Murong Ziyao rose, her expression cool and her purple robes snapping in the wind. She gazed beneath the furnace. "It seems there's more than one."
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, four more glimmers of spiritual light appeared in the pitch-black abyss below.
In an instant, vast, domineering Mystic Qi roared up like an underground spirit spring bursting forth.
A pill fragrance that lifted the spirits drifted up from below. Gathering in midair, it formed a vision. The disciples stared, wide-eyed and speechless.
"A vision of mending heaven! They're Heaven Mending Pills, without a doubt!"
"These pills can raise the grade of a Spirit Meridian. Refine one, and you might even attain a flawless Spirit Meridian."
A disciple from an Aristocratic Clan shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "That's going too far. How could a single pill forge a flawless Spirit Meridian? The pill is only part of it. Anyone who attains one must already have supreme talent, Root Bone, and comprehension."
In the Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies, the young prodigies who had attained flawless Spirit Meridians over the past century could be counted on one's fingers.
Most had emerged as champions in contests over Immortal Treasuries, and they had taken Heaven Mending Pills. That had given many disciples the mistaken impression that the pills were what made their Spirit Meridians flawless.
In truth, their talent had been exceptional to begin with. Even without the pills, they could have perfected their Spirit Meridians in time!
"Fellow Daoists Jiu Yuan and Murong, join me in seizing the pills!"
Jiang Beixuan spoke at last.
Below the furnace, the five Heaven Mending Pills carried a terrifying depth of Mystic Qi, like a boundless sea. Even the ground trembled faintly, setting hearts pounding.
"Very well!"
Tushan Jiuyuan and Murong Ziyao agreed.
Senior Brother Jiang handled matters without leaving a crack. He had called on those two rather than Jiang E and Wei Daowu beside him, plainly to keep the others from fearing he meant to take all five pills.
In fact, if he had tried, he might well have succeeded.
Jiang Beixuan had the highest cultivation and two prodigies at his side to help him. Success was hardly out of reach.
Thick Mystic Qi kept bursting forth all around them, rumbling like thunder beneath the earth.
Every disciple's gaze was fixed on the precious pills.
Xu Yan frowned deeply. He was activating the Edict Script, sending his divine sense probing downward.
What the Edict Script senses isn't just the Heaven Mending Pills.
Thoughts raced through Xu Yan's mind. The Miaoyuan Edict in his palm burned fiercely, more restless than it had ever been. Something of immense value clearly lay below.
Whenever a precious pill emerged from beneath the furnace, Xu Yan sensed the qi of heaven and earth being swallowed by that thing. It smelted all things, then cast out a pill.
What is it... Could it be a pill furnace? Xu Yan's thoughts ran wild.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Jiang Beixuan and the other two unleashed their powerful Mystic Qi and worked together to suppress the five Heaven Mending Pills for the moment.
But the pills were fiercely potent. Even with their abundant magic power, the three found it somewhat taxing.
Each pill was about the size of a thumb and gleamed with a deep, shadowy luster in the dusk.
On closer inspection, fine lines covered every pill. Formed naturally by heaven and earth, they resembled the courses of stars and the patterns of growing plants, encompassing all the myriad forms of creation.
"Heaven Mending Pills..." A disciple stared at them, longing plain in his eyes.
Merely catching a wisp of their fragrance made everyone feel their Spirit Meridians stir to life.
There were five pills, so the three had to divide their magic power five ways. It was more than they could comfortably bear.
The Heaven Mending Pills trembled faintly, drawing visions into the sky. Dragons roared and tigers howled, a frightening spectacle.
Tushan Jiuyuan's slit pupils narrowed. She swept a grave gaze around the crowd. "There are still two left. Who will take over?"
No sooner had she spoken than Jiang Qingcheng smiled calmly. A vast stream of gentle, verdant Mystic Qi swept out and supported one Heaven Mending Pill. "Allow me to lighten the fairy's burden."
Beside Xu Yan, Qin Yiren also acted. Extreme Yin Qi surged forth, darkening the world in every direction, and she quietly held one pill in place.
"Everyone, make your offers!" Jiang Qingcheng called, narrowing his eyes.
At his words, expressions varied across the crowd.
The Rogue Cultivators and disciples of the lower sects had no means to compete with them. They watched the proceedings with little interest.
If there had been no spirit stones to share, they would have left long ago.
The disciples of the five ancient Aristocratic Clans and Nine Star Kui Island exchanged glances.
Had there been only one Heaven Mending Pill, they would surely have fought until heads were broken and blood flowed. With five available, the mood had turned rather delicate.
"Five thousand spirit stones."
Qin Yiren spoke without warning.
Xu Yan froze and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
Just how much wealth does Fellow Daoist Qin have to spend it so freely? The thought made Xu Yan's heart skip.
The clan disciples wore different expressions, but all looked toward Qin Yiren at once.
Tiandu Immortal City was not quite an outsider. Its overall strength was slightly below that of the ancient Aristocratic Clans, but immortal cities held a special position. They were allies of the Divine Sect, and most conducted trade as Daoist merchants.
The wealth Qin Yiren's family had amassed might even exceed that of the ancient Aristocratic Clans.
Most clan disciples had no wish to make an enemy of someone from an immortal city, nor did they intend to compete.
For a moment, no one spoke. Qin Yiren was slightly taken aback herself, then curled her fingers and drew the pill to her.
"Thank you, fellow Daoists, for yielding."
With those cool words, Qin Yiren took out a porcelain bottle, sealed the Heaven Mending Pill inside, and put it away.
Jiang Qingcheng smiled. "I'll offer five thousand spirit stones as well."
He was just about to put away the precious pill when Tushan Jiuyuan spoke from beside him.
"Six thousand!"
"Fairy, what are you doing?" Jiang Qingcheng stared at her.
"The highest bidder wins. Do you have an objection, Fellow Daoist Jiang?" Tushan Jiuyuan glanced at him, her face expressionless.
Jiang Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, looking helpless.
That was all the spirit stones he had. He could not bid any higher, and they had agreed earlier that trades must be settled within the Immortal Treasury, with no credit allowed.
Tushan Jiuyuan narrowed her slit pupils and drew a Heaven Mending Pill away.
Then Han Xiaolin of Cloud Dream Great Marsh bid six thousand as well and took the pill supported by Jiang Qingcheng's magic power. Smiling, he cupped his hands toward Jiang Qingcheng. "Sorry, Brother Jiang. Once we're out of the Immortal Treasury, come to my clan's great marsh sometime. I'll treat you to spirit wine!"
"Take it." Jiang Qingcheng seemed not to care much. With a flick of his finger, he sent the precious pill into Han Xiaolin's hand.
Two pills remained. Murong Ziyao and Jiang Beixuan took them.
For the next incense stick's time, no more precious pills flew out from beneath the furnace.
Jiang Beixuan counted the disciples present, then had Jiang E and Wei Daowu distribute the spirit stones from the auction. The Rogue Cultivators and lower-sect disciples had finally reached the moment they had been waiting for.
Their faces held expressions somewhere between delight and wry smiles.
Including the Heaven Mending Pills, the Heaven and Earth Furnace had produced twenty-five precious pills, auctioned for more than thirty-seven thousand spirit stones.
Xu Yan received seven hundred and twenty. Not a bad haul!
After the spirit stones were distributed, some cultivators left at once without giving the furnace another glance. Others lingered, peering down with narrowed eyes.
"What, are you thinking of going down for a look?"
Jiang Qingcheng watched Tuoba Ke not far away. Holding an array disk, Tuoba Ke seemed to be probing downward again and again with his divine sense.
Tuoba Ke ignored him. He frowned and probed for several more breaths, then shook his head. "There's a killing array lying dormant below. Better not risk it."
He spoke to the Nine Star Kui Island disciples beside him. The group turned and flew away toward Spirit-Sealing City.
The Immortal Treasury had been open for many days. Having seen what the Heaven and Earth Furnace had to offer, many prodigies wasted no time. They left the furnace and flew east of Spirit-Sealing City, plainly intending to leave the Immortal Treasury.
An incense stick's time later, more than half the people at the Heaven and Earth Furnace were gone. Barely a dozen remained, all Rogue Cultivators or lower-sect disciples.
The qi of heaven and earth was exceptionally dense there, so they stayed to cultivate for a while. They also wanted to try their luck and see if any more pills would fly out.
The result left them sorely disappointed.
Beneath the Heaven and Earth Furnace, all had fallen completely still. The Taiyi God-Lock Array even seemed to be starting to repair itself.
"Let's go. Time to leave the Immortal Treasury," a Rogue Cultivator said.
Yang Qian rose from where he had been sitting, a great saber strapped to his back. He looked at Xu Yan beside him and asked gravely, "Brother Xu, shall we go together?"
Both had received guidance from the Dharma King. Yang Qian came from a lower sect, which made him little different from a Rogue Cultivator, and both had grievances with Nine Star Kui Island. They had struck up a modest friendship.
"The qi here is hard to come by. I'd like to cultivate a while longer."
Thoughts churned in Xu Yan's mind as he answered.
"Then I'll take my leave. See you at the Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies!" Yang Qian cupped his hands, saber in hand, then added, "Don't miss your chance, Fellow Daoist. If you fall behind and can't enter the Upper Three Academies to cultivate, this trip into the Immortal Treasury will have been for nothing."
Xu Yan smiled and cupped his hands. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Yang. I'll bear it in mind."
One cultivator after another flew off. With a Heaven Mending Pill in her possession, Qin Yiren feared something might go wrong. She too bade Xu Yan farewell at once, preparing to leave the Immortal Treasury.
At last the sun set. Darkness fell, and stars dotted the sky above the Immortal Treasury.
Xu Yan narrowed his eyes. He also left for the time being, lest anyone grow suspicious.
Only when deep night had fallen and no one was around did Xu Yan quietly return to the foot of Furnace Mountain.
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