This kind of plot reversal was naturally something everyone loved to see. When two sides went head-to-head, the more twists and turns the story took, the more people enjoyed it.
After all, those watching for the spectacle would never complain about things getting more exciting.
"What? The Peacock Sacred Mountain is putting the Pine Crane Pill up for auction?" When Emperor Danji heard this news, he could barely stay seated. His first impulse wasn't to devise more countermeasures — it was to rush to the Glazed Royal City immediately and participate in the Pine Crane Pill auction.
It wasn't that Emperor Danji lacked composure. It was that the Pine Crane Pill had become an obsession in his heart. He wanted one so desperately.
And he understood better than anyone what the Pine Crane Pill truly represented.
"Your Majesty, just how authentic is this Pine Crane Pill?" Baili Shengzhi asked, finding it almost unbelievable.
Emperor Danji sighed lightly: "I cannot give a definitive answer on exactly how authentic this pill is, since I have never personally examined it. Pill King Danhui — didn't you appraise the Pine Crane Pill back then?"
Pill King Danhui was the very person who had competed against Huang'er in alchemy.
"Your Majesty, that pill is definitely extraordinary. Its aura is completely different from any other pill. I strongly suspect it truly is the Pine Crane Pill." Danhui held to his original assessment.
"Your Majesty, if the Peacock Sacred Mountain truly possesses such a pill, its appeal will be enormous. This could draw away a great deal of popularity from our Pill Fire City's Pill and Martial Summit." Baili Shengzhi's tone turned somber.
Clearly, the sudden move by the Glazed Royal City had thrust him into an extremely passive position.
The rogue cultivator world was a brutally pragmatic place.
Threats and intimidation wouldn't necessarily have any effect. Most rogue cultivators were tough bones — people with tempers and principles.
You simply couldn't control their movements through threats alone.
To get people to give you face and come to your Pill Fire City, you needed to lure them with benefits.
To that end, Pill Fire City had cast out bait that couldn't be called anything less than generous — it was practically an unprecedented level in the city's thousands of years of history.
But the moment the words "Pine Crane Pill" appeared, those generous incentives suddenly didn't seem so tempting after all.
Indeed, what pill could possibly be more tempting than one that extended your lifespan?
Whether it was the so-called Dragon-Tiger Assembly or the Pill and Martial Summit, neither could attract every rogue cultivator under heaven — that simply wasn't realistic. Neither the Glazed Royal City nor Pill Fire City had the capacity to host them all.
The so-called gathering of the world's rogue cultivators merely referred to the elite of the rogue cultivator world — the absolute top tier.
And those who could be called the top tier naturally wouldn't be lacking in cultivation. Among this group — Emperor realm, Imperial realm — who among them could resist the temptation of the Pine Crane Pill? Who would remain unmoved by the prospect of extending their lifespan?
No one could do it.
Forget about the rogue cultivators' powerhouses. Even sect strongmen, if given a chance to extend their lifespan, would pursue it regardless of the cost.
Yet Pill King Jilang remained unconvinced: "Hmph. The Glazed Royal City's alchemy foundation speaks for itself. That Pine Crane Pill is most likely just bluster on their part. And even if the pill is genuine, it's merely one type of pill — how can it compare to our Pill Fire City's alchemy foundation? When it comes to foundational strength, who has Pill Fire City ever feared?"
It had to be said, these words from Pill King Jilang were exactly what Emperor Danji wanted to hear.
"What Jilang says has some merit. One type of pill, and they think they can rival our Pill Fire City's foundation?" Emperor Danji sneered. "Even if that Pine Crane Pill is real, it most likely cannot be mass-produced like the Ten Thousand Year Pill. It was probably just refined from some rare, once-in-a-lifetime natural treasure."
Baili Shengzhi nodded as well: "I share the same suspicion. If the Peacock Sacred Mountain truly had the ability to mass-produce the Pine Crane Pill, why not announce it openly? I suspect they simply stumbled upon some lifespan-extending natural treasure, refined its essence, and fabricated this story of the Pine Crane Pill. How many of these pills could they possibly have? Your Majesty, I believe we can use this angle. Even if the Pine Crane Pill is real, there's far more demand than supply. Perhaps they have only one or two pills — the hype is certainly grand, but of all the rogue cultivators who go there, only one or two lucky ones will actually get their hands on one. The rest would be nothing more than spectators keeping the Crown Prince company — completely pointless. This is the fundamental difference between the Glazed Royal City and Pill Fire City. Pill Fire City's alchemy foundation is vast and formidable, with pills spanning every domain. Come to Pill Fire City, and your gains will be the greatest and the most practical."
"Exactly! No matter how amazing the Pine Crane Pill is, us small fry would just be going to watch the excitement. But if we go to Pill Fire City, maybe we can actually participate and bid on the pills we need?"
Baili Shengzhi's mind worked quickly, seizing the key to the counterattack in an instant.
"Well said, Baili. Make it happen," Emperor Danji ordered.
Pill Fire City had developed over many years and had its own extensive network of connections. Once the plan was decided, people were dispatched to carry it out immediately.
Before long, a new narrative began circulating throughout the rogue cultivator world:
"The Pine Crane Pill might exist, but it's reportedly refined from some rare natural treasure. Such treasures are virtually impossible to find by chance. Moreover, the Peacock Sacred Mountain likely has no more than one or two Pine Crane Pills — far too few to go around. Even if every rogue cultivator under heaven went there, the only ones who could actually win the auction would be a few rogue cultivator giants. Everyone else going there would be nothing more than keeping the Crown Prince company — completely pointless. This is the fundamental difference between the Glazed Royal City and Pill Fire City. Pill Fire City's alchemy foundation is vast and formidable, with pills in every domain. Come to Pill Fire City, and your gains will be the greatest and the most practical."
"That's right! No matter how good the Pine Crane Pill is, us small fry would just be going to watch the excitement. But if we go to Pill Fire City, maybe we can actually participate and bid on the pills we need!"