Yu He’s gaze was deep as he stared at the Haisa Sect’s private room on the second floor. He slowly shook his head. "It’s just a Wood Element Treasure. It has nothing to do with my Earth Element cultivation, so it’s not important. Raising the price now would be too obvious and might alert them unnecessarily. Our target is the Earth Essence Marrow Pearl. Before we have conclusive evidence and absolute certainty, we shouldn’t act rashly and arouse the suspicion of the Wutai Sect and the Haisa Sect."

He was a shrewd and experienced man who understood that a moment of impatience could ruin a grand plan.

Upon hearing this, Lu Da nodded and said no more.

"One hundred and seventy thousand taels, going once!"

"One hundred and seventy thousand taels, going twice!"

"One hundred and seventy thousand taels, going three times! Sold! Congratulations to our guest for winning the Wood Yang Jade!" Steward Qian’s face was all smiles as he brought down the gavel.

Shen Xiuyong cupped his hands toward the stage, appearing nonchalant and at ease.

Chen Qing breathed a sigh of relief. With the Wood Yang Jade successfully acquired, he had taken a huge step forward on his path to fusing his Five True Qi.

Inside the private room, Shen Xiuyong raised an eyebrow smugly and grinned. "How about that? Your Junior Martial Uncle still has some pull, eh? We got it for one hundred and seventy thousand taels, even lower than I expected."

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle."

Chen Qing thanked him sincerely.

He knew full well that if it weren’t for Shen Xiuyong, a newly-ascended Astral Force Elder, the smaller powers and individuals interested in competing would never have given up so easily. It wouldn’t have been surprising if the price had been driven past two hundred thousand taels.

Among the next few items to be auctioned were two sealed Profound Iron Boxes.

The atmosphere in the hall ignited once more. This kind of unknown temptation always drew a crowd.

In the end, one Profound Iron Box was bought by the Cold Jade Valley for two hundred thousand taels of silver, while the other was successfully traded for by an Elder from the Fiery Sun Sect with a rare Red Flame Fruit and a partial sum of silver taels.

Finally, the auction reached its climax.

Under everyone’s expectant gazes, the pair of weapons known as the "Cangming Shuangyao" was brought to the stage.

Within the box, a saber and a sword lay side by side on red silk.

In an instant, an invisible, sharp aura mixed with a faint spiritual pressure spread out. Those who were close even felt a slight sting on their skin, as if a cold wind had swept past.

The body of the saber was black as ink, with a faint, deep blue light flowing across it; the body of the sword was white as snow, yet it glinted with a biting, cold light.

The two Weapons, merely resting on the stage, naturally exuded a heart-pounding sharpness and a faint spiritual fluctuation, like slumbering beasts, causing the True Qi or True Astral within everyone present to resonate.

Qian Buyi swept his gaze over the crowd before speaking:

"Esteemed guests! Please be quiet! Next up is the most precious treasure of this auction, and indeed, the most precious treasure Treasure Gathering Square has seen in five years!"

"Everyone, please look! Although this pair of weapons is currently ranked at the peak of Top-Grade Treasure Artifacts, their core, thanks to Master Hong’s divine forging techniques, has birthed a sliver of a true ’Spiritual Embryo’! What does this mean?"

His burning gaze swept across the entire venue. "It means they have already stepped halfway into the realm of ’Spiritual Treasures’! If an Astral Force master were to nourish and refine them day and night with their own Primordial True Gang, forming a spiritual connection, then given enough time, it’s not impossible to truly awaken their Artifact Spirits! They would complete their final transformation and become Spiritual Treasures with their own consciousness!"

"Divine Weapons have spirits and choose their own masters! A supreme treasure like this, which one might only encounter by chance, is so rare it could serve as the foundation of a Sect or a Noble Family’s heritage! I have only seen its like once in my life! Its value is immeasurable!"

Instantly, the atmosphere of the entire auction hall was pushed to its absolute peak!

The moment Steward Qian’s voice fell, a tsunami of bids erupted.

"One hundred thousand taels!"

"One hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Rain Listening Tower of Fengle Prefecture bids one hundred and eighty thousand, plus three Tide Condensing Pills!"

"The Fiery Sun Sect of Pingyang Prefecture, two hundred thousand taels, plus an Earth Core Fire Stone!"

The price climbed at an astonishing, frantic pace and was still rising. The bidders were now exclusively representatives of the major powers in the second-floor private rooms, all of them red-faced and determined to win.

Chen Qing watched the frenzied scene below, which was like watching money burn, his expression calm.

Setting aside whether the saber and sword even suited him, the despair-inducing price alone was far beyond anything he could covet.

Besides, possession of a treasure invites disaster. If a supreme treasure like this were to fall into his hands, it would be no different from a child carrying gold through a bustling market—it would only attract endless trouble.

His main concern at the moment was the Wood Yang Jade he had just acquired and his Five Elements Fusion.

"Junior Martial Uncle Shen, we should get ready to leave," Chen Qing said in a low voice.

"Alright. This is no place to linger. It’s a hotbed for trouble."

Shen Xiuyong nodded slightly. Though he enjoyed watching a good show, he also knew when to draw the line.

The waters here were too murky. One careless misstep and you could get sucked in with no way out.

The two of them stood up and bid farewell to Qiao Hongyun.

Qiao Hongyun was watching with great interest. Seeing them about to leave early, he couldn’t help but laugh and curse good-naturedly, "Shen Xiuyong, you old rascal! You grab your prize and run? You’re not going to stay for the rest of the show?"

Shen Xiuyong retorted without hesitation, "Qiao Hongyun, what the hell do you know! I’m being low-key, unlike you, who sticks around pretending to be a big shot and drooling when you don’t even have two coins to rub together. We’re leaving! I’ll buy you a drink later!"

"Get lost! Who wants your cheap booze!"

Qiao Hongyun waved his hand, still laughing and cursing. "Be careful on the road. Lin’an City is crawling with all sorts of shady characters these days."

Shen Xiuyong clapped Chen Qing on the shoulder, and the two of them quietly left the private room.

When they arrived at the exchange area in the back hall of the auction house, a Steward was already waiting respectfully.

After verifying their voucher and silver notes, the Steward solemnly handed them the Cold Jade Box containing the Wood Yang Jade, as well as the iron box with the Profound Iron Essence that Shen Xiuyong had won.

Once the payment was settled, Chen Qing carefully tucked the Cold Jade Box into his robes, and he and Shen Xiuyong quickly left Treasure Gathering Square.

Not long after they left, a hidden door in the back hall opened, and an old man dressed in the attire of Treasure Gathering Square’s upper management slowly walked out.

He merely stood there, and the very air around him seemed to thicken. The Steward hastily bowed, his demeanor extremely deferential.

The old man’s gaze swept in the direction Chen Qing and Shen Xiuyong had left. He spoke faintly, "Those two who just left, were they Shen Xiuyong and Chen Qing of the Wutai Sect?"

"Reporting to the Third Shopkeeper, yes, it was them," the Steward replied with his head lowered.

The old man nodded slightly, mused for a moment, and then ordered, "Go and leak the news that they have left with the treasure to Elder Yu of the Earth Element Sect."

To him, it was a simple matter of a few words, but it allowed him to Go with the Flow and grant Yu He a favor.

Besides, the Earth Element Sect was a Local Bully in Lin’an, and they had close business ties with Treasure Gathering Square.

"Yes, Third Shopkeeper." The Steward understood immediately and turned to make the arrangements.

The old man gazed at the endless stream of people outside the door, his eyes profound.

’The waters of Lin’an Prefecture have been muddied by this pair of Cangming Shuangyao. Now is when the storm will truly begin to rage.’

Chen Qing and Shen Xiuyong exited the auction house and hurried to the private stables in Treasure Gathering Square’s side courtyard.

"Let’s go."

Shen Xiuyong said with a smile, leading his steed, ’Ta Xue’.

Just then, a Steward from the Haisa Sect hurried over. It was the same man who had been standing behind Qiao Hongyun.

His expression was grave. He quickly cupped his hands toward Shen Xiuyong and said, "Elder Qiao ordered me to come and inform you at once. Not long after you left, Elder Yu He of the Earth Element Sect also quietly left the auction house with his men. Elder Qiao is concerned that Yu He’s intentions are unclear and may be hostile toward you. He sent me ahead to give you a warning!"

"Yu He!?"

Shen Xiuyong’s brows knitted together instantly, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. "While the Wutai Sect and the Earth Element Sect aren’t close allies, we’ve never had any major grievances. Why would he be following us?"

He had been in seclusion breaking through to the Astral Force realm when the incident at Black Water Pier occurred. He had only heard that Yu He had gained great fame for ’slaying’ the Nether and Ghost Guards there.

Shen Xiuyong’s gaze subconsciously darted to Chen Qing beside him.

He knew the Black Water Pier affair was perilous but was unaware of the full details, much less the many hidden secrets involved.

A chill ran through Chen Qing’s heart as he instantly understood.

’That old bastard Yu He must suspect that I have the Earth Essence Marrow Pearl. What’s more, he’s pinned the blame for the disappearance of the Nether and Ghost Guards, and even the Demon Sect’s retaliation, entirely on me! Now he can’t resist making a move himself, wanting to test me or even take it by force!’

"Junior Martial Uncle Shen, I’m afraid this is because of me. It’s a long story, but Yu He’s target is most likely me. We have to go, now! We can’t stay here!"

Chen Qing spoke rapidly and vaulted onto his horse.

Shen Xiuyong was also a decisive man. Though he was full of questions, he knew this was not the time to ask them.

He likewise leaped onto Ta Xue’s back and shouted, "Go!"

The two horses immediately broke into a gallop, charging out of the stables and racing down the street toward the outskirts of Lin’an City.

Ta Xue was incredibly fast. Chen Qing had to push his Yellow Steed to its limits just to barely keep up.

’In the city, with so many eyes and ears, Yu He might still have some reservations. But once they were outside the city...’

The two of them rode like the wind, quickly bursting through the tall gates of Lin’an Prefecture City and galloping along the main road toward Yunlin Prefecture.

However, after riding for just over ten li, as they passed through a dense forest on gradually rising terrain, Shen Xiuyong’s expression suddenly darkened. He sensed a powerful aura approaching from behind at an astonishing speed!

The aura was as heavy as a mountain, yet it carried an undisguised sense of oppression—it was the unique Astral Force fluctuation characteristic of the Earth Element Sect’s Heart Method!

...

...