Sovereign of the Three Realms

“Everyone, the Majestic Clan has been planning to open Taiyuan Lodge for many years. Unfortunately, its opening was met with many twists and turns due to some insignificant troublemakers. However, the road to good things are often strewn with setbacks, and no force was able to prevail against the tide. On this fine day, we open Taiyuan Lodge for the very first time…” The Majestic clan lord made his speech loudly, full of vim and vigor. His voice enveloped every corner of Farmer God Market. “Today, we are honored to welcome several clan lords of Veluriyam Capital to partake in our opening ceremony. Moreover, I have a piece of good news to share with you all -” The Majestic clan lord paused for a moment before continuing, “I believe you’ve all heard about the Longevity Pill, haven’t you? Yes, you guess correctly! Today, Taiyuan Lodge will officially launch the Longevity Pill!”

Cheers filled the entire scene. Of course, most of the cheering were shills hired by Taiyuan Lodge to liven up the atmosphere and improve the mood. These people felt very honored to be able to work on behalf of a great clan. Therefore, they worked hard to put on a good performance.

“Clan Lord, the Longevity Pill is unparalleled in this world! It’s said to be a pill that can snatch life from the heavens themselves, and moreover, its effects are immediate! Is it really true? Can it turn back time for one’s life on the spot?”

“Yeah, why don’t you put on a live demonstration for us, Clan Lord!”

“That’s right, seeing is believing. We all know that the Longevity Pill is amazing, but we haven’t actually seen its effects with our own eyes!” The voices of the paid promoters were particularly shrill. Those who didn’t know the truth would be hard pressed to identify them as props hired by the Majestic Clan themselves.

The Majestic clan lord smiled, “Everyone, please rest assured. I have taken your concerns into consideration already. It is true, as these friends have said. Seeing is truly believing, and rumors remain simply as whispers in the wind. Therefore, the Majestic Clan will give out, for free, two Longevity Pills to perform a live demonstration today. Moreover, to ensure that we’re not just putting on a fake show, we’ll be selecting a candidate from the crowd gathered here today.”

“What?!”

“Giving out pills for free? The Majestic Clan is certainly deserving of its reputation. They truly are an impressive clan!”

“Tsk tsk, the Majestic Clan is looking more and more like the foremost clan considering their level of generosity. How unfortunate that I’m not old enough to test the Longevity Pill myself!”

“Mm, a great clan should be this magnanimous. These two Longevity Pills are worth tens of millions, and they’re just going to use them for a live demonstration? The Majestic Clan is full of sincerity!” The props worked hard and coordinated well with each other. The fawning talk fell like rain, as each strove to drum up support for the Majestic Clan.

Pill King Lu Feng was still watching the charade from within the crowd, and almost threw up a little when he heard the props trying to one up each other in flattery. How could he possibly miss the fact that these people were all shills the Majestic Clan had secretly hired? How was this not unlike the actions of a shameless certain “sect” in the community?

Generous? Magnanimous? The Majestic Clan? It was a line that could arguably be the best punchline of the year. There was no one in Veluriyam Capital who didn’t know the Majestic Clan as the most unscrupulous clan who’d sell their own mothers for profit.

That being said, there was no doubt that the hard work of the shills had an effect on the crowd. Many of the neutral parties were drawn by this announcement of a live demonstration. Those who were slightly prejudiced against the Majestic Clan were also slightly adjusting their viewpoints a little. They all thought that the Majestic Clan was finally doing something that was deserving of a top rank clan.

The Majestic clan lord smiled, “My friends, if any who are sage realm cultivators and of elderly age care to show themselves, perhaps the chance to try out the Longevity Pill for free will be yours!”

There were only too many sage realm cultivators in Veluriyam Capital, and solo cultivators the most numerous among them. These people had been waiting at the scene for a very long time ever since they’d heard rumors of Taiyuan Lodge bringing out the Longevity Pill. Although they didn’t have an invitation and thus weren’t qualified to enter Taiyuan Lodge, there were no rules that forbade them from waiting outside. It was all to get in queue and buy a Longevity Pill first. Cultivators with such needs and wants numbered in the several hundreds, even at a conservative estimate.

When these people heard the clan lord’s words, they pushed their way into Taiyuan Lodge with all their might. It was obvious that none of them were willing to give up the chance to obtain a Longevity Pill for free. After all, it was impossible for a miraculous pill like the Longevity Pill to be sold at a cheap price, especially considering how much effort had been put into crafting the crowd’s atmosphere. Solo cultivators were a poor lot to begin with. They were worried that their personal wealth might not be enough to make a purchase, and they were also worried by the fact that they might not get a turn to buy the Longevity Pill. Therefore, when they heard that there was a chance they might get the Longevity Pill for free, they went crazy trying to get to the front and improve their chances! As a result, the scene grew even livelier than before.

Hundreds of sage realm cultivators with white beards, white hair, or both scrambled and jockeyed or an advantageous position. Jabs and subtle elbows were the norm as the morass of cultivators threatened to escalate out of control. It took a lot of effort and even the interference of Emperor Asura’s soldiers before the situation finally stabilized once more. But even then, the solo cultivators were glaring at each other and showing no signs of backing down at all.

The Majestic clan lord seemed to find such a scene very pleasing, his face split by a large smile. “There’s no need to fight with each other. There are so many people, and only two free spots. Therefore, let us draw straws for fairness sake. Luck will decide who will get the Longevity Pills, and we shan’t blame either the heavens or men when the results are made clear. What do you all think?”

“Alright, let’s draw straws!”

“Clan lord, we trust in the Majestic Clan’s integrity, so you absolutely mustn’t rig the drawing, alright?!”

“Yeah, we poor solo cultivators hate unfairness the most. We hope that you can give us true impartiality, clan lord.”

“As long as the process is truly fair, I will do free promotion for Taiyuan Lodge even if I don’t get a chance to buy the Longevity Pill!” These solo cultivators all cried out.

The Majestic clan lord smiled, “I swear on the Majestic Clan’s name that the process will be absolutely fair, and that there will be no rigging whatsoever. Everyone, please relax.”

When the total number of participants were tallied, they discovered that there were actually more than five hundred solo cultivators participating.

“Alright, as you have observed with your own eyes, every one of these lots were made on the spot. If you have any objections to the process, you may put them forth now.” The Majestic clan lord smiled faintly.

It was quite difficult to rig something under so many pairs of eyes, not to mention that anything so hastily set up would be easy enough to see through and therefore tough to fool a crowd’s eyes. The solo cultivators said, “Clan lord, why don’t you make the draw? It’ll be our fortune if you draw our number, and if you don’t, we will truly accept the result as our fate.”

“Yeah, this is a fair competition. There’s nothing we can complain about if we lose.”

The Majestic clan lord smiled and nodded. He put his hand into the draw and grabbed a straw, “Number 33? May I know who this is?”

A short cultivator on the scene trembled all over before he cried out in joy. “It’s me! Haha, it’s me! I’m number 33! Haha, who knew that I, You Laosan would have a lucky break today? This is great! This drawing process really is fair!” The short cultivator obviously couldn’t wait to get his hands on the pill. He rolled his way to the front like a melon and passed his numbered token to the Majestic clan lord. “This is my number, clan lord. Please, check it.”

The Majestic clan lord didn’t accept it. Instead, he allowed the cultivator next to him to take the token and inspect it. “It is him.”

The Majestic clan lord smiled, “Very well, congratulations! You’re You Laosan? You are our first customer, and you will be gifted one Longevity Pill for free! Bring forth the pill!”

His attendants immediately brought up the Longevity Pill they’d prepared earlier and passed it to You Laosan, “You’re a lucky man! Take it and consume it on the spot. Let everyone see the might of the Longevity Pill!”

You Laosan beamed and hastily wiped his hands repeatedly on his clothes before he finally accepted the pill. “Of course, of course, I’ll eat it now. Is there anything I need to pay attention to before I eat it?”

“Nothing. You may eat it directly. Refine the pill so that it merges with every part of your body. When the merging process is done, the effects will show itself!”

You Laosan was overjoyed to hear this. Unable to wait even a second longer, he threw the Longevity Pill into his mouth and swallowed it post haste. He ignored the countless eyes staring at him and threw all ideas of courtesy to the back of his head, sitting on the floor. He began refining the Longevity Pill on the spot. It didn’t take long before the effects of the pill started to appear on every part of You Laosan’s body. A faint halo started to rise from his body.

“Everyone, look! What’s that on the surface of his skin?”

“Eh? It looks like a halo. I think it’s You Laosan’s qi and blood being expelled outwards!”

“Is this pill really that magical?” The onlookers’ discussion grew louder and louder. They were all very surprised by the halo that was growing increasingly brighter with every passing second.

As the halo grew stronger and stronger, You Laosan’s skin began to undergo a transformation. His face, neck, the back of his hand and all other parts of his skin that were exposed actually began to crack. Soon enough, the old the skin was falling off his body like bark being shed by a tree. Soon, his skin had been entirely replaced. The new skin from below seemed to brim with life. All kinds of impurities continued to be expelled from You Laosan’s seven orifices. Almost all of these transformations were visible to the naked eye.

“He really has become younger. How miraculous!”

The pill actually turns back time! I can’t believe that there really is such a pill in this world! This is a fortune to all sage realm cultivators!”

“What a miraculous creation! Just who on earth is the genius who created this pill? They’re literally robbing fortune from heavens’ grasp!”

The Majestic Clan is going to be rich this time!”

“This is a benefit to the people and the entire world of martial dao. There is nothing better than the Majestic Clan!”

“They truly deserve the title of foremost clan in Veluriyam Capital!” The flattering words came in waves and droves, but this time it didn’t grate on the ear as they did before. It was obvious that the people’s disgust towards the Majestic Clan had been greatly dispelled by the effects of the Longevity Pill.

“Haha! I can’t believe that I would get a new lease on life today. And moreover, be able to enjoy being young once more. This is too wonderful. Clan Lord, from today onwards, You Laosan’s life belongs to the Majestic Clan!” You Laosan suddenly leaped to his feet. His movements was as light as a sparrow’s, and he looked like an entirely changed person. He exuded an incredibly lively feeling. Moreover, You Laosan was no longer the shortie he used to be. He seemed to have grown a lot taller than before, and his spirits had become noticeably vigorous. Moreover, the vanishing of the wrinkles and lines all over his body made him look a lot younger than he’d first looked. His transformation won many cries of surprises from the scene.

“My lord, isn’t there still a free spot left? Let’s get on with the next draw already! That free spot is absolutely going to be mine!”

“Hmph, that free spot is definitely mine!”

“A fortune teller once told me that great fortune would befall on me when I was young. Therefore, this free Longevity Pill is absolutely mine. No one can take it from me!” The last chance to grab the Longevity Pill for free had grown even more tantalizing.