The two experts from Tianxin Pavilion, along with the attendant nearby, held their breath as they watched the ever-growing pile of desolate beast carcasses, their hearts secretly trembling. Each of these carcasses was at the peak of Divine Lord level, and some among them were even beasts that would be difficult for early-stage Divine Emperors to slay.
“Alright, that’s all,” Dongbo Xueying finally stopped. “Calculate the price.”
“Of course, of course! Please wait a moment, Divine Lord. We’ll tally it carefully,” one of the Tianxin Pavilion experts, who had a red horn, quickly replied. As he spoke, he manipulated the spatial formation to levitate one of the desolate beast carcasses to the top. “This is a ‘Thousand-Lip Smoke Beast,’ with an intact carcass. Our Tianxin Pavilion can offer 6,500 Thunder Stones.” He glanced at Dongbo Xueying, observing his reaction. The other Tianxin expert chimed in, “Our Tianxin Pavilion will never shortchange you, Divine Lord.”
Dongbo Xueying offered no comment, merely saying indifferently, “Continue.”
“Very well, we’ll proceed,” the two Tianxin Pavilion experts said. “This desolate beast carcass is a ‘Great Mountain Suppressor.’ Its life core is shattered, but the rest is intact. Our Tianxin Pavilion can offer 3,100 Thunder Stones.”
They were merely appraisers for Tianxin Pavilion.
Faced with someone who had brought over a hundred peak Divine Lord-level desolate beast carcasses at once, they dared not show the slightest disrespect. They had heard of powerful ‘Ascender Divine Lords’ who roamed the Great Wilderness for billions of years, slaying countless desolate beasts. Yet, even if they could defeat peak Divine Lord-level beasts, killing them was usually far more difficult.
“This mysterious Divine Lord must have spent an incredibly long time in the Great Wilderness to hunt so many. Or perhaps a Divine Emperor killed them and sent him here to trade?” The two Tianxin Pavilion experts speculated silently.
Truthfully, among these hundred-plus carcasses, several belonged to beasts with extraordinary survival abilities—ones that even early-stage Divine Emperors would struggle to kill.
Dongbo Xueying listened to each appraisal, nodding slightly to himself.
Tianxin Pavilion’s reputation was well-deserved—their offers were fair. Of the 126 desolate beasts he had hunted, he had only thoroughly identified 15. At the very least, the prices offered for those 15 carcasses were quite ‘reasonable.’ As for the others? Based on the difficulty he had faced in hunting them—some had even posed a threat to his life when he employed his Void Path techniques, forcing him to resort to his Illusory Realm Path to sweep them aside—he could roughly estimate their value.
From what he could tell, the appraisals seemed accurate.
“This last one is a ‘Dark Cloud Devourer.’ In all my years appraising and purchasing, this is the first time I’ve seen a carcass of this kind—completely intact, save for the shattered life core. Tianxin Pavilion can offer five Hunyuan Jade Pieces and 8,000 Thunder Stones.”
“The total for all the desolate beast carcasses comes to 96 Hunyuan Jade Pieces and 3,000 Thunder Stones,” the red-horned Tianxin expert declared. The other expert nodded in agreement.
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
The carcasses ranged in value from just over 2,000 Thunder Stones to more than eight Hunyuan Jade Pieces each.
Hunyuan Jade Pieces were said to be personally refined and cut by the three Primordial Ancestors, making them the most precious currency in the entire Divine Realm. Thunder Stones, on the other hand, were naturally formed within the Divine Realm and were also exceedingly rare.
“If the Divine Lord has no objections to this price, Tianxin Pavilion will purchase these desolate beast carcasses at this valuation,” the two Tianxin experts said, watching Dongbo Xueying closely. The pricing of desolate beast carcasses was straightforward, based on species and the degree of preservation.
“Very well, I accept. I trust Tianxin Pavilion’s reputation,” Dongbo Xueying said.
“Haha, please wait a moment, Divine Lord,” the red-horned Tianxin expert couldn’t resist his curiosity. “Might I ask—several of these carcasses are extremely rare and difficult to kill. Did the Divine Lord hunt them alone?”
Dongbo Xueying glanced at him but remained silent.
“Ah, my apologies for overstepping,” the expert quickly said, seeing that Dongbo Xueying had no intention of answering.
Soon after, a beautiful female attendant entered. With a wave of her hand, translucent gray jade pieces floated into the air—each about half the size of a palm, rectangular, and thin. The faint aura emanating from them felt strangely comforting to Dongbo Xueying, far purer than Hunyuan energy—almost as if it had undergone a qualitative transformation. Yet, unlike Hunyuan energy, which corroded flesh and soul, these jade pieces were harmless, even soothing.
This was Dongbo Xueying’s first encounter with Hunyuan Jade Pieces.
All 96 pieces hovered in the air, alongside a pile of Thunder Stones—each the size of a fingertip, uniformly sized, and gleaming with a dazzling golden light. Within them, golden lightning flickered, a sight both mesmerizing and miraculous.
Dongbo Xueying knew that the Hunyuan Jade Pieces had been standardized by the three Primordial Ancestors, with one piece exchangeable for 10,000 Thunder Stones.
“Divine Lord, the Hunyuan Jade Pieces and Thunder Stones are all here,” the attendant said with a smile.
Dongbo Xueying nodded, sweeping them all into his storage with a wave of his hand. Then he said, “I wish to participate in Tianxin Pavilion’s upcoming Treasure Auction. Arrange it for me.”
“The Divine Lord wishes to join the auction? Of course!” the attendant replied eagerly. “I will make the arrangements immediately and secure a fine private booth for you.”
With such wealth in Hunyuan Jade Pieces, he was undoubtedly a high-value guest.
Though Jiangyuan City was one of the Divine Realm’s most prestigious metropolises, the number of powerful figures drawn to a single auction was still limited. Dongbo Xueying’s wealth rivaled that of early-stage Divine Emperors who attended such events, so proper accommodations were a must.
“Does the Divine Lord have lodgings in Jiangyuan City? If not, you may stay at Tianxin Pavilion. We have many elegant courtyards, and the auction is approaching. Staying here ensures you’ll be notified promptly, and Tianxin Pavilion guarantees absolute safety—no one dares to cause trouble here,” the attendant added.
“Very well, I’ll stay at Tianxin Pavilion,” Dongbo Xueying agreed.
—
Tianxin Pavilion occupied a vast area, its sprawling complex of buildings stretching far and wide. Dongbo Xueying settled into one of the refined courtyards.
Over the next month, he explored Jiangyuan City, sampling its many delicacies. At the same time, he studied the Hunyuan Jade Pieces closely. Beyond their known effects of ‘nourishing the soul’ and ‘tempering the flesh,’ he discovered that the jade pieces themselves held profound mysteries—a highly specialized application of Hunyuan energy.
“Too complex to decipher in such a short time. Once this matter is settled, I’ll return to Junshan City and study them in depth,” Dongbo Xueying mused. Having decided to reside in Junshan City for the long term, he knew he could easily travel to any major city using his Great Void Transference Art. Staying in a smaller, less influential city would minimize unnecessary trouble.
In a supreme metropolis like Jiangyuan City, there were experts far beyond his current strength.
But in Junshan City? He was effectively invincible.
“Divine Lord Qingyun,” a melodious voice called from outside the courtyard.
Dongbo Xueying, who had been meditating with a Hunyuan Jade Piece in hand, stored it away and walked to the gate. Opening it, he saw the same female attendant standing outside.
“Divine Lord Qingyun,” she said with a smile. “The Treasure Auction begins in one hour. You may proceed now.”
“Very well. Lead the way,” Dongbo Xueying replied. He had altered his appearance and aura, adopting the alias ‘Divine Lord Qingyun’ to avoid complications that might expose his true identity as ‘Divine Lord Feixue.’ He intended to live peacefully in Junshan City and wanted no unnecessary attention.
Soon, he arrived at the top floor of Tianxin Pavilion—the venue for the auction. The hall spanned a hundred miles, already bustling with powerful figures.
“Divine Lord, this way,” the attendant guided him to a private booth, reserved for those of significant status, strength, or wealth.
Inside the booth, fine wine and fruits were arranged, with another attendant in green robes standing by to serve.
Dongbo Xueying took his seat behind a low table, overlooking the entire auction floor. The green-robed attendant poured him a cup of wine. “Divine Lord, if you desire anything else, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“No need. This is more than sufficient,” Dongbo Xueying said, picking up a scroll beside him. It detailed the order of items to be auctioned. As he read, his expression shifted slightly. Though Tianxin Pavilion had previously announced the treasures to be featured, seeing the sequence still unsettled him.
“Three Emperor-level manuals, sold together?” he frowned.
The *Void Devourer Codex*, which he absolutely needed, was bundled with two other early-stage Divine Emperor cultivation manuals. Naturally, this would drive the price far higher.
“With the Hunyuan Jade Pieces I’ve prepared, I should still be able to secure them,” he reassured himself.
Time passed quietly.
Then—
*Dong~~~*
A deep, resonant bell tolled, silencing the auction hall. Dongbo Xueying’s focus sharpened.
The Treasure Auction had begun!
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