"Daoist Friend Xu, since I have been this frank, you should believe my sincerity now, right?"
"There is sincerity, but I also hear a threat in your words."
Xu Chuan smiled faintly. "To destroy someone, one must first make them mad. Daoist Friend Mo, you must not suffer a moment of confusion and do something you will regret."
Mo Wentian was startled. 'Did he even guess this?'
He smiled bitterly. "I am not quite that foolish yet!"
"If Daoist Friend Xu has any demands, please feel free to state them."
Mo Wentian was already prepared to let the Xu family carve off a piece of his flesh.
"First, a Tier 3 high-grade Spirit Vein of either the fire or earth attribute.
Second, just like the Lei family, you will obey my Xu family's dispatch for ten years.
Agree to these three conditions, and our past grievances will be wiped clean."
Mo Wentian felt helpless. His Mo family had no possibility of refusing.
"I agree!" Mo Wentian raised his exhausted eyes. "I will personally deliver the Spirit Vein in a few days."
"Many thanks, Daoist Friend Mo. However, I must remind you once more—the Mo family will not get another chance."
Then, Xu Chuan smiled and added, "Of course, the struggles between those of the same generation can be left to them. As their elders, we cannot keep them penned up like sheep."
"Understood. Then I shall take my leave."
As soon as he left, a figure appeared. It was Moyue.
From the moment Mo Wentian arrived, Moyue's divine consciousness had remained locked onto him.
Had he dared to make even the slightest hostile move, Moyue would have struck with thunderous force.
Both were experts who had recently stepped into the Nascent Soul realm.
However, Moyue was of Prodigy caliber, while Mo Wentian was merely an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator. Even Xu Chuan could temporarily match Mo Wentian in a head-on clash by relying on the power of his sword formation.
In the entire Heavenly Azure Prefecture, only Xi Daoyun at his absolute peak could slightly suppress Moyue.
"There's no need to be so vigilant. That old fox Mo Wentian isn't that irrational,"
Xu Chuan said with a faint smile. "He managed to keep a low profile for hundreds of years, silently cultivating his divine ability to Divine Ability Perfection.
He only became active after breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.
Few can match such restraint.
If it were anyone else, they would be itching to show off their might the moment their divine ability reached great accomplishment.
Those truly aiming for the Nascent Soul stage will find a way to quietly cultivate their divine abilities to perfection. Great accomplishment only allows one to see the threshold of Nascent Soul; only with a perfected divine ability does one have a slight chance of crossing that threshold."
"I wasn't worrying about you!" Moyue snorted. "Your mind is so deep and calculating, I'm actually quite curious—what could your inner demon possibly be?"
"Inner demons are still too far away for me. Once the overall situation stabilizes, I need to figure out a way to improve my own aptitude."
"Makes sense. At your current pace, by the time Xu Deling reaches Nascent Soul, you might not even have reached Golden Core Perfection. When that happens, your title as the Ancestor of the Xu family will be nothing but an empty name."
Xu Chuan remained silent.
Thinking he had left him speechless, Moyue walked away looking immensely pleased with himself.
He left behind a single sentence: "I'm going out for a stroll. I'll be back before the Cloudstream Grand Assembly."
Several days later.
Mo Wentian delivered a Tier 3 high-grade Spirit Vein.
This could be considered a severe blow to the Mo family's vitality.
After all, the Mo family lacked the profound heritage of the Heavenly Azure Sect.
As a newly promoted Nascent Soul Noble Family, setting aside their Nascent Soul cultivator, without decades or centuries of development, the gap between them and a top-tier Golden Core Aristocratic Family was not significant.
Half a month later.
From Ancient Nether City, the Sima Family, the Nie Clan, and the Chao Clan arrived one after another.
They all visited the Xu family in secret, intending to secure the Nascent Soul Formation Opportunity ahead of time.
Naturally, Xu Chuan did not agree to a single one.
As for how the Nascent Soul Formation Opportunity would be traded, he only said they would find out when the time came.
The families were all left feeling helpless.
But the Xu family of today was no longer the Xu family of a few years ago.
Even though Cloudstream City's City Protection Great Formation was only Tier 3 low-grade, they did not dare to act recklessly.
Without an evasion divine ability at the great accomplishment level or higher, a Golden Core stage cultivator simply could not match the speed of a Shapeshifting Great Demon.
Several days later.
Moyue returned from who knows where, bringing back numerous Tier 1 and Tier 2 spirit grasses, spirit materials, and demonic beast materials, as well as some Tier 2, Tier 3, and even Tier 4 resources.
Upon asking, Xu Chuan learned he had taken a stroll through the Black Wind Mountain Range.
He had even gotten into a fight with the shapeshifting demonic beast there.
And snatched quite a few resources.
"Xu Chuan, I've avenged you. That great demon in the Black Wind Mountain Range hunted you down back then, so I fought him fiercely. If I hadn't awakened my True Dragon Pressure, it really would have been hard to suppress him.
That damned tiger is almost at the mid-stage of the fourth tier.
He's lived for at least over two thousand years."
"You really have too much time on your hands. If a fourth-tier being like you gets severely injured, I don't have enough precious spirit medicines to heal you."
"Do you think the bloodline and defense of my flood dragon race are just for show?" Moyue said dismissively, then waved his hand. "I won't waste time chatting with you. I'm going to take a nap.
Call me when the Cloudstream Grand Assembly begins. I'll go support you and hold down the fort!"
"Then you have my thanks!" Xu Chuan smiled slightly.
Moyue turned into a streak of blue light and vanished into the deep pool in Xu Chuan's backyard.
Of his three offspring, the white snake followed Xu Deyue, Flood Dragon Two followed Xu Chongfei, and Flood Dragon One went to Cloud Lake to manage it.
There were many second-tier demon beasts in Cloud Lake, making it a perfect place for him to hone his skills and use them as stepping stones.
After Moyue became a Shapeshifting Great Demon, he took the time to use three drops of his own essence blood to refine their bloodlines, making their flood dragon bloodlines even thicker.
Even the white snake had grown small, sharp horns on its forehead.
Even though Flood Dragon One was only at the early stage of the second tier, unless a late-stage second-tier beast also possessed a powerful bloodline, it would be hard-pressed to defeat him.
However, to completely rule Cloud Lake, he would need to grow into at least a Tier 3 demonic beast.
Of course, with his bloodline potential and the Xu family's all-out cultivation, there was a high probability he would reach that level of strength in the future.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, it was the eve of the Cloudstream Grand Assembly.
Cloudstream City welcomed unprecedented noise and prosperity.
As of today, the Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators of the Heavenly Azure Sect and the Greedy Wolf Sect had all arrived.
There were also somewhat famous Golden Core Aristocratic Families from the two prefectures, Foundation Establishment clans with profound heritages, and numerous rogue cultivators of varying cultivation levels who had come upon hearing the news.
All sorts of factions and people from all walks of life converged from all directions, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.
The four massive sectors of Cloudstream City's Outer City were packed to the brim. Almost every inn and grotto-residence rental spot was completely full, and the streets were shoulder-to-shoulder with cultivators, their mixed auras filling the air.
Over the past three months.
The various shops in the city, whether they sold pills, talismans, Dharma Tools, and materials, or provided food, lodging, spirit drinks, and intelligence, had all made massive fortunes.
This was because the Inner City had strict regulations. Unless it was the official day of the assembly, the formations remained tightly sealed, and ordinary people were not allowed to enter.
All the attendees who arrived early could only stay in the Outer City, waiting eagerly.
The next day.
The eastern sky lightened as the morning sun broke through the dawn.
Just as the first ray of golden morning light spilled over the city walls.
The massive formation light screen enveloping the Inner City emitted a low hum.
Swirling with light, it slowly dissipated!
"The Inner City is open!"
"The Cloudstream Grand Assembly has finally begun!"
"Hurry up and go!"
In an instant.
Countless cultivators, who had been waiting and building up their momentum all over the Outer City, transformed into streaks of escaping light of various colors and strengths, all hurtling toward the Cloudstream Auction House at once!
The sound of piercing the air was deafening.
The sky was filled with brilliant, flowing lights, painting the morning sky with dazzling colors in a truly spectacular scene.
The Cloudstream Auction House was situated in the most central, open area of the Inner City.
It was a newly completed, colossal structure built specifically for this grand assembly.
Covering an area of over a hundred and sixty acres, it was constructed entirely of deep black giant stones mixed with spirit wood. Its lines were bold and imposing. Reaching a height of nearly a hundred meters, it was divided into three floors.
From a distance, it looked like a dormant giant beast, steady and majestic.
Faint glimmers of complex array patterns flashed across the building's surface, indicating that its defense and isolation restrictions were extremely thorough.
The main entrance of the auction house was incredibly wide, capable of accommodating ten riders side by side. Above it hung a massive plaque reading "Cloudstream Auction House", its calligraphy written with vigorous, majestic strokes.
At this moment, the main doors were wide open. Xu family guards, dressed in uniform attire and radiating capable auras, stood solemnly on both sides to maintain order and guide the flow of people.
Stepping inside revealed a completely different world.
The first floor was an incomparably spacious circular hall. The floor was paved with mirror-like cyan jade slabs, easily capable of seating tens of thousands of people.
The seats were arranged in a fan shape, stepping upward tier by tier to ensure that everyone had a clear line of sight to the very front of the hall.
There stood a broad auction stage over three meters high, built from a single massive piece of black rock with a surface as smooth as a mirror. Behind it was a gigantic spirit wall capable of projecting images and fine details of the treasures.
Currently, the stage was empty, yet it naturally served as the focal point of the entire venue.
High above on the domed ceiling, countless luminous pearls and Spirit-Gathering Formations were embedded. Soft, bright light showered down, and the spiritual qi here was noticeably denser than outside.
The second and third floors consisted of a ring of private VIP rooms built around the hall.
The side of the private rooms facing the hall was not an ordinary wall, but rather made of special one-way transparent colored glaze or formation barriers.
From the inside, one could clearly look down at the auction stage and most of the hall, but from the outside, it was impossible to peer into the private rooms.
The doors to each private room were tightly shut, their surfaces shimmering with flowing light.
It was obvious they were equipped with extremely strong restrictions for soundproofing, anti-peeping, and even blocking divine sense probes to ensure the privacy of the esteemed guests.
The number of private rooms was quite large, with the second and third floors totaling over a thousand rooms, all of similar standard.
"Senior, those at the Golden Core stage or above may enter the private rooms on the second and third floors free of charge. Each room can accommodate up to five people. Please follow me this way!"
One Golden Core faction after another was led to the second or third floor.
They were free to choose their own private rooms.
If anyone else wanted a private room, they would need to pay one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones, which also allowed them to bring in up to five people.
Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and above who had come here naturally wouldn't care about a mere hundred Spirit Stones. What they valued more was confidentiality and privacy.
Therefore, aside from the private rooms that had to be reserved for certain Golden Core factions, The remaining private rooms on the second and third floors were completely packed.
Many Foundation Establishment cultivators regretted arriving a step too late.
Xi Daoyun, Mo Wentian, and Qi Tianxiong also randomly chose private rooms. Although the first three days were dedicated to the auctioning of lower-end items, Since it was being held for three consecutive days, they also wanted to see exactly how vast the Xu family's heritage truly was.
Gazing at the packed first-floor hall and the continuous stream of cultivators still pouring in, True Lord Green Wood could not help but sigh. "Such a grand spectacle... I fear this is the first time in a century for Heavenly Azure Prefecture."
Xi Fengyue replied, "Senior Brother, the Xu family merely capitalized on the opportunity of the Connate Secret Realm's appearance. If it weren't for countless factions and rogue cultivators wanting to convert a portion of their acquired resources into personal strength, I doubt the Xu family alone could produce so many auction items!"
"Perhaps!" True Lord Green Wood's eyes rippled slightly. "But how do you know this wasn't meticulously planned by Xu Chuan long ago? The mere title of a 'Nascent Soul Formation Opportunity' is enough to make countless people flock here."
"There's no need to say more. Just watch quietly."
As soon as Xi Daoyun spoke, the other two immediately fell silent.
True Lord Bingqian had not come. Knowing that this Nascent Soul Formation Opportunity had nothing to do with him, he had simply gone into secluded meditation within the Heavenly Azure Sect to quietly cultivate his divine abilities.
Half an hour later.
Following a clear and resonant bell chime that echoed throughout the auction hall, the clamor of voices gradually subsided. All eyes converged on the smooth jade stage.
A middle-aged man with a lean face and piercing eyes, dressed in brocade robes, slowly stepped onto the stage. It was the host of this auction—Chen Changge.
"Daoist Friends who have traveled from afar, your presence adds glory to our humble Cloudstream Auction House. I am Chen Changge, honored to be the host of today's auction.
Many Daoist Friends should recognize me. I am also the Deputy City Lord of Cloudstream City, responsible for handling all matters large and small within the city.
To state the rules simply: the highest bidder wins. Spirit Stones take priority, though some items can be offset with material goods.
Without further ado—
Please bring out today's first auction item!"
He flicked his robe sleeve, and a burst of light bloomed on the jade table beside him.
It revealed nine flying needles—one large and eight small—as fine as cow hair and gleaming with a cold, ghostly blue light. They hovered silently inside an open jade box.
"Our first item is a peak-grade Dharma Tool set—the 'Mother-Child Soul-Seizing Needles'!"
Chen Changge's resonant voice echoed in every corner of the auction house.
"This set of flying needles is forged from deep-sea cold iron mixed with Nether Soul Gold. The mother needle acts as the master control, while the eight child needles are elusive and treacherous, specifically designed to pierce through protective spiritual lights and mana shields.
Furthermore, they possess a soul-shocking property. Upon impact, they can momentarily disrupt a Foundation Establishment cultivator's divine soul!
It is an exceptionally fine Dharma Tool!
The starting price is two thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, with a minimum increment of fifty per bid!"
A peak-grade Dharma Tool set was already no less valuable than a One-Pattern Dharma Tool. One that could damage divine sense and possessed concealment properties was even more of a rarity.
It was absolutely a deadly weapon for ambushing others, the prime choice for rogue cultivators traveling abroad!
Its true value was not the slightest bit inferior to a Two-Pattern Dharma Tool!
"Two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!"
"Three thousand Spirit Stones!"
"Three thousand two hundred Spirit Stones!"
Enthusiastic shouts of bids instantly erupted across the hall. The rogue cultivators and representatives of smaller families in the mid-to-late Foundation Establishment stages, in particular, were extremely keen on such a sharp and sinister Dharma Tool.
The price was quickly pushed past three thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.
"Three thousand five hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"
"Three thousand six hundred Spirit Stones!"
"Three thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones!"
Ultimately, it was won by a rogue cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment in a second-floor private room for four thousand and fifty Spirit Stones.
The next few items were mostly Dharma Tools, all of exquisite grade or higher.
Items like the exceptionally sharp "Golden Rainbow Sword" and the "Cyan Wave Ring", which could temporarily trap enemies.
Among them, there was no shortage of One-Pattern and Two-Pattern Dharma Tools.
In particular, a shield capable of manifesting three overlapping phantom shields known as the "Black Tortoise Tri-Fold Shield", a defensive Two-Pattern Dharma Tool, was bought by the Golden Core Ancestor of a Golden Core Aristocratic Family for four thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.
Before they knew it, the afternoon arrived.
First up were spirit grasses and spirit medicines.
"A three-hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom. It is the main ingredient for concocting the second-tier healing pill, the Jade Marrow Blood Generation Pill. It can also be consumed directly, offering miraculous effects in replenishing qi and blood.
Starting price: one hundred Spirit Stones."
"Three stalks of five-hundred-year-old Purple Smoke Grass. They serve as supplementary ingredients for the second-tier Purple Charm Pill, capable of slightly purifying mana. Starting price: two hundred Spirit Stones per stalk!"
"An eight-hundred-year-old Earth Core Fire Lotus (petals slightly damaged). Fire-attribute cultivators can refine it to advance their cultivation, or it can be used as a supplementary material for certain Tier 3 fire-attribute pills.
Starting price: five hundred Spirit Stones."
These rare spirit grasses, centuries old, drew bids from quite a few alchemists and cultivators of relevant attributes, causing the prices to rise steadily.
Following that, a pill the size of a longan fruit, exuding an enticing, fresh fragrance, was presented.
"One high-grade Void Rushing Pill, a Foundation Establishment stage Realm-Breaking Pill! Starting price—one thousand Spirit Stones!"
The moment this pill appeared, the breathing of many early and mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators stuck at a bottleneck in the hall grew heavy. Bidding calls rose one after another.
"One thousand two hundred!"
"One thousand three hundred!"
"One thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones!"
In the end, it was won at the high price of two thousand three hundred Spirit Stones by an aged voice calling out from a private room on the second floor.
Following that were nine consecutive high-grade Void Rushing Pills, each selling for over two thousand Spirit Stones.
A single batch of spirit grasses for the Void Rushing Pill only cost a few hundred Spirit Stones, but Xu Chuan could produce nine high-grade pills in one cauldron. It was an absolutely massive profit!
"High-grade Divine Sense Pills, three bottles, each containing nine pills! They will be auctioned bottle by bottle!"
"The Divine Sense Pill is a second-tier pill that enhances the divine sense of a Qi Refining stage cultivator. Each Qi Refining cultivator can only consume up to three pills. Beyond three, it will no longer have any effect on enhancing divine sense.
It is absolutely a phenomenal pill for nurturing Qi Refining prodigies!
I will say no more. High-grade Divine Sense Pills. The starting price for each bottle is one thousand Spirit Stones. Daoist Friends, please begin your bidding!"
As his voice faded, the people in the hall looked at each other in dismay. Not many placed bids. Instead, numerous Foundation Establishment and even Golden Core cultivators in the private rooms on the second and third floors began to bid.
"One thousand two hundred!"
"One thousand two hundred and fifty!"
"One thousand three hundred and fifty!"
"Two thousand Spirit Stones!"
"Two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"
The first bottle of Divine Sense Pills was bought by someone for two thousand four hundred Spirit Stones.
The price of a single Divine Sense Pill alone exceeded the cost of a full batch of raw materials.
However, this was to be expected. Whether they were pills for enhancing divine sense and consciousness or realm-breaking pills, they were considered the most precious. The higher their grade, the rarer they became!
As for pills that assisted in breaking through major realms, they were even more so.
They were priceless and had no market!
One would only occasionally catch a glimpse of them at an auction!
What followed were pills for advancing cultivation, such as the Spirit Gathering Pill and the Origin-Gathering Pill. All of them were high-grade, and they were all sold by the whole bottle.
This sparked absolute madness!
Pills for advancing cultivation were not hard to find; major pill shops stocked them. But high-grade quality pills sold by the whole bottle were exceptionally rare.
"Next up, fairies in attendance, please pay close attention!"
"High-grade Youth-Retaining Pills paired with high-grade Rejuvenation Pills! They will be sold in combo sets. We have a total of ten sets. By first consuming the Rejuvenation Pill, you can restore your youth, and by then taking the Youth-Retaining Pill, you can stay young forever!"
"The starting price for each set is one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. The minimum bid increment is one hundred Spirit Stones!"
"If any fairies present are interested, you absolutely must not miss this. It is fully effective for those under the age of five hundred. For those beyond five hundred, it can only restore your appearance to middle age.
Both the Youth-Retaining Pill and the Rejuvenation Pill can only be taken once. Taking more will yield no further effects.
Who knows when we will see them again."
Following this, a group of female cultivators went utterly insane.
Even female Golden Core cultivators joined the battlefield!
"Two thousand!"
"Three thousand!"
"Four thousand!"
Just two pills sold for the price of a Two-Pattern Dharma Tool.
The final set even surged to five thousand Spirit Stones!
Countless male cultivators were sweating bullets!
Against such sheer combat power, they could only concede defeat!
And the cost of the materials for these twenty pills was only slightly over a thousand Spirit Stones.
The Rejuvenation Pill was rather special; it contained a trace of the mysterious true intent of a divine ability of life, which was why it could achieve the miraculous effect of a withered tree encountering spring.
There were also high-grade Sea-Expanding Pills, which could expand the Qi Sea Dantian of a Foundation Establishment cultivator by thirty percent.
This meant that their Foundation Establishment stage mana reserves would be thirty percent more vigorous than their peers, which was more than enough to serve as the key factor in many battles.
Nine Sea-Expanding Pills were auctioned, each fetching over one thousand Spirit Stones.
After the pill craze passed, the auctioning of materials began.
"A piece of Tier 3 Wind Howl Stone. It is a supplementary material for forging wind-attribute Two-Pattern Dharma Tools or cultivating related divine abilities. Starting price: eight hundred Spirit Stones."
It was bought by a young Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"A segment of eight-hundred-year-old Yin Soul Wood. An excellent material for forging Ghost Dao or yin-attribute Dharma Tools, or for nourishing yin souls. Starting price: six hundred Spirit Stones."
A cultivator shrouded in a black robe in the hall blandly offered seven hundred and fifty Spirit Stones and took it without any competition.
"A fist-sized piece of Scarlet Sun Pure Copper. An extreme yang-attribute forging material. Starting price: eight hundred Spirit Stones."
This time, there were quite a few more bidders. Ultimately, it was claimed by a private room on the third floor for one thousand three hundred Spirit Stones.
"A roughly thirty-centimeter segment of Tier 3 Lightning-Struck Wood! It contains a trace of heavenly thunder aura and possesses endless wondrous uses. Starting price: one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!"
This item sparked a small-scale bidding war, eventually won by the Lei family for three thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.
"A piece of Ice Soul Profound Crystal. Its cold qi is incredibly pure. Starting price: seven hundred Spirit Stones."
It was fiercely contested by multiple cultivators who practiced ice-attribute cultivation methods, with one of them securing it for over one thousand four hundred Spirit Stones.
After that came talismans and array disks.
They were slightly more popular than the materials, drawing quite a few bidders.
However, compared to Dharma Tools, pills, and rare materials, these two categories of auction items made up less than a tenth of the overall volume.
In the blink of an eye, the sun had set in the west.
"The first day of the auction has come to a close," Chen Changge announced. "Next up are our three carefully prepared finale items."
"The first item is a batch of seven high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pills, to be auctioned individually."
A white jade pill bottle appeared in his hand, and he smiled. "As for the effects of this pill, I don't think I need to introduce it to everyone.
The starting price for each pill is three thousand Spirit Stones, with a minimum bid increment of one hundred Spirit Stones!"
The moment this pill was revealed, several bids instantly rang out from the private rooms on the second and third floors!
"Three thousand two hundred!"
"Three thousand five hundred!"
"Three thousand eight hundred!"
"Four thousand!"
Ultimately, it was bought for four thousand five hundred Spirit Stones by someone in a third-floor private room speaking with a gentle but unquestionable voice.
"The auction for the second pill begins!"
"Three thousand one hundred!"
"Three thousand two hundred!"
The second pill went for four thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, and none of the remaining five sold for less than four thousand.
Unlike pills such as the Youth-Retaining Pill, these were genuinely worth such a high price.
In the past, across the two prefectures, only the Heavenly Azure Sect possessed a large quantity of high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pills, while the Three Sects would only have a small amount.
However, during the last opening of the secret realm, hardly any Heavenly God Fruits were brought out.
As a result, the number of high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pills in the Heavenly Azure Prefecture plummeted. Even the Heavenly Azure Sect was forced to rely on their previous reserves to reward disciples.
And that reserve quantity wasn't large to begin with.
"How could the Xu family have Spirit-Nourishing Pills? Where did they get the pill recipe? And where did they get the Heavenly God Fruits?"
Xi Fengyue was furious. "In the entire northwest region of the Heavenly South, apart from our Heavenly Azure Sect, only two or three factions possess a Heavenly God Tree and can refine Spirit-Nourishing Pills!"
True Lord Green Wood and Xi Daoyun remained completely silent.
For the Xu family to bring them out for auction meant there was a certain probability that they possessed a stable source of Spirit-Nourishing Pills.
If that were true, the Xu family definitely had a Heavenly God Tree in their hands!
"Quiet. Making such a fuss... where is your bearing as the Sect Master of my Heavenly Azure Sect?"
Xi Daoyun snorted coldly.
Realizing he had lost his composure, Xi Fengyue immediately cupped his hands and bowed to him. "Please forgive me, Ancestor. Your grandson did not mean to act out; I was simply too shocked."
Meanwhile, on the auction stage, the second finale item had already been brought out.
Chen Changge signaled for an attendant to present a tray covered with red silk.
When the silk was lifted, it revealed a palm-sized, quaint, and weighty small bronze bell. Its body was carved with cloud and thunder patterns, and spiritual light was restrained within it.
"This is the 'Lesser Thunderclap Bell', a Two-Pattern Dharma Tool integrating offense and defense!"
Smiling, he continued his introduction. "Once activated, this bell can expand to over three meters in size, enveloping its user. Its defensive power far exceeds that of ordinary defensive Two-Pattern Dharma Tools!
At the same time, it can emit thunderous sounds. These sonic waves attack enemies by directly shaking their divine souls!
It is exceptionally effective against ghostly creatures and those with weak willpower!
I dare say, with this single Dharma Tool in hand and perfect mastery of it, within the Foundation Establishment stage—unless confronted by the absolute pinnacle of Heavenly South's Foundation Establishment prodigies—almost no one could single-handedly kill the owner of this tool.
The Lesser Thunderclap Bell! Starting price—four thousand low-grade Spirit Stones!"
This rare Two-Pattern Dharma Tool that integrated both offense and defense instantly piqued the interest of numerous Golden Core factions.
Not only was the hall in an uproar, but bids also poured in constantly from the private rooms.
"Four thousand two hundred!"
"Four thousand eight hundred!"
"Five thousand!"
"Five thousand six hundred!"
"Six thousand!"
A slightly metallic voice rang out from a private room on the second floor.
The price steadily climbed upward.
Ultimately, it was pocketed at the high price of seven thousand two hundred Spirit Stones by someone in a third-floor private room who hadn't bid until this very moment.
"And today's final finale item is..."
Chen Changge's voice suddenly rose as his hand touched the storage pouch at his waist.
The next moment.
A heavy, domineering, and incredibly sharp aura—as if it could pierce the very firmament—shot out from the storage pouch. It flew in front of Chen Changge, its spear tip pointing upward, humming resonantly.
The shaft of the spear was neither metal nor wood. It seemed to bear naturally engraved fine patterns resembling dragon scales, swirling with a dark luster.
The spearhead was not the usual snow-white silver. Instead, it resembled congealed crimson blood crystals, as if tempered from the core's most blistering magma.
The spear tassel, woven from the fur of an unknown demonic beast, was as red as blood and fluttered automatically without any wind.
Chen Changge took a deep breath and announced loudly, "This spear is a Three-Pattern Dharma Tool named the 'Heavenly King Spear'. It is reinforced by three artifact patterns: 'King', 'Tyrant', and 'Saint', granting it the ability to exert a spiritual pressure deterrence!
Everyone present can likely feel it—the pressure emitted by this spear is completely on par with a low-grade Magic Treasure.
Even ordinary Three-Pattern Dharma Tools rarely possess such imposing might.
I say this without any hesitation: whoever obtains this spear, even if they are just an ordinary cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection, as long as they can unleash a fraction of its power, they will earn the title of a prodigy.
If they can fully unleash its power, they are guaranteed to secure a place on the rankings at the next Prodigy Grand Assembly!"
The entire auction house fell dead silent for a split second before erupting into an unprecedented frenzy!
In the northwestern region of the Heavenly South, only the Profound Moon Sect possessed Three-Pattern Dharma Tools, and even theirs hadn't been forged by their own sect.
"To actually put a Three-Pattern Dharma Tool up for auction... has the Xu family gone mad?!"
A Golden Core cultivator muttered from his private room.
In terms of value, any of the Golden Core cultivators present could easily afford it.
The true key lay in its rarity.
And Chen Changge wasn't wrong. Any cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection who wielded this spear could become a top-tier prodigy!
"He truly has quite the nerve. If I were Xu Chuan, I absolutely wouldn't let a single Three-Pattern Dharma Tool slip through my fingers."
The Family Head of the Nie Clan said in astonishment, "Although the members of my Nie Clan mostly favor sabers, it's not like we can't nurture a prodigy who excels with the spear!"
Almost every single cultivator in the hall stood up, craning their necks and staring with incredibly fervent gazes at the 'Heavenly King Spear'.
Meanwhile, from the private rooms on the second and third floors, dozens of tyrannical threads of divine sense instantly swept out toward the jade stage, seeking to inspect it thoroughly.
"The 'Heavenly King Spear'! Starting price: one hundred and fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones! Minimum bid increment: ten mid-grade Spirit Stones!
Only payments in mid-grade Spirit Stones or higher will be accepted."
After a brief silence, the bidding war erupted like a volcano!
"One hundred and seventy mid-grade Spirit Stones!" the Nie Clan's Family Head shouted, taking the lead.
"Two hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones!" The voice of the Sima Family's Family Head echoed from the second floor.
"Two hundred and thirty mid-grade Spirit Stones!" True Lord Heavenly Wolf shouted.
"Two hundred and eighty mid-grade Spirit Stones!" an Elder of the Lei family called out.
"Three hundred!" Mo Wenshang yelled.
The price surged like a runaway horse, smashing past the three-hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone barrier in just a dozen seconds!
Furthermore, nearly all the bidders were representatives of the various Golden Core factions.
Ordinary cultivators could only watch silently as these titans engaged in a fierce fight between a dragon and a tiger.
"Three hundred and fifty!"
"Three hundred and eighty!"
"Four hundred and twenty!"
The bids continued to climb, and the atmosphere grew so tense it practically solidified.
Only when the price reached five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones did the pace of bidding slightly decelerate. However, the competition still raged on!
In the end, after nearly twenty rounds of intense contention, the 'Heavenly King Spear' was won by the Greedy Wolf Sect for seven hundred and twenty mid-grade Spirit Stones.
This price had already surpassed that of a low-grade Magic Treasure.
It was arguably even more precious than a defensive Magic Treasure.
As the jade gavel in Chen Changge's hand struck down heavily, letting out a melodious clack, the first day of the auction officially concluded with that final, decisive strike.
"The first day of the auction has come to an end. Daoist Friends, we shall meet again tomorrow at the hour of chen."
The crowd began to disperse.
But countless people were still enthusiastically discussing this auction.
"Today's finale items were Spirit-Nourishing Pills, an exquisite-grade Two-Pattern Dharma Tool, and even a Three-Pattern Dharma Tool. What do you guys think tomorrow's finale items will be?"
"I reckon their value definitely won't be inferior to a Three-Pattern Dharma Tool. Otherwise, wouldn't they be ruining the reputation of this Cloudstream Grand Assembly?"
"I think so too."
"It's a shame we won't have a part in the high-tier trade assembly three days from now. That's where the real dazzling array of treasures will be!"
The Xu Residence.
In the main hall.
Chen Changge was reporting the results of the auction to Xu Chuan.
Moyue, Ye Fan, Xu Deling, and Xu Deyue were all present.
After listening, Xu Deling smiled faintly. "Many of the items in the auction were taken from cultivators in the secret realm. The inferior ones were placed in the Immortal-Ascension Pavilion for sale, or set aside to reward our clan guards in the future.
Only the slightly better ones appeared in the auction, but many were things our Xu family doesn't really need.
As for the truly exquisite items, only an idiot would sell them!"
Ye Fan said, "In today's auction, the bulk of the profits still came from Honored Master's high-grade pills, followed by the Dharma Tools forged by Sister Deling.
Although our gains were substantial, I fear that all the major factions across the two prefectures now know of our Xu family's massive heritage."
"Brat Ye, with me here, what are you afraid of?" Moyue clenched his fists, emitting a series of popping sounds from his joints.
"If they dare to come, believe it or not, I'll bash their heads in!"
Ye Fan's mouth twitched. "I naturally believe Grand Elder's words."
"Rest assured. Cloudstream City's momentum is already set. Even the Greedy Wolf Sect might not be able to touch us!" Xu Chuan smiled faintly.