The initial auction preliminaries, although filled with excitement, were merely small-scale affairs. Without the appearance of the Xiao Tianwei Pill, it was impossible to ignite the most intense bidding frenzy of the event.
Lin Fan sat quietly in the crowd, eyes darting cautiously left and right. To him, today’s auction was unlikely to proceed smoothly; something was bound to happen.
During the auction, Lin Fan had subtly moved to a seat closer to the aisle. If anything were to occur later, he could immediately make a quick escape.
The disciples of the Holy Demon Sect had clearly arrived in the Great Yan Empire, yet they were nowhere to be seen during the auction. Something must have happened. They had traveled such a long distance, surely for the Xiao Tianwei Pill. But now, they were missing. Could it be they overslept?
“Alright, the following item is the grand finale of tonight’s auction.”
At this point, the leaders of various sects perked up. Finally, it was time for the Xiao Tianwei Pill. Everyone was eager and determined to obtain it at any cost.
Lin Fan straightened his posture, his brows slightly furrowed. It seemed they had already discovered that he had stolen the Xiao Tianwei Pill. This must be a replacement—a fake pill meant to deceive.
“This Xiao Tianwei Pill was discovered by our guild in an ancient ruin. It is an ancient pill from a bygone era, one of a kind, and extremely precious. A person with no cultivation at all can instantly reach the Xiao Tianwei level simply by consuming it. Now, let us witness the true form of the Xiao Tianwei Pill!” The auctioneer shouted excitedly, his tone brimming with anticipation for this miraculous moment.
The disciples seated above leaned forward, eyes fixed intently on the item about to be unveiled.
With a smile, the auctioneer opened the elaborately wrapped box, visibly thrilled by the shocked expressions on the faces of the sect disciples.
“Please, take a look. This is the Xiao Tianwei Pill.”
At that moment, the sect disciples gasped collectively as the pill was finally revealed.
What… what the hell is this? This is the Xiao Tianwei Pill?
Lin Fan, who had previously felt puzzled, shot up straight in his seat upon seeing the pill, his face frozen in shock.
This… this isn’t the pile of crap I left behind, is it? How is it still here?
Didn’t the Heaven and Earth Guild check anything before the auction?
As the sect disciples murmured in confusion, the auctioneer grew even more enthusiastic. “Everyone, behold! This is the legendary Xiao Tianwei Pill from the ancient ruins—an invaluable treasure, truly priceless!”
“So, let the… auc—”
The auctioneer shouted, but as his eyes fell upon the pill, he abruptly froze. What the hell was this coiled, snake-like object?
This… this is…
Suddenly, he caught a whiff of something foul, his face instantly darkening. Noticing the confused expressions of the sect disciples, he gritted his teeth.
“The auction starts now! The starting price is one hundred million Huang Xuan Coins!” The auctioneer shouted boldly, having decided to push forward regardless. He was certain this wasn’t the real Xiao Tianwei Pill. After all, he had been the one to safeguard it. How could it have turned into this?
No matter what happened, he couldn’t afford any mistakes now—he would be executed otherwise.
As the auctioneer’s words echoed, the crowd erupted into noisy discussions.
“What the hell is this weird-shaped thing? Could it really be the Xiao Tianwei Pill?”
“I don’t think so. There’s no trace of spiritual energy, and look at its dull, hardened surface. It’s nowhere near the appearance of a legendary pill.”
“Looks like a pile of crap to me.”
“Hey, don’t be ridiculous. This is the Heaven and Earth Guild! They wouldn’t dare auction off a pile of crap, right? Maybe ancient pills just look different.”
“Hard to say. Looking at this, I’m starting to doubt it myself.”
“You don’t understand anything! A legendary pill is beyond your comprehension. If you could recognize it so easily, would it still be considered legendary?”
…
Lin Fan listened quietly to the surrounding chatter, a faint smile creeping across his lips. He was secretly delighted. He never imagined that his own pile of crap would actually end up on stage for auction.
And judging by the auctioneer’s behavior, he intended to pass it off as the real Xiao Tianwei Pill.
Who knew what would happen next.
“Please hear me out,” the auctioneer raised his voice. “This is an ancient artifact, so its unusual appearance is natural. The lack of spiritual energy is also understandable—otherwise, how could it have survived until today? If you doubt its authenticity, we can select a volunteer to test it right here and now. The effects will speak for themselves.”
“Of course, this divine pill can elevate someone to the Xiao Tianwei level. Even a tiny bit scraped off and consumed will temporarily enhance one’s cultivation, if not permanently.”
The auctioneer could only continue bluffing. He had no idea what had happened or why the real pill had been replaced like this.
He was certain now—it was just a pile of crap. As for who the owner was, he had no clue. But after this was over, he would hunt that person down.
Actually, no need to hunt them down. Anyone who consumed this crap would surely explode.
“Sir, please come up here,” the auctioneer pointed to a man near the stage.
The man, expressionless, slowly walked up and exchanged a brief glance with the auctioneer before giving a slight nod.
“Everyone, watch closely. The truth will be revealed with this test,” the auctioneer declared, then picked up a tool and scraped off a tiny piece from the pill. Instantly, a foul stench filled the air, causing the auctioneer to grimace and his eyes to water.
The test subject stared coldly at the crowd before taking the scraped piece from the auctioneer and swallowing it without hesitation.
Lin Fan, watching from his seat, felt his heart skip a beat. Who was this guy? How could he swallow it so effortlessly? That was just too reckless.
The sect disciples stared intently at the man, eager to see whether the pill was genuine. If it worked, they would spare no expense to acquire it.
Suddenly, Lin Fan’s eyes widened. The auctioneer had quietly retreated backstage and disappeared.
Realizing something was wrong, Lin Fan immediately stood up and activated his invisibility. He noticed the exits were now sealed shut, glowing with mysterious runes, as if forming a formation that locked the entire space inside.
“What’s happening to him?” The sect disciples were puzzled. Why was his body suddenly swelling? Could there be something wrong with the pill?
The test subject’s body continued to expand, red smoke seeping from his pores like he was about to explode at any moment.
Lin Fan wasted no time. He immediately retreated and hid.
“Boom!”
Soon after, a deafening explosion echoed from outside, as if something catastrophic had occurred.
Remaining invisible, Lin Fan rushed down the corridor until reaching the end, where he finally stopped. He had no idea what was happening outside, but it certainly couldn’t be anything good.
Everything was too strange. What exactly was the Yan Emperor planning?
This was dangerous—too dangerous.
For the first time, Lin Fan felt genuine fear. “Oh my god, I want to go home. I don’t want to stay out here anymore. It’s just too risky!”
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