"This is impossible!"
Zhang Shifan's pupils shrank.
The next moment, the Heaven and Earth Flame roared, instantly cutting off his Strange Flame's link to his spiritual power.
"Pu!"
Zhang Shifan suffered backlash on the spot, spitting a mouthful of blood.
He collapsed to the ground, staring at Yang Cheng with terror. "Monster… you're a monster."
Everyone else was frozen in place.
This ten-year-old boy had actually blocked the attack of a second-level Martial Emperor head-on and even snatched away his Strange Flame?
Yang Cheng looked at him coldly.
That gaze made Zhang Shifan shiver all over. He felt an overwhelming killing intent pressing down on him.
Bang!
The great elder of Divine Medicine Valley actually dropped to his knees before Yang Cheng. "Young master, please, I was blind and reckless, offending you without knowing my place. I beg for mercy! I am willing to pay any price for my offense."
His groveling shattered whatever image Yang Cheng once held of him.
So this man, who in his previous life had stood tall as a great figure of the Dao of Pills, was nothing but a spineless, shameless coward.
[The host has refined nine Heaven and Earth Heart-Inquiry Pills. To Zhang Shifan, who has already reached the realm of Pill God, this should mean little, yet he lost control and attacked the host.]
[The Insight God Zhang Shifan failed in his sneak attack, suffered backlash, and knelt in public, begging the host for his life.]
[This is no longer just losing face. He has completely lost his dignity and become a clown.]
[System judgment: The host has over-fulfilled the task. Reward adjusted.]
[Strange Flame · Earthfiend Spirit Flame adjusted to Strange Flame · Samadhi True Fire.]
Yang Cheng secretly drew in a sharp breath.
Samadhi True Fire?
The system really was outrageous.
It also meant Zhang Shifan no longer had any value to him.
"Receive reward," Yang Cheng thought.
Without hesitation, he exhaled lightly toward Zhang Shifan.
In the very same instant, Zhang Shifan's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he struck again.
He shot forward like a venomous snake, his right hand like an eagle's claw reaching straight for Yang Cheng's throat.
The crowd gasped in shock.
No one had expected Zhang Shifan to be so shameless.
He had already tried a sneak attack once, then feigned surrender, only to attack again.
Forget a ten-year-old boy—even most adults would have been fooled.
No one noticed the breath Yang Cheng had exhaled just now.
Neither did Zhang Shifan.
His five fingers collided with that breath.
And then a horrifying scene unfolded.
Almost instantly, his fingers turned to blackened charcoal before crumbling into fiery-red ash.
"Ahhh!"
Zhang Shifan screamed, stumbling backward.
But it was too late.
It was as if he had touched something beyond comprehension.
From his fingers, the burning spread rapidly to his arm, shoulder, and then the rest of his body.
In just three breaths, his entire body turned into scorched charcoal, consumed by an invisible flame.
Everyone's scalp went numb at the sight.
Their eyes turned toward Yang Cheng with fear.
This boy not only had terrifying mastery of the Dao of Pills, but also possessed unfathomable killing means.
"Samadhi True Fire truly is terrifying," Yang Cheng thought.
Zhang Shifan, a second-level Martial Emperor, had been burned to nothing in the blink of an eye.
Yes, he had already been heavily injured, and Samadhi True Fire especially restrained alchemists. But that didn't diminish its power.
"This Samadhi True Fire is bound to my true qi. Its fuel is my true qi. That means, the stronger my qi, the stronger the Samadhi True Fire. And my true qi already rivals an ordinary Martial Saint. Most Martial Saints would probably be burned alive by this fire."
"Not only that, Samadhi True Fire can devour other Strange Flames."
Right then, Yang Cheng collected Zhang Shifan's Strange Flame, intending to feed it to the Samadhi True Fire later.
By now, Zhang Shifan had completely perished.
The hall was utterly silent.
Yang Cheng's Heaven and Earth Flame had faded, leaving him looking like any ordinary boy.
But in everyone's eyes, his presence was even more terrifying.
Even Elder Qiu and Zheng Sanhe felt crushing pressure when Yang Cheng's gaze fell on them.
That had been the great elder of Divine Medicine Valley, a Pill Dao Master, a second-level Martial Emperor!
Yet right before their eyes, Yang Cheng had slain him with a single breath.
Ghostly, unpredictable. Terrifying beyond belief.
"Elder Qiu," Yang Cheng said flatly, "I've killed your great elder. Do you have any objections?"
Elder Qiu's scalp prickled.
He remembered how he hadn't thought much of this young master at first, and now the memory made his spine crawl with cold sweat.
How could such a person be someone he dared look down on?
Swallowing hard, he said, "Elder Zhang struck at you twice. The first time, you spared him. He was the one who refused to repent and attacked again. Elder Zhang's death was well-deserved. Divine Medicine Valley has no objections."
What awed him most wasn't Yang Cheng's power, but his mastery of the Dao of Pills.
One who had perfected the Dao of Pills was called a "Grandmaster of the Dao of Pills"!
Such grandmasters in the entire Wasteland Realm were so few they could be counted on one hand.
Even Divine Medicine Valley had only its valley master.
The influence of such a figure was immeasurable.
Yang Cheng gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze toward Zheng Sanhe.
Cold sweat poured down Zheng Sanhe's back. "Young master, earlier it was me—Old Zheng… no, Little Zheng—who spoke without restraint and spouted nonsense. But Little Zheng truly hasn't sinned enough to die."
As he spoke, his body trembled, showing just how terrified he was.
"The Zheng clan's pill industry seems rather sizable, doesn't it?" Yang Cheng said.
Gritting his teeth, Zheng Sanhe replied, "If you set your eyes on my Zheng family's industry, I… I am willing to hand it over…"
His heart bled, but to stay alive, he could only bow his head.
"I'm not so black-hearted." Yang Cheng said. "From now on, your Zheng family will work with the Xu family and help them grow their pill business."
"Yes, Little Zheng will never let young master down!" Zheng Sanhe said, overjoyed, as if pardoned from death.
As for Fang Muxian, Yang Cheng didn't even glance his way.
Fang Muxian's heart sank. He would have preferred that this young master openly suppress the Fang family. But being completely ignored instead—that attitude was even more ominous.
The other forces around also gave Fang Muxian strange looks.
In the crowd, Steward Huang felt as if struck by lightning. She slapped herself hard across the face.
What madness had possessed her before, that she had offended such a figure for the sake of Fang Wunian?
"Elder Qiu."
Yang Cheng turned his gaze toward Elder Qiu.
"Young master, please speak." Elder Qiu actually felt nervous.
"As for Divine Medicine Valley entering Great Zhou, I welcome it." Yang Cheng said. "From now on, Elder Qiu will be in charge of this matter and coordinate directly with the Xu family. How about that?"
Elder Qiu was overjoyed.
With these words, he had gained the support of a Grandmaster of the Dao of Pills.
The pill market of Great Zhou was unimaginably vast.
Whichever faction of Divine Medicine Valley seized the lead in this market would also hold the upper hand in the sect's internal struggles.
That was precisely why Zhang Shifan had gone to such extremes.
And now, the fortune had fallen on him. How could he not be delighted?
As for cooperating with the Xu family, he didn't care in the least. For Divine Medicine Valley, partnering with anyone was fine.
"Many thanks for young master's support," Elder Qiu said.
Xu Qingxue was deeply moved as well.
She understood that from now on, the Xu family's position in Chanzhou would soar.
It wouldn't be long before the Xu clan surpassed the Fang family, becoming second only to the Southern Guardian Prince's household.
As for surpassing the Southern Guardian Prince?
She never even dared think of it.
After all, the Southern Guardian Prince's mansion was like an emperor in Chanzhou.
There was a saying in Chanzhou: even the emperor's decree carried less weight here than a casual word from the Southern Guardian Prince.
Even though His Highness was the Crown Prince, changing such a situation would be difficult.
"This auction, you may continue hosting," Yang Cheng said, standing and walking toward the exit.
Whoosh!
All the gathered nobles rose together, sending him off.
In the first-floor hall, the younger generation of aristocrats was still waiting outside.
For all their high status, it was only in comparison to common cultivators.
They weren't qualified to attend the second-floor auction.
They could only bid on ordinary pills here in the first-floor hall.
The treasures upstairs were far too costly, only their elders could afford them.
"That Chen Cheng sure is lucky, having Xu Qingxue bring him upstairs," Huang Yu said.
"So what if he went up? Up there, he's just a lackey. He might even have to serve tea and pour water," Zhou Chong scoffed.
"If you force yourself into a circle that doesn't belong to you, you'll only end up being laughed at," Ouyang Xue said coldly.
She didn't want to admit it, but when she saw Yang Cheng enter the second floor earlier, jealousy had gnawed at her heart.
"Not necessarily," Fang Wunian sneered. "This world isn't short of men who live off women and manage to climb ranks that way. Maybe this Chen Cheng has such fortune."
His words were clearly mocking Yang Cheng for living off Xu Qingxue.
Jiang Hengwu pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
She felt the situation wasn't as simple as they made it sound.
After all, Xu Qingxue showed deep respect to Young Master Chen. It didn't look like he was some freeloader.
Creak!
At that moment, the door to the second floor suddenly opened.
"Why would it open now?"
"The auction should last at least another half an hour."
"There was some violent surge of spiritual power upstairs earlier. Who knows what happened?"
The first-floor crowd was stunned.
Then they saw Steward Huang, like a common servant, pushing the door open.
Behind her walked out a ten-year-old boy.
"Chen Cheng?"
People were first puzzled, then shocked.
They saw Steward Huang step aside immediately after opening the door.
Yang Cheng didn't even say thanks. He simply strode past her.
Right after, the other great aristocrats of Chanzhou filed out as well.
But none of them walked ahead of Yang Cheng. Every one of them followed behind him.
Yang Cheng alone walked in front.
Elder Qiu's face shone with a warm smile. "Young master, take care. Divine Medicine Valley will always welcome you as a guest."
"Great Zhou having a peerless talent like you is truly our empire's blessing," Zheng Sanhe said ingratiatingly.
"I only wish for the chance to receive guidance in the Dao of Pills from young master," Master Fan said with burning desire.
Seeing the leading figures of Chanzhou and even Tianxin Island bow and scrape to Yang Cheng, faces full of flattery, the young martial artists on the first floor stood frozen, dumbfounded.