January 15th, sunny.
The house in the east of the city, which had been empty for half a year, finally had its plaque unveiled. The vermilion gates opened wide to both sides, and above the gate hung an ebony plaque with only two characters engraved on it— Pill Pavilion).
There were no firecrackers, no lion dance. But before dawn, a long queue had already formed at the entrance.
The group consisted of all sorts of people. There were merchants in brocade robes, free Soul Master carrying packs, mercenaries with swords, and several figures wearing cloaks that covered their faces completely.
They mingled in the crowd, silent and still, simply queuing quietly.
The person in charge was a middle-aged man in his forties surnamed Meng, who was an instructor at the Godwind Academy. He was dressed in a clean and neat gray robe, stood on the stone steps at the entrance, and cupped his hands in greeting to everyone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Pill Pavilion is officially open for business today. The types of pills and the rules for selling them are posted on the wall at the entrance. Please read them carefully before entering."
Each person is limited to purchasing ten pills, regardless of type, for a total of ten. The same applies to bidding on rare pills—if you have already purchased ten pills from the Pill Pavilion today, you cannot participate in the bidding.
A large notice was posted on the wall, the ink still fresh:
"Regular pills (limited quantity available each month) --"
Meridian-Warming Pill, 50 Gold Soul Coin.
Soul-Fortifying Pill, 80 Gold Soul Coin.
Agility Attack Pill, 60 Gold Soul Coin.
Power Attack Pill, 60 Gold Soul Coin.
Defense Pill, 60 Gold Soul Coin.
Support Pill, 60 Gold Soul Coin.
Control Pill, 60 Gold Soul Coin.
"Rare elixirs (limited quantity available today, while supplies last, highest bidder wins)--"
Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill, for tempering the body, with remarkable effects on Defense System and Power Attack System, only three available, starting price 500 Gold Soul Coin.
Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill, enhances physical resilience, exclusively for female Soul Master, only three available, starting price 500 Gold Soul Coin.
Special Notice--
Our shop also offers high-end custom-made pills, upgraded versions of the pills with the above attributes. Specific requirements can be discussed in person; please consult the shopkeeper for details.
A buzz of discussion arose from the crowd.
"Five hundred Gold Soul Coin per piece? And that's the bottom price?"
"Diamond Limitless, Ice Skin Limitless—just from the names, they're no ordinary goods. And only three of each are sold; if you don't buy them today, they'll be gone. You think they're too expensive? There are plenty of others who don't."
"The high-end customization... the upgraded version? Face-to-face meeting? Just what's the background of this Pill Pavilion?"
Instructor Meng wasn't in a hurry. After the commotion subsided a bit, he calmly added, "Please don't rush, everyone. There's one more thing."
The Dean of this Academy, Feng Qingxuan, a level 93 Azure Wind Douluo, is personally overseeing the Pill Pavilion today. If anyone thinks the pills aren't worth the price, or wants to resort to any underhanded tactics—feel free to try.
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint wind pressure emanated from the depths of the house. It wasn't strong, but it was enough for everyone present to clearly perceive one fact: the Titled Douluo was inside.
The line fell silent instantly.
The first person to enter was a free Soul Master who bought ten Soul-Fortifying Pill and paid eight hundred Gold Soul Coin.
Instructor Meng personally inspected the goods and packaging, while a female Soul Master dressed in a simple white robe silently recorded each transaction.
The female Soul Master had a small begonia flower embroidered on her sleeve, her expression calm and focused. Among the people present were quite knowledgeable, and their pupils contracted slightly upon seeing the begonia flower embroidery.
The Nine Heart Begonia, this Martial Soul family cursed and trapped for a thousand years, has actually been subdued by the Pill Pavilion. With them acting as quality inspectors, who dares to question the quality of their pills?
Transactions proceeded one after another. Most people had a clear goal: they would go straight to the counter upon entering, state the type and quantity of goods, pay, take the goods, and leave.
Some people stood at the door for a long time, comparing the prices of the seven common pills repeatedly, and finally gritted their teeth, took out their money bags, and bought one or two of each to try out the effects.
It was a lively and bustling place.
Just after noon, the bidding for the scarce elixirs began.
Instructor Meng brought out six brocade boxes from the inner hall: three bronze brocade boxes contained Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill, and three ice-blue brocade boxes contained Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill.
The boxes were opened one by one— the Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill was bronze in color, with faint gold and stone patterns on the surface, and it shone with a metallic luster in the sunlight; the Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill was pure white, cool to the touch like jade, and a refreshing chill wafted out as soon as the box was opened.
"The starting price is five hundred Gold Soul Coin each." Instructor Meng looked around. "The highest bidder wins. Let's begin."
"Five hundred and fifty!" Someone was the first to raise their hand.
Six hundred!
Six hundred and thirty!
Bidding cries rose and fell. The Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill had caught the eye of two mercenaries and a man who looked like a merchant, and the price soared from five hundred to eight hundred before slowing down slightly.
The Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill is even more sought after—female Soul Master who come to the Pill Pavilion to buy pills are already rare, but the Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill's restriction of "only for women" has doubled its scarcity.
Several female Soul Master wearing cloaks refused to give in, and they managed to drive the price up to 880 Gold Soul Coin before the hammer fell.
The bidding for the last Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill was the most intense. The two female Soul Master kept going from six hundred to nine hundred, neither willing to give in. Just then, a burly figure who had been standing in the corner suddenly raised his hand.
"One thousand."
The entire room fell silent for a moment. It was a burly man wearing a gray cloth cloak, a size larger than everyone else present, with a hoarse and deep voice.
He took out a bag of Gold Soul Coin from his pocket and placed it on the table. The bag was open, and the gold gleamed brightly—exactly one thousand coins, no more, no less.
The other two female Soul Master who were bidding exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and ultimately remained silent. One thousand Gold Soul Coin were already beyond their means.
Instructor Meng glanced at the burly man, asked no further questions, and pushed the last ice-blue brocade box over.
The burly man picked up the brocade box and, together with his companion, turned and left. The companion was also carrying a bronze brocade box. The two disappeared around the street corner without looking back.
Instructor Meng watched them leave, her smile unchanged, but a hint of coldness appeared in her eyes.
All six rare pills were sold out. Several customers who came later missed them and refused to leave the counter.
Instructor Meng calmly cupped his hands in greeting. "The main ingredient is still in its growth cycle and has not yet been formed into a pill. The Pill Pavilion will announce in advance when it will be available. If you have any other needs, you can check out the regular pills— Meridian-Warming Pill and Soul-Fortifying Pill are in ample supply today."
These words were perfectly airtight—no promises about when the goods would be restocked, no explanation of the source of the medicinal herbs, and no disclosure of the refining cycle. Although the guests were unwilling, they dared not cause trouble under the nose of Titled Douluo, and could only leave dejectedly.
In the afternoon, the people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect arrived.
The one who arrived was Sword Douluo Chen Xin. He did not bring any attendants, wore a blue robe, and had a sword hanging at his waist. He walked to the counter and nodded to Instructor Meng.
"The sect leader sent me to offer my congratulations." Chen Xin's voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.
Instructor Meng bowed and invited Chen Xin into the inner hall. The door closed, and the guests outside exchanged meaningful glances—the sect protector Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had come to offer his congratulations in person; the background of this Pill Pavilion was even deeper than they had imagined.
Inside the main hall, Feng Qingxuan sat in a grand chair, flipping through the day's transaction records. Feng Lingtian stood behind his father, holding a ledger that recorded the details of every transaction made that day.
"One diamond, one ice-skin." Feng Qingxuan put down the ledger. "Those two are from the Elephant Armor Academy."
Feng Lingtian nodded. "They came specifically to seize rare pills; it must be the Spirit Hall's doing. The Pope won't take us seriously based on just a report; she needs the actual pills."
"Let them take them back for research." Feng Qingxuan's gaze was calm. "With the Spirit Hall's current alchemy level, they can't analyze the medicinal properties of the Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill and the Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill determine the components of the immortal Immortal Herb. They can only confirm one thing—they can't refine the pills that the Pill Pavilion produces."
Outside the window, the sun was setting. The hustle and bustle of the Pill Pavilion's first day of opening gradually subsided. In the shadows across the street, a slender figure took one last look at the Pill Pavilion's entrance, lowered the brim of his cloak, and turned to disappear into the twilight.
His steps were so light, as if the wind was blowing beneath his feet. If someone looked closely, they would notice that not a speck of dust was disturbed on the stone path he walked on.