Chapter 213 The Small Gathering of the Pill Kings - Small Round 1
When the cultivators arrived at the main hall, they saw countless puppets lined up to greet them.
Leading the group were two level-seven puppets, responsible for checking the invitations.
Anyone with an invitation can enter directly.
Those without invitations will need to have their alchemists verified and their martial arts practitioners' assets verified.
The Pill King's Gathering welcomes all alchemists, so even low-level alchemists who are penniless can attend—even those who have only successfully refined one type of first-level pill are welcome.
However, the initial elixir auction only allowed cultivators with sufficient assets to enter, while alchemists with insufficient assets and low levels would first receive a token. After the auction ended, they could use the token to enter the venue and participate in the subsequent small-scale events.
Both level-seven puppets carry testing arrays that can detect whether alchemists carry the scent of tangible medicinal herbs, confirming whether they have successfully refined pills.
As for how much wealth a martial arts cultivator needs?
The news had already been announced throughout the city ten days before the Dan King's Small Gathering was to be held—
Fifty thousand Xuanzhu.
Most of the martial arts cultivators who arrived here were aware that participating in such a high-level Pill King Conference would require a considerable amount of funds. Since they were willing to travel such a long distance, they must have made preparations in advance.
If you're really short a bit, it's not too difficult to find some resources in the nearby mountains to exchange for them.
The current capital verification process is also going very smoothly.
After successful verification, the number of assets supplied for inspection varies, and the areas that can be accessed also differ.
Those with invitations naturally have private rooms of various sizes to go to; cultivators without invitations, regardless of their strength, can go to more private spaces of higher standards if they have more wealth.
After the guests entered the main hall smoothly, they were quickly led by the puppets to different areas to take their seats.
Some powerful forces will bring a large number of people together. As long as they do not separate when standing in front of the puppet, they will be packaged together as a whole and sent into a spacious private room.
·
Long Xiaofei and You Xiang mingled among the younger generation of the Long family, like quails.
The Long family is a level seven power, so they naturally received news of such a major event as the Pill King's Gathering—besides, Long Xiaofei didn't dare to hide it and sent a message back in time.
This time, the Long family selected a few people to represent them, including four Palace Building Elders and several highly regarded juniors.
They not only bid on pills themselves, but also had the task of bidding on behalf of certain members of their clan. If given the opportunity, they would also like to bid on a few pills for the entire clan.
At the same time, the only Spirit Transformation expert in the Long family—the Long family's patriarch—also arrived.
This old ancestor naturally had the elixir he wanted, and to ensure he won the bid, he didn't trust anyone other than himself.
However, the Long family arrived very quickly and happened to meet You Xiang, who was with Long Xiaofei. The Long family patriarch kindly asked You Xiang if he had any appointment with his clansmen and received a negative answer. Then he invited You Xiang to attend the auction with the Long family.
You Xiang naturally had to give him face—although he was indeed already a disciple of the Azure Dragon Inner Academy, his own cultivation level was still not high, so how could he not respect his senior?
The Long family's amiable attitude towards You Xiang is largely due to the fact that You Xiang is a disciple of an eighth-level power.
After all, You Xiang could gather information about the auction from within the inner courtyard, including some details about the internal workings of the Azure Dragon Clan that could be leaked. Long Xiaofei learned quite a bit from You Xiang's complaints, and the Long family naturally received similar reports as well…
·
Now that the auction has started, You Xiang takes the initiative to come and find Long Xiaofei.
The two seemed to have a good relationship when they were together, but in their own eyes, the other seemed suspicious.
They couldn't help but be secretive—this was the Pill King's Small Gathering of the Mirror Venerable's Daoist Companion!
So the Mirror Venerable will definitely appear, but it's unknown where he will appear. There's a strange feeling that he might appear out of nowhere, appear and disappear unpredictably... This feeling welled up from the hearts of the two miserable transmigrators.
It's completely out of control!
The worst fear is that some unknown person might suddenly appear at some exchange event, and then, with a glance from the mirror, catch the two of them.
Although, logically speaking, the Mirror Master no longer has a mirror.
But it's really hard to control human emotions!
You Xiang and Long Xiaofei exchanged a glance and both sighed almost imperceptibly.
However, they also had expectations—they already knew that the Mirror Venerable's partner was skilled in alchemy, but they didn't know just how powerful a Pill King he would be among the fifth-level alchemists.
I'm really curious!
·
In front of the main hall, more than a dozen male and female cultivators with outstanding appearances and captivating figures appeared. At a glance, they were all stunning beauties.
Among them, the one who was slightly "out of place" was a tall, handsome man who appeared more robust than the other cultivators—but his overall appearance was still excellent.
A stunningly beautiful woman with an icy demeanor walked slowly beside him, approaching him slightly. Although they weren't particularly intimate, their occasional glances met, creating a unique sense of closeness.
This is a married couple.
It was Fan Jiming and Han Bingling.
Several years have passed, and the two have clearly developed feelings for each other, and their auras are quite harmonious.
Fan Jiming has likely gained many benefits and is now a Fusion Realm cultivator, making him an increasingly suitable match for Han Bingling.
The couple received an invitation personally sent by Zhong Cai. Xingyue Palace itself also received some invitations, but only a handful of Xingyue disciples came on behalf of Xingyue Palace, and several elders also came forward.
Of course, quite a few people also obtained invitations from the palace in private, but they all came alone or in groups of three or five.
·
As Fan Jiming followed his elders up to the second floor on the right, he scanned the entire hall.
Like most auction venues, the ground floor hall was densely packed with seats, with several levels on both sides, each containing enclosed private rooms of different sizes.
Between the seats and the private rooms, there are several tiers of private seating areas.
A raised platform will be erected at the very front of the numerous seats, situated precisely at the front of the semi-circle formed by the many private rooms and seats.
An auction platform rose at the front of the high platform. Presumably because it was for selling pills, the platform was not very large—but it was surrounded by several array plates, so it was absolutely safe.
At first glance, the number of private rooms seems countless, while the number of seats in the main hall is even greater, so densely packed that it's impossible to count them all.
The surrounding expansion array remains, and as more guests enter, the space will expand, and more seats will be added... Similarly, the circle of private rooms will also expand, with many more seats added.
During this time, the towering auction platform will also change accordingly, ensuring that it is displayed in the eyes of all cultivators.
This auction venue seems to be able to accommodate an unlimited number of visitors.
·
When Fan Jiming glanced around, he also caught a glimpse of the Fan family members.
He hasn't been back in recent years, but he still maintains contact with the Fan family.
The Fan family did indeed benefit from the Star Moon Palace's influence, but they did not act recklessly. Their development was steady and rapid, and their family power grew somewhat. They also maintained a calm and grounded mindset.
The Fan family members we see now are all in pretty good spirits. However, they spent a lot of money at the auction a few years ago to buy suitable rare birds, so they may not have enough funds to bid for the elixir this time.
As for Fan Jiming himself, having acquired quite a bit from receiving gifts over the years, he could try bidding for a few pills of suitable grade.
Before long, the group from Xingyue Palace arrived at their private room.
At the top level.
This auction is of the eighth level, and most of the cultivators who will attend are at the Nirvana stage. Even if there are people from the ninth-level forces, as long as they are not representing the ninth-level forces, they can still occupy the top floor.
·
The auction's exact start time had been set long ago. Once all the cultivators arrived, there was no delay. Instead, they quickly took their seats in an orderly fashion, precisely assigned by the puppets.
Basically, the higher the cultivation level and the higher the alchemist rank, the higher the position a cultivator occupies, and the more secretive they will be.
And like many auctions, the pills won by cultivators in exposed seats or private booths will be sent to them by the auctioneer; while those in private booths will be sent directly to those booths via teleportation arrays.
Naturally, the private rooms are the safest, and if the cultivators inside conceal themselves even slightly, their identities will be the most secretive.
·
Before long, the appointed time arrived.
The enormous palace gates slammed shut.
The entire hall remained as bright as day, and at the same time, a semi-open private room appeared behind the auction stage.
There stood four cultivators.
Leading the group was the handsome eighth-level alchemist Sang Yunchu, with a pair of young men standing side by side behind him.
Standing behind Sang Yunchu was a gentle-looking young man, full of intelligence and with bright, approachable eyes; to his right was a tall and upright man with an extremely handsome appearance, but with deep eyes—for some reason, making people reluctant to get close to him at first glance.
Further back, standing proudly in a protective posture, was Jiang Chongguang, who had just entered Nirvana.
Although he had only emerged from seclusion a few days ago, Jiang Chongguang's aura was so stable that it was terrifying to behold. The energy contained within his body was also extremely terrifying, as if it would explode and cause a huge upheaval if he was not careful!
The moment the master and his disciples appeared, all the cultivators present saw it clearly.
And very quickly, everyone learned their identities.
The young couple were Zhong Cai, the young host of this Pill King Gathering, and Wu Shaogan, Zhong Cai's Daoist partner.
In such an important situation, Zhong Cai also wanted Wu Shaogan to stay by his side, which shows that the affection between them was indeed extremely deep, just as rumored in Canglong City.
·
In many of the seats, private booths, and small private rooms, quite a few people couldn't help but glance at Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan a few more times.
These are people who know them, those who have met them once, or those with whom they had a brief interaction...
Some of the cultivators among them felt a deep sense of emotion.
When they first met, these two were already so deeply in love, and now, many years later, their bond remains unchanged.
What's even more unbelievable is how quickly the two have progressed.
As a pill master, Zhong Cai not only made rapid progress in his realm, but also rapidly improved his pill-making skills. His outstanding talent is simply monstrous! There is no need to say more; just look at his current status as a pill king, which is already unparalleled.
There was no need to inquire further; disciples within the Azure Dragon Academy were already spreading the word that Zhong Cai had become a Level 5 Pill King even earlier than his master, Pill King Sang, demonstrating his immense potential!
Wu Shaogan also advanced to the Fusion stage so quickly, seemingly without ever encountering a bottleneck. If he had only broken through quickly, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but his top ranking on two lists within the Azure Dragon Academy was definitely not just based on his cultivation level.
Even more remarkably, some alchemists who participated in the Rejuvenation Day recorded some videos, some of which have been circulated, revealing that they could withstand wooden beasts of the same cultivation level as them for an entire hour without stopping, even one against two or one against many! And those wooden beasts were not the most ordinary ones, but were constantly increasing in strength!
Such a couple...
Some of those who knew them before found it hard to believe that they had so quickly become people from two different worlds.
·
In a small private room, two young men and women sat together on a low couch.
Although the two are close, they are not intimate and maintain a certain distance from each other.
They look somewhat alike and are both very good-looking; in fact, they are a pair of siblings.
The brother and sister are only at the Enlightenment Realm, and they are still building their foundations.
At this moment, the woman chuckled softly, "I never imagined that the person my brother had told me about before would become so unattainable."
The young man replied in a low voice, "Things in this world change too quickly."
The woman's eyebrows lifted: "Back then, my brother took the initiative to remind me, and although it seemed to be of little use later, it was still a good deed. This shows that my brother has excellent judgment and was not wrong about people at all."
The young man felt somewhat helpless, but when he recalled the events of more than a decade ago, he couldn't help but smile.
"It's a pity that I only gave them a slight reminder at the time and didn't have much interaction with them. Now they probably don't even remember me."
The woman said cheerfully, "It doesn't matter whether I remember or not. The fact that we had this interaction is already quite interesting to think about now."
These brother and sister are the children of the Wan family in Fengxing City.
Originally, they were just ordinary members of the Wan family. This time, they were only able to come along because they were among the more outstanding direct descendants of their ancestor.
Upon arriving at this place, the elder brother inquired a little and learned the names of King Zhong Dan and his Daoist partner. This reminded him of events from many years ago, and when he mentioned it to his younger sister, he was filled with emotion.
The elder brother was none other than Wan Qingqu.
The woman was Wan Qingqu's younger sister, Wan Qingyao.
When Wan Qingqu met Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan, he happened to be traveling around Fengyun City and originally intended to bring back a son-in-law for his sister.
He happened to meet the couple and felt sorry for Wu Shaogan's wasted potential. On a whim, he suggested they try to find a treasure that could restore his aptitude. He left soon after, not too disappointed that he hadn't found a suitable son-in-law.
After returning home, Wan Qingqu told his sister about this incident not only because he regretted Wu Shaogan's lack of talent, but also because he was deeply moved by the affection between the couple...
·
At this moment, Sang Yunchu smiled slightly and said, "I am sorry for not welcoming you properly, everyone."
The cultivators all wore smiles and did not make a fuss; they were very polite.
Sang Yunchu then gestured for Zhong Cai to step forward, and he bowed to the many guests, expressing his welcome.
Then, Zhong Cai said with a smile, "I will be showing you the pills that my master and I have made. I would appreciate any guidance from you seniors."
Sang Yunchu smiled and instructed, "Shut up, you can go and make the introductions."
Wu Shaogan replied gently, "Yes, Master Sang."
The group spoke concisely, without much small talk.
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Shaogan flashed and appeared on the high platform directly opposite the half-open private room.
He smiled slightly, standing tall and elegant.
The person appears to radiate light, but the light is not bright and lively; rather, it is calm and serene.
In an instant, the previously quiet sounds in the main hall on the ground floor became much quieter.
·
Without wasting any words, Wu Shaogan quickly took out a medicine box and placed it on the auction stage.
He was still smiling.
"Today's auction will feature separate auctions of pills from Master Zhong and Master Sang. Master Zhong's pills will be auctioned first in a short round. Master Sang's pills will then be auctioned in a longer round."
"The same type of pills from each alchemist will be auctioned off at the same time. After all of them are auctioned off, the second type of pill will be auctioned off."
"Now, let's start with short rounds."
"The first type of pill is the Soul Fusion Pill. As everyone knows, it can eliminate the suffering of soul fusion for cultivators in the Fusion Realm."
"The specific effects of the elixir are..."
Most cultivators are familiar with this kind of elixir, so Wu Shaogan's introduction was relatively concise and he finished quickly.
Then, Wu Shaogan continued:
"Each type of elixir will be auctioned in several rounds, with a different number of elixir offered in each round."
"First auction of Soul Fusion Pills: Two top-grade Soul Fusion Pills. Starting price: 20,000 Xuan Pearls. Each bid must be at least 100 Xuan Pearls higher."
"If you are interested, you may now begin bidding."
·
Wu Shaogan appears very gentle, yet when standing quietly, his demeanor subtly conveys a sense of danger. However, when he takes the stage as the auctioneer to introduce the items, he explains everything in great detail… and his attitude is decisive and efficient.
It felt rather strange.
Regardless, this auction method is very friendly to cultivators, as they only need to bid quickly!
At that moment, countless voices rang out from the main hall at the bottom!
"Twenty-one thousand!"
"Twenty-two thousand Xuanzhu!"
"Twenty-three thousand!"
Thirty thousand!
Thirty-five thousand!
The Soul Fusion Pill is an extremely useful pill for cultivators who are focused on fusion. The top-grade version is even rarer. If you have the chance to get two directly, why not compete with all your might?
Many cultivators at a lower level understand that if they encounter the pills they want early on and don't spend a lot of money to get them, then as more pills are produced and various forces start to make their moves, even if they really want them, they will definitely not be able to compete with them.
Therefore, the bidding was incredibly fierce, and each bid increase was not in increments of one hundred.
They will all be increased to at least a thousand.
Thus, the competition among the cultivators became extremely fierce.
·
In a very short time, the bidding had already reached 80,000 Xuanzhu.
And this is far from the limit.
The Soul Fusion Pill itself isn't priced this high, but since two are bundled together, the price naturally goes up, and the competition for them becomes even fiercer.
Once this is secured, it's ten days of painless training! That's enough to support their training in some time-consuming secret techniques!
Especially for cultivators with considerable wealth, the reason they hadn't taken top-grade Soul Fusion Pills before was because they couldn't find them, not because they couldn't afford them. Now that they finally had the opportunity, how could they possibly miss it?
Some of the more accomplished cultivators in the private rooms, who also cared about their children and descendants, also started bidding.
However, this is only the first match, and there will likely be several more similar matches in the future.
Many cultivators knew that since King Zhong Dan had used two Soul Fusion Pills to bind the match in the first round, the number of pills he had prepared this time was probably not small...
The exact number is currently unknown, but it could be as many as ten!
Some cultivators secretly thought there would be even more—after all, this time King Zhong was auctioning pills together with his eighth-level King of Pills master! The master and disciple were of very different levels, so King Zhong's number of pills could not be small, so as to bring more glory to his master.
Therefore, some cultivators secretly communicated through their souls, leading to much speculation.
How many pills do you all think Master Zhong will take out?
In my opinion, there should be around twenty.
I wonder how many kinds of pills King Zhong will bring out this time. I inquired with the Azure Dragon Academy and learned that King Zhong hasn't even been certified by the academy. Even the other Azure Dragon disciples don't know his current level of alchemy skills...
[Zhong Danwang is so mysterious, probably to make a name for himself at this Danwang Conference!]
[If King Zhong Dan can really produce a large quantity of top-grade pills, even if he doesn't want to become famous, I'll have to spread the word about him throughout the entire continent!]
Haha! You've all gone completely off-topic!
[Yes, yes, yes! Guess again? I reckon ten should be about right, but the types of pills he can produce... there should be seven or eight kinds, right?]
[There are only a few years left until the end of the Spring Rejuvenation period. Even with Master Zhong's extraordinary talent, he probably hasn't reached that level yet?]
[How could we possibly predict the abilities of a top genius? I suspect there are ten types of pills, with thirty of each available!]
Dude, you're incredibly good at guessing! Hahahaha!
·
The discussions took place privately, with no cultivators speaking out publicly.
The sounds of fierce bidding still echoed throughout the hall.
The number of Xuanzhu (mysterious pearls) bid by the bidders has now exceeded 100,000.
After several more rounds of bidding, the final transaction price reached 125,000 Xuanzhu!
·
Under normal circumstances, the prices for different qualities of Soul Fusion Pills are as follows: Low-grade 20,000, Medium-grade 25,000, High-grade 30,000, and Top-grade 40,000.
However, a true alchemist who wants to sell a top-grade Soul Fusion Pill will often refuse to sell it for less than 50,000.
The current price for two bundled together isn't actually a huge premium.
It's still a good deal.
·
Wu Shaogan brought down the small hammer, took out two top-grade Soul Fusion Pills from the medicine box, and showed them to everyone so that they could inspect the goods.
As he held the Soul Fusion Pill between his fingers and turned it around, a complex seal could be faintly seen emerging on the surface of the pill.
This is Zhong Cai's cinnabar seal, stamped on this elixir, serving as an anti-counterfeiting mark.
The next moment, the cultivator who won the bid quickly sent over a mustard seed bag.
Wu Shaogan scanned the Xuan Pearl in the mustard seed bag with his spiritual sense, confirmed it was correct, took the Xuan Pearl, stuffed the two Soul Fusion Pills into the mustard seed bag, and pushed them back with a slight palm strike.
The bidder checked the bag of mustard seeds and confirmed the transaction was successful.
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