Inside Leng Palace, the auction proceeded in an orderly fashion.
For an auction of this scale, the sheer volume of resources involved and the complexity of negotiations among various factions meant it could never be concluded in two or three days.
Of course, the number of cultivators in the hall had already decreased by nearly half.
This was partly because Feileng City did not forbid fighting, and partly due to the turbulent times and the rampant emergence of predatory rogue cultivators.
Rogue cultivators who lacked powerful backing or were not particularly strong themselves chose to leave early once they had secured the resources they wanted, lest they be tracked and ambushed by those who had lost the bids.
Inside a spacious, luxurious private room on the fourth floor, a Core Formation cultivator hurried in from outside.
"True Person, something has happened!"
Fu Chaosheng frowned. "What is it?"
Shan Shubao stepped forward and said in a hushed, rapid voice, "That rogue cultivator, Luo Hai, has provoked the Qian family. They dispatched several Core Formation cultivators to surround and kill him. He proved quite ferocious and managed to forcefully carve a bloody path out of the encirclement. However, the Qian family has operated on Lengguang Island for many years and possesses intricate ties with all the major local factions. They have already begun rallying these forces to hunt him down. According to the intelligence I just received, Lianfeng Workshop, Baizao Mountain, and the Wu family have all sent significant numbers of Core Formation cultivators to intercept Luo Hai from various directions."
Upon hearing this news, Fu Chaosheng's brow smoothed.
"I thought it was something major. There is no need to report such trifles to me."
Shan Shubao was taken aback.
Subconsciously, he said, "True Person, did you not hold that rogue cultivator in high regard?"
"What makes you think that?" Fu Chaosheng asked with a chuckle.
Shan Shubao seemed to realize something, yet he continued along the topic anyway. "Gifting pills, bestowing treasures, and introducing him to Core Formation cultivators from Moluo Stream, Penglai Immortal Sect, and those close to our Tianyuan Business Alliance..."
Fu Chaosheng shook his head. "Didn't he choose not to align with any of the three? Besides, for the pills and treasures I gifted, he repaid me with a bloom of millennium thunder essence. The debt of gratitude between us is already minimal. If one were to truly tally it up, he is the one who owes me a favor and should repay me. Now that he is in trouble, could it be that this old man is expected to rescue him?"
Shan Shubao was dumbfounded.
Fu Chaosheng casually asked, "Among those hunting him, how many great cultivators are there?"
Shan Shubao considered it. "Qian Ting, patriarch of the Qian family, is at the seventh layer of Core Formation, and the mountain master of Baizao Mountain is at the eighth layer. Lianfeng Workshop did not deploy any great cultivators, but they sent the Xiang brothers, who are skilled in combined attack techniques. Each of them wields a Flying Sky Flail, making their attacks nearly impossible to defend against. Even ordinary great cultivators would suffer at their combined hands. As for the Wu family, their movements are rather secretive. They were not in the city from the start, so I do not know their whereabouts.
"Oh, right. Hanli Sect, having left early, is also rushing in that direction under the lead of Sect Master Luo Yuqing. They are likely hoping to reap the spoils as the fisherman."
At this point, a look of pity appeared on Shan Shubao's face.
"With such a hunting lineup, even a late Core Formation great cultivator like myself would find it difficult to escape unscathed. That Luo Hai is only at the fourth layer of Core Formation; I fear he is doomed."
After hearing this roster, Fu Chaosheng made an assessment in his heart.
Finally, his smile faded.
"I did think quite highly of that junior. After all, to comprehend the method of forming a Nascent Soul while still in mid Core Formation—even in our Tianyuan Dao Sect, he could be considered a talent.
"Yet no matter how outstanding a person's talent may be, if they perish prematurely, they are ultimately nothing more than a handful of yellow earth.
"Let us see what fate has in store for the junior!"
With that, his lips continued to move, but this time no sound emerged.
Shan Shubao clearly received a divine sense transmission. Upon hearing it, shock covered his face.
"True Person! This violates the rules laid down by our Dao Sect for the Business Alliance."
Fu Chaosheng shot him a cold glance. "The Yuan Demon Sect has been destroyed, and the Northern Sea is left without a master. Certain rigid rules must be changed when the time comes. If this matter succeeds, you and I can both return to the Central Plains and cultivate in the sacred grounds of the Dao Sect."
At the end, he added, "Shubao, you surely do not wish to remain overseas for the rest of your life, do you?"
Shan Shubao opened his mouth, his expression shifting erratically.
After a long pause, he finally made up his mind.
"I obey the True Person's command! I shall go and destroy that teleportation array."
Fu Chaosheng nodded in satisfaction. "Do it discreetly. In the end, we are merely borrowing a knife to kill. There is no need for us to act in person. Even if the sect investigates, it will have nothing to do with us."
Having received his orders, Shan Shubao quietly departed the palace.
As for the rogue cultivator Luo Hai?
He had long cast the man to the back of his mind, paying him no further heed.
***
At the northern docks of Feileng City, a thousand sails were furled and hundreds of vessels lay at anchor.
It was as bustling as ever, and the sea was calm and tranquil.
Bai Xiang stood upon the Bai family's merchant ship, a wistful expression on his face.
"As wonderful as prosperous Feileng City is, it is ultimately no place for the likes of us to dwell for long!
"It is better to return to Baisha Island, watching sea birds circle and wind vanes sway every day!"
After sighing, he asked without turning around, "How is the inventory check going?"
The Bai family's Qi Refinement cultivator was already accustomed to their elder's seemingly clairvoyant manner.
Was it not simply the spiritual sense of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator?
The Bai family cultivator promptly reported, "Everything has been tallied. It is just that we have loaded quite a lot of goods for the return trip this time, so the voyage back will probably take twice as long."
Bai Xiang clicked his tongue. "A bit more is fine. We didn't do any business on the way here; if we don't earn some extra along the way back, it won't be easy to explain to the clan."
With that, he raised his hand, preparing to signal their departure.
However...
Before his hand could drop, he suddenly whipped his head around.
Behind him, the Bai family cultivator pointed a finger and said, "Elder, look at those two escaping lights! They are so fast!"
"I know!"
Bai Xiang cut him off, a look of shock and uncertainty crossing his face. Those two escaping lights gave him a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Qi Refinement cultivator noticing two incoming escaping lights almost at the same time did not mean the gap in their strength was small.
At its core, it was simply because those two escaping lights were flying so fast.
At that very moment, three streaks of light abruptly shot into the sky from the docks.
Vast spiritual pressure surged outward—unmistakably at the Core Formation stage.
"Fellow Daoist Luo Hai, why depart the city in such a hurry?"
"Indeed. Why not stay and allow our Wu family to show some hospitality?"
"We heard that back in Leng Palace, you forced Wu Yan, a junior of our Wu family, to kneel. That is rather disrespectful."
The booming voices poured into Bai Xiang's mind.
The name "Luo Hai" in his ears struck like a clap of thunder.
Subconsciously, a crimson-faced countenance surfaced in his thoughts.
*It couldn't be him, could it?*
However, when the two escaping lights flying from within the city came to an abrupt halt, revealing the figures of a man and a woman, Bai Xiang's entire body shuddered.
*It really is them!*
*Core Formation stage! Heavens!*
Recalling the details of his interactions with Luo Hai and Tianxuan along the journey, Bai Xiang's lips began to tremble uncontrollably.
*I... I didn't offend them too much, did I?*
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, Bai Xiang had traveled far and wide and possessed abundant experience.
He had already realized what was about to unfold and could not help screaming shrilly, "Set sail!
"Activate the defensive array!
"Everyone, hide inside the cabins!"
He was not the only one reacting this way.
At the docks, numerous vessels began to power up, fleeing outward in panic.
Some cultivators working on the docks abandoned their tasks altogether, either steering flying magical instruments to flee or seeking cover to hide on the spot.
There was no other reason for all of this!
It was solely because a clash at the Core Formation level was exceedingly likely to erupt here in the next moment.
Such a battle could turn nearby areas into a wasteland at minor scale, or ravage a radius of a hundred li at its worst. For low-realm cultivators like them, it would be an absolute catastrophe.
At this moment, Luo Chen, the center of it all, coldly surveyed the three individuals blocking his path.
"Three mid Core Formation cultivators—and you think you can stop me?"
The leader of the Wu family trio was named Wu Di. While his name carried a grand meaning, his manner of doing things was exceedingly cautious.
He stared warily at Luo Chen. "Fellow Daoist slaughtered freely within the city, and even Patriarch Qian Ting failed to keep you. Your prowess is plain to see. For the three of us, killing you might be difficult, but detaining you for a short while should pose no problem."
Faintly, the two behind him formed a triangular formation with him, interlocking offense and defense into an unbreakable stance.
Luo Chen understood their intent.
They wanted to stall for time.
Nodding slightly, Luo Chen spoke without looking back.
"Leave first. Wait for me up ahead."
Behind him, Tianxuan showed worry. "Master, let Tianxuan stay. I may be able to lend you a hand."
Luo Chen waved his wide sleeve, and crimson chains began extending outward from his body.
As he swept his sleeve, a banner and a compass fell into Tianxuan's hands.
"Go!"
This time, Tianxuan heard the resolute tone in Luo Chen's voice and offered no further resistance.
Bearing the long banner on her back and clutching the compass, she flapped her natural azure wings, transforming into a streak of light that looped around the Wu family trio and flew away.
Seeing her depart, the three Wu family cultivators showed differing expressions.
"Eldest Brother, that woman..."
Wu Di waved his hand. "Never mind her. Our target is Luo Hai. She is merely a maidservant; she cannot escape."
As they spoke, their divine senses spread, and waves of spiritual pressure surged forth, locking onto Luo Chen tightly.
The moment he made the slightest movement, they would launch an attack.
Facing their posturing, the corners of Luo Chen's mouth curled slightly.
Releasing his own divine sense and merging it with his magic power, his spiritual pressure exploded outward with a roar.
*Boom!*
In the void, before any of the four had even traded blows, wind and clouds churned violently.
With that single clash, Luo Chen's expression remained unchanged, while the trio showed astonished looks.
Though all were in mid Core Formation, and Wu Di even possessed a cultivation base at the fifth layer, the combined spiritual pressure of the three failed to suppress Luo Chen.
With just one counterthrust, he shattered their invisible bind.
As crimson chains drifted in the void, Luo Chen did not retreat but advanced, shouting aloud, "In this life, Luo fears a siege by those of the same realm least of all! No matter how many come, I will kill them all!
"Come!"
As he advanced, he formed hand seals continuously, and one blazing sun after another rose behind him.
Seeing this, Wu Di's expression remained steady.
"It is the Tier 2 fire-attribute spell, the Blazing Sun Art. Although it has other variations, its tier is ultimately not high. We just need to take it head-on."
The two cultivators behind followed his command, each deploying their own methods.
Some used defensive treasures, others defensive spells. Wu Di himself flourished his longsword.
The sea outside the docks churned violently, and a blue water dragon surged upward, hurtling straight toward the blazing suns in the sky.
The collision occurred in an instant.
Flapping his wings, Luo Chen shot upward with a roar, while the blazing suns behind him plummeted sharply.
Not only that, once he reached a tremendous height, Luo Chen pressed his palm downward.
The Qingyang Great Handprint appeared once more!
*Such spellcasting speed!* Wu Di was thoroughly shocked. It was as easy as lifting a hand, utterly effortless.
Though stunned, his hands were not slow. Pincing a talisman between two fingers of his left hand, he stimulated it with magic power, and the phantom of a giant turtle materialized.
Once the essence of the talisman art was mastered, its activation speed surpassed even that of a cultivator casting spells directly.
In the next instant, deafening rumbles echoed ceaselessly over the docks.
Terrifying shockwaves of magic power swept out in all directions.
Buildings collapsed in ruin.
Waves surged without wind upon the sea, capsizing small moored vessels one after another.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators managing Feileng City watched this scene from afar, their faces torn between heartache and fury.
In the center of the battlefield, the three Wu family cultivators had just fended off Luo Chen's strike when they suddenly sensed something amiss.
Layers of grayish-white mist spread through the filling storm of raindrops and sparks.
Wherever the mist passed, sizzling sounds of corrosion rang out.
The longsword in Wu Di's hand even let out series of mournful hums.
"No, this is baleful qi!
"Be careful!"
Though he shouted the warning, that bizarre baleful qi had already completely engulfed the battlefield.
Furthermore, the dense baleful qi blocked their vision of one another.
As a result, the three could only communicate via divine sense.
Yet another domineering divine sense, comparable to that of a late Core Formation great cultivator, suddenly crashed into them like a ferocious dragon crossing a river, disrupting their communications.
With that, their so-called formation collapsed without a fight.
The three could only fight on their own.
Just as they exerted all their strength to resist Luo Chen's Blazing Fire Miasma, an exceedingly swift figure moved like a fish in water through the Kurong Baleful Qi Luo Chen had unleashed at full force.
Suddenly, an explosive crack rang through the air.
When he reappeared, he was already behind one of them.
Reaching out a hand, nine crimson chains moved in tandem, forcefully piercing through the man's protective light barrier.
*Pfft!*
The barrier shattered.
A Golden Core was ripped out alive.
The man opened his mouth, his eyes filled with terror, but before he could make a sound, azure flames swept over his entire body.
Luo Chen withdrew his hand and dashed toward the next person.
As the strongest among the three, Wu Di had already sensed the demise of his kinsman and immediately warned in a loud voice, "Behind you!"
Hearing this, the remaining Core Formation cultivator did not look back, intending to shift the focus of his defense behind him.
They were quite far apart; that Luo Hai should not be able to reach him with an attack.
Unfortunately, he had miscalculated.
From a great distance, Luo Chen suddenly gathered his qi and struck out with a palm.
This time, it was not the Qingyang Great Handprint.
Instead, a dragon of blood qi roared across the sky.
Mountain-Cleaving Stele-Shattering Palm!
A strike of pure blood qi, imbued with peerless, domineering force.
A palm strike across distance, splitting mountains and shattering stone, slammed the man back dozens of zhang.
Before he could steady his footing, a crimson chain snaked out from the baleful qi, directly piercing his sea of qi and coiling tightly around his natal Golden Core.
This sequence of attacks seemed lengthy in recounting, but in truth it occurred with the lightning speed of a swooping falcon.
Just as Wu Di activated a secret technique to disperse the all-eroding baleful qi around him, he saw the black-robed Daoist drifting forward. Nine chains trailed behind him, coiling around two Golden Cores in an eye-catching display.
Luo Chen's gaze was chilly, as though looking upon a dead man.
"Your turn!"
Wu Di's eyes bulged with rage, and another talisman appeared in his hand.
"Give me your life!"
Just as he was about to channel his magic power to activate the talisman, he suddenly felt the magic power within his body freeze, unable to circulate.
He looked up in astonishment.
Without him noticing, a small, three-legged gray cauldron was spinning smoothly in the sky.
Streams of gray brilliance descended continuously, enveloping him tightly.
Tainted by this gray brilliance, his water-attribute magic power failed to circulate, rendering him completely unable to activate his signature talisman.
Wu Di was terrified, yet under the crisis of life and death, he grew all the more frantic.
"Break for me!"
The Golden Core within his body spun recklessly, sending wild magic power surging through his limbs, bones, and meridians.
Regardless of what catastrophic damage forcefully breaking this suppressive power might inflict upon his body...
In short, he could finally mobilize his magic power again.
Yet, everything was already too late.
In battles between Core Formation cultivators, every split second counted; a few breaths were enough to decide everything.
In his vision, the black-robed Daoist brought his fingers together like a sword and slashed down through the air.
A streak of sword qi directly severed his left hand, which held the talisman.
With the Kusanagi Gengjin Sword Qi finding its mark, Luo Chen extended his palm and made a grasping motion. The nine crimson chains straightened violently from all directions, then plunged down from every angle.
*Squelch, squelch, squelch...*
In mere moments, they pierced through the giant turtle phantom that had previously shielded Wu Di's body, impaling him into a hedgehog.
Wu Di's eyes turned lifeless. He opened his mouth, and finally, a single thought arose.
*Even if I die, I won't let you have an easy time.*
Before his divine sense transmission had even faded, a powerful surge of magic power fluctuated violently.
Luo Chen frowned. Stamping a foot against the void, he executed the Air Burst Steps, shifting dozens of zhang horizontally.
In the next instant...
*Boom!*
The extreme power of a Golden Core self-detonation erupted in midair.
The small gray cauldron in the sky was caught in the blast, flipping over a hundred times in midair before finally returning to Luo Chen's hand.
Glancing at his natal magic treasure, it was entirely unscathed.
Luo Chen nodded, then beckoned with his hand.
The little remaining Blazing Fire Miasma was slowly recalled.
The severed hand clutching the blue talisman was also retrieved under the shroud of gray light.
Only now did the cultivators at Feileng City's northern docks finally witness the true scene of the battle.
Or rather, they saw the sole survivor.
Luo Chen alone!
In mere moments, three people had been slain in the blink of an eye. Such a battle record left the entire area in dead silence.
It was not until several streaks of light flew in from the southeast and west that the area grew lively once more.
Luo Chen grinned.
"Keep chasing, and the next to die will be you!"
Though these words seemed directed at everyone, when they fell into each person's heart, it felt as though he were speaking directly to them.
Afterward, Luo Chen fled toward the far north without looking back.
Only, compared to before, his escaping speed was visibly slower by thirty percent.
Several figures descended above the docks.
Sensing the lingering ripples of battle, their expressions varied.
Finally, Qian Ting said ruthlessly:
"Pursue! Casting spells with such reckless abandon, the magic power in his body must be nearly depleted. His reduced speed is proof!"
Chapter 583