Chapter 233: The Earth, The Heavens!

　　It was impossible to describe how the killing intent imbued the howl which rose up to the Heavens. Its intensity spread about, causing a pulsating black aura to emanate from the body of the young Cultivator.

　　The black aura swirled around him, making him look like someone who had risen up from the yellow springs of the underworld. His closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and all of the hundred thousand Cultivators gasped. What they saw were two eyes that appeared as if they belonged to wild animal, filled only with frenzied death.

　　The eyes were crimson, and they glowed with insanity. From this moment onward, this was no longer a Cultivator, but a devil!!

　　He emanated the power of the late Foundation Establishment stage; moments ago, he had only been at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Such an explosive transformation caused the hearts of the surrounding Cultivators to echo with thunderous shock.

　　Because of the roaring in their hearts, the surroundings grew completely silent. All eyes were focused on the Cultivator, who looked like some sort of devilish deity. The auctioneer stared in shock. He breathed heavily, his face covered in astonishment.

　　This was because even though the Violet Qi to the West disciple looked like an insane devil, with billowing killing intent and mad, crimson eyes, actually, there was also a calmness within those eyes.

　　This calmness was even more terrifying than the insanity. It showed that even though he was inundated with frenzied killing intent, he actually had not lost his mind!

　　Furthermore, all of the hundred thousand Cultivators could clearly see the changes within his body caused by the medicinal powder. If the tiny amount of powder that had been used could cause such an incredible transformation, what could the entire pill do…?

　　All of the Cultivators present were breathing heavily; the answer to such a question floated in their hearts. Their eyes shone with amazement.

　　The auction stadium instantly exploded with conversations.

　　“What… what pill is this!?!? It’s astonishing!!”

　　“That was… that was just a bit of powder, and yet it caused such an incredible transformation. If just a bit of powder could do that, imagine if the entire pill were consumed! What would that be like….”

　　“It can cause someone to go insane, and unleash all of the potential contained within the body. It fuses the Core Sea and the Dao Pillars, and emits a consummate killing aura. This pill…. is no poison pill! It could be used at a critical moment to save one’s life!!”

　　“Poison pill, poison pill…. All alchemists will eventually dabble in poison pills at one point or another. But there are usually no formulas for poison pills. The pill… this pill….”

　　“What’s most important is the medicinal strength of the pill. I was watching closely, and I think I know. It’s only a powder shaving, but in my estimation, this pill displayed at least fifty percent medicinal strength!!”

　　“Fifty percent…. Don’t tell me this is a poison pill concocted by a Furnace Lord…?”

　　Discussions raged, just as they had upon the appearance of Foundation Establishment Day! All eyes were on the black medicinal pill, and especially the mark which was branded onto its side.

　　“Look, it has a mark on it!”

　　“That’s… a cauldron! The pill is branded with a cauldron!”

　　“That’s the mark of the alchemist who concocted the pill! They only brand pills with a personal mark when they are completely satisfied with results. A cauldron…. I’ve never heard of any alchemist using a cauldron as a personal mark!”

　　“I demand that the auction house perform a test to determine the medicinal strength of this pill!!”

　　“Yes! We demand a test!”

　　The demand for a test caused the atmosphere in the auction stadium to grow even more intense. How could the auctioneer have ever imagined that another pill would appear after Foundation Day that could cause such a commotion?

　　Looking at all the Cultivators demanding a test, their voices growing louder and louder, the auctioneer didn’t hesitate. He waved his hand, and two old men walked out from the portal behind him.

　　Both had hair long and white. These were veteran master alchemists of the Sect, responsible for performing tests of the medicinal strength of pills in the auction. As they walked out, the auctioneer immediately grew very courteous.

　　The old men had proud looks in their eyes, and completely ignored the surrounding hundred thousand Cultivators. One of them reached out to take hold of the pill. He eyed the cauldron mark, and didn’t look very pleased. In his opinion, alchemists who hadn’t reached the rank of Furnace Lord weren’t qualified to leave a mark on a pill. The crowd could tell that if the man could, he would wipe the mark away.

　　Looking annoyed, the old man sniffed the pill, whereupon his body suddenly trembled. His eyes filled with disbelief, and he tilted his head forward to examine the pill more closely. As he did, he seemed to grow more agitated. His body trembled even harder, and his eyes grew wide with even more disbelief.

　　“Impossible…” he said, his voice hoarse. “This pill is an impossibility. It’s impossible….” When his voice floated up to the surrounding Cultivators, they all began to pant anxiously. At the moment, they couldn’t imagine what medicinal strength the pill must have to cause a veteran master alchemist to turn pale from astonishment.

　　The other old master alchemist strode forward. He examined the pill, smelled it, and then his eyes gradually began to shine with a strange light. Having seen through the pill, his face began to grow pale, and a look of disbelief and astonishment filled his face.

　　“This… this is…” The two old men looked at each other, and could clearly see the astonishment in each other’s eyes. Their bodies trembled and they breathed heavily.

　　“Master alchemists, this pill….”

　　“This pill cannot be sold!!” said one of the two master alchemists. His voice echoed out, filling the auction stadium. A buzz rose up.

　　“What do you mean it can’t be sold! We asked for a test. Is the Violet Fate Sect Pill Auction really going to break their one thousand year tradition by not selling something?!”

　　“According to the rules of the Pill Auction, we have the right to ask for a test. You haven’t even revealed the results and are already saying you won’t sell it?”

　　“We want the test results! Tell us… what is the medicinal strength of this pill!”

　　The voices of the hundred thousand Cultivators rose up, including that of Fatty, who roared at the top of his lungs. The auctioneer’s expression tightened. He had never encountered a situation like this before, and was starting to get nervous. Suddenly, a new portal appeared on the stage.

　　Seven people emerged.

　　Seeing these seven people, the auctioneer’s face flickered with shock. He immediately clasped hands and bowed deeply. The two master alchemists’ faces filled with veneration, and they, too, clasped hands in salute.

　　The hundred thousand Cultivators in the auction stadium fell silent. However, their eyes went wide with shock. The seven people who had just emerged were all Furnace Lords of the East Pill Division!

　　Each and every one had a name that reverberated like thunder throughout the Southern Domain. All hearts trembled at the sight of these seven. They walked out and approached the Bedevilment Pill. One reached out to take it in hand, then examined it carefully. His hand began to tremble, and his expression filled with shock.

　　He tried to conceal the shock, but the surrounding Cultivators couldn’t help but notice. To see a Furnace Lord looking shocked caused the hearts of the hundred thousand Cultivators to feel as if they were filled with thousands of lightning bolts.

　　The Furnace Lord’s gaze swept across the hundred thousand Cultivators. With an inward sigh, he caused the Bedevilment Pill to float up into the air, then sat down cross-legged. “In previous Pill Auctions,” he said, “the East Pill Division has offered one opportunity to test the medicinal strength of a pill. Are all of you certain that this pill is the one you wish to test?” There was no need to wait for an answer.

　　The six other Furnace Lords joined him, sitting in a circle around the floating Bedevilment Pill. They all performed incantation gestures, after which seven pill furnaces appeared in front of them. Each of these pill furnaces was clearly made from extraordinary materials!

　　“Each pill furnace that ignites, represents ten percent medicinal strength. This is a fair method, since all of the plant and vegetation ingredients used to concoct pills in this Pill Auction were grown in the East Pill Division. If they were not, we would not be able to so accurately determine their medicinal strength.”

　　Even as the voice rang out, the hundred thousand Cultivators all watched on closely. These seven Furnace Lords had illustrious reputations and commanded utmost respect. They closed their eyes, and a fragrant medicinal aroma filled the air, giving rise to a strange atmosphere within the stadium. Suddenly, one pill furnace began to glow. Next, a second, then a third, and finally a fourth began to grow brightly.

　　“Four furnaces lit up. That means it employed forty percent of the power of the plant and vegetation ingredients….”

　　“Ah, so it’s only forty percent. That’s not quite as good as the Foundation Establishment Day. However, it’s really not so simple to compare the medicinal strength of the two, since this poison pill is a completely different type of pill. In fact, I’d say… huh?” A moment after discussions broke out among the Cultivators, a deathly silence filled the air, as if the throats of those speaking had suddenly been clamped shut.

　　The hundred thousand Cultivators began to pant, and looks of shock filled their faces one by one. They stared as a fifth furnace lit up, then a sixth, and a seventh! In the blink of an eye, seven furnaces had begun to glow brightly!

　　“Seventy… Seventy percent?”

　　“It must have been concocted by a Furnace Lord! This… this….”

　　“Seventy percent! But, what if there were eight pill furnaces…?” As the roar of conversation filled the air, the faces of the seven Furnace Lords flickered, and their hearts trembled. Suddenly, yet another glowing portal appeared, from which emerged three more alchemists, who were also Furnace Lords. Their faces were calm and dignified as they strode forward. They sat down and then produced pill furnaces of their own.

　　Almost the instant their pill furnaces emerged, they began to glow. Eight pill furnaces, then nine, and finally ten. In the blink of an eye, all the pill furnaces were glowing!

　　Ten pill furnaces, their glow rising up into the sky. There was no roar of conversation, because the surrounding hundred thousand Cultivators could only stare with blank looks….

　　As for the ten Furnace Lords who were performing the test, they too stared mutely. Their minds spun, and they panted. An unprecedented look of shock appeared in their eyes.

　　And then, the reaction came. One hundred thousand Cultivators went crazy. Their minds buzzed, their eyes were crimson, and their breath came in ragged pants. They had obviously… gone mad!

　　One hundred percent medicinal strength! This was a perfect product! From ancient times until now, such an item had never appeared in the Pill Auction!

　　The difference between the Foundation Establishment Day and this Bedevilment Pill was clear. One was the Earth, the other was the Heavens!

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　　This chapter was sponsored by Hein Haugeberg