“The man with the pleasure of being in direct dialog with the honored pill master, the Xingtian Legion’s Commander Xu Yangyi.” Qi Zongkai made an inviting gesture. The intimidation of the present stage was too great. The auctioneer almost dared not remain here.

In the air, twelve menacing, faintly discernible Core Formation pressures shrouded the entire floor. Below, each person was a hand of China’s cultivation world, the demon clans of Xuanyuan, Nangong, and Ming… Humanity’s Miaoqing Monastery, Wutai Mountain, and each great clan. However, at this moment, everyone’s gazes were trained on the stage, not consenting to relax by a hair.

The Dao of Pills. In legend, medicinal efficacy was several times greater than modern pill-elixirs! A cultivator couldn’t use many medicinal pills, but because they couldn’t use so much, they required each pill to be marvelous! It could be said that if this medicinal pill was real, the two industries of pill-elixirs and medicinal capsules would be immediately faced with collapse!

Xu Yangyi walked on stage. Today, he was wearing a black suit and a snow-white shirt, appearing exceptionally suave. After prudently cupping his hands, he said concisely, “Junior is Xu Yangyi, the commander of the Xingtian Legion. With everyone’s support, I will be specially auctioning ten medicinal pills…”

“Hehehe…” Before Xu Yangyi even finished speaking, dry owlish laughter rang out from a pavilion in the air. “Little child… you sure are bold…”

The auction house was dead silent. The light in each person’s eyes was twinkling.

Xu Yangyi had arrived. He alone was the pill master’s sole liaison. Only he knew who the pill master was. Perhaps… he himself was the pill master? It had to be known that all of this would welcome the downfall of the pill-elixir and medicinal capsule industries, bringing a huge effect to the cultivation world. The most convenient method would be just to directly capture Xu Yangyi and ask everything. 

“I wonder how many people here want to capture him…” In the Ming Clan’s section, an old man deeply eyed Xu Yangyi. “Everyone believed he wouldn’t come. Dared not to. And yet, he still came… I really don’t know if it’s stupidity or something else he has to rely on…”

“Indeed, he has courage…” At the old man’s side, a woman sneered, “A pity… A courageous man is not long for this world…” They didn’t risk taking action, but the Core Formation ancestors did!

“170 years ago…” the dried voice rang out again, “A Core Formation pill aided me in ascending the treasure throne of Core Formation. This Dao Master still remembers that unique texture… When it enters the mouth, it is prompt in transformation, like burning fire in water… You know, I’ve been looking forward to a second medicinal pill for a century, but I haven’t obtained one despite searching everywhere.”

“In all likelihood, you’ve made an affiliation to stand here…” the voice paused, and a streak of naked spiritual sense swept over the other pavilions. He said insipidly, “A preparation of affiliating yourself under a Dao Master.”

Mao Ba’er didn’t risk breathing out and dodged into a corner, watching every movement on stage.

In kind, everyone else gently eased their breaths. They seemed mild like clouds and soft like wind, but in fact, each spiritual sense seized onto the superficially harmonious jumble of twelve spiritual pressures in the air.

Everyone was aware that the auction this time wasn’t just a mere auction. A pill master was of the highest importance. The approach of Core Formation represented their approach! If Core Formation dared to plunder, then they… didn’t necessarily NOT dare to plunder!

Xu Yangyi didn’t utter a word. His heart was palpitating violently. He’d long since understood that this auction absolutely wouldn’t be simple. However, while the billows on the bright surface of the event’s beginning were unstirred, the level of the turbulent underwater currents was beyond his forecast. It was much more fierce than what he’d anticipated!!

He’s probing the other Dao Masters’ stances…

 Xu Yangyi inwardly gritted his teeth. 

If none of them react, this ancestor is going to make an immediate move to capture me!

Strength! In this instant, in the core of his being, his resolution towards strength rose upwards by another level. If he presently ranked as Core Formation, wouldn’t he have all kinds of qualms and misgivings towards these ten produced Qi Condensation medicinal pills?

Pill-elixirs? Destroyed. Capsules? Destroyed!

No one spoke. The twelve pavilions were calm and peaceful. The dried voice paused for three seconds and laughed grimly, “If so, I will look first whether these medicinal pills are real or fake.”

The atmosphere was mild and gentle, but in an instant, without the slightest omen, a giant hand of bones appeared on stage with all-present might! It simply lacked a Qi Condensation cultivator’s demanded qi cycling or hand seal. It appeared all of these prerequisites had been omitted!

The wave of a hand prompted a divine ability! To achieve the Core Formation realm was to overturn seas and rivers with a single thought. A simple clap of the hands could compare to a Foundation Establishment Senior’s great divine ability!

“Huff…” The people below gasped coldly, not even risking movement. All that was visible in the sky was endless black qi wafting from within the cracks of these bones. There were even a few middle Foundation Establishment cultivators that were clutching their chests at this moment, their breathing impeded!

Boom!

 At the instant the giant hand was on the verge of touching Xu Yangyi, it transformed into scattered ash. A fist-sized, azure origin crystal was clenched in his hand. He looked unwaveringly into the sky.

The squall mingled with a flavor of deathly silence, like swords slashing down on his cheeks. His determined and unyielding face revealed several bloody traces in a flash. His expression didn’t budge by a hair. He only tightly gripped the origin crystal, similar to holding high a torch in the black night. He gazed at the pitch-black pavilion without saying a word.

The hare rises and the hawk descends, a nimble movement of action. If said the scene a moment ago was deathly still, the auction grounds now directly transformed into a cemetery.

“T-This is…” An old man of the Ming Clan tightly gripped his armrest, his eyes somewhat reddened. “Jadewave’s origin crystal…”

Xu Yangyi didn’t speak. Instead, one hand held onto the origin crystal and the other hand slowly pulled open his suit.

“Junior…”

“You sure are fearless!”

“Young friend, there’s no need to be like this!”

In a twinkling moment, the rigid and stiff corpse-like Foundation Establishment cultivators below stood up in sync, almost like an ocean tide!

The inside of Xu Yangyi’s suit was packed with Explosive Talismans! He still hadn’t voiced a word, but his intention was already very clear. Better shattered jade than intact tile! Rather death than dishonor!

Dare to touch me? Then let’s give it a try! Even if the explosion won’t kill you twelve ancestors, the present Foundation Establishment cultivators won’t be able to flee! And while you twelve ancestors won’t die, all of you will still be seriously wounded!

“Heh…” The dried voice seemed to be stunned, but it transformed into grim laughter in the next second. “I have never met a cultivator who did not cherish life… yet today, I have looked upon one…” Not waiting on the people below to sigh in relief, soon almost everyone was crying out in alarm!

“But on the contrary, I don’t believe there’s one cultivator among the myriad masses that doesn’t cherish life!”

“Kunlun Jade Shatters…” In the wake of his flat and wizened voice, a black vortex, no less than ten meters in range, cycled with lightning speed in front of the black pavilion in midair! Just as it was practically formed, the vortex immediately congealed and took shape!

Oily-green ghostfires were faintly discernible in the vicinity, and the cries of countless shades echoed within the vortex. It was as if there was a whirling asura hell in the air!

“Go.” The wizened voice seemed to be handling the most ordinary affair. In the blink of an eye, followed by a clanging sound, a ruler made of bone slammed down on Xu Yangyi. It came down with the momentum of a thunderbolt evading ear-cover!

Woosh woosh woosh!

 On the stage, evil winds wreaked wanton devastation! Countless people’s eyes saucered wide. A Core Formation cultivator taking action was merely confined to record. An opportunity to study a Dao Master attacking in person was very rare! However, today, an unrecorded Core Formation master had brazenly moved against a Qi Condensation cultivator who was holding a Core Formation demon core!

No one spoke. No one dared to say anything. All these developments were too fast. Simply no one had time to reflect upon it!

BOOM!

 Directly confronted by a Core Formation master’s oppressive might, Xu Yangyi was placed at the eye of a storm! His clothing from head to toe whistled, and a thread of blood spilled out from the corner of his mouth. Nevertheless, his gaze wasn’t murky at all. It was shining like stars. This wasn’t the complete might of Core Formation!

In this flashing moment, his fortune had arrived and his heart was spirited and lively. He was holding the Core Formation demon core. The opposing party truly wanted to kill him. This lightning-esque blow was undoubtedly to leave him no time to use the Explosive Talismans. The strike was enough to turn him into flying ash, but its distance apart from racing thunder and flickering lightning fell short of no more than half a bit!

Xu Yangyi’s gaze snapped over to another pavilion. 

You… what are you still waiting for?! I don’t believe that you can just watch me die here!

Swoosh.

 At the same time, a Foundation Establishment cultivator looked on in shock at his feet, unable to restrain his startled cry. “My… shadow?”

Swoosh swoosh swoosh… 

In this moment, many people discovered that countless shadows, as if they were being dragged, were presently darting towards Xu Yangyi’s direction like a tide! Their speed was like electricity! They didn’t fail to compare to the bone ruler in the sky by the slightest fraction! In this mere blink of an eye, everyone in the venue lacked a shadow beneath their feet!

“This is…” A seemingly middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator said shakily, “Flowing Light Imprisoning Shadow… This is Flowing Light Imprisoning Shadow!”

“Daomaster Ancientpine has moved into action!”

“Amazing… Two Core Formation ancestors are coming to blows!”

“Could it be possible that Daomaster Ancientpine wishes to defend young friend Xu?”

“T-T-This is something you can only pretty much read about in books!”

“Yeah… Young friend Xu is also the Featherwood Guard’s intermediary! This isn’t a Core Formation ancestor who’s put forth his name; Daomaster Ancientpine wasn’t given due respect!”

“Eight Reaches Shadows Move.” In the sky, another indifferent voice came from an orange pavilion. This voice was obviously a hundred meters away from the ground, yet it clearly rang out in each person’s ears.

BOOM!

 The bone ruler was on the verge of crisis, slamming down in front of Xu Yangyi. But at the same time, a legion of shadows converged into a giant black sphere. In a flicker, the originally formless shadows solidified, perfectly protecting Xu Yangyi within!

The bone ruler transformed into qi and scattered. The black globe likewise transformed into spiritual force and dispersed. In less than a single move, both sides were equal. The venue was silent as before. All that remained was the uncontrollable, frantic pounding of everyone’s hearts, seemingly reverberating at ear side.

Xu Yangyi took a long, deep breath. The might of that word was now beginning to appear! That word… The person who granted it was no one else. It was Ancientpine! Directly faced with Core Formation, only another Core Formation was capable of protecting him! This meat pie was too big. He was a single Qi Condensation cultivator, simply incapable of eating it up!

“Fellow Daoist.” Inside the orange pavilion, a voice rang out, light as a feather. “In the presence of This Dao Master, you set hands on my junior subordinate. Fellow Daoist, isn’t this looking down on me too much?”

“Hehe…” a wizened voice laughed hollowly, “I only wanted to take a look whether the medicinal pills are real or fake, nothing more.”

An elaborate deception to mask ill intentions. If he’d just captured Xu Yangyi, perhaps right now wouldn’t be a mere question of examining for veracity.

“That’s fine,” Daomaster Ancientpine’s voice chuckled. “I, too, don’t wish for any intense situations to occur out of hand. And while I may be old, my treasure blade is not.”

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