As Yang Yu’s back vanished from sight, Luo Tian stepped in from outside the conference room. He studied Shen Haoran, his face a mask of disbelief.

"Elder Shen, do you really have a way to resolve the Nether Poison in Yang Zhentian? That’s a toxin so potent that even a Fifth Grade Alchemist would be helpless against it. You..." Luo Tian asked.

Shen Haoran simply offered a mysterious smile. "I have my ways. Come on, let’s go collect the items we won."

Watching Shen Haoran’s mysterious smile, Luo Tian gave a faint, dazed smile of his own and thought, ’So this is the man Miss Luo chose. He’s truly remarkable!’ 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Muttering to himself, Luo Tian quickened his pace to catch up with Shen Haoran, and they arrived at the Celestial Martial Auction House’s warehouse.

Their conversation with Yang Yu had taken some time, so the warehouse entrance was now nearly empty. However, several Spirit Aspect Powerhouses were standing by the door, seemingly waiting for Shen Haoran’s arrival.

Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed as he looked at the Spirit Aspect Powerhouses. But then he thought, ’This is the Celestial Martial Auction House. Surely they wouldn’t dare to rob me so openly here!’

With that in mind, Shen Haoran paid them no mind. After collecting the Bodhi Pill, he immediately turned to leave.

"Young man, please wait," a raspy voice called out. Just as Shen Haoran was about to depart, an elderly figure blocked his path. It was none other than the Vulture Elder.

His path blocked, Shen Haoran frowned and said coldly, "I have no intention of selling the Bodhi Pill, so don’t even think about it."

Seeing how direct Shen Haoran was, the Vulture Elder’s expression slowly darkened. "Kid, you should know what the Bodhi Pill does. It’s completely useless to you. In fact, it might just be a ticking time bomb. Giving it to me would be the smart choice," the Vulture Elder said, his tone feigning concern for Shen Haoran’s well-being.

"Not interested," Shen Haoran replied coldly, preparing to walk past him.

"Brat, don’t make me do this the hard way." Seeing that Shen Haoran was completely unmoved, the Vulture Elder spoke with a sinister chill. As he did, a subtle yet immense pressure radiated from his body, bearing down on Shen Haoran.

"Ngh!" The sudden pressure made Shen Haoran’s body shudder. His chest tightened, and he could barely breathe. In front of a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse, a Spirit Pupil was completely outmatched! Thankfully, Shen Haoran cultivated the Chaos Heaven-Dominating Technique. This domineering Cultivation Technique granted him a certain degree of immunity to such pressure; otherwise, he would have already collapsed, coughing up blood. After all, the Vulture Elder was a Tier Nine Spirit Aspect.

Sensing the change in Shen Haoran, Luo Tian instantly snapped to his senses. In a flash, he appeared in front of the Vulture Elder, blocking the oppressive aura. "Senior," he said in a low voice, "this is the Celestial Martial Auction House. Do not forget where you are!"

Faced with Luo Tian, the Vulture Elder was jolted back to his senses. Shen Haoran felt the weight on his body lift as the tide of pressure instantly vanished.

"Hmph!" The Vulture Elder shot Shen Haoran a cold glare, then left with a flick of his sleeve.

After the Vulture Elder departed, Luo Tian turned to the other Spirit Aspect Powerhouses. "Is there anything the rest of you need?" he asked.

The men gave awkward laughs, made their excuses, and left. It was no joke—even as Spirit Aspect Powerhouses, they didn’t dare cause trouble on the Celestial Martial Auction House’s territory. It seemed their only option was to wait for Shen Haoran to leave before making a move.

As the Spirit Aspect Powerhouses left one by one, Luo Tian frowned. "Elder Shen, it seems bidding on that Bodhi Pill was a mistake. Those powerhouses clearly aren’t going to give up, especially the Vulture Elder. That old monster will stop at nothing to get what he wants. You must be extremely careful!"

Hearing this, Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous light flashing within them. ’So they’re coming after me? We’ll see if their teeth are sharp enough.’ A sharp aura flickered around Shen Haoran for a moment, so fleeting that Luo Tian didn’t even notice.

"Should we ask our master to come? A Spirit Aspect Powerhouse is more than we can handle," Long Mo added with a worried frown.

"No need. We can handle this ourselves," Shen Haoran said calmly.

’Actually, I’d love to call Elder Huo over to clean up this mess, but I know that old man would never come. My participation in this auction must be some kind of test from him. But this test is ridiculously harsh—pitting a mere Spirit Pupil against a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse. That’s a gap of two entire cultivation realms! Only that old geezer could come up with something like this!’

Seeing Shen Haoran’s completely unconcerned expression, Long Mo and Luo Tian were baffled. They had no idea where he got his confidence from, but since he had made his decision, it wasn’t their place to interfere.

"Let’s go. It’s going to be a sleepless night," Shen Haoran murmured before heading toward his room, leaving the other two completely bewildered.

Back in his room, Shen Haoran immediately began his Cultivation. He had seen the danger in the Vulture Elder’s eyes. ’If I’m not mistaken, the Vulture Elder will make his move tonight.’

Time ticked by, and the sky gradually darkened. Inside the room, there was no sound apart from Shen Haoran’s long, steady breaths. This continued late into the night.

At one point, Shen Haoran’s tightly shut eyes snapped open, gleaming brightly in the darkness.

"Come on out. There’s no need to hide," Shen Haoran called out to the empty room.

A moment later, an elderly figure slowly materialized like a phantom. It was the Vulture Elder. Shen Haoran had been right—he’d made his move that very night.

After appearing, the Vulture Elder studied Shen Haoran with great interest. "How did you discover my presence?" he asked.

"Hmph. I understand the principle that delays breed trouble. You’re a cautious man, so of course you wouldn’t let the Bodhi Pill remain in my possession a second longer than necessary. Tonight was your best opportunity," Shen Haoran said with a cold snort, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking grin as he looked at the Vulture Elder.

"But are you sure you can defeat me with just this Clone?"

BOOM! The instant Shen Haoran finished speaking, a furious aura erupted from the Vulture Elder. The violent blast of Powerful Qi tore through the room, leaving it in a state of utter disarray.

"How did you know?" the Vulture Elder stared at Shen Haoran, his eyes burning with intensity. This Clone was his personal Secret Skill; no one else knew of its existence.

At that, Shen Haoran let out a soft chuckle. ’How did I know? I didn’t, of course—but I have Elder Yan.’ From the moment the Vulture Elder appeared, Elder Yan had recognized it. The flow of Spiritual Power in this body was unnatural, and its strength was merely that of a Tier Four Spirit Aspect—a world of difference from what he had displayed during the day.

Seeing Shen Haoran’s silent smile, the Vulture Elder’s eyes narrowed, and his aura surged toward Shen Haoran once more.

"You’re clever, but clever people don’t live long. Hand over the Bodhi Pill, and I’ll leave your corpse intact," the Vulture Elder said coldly.

"And if I say no?" Shen Haoran’s own aura sharpened in response.

"Then I’ll just have to take it myself!" With that, the Vulture Elder’s figure flickered, and he lunged toward Shen Haoran...