Chapter 1043 - Slap

Everyone in the plaza wore expressions of disbelief, and murmurs of astonishment spread like wildfire through the crowd.

The pill's fragrance alone had stirred breakthroughs in cultivation for multiple people. There could be no doubt. Only a pill with purple pill runes could possess such potency.

Many cultivators, lurking in the shadows, stared with covetous eyes. They were already scheming, desperate to uncover the Heavenly Dao Society's alchemy techniques. Mastering them would enable them to replicate the Society's meteoric rise.

Liu Wuxie noticed the hungry gazes circling them. He let a faint smile curl across his lips. He knew well that no one could replicate his alchemy technique. Even if others watched the entire process, all they would grasp was the surface, never the core.

"Everyone, please take a look," Bi Gongyu announced, drawing a single pill from the porcelain bottle. It was nearly identical to the previous one, but the pill runes etched across its surface were even more vivid.

"Let's test it again," Long Chen said.

If it still registered as a pill with purple pill runes, then there would be nothing more left to dispute.

Bi Gongyu approached the crystal sphere and casually dropped the pill in. His gesture was relaxed, almost dismissive, as if handling something ordinary. That single motion struck a nerve for many people. To them, it looked like he was carelessly handling something priceless.

He had done it deliberately, sending a clear message to the crowd: the Heavenly Dao Society had an abundance of such pills.

All eyes locked on the crystal sphere as it began to spin, and the air grew thick with tension. None watched more intently than Shi Yuan, for his reputation was on the line.

Suddenly, a multitude of runes began to emerge across the sphere's surface, glowing vividly. This time, they shone even brighter than before.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd. "It's flashing! So many purple pill runes!"

Bi Gongyu had refined the pill in full view of everyone, leaving no room for deceit or trickery.

What made it even more shocking was that Bi Gongyu had used only common spiritual herbs to produce it. If the Heavenly Dao Society chose to price these pills below five thousand spirit stones, it would upend the entire market for first-grade spiritual pills. The impact would be devastating.

Take the Profound Cloud Sect, for example. The cost of their pill was around five thousand high-grade spirit stones. Factoring in the refinement fee, they would need to sell each pill for over seven thousand spirit stones.

If the Heavenly Dao Society dropped its price to five thousand spirit stones, it would push its competitors to the edge, leaving them barely enough room to survive.

Their strength wasn't just in the superior quality of their pills; it was in the unbeatable balance of quality and affordability.

The members of the Profound Cloud Sect looked visibly shaken, as what they were witnessing spelled disaster for them. If the Heavenly Dao Society began mass-producing these pills, theirs would quickly lose all value.

Worse still, the Liu Clan had already been a significant threat. Their pills were not only high in quality but also inexpensive to produce. The combined pressure from both the Liu Clan and the Heavenly Dao Society would deal a massive blow to the Profound Cloud Sect's hold on the market.

The crystal sphere spun steadily for nearly a full minute before a thick, brilliant purple pill rune emerged, more refined than the last. It gleamed with purity and vitality.

"What a massive purple pill rune!" someone cried out, setting off a roar of astonishment across the plaza.

Everyone from the Profound Cloud Sect slumped back in their seats. Their faces were visibly pale and expressionless. Even the Wang Clan looked utterly defeated, unable to conceal their despair.

The Heavenly Dao Society had made its mark today. Regardless of the results in the remaining segments, their alchemy performance alone had secured their rise.

With abundant resources and a steady supply of high-quality pills, the prodigies they brought from the Southern Province would be able to grow at astonishing speed. It was clear to all that the Heavenly Dao Society could surpass most second-tier forces within a year. It was an unprecedented pace of development on the True Martial Continent.

"Elder Shi, time to honor your word," Bi Gongyu chirped, slipping the pill back into its container as he grinned at Shi Yuan.

Only then did the crowd remember that there had been a wager. The Heavenly Dao Society had vowed to withdraw if they failed, but if they succeeded, Elder Shi Yuan was to slap himself publicly.

"Liu Wuxie, do you really want to push it that far? Do you understand what happens to those who offend the Spirit Jade Pavilion?" Shi Yuan growled, his face turning red with rage. His voice turned sharp, laced with growing irritation.

"Elder Shi, should I take that as a threat?" Liu Wuxie asked calmly, his expression unmoved. "But you see, the Heavenly Dao Society doesn't fear threats."

His words struck like a hammer, leaving the crowd momentarily breathless.

If someone struck him, he would strike back harder. That had always been Liu Wuxie's way.

So what if it was the Spirit Jade Pavilion? That didn't give them the right to trample the Heavenly Dao Society without cause.

Liu Wuxie's stance was clear: he felt no pressure even from a force as powerful as the Spirit Jade Pavilion.

Besides, the Pavilion didn't belong solely to Shi Yuan, and he certainly didn't hold the authority to act against the Heavenly Dao Society on a personal whim.

"This kid is arrogant... but I like it," murmured several upper-echelons of various factions, giving subtle nods of approval, or raising their thumbs toward Liu Wuxie.

Unafraid of threats. Unshaken by adversity. True to his word. People like Liu Wuxie were rare in this world.

Anyone else in his position might have groveled for the Pavilion's favor by now, but not Liu Wuxie. He stood his ground, unyielding.

"Slap yourself!" a voice suddenly shouted from the outskirts of the plaza.

"Slap!"

"Slap!" The chant caught fire. Hundreds of cultivators joined in, their voices rising in unison.

After all, the Spirit Jade Pavilion couldn’t silence all those witnessing the event.

The roar swelled, spreading from thousands to tens of thousands, until it echoed across the entire plaza.

The cultivators hovering high above the plaza withheld all sympathy for the Spirit Jade Pavilion. They, too, had been kept at a distance despite the ample space below. The Pavilion's arrogance had alienated many, and now that resentment was beginning to show.

The crowd's chant thundered across Astral Glory City, so loudly that it shook the skies. It drew more cultivators to the scene, all eager to witness the unprecedented spectacle.

Long Chen turned his head away, unwilling to intervene. Stepping in now would only invite ridicule. The tide had turned completely. If Shi Yuan didn't slap himself, the commerce fair wouldn't be able to proceed.

"Liu Wuxie, I'll remember this!" Shi Yuan growled, bloodshot eyes blazing. Then, with a trembling hand, he slapped himself.

A heavy silence fell.

No one had expected him actually to follow through. The slap didn't just land on Shi Yuan's cheek, but it struck the pride of the entire Spirit Jade Pavilion.

Now, even the Pavilion's elders were left speechless. Their feelings toward the Heavenly Dao Society had grown complicated.

If they allowed pills with purple pill runes into the Pavilion, the profit would be immense. However, Liu Wuxie's public humiliation of Shi Yuan made partnering with them difficult.

If they partnered with the Heavenly Dao Society, others would mock them for backing down. But if they didn't, they risked losing a massive portion of the market once those pills hit the market.

They found themselves caught in a bitter dilemma, with every path leading to humiliation or loss. And everyone knew, Shi Yuan was the one who had brought it upon them. Silent glares turned toward him, their anger boiling beneath the surface.

As Bi Gongyu returned to the Heavenly Dao Society's ranks, the farce came to an end. The second segment of the commerce fair was about to begin right after Shi Yuan had slapped himself in the Spirit Jade Pavilion's territory.

News of the slap raced across Astral Glory City, and even more so, the shocking news that the Heavenly Dao Society had produced a pill with purple pill runes. The revelation raced through Astral Glory City and across the Central Plains like wildfire.

Countless orders would soon flood in. Even without the Pavilion's backing, the Heavenly Dao Society would have no trouble selling its pills.

"Now, let us begin the second segment—artifacts," Elder Long Chen announced, his voice strained and weary. This had become the most suffocating commerce fair he had ever presided over.

Hu Shi stepped forward to represent the Heavenly Dao Society in this round, as he was responsible for artifact production within the group.

One hundred and one participants lined up, each holding a crafted artifact. The participants had brought a diverse selection, mostly swords, followed by sabers, spears, and a handful of other weapons.

The testing method was simple: each artifact would be judged based on the damage it could inflict on a specially crafted puppet. The pavilion had manufactured all the puppets to identical specifications, ensuring a fair test. Only the weapon’s quality and the cultivator’s skill determined the result.

Naturally, the user's cultivation also played a role. In the hands of a high-level cultivator, even a mediocre weapon could produce devastating results. That contrast made Hu Shi stand out, as he had the lowest cultivation among the group.

The Yuan Clan had dispatched Yuan Zilong, an expert at the Earth Profound Realm, and the other major factions had followed suit, each fielding powerful Earth Profound Realm cultivators.

Hu Shi, by contrast, stood at only the first level of the Spirit Profound Realm. He stood out not for his power but for how outmatched he appeared.

"Begin the spiritual array," Long Chen ordered.

A massive formation lit up in the center of the plaza. Once inside it, all participants would have their cultivation suppressed to the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm. This ensured that no one, not even Earth Profound experts, would hold an unfair advantage.

The crowd murmured anxiously.

"The odds don't look great for the Heavenly Dao Society. Why would they send someone at the first level of the Spirit Profound Realm instead of an Earth Profound expert?"

Though the previous round had dramatically shifted public opinion in the Heavenly Dao Society's favor, this decision left many puzzled.

Even if they failed in this segment, their status wouldn't suffer. Pills with purple pill runes had already secured their place in legend.

"I don't get it. They have Earth Profound cultivators. Why send out someone so weak?" whispers continued to ripple through the crowd, confusion mounting as spectators tried to make sense of the Heavenly Dao Society's decision.

"That youth who defeated Wang Shan earlier, wasn't he at the second-level Earth Profound Realm?" some young women remarked, casting flirtatious glances toward Miao Jianying. "And he's pretty handsome too."

The members of the Heavenly Dao Society exchanged quiet smiles at the rising chatter around them. Their presence alone had stirred up quite a reaction.

The Scarlet Dragon Cult was the first to begin. An old man stepped forward, raising a longsword and striking the puppet in front of him. His technique was direct and straightforward.

With their cultivation suppressed by the spiritual array, participants couldn't channel their true essence and had to rely solely on physical strength and the quality of the weapon itself.

Sparks erupted upon contact. The strike left a deep gash across the puppet's torso, several inches long, reaching the level of a pinnacle dao artifact. As for earth-spirit artifacts, they contained their artifact spirit, possessed their own will, and were often difficult to subdue. That was why the Renowned Sword Manor had turned down the Supreme Harmony Sword. Owning such a weapon without the means to control it would only become a burden.

"What an excellent sword!" voices sounded from all directions.

Had that strike landed on a human body, it would have slashed straight through. And that was without the elder using even a trace of true essence. The test was fair. It was a pure measure of the artifact's power.

The Scarlet Dragon Cult's blacksmithing techniques rivaled those of the Yuan Clan.

One by one, the other factions followed, demonstrating their artifacts in turn. As the scores were recorded and ranked, the Scarlet Dragon Cult held the top spot so far.

This segment progressed significantly faster than the alchemy round. In just an hour, more than half of the participants had completed their evaluations.

Then came the Liu Clan.

Liu Dashan stepped forward, carrying a longsword of his own. His presence alone stirred a wave of interest among the crowd.

"Have you noticed?" murmured several cultivators from Astral Glory City. "Ever since Liu Wuxie showed up, the Liu Clan's growth has skyrocketed."

They all remembered how the Liu Clan had struggled for years to gain a foothold. Now, their sudden rise had become impossible to ignore.