Archfiend

Chapter 121: Forming the Pill (4)

“Calm down and relax.” Xu Yangyi’s remark caused Mao Ba’er’s exhilarated expression to finally settle. 

An auction? It seemed this was a good idea. However, it was necessary of Xu Yangyi to make corresponding preparation for an auction. Two hundred years later in the End of Days, the first medicinal pill had emerged in the world. What kind of scene would appear?

Madness didn’t need to be said, and wild scrambling was a given. Nonetheless, to Xu Yangyi, how to guarantee his own safety was paramount. How many people would come to investigate the origin of this medicinal pill? How many people would care for the person who refined this medicinal pill? What would they do?

The pill elixir market was bound to suffer an intense shock. It didn’t need to be said that the Bountiful Treasures Pavilion would overturn their entire pavilion’s strength to look for him. If he was found, what would happen?

“Now still isn’t the time for me to announce my identity.” Xu Yangyi said apathetically: “If it’s an auction, I HAVE to personally show up.”

These words sobered Mao Ba’er and Li Zongyuan. Silent, after roughly a few tens of seconds, Mao Ba’er took the medicinal pill and placed it in Li Zongyuan’s hand, his canine face deadpan: “That’s right… Now still isn’t the time for to show your face, but you don’t don’t have to personally step in at all. If you require something, just inform the auction official.”

“No…” Xu Yangyi dangerously narrowed his eyes: “What I desire… requires transaction on the spot.” Presently, of the five year distance apart from the necessary mission completion, two years had already passed. This mission couldn’t be said to be an ordinary mission. It would be fine if Xu Yangyi found any cat and dog as he pleased for support, but this mission HAD to be true and difficult mission. Else not, for what reason did the Featherwood Guard nurture so many legions? 

There was still three years left, and Xu Yangyi lacked both objective and an established team. If he aired himself now as a pill master, there wouldn’t even be a path of escape for him. This was too unwise.

At that time… the worst circumstance absolutely wouldn’t only be Daomaster Floatingcloud seeking his death. Even the ten great Dao Masters would join the fray! 

Li Zongyuan seemed to realize something and said involuntarily: “S-sir desires…”

The gazes of the three converged together, and both Li Zongyuan and Mao Ba’er understood the wisp of dense murderous will that laid in his eyes!

“Master, you’re great hatred has still yet to be avenged, and you’ll have to raise your rating to search the SS-rank and SSS-rank demons indices. This can only be done by the Xingtian Legion accepting a mission… However, once you set out on a mission, Thousandedge…” As Li Zongyuan said this word, he shivered. Unbeknownst to himself, he had already become soaked in cold sweat! He had guessed Xu Yangyi’s thought, but he unconditionally didn’t anticipate that Xu Yangyi’s heart was so great!

To kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Xu Yangyi would use this as a pretext to tell everyone who was hunting him that he, Xu Yangyi, was in no way easy to provoke!

“Good god…” Mao Ba’er's body shivered, and he looked at Xu Yangyi like he was looking at a monster: “Spud, y-you’re too crazy…”

A reverse-killing that transcended two ranks! It wasn’t that it couldn’t be done… The crux of it considered how much capital you had in your hands! For example… a magik artifact capable of obstructing a Foundation Establishment cultivator or… one that was able to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator! And then for instance… a magik artifact that could render a Foundation Establishment cultivator from chasing after! It wasn’t without one word, money, and two words, spirit stones! 

So long as the figure was produced, there was no fear that it wouldn’t be. The crucial point was that there were honestly too few people in the world that held such capital. Besides the first sons and daughters of Core Formation masters, this number didn’t go over fifty!

Thousandedge couldn’t expect by any imagining that Xu Yangyi possessed such capital. How could a cultivator without any backer possess the spirit stones to exterminate him? What a joke! Because of this, whatever Xu Yangyi desired, only he could personally go to choose and try it. At the time of auction, it was necessary of him to attend in person!

“Crazy?” Xu Yangyi had just only raised this thought. Presently, this idea had yet to thoroughly set firm. “The world’s people laugh at my insanity, and I laugh that they cannot see through.” His gaze chilled, and he licked his lips: “Mao Ba’er, starting from today, you have to being paying attention to all A-rank and above missions.”

Mao Ba’er looked at Xu Yangyi for a few seconds in a daze and sighed: “You really are crazy… but this time… you really got a fucking chance to succeed…”

“Li Zongyuan.” Xu Yangyi simply didn’t care and transferred his gaze: “Posthaste, collect the names of all talismans, treasures, and medicinal pills that can kill, resist, and escape Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

“Master…” Li Zongyuan hesitated to speak, but gritted his teeth and said: “These things… it’s not that aren’t in supply, but with their prices… You won’t be able to exchange them with twelve medicinal pills…”

“I have my own plans.” Xu Yangyi laughed.

“Yes.” Li Zongyuan nodded and bowed: “In addition, there is something else. Master, the box you handed to me, its specific era and wielder have more or less been already determined.”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze grew solemn: “Tell me the place. I’ll go there tomorrow myself.”

The auction couldn’t be rushed. His present handlings resembled a person who had excavated the Realm-Inheritance Jade Seal and brought it to auction. At that scene, there was quite a possibility it would be auctioned at an astronomical price. Nonetheless, he couldn’t even dream of living afterwards. Without meticulous planning, Xu Yangyi prefered a black market transaction, not opting to such a method of auctioning which would maximize his gains. [1]

“Also, you best be mindful of this object.” Xu Yangyi swiped his finger and an ancient sheepskin scroll appeared in his hand. He studied the other two tightly: “Any information… pertaining to this item MUST be notified to me immediately.” Stopping at this matter, Xu Yangyi prepared for a good night’s rest. Tomorrow he would leave to where the archaeologist was located. 

Meanwhile, in Longsu Province’s Jiuquan City, at Ahza Autonomous County’s Green Willow Ravine. [2] 

In the people’s eyes, this was perhaps an ordinary place. From time to time, a few foreign sinologist, geographers, and geologist would to take pictures and shoot videos, however, because of the land’s infertility, desolateness, and shortage of water, the signs of human habitation here had always been sparse from past to present. 

Nonetheless, this was merely in the eyes of world’s peoples. There was such a group, their numbers rather few, that were above these billions of people. They were known as cultivators. In their eyes, location was likewise couldn’t be come to, a place that shouldn’t come to. And yet, this didn’t represent at all that they were unaware of this place. On the contrary, in regards to this area’s name, Longsu’s Danxia Temple, every person had adamantly memorized it in their hearts. 

Of the eight great danger lands, the name of Longsu Province’s Danxia Temple Colonnades was long since akin to lightning piercing through the ears. A nameless Core Formation Dao Master, set lofty and high, several tens of Great Circle Foundation Establishment seniors, and several hundreds of late-stage and Great Circle Qi Condensation cultivators had all vanished in Longsu’s danger land. None dared to scorn this western red region.  

“Over there is Longsu Province’s terrible and awesome Danxia Temple Colonnades.” An old man pointed at a stretch of reddish-brown hillside over a thousand meters away, pulling his finger back ruefully: “You guys are youngsters. Remember at all costs, if you have no business, be sure to never near that place. Even if you get close, it might be impossible to turn back.” 

“Clan uncle, whats that mean?” A young girl around fifteen or sixteen opened her round eyes and laughed as she asked: “I heard father say that our Zhao Clan of Longsu is capable of entering the top hundred clans… Why can’t this place be entered?”

The old man was at the middle stage of Qi Condensation. At this side, there were roughly around seven to eight people, all of them fourteen-to-seventeen-year-old youths. On their chests, they beared a crest like a feather. 

In the entire nation, Longsu’s Zhao Clan had approximately altogether two hundred-plus clansmen. They were capable of entering the top hundred, and even though they were dead last in the top hundred, they could depend on this to strut their feathers. [3]

Their clan master was at thee Great Circle of Qi Condensation, among the top ten super clans that used Foundation Establishment cultivators as their core, he was indeed not worthy of being mentioned. 

“Little Nan, listen to clan uncle’s words.” The old man looked towards the hill, his gaze terribly vigilant as if he he was watching the motionless head of a monster. He said gravely: “A Core Formation master was lost to his place. Not to mention a single Zhao Clan, even if ten thousand Zhao Clan’s enter, none of them would be able to make it out alive.” 

“A Core Formation master?!” A youth cried out in alarm: “No way! They can easily soar over clouds and sails mists; how could…”

“This is fact. Even I, your clan uncle, dares not to approach. I can only observe it from afar. As for being unable to return…” The clan uncle laughed: “It’s strange, but ordinary people don’t sense a thing when they come here. But cultivators, once you pass the vicinity of Danxia Temple, you’ll hear your most cherished person call out your name. At that time, once you turn your head back…”

All the youths closely looked at their clan uncle with nervously wide eyes.

“BOO!!!” The old man suddenly made a scary action. Without delay, all the youths jumped in fright. Afterwards, all of them flushed and shouted.

 “Clan uncle is scaring us!” 

“You’re too rotten!” 

“I-I’m going to tell my dad!”

“Alright, alright.” The old man chuckled heartily and stroked his beard: “I’m telling you guys. Once you turn your head back, that person will die on the spot. No, maybe it can be said you become a vegetable. Your three Hun and seven Po will disappear clean. It’s like this no matter how high your cultivation.” [4]

“Clan uncle, what the heck is there?” A courageous youth asked curiously.

“Who knows?” The old man laughed and stroked his head: “Some say it leads to the netherworld. Some say there is an ancient cultivator’s palace inside. Others say there is a living ancient cultivator. No one knows what’s inside… Little Lin, what’re you looking at?”

The old man looked towards the youth. This youngster was the cultivator with the best talents in the clan and ordinarily loved to bustle. In particular, the boy also possessed a sliver of a bloodline divine ability. The pupils of his eyes were white, the legend-said Netherpierce Pupil. Most of the clan’s elders viewed him as important.

However, at the moment, this youth was furrowing his brows as he looked a certain place, unblinking. It wasn’t until he heard his clan uncle’s words that he seemed to respond. Turning his head back, he questioned suspiciously: “Clan uncle… is there a thousand-meter-tall person?”

“What’re you thinking.” The old man chuckled and flicked the boy’s forehead: “A thousand meters tall is a demon. Little Lin, how could you think up such a question?”

Little Lin pulled the old man’s hand in dissatisfaction and pointed towards the direction of Danxia Temple: “But I saw it… There was a giant over a thousand meters tall using an ax to chop the place you talked about…”

“Hehe, how’s that possible!” 

“Little Lin, you can’t tease me. We know your eyes can see through the dark, but this isn’t a place you can play jokes.”

“Enough, otherwise, I won’t play with you when we go back.”

As their laughs became louder, the old man’s expression became even more solemn. Finally, he abruptly lifted his hand and fixed Little Lin with a look: “You’re not deceiving me? You really saw it?”

Little Lin looked doubtingly at his clan uncle and looked again at the hill. I’m not wrong… I really did see it...

A general wearing ancient armor and fastened with iron chains from head to toe, seemingly able to brace the heavens and trample the earth. The armor on his body had already completely rusted after an unknown passage of time and was even covered in crack and splits. 

The chains on his body were distanced so far that profound talismans could be seen on them. The spiritual pressure that radiated off them caused Little Lin to feel his heart startle and his flesh to quiver just from a glance. 

In the general’s hand, he was grasping a gargantuan iron ax, and he chopped towards Danxia Temple below with strike after strike.

But the most terrifying thing was his face. This was because this seemingly Pangu-esque giant had no face!*****

[1] Reminder: The Realm-Inheritance Jade Seal is the Emperor Armament of the Qing dynasty, China’s last dynasty. In real life, this item also exists, but has been claimed as lost.

[2] A couple things here. So Longsu Province doesn’t exist. Author probably means Gansu, but this novel is part fantasy, so there you go. As for what I tried to “romanize” as Ahza, this is probably based on a real ethnic minority group, but I can’t find it for the life of me. Based on the region, I think it’s probably based off a muslim/mongol minority

[3] Drawing attention to the phrase “strut their feathers”. What is actually being said here is literally “self console/pleasure”. It just so happens this formation of characters means to masturbate. I guess I could’ve literally put it as “they could rely on this to jerk off” LOL

[4] I mentioned this a very long time ago in the Eternal Alchemy Canon chapter, but I will go deeper into the ideas of Hun and Po now. In Chinese tradition, a person is said to have 3 Huns and 7 Pos. The Hun and Po are respectively divided into Yang and Yin. When one dies, the incorporal Hun disappears, but the “corporal” Po remains. It is because of this remaining Po that you may read in other novels that zombies/corpses have Yin energy. The reason why there are 3 Hun and 7 Po is referenced in a text called the Luo Shuo Diagram. This diagram takes a form of N/S/W/E/SW/NW/SE/NE/Center in combination with the numbers 1-9. 3 is east and 7 is west. It also because of this directional cardinality in combination with numbers that the numbers 1 and 9 are considered “supreme” numbers in Chinese tradition. 9 is south and 1 is north, complements in a sense. Now if this isn’t confusing enough, reverse the physical direction in your mind. The ancient chinese considered what we know as north to be south and vice versa. Same goes for east/west.