Archfiend

Chapter 45: Faction Showdown (2)

 At the same time these words were said on stage, there was no fighting in the arena. Hastily joining in on the great recruitment war of Foundation Establishment seniors and Core Formation masters was by no means an easy matter! Which of their opponent’s items and benefits surpassed their own? Regardless of whether they didn’t find their according positions, or their advantages were enough to attract Xu Yangyi or Chu Zhaonan, they could forget about participating on the eve of this tempestuous struggle.

Click clack click clack… the sound of keyboard typing resonated in each of the great clans. It was like passing clouds and flowing water, not pausing the least bit for rest.

“I’m glad I’m living in the age of Cultivation Civilization now…” An old woman inhaled deeply with her face flushed. Her chest rising up and down severely, she said shakily, “If this was the past, how could we dare compete with those leviathans? But now society’s culture is developing. Several thousand years of cultivation and civilization have fused together in harmony. We have a sliver of a chance…” 

She finished speaking and suddenly opened her eyes, her voice carrying an excited hoarseness. “Xu Yangyi’s numerical statistics haven’t come out! We of Yuyang’s Song Clan cannot let this opportunity slip by!”

Yes, times had changed. A thing such as law wasn’t only something normal people were aware of, but also little Qi Condensation cultivators and Foundation Establishment seniors. Even Core Formation masters had to abide by it, as well.

The law was something that only those at the top of the world could trifle with. If one didn’t comply with rules, then there was simply no law. The world’s system would shatter apart, and the result was absolutely something that the entire Earth’s tens of Core Formation masters couldn’t bear! 

What about their easy cultivation and supplies? And the people? Would they still want their Core Formation masters themselves to go out searching?

“The stats are out!” On the other side, tens of men and women in suits beat their keyboards as if their lives depended on it. “Ancestor, through the statistics of the final second of qi captured, Mr. Xu’s final fist strength reached 3800 kilograms and his speed was at 80 meters per second!” 

The white-haired man who was called ancestor didn’t speak. Only his ten fingers intersected together turned white! This... was the data of middle-stage Qi Condensation! It even surpassed ordinary middle-stage Qi Condensation cultivators by a hair! 

“Get ready…” The man said tremblingly, his voice crowing as he stood up. “No matter what, we must fight this time!”

Among everyone, only Chu Tianyi wore a sneer on his face.

Cultivators didn’t have much time to handle interpersonal relationships. He himself was a man of sophistication who had come from real “humanity”... What Moonchaser had said moments ago wasn’t wrong. Xu Yangyi would surely be tempted, however, he had forgot about humanity’s instinct!

Perhaps Moonchaser was planning on having Xu Yangyi set his heart in following him. After all, didn’t Xu Yangyi want to become enlightened in an arcane effort? What if he ran into a bottleneck? How would it look if you took my arcane effort and didn’t join my sect? But...

But! From how he spoke, everyone knew that Xu Yangyi was bound with a Core Formation arcane effort! Even if it was a sect that they had to move aside for and didn’t want to struggle with, at this moment, everyone had to exhaust all of their strength as if their lives depended on it!

“Young friend, your cultivation is on its way. You will definitely encounter all kinds of bottlenecks. The Floatingcloud Sect won’t force you into becoming a sect disciple by any means, but is there anyone greater than Daomaster Floatingcloud who can point out these obstacles? Yes, Daomaster Floatingcloud has a policy of nurturing talents. However, there is a grand class once every year! His Grace will personally appear to dispel your doubts!” Moonchaser struck while the iron was hot.

Chu Tianyi chuckled coldly and closed his eyes.

The crashing waves would continue to keep pushing and swelling… The struggle would truly explode...

Moonchaser didn’t pay heed to other cultivators’ gazes. His thoughts were rather proper by all rights. Who would dare fight now that Daomaster Floatingcloud’s name had arose? It was nothing but a few major powers, but this prize had unexpectedly hooked such a big fish. He truly did hold boundless admiration for Daomaster Floatingcloud’s foresight. 

“Core Formation arcane effort… A Core Formation Grand Dao…” Below, a man with a marigold on his chest was breathing chaotically and clenching his fist into a deathly pallor. “Zhaoping City’s Li Clan, hear and obey!”

“Present!” 

“Please instruct, Second Clan Master!” 

“We must use our maximum strength… to win over Fellow Daoist Xu! Immediately satisfy any of his request!”

“Yes!”

“Tianfeng City’s Su Clan, hear and obey!” Not too far away, a man with reddened eyes said with a hoarse voice, “Don’t hesitate at all costs… even if the Su Clan’s ancestral legacies are emptied! This man must be won!”

“Recruiting him is the same as recruiting a Core Formation master’s seed! Our Su Clan will have the hope to emerge into power!”

“Beijiangyuan City’s Fang Clan, hear and obey!” On the other side, a man in his early twenties waved both of his hands, rigidly locking his eyes on the billowing qi wall. “No matter what… we must risk it all this time! Immediately contact the Fang Clan if we can transfer all financials! Gold! Spirit stones! Resources! Real estate!”

“But, Young Master…”

“No buts!” The youth turned his head and glared at everyone, breathing heavily like an ox. “After we return, I will speak to the ancestor!”

The present was already an ocean of silent undercurrents. In the blink of an eye… a tsunami had arrived! Even the crowd’s breathing had joined together to become a great river of passion. Originally… Xu Yangyi alone nearly reddened their eyes. Now… this person was even bound with a Core Formation arcane effort?!

Was this a joke?! If such a person wasn’t recruited, when would they wait to do so?!

Perhaps Daomaster Floatingcloud himself hadn't expected that his prize of an arcane effort could be called an exquisite chess piece by itself. As long as any champion wanted to master it, they would have to go to him to study. It was the same as him beginning to set the title of master and disciple, but he hadn’t expected...

Moonchaser’s good intentions had ruined the matter and thoroughly ignited this fire!

Firecloud’s lips angrily trembled into a pasty color. He had believed himself to be shameless enough, but he hadn’t anticipated the shamelessness of a Core Formation master. It truly was worthy of praise and admiration!

Standing motionlessly in an invincible position… 

He clenched his teeth hatefully and turned his head. He still wanting to say something, but suddenly, a sharp noise like an arrow piercing through clouds in the sky completely tore open the seemingly tranquil cover! 

“This is the CSIB’s special envoy C-Lilac! I just contacted the branch chief! The CSIB is willing to offer a five billion USD signing bonus! Five supreme-grade spirit stones! An attack-type supreme-grade magik artifact of any choice! A defensive-type supreme-grade magik artifact of any choice! An evasion-type supreme-grade magik artifact of any choice! A supplementary-type supreme-grade magik artifact of any choice! Moreover, we’ll establish a medium-scale spirit stone mine for you alone! It’s accompanied by three types of B-grade rare metals: Mooncrescent Gold, Fireblaze Ruby, and Myriadlight Stone! But it’s not limited to just this! Mr. Xu will get to exclusively enjoy the privilege of an estate equipped with a high-grade Spirit Focusing Formation! You’ll be specially appointed a Wealth Repossession Captain! The special privilege of the Nine National Offices! In addition, the CSIB won’t take a single percentage share!”

Crash! The crowd finally exploded!

The CSIB’s massive expenditure astonished everyone! At this instant, even the three Foundation Establishment cultivators had turned their heads back in shock. 

“You… You’re truly willing to part with such capital?!” Moonchaser finally understood the folly of what he had done! The CSIB hadn’t made a move, but when they did, they spent a frighteningly extravagant cost!

“A mine with three B-grade metals… They’re planning on arming him to the teeth! They’re going to raise him to the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment?! Four supreme-grade magik artifacts… Fuck… Has Foundation Establishment become four supreme-grade magik treasures?! A high-grade Spirit Focusing Formation…” Firecloud couldn’t help but to curse fiercely. This spending style was too great, so great that he didn’t dare welcome it! His total value wasn’t worth that much!

The worth of a Foundation Establishment cultivator to buy a single person!

Originally, Xu Yangyi wouldn’t have been worth so much. It was like he had studied abroad and returned, only his starting point was much higher than where everyone else stood. However, the final result wouldn’t simply be him becoming the CEO upon returning from studying abroad after ten-odd years, the position that everyone had struggled for.

But now… Xu Yangyi had secured a Core Formation arcane effort! His fiendish aptitude came in addition with a Grand Dao arcane effort that would lead straight to Core Formation! 

But what if Floatingcloud didn’t teach him later on?

Not a problem! The CSIB still had Core Formation masters stationed in command! Even if their understanding of the Burning Heavens Revelation was inferior to Daomaster Floatingcloud’s, couldn’t it be understood via analogy?

What? You don’t understand? Speak up, brother, you think I won’t slap you to death and send you flying over the sky?!

With Xu Yangyi’s aptitude that was capable of shaking Sunnihilator’s stone stele and making it crack, an explosive strength that surpassed ordinary middle-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, and the addition of this Core Formation arcane effort...

Not to even mention a fragrant steamed bun, he was gold! He was the whole hog! 

“We are Fengyi’s Wang Clan! As long as young friend Xu says the word, you will be a candidate for the next clan master! The entire Wang Clan, all of the initial-stage Qi Condensation cultivators will be yours to command!” Before Lilac’s voice even fell, an old man with reddened eyes stood up, not be out done. His voice even shook the sand on the floor. “Young friend, consider it clearly. Admittedly, joining a big organization is good, but there are countless clauses and rules awaiting you! Don’t you want to be as free as idle clouds and field cranes?”

“Hehehe… Old Ghost Wang, you sure speak full of yourself. Not even speaking about the rank twenty-seventh Burning Heavens Revelation, how could a golden dragon like young friend Xu himself take residence in a shallow cave? A phoenix doesn’t perch on a parasol tree.” Before he finished speaking, a seemingly fast-moving-but-motionless old woman with a young girl supporting her stood up. Her wizened and thin hand was like a chicken claw, trembling. “There are more than a hundred clans present in Nantong Province, and every clan has brought at least 50 to 60 members and at the most 200 elites. In this endless human tide, you’ve come to gamble your clan legacies, but you’ve completely avoided placing my Chen Clan of Zhaoping, in your eyes.”

“Young friend Xu, our Chen Clan is no different, but we are Nantong Province’s largest alchemy clan! Perhaps all of the Bountiful Treasures Pavilion’s pill elixirs are only model numbers and spread through various channels, but were you aware that true high-grade pill elixirs are never put online for auction?!”

“In Nantong Province, the Chen Clan stands on top in the way of alchemy. As I just said, if the Chen Clan says we are second, none will dare say that they are first! As long as you sign a contract with my Chen Clan—our agreement won’t be one to death, only a hundred years—my clan’s pill elixirs will be totally opened to you without restriction!”

As her voice came to the end, she nearly yelled, “No matter the pill elixir! As long as it’s on the market, my Chen Clan will concoct it! You can even ask everyone here, in which of Nantong Province’s auctions does the highest-grade pill elixirs not originate from my Chen Clan?”

“If old madam Chen is speaking like this, then our Fengyi’s Wang Clan wants to throw in our two cents, as well.” Before the first wave had even subsided, a second one had come crashing. A youth in a refined suit stood up and pushed back on his gold-rimmed glasses. He was seemingly calm, yet his palms were already overflowing with cold sweat. “Fellow Daoist Xu, my Fengyi’s Wang Clan governs three of the western provinces! Nantong, Yunqi, and Guifang. Which clan’s high-grade Spirit Focusing Formations has not come by my Wang Clan’s hand? The Chen Clan is wealthy, but the Wang Clan stands on similar footing!”

“Fellow Daoist Xu, if you join a big organization, we will cup our hands and express our good wishes. However, layers upon layers of rules and etiquette is unquestionably inferior to the joyous liberations of an unfettered lord of a major city! I, Wang Chaofeng, the young master of the Wang Clan, guarantee here that if Fellow Daoist Xu joins the Wang Clan, we will also only sign you on for a hundred years! After a hundred years, Fellow Daoist Xu may do as he will! Not only will my Wang Clan open a Spirit Focusing Formation for Fellow Daoist Xu, the Wang Clan’s three most precious treasures: Six Yin Fairies, Six Yang Gods; Immortal Erudition, and Dragon Swallows Setting Sun, will be open to Fellow Daoist with unlimited access!” [1]