In line with everyone’s expectations, Elder Wu Hen took first place with 1,880
points. This awarded him another 100 points, bringing his score to a stunning
1,980 points.
Elder Yun Nie was in second place with 1,830 points, and
some elder from the Tristar Sect had come in third.
A loud hubbub broke out when the elder group scores came
out. As a first in the Myriad Domain, Elder Yun Nie had actually lost the
championship for the elder group! This was absolutely a note for the historical
record!
The overall group ranking for the elder group were soon
tallied as well, and the Walkabout Sect had actually taken first place thanks
to their overall performance! They were approximately 300 points higher than
the elders of the Regal Pill Palace! This kind of gap left the four great
elders from the Regal Pill Palace with ashen expressions. Apart from Elder Yun
Nie, the others were completely ashamed of themselves. They knew that Elder Yun
Nie had already done quite well. He’d only lost to Elder Wu Hen because the
latter had a skyfire; this advantage was simply too much to close.
They were the ones who were truly dragging the Regal Pill
Palace elder team down.
The rest of the elder group were ranked as Tristar Sect
coming third, then Dark North Sect, Great Cathedral, and lastly Sacred Sword
Palace. There was no surprise that the Sacred Sword Palace had come in last,
but the entire scene erupted into a hubbub once again when the rankings were
fully revealed. Cries of congratulations and felicitations rang out around the
Walkabout Sect, and those from the Sacred Sword Palace in particular drew close
to tender their congratulations. The Walkabout Sect’s elder group was ahead of
the Regal Pill Palace by nearly 300 points. This had almost guaranteed their
position as overall champion. As strong as the Regal Pill Palace genius group
was, could they close this kind of gap?
Elder Yun Jian of the Sacred Sword Palace chuckled.
“Congratulations, Daoist Wu Hen. It looks like the pill dao landscape of the
Myriad Domain will transform with this time’s Pill Battles. With the Walkabout
Sect charging ahead to seize the championship, please remember to take care of
us Sacred Sword Palace in the future, so that we might learn from you and
improve ourselves.”
Elder Wu Hen smiled. “Daoist Yun Jian is too polite. Our two
sects are as if brothers. Aren’t your words simply too polite?”
This sham of a conversation between the two placed the Regal
Pill Palace in an exceedingly awkward position. On one side was their biggest
competitor in this time’s Pill Battles, and the other was the Regal Pill
Palace’s hated rival. That the two were coming together to congratulate each
other, wasn’t this a blatant denial of face to the Regal Pill Palace?
As shrewd as Elder Yun Nie was, the edges of his vision were
touched with scarlet rage as he witnessed this play. Ouyang De’s face was like
a thundercloud on the verge of erupting, and he was barely holding himself back
from cursing them to kingdom come. It was rather Jiang Chen who maintained a
composed expression and a secretive smile as he observed the relationships
between the various sects of the Myriad Domain.
It seemed that the Walkabout Sect wanted nothing more than
to take the title of first sect of pill dao from the Regal Pill Palace, and
were eccentric and difficult to predict. The Sacred Sword Palace and Regal Pill
Palace had a simple relationship, that of irreconcilable fire and water. On the
other hand, the Great Cathedral was busy styling themselves as the pre-eminent
leader of the sects and focused on knocking down the Tristar Sect. Only the
Dark North Sect maintained good relations with the Regal Pill Palace.
Mu Gaoqi snorted softly, his lips twitching continuously,
patently irritated by the masquerade these two sects were putting on.
Elder Yun Nie extorted everyone behind him in a low voice.
“Chin up, everyone! Our Regal Pill Palace has lost this battle, but we have yet
to lose the battle of talent! Gaoqi, your potential destines you to be someone
who will come to dominate the pill dao arena in the Myriad Domain. In the
future, it would not be an exaggeration to say that you alone will be able to
command the winds and clouds. Don’t be distracted by momentary gains and
losses.
“Remember, tempering iron requires strong tools. Without
exception, everyone needs to put forth effort if a sect is to be strong. Once
you fail to maintain that drive, others will come to step on and suppress you.
If glory finds the sect, it finds us all. If the sect falls, so do we all.
Starting from myself, I hope everyone can learn their lessons from this
experience and contemplate the reason for our loss from ourselves.” Elder Yun
Nie didn’t say much else as he waved his hand. “Let’s wait for the genius
group’s scores.”
There was no point in speaking more about it now. The genius
group’s scores were also tallied before long, and the various sect heavyweights
also walked out. Although Dan Chi had a calm expression in the front, a trace
of delighted glee had yet to dissipate in the corners of his eyes. Walkabout
Sect Head Wei Wuying’s face was as black as night, his expression as if he’d
suddenly plummeted from a great height. Tristar Sect Head Zhu also shook his
head lightly, plainly a bit disappointed.
Elder Yun Nie had sharp eyes and immediately caught sight of
this scene. When he saw how the palace head was forcefully holding in a joyous
expression, a spark of hope ignited in him. Could it be that the genius group’s
performance was so heaven defying that they’d turned the situation around??
When he took another look at how Wei Wuying had an absolutely darkened face,
appearing almost enraged, his hopes began to rise. This didn’t seem like the
expression of a sect that had just won the championship!
All of a sudden, Elder Yun Nie’s heartbeat sped up. His gaze
couldn’t help but drift over to Jiang Chen’s direction to see that him still
treating everything noncommittally. A faint smile drifted around and off Jiang
Chen’s face.
“To think that the one who would save the Regal Pill Palace
in its final moment would be this miraculous youth!” Elder Yun Nie sensed the
answer floating up in his heart. Now all that was left was to see how the
geniuses had performed... and how they’d bridged the 300 point gap the
Walkabout Sect’s elder group had created!
Chapter 552: The Ultimate Comeback
The rankings for the genius group were quickly calculated.
Jiang Chen had actually received 580 points in the fourth round, losing only 20
points in one of the questions regarding the completion of a pill recipe. This
way, out of the total 2,000 points possible for four rounds, he’d taken 1,980
points for himself. As the champion of the genius group, he received another
100 points to reach a total of 2,080 points!
It was one thing for Jiang Chen to have such an inordinate
score, but Mu Gaoqi had also soared above the rest in the fourth round. He’d
lost only sixty points in the fourth round and had tied for second with Ding
Tong at 540 points. In this way, his final score was an astonishing 1,790
points. This was second only to Ding Tong’s 1,810 points. In the end, Mu Gaoqi
had managed to rank third overall.
Wei Xing’er had come in fourth with 1,720 points, and Wei
Qing fifth with 1,710 points. Ling Bi'er was sixth with 1,670 points, and the
remaining seventh to tenth spots were divvied up between the disciples of the
great sects. Because Shen Qinghong had only made a mediocre showing in the
fourth round, he’d barely managed to secure a spot in the top ten, coming in
tenth. Wang Han of the Sacred Sword Palace had been the one who’d lost the rat
race and dropped to eleventh.
Jiang Chen laughed heartily when the scores came out and
bounded over to the mountain of spirit stones with extreme speed, shoving them
all into his bag without another word. “Many, many thanks to everyone giving me
this opportunity.”
Everyone here were notable personages. It had been Wei Qing
who had put together the bet, and those who had participated were all top
geniuses. There was no one present who would go back on their words for a mere
fifty thousand spirit stones. Jiang Chen’s score did indeed place him at the
top of the genius group, but it was just that they all felt that they’d lost
face when he’d gone over to collect the spirit stones. If looks could kill, Wei
Qing in particular would’ve murdered him right then and there.
This had been a bet that he’d put together with great effort
so that he could strike it rich, but instead, Jiang Chen had reaped all the
benefits. To add insult to injury, he, as the one who’d started everything, had
only placed fifth.
With the announcement of the genius group’s scores, the
final scores had also been tabulated. The combination of the genius and elder
group scores would become the overall score of each sect for this time’s Mt.
Rippling Mirage Pill Battles.
To make matters interesting, the Regal Pill Palace genius
scores were actually ahead of the Walkabout Sect geniuses by roughly 700
points. Jiang Chen in particular was a full 360 points ahead of Wei Xing’er,
their highest scorer. Second place in the Regal Pill Palace, Mu Gaoqi, was a full
80 points ahead of the Walkabout Sect’s second place, Wei Qing. And although
Ling Bi'er and Shen Qinghong hadn’t displayed performances that were as
impactful as Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi, their combined scores were enough to
suppress the remaining geniuses from the Walkabout Sect. In this regard, it was
no surprise that the Regal Pill Palace genius group had a roughly 700 point
lead over the Walkabout Sect’s genius group. When that was applied to the
overall scores, an astonishing result came to the fore. The Regal Pill Palace
had, in one fell swoop, closed the 300 point gap, overtaken the Walkabout Sect,
and then lengthened their lead by roughly 400 points. It was an undeniable
first place finish.
This comeback of the century sent everyone present reeling
with astonishment and disbelief. The Walkabout Sect in particular were utterly
flabbergasted. They had never dreamed that their nearly 300 point lead would be
so perfectly reversed into them being led by more than 300 points. The genius
group, with Wei Xing’er and Wei Qing at their head, were dumbfounded. This was
a humiliating outcome, one that was nigh impossible to swallow.
In another surprising turn of events, the Tristar Sect had
almost managed to catch up to the Walkabout Sect using the stable performance
of their genius group. Their overall ranking was number three, but they were
obviously not satisfied with the result either. However, with the awkward
situation of the Walkabout Sect first laughing and then ending up crying, the
Tristar Sect didn’t end up losing their composure as much.
On the Walkabout Sect’s side, the cocky expressions of those
elders were now akin to fighting gamecocks who had lost, darkened and sunk to
the lowest of depths.
The Sacred Sword Palace scores were as expected, solidly in
last place. However, this wasn’t the most awkward of matters for them right
now. What was particularly awkward, and rather galling, was that they had just
indicated their goodwill to the Walkabout Sect earlier and congratulated them
ahead of time for winning the championship. These results were a couple of
fierce slaps to their faces, burning their cheeks with shame.
“Heh heh, congratulations Elder Yun Nie.”
“Congratulations, Daoist Yun Nie. The Regal Pill Palace well
deserves this win!”
“The Regal Pill Palace is the first sect for pill dao in the
Myriad Domain after all! This kind of foundation and lineup of geniuses is
simply stunning.”
“Indeed, Daoist Yun Nie. It’s likely that no one will be
able to shake the Regal Pill Palace’s position in the next thousand years, not
with the type of advantage you possess. You were able to send out just your
unknown youths to put on such a stunning display!”
Mu Gaoqi and Jiang Chen had been relative unknowns
beforehand, but they were now the biggest reasons why the Regal Pill Palace had
defended their championship title once again.
Elder Yun Nie’s emotions had just been through incredible
highs and lows, but he was still worldly-wise after all. He had regained his
composure enough to thank them all one by one. One had to say, apart from being
hated rivals with the Sacred Sword Palace, the Regal Pill Palace still enjoyed
decent popularity in the Myriad Domain. The Dark North Sect was its brother
sect, and those of the Great Cathedral had a good impression of the Regal Pill
Palace as well. As for the Walkabout Sect, they viewed the Regal Pill Palace as
a latent competitor, but that was another story. The Tristar Sect was a
mysterious entity and did things by themselves. They weren’t close with anyone,
but also not particularly hostile with anyone either.
The fifth rank sects were actually the most friendly with
the Regal Pill Palace, because the Regal Pill Palace was actually much more
amiable compared to the other fourth rank sects. This wasn’t only because the
Regal Pill Palace had allied with a small power like the Precious Tree Sect,
but also because the Regal Pill Palace rarely put on the airs of a fourth rank
sect to bully the numerous fifth rank sects. When it came to the division of
profits, the Regal Pill Palace were amongst the few that would step out to
speak for the fifth rank sects.
Although this was but one of Palace Head Dan Chi’s
strategies, it had certainly garnered visible results. When the Walkabout Sect
elder group had been in the lead, only a few of the fifth rank sects had come
up to tender their congratulations. But now that the Regal Pill Palace had made
this great turnaround, almost all of them came up to share in the moment.
Jiang Chen hadn’t thought either that the Regal Pill Palace
would enjoy such high popularity with the fifth rank sects. As the primary
reason why the Regal Pill Palace had been able to defend the championship this
time, there were naturally many who came up to befriend and greet him. Jiang
Chen didn’t put on any airs and responded to each and every one of them. This
continued for quite a while before everyone returned to their seats.
Elder Yun Nie sighed. “Palace Head Dan Chi has always
advocated that we be considerate and kind to men of talent. Our sect has
refused almost no sect who’s asked us to refine pills for them over these
years. This is merely the visible proof of how we’ve been able to collect on
those favors. I have to admire the palace head’s vision.”
The other elders also nodded as well. Ouyang De spoke, a
tinge of shame in his voice. “Elder Yun Nie, I was rather a bastard before and
full of myself. I have truly seen the light this time. If it wasn’t for your
keen eye for talent that uncovered such geniuses as Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi,
I’m afraid the Walkabout Sect would have truly taken the championship from this
time’s Pill Battles. Then I, Ouyang De, would’ve been condemned as a traitor of
our sect throughout the ages.”
Ouyang De had been nursing a grudge against Jiang Chen and
Mu Gaoqi because of the matter of the Pill Battle spots. He’d really wanted to
obtain a spot for his grandson, Ouyang Chao. But it now seemed that had he
really done so, his grandson wouldn’t have had any effect other than dragging
the Regal Pill Palace down. If that had happened, he really would have been the
ultimate sinner in Regal Pill Palace history. If Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi had
been swapped out for pill dao geniuses on the level of Ouyang Chao, then there
would’ve been no doubt of the Regal Pill Palace’s defeat at the hands of the
Walkabout Sect.
“Jiang Chen, Mu Gaoqi, you two are very good. Truly very
good. I will have Ouyang Chao learn more from both of you when I return.”
Ouyang De had finally seen through the clouds now. Although his grandson was a
scion of the sect and a genius in his own right, he was on a completely
different level compared to Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi. As opposed to continuing
to butt heads with these two geniuses, why not befriend them? Ouyang De had
some valuable insights from this time’s Pill Battles regarding internal conflict.
Ultimately, he realized, it had no future for the sect. When the Regal Pill
Palace had trailed behind the Walkabout Sect by roughly three hundred points,
there had been no lack of people who’d immediately come forth to step on them.
Such was how disinterested and uncaring the world was.
Elder Yun Nie’s words had given them great food for thought.
One had to be strong themselves if they wished to temper iron. A sect had to be
united internally, with everyone exerting force in unison to benefit the sect
and make it stronger. Only when the sect was strong would others be prevented
from stepping on them. Only then, would the sect be respected wherever they
went.
At that moment, the organizer on stage gestured for silence.
“Everyone, please be quiet. The rankings are out for the Pill Battles, and you
can now raise any objections you may have. If there are no objections, then we
will seal the scores and announce the end of the Pill Battles.”
Wei Wuying was the first to jump out. “I have objections!”
His face had turned as dark as the depths of the sea in his
bad mood. It was obvious that when the elder group had raced ahead with such an
incredible lead, he’d thought that the championship was already in his hand.
But the genius group had suddenly collapsed, and the trophy that had been at
the tips of his fingers had slipped through and landed in someone else’s lap.
“What objections do you have, Sect Head Wei?”
Wei Wuying zeroed in on Jiang Chen without hesitation. “I
have objections about Jiang Chen’s scores! How did he know about the Skyheart
Rebirth Pill? Only his answer was correct! In addition, the pill he refined at
the end doesn’t seem to have been in our plan!”
When Dan Chi heard Wei Wuying target the Regal Pill Palace,
the former snorted coldly. “Does he need to report to you how he knew? What
does it matter if the pill wasn’t in the plan? The critical thing was that the
pill was a true saint rank pill, that’s all!”
The so-called plan was the fact that the ingredients they’d
supplied had been carefully calculated beforehand. At most, it was designed to
allow a pill at the initial true saint rank. However, Jiang Chen’s Longevity
Pill had been in noticeable excess of that standard. This was why Wei Wuying
had raised the objection of it not being in the plan.
Once Wei Wuying had spoken thus, Wang Jianyu immediately
joined the conversation with a sneer. “It is indeed suspicious that it’s not in
the plan. What do you think, Sect Head Zhu?”
Sect Head Zhu chuckled. “I only think it to be rather odd.
The pill does indeed look extraordinary, and seemingly not on the level of the
Myriad Domain.”
Everyone’s gaze turned towards Jiang Chen. The Sacred
Elephant family head smiled. “ No need to argue about this. Why don’t we ask
the man himself? Little friend Jiang Chen, what pill is this?”
Jiang Chen walked indifferently forward amidst countless
gazes. “In response to the various sect heads, this pill is named the Longevity
Pill. If a sage realm cultivator ingests it, it will extend their lifespan to a
maximum of eight hundred years.”
“What?” All of the expressions on the elders changed
drastically when they heard this. They were all sage realm cultivators! Who
wouldn’t be tempted when they heard that they could extend their lifespans?
Chapter 553: The Uproar Brought By the Longevity Pill
Even someone as composed as Dan Chi was visibly moved by
those calmly spoken words. He was less than a hundred years old and was in no
immediate need of the pill. However, he was knowledgeable enough to immediately
understand the value of this pill. He hastily pulled Jiang Chen behind him.
“Jiang Chen, there’s no need to speak anymore.”
Beneath the stage, Elder Yun Nie also couldn’t help but
shoot to his feet, his expression one of shocked understanding. As one of the
pill dao heavyweights of the Myriad Domain, he was even more clear about the
pill’s worth than even Palace Head Dan Chi’s. When Jiang Chen spoke of the
Longevity Pill, it was as if Elder Yun Nie’s brain had been rocked by an
explosion. However, he was immediately struck by the importance of the
situation, and instantly regained his calm.
“Old brother Dan Chi, now what are you doing?” The Sacred
Elephant family head chuckled. “It’s the first time we’ve all heard of the
Longevity Pill, we should take advantage of this opportunity to increase our
knowledge.”
Palace Head Dan Chi smiled faintly. “The Pill Battles are
over. Since this pill reaches the necessary requirements for the score it was
awarded, then it’s in line with the rules of the contest. Nothing else needs to
be said. We cannot repeat ourselves and grow bolder each time. When Jiang Chen
had good scores previously, you asked to test his lineage. Now that his pill’s
level is high, you want him to explain where it comes from. Everyone, how can
you bear to treat a young junior thus? Does this not speak to your conscience?”
From Palace Head Dan Chi’s perspective, he naturally wanted
to protect Jiang Chen. Based on what Jiang Chen had described, this pill would
cause an absolute uproar when it got out. It was a wonderful thing for the
Regal Pill Palace, but was also both fortune and disaster for Jiang Chen.
Naturally, its upside was that Jiang Chen’s name would be
spread far and wide, but the pressure it brought was a significant drawback.
Having grasped both the recipe and refining method of such a high level pill,
Jiang Chen would undoubtedly become a popular figure. There would absolutely be
countless others who would make a move on him with ulterior motives.
Wei Wuying laughed darkly. “Ole brother Dan Chi, now you’ve
placed yourself in the wrong with your words. As long as you have a clear
conscience, what reason would you have to fear speculation?”
Palace Head Dan Chi only snorted coldly. “Sect Head Wei,
just say so if you feel that you can’t afford to lose. We might possibly see
ourselves bestowing the Pill Battle championship title on you.”
His words were sharp and incisive, doing double damage to
Wei Wuying. He leapt up like a cat that’d had its tail stepped on. “Dan Chi,
what exactly do you mean by that!”
“Alright, alright now.” The Sacred Elephant family head stepped
forward to smooth over the situation. It was clear as day in his heart that the
Regal Pill Palace would never stoop to cheating, and he was well aware from
beginning to end that it was impossible for anything untoward to be about Jiang
Chen. His origins were no secret at all thanks to the Precious Tree Sect and
Regal Pill Palace’s public alliance. His background had long since been
thoroughly investigated.
The Walkabout Sect was causing trouble because they’d just
seen the championship vanish before their very eyes. The Sacred Sword Palace
was causing trouble because they were hated rivals with the Regal Pill Palace.
Now that the Longevity Pill had appeared, there was only one thought in the
family head’s mind. Somehow, he had to obtain this pill!
This family head was the strongest amongst the four families
in the Great Cathedral. He was the most senior, but also the most elderly. He
didn’t have many years of life left to him. Although his cultivation was the
highest in the Myriad Domain, it wasn’t much of a point of pride if one didn’t
have enough years left to live. Therefore, his was the heart which had pounded
the most when he heard Jiang Chen mention the effects of the Longevity Pill.
“Ole brother Wei, ole brother Dan Chi, both of you should just
speak fewer words. There are so many eyes watching the Pill Battles; what wrong
could occur under our watch?” The family head’s words were blatantly biased
towards the Regal Pill Palace. It wasn’t that he’d suddenly discovered his
conscience towards this much abused sect, but that he now had something he
wanted to ask of them.
Dan Chi nodded. “Since the Sacred Elephant family head has
spoken, I think it’s time to announce the end of the Pill Battles and
distribute the spots for Mt. Rippling Mirage. Continuing this farce would only
disgrace ourselves. A vaunted fourth rank sect should have the bearing of a
great sect so as to not become a laughingstock for the world.”
The Sacred Elephant family head also knew that it was asking
a bit much to have the Regal Pill Palace share the Longevity Pill. He could
only ask privately if they could make a transaction, but he also knew that if
he didn’t please Dan Chi at this moment, there was no way in hell that Dan Chi
would sell the pill to him.
“Mm, my Great Cathedral has no objection to these results.
What say you, ole brother Zhu?” The family head was well aware that the Dark
North Sect would absolutely support the Regal Pill Palace. So apart from the
Sacred Sword Palace and Walkabout Sect, all that remained was the Tristar
Sect’s attitude.
Tristar Sect Head Zhu smiled wryly. “To be honest, although
I have many questions in my heart, I feel that I should accept the truth with how
things have developed. Since we can’t find any evidence, it’d be a waste of
time to continue arguing here. We might as well start distributing the spots to
enter Mr. Rippling Mirage.
“This makes sense, I say we accept these results as final.”
Honored Master Tian Ming of the Dark North Sect grinned.
Wang Jianyu of the Sacred Sword Palace looked at Wei Wuying,
but saw the latter sigh softly, seemingly out of resignation, and not voice a
single word of protest. Wang Jianyu’s original intention had been to cause
trouble to the very end, but as the last of the six great sects, the Sacred
Sword Palace really didn’t have much right to kick up a fuss.
With the fourth rank sects having reached an accord, the
fifth rank sects naturally wouldn’t have any objections. They accepted from the
bottom of their hearts the fact that the Regal Pill Palace had taken the
championship.
Distributing the spots was a rather easy task. The top 30 of
the elder and genius groups had the right to enter Mt. Rippling Mirage. The
first ten of each group had 20 days to spend, and the next ten had ten days
worth of time. The last ten had five days.
“Alright, the Pill Battles of Mt. Rippling Mirage end here.
Opening the restrictions around Mt. Rippling Mirage will take a few more days.
As such, everyone can continue staying here. Use this time to interact with
each other. Previous rules will be once again in effect, and a few small-scale
trading fairs will be allowed during this time. Everyone can exchange for what
they like.”
The various great sects of the Myriad Domain all had their
respective specializations. This was how they were able to sit on the throne of
a fourth rank sect. The Great Cathedral had the richest lineage and strongest
power. The Sacred Sword Palace pursued swords as the true way and reigned
sovereign over sword dao. The Regal Pill Palace was founded on pill dao and had
no equal. The Walkabout Sect was the worst to antagonize due to their prowess
in poison. The Tristar Sect was adept at crafting talismans, and the Star and
Moon Glyph was their trademark work. The Dark North Sect was located deep in
the north of the Myriad Domain and had the richest resources. Each of the six
great sects had their strengths and their own trump cards.
To the candidates of the six great sects, it wasn’t a matter
of whether or not they’d receive a spot to enter the mountain, but just a
matter of when they’d enter.
On the Regal Pill Palace side, all of their four geniuses
had made it into the top ten and would be amongst the first batch to enter.
They would enjoy twenty days worth of harvesting time. From the elder group,
only Elder Yun Nie and Vice Hallmaster Wang Yue had made it into the top ten.
Ouyang De and the other elder Che Ziwu was only in the top twenty, and
therefore the second batch. After the spots were allocated, the first part of
the Pill Battles of Mt. Rippling Mirage were announced to have come to an end.
To Jiang Chen, the first part was merely warm up. His true
goal was to enter the mountain to harvest spirit herbs. This Mt. Rippling
Mirage was the best peak in the Myriad Domain for harvesting spirit herbs, and
doubled as the royal spirit herb garden back in the days of the Myriad Empire,
reveling in royal fortunes. This history alone made it clear that this mountain
was no ordinary landscape feature.
“Come here for a moment, Jiang Chen.” Palace Head Dan Chi
called out to him. Elder Yun Nie was also quietly standing next to Dan Chi. It
was obvious that the two heavyweights wanted him for something.
Back in his residence, Dan Chi enclosed his secret chamber
in a soundproof shell before he spoke, “You were far too impulsive today Jiang
Chen. Whether that Longevity Pill is real or fake, you shouldn’t have said that
it could extend one’s lifespan to eight hundred years.”
Elder Yun Nie also sighed. “The consequences for those words
will be severe. Jiang Chen, tell us, is the Longevity Pill that miraculous?”
Since Jiang Chen had dared announce the pill, he naturally
wouldn’t dare not admit to it. He nodded and confessed all he could share, “The
Longevity Pill does indeed have that kind of miraculous effect. However, only
sage realm cultivators can use it. To take it when one has yet to enter the
sage realm means bodily detonation. Taking it beyond the sage realm will result
in a lack of benefit. It will only extend lifespans by three to five years.”
Palace Head Dan Chi and Elder Yun Nie looked at each other,
the light of surprise and shock dancing in their eyes. It was obvious that they
were stunned by the news that Jiang Chen had brought, and were also certain at
the same time that this wasn’t something Jiang Chen had randomly made up.
Although they were long since used to all sorts of heaven defying performances
from him, their hearts were still plunged into an emotional turmoil this time.
If Jiang Chen was willing to offer the pill to the sect, it alone would be
enough to bring unmeasurable wealth to the Regal Pill Palace! If they handled
things well, then it could even birth a real chance of having the Regal Pill
Palace vault into the ranks of a third rank sect after a few decades!
However, how could they broach the topic of having Jiang
Chen offer up the Longevity Pill? After all, technically speaking, Jiang Chen
wasn’t someone who their sect had cultivated. If it’d been a direct descendent
of the sect, they might’ve been able to have him hand over the pill and give
him some benefits in return, focusing some attention on raising him. But Jiang
Chen was not a direct descendent of the sect, and the Regal Pill Palace had
merely supplied a platform for his heaven defying rise. They hadn’t actually
contributed to his rise at all. Their faces weren’t so thick as to demand the
pill.
When Jiang Chen glimpsed their complicated expressions, and
how they were restraining themselves from speaking, he could roughly guess
their thoughts.
“Palace Head, Elder Yun Nie, since I’ve spoken of the
Longevity Pill, I don’t have the desire to hoard it. I owe a debt of gratitude
to the Regal Pill Palace for being my patron, and you two have done your best
to mentor me. There are no outsiders here. Treat this pill as a bit of my
contribution to the sect.” Jiang Chen’s proactiveness in raising this subject
dialed down some of the awkwardness. But it was now the two heavyweights who
were speechless.
They’ve been thinking of how to convince Jiang Chen, but who
would’ve thought that he’d actually speak of it first. This made them feel that
even a young man’s bearing was greater than the two heavyweight’s.
Dan Chi smiled ruefully. “Jiang Chen, Elder Yun Nie and I
are the ones embarrassed after your words. All of us have seen your
accomplishments for the sect. Setting aside this time’s Pill Battles, you have
brought about a new culture to the Rosy Valley, setting the best example for
the young disciples in the Rosy Valley and inspiring in them a kind of ferocity
and bearing they lacked before.”
Elder Yun Nie was also of the same opinion, but he still
felt a bit embarrassed at just accepting the Longevity Pill with no reward.
“Jiang Chen, this pill is too precious and it may not be a bad thing for you to
give it to the sect. But if you have any requests, please speak of them. We
would hate to be treated as outsiders.”
Chapter 554: Pill King, Pill Emperor
Jiang Chen didn’t raise any grand wishes, just thirty
percent of the profits from the pill. This made Palace Head Dan Chi and Elder
Yun Nie both sigh greatly with admiration. The profits brought by the Longevity
Pill would be nothing less than spectacular. There wasn’t much difference
between Jiang Chen’s actions and just giving away the pill for free.
“Jiang Chen, thirty percent of the profit is much too unfair
for you.”
Jiang Chen smiled. “I can indeed harvest wealth if I keep
the Longevity Pill to myself, but only I will grow rich from that. If I give it
to the Regal Pill Palace, the profits brought about for the sect will be a
meritorious achievement that will last for a thousand years. I may not be a
saint, but I quite admired what I heard of Palace Head Dan Chi’s great
ambitions that day. Although I may not be able to accompany the sect head in heralding
in a new era, but at least I can do my own part in bringing it to fruition.
Treat the Longevity Pill as my effort towards this endeavor.”
Palace Head Dan Chi’s heart harbored great ambitions to
revive the past glories of the Myriad Empire, to re-establish a royal family
and unite the Myriad Domain. Jiang Chen hadn’t felt much resonance with such
thoughts at first, but after experiencing the Pill Battles and seeing the
crazed level of scheming the various sects resorted to, he could finally identify
that there was indeed a reason why a domain was strong or weak.
United they were strong, divided they were weak.
The various great sects in the current Myriad Domain were no
different than a tray of loose sand. No one accepted anyone else, and everyone
stayed guarded against everyone else’s sabotage. With such belligerent
backbiting, how could the Myriad Domain ever hope to grow stronger? The sight
of this sorry situation was what let Jiang Chen realize how precious Palace
Head Dan Chi’s grand plans were, and how great his vision was.
Although the Longevity Pill was rare, this kind of pill
recipe was merely a lower level recipe in Jiang Chen’s memories. But to a
fourth rank sect of the Myriad Domain, this pill was undoubtedly worth cities!
When he saw Jiang Chen thus, Dan Chi sighed. “Yun Nie, I
have to admit, it certainly seems that the waves that push from behind are the
ones who provide the momentum in a river. I don’t think the Myriad Domain has
ever seen such a youth as Jiang Chen, with such bearing at his age!”
Elder Yun Nie couldn’t help but admire the palace head by
now. “The Palace Head’s vision in bringing Jiang Chen to the Regal Pill Palace
was truly a stroke of genius.”
Palace Head Dan Chi nodded, then suddenly recalled something
as an item appeared in the palm of his hand. “Jiang Chen, everything about you
is good, but only that space ring of yours is a bit behind the times. This Meru
Ring [1] is one that I received from a master refiner when I was traveling
through the Upper Eight Realms. You can have it!”
Although a Meru Ring was precious, it obviously wasn’t on
the same level as the Longevity Pill. This was just a token of Dan Chi’s
sentiments.
Elder Yun Nie thought for a bit and took out a pill flask.
“Jiang Chen, this pill is named the Origin Doubling Pill. I refined this from a
jug of Firstwind Dew that I obtained when I was still traveling the world. I
only have three left. Treat it as a token of my thoughts.”
Firstwind Dew!
Jiang Chen had never heard of the Origin Doubling Pill
before, but he had definitely heard of Firstwind Dew. This was one of the
purest sources of water in the world.
All of the five elements came from various sources. Just as
there was a source of fire, there was naturally a source of water. Wood had its
sources as well—the wood spirit spring was actually a wood source, and the Tayi
Jade Vine that produced the spirit energy another more high quality one.
Finally, the magnetic golden mountain was actually a source of metal.
When he saw how Jiang Chen looked a bit perplexed, Elder Yun
Nie was actually slightly surprised. Jiang Chen, with his stunning potential,
clearly had never actually heard of the Origin Doubling Pill before! Otherwise,
he wouldn’t have had this blank reaction upon hearing the pill’s name.
Palace Head Dan Chi smiled. “Elder Yun Nie’s present is
quite a generous gift. Jiang Chen, this Origin Doubling Pill will unequivocally
help you ascend to the next level of the origin realm. If you enter the sixth
level origin realm one day, you’ll be able to use this pill to break through to
the seventh level in one go!”
Jiang Chen was slightly moved and hastily offered his
thanks. “Many thanks to Elder Yun Nie’s gift!”
Elder Yun Nie was also gratified to witness Jiang Chen’s
reaction. “Compared to the value of the Longevity Pill, this Origin Doubling
Pill really isn’t anything.”
In truth, it actually wasn’t a difficult pill to refine.
What made it difficult was that the ingredients required were just hard to
find. For example, Firstwind Dew wasn’t something so easily run into. It was
actually an earthly treasure that one could only hope for, and not plan on.
Jiang Chen was actually smiling ruefully in his heart. Elder
Yun Nie is truly extravagant! He actually used Firstwind Dew in refining the
Origin Doubling Pill. This was one of the most wasteful ways to use this
material. One had to know that no matter how amazing the Origin Doubling Pill
was, it was still just a saint rank pill at the end of the day. Although it sat
at the peak of the saint rank, it would never be able to surmount that last
barrier. However, the Firstwind Dew was an ingredient on a level far above the
saint rank.
But of course, there was no way Jiang Chen would actually
voice any of this. To him, the Origin Doubling Pill wasn’t a bad thing.
“Ah right, Jiang Chen, you can take only one of this pill.
Taking it again would not result in any effect.” Elder Yun Nie reminded him at
this point.
This was common pill dao knowledge. Any level advancing pill
was usually a one-time use only. The effect wouldn’t trigger upon the second
ingestion, unlike the Origin Fostering Pill which could be used over a long
time to increase one’s energy.
Having accepted benefits from the two seniors, Jiang Chen
knew that it was time for him to express some things as well. He immediately
took out a brush and paper to write down the recipe for the Longevity Pill.
Dan Chi and Elder Yun Nie both sighed with admiration after
they took a look at the recipe. This Longevity Pill was actually quite
ingenious! It was such a high level pill, but didn’t impose stringent
requirements on ingredients. None of its ingredients were difficult to collect.
This way, at least they could be certain that the Longevity Pill wouldn’t be in
short supply because of ingredients.
Of course, the difficulty of the pill lay not in the
ingredients, but the refining process. It was a type where it tested a pill
master’s skills to the extreme.
This precisely illustrated the saying that outsiders watch
for the show, and professionals watched for the process.
Elder Yun Nie and Dan Chi gazed in thought for a while, then
looked at each other. It seemed they’d just reached some sort of understanding
of this Longevity Pill.
Dan Chi suddenly looked at Jiang Chen, a complicated look in
his eyes. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright you, Jiang Chen! You certainly
were well prepared in bringing out the Longevity Pill. If I remember right, you
threw in more than 20 ingredients when you were refining the pill, but there
are less than half that in here in the real recipe. Speak candidly, did you
already anticipate that this pill would be furiously copied once it was
revealed, and so did all those deceptive actions beforehand?”
Jiang Chen smiled, not denying anything. After all, he had
done that on purpose. Otherwise, he’d have suffered a great loss if someone had
gone and just copied his actions to recreate the pill!
Although the refinement method wasn’t something that could
be learned with a single glance, he was still incredibly careful. He didn’t
want to leave the slightest gap for anyone to slip into. This conscientious
move delighted Palace Head Dan Chi and Elder Yun Nie. They’d been slightly
concerned that the other heavyweights had memorized all of the proper steps
during Jiang Chen’s refining process. Now, it looked like they’d worried too
much. That problem had already been foreseen and avoided.
“Elder Yun Nie, do you think you can manage to refine this
pill?” Palace Head Dan Chi asked.
Elder Yun Nie took a moment to contemplate the recipe. “With
such a detailed pill recipe, I have a roughly sixty to seventy percent
assurance in refining it. It’s just a matter of expending more resources.
Setting aside Jiang Chen masking his true actions, the others still might not
have learned his process even if they had the benefit of close observation.”
Apart from reconstructing the original ingredients, there
were all sorts of knacks and hidden hand seals hidden in this refining process,
not to mention sophisticated requirements imposed on the control of fire for
this pill. A mistake in any of the details might result in completely wasted
effort, yet Jiang Chen’s recipe clearly delineated all of the smallest details.
This was basically handholding a great pill master like Elder Yun Nie through
the process.
The more Elder Yun Nie read this recipe, the more agitated
he became. He itched to instantly fire up his cauldron to try his hand at
refining the pill. When he’d read the entire recipe eight times over, Elder Yun
Nie finally sighed. “Jiang Chen, with your pill dao skills, honestly, apart
from resources, we can offer you no other help, particularly in terms of
technique. You would certainly be feted even if you were in the Upper Eight
Realms. At this rate, you will certainly become a pill king in the future,
even…”
Even Elder Yun Nie didn’t dare go on beyond that point.
Palace Head Dan Chi laughed heartily. “Elder Yun Nie, there are no outsiders
here; don’t be so cautious. We’re behind closed doors complimenting ourselves.
What are you being embarrassed for?
“Then let me continue on. Jiang Chen, Elder Yun Nie has high
hopes for you. However, there’s no uncertainty of you becoming a pill king.
It’s rather that legendary level of pill emperor that should be your goal.”
Pill king, pill emperor?
Jiang Chen was rather unfamiliar with these titles. Although
he was widely read in his past life, every plane of existence had different
denotations for pill master titles. He guessed that these two were the
strongest titles in the Divine Abyss Continent.
When he saw that Jiang Chen was having trouble understanding,
Elder Yun Nie explained, “Pill king and pill emperor are both titles in the
world of pill dao. A pill master is divided into nine levels, and only when one
is above the ninth level does one have the right to receive the title of great
pill master. Great pill masters are also divided into nine levels, and only
when one is greater than the ninth level does one have the right to join in the
pill king tests. Only when one passes those tests does one have the right to be
hailed as a pill king.”
“Pill king tests!” Jiang Chen had never heard their like in
the Myriad Domain before.
Elder Yun Nie felt a bit awkward. “It’s normal that you
haven’t heard of them, because none of the sects or organizations in the Myriad
Domain have the right to participate in those tests.”
“There are qualifications?” Jiang Chen was baffled.
“Only a publicly acclaimed third rank sect founded for pill
dao has the right to participate in the pill king tests. In addition, a third
rank sect can only participate in the tests up to the third level pill king. A
second rank can go up to sixth rank pill king, and only a first rank sect can
go beyond that.”
“Eh, then doesn’t that mean only a few sects have the right
to participate in the seventh rank pill king tests?” Isn’t it easy to have a
shortage of talent then?
“The Upper Eight Realms aren’t just comprised of first rank
sects. There are also some pill dao organizations and other agencies. Although
their power isn’t as grand as a first rank sect, they are not to be
underestimated either. They also have the right to participate in the tests
above seventh rank pill king.”
“Then what about pill emperor?”
Elder Yun Nie sighed. “A pill emperor is a legendary
existence. No sect or organization is able to sit for its test.A pill emperor
must be at the peak of ninth level pill king or be able to suppress all other
pinnacle pill kings when they meet. One can also become a pill emperor if one
has made a grand contribution in a certain area, or have successfully created
their own pill dao school of thought…”
There were many avenues to being hailed pill emperor, but
they all had one thing in common—public recognition!
Chapter 555: Two Heavyweights Fight Over Jiang Chen
One could obtain the title of a pill king just through
passing a couple of tests. But the title of pill emperor was only bestowed on
someone after they’d accomplished a remarkable feat or formed their own pill
dao school of thought. Only then would they be publicly acclaimed as a pill
emperor, and have their name resound beneath the heavens.
“A pill emperor is born only once in a millennia, and even
then there are times when millennia can pass without seeing the birth of one.
The pill emperor of our time has secluded himself from the world and lives in
the Divine Abyss Continent. Or so we think, since we haven’t heard of any
rumors about him in our Myriad Domain.” Elder Yun Nie sighed lightly, a shiver
in his voice from emotion.
In the Myriad Domain, the Regal Pill Palace was undoubtedly
the first amongst the sects when it came to pill dao, and Elder Yun Nie was the
undisputed master in the region for pill dao. However, in the greater picture
of the entire Myriad Domain, Elder Yun Nie was just an ordinary pill master. He
didn’t even have the right to participate in the pill king tests.
“Jiang Chen, in our Regal Pill Palace history, only the
first forefather had received the title of pill king. Even then, it was was
only second level pill king. Even so, it was enough to let him amass enough
resources to found a sect in the lower realms. If he had been a fourth or fifth
level pill king, he would’ve been capable of establishing a sect even in the
mid realms and still leave a wondrous legacy. If he had become a seventh level
pill king or above, he would have been a precious guest in the Upper Eight
Realms, and the honored elder of a first rank sect. In the worst of scenarios,
while he may not have been capable of shouldering a first rank sect, he
wouldn’t have had the slightest problem with a second rank sect!” Palace Head
Dan Chi smiled. “There have been no more than ten pill kings in the entirety of
Myriad Domain history. Of them, most have come from the Myriad Empire royal
family.”
When the Myriad Empire had ruled the territory as an
unchallenged existence, the sects had not been the strong existences they were
now. They’d only become this strong after the Myriad Empire had fallen and
they’d divvied up the resources.
Jiang Chen was spontaneously enlightened, and began to
comprehend what kind of power a pill king and emperor held in the Divine Abyss
Continent.
Elder Yun Nie, someone titled as first in pill dao in this
region, still wasn’t a pill king. It only went to prove that the title of a
pill king wasn’t so easily obtained. However, apart from himself, Jiang Chen
felt that there was another who had the potential to obtain such a title. That
would be none other than Mu Gaoqi.
They chatted for a while longer before Palace Head Dan Chi
smiled. “Jiang Chen, it will take a few more days for the restrictions to be
lifted. You can make good use of these days. Multiple small trading fairs will
start between the large sects. If you go take a look, perhaps you might even
chance upon a treasure!”
When they parted ways, Jiang Chen was in no hurry to return
to his residence, instead making for the main lobby of Rippling Mirage Hall. He
naturally wouldn’t pass up any trading fairs. Resources could flow in either
direction, and that so happened to be what he lacked the most at the moment.
Resources didn’t just include spirit herbs and pills, but also various earthly
treasures as well. In the world of martial dao, resources were multi-faceted.
Shen Qinghong, Mu Gaoqi and Ling Bi'er were all within the
lobby as well. Shen Qinghong had a vast hoard of wealth, but wasn’t too
interested in this trading fair. In addition, after the impetus provided by
Wang Han and Zhu Feiyang’s mockery, he was finding courage after knowing
humiliation and knew that he had to break through the sage realm sooner rather
than later. Otherwise, when faced with people like them, he would never be able
to fully lift his head as the top ranked genius of the Regal Pill Palace.
“You’re here too, Brother Chen!” Mu Gaoqi had set up a small
stall, evidently very interested in this trading fair.
Ling Bi'er hadn’t set up a stall, but was looking around. It
was apparent that she was looking for something. Jiang Chen had given her a
list of the spirit herbs needed to cure the Miasma. She wanted to see if she
could find anything she needed in these trading stalls. However, even after a
few circles, she came up empty handed.
“Junior sister Ling, I see you walking to and fro. Is there
something you need?” Wei Qing suddenly showed up in front of Ling Bi’er,
smiling merrily. “Tell me about it, and maybe I can help!”
Ling Bi'er had no good feelings towards this kind of fawning
behavior, nor even any for Wei Qing himself. She furrowed her brows slightly
and turned her body, walking past Wei Qing.
Unfortunately he seemed to quite enjoy being endlessly
rebuffed. As the most exemplary genius from the Walkabout Sect, how would he lack
for girls? What he lacked was a challenge like this! Therefore, the more Ling
Bi'er brushed him off, the more exciting he felt the challenge had become.
“Hmph, you’re acting all high and mighty in front of me now,
but just you wait until I have you. As ready you are to die for your chastity
now, I’ll turn you into a slut once you’ve tasted my ultimate techniques!” Wei
Qing was plainly very confident about Ling Bi'er and had long since viewed her
as something that belonged to him. As he watched her alluring figure leave, he
swore a silent vow that he would get his hands on Ling Bi’er, no matter the
cost.
When Mu Gaoqi saw from a distance that Wei Qing was
bothering Ling Bi'er again, he was quite irritated inwardly. “Brother Chen,
this Wei Qing is truly too cocky. He keeps chatting up senior sister Ling Bi’er
like a filthy fly.”
In Mu Gaoqi’s eyes, he’d long since classified Ling Bi'er as
his Brother Chen’s woman. This Wei Qing was really courting death in
approaching her again and again!
Jiang Chen smiled. “Gaoqi, be careful and take it easy if
you meet him in Mt. Rippling Mirage. He’s vicious and ruthless. He’s bound to
take revenge for any slight.”
Mu Gaoqi nodded. “Don’t worry Brother Chen, I’ll be
careful.”
Mt. Rippling Mirage was enormous, and everyone would be
randomly scattered inside after going through the entrance formation. Although
there was still a chance to run into each other while they were inside, it was
in no way guaranteed.
“Daoist Jiang Chen.” A voice came from behind as they
chatted. Jiang Chen turned his head to see a Dark North Sect disciple dressed
in a robe. He actually had a similar bearing to Mu Gaoqi, but wasn’t quite as
handsome as him. Instead, it seemed that he was a touch more melancholic. “This
humble one is Ku Zhu of the Dark North Sect. I am here on our sect head’s
behalf to invite you for a meeting.”
Honored Master Tian Ming?
Jiang Chen was slightly surprised, but immediately surmised
why the honored master was looking for him. When he considered how close the
honored master was with Palace Head Dan Chi, he naturally couldn’t turn down
this request. He nodded at Mu Gaoqi, “Gaoqi, keep an eye on things here for me.
I have a list here, and if these spirit herbs or their substitutes appear, grab
them all for me.”
“Sure, Brother Chen! Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on
everything here.” Mu Gaoqi agreed readily. His admiration of Jiang Chen was
second only to that of Palace Head Dan Chi and his honored master Elder Yun
Nie. He probably even estimated Jiang Chen as his closest friend. He was more
aware than anyone else that if it hadn’t been for Jiang Chen, he wouldn’t have
placed third on the overall ranking!
Ku Zhu was delighted to see that Jiang Chen was so easy to
talk to. He’d been fretting over what to do if Jiang Chen hadn’t been willing
to go.
“Daoist Ku Zhu, let’s go.”
Ku Zhu nodded, a perpetually bitter expression on his face
as he led the way forward. They hadn’t walked far before someone else walked
out from their right. It was a Great Cathedral disciple. “Brother Jiang Chen,
Xiang Qin from the Sacred Elephant family greets you. Do you have a moment? My
family head would like to speak with Brother Jiang.”
Ku Zhu spread out his arms with a look of alarm, like a
fighting gamecock gearing up for a match. “Senior brother Xiang Qin, I was the
first to invite senior brother Jiang Chen.”
Xiang Qin frowned slightly at seeing this. “And you are…?”
Ku Zhu said stiffly, “I’m Ku Zhu of the Dark North Sect.
Senior brother Xiang Qin, please step out of the way. The sect head is waiting
for me to return.”
Ku Zhu was a hardheaded person alright; he didn’t know how
to beat around the bush when it came to speech. Xiang Qin could also subtly
detect this from his style of talking. He was one of the top geniuses in the
Great Cathedral after all, and didn’t want to lower himself to Ku Zhu’s level.
He paid no attention to the Dark North Sect disciple, and raised his hands in a
cupped fist salute towards Jiang Chen. “Brother Jiang, my family head invites
you with full sincerity. Please show me some face here.”
Jiang Chen was also caught in a difficult position. He
flicked a glance at Ku Zhu. “Brother Xiang, we’re supposed to heed the call of
our elders. However, Daoist Ku Zhu was here first. If I leave him here and go
with you, that won’t do either.”
Xiang Qin seemed to also think that this was asking a bit
too much. He looked at Ku Zhu. “Junior brother Ku Zhu, how about this? You can
go back and tell Honored Master Tian Ming that I forcefully invited Brother
Jiang, and that I’ll go and express my apologies in person later.”
This is the precursor to forcefully taking Jiang Chen from
him! Ku Zhu’s eyes widened in a glare when he heard this. “No! Not unless you
kill me! The only way you’ll be taking senior brother Jiang Chen from me is
over my dead body!”
Xiang Qin’s face grew cold. He was the top genius of the
Great Cathedral, and there weren’t many in the younger generation of the Myriad
Domain who would dare rebut his words. Even the most exemplary Lin Hai would be
respectful in front of Xiang Qin. Who does this Ku Zhu think he is?
“Don’t throw away the face I’m trying to give you. Even Lin
Hai wouldn’t be acting like this in front of me.” Xiang Qin’s voice carried a
note of warning. However, he’d underestimated Ku Zhu’s temper.
“Lin Hai is Lin Hai, and I am myself. I only know that the
sect head has ordered me to invite senior brother Jiang Chen. What does it have
to do with me who you are?”
Jiang Chen knew that things would become increasingly worse
if they went much further in this direction. He could only step forth to try
and smooth the ruffled feathers. “Gentlemen, how about this? Both of you can go
back first and have a discussion about this. If it’s nothing too special, why
don’t we sit down together and discuss this? We can save the trouble of arguing
who has precedence.”
“No!” Both Ku Zhu and Xiang Qin shook their heads when Jiang
Chen finished speaking. It was obvious that they were both determined to have
Jiang Chen.
They stood there, locked in a stalemate when a long peal of
laughter suddenly sounded. “Sage nephew Xiang Qin, I have a long standing
appointment with sage nephew Jiang Chen to introduce him to the genius
disciples of my Dark North Sect. What is the meaning of this willful
obstruction of yourself?”
It was Honored Master Tian Ming himself! As fierce as Xiang
Qin could be, he didn’t dare act wildly in front of the honored master.
“Haha, Tian Ming ah, I just so happened to want to speak
with sage nephew Jiang Chen as well. You can’t just take him from me.” The
Sacred Elephant family head also seemed to pop out of nowhere.
If an analogy was struck that Xiang Qin facing off against
Ku Zhu was a meeting between pawns, then Honored Master Tian Ming and the
Sacred Elephant family head was a meeting of generals. Jiang Chen had become
the choicest slice of meat at a buffet in a flash.
The originally bustling main lobby instantly grew solemn and
quiet. All sorts of surprised glances flicked over as their owners watched the
situation develop. Two great sects were fighting over Jiang Chen! Just what was
going on here?
As the focus of the attention, Jiang Chen didn’t know
whether to laugh or cry. The current situation was absolutely something he
didn’t want to see. No matter which side he chose, he was destined to offend
the other side. Even if this had nothing to do with him, he was suddenly faced
with a decision to choose.
More and more people made their way into the main hall. Some
of the other heavyweights from the other sects also walked out when they heard
the commotion.
Chapter 556: Furiously Fighting Over the Longevity Pill
“Haha, now isn’t this quite a gathering? Everyone, what kind
of show is this? Jiang Chen is a young man who’s just set foot in this broad
world of ours. Don’t go scaring him now.” Palace Head Dan Chi’s voice had
barely broken the silence before his figure appeared. He’d obviously made his
way as quick as he could after hearing the news. Protecting Jiang Chen was his
first and only priority here. How would he not know what kind of thoughts were
running through the heads of these old fellows? They were just here to swindle
the Longevity Pill from Jiang Chen.
Honored Master Tian Ming chuckled merrily at the sight of
Dan Chi. “Ole brother Dan Chi, you have to come uphold justice! It was I who
invited sage nephew Jiang Chen first, but Family Head Xiang wants to take him
away by force! I can’t win against this strong-arming tactic even when I’m in
the right! Ole brother Xiang, you’re the older brother. What harm is there in
giving way before your younger brother once or twice, hmm?”
Honored Master Tian Ming was renowned for his ability to
coax others into acceding to his wishes. These words were clearly a small
persuasion for the family head into giving way. They were both sect heads of
fourth rank sects, and Tian Ming was already keeping a low enough posture as it
was. In the end, he was indeed in the right since he had invited Jiang Chen
first. The family head of Sacred Elephant was named Xiang Wentian. He actually
wasn’t the domineering sort ordinarily, but he seemed to have steeled his heart
to be unreasonable this time. He waved his hand and smiled faintly. “Tian Ming,
I would’ve let you have your way if it was anything else. I won’t play around
with words in front of you. By my calculations, I have less than sixty years
left to spend on this Myriad Domain of ours. But you want the Longevity Pill as
much as I. I could step back from any other matter, but how could I do the same
when it comes to my life?”
Sage realm cultivators could live at least fifteen hundred
years, and could stretch that up to two or three thousand years. That the
family head had just stated his remaining lifespan as less than sixty years
birthed a natural curiosity to know exactly long he’d lived.
Honored Master Tian Ming also smiled wryly when he heard the
family head’s words. “Ole brother Xiang, to be truthful, I was injured when
cultivating a few decades ago and damaged my lifespan. I don’t have many years
of life left either.”
Everyone was surprised that these two heavyweights were
suddenly sharing their woes with each other. When it came to the Longevity
Pill, all the other heavyweights were also quite tempted, but their lifespans
hadn’t reached a dangerous low yet. However, this kind of pill was the best as
an emergency reserve. It would never hurt to have a pill or two stashed away.
As the atmosphere at the scene grew more and more heated,
Wang Jianyu of the Sacred Sword Palace became increasingly irritated. Why the
hell does your Regal Pill Palace always hog the limelight, and have others
always chase after you?! You want to take an advantageous position with an
uncommon product? As if I’d just let you! His thoughts suddenly spun furiously
for a moment, and a smile creased his face. “Elder brother Xiang, Tian Ming,
both of you should keep your calm. If even a young disciple can refine this
pill, I’m sure it can be mass produced. When that is set in motion, the two of
you can buy as much as you’d like. That is... unless the Regal Pill Palace
wants to hoard its stockpile and can’t bear to take it out.”
This was a blatant attempt to drive a wedge between the two
sect heads and an overt attempt to rake the Regal Pill Palace over hot coals.
Yet, it wasn’t entirely ineffective, as Family Head Xiang looked at Palace Head
Dan Chi with a solemn gaze. “Younger brother Dan Chi, what’s the situation with
this Longevity Pill? Your Regal Pill Palace won’t be doing something so
untoward, hmm?”
Palace Head Dan Chi smiled faintly and looked deeply at Wang
Jianyu. “Everyone, I do apologize. If we could produce this pill in bulk, we
wouldn’t have waited until today to release word of it. I don’t know if Sect
Head Wang has just lost his common sense or is purposefully stirring up trouble
with his words. If we could produce this pill in bulk, my Regal Pill Palace
would’ve soared to the top a long time ago. Why would we wait until this kind
of gathering to release it?”
Everyone felt that Dan Chi’s words made sense after they’d
thought over it some. If the Regal Pill Palace really could produce the
Longevity Pill in bulk, they would’ve long since taken it out and made a
killing. Why would they remain silent to this day? This kind of pill would
never want for demand. No matter how much was produced, it could all be sold.
After all, the wealth of sage cultivators was astonishing.
This kind of pill that could extend their lifespan would absolutely be sold for
a monumental price. To take Family Head Xiang as an example, even if he were to
take out half of his wealth in exchange for one pill that extended his life by
five hundred years, he would do so without the slightest crease of his brow.
“When it comes to pill refining, my sect’s Elder Yun Nie has
more authority to speak than I do.”
Everyone’s gazes turned towards Elder Yun Nie, who had been
prepared for this in advance. “Although the materials for this Longevity Pill
are precious, that is still not the most important limiting factor for refining
this pill. In fact, the most vital limiting factor is that its refining process
is exceedingly complicated, and its rate of success almost depressingly low.
Moreover, the process is highly demanding of one’s consciousness. Each attempt
at refining must be accompanied with at minimum ten days to half a month of
rest and recovery. This kind of pill would never be able to be mass produced.
Even if a pill king were to undertake the task, he would at most manage one
attempt every ten days, with no more than three pills appearing in his cauldron
at the end.
“As for the pill masters of my Regal Pill Palace, I’m afraid
that only I am currently capable of refining this pill apart from Jiang Chen.
As it stands right now, this pill can only be refined once every month or two
at its utmost maximum. In addition, Jiang Chen is young, and cannot spend a
long period of time exhausting his consciousness for pill refining. The sect
won’t let him do so either. After all, martial dao cultivation is the true
focus of a genius.”
Elder Yun Nie’s words were impenetrable. No one could find
any fault with them. However, all of them couldn’t help but look sideways at
Jiang Chen and feel inwardly greatly contemptuous. In their eyes, Jiang Chen’s
little bit of cultivation didn’t make him any sort of martial dao genius. He
might as well focus wholeheartedly on the grand task of refining pills.
However, they naturally couldn’t voice such words in this situation. If they
did, they would greatly offend Jiang Chen and then could kiss goodbye to any
hope of gaining a Longevity Pill in the future.
Wang Jianyu snorted coldly. “Even if you fire up the
cauldrons only once every three months and refine three pills each time, that’s
still quite a number in the long run.”
Elder Yun Nie couldn’t help but burst out in laughter. “Sect
Head Wang is a sect head after all! How can you voice such naive words?
Refining the Longevity Pill is a task that drains the consciousness and runs
the risk of harming the mind. Whether it’s cultivators or pill masters, even if
an exhausted consciousness can recuperate, it will still harm their foundations
in the long run. Do you mean for my sect’s pill masters to risk their lives to
refine pills? To put it bluntly, even if we fire up our cauldrons once every
three years for this refining, that’s still an enormous drain on the mind after
a few decades or a hundred years, let alone once every three months. In the
best case scenario, we would end up harming the mind. At worst, we would risk
complete mental collapse.”
This wasn’t Elder Yun Nie being an alarmist. The Longevity
Pill recipe was indeed uncommon, and if it wasn’t refined by a pill master with
extreme skill and a robust mental state of mind, it would indeed be a great
drain on the consciousness. Jiang Chen hadn’t been afraid because he’d trained
in “Boulder’s Heart” and “Psychic’s Head”. His consciousness had been perfectly
tempered, and was in fact on par with that of a pill king. The most important
thing was, he was just trying things out and wouldn’t possibly be continuing to
refine this pill for the long haul.
To Jiang Chen’s level of consciousness, the drain on his
mind if he had to refine the pill twice a year was almost negligible. Besides,
the drain on the mind could also be repaired through pills. But of course, he
naturally wouldn’t speak any of this. He knew Elder Yun Nie wanted to increase
the value of this pill and starve out the market.
The others naturally had nothing to say after Elder Yun
Nie’s detailed explanation. One couldn’t simply demand the Regal Pill Palace
pill masters to risk their lives, could they? It was up to them whether or not
they wanted to refine this pill.
Wang Jianyu kept a stiff upper lip even after being put in
his place by Elder Yun Nie. “This pill is yours, and it’s all down to you
flapping your lips on how it’s to be managed!”
Dan Chi smiled. “So you do know that this pill belongs to
us? Then it’s up to us to decide how we want to refine it.”
Xiang Wentian frowned with impatience as he listened to them
bicker. “Younger brother Wang, stop being a bother here.” He then looked at Dan
Chi. “Younger brother Dan Chi, tell me, will there be a Longevity Pill allotted
to me?”
Palace Head Dan Chi responded seriously, “Apart from Jiang
Chen refining the Longevity Pill once so far, even Elder Yun Nie has yet to
attempt it. As for the one that Jiang Chen has refined, that’s his private
property. I’m not at liberty to make decisions for him.”
So the topic had come back to Jiang Chen again. Xiang
Wentian had to have it, and so his glittering eyes moved to Jiang Chen. “Sage
nephew Jiang Chen, name whatever price you will for your Longevity Pill. We can
all compete on basis of price if it comes down to it!”
The Great Cathedral possessed a grand repository of wealth
and wasn’t afraid to show it. The conversation had now shifted to a war of
wealth. When Xiang Wentian’s words rang out, some of the other sects also
started thinking rapidly. Someone immediately took the opportunity to call out,
“I say, why don’t we have an open auction with the pill going to the highest
bidder!”
These words spurred the others into motion. “Right, fair
competition with it going to the highest bidder is the principled thing!”
“This is rather good. This way, everyone has a chance, and
no one will have complaints if they lose.”
Honored Master Tian Ming smiled ruefully. It wasn’t that his
Dark North Sect didn’t have money to spare; they were also wealthy and willing
to flaunt it. Their advantage in resources was very apparent sitting in the
northern end of the Myriad Domain. It was just that if this turned into a
competition with the Great Cathedral in terms of wealth, only a huge loss
awaited. He’d wanted to grab Jiang Chen and conduct a private transaction, and
all things considered, he’d gotten there first. But after the Sacred Elephant
family head’s shenanigans, it was now an open competition. Tian Ming was
undoubtedly the most dejected one present, and not to mention that he had the
closest relationship with the Regal Pill Palace. So whether in a public arena
or private area, he should’ve held priority. However, he knew that this had
nothing to do with the Regal Pill Palace, and that it could only be chalked up
to Xiang Wentian of the Great Cathedral being too domineering.
Xiang Wentian was at ninth level sage realm, and his
personal strength was the unquestioned peak of the Myriad Domain. He was also
the head of the Great Cathedral, a sect that boasted the strongest martial
strength in the Myriad Domain. If he didn’t want to be reasonable, there was
nothing anyone else could do. Yet, Honored Master Tian Ming was unresigned. He
had to have the Longevity Pill, and even if it came down to bidding, he had to
win at least one of them. Who knew when another would next appear!
The other sect heavyweights were as equally tempted as
Honored Master Tian Ming and Xiang Wentian. Since the competition was now open
to all, who said they needed to leave it to those two? Whoever had enough
charisma and willingness to bid could compete.
In this way, everyone’s thoughts began to churn. Only Wang
Jianyu remained stubborn in his recalcitrance. He still felt all of it to be a
show that the Regal Pill Palace was purposefully putting on to convince the
crowd that the pill was a rare and difficult thing to obtain. But after being
chastised by Xiang Wentian, he didn’t dare offer his contrary words. That Great
Cathedral family head might do something outrageous when venting his ire. Wang
Jianyu couldn’t afford to lose his face here. So although the Sacred Sword
Palace was known for being cocky, it still reined itself in when faced with the
Great Cathedral.
And this, was how an auction began with a thunderous uproar.
Chapter 557: A Preposterous Bidding War
Although it was a spontaneous auction, the atmosphere was
abnormally fervent. The one hosting the auction was a fifth rank sect head. He
had no wishes or desires and was fully aware that he didn’t have the resources
to battle for the pill. In addition, his sect had received no end of benefits
from the Regal Pill Palace in the past, so he had naturally volunteered to host
this auction.
“Everyone, can I say a few words?” Wang Jianyu couldn’t help
but open his mouth again when he saw the auction about to start.
Xiang Wentian could barely keep his anger in check when he
saw Wang Jianyu jumping out again. “Wang Jianyu, you have the most amount of
issues here. Hurry up and fart out whatever you have!”
He wasn’t ordinarily such a crude person, but he simply
couldn’t remain composed when he’d fully understood the effects of the
Longevity Pill. Being able to extend his lifespan up to a maximum of eight
hundred years was an incredible temptation! However, this Wang Jianyu wouldn’t
stop running his mouth, buzzing around like an annoying fly!
Wang Jianyu felt a bit awkward at hearing that, but still
summoned his courage and raised his hands in a cupped fist salute towards Xiang
Wentian. “Elder brother Xiang, it’s not that I want to keep talking, but has
everyone considered what would happen if this Longevity Pill doesn’t have the
effect of extending lifespans? What then?”
These words were like a cold bucket of water on everyone’s
fervor. The value of the pill had blinded everyone, but Wang Jiangyu’s reminder
awoke them to this potential problem. What if the Regal Pill Palace was
boasting and had severely exaggerated things? The scene instantly cooled as
everyone looked over to the Regal Pill Palace.
Palace Head Dan Chi was quite forthright as he spoke. “Haha,
all’s fair in the world of transactions. If everyone feels that this is too
risky, then we can cancel the auction. After all, it’s not us who are desperate
to sell the pill.”
Elder Yun Nie also smiled. “Since everyone feels this as the
case, then let’s cancel it.” He rose and prepared to walk off the stage.
When Jiang Chen saw that the two heavyweights had both
spoken, he naturally rose to his feet as well. “I was the one who refined the
Longevity Pill, and my original intentions were to save it for the elders of my
sect. If it hadn’t been everyone here fighting over it, I hadn’t planned on
selling it either.”
Xiang Wentian was starting to panic now. He hastily rushed
forward and pulled at Dan Chi. “Ole brother Dan Chi, don’t speak words out of
anger. Ole brother Yun Nie, show me some face. Let’s all calm down, calm down.”
Palace Head Dan Chi roared, the very picture of enraged
innocence. “Ole brother Xiang, it’s not that I don’t want to show everyone
face, but there are some here who deny my sect the proper respect it is due! At
the end of the day, we’re all fourth rank sects. We all behave with a certain
bearing. But right here, we have someone who insists on nitpicking at the
details, fanning the flames of drama, and crying wolf when we’ve placed our
hands on our hearts and opened the doors of our sect to do honest business.
What would you do in our situation?!”
Wang Jianyu snorted coldly. “Dan Chi, don’t try to pretend
that you’re that innocent. Why would you feel so guilty if your Longevity Pill
is really that miraculous?”
Xiang Wentian’s patience had been well and truly overdrawn.
It was plain to him that the Regal Pill Palace was erupting in anger. If Wang
Jianyu continued down his path, then he really might ruin everything. “Wang
Jianyu, shut the hell up! Another word out of you will mean nothing less than
declaring the entire Sacred Elephant family as your enemy!”
Notwithstanding Xiang Wentian’s true feelings of rage at
potentially missing out on this opportunity, his wrathful performance was also
to ensure that the Regal Pill Palace was reassured by his show of support. That
way, hopefully, they might not really put the Longevity Pill away.
Honored Master Tian Ming also chimed in. “If none of you
believe in the effects of this pill, I’ll gladly take it off your hands. I’ll
take on the risk freely, no need to fear if it’s an exaggeration.”
“Dream on!” Xiang Wentian rolled his eyes.
Wang Jianyu had received a faceful of dust at Xiang
Wentian’s words. He’d wanted to sow some seeds of doubt, and douse everyone’s
fervent behavior with questions of the Longevity Pill’s legitimacy. But he
hadn’t thought that Xiang Wentian’s desire was completely beyond his
imagination!
Xiang Wentian tried every possible method of coaxing he knew
before he finally persuaded Dan Chi and Elder Yun Nie to stay. In all fairness,
the latter two hadn’t actually planned on cancelling the auction, they just
wanted to teach Wang Jianyu a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget. Don’t you like to
run your mouth? Keep running it and see what happens, hmm!
When Jiang Chen saw that the two had taken their seats
again, he too smiled and prepared to return to his seat.
Wei Wuying suddenly laughed, “Well, just how many years of
life can this Longevity Pill offer? We should at least know this!”
Xiang Wentian had just sat down when he saw Wei Wuying
stepping forth next to create trouble. He rolled his eyes and was about to
erupt again when Jiang Chen suddenly stood up with a smile. “I’m the one who
refined the Longevity Pill, and this is only a lower rank version. However, I
hereby announce that if the Walkabout Sect and Sacred Sword Palace participates
in the auction, I will take back the pill. For your information, a lower rank
pill will have no problems extending one’s life by five hundred years. You will
feel the pill repair your bodily functions immediately after ingesting it.
Payment will be immediately refunded if an effect isn’t apparent.”
Jiang Chen didn’t engage in empty bluster. There was nothing
more convincing than an on-the-spot refund. The expressions of those from the
Walkabout Sect and Sacred Sword Palace immediately changed when Jiang Chen was
done speaking. Wang Han slammed his hand down on the table, “And who the hell
do you think you are, Jiang Chen? Are you worthy of banning my Sacred Sword
Palace?!”
Wei Qing also looked at Jiang Chen sinisterly. “Kid, your
arrogance really knows no bound, huh! It looks like I really need to teach you
a lesson on how a young, ignorant junior should act!”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, completely ignoring the two. He
looked at the host instead. “We can begin.”
However, this nonchalant attitude sent Wang Han into
paroxysms of fury. He shot to his feet, absolutely infuriated at this
dismissal. “Jiang Chen, get the hell down here right now! I’ll teach you how you
should act in front of your seniors!”
However, a deep growl emanated from Xiang Qin from the Great
Cathedral, “Wang Han, sit your ass right back down! One more word and I’ll
break an arm. Two more words, and you’ll have to learn how to wield your swords
with your feet!”
Xiang Qin was well aware of how deeply his family head
desired the Longevity Pill, and these fellows were continually disrupting the
proceedings with unmitigated abandon! As Xiang Wentian’s direct grandson, how
would he not understand what this pill meant to his grandfather? Moreover, how
could he not understand how meaningful it was for him? If his grandfather could
live another five hundred years, that meant his backer would also live another
couple hundred years. This was greatly advantageous for Xiang Qin’s
development.
If his grandfather fell, then not only would the Sacred
Elephant family lose their position as the head of the Great Cathedral, but he
would also likely lose the qualifications to become the next Sacred Elephant family
head. After all, he had yet to fully grow into his power and fill out his
wings. He had to further consolidate his position as the future Sacred Elephant
family head under his grandfather’s care. Therefore, Xiang Qin was all too
aware of the significance of this pill.
Even though Wang Han brimmed with killing intent, he still
didn’t dare stand up to the first genius of the Sacred Elephant family. He knew
that Xiang Qin was nothing if not a man of his word. Thus, Wang Han glared
threateningly at Jiang Chen, his face filled with angered humiliation. It was
clear that he had placed the blame of his embarrassment firmly on Jiang Chen’s
head.
On the other hand, Wei Qing’s personality was devious and
crafty. Although he itched to kill Jiang Chen right then and there, he couldn’t
afford to take a public stance against a genius of the Great Cathedral either.
He too sized up Jiang Chen in a sinister fashion and plotted on how to handle
this thorn in his side.
Jiang Chen stayed as collected as ever, letting the
provocative looks slide off him like rain on a rock.
With the Sacred Sword Palace and Walkabout Sect barred from
the proceedings, the auction had lost some serious competition for the
Longevity Pill. The fifth rank sects obviously didn’t have the sufficient
wealth to participate, and the Regal Pill Palace naturally wouldn’t step forth
to bid either. As a result, the only bidders left were the Great Cathedral, the
Dark North Sect, and the Tristar Sect.
“This is a lower rank Longevity Pill that can be taken by a
sage cultivator to extend their lifespan by five hundred years. The starting
bid will be placed at three hundred thousand spirit stones. The auction begins
now.”
There weren’t that many rules when it came to this
spontaneous auction. The auctioneer had barely gotten the words out before the
Dark North Sect immediately shouted out, “Five hundred thousand!”
Well well. The bid had immediately jumped to five hundred
thousand spirit stones. This figure had just exceeded Jiang Chen’s winnings
from his bet. Interestingly, that bet had been based on individual
participation as well. Apart from his own principal, there had been four
hundred thousand spirit stones spread between eight participants. This
Longevity Pill had been refined from free materials, but the money earned from
it was going into his own pocket. The fifth rank sect geniuses couldn’t help
but admire Jiang Chen. They didn’t even have ten thousand spirit stones on
hand, let alone five hundred thousand! But here was Jiang Chen with a pill he’d
refined in the competition soaring to a price of five hundred thousand spirit
stones. To make matters even more exciting, this was only the beginning!
The Tristar Sect didn’t dither around either. “Six hundred
thousand!”
Xiang Wentian cackled. “One million!”
When it came to the depth of their pockets, the Great
Cathedral and Dark North Sect were actually on par with each other. But Xiang
Wentian’s momentum was indeed frightening. It was obvious that with less than
60 years left of life, his desire for the Longevity Pill was bordering on
obsessive. One wasn’t born with things like spirit stones, and they weren’t
something he could take when he finally departed this world. He was determined
to purchase this pill even if he used up all the wealth in the sect.
Of course, to the peak existence in the Myriad Domain, a
million spirit stones was akin to an ordinary person’s thigh hair. It was next
to nothing to him.
Honored Master Tian Ming knew that Xiang Wentian was trying
to use his aura to suppress any more bidding, and naturally didn’t back down.
“1.5 million!”
“2 million!” Xiang Wentian added another five hundred
thousand as soon as Honored Master Tian Ming had finished speaking, as if two
million upper rank spirit stones was as a bauble like two candies left over in
his pocket.
Tristar Sect Head Zhu laughed ruefully. He finally saw
things clearly. These two madmen were hellbent on turning this into a bidding
war. He’d originally held an opportunistic mindset earlier and thought he had a
chance at the winning bid. But with these two lunatics in the mix, getting the
Longevity Pill would be nothing but a dream. Shaking his head, Sect Head Zhu
decided to withdraw.
Honored Master Tian Ming was a nice guy, but he was also
incensed by this kind of provocative bidding. “3 million!”
“4 million.” Xiang Wentian’s tone was as carefree as if he
was offering four million pebbles. One had to say, Xiang Wentian’s presence was
truly domineering. The aura of bulling through until he reached his goal had
already given him an upper hand in the auction, and this kind of grand bidding
war was filling the hearts of the fifth rank sects with awe. They’d never seen
such generous bids!
Four million upper rank spirit stones for one pill! Even the
annual expenses of a sect likely wouldn’t reach this figure. Even the elders
and heavyweights of the fifth rank sects had likely never witnessed such an
explosive scene, not to mention the young geniuses. Young and old stood stunned
at the sight of these two bidding. They couldn’t help but swallow noisily when
they turned to look at Jiang Chen in admiration and worship.
Chapter 558: The Longevity Pill That Turns Back Time
Honored Master Tian Ming wasn’t willing to play second
fiddle to this madman as he hiked the price up to five million. However, Xiang
Wentian’s eyes had gone bloodshot in his desire. He didn’t even blink as he
tossed in a bid of six million spirit stones.
The situation was quickly getting out of hand. If this
continued, these two maniacs might resort to something ludicrous in their
frenzy for the pill. Off to the side, Wei Wuying was watching coldly. If he had
been allowed to speak, he would’ve gladly added some more fuel to the fire and
turned it into a complete mess. Things would be perfect if he could incite a
fight between the Great Cathedral and Dark North Sect.
Wei Wuying was the sort who loved a good show, but didn’t
particularly care about how it came about. The unluckier others were, the
happier he was. Besides, with how the competition had developed, he too felt
that the price of the Longevity Pill had far exceeded its true value. Six
million stones! Even if he were to take out so many stones in one go, it would
still tug painfully at his heartstrings.
Wang Jianyu had been forced to sit in silence after being
blasted by Xiang Wentian, but his thoughts ran a similar path to Wei Wuying’s.
His only hope was that the bidding would boil over to the point where it would
rage completely out of control. If the situation reached that point of no
return, he could step forward to fan the flames a little and embroil the Regal
Pill Palace in the whole mess. If both the Dark North Sect and the Great
Cathedral also formed a grudge with the Regal Pill Palace over this incident,
then the Regal Pill Palace would become the hated enemy of all the other sects
in the Myriad Domain. He would naturally be delighted to see this happen, and
would laugh even in his sleep if it really did.
Honored Master Tian Ming was now caught between a rock and a
hard place. Judging from Xiang Wentian’s attitude, there was no way he would
stop. Tian Ming also knew that that no matter how he upped the price, the other
would always be nipping at his heels. This old man was obviously ready to go to
the point of bankrupting his family in order to obtain the pill and save his
life.
As he hesitated, Xiang Wentian smiled coldly. “Why aren’t
you bidding, old man Tian Ming? Doesn't your Dark North Sect possess a great
deal of wealth? Continue!”
Honored Master Tian Ming was different from Xiang Wentian.
Although the former’s sect had money, it had to come from sect funds in the
end. Although he was the sect head, he had other heavyweights in his sect that
could put pressure on him. But when it came to the Sacred Elephant family,
Xiang Wentian’s word was law and no one dared disobey him. Honored Master Tian
Ming had already lost in terms of prerequisites. However, he didn’t feel
comfortable in just giving up just like this. He ignored the darkening faces of
his elders and cried out, “7 million!”
Xiang Wentian could also tell that Tian Ming was at his
limits and couldn’t really hold on. He laughed arrogantly, “I’ll put down 8
million! Old man Tian Ming, dare you carry on?”
Tian Ming privately cursed at Xiang Wentian for being a
madman and refused to step down. “I also offer 8 million and a jug of Darknorth
Starsand. This is the best material in the Myriad Domain to use for refining
weapons and glyphs.”
Xiang Wentian immediately laughed heartily. “Are you out of
money and resorting to precious materials to guarantee your bid? I’ll offer 10
million and the full skin of a Lightning Antlers Python. This python skin can
be used in crafting earth rank glyphs and runes!”
Tian Ming was speechless as he glared silently at Xiang
Wentian, knowing that this crazed old man had indeed thrown everything to the
winds. Even if they continued bidding on the pill, Tian Ming didn’t have the
same advantage of throwing everything to the wind. “Fine, this one goes to you,
ole brother Xiang. I can’t move you with pleas, nor can I best you with wealth.
If there's another Longevity Pill, you can’t take it from me then!”
These words were clearly capitulating on the auction, and
looking for a concession. Xiang Wentian laughed heartily and didn’t press his
point when he saw Tian Ming conceding. “What does another pill have to do with
me? This pill isn’t candy. It’s of no more use to me after I take one.”
When he finished, he looked at Jiang Chen with hotly burning
eyes. “Jiang Chen, this Longevity Pill is now mine, right?”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and looked at the impromptu
auctioneer. The latter chuckled. “Is there anyone offering a price higher than
the Sacred Elephant family head?”
No one topped that bid even after three rounds of questions.
It was obvious that no unsuspecting person would come fight for this pill now.
In addition, anyone who stepped forth to try to seize it now would be publicly
setting themselves against the Sacred Elephant family head. The price of doing
so would be unimaginably horrifying.
Bam! The impromptu auction was declared at an end when the
gavel came down. Xiang Wentian was delighted and reached into his robes for a
storage ring he’d long since readied. He flung it forward carelessly onto the
auction table. “Ten million upper rank origin spirit stones and the skin of a
Lightning Antlers Python. It’s all in here, check it yourself. Where’s the
Longevity Pill? Give it to me, give it to me!”
Xiang Wentian couldn’t wait another second. Nothing was more
urgent than the pursuit of life.
Jiang Chen carefully took out the pill and handed it over.
He was about to give a few reminders of its effects when Xiang Wentian
forestalled him by snatching the pill and started beaming merrily at it. “Good,
good! It’s clearly apparent with a glance that this pill is uncommon. I’ve once
seen some of the earth rank pills that emperor realm cultivators take, but none
of those can measure up to this one! How could this be fake? Only idiots would
think this is fake, hahaha!”
Xiang Wentian was immensely proud of himself. It appeared
that he’d seen the Longevity Pill before, but just hadn’t revealed the level of
this pill before. Now that he had it in hand, he was happily revealing its
level. It was obvious that although ten million upper rank stones was a great
deal of his wealth, he felt it a completely fair trade to receive a
pseudo-earth rank pill that would lengthen his lifespan in return! These days,
no dream was as alluring as the chance to extend his life. In addition, with
his cultivation at the peak of the sage realm, an additional 500 years gave him
the confidence to try for the emperor realm.
Once he succeeded in ascending to the emperor realm, then he
would’ve truly made it. An emperor realm cultivator appearing after several
hundred years was absolutely of monumental significance! Not only would the
Great Cathedral soar to new heights, his overall lifespan would see yet another
breakthrough.
One’s lifespan would increase by at least a thousand,
possibly even two or three thousand years when breaking through from the sage
to emperor realm. He would then have ample time to assail even higher realms. For
a cultivator of his level, what was more alluring than the idea of extending
his lifespan again?
As he listened to Jiang Chen mention a few things regarding
the Longevity Pill, Xiang Wentian went ahead and popped the pill into his
mouth.
Taking it on the spot!
Everyone was both surprised and amused by this scene. The
mightiest, strongest cultivator in the Myriad Domain was actually this
impatient?
When the Longevity Pill hit Xiang Wentian’s stomach, it
dissolved and traveled to every inch of his body through his meridians. On the
outside, his body was suddenly covered with a light red haze that was speckled
with green. Upon seeing this, Jiang Chen recognized it as the pill starting to
come into effect.
The red haze indicated the strength of Xiang Wentian’s
bodily functions, and the green specks represented the medicinal effects of the
dissolving Longevity Pill. As time passed, the faint green specks faded away,
and the red haze grew increasingly stronger and vibrant. Xiang Wentian’s skin
also began to crack, the fissures expanding like a python shedding its skin.
The dead skin broke into flakes, falling off like like chunks of mud that had
been plastered onto a wall.
Beneath the dried flakes, fresh new skin peeped out. Xiang
Wentian was shedding his skin like a python in exchange for new skin! Black
impurities began to flow out of his orifices and fingertips in short order.
Jiang Chen knew that the process of shedding dead skin was the renewal of the
body’s exterior, much like an old tree gaining new shoots. The black sludge was
the concentrated form of all the impurities that had accumulated inside the
body after all these years being forced out by the medicine in the form of
bodily waste.
Jiang Chen nodded slightly as he analyzed the pill’s
effects. By this point, even those who had the worst observation skills could
tell that the Longevity Pill was living up to its name. Perhaps they couldn’t
understand what the black sludge was, but the picture of new skin beneath the
molting old skin was something even fools could understand.
As the haze of light slowly began to fade, Xiang Wentian’s
features began to come back into view. As it died away, it revealed a face that
was no longer marred by wrinkles, and a head of hair that looked like it’d been
dyed from snowy white to jet black. In the short time since Xiang Wentian had
taken the pill, his entire being seemed to have reverted back from his elderly
frame to that a healthy middle aged man!
When everyone managed to pick their jaws off the floor, an
uproar broke out. The crowd was absolutely flabbergasted by the amazing effects
of the Longevity Pill.
“Grandfather, you’re… you’re younger!” Xiang Qin was both
surprised and overjoyed. He couldn’t help but yell loudly. If Xiang Wentian was
the happiest after this entire episode, then the second happiest would
absolutely be Xiang Qin.
The other family heads from the Great Cathedral also walked
up to offer their congratulations.
“This is wonderful, ole brother Xiang. This Longevity Pill
is indeed wondrous to be able to turn back time like this. This is absolutely
incredible!”
“Ole brother Xiang, you often sigh that the prime of life is
transient and that you want to borrow another five hundred years from the
heavens. It looks like you’ve obtained your wishes!”
“The Longevity Pill lives up to its name!”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. If the Longevity Pill had sold
according to market value, it would’ve fetched one or two million spirit stones
at most, which was already an eye-popping price! He’d made out like a bandit
from this auction. As for the claim of reversing time, that was merely an
exaggeration. The pill didn’t actually do that. It cleaned all the impurities
from one’s body and stimulated the remaining life-force hidden in one’s body.
No one, not even the most pinnacle cultivators, could dig out all of their
lifeforce’s potential. There would always be various reasons or causes that
damaged or suppressed the body’s natural mechanisms.
What the Longevity Pill did was to clear away all those
impurities suppressing or damaging the body’s mechanisms and thoroughly
excavate the potential in a human’s life. In actuality, this lifespan should’ve
originally belonged to Xiang Wentian, but had been left untapped due to various
reasons. All the pill had done was to take it back. The emperor realm
cultivators actually had a similar kind of pill available to them as well, but
its level was even higher.
Xiang Wentian knew his body’s condition far better than
anyone else. He could feel how light his steps seemed to be. He’d bid farewell
to that declining body of his and replaced it with one full of life. “Hahaha,
Jiang Chen, my money was well spent! My body has absolutely returned to what it
was five hundred years ago. It’s not a lie at all that the Longevity Pill can
extend life by five hundred years. Now, which of you would dare say that my
money wasn’t well spent?”
Money wasn’t anything to Xiang Wentian. Having extended his
life was something truly worth celebrating!
Chapter 559: A Thrilling and Exciting Effect
Just a short while ago when the price of one Longevity Pill
had shot to the skies, the onlookers had felt it to be a ludicrous amount for a
pill. That is, that was the thought in everyone’s mind except the two fighting
over it. Even if the two heavyweights from the Regal Pill Palace had found this
price to be verging on the ridiculous, not a hint of it crossed their faces.
But having seen Xiang Wentian’s stunning transformation, all doubts and
skepticism were now gone with the wind.
Everyone could more or less understand the miraculousness of
pills. But for a pill to have such amazing and instantaneous effects like the
Longevity Pill was still a first for everyone, even those with a wide array of
experience. They all looked at Xiang Wentian, not even blinking for fear of him
reverting to his previous form if they did. This scene was just like magic. But
no matter who, everyone was convinced that the Longevity Pill had the power to
turn back time.
“Congratulations, ole brother Xiang!” Palace Head Dan Chi was
the first to come forward in congratulations. Although he was surprised, he was
even more delighted. He could see the glorious future of the Longevity Pill
from Xiang Wentian’s transformation.
Xiang Wentian laughed heartily. “Haha, ole brother Dan Chi,
I definitely owe your Regal Pill Palace one this time!”
Xiang Qin also walked in front of Jiang Chen. “Brother Jiang
Chen, you are my brother from now on. Whoever makes trouble for you in the
Myriad Domain invites trouble from me, Xiang Qin!”
Xiang Qin sent a fierce glare in all directions when he was
done, taking special care to linger in Wang Han and Wei Qing’s direction. He
was obviously aware that Jiang Chen had earned their enmity.
Jiang Chen smiled in response when he saw Xiang Qin’s
enthusiasm. “I am truly flattered and overawed by Brother Xiang’s courtesy.”
Xiang Qin had a generous personality as he too smiled,
“Brother, you have such pill dao potential at your age. You must come and visit
our Great Cathedral often!”
“I will certainly visit Brother Xiang when I have the time!”
The two acted like old friends at their first meeting, a
sentiment that made Wang Han grit his teeth to watch. He also knew that Xiang
Qin was going to these lengths as a public warning to him and Wei Qing not to touch
Jiang Chen. However, even as Wang Han ground his teeth together, this only
reaffirmed the determination to see Jiang Chen dead. If Jiang Chen was allowed
to come into his full strength, then he really might become an enormous threat
to the Sacred Sword Palace in the future! With the undying enmity between the
Sacred Sword Palace and Regal Pill Palace, the stronger the Regal Pill Palace
became, the harder it would be for the Sacred Sword Palace to remain at ease.
“Congratulations, ole brother Xiang.” Tristar Sect Head Zhu
also came forward with good wishes.
Xiang Wentian was the preeminent martial dao cultivator
within the Myriad Domain after all. How would the others dare not show him
face? Even the previously lectured Wang Jianyu stepped forth with a smile
plastered on his face. Thankfully, Xiang Wentian was too elated to follow up on
what happened earlier, thanking everyone with smiles. Only Honored Master Tian
Ming slouched, dejected, in a corner. He’d fallen into depression when he’d
lost the bidding. He’d even hoped at one point that the pill was fake! Now
seeing how magnificent Xiang Wentian’s changes were after he’d taken the pill,
he was assaulted by another storm of regret. However, rationally, he also knew
that competing with that crazy old Xiang Wentian in terms of wealth was a lost
cause to begin with. He had been doomed to lose from the beginning. “I say, ole
brother Dan Chi, I’m reserving the next Longevity Pill that’s refined. No one
can take it from me!”
Honored Master Tian Ming was a clear-headed person and knew
that this matter really couldn’t be blamed on the Regal Pill Palace. He’d lost
fair and square, and no one could be placed at fault. Although this had nothing
to do with the Regal Pill Palace, Palace Head Dan Chi still felt a bit guilty
towards Honored Master Tian Ming. “Ole brother Tian Ming, the next Longevity
Pill to be refined is definitely yours.”
Honored Master Tian Ming finally smiled when he heard this.
“Good, good! I won’t short you on the price either. I’ll pay just as much as
ole brother Xiang did.”
Honored Master Tian Ming’s words set down a base price for
the Longevity Pill at ten million upper rank origin spirit stones. One had to
say, this figure was a particular exorbitant one. But since even Xiang Wentian
and Honored Master Tian Ming had bought the pill for this price, no one could
find a problem with it.
A high price made for an upscale strategy. They already had
a ringing endorsement from Xiang Wentian, so the Regal Pill Palace wouldn’t
worry for lack of buyers. Which heavyweight amongst the six great sects would
be unable to take out ten million stones, to say nothing of anything else?
Ten million stones for five hundred years of life. This was
a good trade no matter how one looked at it. Even many of the fifth rank sect
heavyweights were tempted. There weren’t that many sage realm cultivators in
the fifth rank sects, but there were still a couple.
The sect heads of a fifth rank sect could still take out ten
million spirit stones. It just might be a heavier burden for them as it might
represent more than half of their personal wealth.
“Ole brother Dan Chi, I’d also like to reserve a pill. Can I
do so?” Tristar Sect Head Zhu chuckled.
Dan Chi smiled. “We will prioritize Myriad Domain requests
for the Longevity Pill. Of course, it is indeed difficult to refine this pill,
so we can’t guarantee when a second and third pill will be produced.”
“Haha, I can wait, I can wait.” Sect Head Zhu hurriedly
responded with a smile when he saw that Dan Chi didn’t turn him down.
It was those of the Sacred Sword Palace and Walkabout Sect
who were the most dejected now. Jiang Chen had already clearly indicated that
he wouldn’t be selling this pill to members of their sects. They were people
who demanded face; how would they be able to take this lying down? Wang Jianyu
in particular quite desired a Longevity Pill, but he knew that if he stepped
forward with a reservation request, that’d only be inviting humiliation down on
himself. He flourished his sleeve, snorted, and left.
When Wei Wuying of the Walkabout Sect saw Wang Jianyu leave,
he laughed wryly in his heart. He knew that he had offended the Regal Pill
Palace quite a lot just now, and flicked a glance over to Elder Wu Hen. Elder
Wu Hen smiled and walked up. “Daoist Yun Nie, you and I have been friends for a
hundred years now. You won’t really be banning my Walkabout Sect from this
pill, will you?”
Elder Yun Nie smiled. “The Walkabout Sect possesses a high
caliber of talent in pill dao as well. Normally, you don’t purchase any pills
from my Regal Pill Palace either. Furthermore, there’s temporarily no one who
has a need for this pill in your sect.”
“Palace Head Dan Chi, I’m from the Nearmoon Sect. I’d like
to be so bold as to reserve a Longevity Pill…”
“Palace Head Dan Chi, this little brother would also like to
reserve a pill.”
All of the fifth rank sect heads stepped forward in this
moment, and those who had some relationship with Palace Head Dan Chi took an
additional step forward. It was apparent that the Regal Pill Palace had a good
network of connections and a stellar reputation. These fifth rank sect heads
all knew that the Regal Pill Palace was kinder than the other sects when it
came to business negotiations.
Elder Wu Hen looked at the scene developing in front of him.
“Daoist Yun Nie, you wouldn’t sell to the fifth rank sects and still bypass our
Walkabout Sect, would you?”
It wasn’t that Elder Yun Nie was purposefully not agreeing,
but that the Longevity Pill was Jiang Chen’s recipe. Jiang Chen had already
made his position clear in not selling to the Walkabout Sect and Sacred Sword
Palace, so Elder Yun Nie wasn’t at liberty to overrule Jiang Chen’s words.
“Daoist Wu Hen, we can slowly discuss the particulars of business between our
two sects in the future. This matter is immensely important, and I can’t make
the decision on behalf of our Regal Pill Palace either.”
Elder Yun Nie could only fob Elder Wu Hen off for now.
What followed next had nothing to do with Jiang Chen.
Although he had refined four Longevity Pills, he’d only taken out the lower
rank one for the auction. There was one more lower rank as well as two mid rank
pills that Jiang Chen wasn’t planning on taking out for now.
By his estimations, he calculated that even Elder Yun Nie
would only be able to refine two or three pills a year. There was no way that
he’d be able to refine any more. Elder Yun Nie’s consciousness might not even
be as strong as Jiang Chen’s, since the latter had the benefit of Boulder’s
Heart and Psychic’s Head supporting him. As for pill refining techniques, there
was even less of a comparison to be drawn there.
Jiang Chen estimated that if Elder Yun Nie were to refine
the pill, his chances of success would very low. He’d likely only make an
attempt once or twice a year. His consciousness wouldn’t be able to take it if
he made any more attempts than that. Unless Elder Yun Nie ascended to the level
of pill king, it was unlikely he’d ever reach the point of making an attempt
once every three months. At that point, his chance of success would also be
higher, and he’d definitely produce one or two pill in each attempt. After all,
no pill king would be able to measure up to Jiang Chen in his past life in any
aspect of pill dao technique.
Ling Bi'er was genuinely happy for Jiang Chen when she saw
everyone mobbing her sect for a chance of a Longevity Pill. This junior brother
Jiang Chen seemed to be all encompassing! She was suddenly a bit more confident
in his abilities to cure her father’s Miasma.
Mu Gaoqi was even more delighted. The more Jiang Chen
succeeded, the happier he was. “Brother Chen, you’ve really come into some
wealth this time.” He sighed with admiration.
“Did you pay attention to the spirit herbs for me?” Jiang
Chen responded with a question.
Mu Gaoqi smiled ruefully. “Brother, everyone switched their
attention to the Longevity Pill in the hubbub. No one was in the mood to sell
anything.”
Ling Bi'er also walked over at this time. “Congratulations,
junior brother Jiang Chen. From now on, there will be no one who doesn’t know
your name in the entirety of the Myriad Domain.”
Jiang Chen flashed a dashing smile. “That doesn’t matter;
there’s actually not that much advantage in being famous.”
Being a celebrity did indeed bring its own worries. A large
group of young folk from the Myriad Domain came over to greet Jiang Chen. Among
them were both fourth rank sect geniuses as well as fifth rank sect geniuses.
Everyone had the same thought; they had to build a good relationship with Jiang
Chen. With his deep pill dao potential, he would certainly become a pill king
one day, rising up to becoming a person of incomparable value in the Myriad
Domain.
Even the various sect heads had to show him a bit of respect
now. If his martial dao potential was a bit higher, then he might even become
the legendary figure of his generation in the Myriad Domain! Therefore, apart
from the few geniuses who looked upon Jiang Chen with hate, almost all of the
young geniuses who’d come to Mt. Rippling Mirage wouldn’t pass up the
opportunity to get to know Jiang Chen. Even if they couldn’t become good
friends, it would be good to become acquainted with Jiang Chen.
It was because of this that Jiang Chen decided to just go into
closed door cultivation when he returned to his residence. He didn’t want to
waste time exchanging meaningless pleasantries. Why not make use of this time
to cultivate instead?
The restrictions placed on the outskirts of Mt. Rippling
Mirage were lifted three days later. The top ten from both the elder and genius
group would be the first batch sent into the mountain, with the full twenty
days of harvesting available to them. This was the benefits granted to the
winners of the Pill Battles, and they would equally split any gains with their
sect. But of course, it was up to each individual person’s discretion just how
much they took out to hand over to the sect. In the years of the pill battles,
the amount that was truly taken out and handed over to the sect was less than
thirty percent, never mind fifty!
The various sects didn’t do much to enforce a strict split
either. If individual sect members grew strong from this lax behavior, it would
still trickle down to the sect in the end. Therefore, the sects weren’t too
strict when it came to this requirement. Otherwise, it was quite easy to
tighten the screws on things if they so desired.
Chapter 560: Mt. Rippling Mirage
The first batch of twenty to enter Mt. Rippling Mirage had
already congregated outside the mountain. The heavyweights of the six great
sects were in charge of controlling the formation around the mountain. As they
activated the formation, a rainbow-like bridge shimmered into existence in
front of everyone.
“This is the transportation gate of Mt. Rippling Mirage. All
of you have in your hands a jade token that was specifically refined to
correspond to this formation. Remember, when the twenty days are up, the
formation will automatically transport you out. The token will help you locate
the nearest transportation matrix, in case you run into any danger. If you
crush it in the vicinity of a matrix, you will be automatically transported
out. There are multiple matrixes within the mountain, and any of them will be
able to teleport you out.”
The jade tokens in everyone’s hands were actually to save
their lives. Spirit herbs weren’t the only things that grew on the mountain,
all sorts of danger lay hidden on its slopes.. If anyone met with danger they
couldn’t handle, it’d be best to leave voluntarily. Of course, although there
were many transportation matrixes within the mountain, they weren’t everywhere.
Someone with particularly ill luck may not run into a single one even if they
searched for hours. Each year, there were always a few folk who died on the
mountain. In unlucky years, roughly 25% of the ones who departed for the
mountain would never come back. That meant that out of sixty, at most a dozen
would die..
With this first group of twenty, the Regal Pill Palace took
up two spots from the elder team, and four from their genius team. It was Mu
Gaoqi’s first time participating in such a grand affair, and he was obviously
still a bit nervous. When he set foot on the rainbow bridge, the normally
chatty Mu Gaoqi was uncharacteristically quiet.
“Don’t be nervous, Gaoqi!” Jiang Chen encouraged.
Mu Gaoqi managed to smile, “You be careful Brother Chen! The
matrix will fling us into different corners of the mountain. I’ve heard that
the mountain is as vast as the seas, with no end to them. I wonder if we’ll be
able to meet once inside!”
If they could, Mu Gaoqi would love nothing more than to form
a team.
Jiang Chen smiled. “It’d be best if we could bump into each
other. Gaoqi, don’t try to stick it out if you run into danger. Find a
transportation matrix to make your escape.”
Mu Gaoqi’s cultivation level was undoubtedly one of the
lowest amongst the candidates. Out of the ten geniuses present, his cultivation
was absolutely at the bottom. Things would be alright if he met folks that he
could reason with, but if he ran into someone like Wei Qing, then, he’d be in
for it.
However, the Regal Pill Palace upper echelon took the
protection of Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi seriously. They handed each one an air
escape rune before they set out. This rune could instantly transport its holder
fifty kilometers from their present location. Although that wasn’t very far, it
would certainly take the bearer away from any area of immediate danger. They’d
then have greater hope of finding a transportation matrix and crushing the jade
token to escape.
“Remember, when the matrix activates, don’t circulate your
energy to fight against it. Otherwise, you might be devoured by the formation.”
A solemn reminder rang in everyone’s ears.
An enormous rumble then sounded as a rainbow colored beam
filled the area, enfolding the twenty bodies and turning into a rainbow streak
of light that disappeared into the void.
Within the beam, Jiang Chen only felt that his senses were
completely torpid, like his body had returned to its most basic state. He
couldn’t see, hear, or smell anything. It felt like everything had returned to
an unformed chaos.
Each of his limbs felt like it was being suppressed by
incredible pressure, akin to countless mountain ranges crushing him. Trying to
move his limbs was almost a futile effort. This feeling continued for a short
while, and then a rumble spread to his ears.
The multicolored lights in front of him faded away as his
senses regained their usual level of receptivity.
“Mm, am I in Mt. Rippling Mirage now?” Jiang Chen looked
around and found himself on a hillside halfway up the mountain. The ground was
carpeted in green, and a purple bamboo tree patch dotted the hillside off to
the side. A faint mist wreathed around the purple bamboo forest, giving it the
ethereal feeling of a fairy realm. Jiang Chen’s senses penetrated into the
somewhat loose dirt beneath his feet as he breathed in the incomparably fresh
air. His first impression was that of spirit power, a density and concentration
of energy that exceeded even that of the Regal Pill Palace’s Rosy Valley.
Jiang Chen called upon his God’s Eye and swept his gaze in
all directions. His scan didn’t reveal any signs of danger for the time being.
His gaze moved back to the curious patch of purple bamboo.
“This purple bamboo has grown straight and tall, fed by
abundant spirit energy. What’s even rarer to see is that it seems to be full of
an ethereal air. Miss Huang'er will surely like it if it’s transplanted into
the Sovereign Area.”
Although there was ample spirit power within the purple
bamboo, its use in the martial dao world tended more towards aesthetic purposes.
There were those who used it to create the xiao, flutes, and other instruments.
It could also be used to craft weapons, but its battle strength wasn’t
particularly noteworthy. It could be said that it was neither a battle oriented
item, nor a spirit herb.
With a little bit of effort and time, Jiang Chen had
uprooted the patch of bamboo and stored it away. If anyone had been around to
see Jiang Chen’s actions, they would’ve surely feared for his brain or laughed
at him. He was spending his precious time on such an utterly useless item.
He didn’t tarry after digging up the bamboo trees. Time was
indeed precious, and he didn’t want to return empty handed after 20 days. With
Jiang Chen’s pill dao potential, he was virtually a fish in familiar waters
when harvesting spirit herbs from Mt. Rippling Mirage. As the day grew long,
not a single saint rank spirit herb remained unharvested in Jiang Chen’s wake.
As for those below saint rank, he couldn’t be bothered with them. Truthfully,
even saint rank herbs didn’t hold much allure for him. After all, they only
matched up to the origin realm for human cultivators. Only the true saint rank
spirit herbs were on the level of the sage realm.
Although Jiang Chen was at the peak of fifth level origin
realm, everything he used were naturally treasures of a higher realm. His
standards didn’t put anything below rare saint rank spirit herbs in his sight.
However, this didn’t meant that these items wouldn’t be of any use. After all,
his people needed resources too. The ones offered by the Regal Pill Palace
wouldn’t last long.
In three days, an area of fifty kilometers around Jiang Chen
had been stripped of all saint rank spirit herbs. He hadn’t gotten his hands
dirty himself, instead summoning the Goldbiter Rats. He’d simply selected a few
thousand of the more shrewd and strong-looking ones. It would’ve been a shame
not to make use of the free labor. Since they’d already benefited multiple
times from Jiang Chen, the Goldbiter Rats had long since viewed him as their
master. They wouldn’t slack off just because of this kind of task. Moreover,
Jiang Chen had also stipulated that a third of all saint rank herbs obtained
would belong to them, and any herb below the saint rank was theirs to enjoy.
With such a deal in place, the amount of spirit herbs Jiang Chen received over
three days was more than the amount that five hundred people could’ve
harvested.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he’d nearly razed
the mountain down to its bones.
As for Long Xiaoxuan, he couldn’t even be bothered to crack
open an eyelid when it came to this level of spirit herbs. To him, he was
simply accompanying Jiang Chen because he wanted to see and understand this
world. What did he care about saint rank spirit herbs?!
However, even though he was the descendant of a dragon, he’d
lived by the wood spirit spring since birth. This had instilled a nebulous fear
of the outside world in him, which made it easier for Jiang Chen to get the
dragon to behave. Otherwise, if Long Xiaoxuan went on a rampage and ran riot
through the mountain, it’d scare people witless!
In the bigger scheme of things, scaring people would only be
a small matter. If he was discovered by the heavyweights, then they wouldn’t be
able to find peace no matter where they went in the Myriad Domain. Although
there was no one in this region who could handle a dragon’s wrath, there were
numerous experts in the other regions who would find it laughably easy to take
Long Xiaoxuan down. Any random emperor realm cultivator would be enough to pose
a threat. After all, in dragon years, Long Xiaoxuan had only just been born; he
had yet to fully grow into his formidable battle strength. To make matters
worse, he had almost no battle experience to speak of.
At the end of those three days, Jiang Chen left the area.
Despite having collected quite a few saint rank spirit herbs, his appetite had
yet to be whetted. He’d looked forward to entering the mountain for so long
that he wasn’t satisfied with just this level of herbs now that he was finally
here.
A few hours later, a figure landed in the same area Jiang
Chen had just spent three days in. It was that mysterious Ding Tong of the
Tristar Sect!
“Mm, according to my unique mark, Jiang Chen seems to have
lingered here for a very long time.” Ding Tong took a spin around the area.
Much to his surprise, the spirit herbs in the area seemed to have been
thoroughly ravaged. There wasn’t even one decent herb that’d been left behind
in one piece.
“How could this have happened?” Although Ding Tong wasn’t
overly interested in spirit herbs at the moment, he was still a bit perplexed
at the sight of this strange scene. Judging from the tatters left behind, it
looked like a thousand harvesting teams had churned through the area, leaving
just a measly few pickings behind.
“This isn’t right, how could large numbers of people come
through Mt. Rippling Mirage? The first batch numbers no more than twenty
people. This place shouldn’t look like this even if we all harvested for ten
days and nights straight!” Ding Tong found this barren landscape incredibly
difficult to comprehend, but he quickly refocused. His goal here was to track Jiang
Chen, not investigate this strange spirit herb phenomenon. When they’d all
entered the mountain, he’d used a unique method to unknowingly leave a mark on
Jiang Chen’s body. It was how he’d tracked Jiang Chen to this specific location
through the vast mountain.
Ding Tong was different from Wang Han and Wei Qin. The
latter two had visibly displayed their hatred of Jiang Chen, but Ding Tong had
carefully concealed his killing intent ever since he’d called Jiang Chen out
for a discussion. One could say that his primary goal in Mt. Rippling Mirage
was the death of Jiang Chen, not the harvest of spirit herbs. After
investigating the area for a while, Ding Tong once again activated his unique
tracking method and left for another area of the mountain.
……
As Jiang Chen travelled between areas, a feeling of
frustration and disgust suddenly surged in his heart. A foreboding feeling had
needled his consciousness ever since he’d entered the mountain, fading in and
out of existence. He’d thought at first that it was simply the danger inherent
to Mt. Rippling Mirage that’d caused the frisson of alarm to spike again and
again.
But after spending a few days in the mountain’s interior, he
had yet to meet anything that would pose a life or death danger to him.
However, this annoying feeling kept niggling in his heart,
increasing with every step he took. It seemed that something, somewhere, had
just taken a turn for the worse.
