Chapter 83

Let's go, stop overthinking.

Ye Chen came to his senses, "Oh, okay, Master."

Lu Xuan and Ye Chen left quickly.

Seeing Lu Xuan and Ye Chen's departing backs, Mu Lao gave a faint smile and immediately reported the matter to the sect leader.

The sect leader was somewhat surprised, "No wonder Fu Yao and Ye Chen favor Lu Xuan so much; this kid knows how to win people over! He just spent over twenty million contribution points like that!"

Mu Lao said, "The bad news is that the contribution points left by the Xuan Qing Saint are about to be spent by Lu Xuan."

Sect leader: "..."

The next day.

Ye Chen rose early in Cao Wu, busily preparing food for Lu Xuan.

Then he went to Lu Xuan's cave dwelling to bid farewell.

"Master, I'm leaving. The food is in Cao Wu; just warm it up when you need it."

Lu Xuan responded dazedly, "Oh. Uh. Right. Yes..."

Ye Chen rubbed his nose, smiled, wondering what good dream his master was having again.

Then he stepped into the void, a divine rainbow appearing beneath his feet as he flew toward the Grand Dao Hall.

Many people already stood on the plaza before the Grand Dao Hall.

The heads of all peaks arrived, each bringing their peak's top Zhuan Chuan Di Zi.

Liu Xuan wore a long dress that perfectly revealed her figure, her body flowing with a faint halo, giving her an alluring charm; she looked at Ye Chen and gave a bewitching smile, "Ye Chen junior brother, you've come."

Everyone looked at Ye Chen.

The head of the Miao Miao Peak pursed her lips and smiled, "Ye Chen, where is your master?"

Ye Chen glanced around and realized that people like Fang Yan, Luo Lingkong, Liu Xuan, etc., had all come accompanied by their masters.

He forced a faint smile and said, "My master is busy."

Hearing that, many peak heads couldn't help but laugh.

He's busy!

What can Lu Xuan be busy with?

Just busy sleeping and eating.

The head of the Body Refining Peak asked with a smile, "Ye Chen, tell the truth—you and Lu Xuan have been together on Xuan Qing Feng for three months; what does Lu Xuan usually busy himself with?"

Ye Chen fell into thought, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

He suddenly realized his master seemed to really do nothing every day on Xuan Qing Feng.

Not cultivating.

His master's daily routine: eating, sleeping, drawing, reciting poetry, reading storybooks...

However, this did not affect his reverence and awe for Lu Xuan; Ye Chen always felt that such an exalted person as his master might no longer need to cultivate.

One must know that even Ye Lao was greatly shocked by Lu Xuan's lifestyle; in Ye Yan's impression, the many ancestors of the Ye family are usually in year-round seclusion—where would they find time to enjoy scenery, so leisurely.

Ye Yan felt this was the gap: the Ye family ancestors are clearly on the first level, while Peak Master Lu is already on who knows how many levels above.

Ye Yan secretly speculated that Lu Xuan was cultivating the Grand Dao Scripture, secretly in accord with heaven, cultivating through non-action.

Thinking of this, Ye Chen said with a solemn expression, "My master is in a state of 'non-action,' perhaps cultivating the Grand Dao Scripture."

"Pfft!"

The head of the Miao Miao Peak directly covered her delicate lips and laughed.

The other peak heads also laughed until they couldn't close their mouths.

Still non-action?

Still cultivating the Grand Dao Scripture?

"How did this brat Lu Xuan fool Ye Chen?!"

"He's already brainwashed!"

The sect leader sighed, shook his head, "Forget it. Don't worry about Lu Xuan anymore. This time, Mu Lao will lead the team to the ancient legacy secret realm; after entering the secret realm, you must keep in contact."

"If anything happens, you can help each other! Disciples of my Grand Dao Sect are forbidden from fighting among themselves!"

"The voice fell!"

The many peak heads collected their smiles and nodded solemnly.

Soon.

Mu Lao, wearing a gray robe, slowly walked out of the Grand Dao Hall; he spread his right hand, and an incomparably huge, ancient spirit vessel instantly appeared Above the Void, its surface flowing with terrifying Dao patterns, like a massive mountain range.

"Everyone, come aboard!"

Mu Lao directly stepped into the void and entered the spirit vessel.

Ye Chen, Fang Yan, Liu Xuan, and other top Zhuan Chuan Di Zi also successively boarded the spirit vessel.

The heads of the Body Refining Peak and the Qiong Hua Peak, etc., subsequently boarded as well.

This time, Mu Lao leads the team, accompanied by several other peak heads.

"Boom!"

With a thought from Mu Lao, the enormous spirit vessel erupted with terrifying power, directly ripping the void, turning into a divine rainbow that shot far away.

"The void trembled!"

"Space twisted!"

After that huge spirit vessel vanished above the firmament, the sect leader gazed toward Xuan Qing Feng and murmured, "Cang Xuan Ancestor wants to investigate Lu Xuan again; I'll bring Lu Xuan there."

Saying that, the sect leader stepped into the void and flew toward Xuan Qing Feng.

……

Azure Prefecture.

Willow City.

Soon it was the next day.

In this realm, the morning sun rose, but was obscured by heavy dark clouds; Willow City looked like it was going to rain.

Wang Man and Qing Yan, among others, took turns keeping watch outside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion for a night.

Nothing unusual!

Suddenly.

Wang Man stared fixedly at a medicine pavilion across from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, vaguely seeing several figures.

"Huh?"

He felt these people seemed to be coming and going to buy medicine at that pavilion several times over the night.

A bit suspicious.

However, these people's cultivation was only at the Profound Ancestor Realm.

Wang Man sent out a few strands of divine sense, striking those people, wanting to continue investigating.

Meanwhile.

The auction at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion was about to begin.

Numerous cultivators streamed into the auction venue.

The gray-robed steward from yesterday came to Ji Fuyao's room, bowed respectfully, and said, "Honored guest, the pavilion master has arranged your elegant chamber as Number Four. You may participate in the auction from the Number Four auction room."

Soon.

The gray-robed steward led Ji Fuyao, Qing Yan, and the others into the Number Four auction room.

Here, the Drunken Immortal Pavilion has laid down countless seals, isolating divine knowledge and divine sense; nothing below the Emperor Realm can peek in.

But Ji Fuyao and company could clearly see everything in the auction venue.

Below the venue, there were many scattered seats, where many cultivators sat.

The gray-robed steward soon left, leaving behind a sound transmission jade slip, telling Ji Fuyao that if anything happened, activating the slip would summon him immediately.

Ji Fuyao scanned the auction venue; the place was resplendent with gold and brilliance, pearls and radiant light, the pavilions shining with divine splendor, revealing an extraordinary foundation.

At that moment.

A tall platform slowly rose from the auction field.

On the platform stood a young woman of bewitching allure, wearing a purple dress; her curvaceous figure, accentuated by the dress, looked most charming, the dress's slit extremely high, revealing her snow‑white, tender thighs, her jade‑straight legs perfect as jade pillars.

She literally had a devilish figure!

The crowd exclaimed in surprise, "Fei Ya, the auctioneer!"

Fei Ya, the auctioneer, is a legendary figure of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion; in her hands, even an ordinary item often fetches a high price.

Seeing Fei Ya, this charming beauty, some reacted instantly, some stood frozen, some furtively moved their hands, not knowing what they were doing…

In the next instant.

Fei Ya, the auctioneer, pursed her lips in a smile, full of charm, her numb‑tingling voice spreading through the whole venue: "The auction officially begins… uh…"

The voices in the venue thundered.

Fei Ya slowly took out a treasure box, opened it, and inside appeared a Profound Venerable‑stage spirit sword.

Her voice, numb‑tingling to the bone, said, "The first item is the Azure Edge Sword, opening bid one hundred thousand middle‑grade spirit stones; each bid must not be lower than one thousand middle‑grade spirit stones."

The voice fell!

Someone said, "One hundred ten thousand middle‑grade spirit stones!"

"One hundred twenty thousand!"

"..."

Meanwhile, in the Number Four auction chamber, Qing Yan frowned slightly, "Such an ordinary treasure? Is this just child's play? Is it to set off that final supreme treasure?"

Another Dragon Guard said, "Damn Wei Yan, why no reply when we contact him via the sound transmission jade slip?"

Ji Fuyao looked at Qing Yan and asked, "How are Ye Beichen and the others' preparations?"

Qing Yan said solemnly, "Your Majesty the Empress, they are ready and can charge into Willow City at any moment."

Soon.

The auction items on the field had already been sold in several lots.

All were sold at rather outrageous prices.

Qing Yan's eyes flickered with divine radiance, "These prices are a bit too outrageous; they're all just low‑grade spirit artifacts and medicinal pills, basically wasting the Empress's effort."

Ji Fuyao frowned slightly.

She suddenly had an ominous premonition.

"Boom—"

"Boom—"

Outside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, a bolt of lightning flashed up, a dull thunderclap boomed, as if heaven and earth were collapsing; the void condensed purple‑gold lightning, above the void, dark clouds gathered, utterly mysterious.

Dark clouds pressed down on the city; the entire region of tens of thousands of li around Willow City was shrouded in the thunder's reach.

The heavenly and earthly momentum surfaced, making Ji Fuyao and company feel an oppressive pressure, as perilous as a stack of eggs about to topple!

As if something major were about to happen!

An atmosphere incongruous with the auction venue was brewing!

At this moment, not only Ji Fuyao, but Qing Yan and the other Dragon Guards also felt it.

The mysterious atmosphere made their hairs stand on end.

Qing Yan looked at Ji Fuyao with utmost respect, frowning and asking, "Your Majesty the Empress, I really don't understand—if Wei Yan intends to wage a great war against us, why not attack outright? If he seeks submission, why not swear a heavenly dao oath? What is he after?"

Ji Fuyao's eyes flowed with divine radiance as she investigated everything in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

And at this moment.

Outside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Wang Man's extending divine sense spotted the movements of those several strange individuals.

These people kept coming and going, back and forth!

He discovered other strange situations.

Besides these people, many in Liu City were constantly coming and going through various pavilions and shops, putting on a show of the city's prosperity.

In fact, they were basically... as if acting!

"Crack!"

Although a thunderclap boomed, a flash of lightning also streaked across Wang Man's mind.

"Damn!"

These people are all acting!

They are fundamentally not people of Liu City!

They are just putting on a show!

Instantly, Wang Man urgently sent a mental transmission to Ji Fuyao: "Your Majesty the Empress, all of Liu City are followers of the traitor Wei Yan; they have been acting all along!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Fuyao's face remained calm as she issued the order.

"Prepare for battle!!"

At the same time.

Above the Void, thunder rumbled again as a torrential downpour poured down.

Heaven and earth, thunder, heavy rain, dark clouds—Liu City suddenly filled with a terrifying killing intent.

Fei Ya's tingling voice suddenly shifted, becoming extremely icy; her voice rose sharply, not drowned out by the thunder.

"Everyone, today's auction's final treasure is..."

Saying this, her slender jade hand extended, pointing to Ji Fuyao's auction private room: "Today's auction's final treasure is... Ji Fuyao in the Number Four auction private room!"

In an instant, killing intent fully revealed!

……