Chapter 32: Sky-high Priced Pills, the Entire Sect Went Mad!
Meanwhile, the Ascension Group and the Aotian Alliance—two teams with vastly different styles and tangled rivalries—were highly likely to face each other ahead of schedule in the next round!
“Next, we’ll begin the draw for the semifinals!”
The Host Elder’s voice once again pushed the atmosphere of the arena to its boiling point.
Before the semifinal draw, there was a one-hour break in the tournament schedule.
This was to allow teams who had fought continuously to recover their spiritual energy and treat their injuries.
But for Chu Feng, this one hour was the perfect “business window.”
“Wu Hao!”
Chu Feng called Wu Hao over.
“President, what are your orders?”
Wu Hao was now completely obedient to Chu Feng.
“Go,” Chu Feng said, “and spread the word about the effects of our ‘Military R&D Department’s’ three ‘special-grade pills.’”
The corner of Chu Feng’s lips curved into a businessman’s smile. “Just say that our Ascension Group, to support the smooth progress of the Sect Tournament, is willing to part with our treasures and sell a limited batch of ‘battlefield-exclusive pills’—to help our fellow disciples who need them achieve better results in the upcoming matches.”
Wu Hao was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “President, you mean… we’re selling pills?”
“This isn’t selling pills,”
Chu Feng corrected him. “This is ‘technology sharing’ and ‘strategic cooperation.’ We want the remaining ‘potential clients’ in the arena to understand that strength alone isn’t enough. Only with the ‘technical support’ of our Ascension Group can they go further.”
“Then… the price?”
Wu Hao asked the key question.
“The price…”
Chu Feng thought for a moment and held up three fingers. “Tactical Qi Recovery Pill, thirty lower-grade spirit stones per pill. Instant Hemostatic Ointment, fifty per box. As for that Diamond Power Pill…”
Chu Feng smiled and reported a number that made Wu Hao suck in a sharp breath.
“One hundred lower-grade spirit stones per pill.”
“W-what? One hundred?!”
Wu Hao was shocked. “President, that’s… that’s outrageous! That’s robbery! A normal Qi Nourishing Pill only costs one stone!”
“Expensive?”
Chu Feng shook his head. “Wu Hao, remember this—we’re not selling pills, we’re selling opportunities! The opportunity to win a crucial match, to earn more rewards and honor! Now, tell me, is that opportunity worth a hundred spirit stones?”
“Besides,”
Chu Feng’s eyes turned deep. “Our true goal isn’t to make money. It’s to first, test our product’s market value; second, drain our potential opponents’ liquid funds; and third, through trade, establish initial partnerships. This is a three-pronged open strategy.”
Wu Hao didn’t fully grasp it, but he nodded heavily and immediately took people to carry out the plan.
Soon, a shocking rumor spread through the Martial Arena.
“Have you heard? The Ascension Group is selling those miracle pills they used in the competition!”
“Seriously? You mean the golden pills that could withstand lightning spells?”
“It’s true! But the price is outrageous! That ‘Diamond Power Pill’ costs one hundred lower-grade spirit stones each!”
The moment the news broke, the arena erupted.
“Insane! A hundred spirit stones for a temporary defense pill? With that money, I could buy a decent defensive artifact!”
“Exactly! Chu Feng must be crazy about money! Does he think we’re all idiots?”
At first, everyone mocked the price, calling it a fool’s dream.
However, those who were about to enter the semifinals thought differently.
In one corner, another championship favorite—the Blazing Fire Valley team—was in an emergency discussion.
“Captain, that Diamond Power Pill… should we buy a few?”
A team member asked softly.
The captain of Blazing Fire Valley, a burly man with a thick beard, frowned deeply.
He had personally witnessed how the Thunder Hall lost.
The Ascension Group’s team had survived the first wave of thunder attacks precisely because of that pill, which gave them the chance to fight up close.
One hundred spirit stones was indeed a sky-high price.
But if their next opponent was Li Aotian’s Aotian Alliance, they too would face the risk of being instantly wiped out by a powerful assault.
If… if they had just one or two Diamond Power Pills that let their core members endure the first wave of attacks, the entire battle could change!
It was a gamble.
A hundred spirit stones for a shot at reaching the finals!
“Damn it, let’s do it!”
The captain of Blazing Fire Valley gritted his teeth and made his decision. “Buy! One for me and two for the vice-captains! We don’t have enough stones—everyone pitch in!”
The move was like throwing a boulder into calm water.
When they really sent someone over, holding three hundred lower-grade spirit stones, to the Ascension Group’s “stall” and bought three shimmering golden pills, everyone around was dumbfounded.
Once someone took the lead, the rest couldn’t sit still.
“Captain, Blazing Fire Valley bought some! Should we…?” another team hesitated.
“Buy!”
“We’re buying too!”
In an instant, a long line formed in front of the Ascension Group’s booth.
Elder Liu Changqing, whom Chu Feng had invited to serve as “Sales Director” and “Official Notary,” watched as the pile of spirit stones in the storage bag grew rapidly. His hands trembled as if he had Parkinson’s, his grin stretching nearly to his ears.
“Genius! Truly a business genius!”
His gaze toward Chu Feng was full of pure admiration.
In just half an hour, they had sold more than a dozen Diamond Power Pills and dozens of other pills, earning over two thousand spirit stones!
The money flowed in faster than robbery!
Li Aotian and his Aotian Alliance members watched coldly, their faces filled with disdain.
“A bunch of fools! Actually paying for that junk!”
One underling scoffed.
“Senior Brother, should we also maybe…”
Another underling hesitated.
“Silence!”
Li Aotian barked coldly, eyes full of arrogance.
“My Aotian Alliance relies on true strength! And I, Li Aotian, have no need for such cheap tricks! I will prove to everyone on the arena that before absolute power, all pills and tactics are jokes!”
His words were resolute, reigniting his team’s morale.
But one or two more perceptive teammates, glancing at the bustling sales scene opposite, couldn’t help but show faint, uneasy looks in their eyes.
Chu Feng took all of this in and merely smiled faintly.
His “pre-battle economic war” had already succeeded.
At that moment, the semifinal draw officially began.
All eyes once again gathered on that golden orb.