Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Beside Xu Yang, Lu Ren and Gu Haoming had looks of utter disbelief.

They weren’t shocked that Xu Yang was bidding for the Gathering Essence Pill formula, but that he still had money.

If they didn’t know Xu Yang’s background inside and out, they would have mistaken him for a young master from some great family.

"Thinks he’s found a hidden gem? I bet he’s never even seen a Pill Formula. He has no idea how hard this Pill is to make," Liu Xiao sneered.

He had once naively thought Alchemy was simple. After getting a Pill Formula and studying it for several months, he ended up burning through thousands of taels of silver before being forced to face reality: he wasn’t the protagonist of some storybook.

’Has he still not given up?’ Liu Qian shook her head inwardly.

’Is he just trying to show off?’

Sun Jian raised an eyebrow. Other than showing off, he really couldn’t figure out why Xu Yang would buy another useless Pill Formula.

Shen Liang asked, confused, "Brother Xu, what are you buying this thing for?"

"Research!" Xu Yang’s reply was concise. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Shen Liang’s eyes lit up and he blurted out, "Don’t tell me you’re planning to join Medicine King Peak in the future? Let me tell you, you don’t need to bother with this stuff. If you can really get into Medicine King Peak, they have plenty of Pill Formulas."

’So that’s how it can be explained?’

Xu Yang immediately cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks for Brother Shen’s guidance."

"Shopkeeper Tao’s silver tongue is really something else. Someone actually fell for it. No wonder everyone loves to send their things to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion for auction," someone exclaimed in amazement.

Someone else said disdainfully, "Something else, my ass. You guys just don’t know. This Xu Yang also bought a Pill Formula at the last auction. It has nothing to do with what Tao Hujin said."

’He’s already bought one before?’

As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Liang, Guo Huai, and the others were dumbfounded.

"One thousand taels, going three times. Congratulations to Xu Yang for winning the Gathering Essence Pill formula."

Since no one was bidding against Xu Yang, Tao Hujin, who was on stage, quickly announced that Xu Yang had won the Gathering Essence Pill formula.

’This kid... those Blood Coagulation Pills couldn’t have really been refined by him, could they?’

While the others were laughing at Xu Yang, his own heart was filled with suspicion and a touch of solemnity.

A Ten Heroes Genius, someone who could pass the Martial Arts Examination and achieve Dragon Ascension to enter the Purple Sun Sect, couldn’t be an idiot. Either Xu Yang was fabulously wealthy and didn’t care about one thousand taels, buying the Pill Formula as a collector’s item...

...Or he had gained something from the last Pill Formula, which was why he was buying another one.

These people didn’t know that a mysterious Pill Master who could refine the Blood Coagulation Pill had recently appeared in Cyan Yang City, but the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion did.

’If Gathering Essence Pills appear on the market in a while, then it must be him.’

Gathering Essence Pills were also unavailable on the Cyan Yang City market. Everyone used Guiyuan Pills, Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills, or Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pills instead.

Tao Hujin was startled by his own thought. ’Self-taught Alchemy?’

Not even the Peak Master of Medicine King Peak possessed such talent. ’I must be overthinking things.’

Perhaps Xu Yang aspired to establish his own family and was collecting Pill Formulas in advance. Or maybe, just as Shen Liang had said, Xu Yang was planning to join Medicine King Peak in the future and was preparing for it.

Medicine King Peak had many Pill Formulas, but that didn’t mean you could just learn any of them you wanted.

"Master Xu, your Pill Formula."

Zhou Yong smiled as he handed the Gathering Essence Pill formula to Xu Yang, his heart filled with a mix of shock and uncertainty.

He had thought Xu Yang was just asking casually before, but he hadn’t expected him to go and buy another Pill Formula.

"Here’s the money!"

Xu Yang took the Pill Formula and handed over the money at the same time.

He maintained his usual smile toward this attendant from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, but a trace of vigilance had already formed in his heart.

Taking the Pill Formula, he didn’t inquire about the cost of the ingredients like last time, but instead turned and left.

He quickly scanned the Pill Formula, and a panel popped up before his eyes:

[Gathering Essence Pill (0/400)]

’That’s too much!’ Xu Yang shook his head inwardly.

Under normal circumstances, he could only accumulate sixty points per month. He would only get extra rewards when a Cultivation Technique reached Great Success, his Cultivation improved, or he killed powerful experts who threatened his life.

Four hundred proficiency points meant that it would take him at least five or six months to learn the Gathering Essence Pill.

’I’ll just have to cultivate more Cultivation Techniques.’

Cultivating more Cultivation Techniques to get point rewards was the only method he could think of, and the only one that was feasible.

On the Pill Formula, a small portion of the ingredients overlapped with the Blood Coagulation Pill, but most were things he had never even heard of.

Of the three main ingredients, he only knew that Thirty-year-old Ginseng typically sold for about one hundred taels. As for another, Pure Yang Grass, ten stalks had just been auctioned off. He remembered them selling for one thousand three hundred taels, which meant one stalk cost one hundred and thirty taels.

Of course, the price wasn’t the main issue.

The fact that it could be sold at an auction meant that it was rare.

As for the last ingredient, Tiger Bone Vine, it was the first time he had ever heard of it.

’It’ll take a few months to learn anyway. I can gather the ingredients slowly.’

Putting the Pill Formula away, Xu Yang calmly sat back down in his seat. After a short wait, the auction finally ended, and everyone began to leave in an orderly fashion.

Xu Yang stood up from his seat. His keen senses had already caught several malicious gazes sweeping over him.

Without any hesitation, he immediately opened a Medicine Bottle, tipped out a Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill, and swallowed it.

"Damn it!"

Several people cursed inwardly. In their minds, the Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills on Xu Yang were already theirs. The Pill Xu Yang had just swallowed was one of *their* pills.

This move had its benefits; some people shifted their targets to others. But it also infuriated some.

’The medicinal effect is indeed better than the Guiyuan Pill.’

He secretly circulated his Gang Qi, and the medicinal power dissolved. Perhaps because it was his first time taking a Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill, he felt its effects far surpassed those of a Guiyuan Pill.

Like the Guiyuan Pill, the Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill was an elixir for Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Essence, replenishing one’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit. It didn’t convert directly into Gang Qi; it still needed to be slowly refined.

If it were a pill like the Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pill, which directly converted into Gang Qi, he would have swallowed all five pills at once, not even giving these malicious people a chance to act.

"He’s been targeted. He’s a dead man," Liu Xiao chuckled lightly.

Even with only four Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills left, Xu Yang was still a fat sheep in many people’s eyes, not to mention he had spent one thousand taels on a useless Pill Formula.

Many people would be reluctant to spend one thousand taels on a Pill Formula themselves, but they were quite interested in snatching one from someone else.

Besides, if he had one thousand taels of silver to buy a useless Pill Formula, would he really not have any other money on him?

Liu Qian nodded. "And that Lu Ren is in danger too."

In everyone’s eyes, Lu Ren was also a fat sheep, and he was even less popular than Xu Yang.

"Should we go with Xu Yang?" Shen Liang sent a voice transmission to Guo Huai and the others beside him.

An Ping sent back, "Ask him. If he’s willing to share some of his Guiyuan Pills with us, we can protect him."

Guo Huai said in a low voice, "Don’t court death. The ones targeting him all have Minor Achievement in Gang Qi Cultivation. Even if he gave you the pills, you wouldn’t live to take them. Let’s go to my place first, take our pills, and then we’ll head back to the Purple Sun Sect."

As soon as he said this, Tang Xiao’s and An Ping’s eyes lit up. After sucking up to Guo Huai for so long, they were finally starting to see some benefits.

At least after buying the pills, they wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to get them back to the Purple Sun Sect.

Outside the auction house, many people left in a hurry.

Xu Yang saw Lu Ren dash into the crowd, and in an instant, four or five people followed him. Some were Purple Sun Sect disciples, while others he didn’t recognize.

There were others who had won pills, and they too were pursued after leaving.

BANG!

Suddenly, someone bumped into him.

"Sorry, I was in a hurry!"

The man apologized and hurried away.

Xu Yang’s heart sank. All his belongings were still on him. This person definitely didn’t bump into him by accident. ’He must have placed a mark on me to make tracking easier.’

He knew that in the Jianghu, there were special powders that could be sprinkled on a person. They were colorless, odorless, and couldn’t be washed off. Only certain animals could smell them, allowing for tracking.

He didn’t chase after the man; that would be playing right into their hands.

Without stopping, he quickly moved into the flow of people and began to weave through it.

After turning down several streets, without caring if anyone was still following, he headed straight for the city exit.

Just three or four kilometers outside the city, the sounds of fighting came from up ahead. Judging by the commotion, there were at least five or six people involved.

Xu Yang glanced over from a distance, didn’t pass through the battlefield, and leaped into the mountain forest by the side of the road.

"Flying Swallow Skill?"

Cao Rong’s gaze narrowed. He saw a hint of his Cao Family’s Flying Swallow Skill in the movement. ’Xu Yang knows the Flying Swallow Skill?’

But now wasn’t the time to investigate. He and Gu Haoming had also partnered up to buy a bottle of Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills, and they themselves were being targeted.