Chapter 45: Soul Dharma Treasure

Fifteen minutes later.

Su Wanyao waved her slender hand, and two Discipline Hall disciples carried out a crystal box.

"No more idle talk—the first item up for auction today is seven Golden Thunder Talismans."

"These are First-grade Mid-tier Talismans; five can form a Talisman Array, equivalent to a full-power strike from a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator, with additional effects against yin and evil entities. Starting bid is twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones per piece, with increments of at least one Low-grade Spirit Stone."

Chen Zhao narrowed his eyes slightly.

Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be drawn by Liu Chen, with sharp, piercing brushstrokes and spiritual energy fluctuations reaching Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Given their friendship, they could have easily traded them privately for pills.

But others were far from calm.

Evil Cultivators lurked all around, everyone on edge—besides, Talisman Arrays were rare, and could decide a Dharma Battle in one blow.

Instantly, bidding calls rose one after another.

"Twenty-three, two pieces."

"Twenty-five, I want four."

In the end, all seven were bought by a single bidder, costing two Medium-grade Spirit Stones.

It wasn't that the Golden Thunder Talismans had such a ceiling—it was because the bidder's name was Zhang Sifan.

"Looks like Fulong Mountain left him with quite a psychological scar."

Chen Zhao smiled inwardly.

He turned his attention to the next auction item.

"One Longevity Pill, starting bid one hundred fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones, with increments of at least ten Low-grade Spirit Stones."

At these words,

the middle-aged and elderly cultivators in attendance all lit up with eager eyes.

Living one moment longer meant one more chance at breakthrough; compared to that, even more Spirit Stones were mere external possessions.

"One hundred seventy!"

"Two hundred fifty!"

The bidding price rose rapidly.

Chen Zhao helped push the price but did not insist on winning.

Not long after, the pill was purchased by a white-bearded disciple for three hundred fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones.

The man did not hurry to leave—he kept bidding on other treasures.

Half an hour later.

"The next item up for auction is a High-grade Soul Dharma Treasure: the Illusion Heart Zither."

"Plucking its strings can harm the soul of Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators—lighter effects trap the target in illusions, heavier ones damage the soul directly."

Su Wanyao formed a hand seal.

A purple jade container slowly descended onto the stage, the ancient zither within barely visible.

As soon as the zither appeared, the crowd erupted again.

Soul Dharma Treasures were already rare among Qi Refining cultivators, let alone one with illusion capabilities.

Of course, some disciples raised objections.

"This item is precious—shouldn't we be allowed to examine it? Why hide it away?"

Su Wanyao smiled lightly at this.

"The Illusion Heart Zither attacks the souls of everyone present, which is why it is kept within a special container."

"However, Juxian Pavilion must warn you: even after assimilating this item, using it will affect the owner's soul, requiring regular consumption of Qingxin-class pills."

"Therefore, this item starts at two hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, with increments of at least ten Low-grade Spirit Stones."

At these words, the hall grew noticeably quieter.

Soul Dharma Treasures demand the strongest soul strength from their users—if the soul is weak, the artifact's power plummets.

Added to that, the side effects left most people uninterested.

Except for Alchemists.

They generally had low cultivation, but possessed exceptional soul strength and deep pockets—the very ones who needed this most for self-defense.

"Two hundred twenty!"

"Two hundred forty!"

Compared to before, there were far fewer bidders, yet the price climbed steadily.

"Three hundred."

Chen Zhao stroked his fake beard, calm and confident.

He had shares from Juxian Pavilion, bonuses as Chief Alchemist, and a Foundation Establishment opportunity—if he still lacked funds, he could always "borrow" from Su Muqing...

What could ordinary Alchemists possibly match him with?

"Three hundred fifty!"

"Four hundred fifty."

Chen Zhao remained composed.

But the faces of the other Alchemists darkened.

"Brother, with such deep pockets, why not bid for the Longevity Pill? Why compete with us for a Dharma Treasure?"

A black-robed Alchemist frowned.

He looked up, but his spiritual sense was blocked by the Array—he could not gauge Chen Zhao's cultivation level.

Yet Chen Zhao's appearance—pale, frail, as if near death—was undeniably convincing.

"This old man has already used one, and I just happen to have a granddaughter who needs it—what if I spend my coffin money?"

Chen Zhao coughed once, as if determined to lay everything on the line.

He had disguised himself precisely for this effect.

Seeing this, the crowd's momentum weakened by a third.

Though the Illusion Heart Zither is rare, it is merely a high-grade item—adding more would nearly buy two, so there's no need to compete over wealth with him.

Moreover.

Opportunities for Alchemist Dharma Battles are few, and this item is not essential.

"Since no one else bids, congratulations to this cultivator—for four hundred and fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones, you've won the Illusion Heart Zither!"

Su Wanyao, seeing it was Chen Zhao who spoke, ceased bidding and swiftly brought down the hammer.

He paid.

Chen Zhao checked his Storage Bag—the mid-grade Spirit Stones still remained in abundance.

In the blink of an eye.

Su Wanyao had already begun introducing the next auction item:

"A top-grade complete set of Dharma Treasures: the Geng Metal Revolving Blade. Only those in Foundation Establishment Early Stage can unleash its full power—sixteen flying blades can form a Sword Array or Flying Blade Array."

"It also possesses illusionary abilities: during Dharma Battles, it can absorb part of an opponent's spell power, causing the revolving blades to multiply with each strike, growing fiercer as the battle continues."

"Starting bid: two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. Each raise must be no less than fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones."

"Two thousand four hundred!"

"Two thousand eight hundred!"

"Three thousand five hundred!"

Chen Zhao held up his token, watching closely.

Almost all bidders were on the VIP platform, including Zhang Sifan.

However.

Aside from himself, one other bidder came from below—the man was right behind him.

"Three thousand six hundred, plus three Second Grade Mid-tier Soul-Nourishing Pills."

The moment "Soul-Nourishing Pills" were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.

These pills nourish and strengthen the spiritual awareness—far beyond the capability of ordinary Second Grade Pills.

The bidder must be at least a Second Grade Alchemist.

Coupled with the icy-cold tone, Chen Zhao guessed it was Li Zhiwei.

"If I continue to compete over wealth, I may not lose—but I'd expose too many cards, which would be unwise."

Thinking of the Flying Boat and the top-grade Spirit Wood Beads, Chen Zhao shook his head and withdrew his bid.

The Revolving Blades were ultimately won by Li Zhiwei; notably, she too had come disguised—as an old woman.

The "old woman" hobbled out, circled widely, then sprinted back to Ling Tian.

The "old man" donned the Invisible Spirit Robe and trailed distantly behind the white-bearded disciple.

As expected.

This man also discovered the hidden compartment, twisted his body, and dashed toward Si Guo Ya.

But fearing the Discipline Code, he stopped a hundred zhang before Si Guo Ya, blew a flute, and ignited the Spirit Pill Prescription.

Long moments passed.

Opposite, a flicker of firelight appeared—brief, then gone—yet no inheritance materialized.

The white-bearded disciple paid it little mind, sighed, and turned back toward home.

Yet Chen Zhao suddenly felt his Token grow hot.

It was a message from Su Muqing.

"Younger brother, the guard disciple at Si Guo Ya fell off the cliff—Elder Fang plans to assign me to assist with guarding there."

Previously, Si Guo Ya was guarded by disciples under Elder Zhang; if Elder Fang is placing his own loyalist, he must have paid a heavy price.

"Such a swift reaction—clearly premeditated."

Chen Zhao recalled the firelight and the flute's sound.

It was the signal to act.

But why convey the signal so circuitously?

Chen Zhao could not yet discern the reason, so he instructed Su Muqing to investigate, while he returned to Juxian Pavilion.