Zhongli Jian, the sectmaster of the Divine Flame Sect, turned out to be a party of the conflict.
He had spotted a Profound Yang Pill among the things a disciple of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace was selling.
Like spiritual incantations, medicinal pills could also be divided into five grades: Elementary grade, Medium grade, Premium grade, Earth grade, and Heaven grade. Then, each grade could be subdivided into seven levels.
The Profound Yang Pills were seventh level Earth grade medicine pills. Their main ingredient was the Blood Essence of Heaven Flame Beasts, Vermillion Birds, and other fire-attributed beasts, along with small amounts of other fire-attributed materials.
The flame power a Profound Yang Pill contained could provide significant aid when Zhongli Jian refined his soul and made his breakthrough into the Saint domain.
Furthermore, no alchemist in the Domain of Heaven Python was skilled enough to make seventh level Earth grade medicinal pills.
As soon as he had set his eyes on that Profound Yang Pill, Zhongli Jian had asked its price. The seller had quoted eight hundred thousand spirit jades.
That wasn’t a small number, even to the sectmaster of the Divine Flame Sect. However, in order to smoothen his breakthrough into the Saint domain, he had agreed to it without hesitation.
Just as he was going to pay for it, another flame power cultivator who was at the middle Void domain set his eyes on the Profound Yang Pill as well.
He also understood that Profound Yang Pills were hard to find, even in the Realm of Remote Heaven.
To make preparations for his breakthrough into the Saint domain, he, who was only at the middle Void domain, decided to compete for that Profound Yang Pill.
Due to his joining, the seller raised the price from eight hundred thousand spirit jades to two million spirit jades, with a broad smile on his face.
Even though this was already more than double the Profound Yang Pill’s actual worth, Zhongli Jian refused to back out. Gritting his teeth, he shot the man a nasty look.
However, the man taunted him repeatedly.
Sneering, he said, “What? Two million spirit jades is too big a number to you, isn’t it? Aren’t you the seventh Son of the Stars’ subordinate? It’s said that Nie Tian gained quite a fortune from the Lizardmen and that other place he explored. If this is too big a number to you, then you’ve followed the wrong person.”
More and more people gathered around to see what was going on.
Some of them were Void domain disciples of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, while others were subordinates of the other Sons of the Stars.
Even some members of the Five Elements Sect, the Void Spirit Society, and the Heaven Span Pavilion, who had come to seek trades in this section, overheard the clamor in this place and gathered over.
Many people exclaimed in low voices as Nie Tian, Han Wanrong, and Fang Yuan approached.
“Hmm?!”
“It’s Elder Han.”
“Fang Yuan!”
Most of them recognized Han Wanrong and Fang Yuan right away. Seeing them come over, they all bowed slightly to show their respect.
However, very few people recognized Nie Tian. Those who did only nodded slightly towards him.
Nie Tian’s stories had only recently spread. Therefore, many had heard about him, but never seen him in person.
It appeared that since he was only at the late Profound realm, while almost all of the cultivators present were at the Void domain, he didn’t receive much respect.
As they approached, Fang Yuan let out a cold harrumph, disgust filling his face. “Hong Yao.”
Han Wanrong frowned and muttered in a low voice, “I figured it was him.”
“I don’t see Sikong Cuo. Where is he, Aunt Han?” Fang Yuan asked.
“He left by himself shortly after bringing his subordinates here,” Han Rong answered.
“So our subordinates are free to leave the Realm of Remote Heaven by themselves, whenever they want to?” Nie Tian asked.
“Yes, you have to be there when they arrive, but they can leave by themselves,” Han Wanrong explained. “The purpose of having you bring them here is to prove that they’re your subordinates, not just anyone who doesn't have anything to do with our sect. As for when your subordinates leave, we won’t put a time limit on that.”
Nie Tian nodded to show that he understood.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the place where the conflict was taking place.
Upon seeing Han Wanrong and Fang Yuan, Hong Yao, who was still taunting Zhongli Jian, restrained himself a bit and bowed towards them as the others did. However, upon seeing Nie Tian, he chuckled coldly and said, “Let me guess. You’re the seventh Son of the Stars, Nie Tian, who people have been talking about a lot recently, right?”
“Mmm.” Nie Tian responded expressionlessly.
Zhongli Jian bowed respectfully towards Nie Tian and said with a bitter smile, “I’m sorry for troubling you with this.”
With a wave of his hand, Nie Tian signaled for him to not stand on ceremony. Then, he turned to the cultivator who was selling the Profound Yang Pill and asked, “I’m Nie Tian. You are?”
The man was fairly respectful when answering Nie Tian. “I’m Bo Shiming, an alchemist from our sect. You should know that it’s not easy to make a Profound Yang Pill. Even though the auxiliary materials are easy to find, the main materials are very hard to find. It took me a long time to gather the necessary materials and make this Profound Yang Pill. And as soon as I was finished with it, I brought it here, hoping to sell it for a good price. Since Hong Yao has agreed to buy it for two million spirit jades, I…”
Hong Yao suddenly let out a broad laugh and said arrogantly, “Making deals is all about mutual consent! I have plenty of spirit jades on me, and I’m the highest bidder. Of course he’ll sell that Profound Yang Pill to me!”
Zhongli Jian seemed somewhat embarrassed as he whispered to Nie Tian, “I’ve already used my spirit jades on a few other items. And this is my first time here. It appears that I didn’t prepare well enough. And since Feng Yulin and Dong Qisong have gone to find the spiritual materials they need in the other three sections, I couldn’t ask for their help.”
Apparently, the reason why he had been hesitant to raise the price was because he didn’t have enough spirit jades on him.
Nie Tian frowned slightly.
Since he was only at the Profound realm, he hadn’t stocked up on spirit jades. Instead, his ring of holding was filled with spirit beast and outsider corpses, and spiritual materials that could provide him with flame power, wood power, and star power.
“Nie Tian,” Fang Yuan suddenly chimed in. “I have an abundant amount of spirit jades in my hands. Go on. Bid on it. I’ll loan you as many spirit jades as you need.”
“What?” Hong Yao fixed his eyes on Nie Tian and said with a cunning smile, “As the seventh Son of the Stars, you don’t have enough spirit jades to even buy a medicinal pill for your subordinate? And you have to borrow from another person?”
Many in the crowd were taken aback upon seeing this.
They hadn’t seen a Son of the Stars out of spirit jades before.
Nie Tian closed his eyes for a few seconds before reopening his eyes and said, “Bo Shiming, right? You don’t seem to have much time left.”
Bo Shiming’s expression flickered. “How do you know?”
Instead of answering, Nie Tian asked, “Am I right?”
Bo Shiming sighed softly and nodded. “You’re right. Years ago, before our sect set took me in, I was nothing but a nameless alchemist. Back then, in order to learn the effects of different herbs and sense the subtle changes they caused, I took many of the pills I made.
“That turned out to be a reckless thing to do. Because I took too many pills that contained toxins, all kinds of toxins were deposited in my five yin organs and six yang organs.
“By the time our sect saw my talent and took me in to teach me the legitimate Dao of alchemy, the toxins I consumed had already reached the deepest parts of my internal organs. And there was no way for me to drive them out.
“Unlike outsiders, we humans don’t know much about body refinement. I’ve seen many body refining experts, but none of them were able to help me.
“They said perhaps only outsider grand patriarchs, who have spent their whole lives refining their fleshly bodies, would be able to expel the toxins in my internal organs with their bloodline power.
“But that’s just…” After a short pause, he continued with a bitter expression. “Anyways, I’ve decided to give this fleshly body up and seek rebirth.”
After hearing these words, Nie Tian walked to his back, and placed his hand at the center of his back under everyone’s confused gazes.
A wisp of extremely pure and refined wood power then flowed into Bo Shiming’s back.
Bo Shiming shook his head. “It won’t work. I’ve studied wood power for many years, and I’ve asked several Saint domain experts who are well-versed in wood power to heal my internal injuries. Even they weren’t able to do much to help. The best they could do was slow down the toxins’ spread, but they couldn’t eradicate them.”
With a cunning laugh, Hong Yao said, “Don’t tell me you think you can solve his problem with your Profound realm cultivation base?”
Fang Yuan and Han Wanrong exchanged a glance, strange expressions appearing on their faces.
They both knew that wood power was only one of the powers Nie Tian practiced.
What kind of help could a cultivator like Nie Tian, who hadn’t focused on wood power cultivation and was only at the Profound realm, give Bo Shiming?
All of a sudden, a wisp of flesh aura that carried the profound truths of life suddenly fused into that wisp of wood power, activating Heavenly Wood Heal as it did.
Just as Bo Shiming was about to tell Nie Tian to stop wasting everyone’s time, he shuddered.
As the wisp of mixed flesh aura and wood power flowed inside of him, a small amount of the toxic residue in his internal organs seemed to have vaporized somehow.
Ecstasy instantly filled the man’s eyes.
At this moment, Nie Tian suddenly withdrew his hand, and stood face-to-face with Bo Shiming again. “Give me that Profound Yang Pill, and I’ll take care of the toxins inside of you.”
Under everyone’s disbelieving gazes, Bo Shiming stuffed the Profound Yang Pill, which Hong Yao and Zhongli Jian had been competing for, directly into Nie Tian’s hand, and practically yelled, “Please help me!”
“Bo Shiming!” Hong Yao shouted furiously. “What the hell is this?”
“I’m not selling it anymore, no matter how many spirit jades you offer,” Bo Shiming said with a determined look in his eyes. “No amount of spirit jades can buy my life!”
