Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Sun Zifu exposed a blinding smile. He picked up a cup in front of him and took a deep drink, feeling fully refreshed.

“Young master, are you sure you didn’t spend too much? I know that our family has numerous spirit stones, but today is not the proper occasion and I fear Miss Zhou and Miss Mu might not necessarily appreciate your kindness.” A bowing old servant spoke as he smiled. His face was like a chrysanthemum flower in full bloom.

“What does an old thing like you understand? Today, I have to be overbearing and spend as many spirit stones as I can. You should know that what our Sun Family has the most of is spirit stones. Don’t you understand the concept of hiding your weaknesses and enhancing your strengths? If I want to move those two little enchantresses, the only thing I can rely on is our sparkling spirit stones!” A sharp light flashed in Sun Zifu’s eyes. “As for whether or not those two little enchantresses acknowledge me, I don’t care about that at all, because this wasn’t about them to begin with.”

The old fellow had a face full of praise. “Young master is wise and omnipotent. This old servant cannot keep up to your wits. As long as news of this spreads out to the Zhou Family and Mu Family, they will know of our sincerity! Ah, young master is truly young master, your methods are perfect!”

Sun Zifu kicked him. “Stop flattering me.” Although he said this, a little happy smile clearly lit up his face.

On the auction stage, the silver-haired auctioneer had a face full of smiles. While a bid of almost a hundred million spirit stones was high, he had seen many amazing scenes before so he wasn’t too shocked by this. He smiled and said, “Young Master Sun has bid 88 million spirit stones. Are there any other guests who wish to bid? If not, then this mysterious withered wood will belong to Young Master Sun.”

In the VIP box seat, the old servant cried out with smug satisfaction, “Hurry and announce the result. With my young master bidding, who dares to fight with us!”

A disgusting stench of flattery flowed out.

The smile of the silver-haired auctioneer didn’t change. He nodded, about to announce the result. But at this time another young voice spoke up. “100 million spirit stones.”

The auction house fell silent once more.

The silver-haired auctioneer swallowed back down the words he was about to say. He raised one finger. “This honored guest has bid 100 million! Everyone, this is the first time that someone has bid 100 million spirit stones! Please let us all remember this exciting moment! Is there anyone willing to bid a higher price?”

Sun Zifu coldly snorted and his eyes turned ferocious. The old servant bowed and said, “This old servant will immediately investigate that person’s status. To dare to compete with young master, that person has no idea of death or danger!”

“There’s no time. Take it first and talk later!” Sun Zifu laid down the wine cup. He leaned back in his chair and calmly said, “200 million.”

Since he said he would double the bid, he would double it until the end.

“210 million.” Another voice said without hesitation.

Sun Zifu’s lips witched. “420 million!” He clenched his fists, his nails digging into the flesh of his palm. This was already his limit. If this other party increased the bid anymore, he could only slap his own face and give up.

That bastard!

Over 400 million spirit stones, that was enough to form several mountains of spirit stones. Just which bastard was this? This person clearly knew he came from the Demonic Path’s noble Sun Family and yet he still dared to interfere.

Things wouldn’t end here!

A bloodthirsty light shined in profligate Sun’s eyes.

Within the auction house, another person was also angered; it was the one who was just about to make a bid for the precelestial wood – Qin Yu. As the voice of the new bidder rose up, he looked around and found the person who had bid. As he did, his pupils shrank a little.

Qi Cheng!

That’s right, this was the disciple that Chu Taidou favored the most. He heard that after Chu Taidou died, all of his properties were quietly swallowed up. But even so, with Qi Cheng’s status and background, there was no reason for him to throw hundreds of millions of spirit stones around at today’s auction. Moreover, his actions today would offend the Sun Family as well as draw attention to himself. This would make him seem like an attractive piece of fat, one that many people would want to eat up.

But Qi Cheng has chosen this moment to make his move. With an incomparably overbearing attitude, he had tossed out an outrageous amount of spirit stones. The auction house had even already dispatched cultivators to confirm the situation with him. This was a normal convention of auction houses. Otherwise, if someone bid a mind-boggling sum but was unable to pay up in the end, this would make the auction house into a laughingstock.

Looking at the stunned face of the auction house cultivator and the respectful bow afterwards, it was clear the result had been confirmed and there was no problem.

“430 million.” Qi Cheng appeared calm, but his emotions were surging in his heart. In his dreams he had imagined possessing unsurpassed power and wealth countless times, becoming the focal point of all eyes. And today, this dream of his had finally come true.

Feeling the shock and awe from the eyes all around him, Qi Cheng was immensely satisfied. Although he knew speaking in such a high-handed tone didn’t bring him any advantages, he also knew that as long as he had the backing of the Immortal Sect, no one could harm him if he didn’t violate any taboos.

Tonight, he was the center of the world!

In the VIP box seat, Sun Zifu crushed the wine cup in his hands. The red wine pooled on the rug below. Rage flashed in his eyes but he soon composed himself.

“Since you want it that much, I’ll give it to you.”

The flattering old servant’s eyes were cold. “This old servant will help young master take it back.”

“440 million spirit stones!” Another voice rang out. Sun Zifu looked up, his eyes shaking.

The entire auction house fell silent for a brief moment. Then, there was a tide of alarmed cries.

Qi Cheng himself wasn’t anything, but as Chu Taidou’s disciple, he often intersected with many high level individuals. In other words, many people in this auction house recognized him. When he first put forth his bid, he had drawn countless eyes. Many of them were cold and filled with greed, shocked by the wealth left behind by Chu Taidou.

As for the reasons for his actions, they attributed it to his head being drowned by wealth and him trying to get the attention from the young misses of the Zhou Family and Mu Family. This was a laughable thought, but with another person bidding, their earlier assumptions were shattered. There might be one person stupid enough to spend hundreds of millions of spirit stones to gain the attention of beautiful women, but there definitely wouldn’t be two of them.

Qi Cheng’s eyes brightened. A smile lifted his lips. He stood up and said, “Qin Yu, you finally made your move.”

The hearts of countless cultivators skipped a beat. Their originally questioning eyes revealed surprise.

A black-robed figure was silent for several breaths of time. Then, he lifted a hand and drew back his hood. Qin Yu’s calm face appeared. “Qi Cheng, I am actually quite curious how you knew it was me.”

Qi Cheng smiled brightly. “I’m sorry, but I refuse to answer you. Today I must fight for my dead teacher. This withered wood – you won’t win it.”

Qin Yu took a deep breath. “700 million spirit stones.”

Qi Cheng held his hands behind his back. “800 million.”

Kang Mingqiao’s voice spread out from a VIP box seat. “Fellow daoist Qin Yu, if you need, the Dao Arena can lend you spirit stones.”

Qi Cheng laughed. “Today, no matter how much Qin Yu bids, I will bid 100 million more than him!”

Kang Mingqiao sneered. “Junior, you are being too reckless.”

Qi Cheng bowed. “Arena Steward Kang can try.”

The common-looking Qi Cheng had suddenly risen up and seized all of Chu Taidou’s properties. Moreover, he hadn’t suffered any troubles during this process at all. And today, he didn’t shy away but directly called out Qin Yu, even earning the resentment of Kang Mingqiao…no one was an idiot, in particular these people possessed a great deal of wealth and a great deal of authority.

Looking at the high-spirited and arrogant Qi Cheng, many people could see a colossus standing behind him.

In his VIP box seat, Sun Zifu shivered. “Stop everything right now.”

Whether it was Qin Yu or Qi Cheng who had likely been chosen by the Immortal Sect, neither of them were good to provoke.

The old servant’s smile turned ugly as he tried to cry, “There isn’t enough time…”

Before his voice fell, two figures rushed out from the shadows of the auction house, their cold blades flashing as they thrust at Qi Cheng.

Bang –

A tyrannical aura erupted from near Qi Cheng. There was a thin and sickly-looking old man sitting beside him. Before he moved, his presence was as weak as air. But once he took action, he was like a great sun, his tyrannical aura sweeping out in all directions. The bright aura shattered those two cold blades and continued forward, breaking apart the two assassins.

Then a strange force acted on every piece of flesh and bone, crushing them into powder. In the space of a breath, those two living assassins thoroughly vanished.

The thin old man slowly sat back down. His tyrannical aura was restrained and his weak and common-looking appearance returned. But, no one would dare to underestimate him again.

This was an eighth level Blue Sea super powerhouse. Even when placed amongst the Land of Divinity and Demons, he could be called an existence that ruled over his own domain. But today, he willingly stood behind Qi Cheng like a prop. From this alone, many people were able to confirm their earlier guesses.

Sun Zifu let out a sigh of relief. It was good those two had died how they did. Although it wasn’t easy for his family to raise deathsworn guards, to avoid any more trouble was already the best possible result. He glared at the old servant, “This matter has caused my belly to ache. Just pretend it never happened!”

Qi Cheng’s smile became even more carefree. “It seems there are some people that want to kill me. But, it doesn’t matter. If anyone wants to kill me, they can go ahead and try.” He looked up, his gaze frosty. “Today, let us complete our bidding first. Qin Yu, do you want to increase the price? If not, that mysterious withered wood will belong to me.”

Qin Yu took a deep breath and turned away. He knew that Qi Cheng was trying to force him to attack. Although he really did want to smash open Qi Cheng’s face, it was what he wanted.

As for why the Immortal Sect didn’t hesitate to pay the price to prevent him from obtaining the precelestial wood, could that be just from their hostility towards him?

…Or had they sensed something?

Qin Yu’s heart shrank. He started to think about whether he had been negligent or not. But, there was clearly only one Monster Raising Mystic Art in the world, and no one should have information concerning the Soul Summoning Bell.

Qin Yu took a deep breath and suppressed all of these thoughts. With things having come to this point, there was no longer any meaning in considering them. The precelestial wood was in Qi Cheng’s hands…he couldn’t make a move in the auction house, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do something after he left.

However, if he could think of this, so could the Immortal Sect. Qi Cheng was merely bait to lure him to attack, and once he did he would lose the protection of the Dao Arena Master.

What should he do? Should he give up? Or risk it all?

At this moment, a thought fluctuation was transmitted into his mind. “I originally thought you knew, but now it seems that you never did. If you have time, come here as soon as possible.”

The thought transmission came from the little blue lamp. Qin Yu’s heart quickened. If it spoke, it should be something vital. He tried to ask back, but there was no response.

Qin Yu entered the Dao Arena and closed the doors to the training room. He sat down cross-legged and his divine sense passed through the sealed dimension ring to enter the small world in the vast distant nothingness.

The leaves of the Star Cutting Grass danced about in excitement, cutting open small tears in space. Only when it saw Qin Yu seeming distressed trying to avoid them did it honestly calm down and let down a leaf to lift him into the medicine field.

Soon, the Star Cutting Grass stopped and a spirit plant bathed in darkness appeared in front of Qin Yu. This spirit plant had two extremely beautiful branches and even the night-like darkness couldn’t cover up its dazzling dream-like textures.

Qin Yu’s eyes widened. “This…this…”

“Precelestial wood.” The little blue lamp’s thought fluctuations came again. “Several months ago you tossed in a root. Do you remember?”

Qin Yu’s complexion turned strange.

“That’s right, that root was the spirit root of the precelestial wood.”

At this moment, Qin Yu nearly choked on his emotions. He felt nothing but the greatest gratitude towards the dead Chu Taidou.

What a good person!

Wait a moment…two precelestial woods…

Qin Yu’s eyes flashed. After several breaths of time, his lips curved up in a smile. He muttered to himself, “I’m rich…I’m rich…this time, I really will become rich…”