Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
This time, the group that came to Gaoyi City for the auction was actually sent by Insect Path to deal with one of the Three Cultivators from Chaotic Valley.
Leading the trio was a Rotating Illumination Period Practitioner. It was initially believed that with their strength, it would be easy for them to make the three Foundation Establishment Stage old ghosts from Chaotic Valley bow down and admit defeat. However, upon arriving at Chaotic Valley, they discovered that significant changes had occurred in the Three Sacred Mountains. Even the Insect Path's Rotating Illumination Period Practitioner dared not take action.
After confirming that the other party had not sent anyone to stir up trouble in Insect Path and had not taken action to eliminate any disciples of Insect Path, along with the assurance regarding the Blood Sacrifice Mark artifact, the trio from Insect Path cautiously withdrew from Chaotic Valley.
The Rotating Illumination Period Practitioner hurried back to Insect Path to report this shocking news. The two Foundation Stage Cultivators were assigned to search for Xunuo's whereabouts. The one who came to Gaoyi City to issue the Bounty Notice was naturally one of them.
Upon hearing this life-threatening news, Xunuo's expression immediately darkened. This reaction revealed Xunuo's lack of experience; he couldn't hide his feelings well enough.
The two Cultivators noticed Xunuo's sudden change in demeanor and thought they had inadvertently let something slip that had been detected by him. They quickly became tense and focused on Xunuo. They weren't afraid of Xunuo taking action; after all, the fighting prohibition in Gaoyi City was exceptionally strict. Especially during the auction period, causing trouble as a Cultivator was tantamount to suicide.
Having learned about the bounty on him, Xunuo realized the true intentions of these two who had been so friendly towards him. He couldn't help but regret his carelessness. However, he found himself with no way out and dared not resort to killing them to silence them; he could only try to shake them off.
Moreover, Xunuo also worried that these two might spread his information, attracting other Cultivators from Insect Path. Thus, he quickly assessed the situation and decided to take his leave.
As outsiders, these two learned about the bounty on Xunuo through relatives within their family who were connected. They didn't directly communicate with any Insect Manipulation Cultivator. After confirming Xunuo's identity, they could only send a message through a friend within their Cultivation Family, asking him to relay it to the Insect Manipulation Cultivator. This gave Xunuo some time to escape.
Once they saw Xunuo walking away, they got up and followed him. They didn't dare get too close; after all, he was an Eleventh Layer Grandmaster. If they provoked him and he retaliated fiercely, they would be the first targets. Besides, a Cultivator didn't need to follow someone closely; as long as their Divine Sense locked onto their target, they wouldn't have to worry about them escaping within its range.
However, after pursuing for a while, Xunuo suddenly vanished from their Divine Sense detection. The two panicked and ran down the street but could no longer find any trace of him.
When they returned in frustration, Xunuo had already returned to the courtyard rented by Qi Zilan. With Xunuo's strong Divine Sense, avoiding detection by those two was effortless. After setting up a formation to shield his Divine Sense, Xunuo began to think seriously about this matter.
Having offended Insect Path, Xunuo had been particularly cautious about their movements over the years. Through various inquiries, he learned that Insect Path's influence was limited to the vicinity of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. It was precisely for this reason that he dared to reveal his identity in this place far from those mountains.
However, Xunuo still underestimated the capabilities of Cultivation Sects. He hadn't anticipated that their reach could extend so far. Nevertheless, here in Gaoyi City, Insect Path no longer held unmatched power to hunt him down; they were constrained by local forces and would need assistance from local Cultivation Families to find and capture him.
Xunuo considered that if he fled now, it would draw even more attention. Currently, there were numerous Cultivators gathered outside Gaoyi City; he would be like a drop in the ocean. Even if he left traces of his magical power behind, it would be difficult for anyone to pinpoint him among so many people. This meant that hiding within Gaoyi City was still relatively safe for now.
Moreover, Xunuo was reluctant to give up on auctioning off Unity Pill for a substantial amount of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones—this was essential capital for him to refine Defensive Artifacts. Additionally, he believed that attending tomorrow's auction would be safer than hiding here.
A crowd of cultivators gathered at the Auction House, where it was impossible for an Insect Manipulation Cultivator to identify anyone among them. As the auction concluded and the chaos of dispersing cultivators ensued, it became the perfect opportunity for Xunuo to escape.
Xunuo was concerned that after the auction ended, collecting the purchased spirit stones would take time. If he fell behind because of this delay, he could be discovered and intercepted by the Insect Manipulation Cultivator. The best course of action was to exchange the Unity Pill he had auctioned off for Mid-Grade Spirit Stones first thing in the morning. The rest would have to be abandoned.
Early the next morning, Xunuo inquired at the spirit stone collection area about his entrusted Unity Pill, only to find that it had sold for eight pieces. After deducting the spirit stones spent on bidding for Thunderwood, he would receive twenty-two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
Xunuo asked if he could withdraw his spirit stones today since he intended to participate in an auction for a treasure. The attendant readily exchanged the stones for him and made a note in the auction jade slip. Xunuo sighed in relief and joined the flow of cultivators entering the Auction House.
The upcoming auction held little relevance for Xunuo. He chose a spot near the exit, waiting for the auction to end so he could slip away with the crowd.
The auction was still being hosted by Yan Zongtan. As it was the final day of bidding, prices for items like the Unity Pill skyrocketed. Even a top-quality Minor Rejuvenation Pill broke through the five hundred spirit stone mark.
Xunuo concealed himself among the other cultivators, knowing that a Cultivator from the Insect Path must be hidden in one of the elevated boxes. He did his best to suppress his aura, making it difficult for anyone to detect him.
However, the Insect Path's Cultivator was clearly unwilling to let Xunuo remain hidden, as a vast Divine Sense swept through the crowd repeatedly. Among those participating in the auction were several ancestors from small to medium-sized cultivation families and formidable loose cultivators. Whenever this Mind Power descended, someone would inevitably respond with their own Divine Sense out of impatience.
Two or even multiple Divine Senses clashed fiercely in midair. Even some lower-level cultivators with relatively weaker Divine Senses could feel this confrontation. Ultimately, the Foundation Stage Cultivator from the Insect Path reluctantly abandoned this provocation that stirred up collective anger.
Xunuo chuckled inwardly, knowing he had made a wise bet.
While Xunuo focused on various auction items, Yan Zongtan's voice suddenly reached his ears: "Alchemist Xu did not appear at yesterday's auction; I thought you had fled far away."
Xunuo's heart skipped a beat as he wondered how this old man had pinpointed his location.
However, Xunuo dared not show any negligence towards this powerful figure. He quickly replied humbly, "I was caught up with friends yesterday and missed the auction. It is indeed regrettable."
Yan Zongtan chuckled: "Alchemist Xu speaks contrary to his heart; what a coincidence! I fear you might be avoiding someone."
Xunuo felt sweat bead on his forehead as he responded, "Indeed, there is an enemy pursuing me; I hope senior will not expose me."
Yan Zongtan said, "Naturally, our Merchant Alliance will not allow anything that harms the auction to occur. The Insect Path does not pose an insurmountable threat to our Merchant Alliance. During this auction period, we can ensure your safety, Alchemist Xu. But what are your plans after the auction concludes?"
Noticing Yan Zongtan's insinuations, Xunuo quickly asked, "Does senior have any clever methods to help me out of this predicament?"
Yan Zongtan smiled and said, "This matter is as easy as pie for me. As long as Alchemist is willing to join our Merchant Alliance, even if you stay in Gaoyi City, no one would dare to touch a hair on your head. If you wish to leave, you can also use our Merchant Alliance's Teleportation Array, which can take you thousands of miles in an instant."
Upon hearing this, Xunuo began to ponder. He had no interest in joining the Chengxin Alliance. The only reason they were interested in him was his alchemical skills, and they wanted him to be a laboring Alchemist. Xunuo had never considered himself merely an Alchemist. Alchemy was just a means for him to go further and act more freely; he would never confine himself to it.
However, the news that the Chengxin Alliance had a Teleportation Array in Gaoyi City piqued Xunuo's interest. He had heard of the Teleportation Array before. It was said to be a fixed formation that was too complex and large to carry around. Its sole function was to transport an object or person from one Teleportation Array to another located far away, allowing for point-to-point teleportation.
The distance depended on the capabilities of the Teleportation Array. Some super Teleportation Arrays could even send someone thousands of miles away.
Indeed, there was a Teleportation Array in Gaoyi City, but it was not exclusive to the Chengxin Alliance; it was a shared asset of the Six Major Merchant Alliances.
Xunuo thought for a moment and asked Yan Zongtan if he could pay to use the Teleportation Array. Yan Zongtan revealed this information purely to entice Xunuo into joining the Chengxin Alliance. For large Merchant Alliances like theirs, Alchemists and Refiners were considered valuable assets. Young Alchemists like Xunuo were especially sought after by various Merchant Alliances.
Of course, Yan Zongtan would not let go of the opportunity to recruit Xunuo into the Chengxin Alliance over a few spirit stones. Moreover, the use of the Teleportation Array was not something he could decide alone. Thus, Yan Zongtan shook his head slightly and said, "This formation is only open for internal personnel of our Merchant Alliance; it is not available to outsiders. As long as Alchemist joins our Merchant Alliance, using this formation will be no problem."
Xunuo naturally did not believe Yan Zongtan's words and inwardly cursed him as an old fox. He replied, "Let me think this over carefully, and thank you for your kind offer." Yan Zongtan smiled faintly, confident that he had made his point.
On that day’s auction, due to the fierce competition for elixirs in the previous days, there were no elixirs left to auction after half a day. They moved on to the final items up for bid.
This time, there were three final items in total. The first item brought out caught Xunuo's attention immediately. It was a killing formation called the Heaven and Earth Four Killing Formation, which included Main Kill, Binding Formation, Auxiliary Illusion, and Defensive Effect. According to Yan Zongtan's introduction at the scene, this formation had four levels of Killing Formation. Each level consumed different amounts of spirit stones and increased in power accordingly. In a fully activated state, even a fully realized Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator would find it extremely difficult to escape without a heavenly treasure.
Comment 0 Comment Count