Archfiend

Chapter 138: The Eve of the Auction

There existed no wind, shadow, or light. At this moment, Xu Yangyi and Thousandedge were in different rooms, but they both half-kneeled on the floor. All of the Featherwood Guard’s cultivators on duty were all like this now! It seemed an invisible titan was slowly approaching. Raising a leg, it strided over a thousand mountains. Touching the earth, it surmounted endless waters.

No one whatsoever had the audacity to release a hair of their spiritual sense. Ten minutes later, the formless yet heart-palpitating might quietly receded. In the Xingtian Legion office, Xu Yangyi fiercely clenched his fists. In front of him were ten jade slips floating in the air. Even though they were inanimate objects, they generated a heart-shaking spiritual pressure!

It was untamed, lacking the slightest masking. If it was said Foundation Establishment was like landslides and tsunamis to Xu Yangyi, then these ten jade slips were practically the raging waves of celestial bodies, the cosmic Big Bang of Earth’s nascence! 

His heart was madly beating. He breathed in deeply a few times and extended his hand to grasp the first jade slip. His hand trembled uncontrollably. As if this jade slip was an immortal item, mortals were simply unable to take hold of it. 

Xu Yangyi grinded his teeth and exhausted his maximum strength to take this jade slip into his hand. It was a portrait of hooking silver and streaking iron. The characters on the surface weren’t written with black ink, but rather qi. The qi formed characters.

Flowing Light Imprisoning Shadow, Daomaster Ancient Pine will punctually arrive on next month’s day. A Core Formation Dao Master… The world’s apex! He was arriving with his true body! In history, there had never been a person able to accomplish this! To cause the coming of a Core Formation master with a Qi Condensation cultivator’s meager auction!

It wasn’t an incarnation, spiritual sense, or an assistant. Instead, it was the personal descent of the arcane chariot! Shutting his eyes and breathing deeply again, Xu Yangyi used all his strength to wave his hand after several seconds passed. In mid air, the ten jadeslips slowly unfolded!

Five Phases Cardinal Extreme, Daomaster Cloudcrane will punctually arrive on next month’s day.

Still Shadow Sinking Jade, Daomaster Hiddenscent will punctually arrive on next month’s day.

Sweeping The Six Directions, Daomaster Skybearer will punctually arrive on next month’s day.

Daomaster Droughtbringer will punctually arrive on next month’s day. Daomaster Blackmountain will punctually arrive on next month’s day.

Of the ten Core Formation greats, not a single one was absent! All of them were arriving with their true bodies! After nearly two centuries, the Dao of Pills had emerged again; there was no one that wouldn’t do this honor!

Xu Yangyi closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. The Dao of Pills was his take-off cornerstone. At long last, it was placed before the entire cultivation world! Once this step was trod, a new world of vast oceans and boundless skies would welcome him!

The wind moved again. Shadows also began to sway freely. All of everything returned ten minutes into the past again. It seemed as if those ten minutes had never occurred. The whole Featherwood Guard branch was merely left with half-kneeling cultivators drenched in a cold sweat. Only they understood that in these ten minutes, someone had come… A true supremacy of China had come!

Swish… It wasn’t known how long it was until Thousandedge was certain that the other party had already left. He then stood up, his entire face deathly ashen. His fingers were softly trembling, and his chest heaved up and down imperceptibly. Afterwards, he sat down with a wan pallor. 

The inside of the room was silent. After ages, he suddenly slammed the table: “How is it… How is this possible! His Excellency actually didn’t inform me he had arrived! He went directly to meet with that bastard!”

No one said anything. At this moment, Nameless who was like an accompanying shadow dared not answer, as well.

“It is the Will of Heaven…” Unknown as to how much time had passed, Nameless sighed faintly: “For Xu Yangyi to be able to contact His Excellency… is a dictation of fate…”

“Fate, my ass!” Thousandedge gnashed his teeth as he stood up. He looked outside at the night scenery with killing intent brimming in his heart and spat out two words sinisterly: “Chu Clan.”

Nameless didn’t speak.

“It was them… Only they’re capable of knowing where His Excellency’s body is presently located! Only that old fogey Chu Tianyi understands how to contact this authority!” Thousandedge’s expression was akin to ice: “Just wait… Once I transcend this world, I will inevitably sacrifice you ilk to my banner!” [1]

Time drifted swiftly, but in some people’s eyes, it was too fast. So fast that it wasn’t distant enough! In Panshan City, below the Heavens Law branch, there was a region no less than several ten thousand square meters. At this moment, countless mechanical puppets stuck with talismans were transporting all kinds of spirit objects. 

There was a one-square-meter-sized metal-stone composite. This stone material wasn’t only able to absorb all spiritual force impacts at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment and below, it was furthermore covered in golden veins on its ink-black stone surface. It was impressive and grand, and of course, the object’s price was even more impressive.

On the black market, a piece of this stone material could sell for a price of one medium-grade spirit stone. Presently, like cash was unwanted, thousands upon thousands of these pieces were tossed inside. Several-tens-of-meters-tall mechanical puppet beasts were being controlled by talismancers. Between countless mechanical marionettes, they were particularly striking. They were similar to a clear and orderly great river, taking the original plain space and arranging it with lustrous gold and jade.

“The entire overhead needs to be covered with the Mercury-Gold Shadow Seizer Formation! Didn’t I want at least 8,000 square meters of formation?! How can there only be 6,000 right now?!” A middle-aged fatso, at the minimum over 100 kilograms, was sitting on a soft palanquin raised up by four marionettes and shouting: “Where is the site manager?! Get him over to reply!”

“Ancestor…” A few assistants at the side of the soft palanquin answered in embarrassment: “This is too sudden. This the largest formation that the Bountiful Treasures Pavilion is capable of putting forth. We…”

“Don’t go searchin’ for a reason to give me!” The fatso’s eyes were somewhat reddened, and he glared at the other. Because he was constraining his excitement, his voice was a tad floaty: “This is my Golden Dipper Hall’s greatest transaction! Right now, the Xingtian Legion has already received the business cards of tens of first-class clans in the whole country! If we do this well, the moment the Golden Dipper Hall surpasses the rest of the cultivation auction companies and jumps to number one is around the corner!”

His gaze roiled as he looked at the scene: “The best… This Throne only wishes the best for everything! Even if the Golden Dipper Hall’s ancestral coffers are hollowed empty, I have to arrange things so everyone is satisfied!”

“Where is Fellow Daoist Hundredtongues?! Didn’t I have him come over a few days ago from Beijing’s branch hall? Where is the guy? Right now, everything has to be number one for Panshan City’s auction!”

A secretary immediately responded in respect: “As our hall’s most famous auction official, Senior Hundredtongues has already entered the scope of Mingshui Province. He’ll arrive in approximately thirty minutes.”

The fatso then nodded in understanding and sucked in heavily. He looked at everyone and gritted his teeth: “Do this nicely, do everything nicely… If this isn’t accomplished, just wait for the Golden Dipper Hall to dissolve!”

“Ancestor!” At this time, a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator who was sitting on a three-meter-sized bird-shaped magik artifact and drenched in perspiration came flying over. His voice was shaking: “Ancestor! A big matter! A big matter! Ancestor…”

“Hmph!” The fatso snorted forcefully. Instantly, the magik artifact took a fall to the ground like it was struck by lightning. After the cultivator fell to the floor, he didn’t pat himself free of dust, but rather shot up at once. Like he was crazy, he clasped an ancient box in his hands as he ran and yelled: “Ancestor! Something big has happened! Ancestor!”

You piece of a junk! The fatso gnashed his teeth and looked at his ordinarily most competent subordinate. Normally… he looked at these people favorable. How was it that the more he looked at them, the dumber they were!

The Dao of Pills had come into the world. He didn’t know how many lifetimes of expensive incense the Golden Dipper Hall had burned to obtain this chance! The inside of his heart was in an awful frenzy. For the past few days and nights, he was unable to cultivate. Now that there were a couple people shouting so loudly, were they trying to kill him?!

“Ugh!” He grunted heavily. The nervousness, excitement, and expectation in his heart all converged into a stream of irritation. 

“Ancestor! T-this is the imperial mandate that the Xingtian Legion just sent over! Sir…”

“Isn’t it just a business card?!” Listening to these words, the Fatso’s heart brimming with irritation transformed into a fiery wrath that rocketed straight to the crown of his head. He slammed an armrest and yelled angrily: “Beat it! Scram back and take care of it! Only report to me when you understand what an important matter is!”

His roar reverberated in the entire space, but in the next second, he suddenly discovered all around him was deathly silent.

What? 

The fiery wrath in his heart pulled back abruptly. His gaze faintly swept over the surrounding secretaries and assistants. On each person’s face, an excited fanaticism floated into view! There were even some people’s legs that were trembling!

Wait a minute...

Subsequently, bean-sized sweat drops fellow from his head. His hand started to shiver, unable to be controlled. Afterwards, his whole body began to shake like sifting chaff. 

No… Not a business card… Right, he had just heard… heard it was...

An imperial mandate!

Who would dare use an imperial mandate?!

His heart began to pound madly. The fatso’s figure instantly disappeared from the soft palanquin and immediately appeared at the side of the kneeling cultivator. His wavering hand faltering extended towards the box. Breathing deeply a few times, he stifled his mind’s excitement and alarm, and shakily opened it. 

In a twinkling, treasure light ascended!

Ten streaks of qi that shrouded the heavens and covered the earth jetted forth like an ancient devil god! It caused the entire space to tremble!

Thonk… The first person kneeled. Thonk thonk… The second and third persons both kneeled. 

After several seconds, the site grounds were morbidly silent. Besides the mechanical puppets, everyone was half-kneeling on the floor! 

The Core Formation masters were attending!

“Ten… Ten imperial mandates…” The fatso’s face twisted because of excitement, and his voice went dry: “T-t-the X-Xingtian Legion’s auction… a-a-actually has ten Core Formation greats assembling together!” In his heart, endless jealousy and envy intertwined together, causing him to feel a complex tangle of emotions!

Each province had several A-rank legions. Some even had close to ten. However, was there an A-rank legion at the beginning of its legion inauguration that was capable of congregating ten great Core Formation masters?!

An imperial mandate was only when a Core Formation ancestor arrived with their arcane body. Otherwise, an avatar or spiritual sense wouldn’t be capable of using an imperial mandate! The reputations of the ten great Core Formation ancestors were akin to thunder piercing the ear in all of China, but to lay one’s own eyes on several of them? Couldn’t one boast for a lifetime upon seeing this? And now, because of the Xingtian Legion’s auction, all of them were arriving! [2]

“This… Our Golden Dipper Halls has been established for over a hundred years… but never have we once witnessed a Core Formation ancestor’s true body!” It wasn’t known how much time had passed until he stood up. He turned his head, and his eyes were so stirred with emotion that these feelings transformed into a killing aura: “Immediately! Right now! Take out the Golden Dipper Hall’s hidden inheritance formations! Hurry! Hurry!! HURRY!!!” [3]

“There are still places that don’t have enough dazzling gold and jade! There are still places that don’t have enough lavishness! Patch it all up! What the hell are you still waiting for?! Right! NOW! Get it! DONE!”

Nonetheless, at the same time, it was unknown how many clans had reached a most scorching-white state despite not being in a circumstance of battle!

“Is this definite?” In Beijing, in a several-odd-meter-sized office, a changpao-wearing old man looked oppressively at all the people below. 

“Definitely, clan elder!” Below, a woman said heavily: “An hour ago, ten great Core Formation imperial mandates were exhibited at the Golden Dipper Hall. The Golden Dipper Hall’s hall master increased the budget by another hundred high-grade spirit stones!”

The old man breathed in deeply and strongly thudded his walking stick: “Time… Fate… There will be a day when our Meng Clan also has the reputation to cause the ten Core Formation greats to gather together… It’ll be fine even if the clan is defeated!”

No one spoke. In no one’s heart did burning fervor not exist! In the cultivation world, the last one capable of such honor was Ancientpine, a Core Formation cultivator! The Shennong Convention which was inscribed in the annals of history!

This time, Xu Yangyi, a Qi Condensation cultivator, had roused the Core Formation ancestors to personally arrive! The myriad masses were gazing attentively!

In a similar office in Shanghai, there were likewise ten-odd people, however, their faces were even more solemn!

“The Core Formation masters have entered the scene…” At the head was a woman. Her lips softly quivered: “Double our budget again… No matter what, we need to meet with that pill master this time!”

In the Pill Masters Guild headquarters, a heavy stone door swung open. An old man bearing an aged aura was standing at the entrance. At the entrance, there was already a large group of half-kneeling apprentices.

The old man’s deep gaze scanned everyone present, and he uttered: “Go.”

“Allow This Throne… to personally examine this medicinal pill’s quality!”

The clouds of the eight reaches stirred, and the entire cultivation world seemed to completely boil for this magnificent assembly. Each person was watching that day on the calendar. The day destined to be engraved in the annals of cultivation history.

[1] “Sacrifice to my banner” This is an ancient Chinese battle tradition. Armies would sacrifice animals to the gods for fortune in battle.

[2] “Arcane body” I am unsure if the author is actually referring to a more creative idea of a “magic body/law body”, but the specific term used is a major concept in Buddhism called the Dharmakaya. The Dharmakaya is one of Buddha’s three bodies. It is the body of truth, a body of reality. It encompasses all spiritual beings/concepts. When I use the word “arcane”, I am indeed calling on an imagery of “magical”, but also “esoteric”. 

[3] I want to point towards the “hidden inheritance” the specific term here is “压箱底”. I will lend a word of advice and tell you not to look up images of this in public. This term literally means “Pressed to box’s bottom”, but is a type of ancient Chinese porcelain used for sex education. When a woman was to be married, a mother would show her daughter the contents of this box. Traditionally, the box is in shape of a fruit and the inside contains porcelain figures having intercouse. In a more superstitious sense, it is called “pressed to box’s bottom” because this porcelain was generally kept at the bottom of a box/chest/trunk to keep away evil spirits.