Archfiend

Chapter 121: Forming the Pill (4)

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

An auction? This idea seemed good. 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, guaranteeing his own safety was paramount. How many would come to investigate the origin of this medicinal pill? How many 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’ll have to show up in person.”

These words sobered Mao Ba’er and Li Zongyuan. Silent, after what seemed to be a minute, Mao Ba’er took the medicinal pill and placed it in Li Zongyuan’s hand, his face deadpan. “That’s right… Now still isn’t the time to show your face, but you don’t don’t have to personally step in. If you need something, just inform the auction official.”

“No…” Xu Yangyi dangerously narrowed his eyes. “What I want… requires immediate transaction.” Presently, of the five allotted years for the necessary mission completion, two years had already passed. This mission couldn’t be an ordinary mission. It would be fine if Xu Yangyi found any cat and dog as he pleased for assistance, but the mission had to be real and difficult. 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 presented 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 just 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 trio’s gazes converged, and both Li Zongyuan and Mao Ba’er understood the wisp of dense murderous will that lay in Xu Yangyi’s eyes!

“Master, your 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… but once you set out for a mission, Thousandedge…” As Li Zongyuan said this word, he shivered. Unbeknownst to himself, he was already soaked in cold sweat! He’d guessed Xu Yangyi’s thoughts, but in no way did he 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, wasn’t easily provoked whatsoever!

“Good god…” The husky shivered, and he looked at Xu Yangyi like he was looking at a monster. “Spud, y-you’re too crazy…”

A counter-kill that transcended two ranks! It wasn’t like this couldn’t be done… but the crux of this matter 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 prevent a a pursuit from Foundation Establishment cultivator! This endeavor couldn’t be accomplished without one word, money, and two words, spirit stones! 

So long as this monetary figure was produced, there was no fear that this objective wouldn’t be met. 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!

By no stretch of the imagination could Thousandedge expect that Xu Yangyi had such capital. How could a cultivator without any backer have the spirit stones to kill him? What a joke! Because of this, only Xu Yangyi could personally go choose and try whatever he wanted. At the time of auction, he needed to attend in person!

“Crazy?” Xu Yangyi merely raised this thought. Presently, the idea still hadn’t completely took hold. “The world’s people laugh at my insanity, and I laugh that they cannot see.” His gaze chilled, and he licked his lips. “Mao Ba’er, starting from today, you have to pay attention to all A-rank and above missions.”

The husky stated blankly at Xu Yangyi for a few seconds 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. “Collect the names of all talismans, treasures, and medicinal pills that can immediately 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 they 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’s something else. Master, the box you handed to me, its specific era and wielder have been more or less 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 business was similar to someone who had excavated the Realm-Inheritance Jade Seal and brought it to auction. At that point, there was quite a possibility that his treasure would be auctioned at an astronomical price. Nonetheless, he couldn’t even dream of living afterwards. Without meticulous planning, Xu Yangyi preferred a black market transaction, rather than opt for an auctioning method that would maximize his gains. [1]

“Also, you better keep this thing in mind.” Xu Yangyi swiped his finger and an ancient sheepskin scroll appeared in his hand. He intently studied the two familiars. “Any information related to this item… MUST be sent to me at once.” 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 public’s eyes, this was perhaps an ordinary place. From time to time, a few foreign sinologist, geographers, and geologists would come to take pictures and shoot videos, however, because of the land’s infertility, desolateness, and water shortage, signs of human habitation in the region had always been sparse from past to present. 

Nonetheless, this was merely in the public’s eyes. There was such a group, their numbers rather few, that were above the world’s billions of people. They were known as cultivators. In their eyes, this location was still a place that couldn’t be come to, a place that shouldn’t be come to. And yet, that didn’t mean they didn’t know of this place. On the contrary, regarding this area’s name, Longsu’s Danxia Temple, every man, woman, and child had firmly memorized it in their hearts. 

Of the Eight Great Deadlands, the name of Longsu Province’s Danxia Temple Colonnades was long since akin to lightning piercing the ears. A nameless Core Formation Dao Master, set lofty and high, tens of Great Circle Foundation Establishment seniors, and hundreds of late-stage and Great Circle Qi Condensation cultivators had all vanished in Longsu’s deadland. 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 wistfully. “You guys are youngsters. Remember at all costs, be sure to never get close to that place if you have no business. Even if you get close, it might be impossible to turn back.” 

“Uncle, what’s 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 can enter the top hundred clans… Why can’t this place be entered?”

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

In the entire nation, Longsu’s Zhao Clan had approximately 200-plus clansmen in total. They were capable of entering the top hundred clans, 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 the Great Circle of Qi Condensation. Yet 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 uncle’s words.” The old man looked towards the hill, his gaze terribly vigilant as if he was watching the motionless head of a monster. He said in a grave tone, “A Core Formation master was lost to this place. Not to mention a single Zhao Clan, even if ten thousand Zhao Clan’s entered, none of them would be able to get out alive.” 

“A Core Formation master?!” a youth cried out in alarm, “No way! They can easily fly anywhere; how could…”

“This is fact. Even I, your uncle, don’t risk getting close. I can only look 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 Danxia Temple’s vicinity, you’ll hear your most beloved 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 flung his hands out wide. Without missing a beat, the youths jumped in fright. Afterwards, all of them flushed red and shouted.

 “You’re scaring us, Uncle!” 

“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’ll become a vegetable. Your three Hun and seven Po will vanish into nothing. That’s how it is no matter how high your cultivation is.” [4]

“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 that there’s an ancient cultivator’s palace inside. Others say there’s a living ancient cultivator. No one knows what’s inside… Little Lin, what’re you looking at?”

The old man looked at 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 legendary Netherpierce Eye. Most of the clan’s elders viewed him with importance.

However, at the moment, this youth was furrowing his brows as he looked at 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, “Uncle… is there a thousand-meter-tall person?”

“What are 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 of a question like that?”

Little Lin pulled the old man’s hand in dissatisfaction and pointed towards Danxia Temple’s direction. “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, or else I won’t play with you when we get back.”

As their laughs became louder, the old man’s expression became even more solemn. Finally, he abruptly raised 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 totally rusted after, even covered in cracks and splits after an unknown passage of time. 

The chains on his body were so wide in magnitude that profound talismans could be seen on them. The spiritual pressure that radiated off them caused Little Lin to feel his heart quicken 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 none! [5]

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 is probably a censor not to tie it to a real place. 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 incorporeal 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.

5. In Chinese creation myth, Pangu is considered the god who cleaved apart Yin and Yang to create heaven and earth with his axe to grant all things life. Once his task was completed, different parts of his body became things of the world, i.e: the sun, the moon, mountains, rivers, etc.