Chapter 144: Auction

The murder of the Song family's young master spread throughout Character: Liyang Immortal City in less than three days.

Not only the ten great families learned of it; even low‑level cultivators of the Qi Refining Realm, merchants and laborers all knew.

The name Bai Wuji resonated everywhere.

From then on, Character: Liyang Immortal City gained an untouchable presence, whose status was almost equal to that of a Golden Core cultivator!

As for the slain Song Changning, he became fodder for idle chatter; the title "Foundation Establishment Double Pride" that originally belonged to him was transferred to Xiao Zhangqing, making him as renowned as Gu Zongyuan.

Of course.

If a cultivator who clearly knew the details of the duel at Drunken Immortal Tower that day were asked, they wouldn't think so.

Because Xiao Zhangqing almost killed Song Changning with a single move, this strength, even Gu Zongyuan, could not match.

……

Jiang family.

Jiang Canghai looked at the latest intel and exclaimed, "Is Bai Wuji's Soul Transformation truly that terrifying? Song Changning, who had completed his Foundation Establishment, under his Soul Awareness attack had not even the strength to resist?"

Hong Jiantao's mind was also churning.

He already knew that Bai Wuji was the junior Xiao Zhangqing he had once taken under his wing at Nanshan Fang, and now, confirming that Xiao Zhangqing truly possessed Fake Core True Person‑level combat power and easily killed Song Changning, he couldn't help but feel shaken.

"Unfortunately, a few months ago, our Jiang family had even tried to recruit this person, right? I recall the terms we offered were very generous, yet he refused. At the time we thought he was just holding out for a higher price. We never imagined he was so unfathomable, utterly disdainful of our meager offers," Jiang Canghai said regretfully.

"If we had known that Bai Wuji's Soul Transformation secret technique could rival a Golden Core True Person, we would have spared any cost to bring him into the Jiang family! When he first arrived in Character: Liyang Immortal City, as long as we showed enough sincerity, we could have won him over. Unfortunately, now he has joined the Character: Liyang Guard, so there's no chance…"

Hong Jiantao listened to his junior brother's regret, restraining himself from exposing Xiao Zhangqing's true identity.

Otherwise, given his understanding of Jiang Canghai, he would inevitably do something Jiang Canghai didn't want.

A half‑moment later, Jiang Canghai turned to business: "Tomorrow I set out. Both Zuo Zhenren and I will head to the Southwest front; from now on, I entrust the affairs of the Jiang family to Senior Brother Hong. Should any unresolved matters arise, Senior Brother Hong may visit the residence of Guang Qin Zhenren. Zuo Zhenren and Guang Qin Zhenren are on excellent terms; they have already sent their regards in advance, and during our time on the Southwest front, they will look after our Jiang family…"

Zuo Zichun is the senior disciple of Character: Liyang Zhenren, possessing Fake Core cultivation.

Although his potential may be inferior to Gu Zongyuan's and his favor less, he is universally acknowledged as the chief of the Character: Liyang Seven Heroes.

The reason is simple: he is Character: Liyang Zhenren's senior disciple, the highest generation.

Moreover, Guang Qin Zhenren, the sole Golden Core cultivator under Character: Liyang Zhenren, once had his life saved by Zuo Zichun; the bond between these two senior brothers is the deepest.

Thus this time Zuo Zichun brings Jiang Canghai to the Southwest front, giving him the face to request the ever‑secluded Guang Qin Zhenren to help look after the Jiang family.

"Jiang junior disciple, be careful on this journey and watch your safety," Hong Jiantao knew how important revenge was to Jiang Canghai's heart; unable to retain him, he merely advised, "If you encounter innocent ordinary disciples of the Luoxia Sect, please show them mercy."

Jiang Canghai's eyes flashed with vengeful light, saying, "As long as they are not die‑hard followers of the despicable Lu Dao Ming, I will naturally spare them."

……

The next day.

Under the command of Zuo Zhenren, the chief of the Character: Liyang Seven Heroes, a massive flying vessel set out from Character: Liyang Immortal City straight toward the Southwest Region of the Da Yu Cultivation World.

Well‑informed people heard that it seemed the Demon Sect Evil Cultivator had invaded again.

The Southwest front was in urgent need of war; the cultivators and sects of the Southwest Region alone could not possibly hold the line.

Under the organization of Xingyue Palace and the Seven Star Sword Sect, both Nascent Soul powers, rewards were promised and various sects dispatched cultivators to the battlefield.

Although Character: Liyang Immortal City is a city of scattered cultivators, not belonging to any sect or clan, its sheer scale meant the city lord's mansion still had to represent the city and voice support for this matter.

Led by the venerable Fake Core True Person Zuo Zichun, the force also included the rare third‑rank Symbol Master Jiang Canghai, nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, and countless Qi Refining cultivators, providing support greater than many old‑established Golden Core sects.

The two Nascent Soul powers expressed great satisfaction with this.

As for the interior of the Immortal City, the news did not cause much upheaval.

First, Character: Liyang Immortal City lies in the central region of the Da Yu Cultivation World, far from the Southwest Region; even from the Cloud Mist Mountain Range to Character: Liyang Immortal City, the distance is an unfathomable number of ten‑thousands of li.

For the city's cultivators, the battlefield is simply too distant.

Let alone the Demon Sect Evil Cultivator's invasion; even if the Demon Sect truly occupied the entire Southwest Region, causing Da Yu to lose a large swath of territory, most cultivators of Character: Liyang Immortal City would likely not care.

Only if the Demon Sect Evil Cultivator, unsatisfied with merely taking the Southwest Region, crossed the Cloud Mist Mountain Range and continued invading the interior of Da Yu would the ordinary cultivators of Character: Liyang Immortal City take notice.

Secondly.

The grand auction arriving soon is what the city's cultivators truly focus on! Though Character: Liyang Immortal City lost a large number of Foundation and Qi Refining cultivators under Zuo Zichun's command, more cultivators have been streaming in from all directions over these days— from the eastern, southern, western, and northern domains, sect cultivators of all four quadrants, even disciples from Xingyue Palace and Seven Star Sword Sect have quietly arrived.

Thus the city has not become quiet due to the loss; on the contrary, it has become even livelier.

Even the major inns, restaurants, and entertainment venues within the city have seen prices quietly rise by one or two percent during this period.

……

Three days passed in an instant.

The auction venue was a grand hall perched halfway up the main mountain range of Character: Liyang Immortal City, not far from Character: Liyang Zhenren's Daoist courtyard.

Choosing this location not only highlighted Character: Liyang Immortal City's regard for the auction, but also primarily served to intimidate visitors from all sides, preventing any mischief or ulterior motives.

If anyone dared to act brazenly, no matter how powerful, Character: Liyang Zhenren could arrive in an instant and suppress them.

Of course.

As for whether someone who leaves Character: Liyang Immortal City with a treasure might encounter mishaps on the road, that is not the responsibility of the organizer, the Jiulian Chamber of Commerce, nor of Character: Liyang Immortal City.

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Xiao Zhangqing, after being attended to by Lin Zixi, finished washing, dressed neatly, and prepared to leave.

For this auction, Lin Zixi would also accompany him, so she was very eager and rose early.

Before Xiao Zhangqing killed Song Changning, he only possessed the most ordinary ticket given by the Duobao Pavilion manager, allowing only his own participation and no guests.

Joining the Character: Liyang Guard, especially after a single‑move kill of Song Changning, made Gu Zongyuan take notice and address him as "brother"; the auction ticket was no longer an issue for Xiao Zhangqing. Upon learning Xiao Zhangqing also intended to attend, Gu Zongyuan immediately exercised his authority to grant him a top‑tier "VIP ticket", which not only included a private box but also allowed him to bring several people.

The auction tickets had sold out two years ago, that is indisputable.

But that was only true for low‑ and mid‑level cultivators.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator would find it hard to obtain a ticket now, whereas a Golden Core True Person would have countless people willingly offering one.

And the city lord's mansion, as the organizer, with Gu Zongyuan's lofty position there, could even erect a new private box at the auction venue without difficulty.

Xiao Zhangqing obtained the VIP ticket, but he does not have many friends in Character: Liyang Immortal City; apart from the Lin sisters, there is no one to bring.

Jiang Jiyue and Mu Chunfeng already had tickets long ago, so they didn't need to piggyback on Xiao Zhangqing's VIP ticket.

Lin Zixi was very interested in this auction; after hearing about it she kept muttering that such an opportunity could not be missed. Upon learning that Xiao Zhangqing possessed a VIP ticket, she immediately said she wanted to go with her master.

Her older sister Lin Ziyu wasn't very interested; she had originally planned just to take a look.

But in recent days, her cultivation suddenly had an insight, and at this critical moment she might be able to push through to the ninth layer of Lian Qi in one go!

At a time like this, she didn't want to interrupt her cultivation to attend the auction, so she stayed home to close off and cultivate.

After all, she wasn't the type who liked to join the hustle; for an auction of this caliber she had nothing to sell, and attending merely to broaden her knowledge was far less useful than improving her own strength.

Once her cultivation breaks through to the ninth layer of Lian Qi, she can gradually prepare for Foundation Establishment. If, in ordinary days, she sees her sister's cultivation soaring while Lin Zixi, who hasn't yet broken through to the eighth layer of Lian Qi, would surely be spurred and fiercely close off to cultivate.

But since this time there is such a grand auction to attend, in her excitement she no longer competes with her sister on cultivation speed.

She will work hard on cultivation after returning from the auction.

After leaving, Xiao Zhangqing took Lin Zixi and rode his sword, heading straight for the main mountain range.

Although it was still early, crowds had already gathered around the auction venue.

Besides some cultivators who came to attend the auction, most were onlookers there for the spectacle.

"Dao Companions, this way please…"

After Xiao Zhangqing showed his VIP ticket, a guest minister of the City Lord's Office who was in the Foundation Establishment Realm immediately came to guide him.

Seeing that this person's cultivation was already late‑stage Foundation Establishment indicated that he was not a recent recruit after the City Lord's Office expanded its recruitment, but an old veteran guest minister.

Nevertheless, when facing Xiao Zhangqing he dared not show any negligence, and placed himself in a very low position.

The auction hall was built huge; seating ten thousand people would be no problem.

In the very center hung a massive floating terrace, presumably the place to display the auction items, while around it were layers upon layers of neatly placed meditation cushions, each spaced relatively far apart, serving as the spots for cultivators attending the auction.

It looked somewhat like the stadium from Xiao Zhangqing's previous life, but the floor area ratio was much larger, and the seats were far from crowded.

As for the VIP boxes, they were all individual floating pavilion rooms; not only could people enter them, but each pavilion was also equipped with maids, snacks, spirit drinks, and so on.

After escorting Xiao Zhangqing to the box, the City Lord's Office guest minister stepped back.

"What a grand event!"

Lin Zixi toured the VIP boxes, then stood at the window looking down at the ordinary seats and couldn't help exclaiming.

She had been obedient and well‑behaved all the way, positioning herself behind Xiao Zhangqing as a proper attendant.

Now that there were no outsiders inside the box, she finally relaxed a lot.

"If the venue fills up later, wouldn't the number of auction participants be almost as many as all the cultivators of Nanshan Fang?" Lin Zixi couldn't help gasping.

Nanshan Fang, located in the Southwest Region of the Da Yu Cultivation World, is considered a relatively large workshop market, but its resident cultivator population has just barely exceeded ten thousand.

The number of people at this auction alone equals the total of all cultivators in Nanshan Fang.

More importantly, among the auction's cultivators, a little over half were at the Foundation Establishment Realm! There were also a considerable number of Fake Core True Persons, and a few Golden Core cultivators! Xiao Zhangqing also sighed.

However, the more he witnessed such a grand scene, the more steadfast his Dao heart became.

Only by raising his cultivation and constantly moving forward can one see the higher‑level scenery of the Cultivation World! Character: Liyang Immortal City is merely one of the top‑ranked cities in the Da Yu Cultivation World, not the largest.

The two largest cities are undoubtedly those where the Seven Stars Sword Sect and Xingyue Palace are located.

If one looks even farther, the Da Yu Cultivation World can only be considered a secluded corner, not truly a powerful cultivation nation.

Like the city where the headquarters of one of this auction's organizers, the "Nine Alliance Chamber", is located, and the city where the headquarters of the Pill Dao Alliance, from which Xiao Zhangqing will later obtain the "Condensing True Pill", are situated…

Compared with those places, even the Clear Awakening Sword Sect and Xingyue Palace pale in comparison! The path of cultivation is long indeed.

He now needs to set a small goal, striving to condense a Golden Core in Character: Liyang Immortal City!

"Let's see how many good things we can buy at today's auction."

Xiao Zhangqing thought to himself.

For this auction, he had prepared a generous amount of Spirit Stones; as long as he set his eyes on a treasure, even if a Pill‑Condensing True Person competed with him, he was confident he could win it.

He sold part of his inventory—pills, Magic Treasures, materials, and the like—through Gu Zongyuan, and these were all looted from Evil Cultivators who had raided the Cloud Mist Mountain Range and Nanshan Fang.

Adding his own Spirit Stones and the labor cost of selling second‑grade Talisman Scripts, he amassed a total of 150,000 low‑grade Spirit Stones.

Then, a few days earlier, after scavenging the corpse of Song Changning, he had a small breakthrough and obtained nearly 30,000 low‑grade Spirit Stones.

That still didn't include the Song family's heirloom, a third‑grade Magic Treasure with sentience!

Xiao Zhangqing ran a system scan on this third‑grade Magic Treasure; the extracted skills were rather ordinary, not a good fit, and offered him little benefit.

However, the Magic Treasure itself was quite powerful, able to boost Xiao Zhangqing's strength, and could barely serve as a trump card.

Therefore, Xiao Zhangqing did not sell it, but kept it temporarily to observe the situation.

If he were to sell this Magic Treasure as well, finding a suitable buyer could fetch around a hundred‑thousand low‑grade Spirit Stones without much trouble.

In other words, Xiao Zhangqing's purchasing power limit today is roughly 250,000 low‑grade Spirit Stones! (End of chapter)