Qianqiusui!

Standing to the side, Li Guanqi understood what was happening after Cao Yan's explanation. Striding onto the elevated platform, he sneered, "Even if someone threw you into an alchemy cauldron and refined you, the only thing left when they opened it would still be that mouth of yours." "Out of your entire body, that mouth is the only stiff thing about you." The moment these words left his lips, the crowd below erupted into uproarious laughter, and many began to banter: "Who would've thought Young Master Wang's mouth is the stiffest part of him!" "Hahaha! You've already lost anyway—why not admit it like a man instead of dragging your feet like a sissy?" "Tch, couldn't be that Yundan Pavilion's eldest young master is a sore loser, could it?" Those words drew a chorus of boos from the audience below. Most of the people chiming in were those Wang Heyang had previously outbid and snatched items from. They had disliked him for a long time, so kicking him while he was down at this critical juncture was hardly surprising. Wang Heyang's face looked hideous, yet he could not simply concede so easily. If he admitted defeat right now, the Longevity Grass would belong to the other side! Inside his cauldron, the glob of medicinal liquid was already beginning to condense into pills. He knew that if things continued like this, everything was ruined. The jeers from the crowd below rang out incessantly, throwing his mind into turmoil. Yet he could only grit his teeth and press on, shouting back, "Hmph! Until the very last moment, how do you know who wins and who loses?!" Li Guanqi frowned at this. The fellow was clearly stalling for time, and if this dragged on, he feared unexpected complications might arise. Suddenly!! The doors to the auction hall were kicked open, and an old man clad in a dark navy robe barged in, cold eyes glaring. An immensely powerful aura surged around the old man! His presence had actually reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm! The old man flashed onto the elevated platform in an instant, cast a frosty glance at Wang Heyang, and then grabbed him by the collar, turning on his heel to leave! The flames inside the cauldron instantly died out, and the glob of medicinal liquid that had begun to condense into pills dissolved into a handful of ash. Many in the crowd below recognized the old man's identity. "Huh? Yundan Pavilion's Sixth Elder, Lu Yu—what is he doing here?" "Wait... that aura... has he reached the end of his lifespan?" Cao Yan's brow furrowed at the sight, and he sent a grim voice transmission: "Boss, what do we do? That brat clearly wants to renege on the bet." Yet right at that moment, Li Guanqi took a sudden step forward, blocking the old man's path in a flash!! A formidable aura erupted from him as the black robe across his back violently tore open, and a crimson sword materialized in his grip. Leveling the Red Lotus sword at the old man, Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and spoke. "Old man, our wager still stands. Taking your man and walking away like this doesn't sit right, does it?" The old man was no pushover either; unleashing his aura, a torrential wave of pressure instantly erupted! That pressure sent the entire crowd within a radius of thirty zhang flying backward! A half-step Nascent Soul!! However, the old man's aura was laced with a faint sense of decay, which caused many onlookers to realize what was going on. It seemed Wang Heyang had bid on the Longevity Grass precisely to extend this elder's life! Wang Heyang now stood trembling behind the old man, his face pale. The old man had snow-white hair and beard, a goatee, and an aquiline nose. His eyes were small, yet exceptionally cold. Narrowing his eyes as he looked at Li Guanqi cloaked in black robes, a sword gleaming with radiant light suddenly appeared in his hand, slashing toward Li Guanqi in an instant!!! Raging fire-element power swept across more than ten zhang around them as the flaming sword-light slashed straight for Li Guanqi's neck! Without a shred of fear on his face, Li Guanqi shifted his feet into the Traceless Nether Step, dodging the old man's slash in an instant. He could even feel the razor-sharp edge of the blade, evading it by a hair's breadth. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, closing the distance in a flash!!! Crouching slightly, he shot forth like a hunting leopard!! "Soul Release! Blade Break!" "Rushing Thunder Sword Draw Stance!" *Clang!!!* A ringing sword hum echoed out. Before the sound could even travel, a sword ray wrapped in thunder flashed through the air and vanished!!! The old man's expression hardened as he watched strands of hair slowly drift down beside his ear. The onlookers had never expected matters to escalate to this point! Just as the old man prepared to strike again, two more black-robed figures appeared around him in an instant, their sword-light and fist radiance smashing toward him without mercy. Despite being a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, the old man found himself temporarily helpless against the seamless coordination of the three! The three attacked and defended in orderly sync, working together flawlessly. For a time, in this confined space, the old man was unable to gain the upper hand against them. Yet just as their clash began to grow truly heated, a terrifying pressure crashed down like thunder!!! *Tap! Tap! Tap!* The steady click of shoes striking the ground echoed softly, and the watching crowd immediately parted to make way for the newcomer. A cold-faced woman walked slowly toward the old man. Seeing her, even Lu Yu's expression shifted slightly. He actually lowered his sword and bowed to her. "Sixth Elder Lu Yu of Yundan Pavilion pays his respects to Miss Qianqiu." Yet a chilling frost clung to Qianqiusui's face, her lowered gaze revealing neither joy nor sorrow. *Boom!!!* *Thud!!!* Suddenly! The old man's face twisted in horror as his knees struck the ground with a resounding thud! The horrifying force caused his knees to shatter several bluestone pavers beneath him. Kneeling on the ground, the old man struggled to lift his head and look at the woman, his voice cold as he said, "Senior, what is the meaning of this?" Qianqiusui giggled and looked at him, smiling. "What is the meaning?" "You broke the rules, of course!" "The wager was decided by them, and presided over by me." "If you take him away today and break this wager, how is my Yunding Auction House supposed to conduct business in the future?" The old man knelt on the ground, his face flushed crimson. As an elder of Yundan Pavilion, he felt entirely humiliated!! Qianqiusui stood right before him; he could even see her fair, slender calves in his line of sight. Yet he was in no state of mind to look at such things, his eyes filled with sheer terror! *Bang!!!* The old man's head was smashed violently into the ground! Without even lowering her head, Qianqiusui murmured softly, "You are not the first to dare break the rules in my Yunding." "Nor will you be the last." "But I can assure you that not a single person who breaks the rules has ever walked out of Yunding alive." *Bang!!!* The old man's body rose into the air uncontrollably, as though seized by an invisible giant hand, before being slammed violently into the ground! *Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!!* After several strikes, every bone in the old man's body had been crushed to dust, and he no longer even resembled a human shape. Then his lifeless corpse was tossed out the door as carelessly as a pile of rubbish. Everyone who witnessed this was chilled to the bone, not even daring to glance at the woman. The pressure she had just displayed instilled a suffocating dread in every heart!! Turning to Li Guanqi, the woman offered a dazzling smile. "The transaction is complete. Here is what you wanted." With that, she handed over a storage ring and said with a light chuckle, "Little fellow, the rest is up to you three." "Make sure you don't die, or this business deal of mine will end up at a loss."