Chapter 1446: Loss of Calculation

Rain Hitting Bluestone

What secret did the Jade Sword hold? Was it related to the Jinghai Sect? Although the Jade Sword had been obtained in the Buddhist temple, it was found clutched in the hand of a corpse, so it wasn't necessarily a Buddhist treasure. Qin Sang looked at the Jade Sword, these questions quickly flashing through his mind. He recalled the seven-story pagoda in his possession, whose purpose was unknown, and wondered if the two magical treasures might be connected. However, Qin Sang had no intention of exchanging for the Jade Sword; instead, he speculated about the other party's intentions.

There was a 50% chance that the person in the bamboo building was Old Man Hunmo. He shouldn't be lacking usable magical artifacts, so he should value rare treasures with hidden secrets even more, right? Could he be trying to lure out someone who truly understood the secret? Thinking of this, Qin Sang leaned back comfortably in his chair. Regardless of whether Old Man Hunmo was trying to lure him or someone else, he wouldn't carelessly get involved.

At this point, Qin Sang noticed that the discussions around him had significantly quieted. The Jade Sword indeed seemed extraordinary, but it wasn't enough for them to part with top-grade magical artifacts. Some people tried bidding a few times, but seeing that the Jade Sword's owner was stubborn, they gradually lost interest. Ultimately, no deal was reached, and Venerable Chongtai moved the next bamboo building into place.

Inside the bamboo building, Old Man Hunmo reached out to recall the Jade Sword. He held the Jade Sword in one hand and the Lingzhi Ruyi in the other, a puzzled expression on his face. True essence surged in, and a faint white orb appeared inside the Jade Sword. The Guanyin on the Lingzhi Ruyi also lit up, its tightly closed eyes seemingly ready to open at any moment. If anyone were to enter the bamboo building at this moment, they would discover that the fluctuations emitted by the two magical artifacts were very similar. The Jade Sword's fluctuations appeared somewhat faint, merely superficial. However, unless the two artifacts were placed together or one had seen them previously, most people wouldn't notice the difference.

"The refining technique of this Jade Sword is similar to that of the Lingzhi Ruyi. I spent two years carefully refining it, allowing its fluctuations to mimic the other's somewhat. The Xuantian Palace should have bought it to investigate. That way, the information could be verified without alerting anyone. Why didn't they make a move? Could I have guessed wrong?" Old Man Hunmo muttered to himself. It seemed something hadn't been confirmed, and Old Man Hunmo kept turning the Lingzhi Ruyi over in his hand, his gaze no longer so certain. He felt some regret. In the past, he hadn't bothered to develop his subordinate forces because he didn't want worldly affairs to disrupt his cultivation; otherwise, things would have been much easier. The Myriad Devil Assembly was backed by the strongest forces in the Boundless Sea, mutually restraining each other. He could only push for minor matters, unable to control the overall situation.

After a long period of thought, Old Man Hunmo re-hung the Jade Sword. Qin Sang was still pondering Old Man Hunmo's intentions when he saw the jade token in his hand light up. He activated the restriction on the token and was then teleported beside Venerable Chongtai. He had already obtained the "Seven Master Buddhist Seal" and the spiritual materials for refining the Golden Sinking Sword. He had only used one Netherthorn, leaving him much more flexibility for later.

"Primal Yin Water, Seven-Colored Ganoderma Fruit, Netherworld Soil..." Qin Sang openly sought to purchase these spiritual items without deliberate concealment. Based on the information he had previously investigated, Qin Sang believed that Valley Master Mu had most likely not perished. It would be even better if Valley Master Mu was here, as he could use the opportunity to re-establish contact. Even if Valley Master Mu had died at Old Man Hunmo's hands, there was no need to worry. When Old Man Hunmo entered the Jinghai Sect, he hadn't gone directly to the medicinal garden, which indicated he hadn't soul-searched or that his soul-searching had failed.

Soon, Qin Sang received a response. The other party had two Seven-Colored Ganoderma Fruits but was not interested in any of the three spiritual herbs Qin Sang possessed. It wasn't until the final open exchange, after several rounds of transactions, that Qin Sang exchanged two spiritual herbs for the two Seven-Colored Ganoderma Fruits he desired, and also acquired the second drop of Heavenly Crown Heavy Liquid. Each spiritual upgrade required a complete Seven-Colored Ganoderma Fruit, so he could only prioritize the Fiery Jade Centipede and the Heaven's Eye Butterfly. As for Primal Yin Water and Netherworld Soil, they never appeared at the auction from beginning to end. Qin Sang changed his strategy, asking if anyone knew about these two spiritual items, but still had no success. It seemed he would have to visit Hundred Flowers Valley again.

The auction was drawing to a close. Qin Sang gently exhaled, feeling a surge of weariness. Scheming and probing the bottom lines of these old masters had consumed as much energy as fighting a major battle. His gaze shifted to the Jade Sword, which still hadn't been bought. Throughout the auction, he had kept an eye on that bamboo building. The Jade Sword's owner was stubborn, refusing to lower the terms even when no one showed interest.

"If it's Old Man Hunmo, why is he selling the Jade Sword separately?" Qin Sang muttered to himself, unable to fathom the other party's intentions. Soon after, Venerable Chongtai announced the end of the auction. The formations on the island in the lake rapidly changed, displacing and thoroughly disrupting the bamboo buildings, which eventually all vanished into darkness.

Qin Sang stood up and left the room, handing his jade token and spirit stones to a puppet maidservant before stepping onto the light bridge to leave the island. A short while later, streaks of light frequently appeared above Myriad Devil City, dispersing in all directions. Qin Sang did not head directly south. He changed directions several times, observing whether anyone was tracking him.

On the island in the lake, Old Man Hunmo put away the unsold Jade Sword, his expression unusually grim. At that moment, his gaze suddenly sharpened. He seemed to realize something, hastily left the bamboo building, then flickered and vanished into thin air.

In a low, ordinary courtyard at the edge of Myriad Devil City, the interior furnishings of the room were very simple, like an ordinary mortal home, yet at this moment, only two mysterious black-robed figures sat cross-legged within, looking utterly out of place. The two remained motionless for a long time, without the slightest fluctuation from their bodies, like two dead people. Suspended between them was a black demonic eye. The eye opened and closed, extending several imperceptible threads that stretched beyond the courtyard, their ultimate destination unknown.

Suddenly, both figures simultaneously opened their eyes and looked towards the door. A figure had appeared at the doorway at some unknown moment; it was Old Man Hunmo.

"Greetings, Master!" The two hurriedly stood up and bowed in unison.

"The auction is over, and Xuantian Palace still hasn't made a move?" Old Man Hunmo asked with a grim tone.

"The auction is over?" The two were startled to hear this, immediately realizing something was wrong. They replied uneasily, "The juniors reported that everything was normal. The three elders of Xuantian Palace should be waiting for news; there's been no movement yet..." Before they could finish, Old Man Hunmo cursed them as idiots. No longer concealing himself, he transformed into a streak of light and darted towards a distant courtyard. The two looked embarrassed and quickly followed.

'Boom!' Hidden restrictions in the small courtyard unleashed several icy white streams of cold air towards the intruder. Old Man Hunmo snorted coldly, heavily struck out with his black bamboo staff, directly dispersing the cold air. He then rushed into the main hall. After a quick glance, he flashed into the back hall. What he saw were only three ice sculptures, whose aura was identical to that of real people! 'Bang! Bang! Bang!' Old Man Hunmo laughed in rage, shattering the ice sculptures with a single strike of his staff, then glared fiercely at his two disciples. The two were dumbfounded. After receiving their orders, they had located the Xuantian Palace elders' residence and had been secretly monitoring it with a secret technique, careful not to alert anyone.