Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened slightly. He had merely proposed a trade with extremely favorable conditions. To avoid provoking the other party, he had deliberately used a private voice transmission rather than speaking aloud and exposing the other’s presence.
*Creak.* The chamber door opened.
A green-robed female attendant emerged, frowning at Dongbo Xueying. “Esteemed Divine Lord, the Treasure Auction is currently underway. Please refrain from disturbing the honored guests within their chambers.”
Dongbo Xueying glanced at the chamber before turning and leaving without a word.
The attendant watched him depart before returning inside.
Within the chamber, a figure draped in loose black robes sat cross-legged. His body was covered in twisted, greenish scales and keratin, his face grotesquely distorted by the same. His amber-yellow eyes gleamed with a chilling malevolence as he coldly regarded the returning attendant. Though she maintained a respectful demeanor, her composure remained unshaken—as an attendant of the Tianxin Pavilion, she was accustomed to dealing with powerful guests who dared not lay a hand on her.
“The so-called ‘Azure Cloud Divine Lord’ has left,” she reported.
The black-robed figure snorted. “The Tianxin Pavilion is supposed to keep auction participants’ identities confidential. How did he find me so quickly after I secured those three tomes?” His amber eyes bore into her.
The attendant replied sternly, “Divine Emperor, the Tianxin Pavilion’s reputation is beyond reproach. Our branches span nearly every city in the Divine Realm, and never once have we leaked auction participant information. Moreover, this Azure Cloud Divine Lord arrived almost immediately after your purchase—surely he tracked you through other means. Do not tarnish our Pavilion’s honor with baseless accusations.”
The black-robed figure grunted but said no more. He knew the Tianxin Pavilion guarded its reputation fiercely. Even if they were to leak information, it wouldn’t happen this swiftly.
“A mere Divine Lord?” His gaze swept over the ongoing auction below, his mind racing. “Divine Lords are too weak to track me on their own. There must be a Divine Emperor backing him. Are there others besides the Tyrantblood Brothers hunting me?”
His amber eyes flickered with unease.
“Damn it! No matter. I already have the *Golden Flame Immortal Body*. With this cultivation manual as a reference, I’ll master the Black Gold Pearl sooner. Then, what can the Tyrantblood Brothers do to me?” A cold glint flashed in his eyes. “Heh. Whoever this new Divine Emperor is, I, Bu Ya, will have the last laugh.”
Despite his bravado, tension coiled within him. The strength of the Divine Emperor backing this “Azure Cloud Divine Lord” was unknown.
Those who cultivated Hunyuan bloodline power were typically poor at tracking—though some of the most terrifying Divine Emperors excelled at it. Bu Ya doubted such an existence would bother with him; a single command would force his submission.
“This ‘Azure Cloud Divine Lord’… his backer is likely no stronger than me. At best, they’re just skilled at tracking,” Bu Ya mused.
Unbeknownst to him, Dongbo Xueying’s mastery of the Dao’s mysteries granted him tracking abilities rivaling even late-stage Divine Emperors.
—
Returning to his own chamber, Dongbo Xueying seated himself before the low table, downing a cup of wine in one gulp. His attendant promptly refilled it.
“The one who won the *Void Worm Tome* and the other two manuals—is he insane?” Dongbo Xueying was irked by the other’s excessive hostility. He had no idea the man was a “startled bird,” reacting with panic to any perceived threat. A calm mind would have negotiated fairly, but fear bred paranoia.
“Attending this auction and failing to secure the *Void Worm Tome*…” Disappointed, Dongbo Xueying skimmed the auction catalog. Such high-level auctions were rare even in the Divine Realm; he couldn’t leave empty-handed.
Most treasures here catered to native Divine Realm denizens, with few appealing to him.
“This one, then.” His gaze settled on an item.
Soon, the thirty-second treasure was announced.
“This divine spear,” declared the silver-robed Elder Yan, gesturing to the floating weapon, “is the *Golden Flame Spear*, a relic of the Golden Sage Clan.” The spear gleamed brilliantly, its tip etched with crimson patterns. “Forged by their Progenitor himself, a single strike ignites the victim’s body from within. Its reputation precedes it—starting bid: fifty Hunyuan Jade. Increments of no less than one. Begin!”
“Fifty-one.”
“Fifty-two.”
Bids rose steadily.
Though the *Golden Flame Spear* bore the prestige of the Golden Sage Clan’s Progenitor, insiders knew the truth: the Progenitor had mass-produced weapons for his descendants. This spear was common among their elite troops, who wielded them in devastating formations.
Individually, it was decent—but only early-stage Divine Emperors would covet it. Prestige mattered little compared to practical utility.
“Fifty-eight.”
“Sixty.” Dongbo Xueying’s bid silenced the room.
The spear was his. As a mass-produced weapon, its price rarely exceeded sixty Hunyuan Jade.
Rarity dictated value; unique treasures could fetch double or more.
Soon, the *Golden Flame Spear* was delivered.
“Hmm.” Gripping the weapon, Dongbo Xueying felt its weight—like a mountain spanning thousands of miles. As he refined it, his consciousness explored its every inch. Despite its “mass-produced” label, the spear’s craftsmanship was sublime, befitting a Progenitor’s handiwork.
Once refined, the spear lightened in his grip. “The material… contains traces of Hunyuan Sand?”
His own *Qinghe Spear*, a true Hunyuan weapon gifted by Yuan, was forged almost entirely from Hunyuan Sand and simplified for his use. This spear contained far less, yet its durability matched *Qinghe*’s. Only in channeling Hunyuan power did it fall short.
Dongbo Xueying nodded, satisfied. “At the very least, this spear is indestructible to anything below the Hunyuan level. Its piercing power is formidable—a worthy auxiliary weapon.”
With a proper spear in hand, he could fully unleash his techniques. Many of his Void Dao moves were optimized for spearplay.
—
The auction stretched on until its grand finale.
“The final treasure marks the end of today’s event,” Elder Yan announced. “Many Divine Emperors have waited eagerly for this. As all know, the Divine Realm hosts barely over a thousand native Hunyuan lifeforms—some under the protection of figures like the Willow Valley Lord or the Heaven-Suppressing Sect Master. Thus, every corpse of such a being is priceless. Today’s final lot is precisely that: the remains of a native Hunyuan lifeform.”
With a wave, space distorted above, revealing a floating carcass.
In the Divine Realm, conflicts raged endlessly. Beyond the struggles of cultivators and ascenders, many hunted low-level Hunyuan lifeforms in pursuit of greater power.
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