After last night’s sleepless night, because of a certain existence, today the Song Clan Auction House of Void Abyss had an atmosphere so tense it had reached an extreme.

The news had already spread yesterday, and people from the Eight Great Sects had been arriving one after another. What should only have been a formation seen during the Millennium Calamity was now, in Dongwu City at this moment, already faintly taking shape.

Like a bow being gradually drawn to its fullest, stirring the heartstrings of everyone.

Why had the Nine Yin Profound Baleful Energy Array not taken effect? Why did he still dare to appear here so openly and aboveboard?

Countless questions emerged one after another, and all kinds of speculation made cold sweat break out down people’s backs.

Especially this morning— even the oppressive aura that belonged to the Void Abyss Old Ancestor seemed not quite as terrifying anymore. No one knew whether it was just everyone’s illusion, but why was there… a strange sense that the ferocious Void Abyss Old Ancestor seemed to be in an especially good mood today?

This was simply more psychologically oppressive than killing a few Nascent Soul cultivators and kicking them around like balls. The air itself was filled with an anxious, scorching tension. After daybreak, the Eight Great Sects truly could no longer hold back.

When two armies face off, the most taboo thing is being unable to discern what move the other side will make. The righteous path now more or less found itself in precisely this situation.

Thus, in just one morning, three or four waves of people had already come to the small courtyard to probe Ji Wushu’s true strength. They were like vultures— the moment they discovered even the slightest flaw in this dragon, they would swarm forward and peck at the carrion.

The Void Abyss Old Ancestor was very lazy. Especially now that the Millennium Calamity was approaching, he disliked moving even more. Early in the morning, he held the medicine brewed by the little medical cultivator, looking frail and weak, leisurely watching the Dragon Bone Sword.

Dragon Bone Sword: …..

So the Dragon Bone Sword snorted and labored all morning digging pits, working covered in dust and grime, until the pits beneath the wall were filled with spies lying inside.

When Song Shao came trembling to deliver the jade marrow samples to Shu Tiantian, he was stunned by the pits in the courtyard.

Among them were quite a few outstanding disciples from great sects whom Song Shao recognized. His startled exclamation made the Void Abyss Old Ancestor finally shift his gaze away from the little medical cultivator brewing medicine. He narrowed his golden eyes thoughtfully,

“These people… are all very famous?”

The Dragon Bone Sword, still digging, trembled slightly. It somehow felt that its dog-like master seemed to be planning something very dog-like again.

Song Shao was so frightened his soul nearly left his body. Not long after he stepped out, he heard the Void Abyss Old Ancestor’s lazy voice resound throughout all of Dongwu City.

The general meaning was— pay up. If not, he’d slaughter a few spies for entertainment.

Their side had set up tight defenses, sent out their strongest spies to investigate the enemy, and the result was not only that the spies were detained, but they were directly taken as hostages, with the sects required to pay spirit stones to ransom them back. It was full-level mockery, top-tier arrogance.

Only then did Song Shao understand what it meant to raise prices on the spot— a business without capital.

Each of those spies was an expert in concealment within their great sects. Who would be willing to let them die?

So-called bandit behavior— nothing more than this.

But Ji Wushu was not of the righteous path. For a great devil like him to only now engage in this kind of robbery… seemed… quite normal.

After much discussion, the Eight Great Sects believed that Ji Wushu’s condition might be even better than they had imagined. Angering him now would bring no benefit. It would be better to maintain the current situation, send him away after the auction ended, and then seven days later— on the day of the Millennium Calamity when he would be at his weakest— once everyone had gathered, take his dog life.

Thus, not only did they obediently send money over, but compared to yesterday, their attitude was even more respectful.

After Shu Tiantian obtained the jade marrow samples, she immediately began tirelessly researching the formula for the Great Creation Pill. But there were several spiritual herbs whose age was not high enough to be found, and she was somewhat troubled.

When one’s strength is insufficient, the only way to refine an Earth-rank pill is to improve the quality of the materials. Who would have thought that in the afternoon— for some unknown reason— the Eight Great Sects began sending in spiritual herbs and spirit stones in an endless stream. Whatever Shu Tiantian lacked, she had; there were even heavenly materials and earthly treasures she had never seen before.

Shu Tiantian had never expected such a good thing to happen. She hurried over eagerly to find the Old Ancestor. The Void Abyss Old Ancestor was extremely generous and, in an absent-minded tone, said he had no interest whatsoever in these worldly possessions and told her to use them as she pleased.

The greatest problem with the Great Creation Pill was that its rank was too high. Even after modifying the formula, one had to carefully control the degree— a single slip would lead to mistakes. But if there were enough experimental materials, Shu Tiantian could try several more times and reduce the margin of error to the minimum.

That afternoon, in the courtyard, Shu Tiantian blew up five furnaces of pills.

The tremendous superiority of the Medicine God Cauldron was thus revealed— mainly that it was resistant to damage, extremely resistant to damage. The house was almost blasted apart by Shu Tiantian, yet this cauldron remained completely unmoved.

When Shu Tiantian was dug out of the collapsed house by the Void Abyss Old Ancestor, the alchemy maniac had a head full of dust, but her eyes were frighteningly bright.

Just like every research maniac— once they succeed, they are easily filled with the joy of sharing, wishing they could grab any random passerby and pour their genius conception into them in one breath, regardless of whether you understand it or not. In any case, you must agree with her train of thought. If at this moment you say you don’t understand, the big shot who has fallen into a certain fanatical state will grab your shoulders and shake you vigorously, forcibly enlightening you.

The Void Abyss Old Ancestor had no experience in this regard, but he was exceptionally handsome, and he was also the Dragon God.

As long as he furrowed his brows slightly, it looked as though he were contemplating some profound truth; as long as he let out a cold laugh, it seemed as though he had thought of some method to harm the entire world; as long as he gave a thoughtful “hm,” with the blessing of divine word-spirit, you would feel tears welling up in your eyes, feeling that you had received immense affirmation.

Even if, in his mind, what you said was: @#￥&%

The honest Dragon Bone Sword dug soil all day, and when it returned it was once again assaulted by demonic sound filling its brain. It did not understand a single word, but when it looked at its master, then at the little medical cultivator who seemed to be glowing all over, it did not dare utter a sound to interrupt, afraid that if it said something ignorant, it would expose the fact that its brain did not work well.

It was not until it gradually noticed something wrong—?? Why was its master’s gaze fixed on the little medical cultivator’s lips?

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At this point, the meaning of the auction had already changed from a simple transaction into an incomparably complex confrontation and collision between the righteous and demonic paths. The minor characters who had originally come to attend the auction all withdrew, naturally replaced by far more heavyweight figures taking their numbered plaques.

All of this was to avoid prematurely erupting into conflict. Thus everyone was given a strict order— absolutely must not provoke the Void Abyss Old Ancestor.

When the Void Abyss Old Ancestor made his appearance, the entire auction was so quiet one could hear a pin drop, each person sitting upright and solemn.

If Shu Tiantian had not known this was an auction, she might have mistaken it for someone’s funeral. The two of them were dressed the same— black clothes, black veiled hats. Seen this way, they looked even more like they had come to attend a funeral.

These two figures in black, one tall and one short, one in front and one behind, looked extremely like a great devil and his little underling. If one did not know that Comrade Shu’s heart inclined toward the righteous path, the two truly looked exceedingly harmonious together.

An auction house originally emphasized the rising and falling of bids, the back-and-forth, the grand spectacle of various parties throwing down money. But today’s auction house, because the Void Abyss Old Ancestor was seated above, was extremely orderly.

If Shu Tiantian had to say, it was like— the emcee on stage delivered a eulogy for the deceased, and the guests below mourned solemnly. Even the Tianji Sect smashing pots and selling iron in excited recklessness could not stir up any enthusiasm.

Shu Tiantian felt herself wilt. Today she had blown up several furnaces of extremely high-level pills, which had greatly exhausted her mind and energy. She had forced herself to come watch the show, and in such a dull setting, she successfully… fell asleep.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, they saw the shorter figure in black. No one knew if she had become distracted, but her head nodded bit by bit. Finally, unable to hold on, her head tilted, and she fell onto Ji Wushu’s shoulder, his expression obscured.

The entire hall fell silent. Someone secretly sucked in a breath of cold air. Just this morning, the Void Abyss Old Ancestor had announced to all that he would kill spies for amusement. Everyone knew this sinful dragon was moody and unpredictable. Though he appeared calm now, but if his ferocious nature were provoked, what if—

At the Tianji Sect’s seating area, there was slight commotion.

Then they watched as the long-haired young man merely turned his head slightly, seeming somewhat impatient, and then… then there was no further movement.

Mm?

She was not kicked flying, nor shattered by protective spiritual qi. No, this sinful dragon was by nature so irritable—

Ji Wushu lifted his veiled hat, revealing half a face so dark it was frightening. In the instant he raised his eyes, there was no particular expression, only a vicious gaze, instantly causing those who looked this way to stiffen their necks and uniformly crack-crack turn their heads back.

Only, Daozuzi’s expression was somewhat meaningful.

It seemed that the Heavenly Yin Body was indeed somewhat different. It seemed that the matter of undoing that strand of Ji Wushu’s divine soul…

He completely forgot yesterday’s guilt, seeming as though he wanted to say something to the envoy from the Upper Realm beside him, but was coldly glanced at by Chixiao, and in the end swallowed his words back down.

Until, in her haziness, she heard Ling Ruoshui’s auction item. The sleeping Shu Tiantian finally woke— perhaps not woke, but due to some kind of conditioned reflex as a medical cultivator, a certain part of her brain was awakened by a familiar name in a pill formula, though she was not fully awake.

Like sleepwalking, she maintained the posture of leaning on the person’s shoulder, and began to wander in thought.

The name of the pill formula Ling Ruoshui put up for auction was too familiar. Precisely because it was too familiar, Shu Tiantian’s brain gave a conditioned reflex.

When she finally understood why it felt familiar, she abruptly sat up, her gaze blank as she looked toward the auction stage.

The Void Abyss Old Ancestor appeared to be watching the auction, but in truth, his divine sense had been circling around the little medical cultivator the entire time. Seeing her like this, his gaze followed hers toward the several pill formulas that were being introduced.

The Dragon Bone Sword also poked its head out, filled with reverence toward professionals, and cautiously probed, “Is there something wrong with that pill formula?”