Chapter 456: The Reputation of the Tushan Sword Cultivator

The underground auction hall was empty.

Apart from the cultivators of Huaxuedian and the Lingbao Shang clan, only the black-robed man who had just spoken remained, standing in place with slight embarrassment and annoyance, the surroundings utterly silent.

"A pack of cowards!"

"No matter how strong a Jin Dan cultivator is, what could forty-odd Jin Dan cultivators do if they rushed him together? Such heaven-sent wealth right before their eyes, yet they didn't take it—no wonder they cowered and fled all the way here, their Dao stagnant and going nowhere."

He said with a good deal of cold mockery.

No one around answered.

The Jin Dan Zhong Qi cultivator of the Lingbao Shang clan waved his hand, and the surrounding cultivators respectfully retreated; in the blink of an eye only two people remained.

"Fellow Daoist, per custom, the underground auction venue is used only once. I shall take my leave here."

"If you still have the inclination twenty years from now, you may learn the location through your VIP token."

The beardless middle-aged scholar of the Shang clan cupped his hands in a bow, then left as well, looking like he had no intention of further contact—as if fleeing a plague god.

"Shopkeeper, I wish to purchase information."

The black-robed man said in a low voice.

But the middle-aged scholar only walked faster, as if he had heard nothing at all.

The black-robed man said nothing more, tossed out a token shimmering with spiritual light, which flew before the beardless middle-aged scholar and hung suspended in the air.

"A Star Token?"

The middle-aged scholar's footsteps paused, a look of wariness appearing on his face.

This was a token the Lingbao Shang clan bestowed only upon important VIPs; this person must excel in at least one of strength, wealth, or backing—or perhaps all three at once.

"What information does the guest desire?"

The middle-aged scholar cast a hand-seal, and the array patterns throughout the underground auction hall rose and activated; especially the concealment and hiding arrays were pushed to their limits, striving to block the inside from the outside.

"Is it really necessary? It's only a Jin Dan sword cultivator."

The black-robed man frowned, didn't waste words, and asked with some vexation: "Why did they suddenly all leave at once? Logically speaking, whether they did it or not aside, they shouldn't have been afraid to this degree—they're all Jin Dan cultivators, who've gone through plenty of life-and-death struggles since childhood; what does a mere reputation matter?"

"You ask whether it's necessary?"

The middle-aged scholar gave a bitter smile.

"Nearly a hundred years ago, at the battle of Tushan Xiancheng—Jin Ta Wang, Lady Thousand Snake, Shang Shang Chengye, and the later-rumored Blood Cloud Eighteen Riders' Bronze Drum General, Vajra Arhat."

"Four great late-stage Jin Dan cultivators."

"Righteous or evil, rogue cultivators, no discrimination—anyone who dared to make a move is now nothing but a pile of dry bones."

"Now that you've come once more, wanting to make a move against Tushan Xiancheng with its layers of protective arrays, it's only right that they fear and suspect a trap."

"Suspect what? I'm merely after wealth."

The black-robed man frowned.

"After wealth—it doesn't make sense on the face of it."

"Of course, I do believe you."

The middle-aged scholar cupped his hands in a bow.

"Leaving the soft persimmons of Xiang Qiyu Sect and Huaxuedian alone, yet insisting on biting into the hardest nut of Tushan Xiancheng—anyone can see something's off; there must be some reason, either a personal grudge or someone backed by a major power."

"I'm not curious, you needn't say."

In truth, over the years people had also set their sights on Huaxuedian and Xiang Qiyu Sect.

But the trouble was, they were too scattered internally; before they could even begin, they were already fighting over the spoils—utter chaos.

Besides, late-stage Jin Dan cultivators can run.

Once they detect a large number of Jin Dan cultivators appearing, threatening their lives, what does a mere sect matter?

It's not as if they haven't run before.

Sweep up the sect's heavenly materials and earthly treasures and important disciples, flee in less than a few breaths—a group of early- and mid-stage cultivators, how could they possibly catch a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator?

Those dozens of Jin Dan cultivators who attacked their mountain gates had best stay together for the rest of their lives.

Otherwise, once they scattered…

"So that's how it is."

The black-robed man was silent for a moment, then said calmly: "I've only just arrived in your region, so I was rash—many thanks to the Shopkeeper for the information."

"Serving the Shang clan's VIPs is only proper."

The middle-aged scholar bowed deeply.

"Give me all the information on Tushan Xiancheng, from its founding to the present."

The black-robed man tossed out a pouch of spirit stones and said flatly.

"I'll prepare it for you at once…"

The middle-aged scholar said respectfully.

After a round of hospitality, beneath the respectful gazes of a group of Lingbao Shang clan members, a black-robed man departed through the underground auction hall's transmission array, arriving over a thousand kilometers away.

Concealing his form, he flew through the sky.

"These cultivators who fled the Northern Plains are far too cowardly, useless for any great task."

"One person sweeping clean three nations' worth of territory is no longer feasible."

The black-robed man said silently in his heart: "Although I can defeat and slay several late-stage Jin Dan cultivators working together, within the opponent's arrays the hope of killing them is not great. Better to wait for people from the sect to arrive…"

His escape light sped up a little more, passing through the forests and skies.

"The sect? What sect?"

In his heart, a voice suddenly appeared.

The voice was youthful and clear, like a boy of sixteen or seventeen, yet also like a middle-aged man of forty or fifty, echoing through the lake of his mind and stirring up ripple after ripple.

"Who?!"

The black-robed man was greatly horrified; black light flared across his whole body, black feathers sprouted on his cheeks, and he barked sharply.

He did not have the habit of talking to himself when no one was around!

All of this was his own inner thoughts—someone could directly invade his divine soul and probe what he was thinking. This was simply terrifying to hear of.

His divine soul swept frantically through the sea of consciousness, spinning at full speed.

Finally, in a corner of the sea of consciousness, he discovered an extremely faint wisp of blue-gold sword Qi, carrying an aura that shattered spirits and destroyed souls.

"Putting on airs!"

The black-robed man snorted coldly. His sea of consciousness surged like a tide, crashing down, shattering that faint sword Qi into pieces until it vanished.

His divine sense spread out in all directions, but found nothing.

Not far away, the air shimmered with a transparent haze, and the figure of an ordinary-looking young man emerged.

Clearly, the person was right here.

But when his divine sense swept over, it told him plainly—this was just a clump of air, nothing at all. Repeated scans all gave the same result.

His heart sank.

"Master Tushan Xiancheng? Lingbao Trading House!"

The black-robed man said coldly.

Having been ambushed the moment he stepped out the door, his trust in the Lingbao Trading House plummeted to freezing point; he believed he had been sold out.

The Lingbao Trading House here had already colluded with Tushan Xiancheng, forming a tight alliance of shared interests—needles couldn't pierce in, water couldn't splash in.

"You mentioned a sect?"

"Since I began cultivating the Dao, the only sect I've offended is the Liu Dao Sect."

Jiang Ding looked at the man before him and said slowly, "You're even stronger than the Mad Sky Daoist. Both the purity of your magic power and the condensation of your divine sense are so. Are you from the main line of the Liu Dao Sect? Is your surname Yin, or what?"

To judge a cultivator's strength at the same level, divine sense and magic power were two very accurate coordinates.

"I am Heishan, greetings, Daoist friend."

The black-robed man forced a smile onto his face and cupped his hands in a salute.

"Hei?"

"So that would be the General Heishi of the Beast Path of the Liu Dao Sect, and the main line at that—Daoist friend comes from a prestigious house."

Jiang Ding recalled the memories of the Mad Sky Daoist and others, nodded slightly, and asked curiously, "The Yin clan of the Heavenly Human Path gave up? Why did they send people like you?"

"This was originally the Beast Path's territory."

Heishan's face turned a little ugly, then recovered. He explained, "The Yin clan used to be overbearing and domineering, seizing things by force. Later they found a better place, and this area was fought over and won by our Beast Path."

He was polite and refined, doing his utmost to cooperate, showing none of the mad, bloodthirsty nature rumored of the main line of the Modaoda Sect.

"So that's how it is."

"It seems within the Liu Dao Sect, the Heavenly Human Path is the strong one, while the Beast Path is a bit weaker."

Jiang Ding seemed lost in thought.

"Daoist friend of Master Tushan."

"What happened before was my fault. I am willing to compensate with half my fortune; please forgive me."

Heishan said sincerely, "Although I am a man of little weight and few words, I am still of the main line of the General Heishi of the Beast Path. I carry a mark left by a Nascent Soul ancestor—once I die, it can automatically track nearby enemies and attach itself to them."

"Taking such a risk for a petty person like me is truly not worth it."

His words were humble, yet carried a veiled warning; his posture had already been lowered to the lowest.

Yet his magic power surged taut, his gaze fixed dead on the person before him.

"No,"

"You are worth it."

Jiang Ding smiled faintly. "I'm very interested in what's inside your divine soul. How about you open up your divine soul and let me take a look? The reward is that I'll leave you an intact corpse."

"Tempted?"

"Seeking death!"

The smile vanished from the black-robed man's face, revealing a brutal expression.

He hurled out a Hei Yu Fa, a top-grade magic treasure. Blade Qi filled the four corners, slashing down amid a shrill, howling wind.

(End of this chapter)