Chapter 1590: Meteorite Divine Whip

The county city was bustling with people. As Qin Sang stepped through the city gates, he immediately sensed the presence of several Golden Core cultivators, indicating the auction's strong appeal. Tianzhong Prefecture was comparable in scale to the Mistywater Market, and the auction was held in the cultivators' market district on the west side of the city.

Qin Sang slowed his pace, wandering through streets and alleys. As he passed through the mortal market, observing the everyday life, he was momentarily lost in thought, realizing he was still among ordinary mortals. For over a century, he had dedicated himself to arduous cultivation, losing track of days and nights, truly becoming an otherworldly figure. His bold pronouncements from his time in the Great Sui now felt like a lifetime ago. Although he was now among the world's most elite cultivators, he was still far from his ultimate goal. The path ahead was long and uncertain, leaving no room for complacency.

The sounds of hawkers pulled Qin Sang from his reverie. A fragrant aroma wafted towards him. Though his cultivation had long made him immune to hunger, the tantalizing scent surprisingly stirred his appetite. He surveyed the street stalls, then remembered that his Thousand-Weight Ring had long been devoid of common currency like gold and silver. Spirit stones, while valuable, would only invite trouble for these mortal vendors.

After a moment of thought, Qin Sang's eyes shimmered with spiritual light. He surveyed the street, noticing that nearly all the mortals harbored some chronic ailment. His expression shifted. He retrieved a few pills, then gathered spiritual energy and condensed water, dissolving the medicinal properties into a fine mist. He strode down the middle of the street, the bustling crowd unconsciously parting to create a path for him. Yet, paradoxically, no one seemed to notice him, nor sense anything unusual.

Without any apparent action, various delicacies materialized in his hands. He then proceeded to walk down the street, indulging in them heartily, completely disregarding his image. His stomach seemed like a bottomless pit; he methodically sampled every delicacy the market had to offer. With every step Qin Sang took, a gentle, unseen dew rained down, subtly integrating into the bodies of the surrounding mortals. The mortals remained entirely unaware.

"Huh? Old wife, my back... it's better!"

The first shop at the market entrance was a steamed bun shop, run by an old couple for many years. The old man had been injured when young, leaving a chronic ailment. The older he got, the more hunched his back became, and coupled with years of toil, the pain was unbearable. Just now, the old man habitually put down the steamer, and when he stood up, he actually stood perfectly straight, startling himself.

"Oh! Slow down! You always talk about getting a pack of medicine from Immortal Master Yue on North Street, but you just won't spend the money. What kind of delusion is this now?" The old woman was startled, her rolling pin falling to the ground. She waved her hands anxiously, then quickly stood up to help the old man, only to find her own legs didn't hurt at all.

The old couple exchanged bewildered glances. Suddenly hearing a commotion in the market, they quickly rushed outside. Everyone felt an unprecedented lightness. Their chronic ailments, which had tormented them, completely disappeared in an instant. Some knelt and shouted, crying with joy.

"An immortal has appeared!"

"Heaven has eyes, an immortal has appeared!"

The benevolent dew was exhausted. Qin Sang wiped the oil from the corners of his mouth and calmly walked out of the market. At the market entrance, a male and a female Golden Core cultivator happened to pass by, staring blankly at the immortal-like figure's back, their faces full of stupefaction.

Having satisfied his appetite, Qin Sang no longer delayed and headed straight for the auction. In a corner of the market district, Qin Sang stood before an inconspicuous three-story wooden building, his expression showing surprise. This was just an ordinary shop selling spiritual materials, without the bustling crowd he had imagined. The few cultivators entering and exiting were all at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Qin Sang glanced at the invitation in his hand, then stepped inside, immediately confirming the location was correct. The seemingly young shop owner was actually a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. He walked up to the owner and handed over the invitation. The owner opened it, glanced at it, his expression unchanged, and gestured towards the inner hall, "Please come in, honored guest."

Entering the inner hall, the owner closed the door and bowed. "Gong Xingqing, steward of the Six-Prefecture Hall in Tianzhong Prefecture, greets Senior Qin."

Qin Sang nodded, looking around, "Where is Fellow Daoist Jiang Mu? Are you holding the auction here?"

"Elder Jiang is preoccupied and cannot get away for now. He specifically instructed this junior to ensure Senior Qin is well-received." Saying this, Gong Xingqing opened the back door, revealing a spacious courtyard, which was originally connected to the building opposite. "There are too many miscellaneous people out front; we were concerned about disturbing you, Senior. When the auction begins, Senior can proceed from here to participate... May I ask if Senior Qin has any companions?"

"Just this humble Daoist."

Qin Sang looked at Gong Xingqing. Gong Xingqing guessed what Qin Sang was thinking and respectfully said, "Senior should still have the token Elder Jiang gave you, correct? There will be a treasure exchange fair later; Senior can rest in the quiet room for a while. If Senior is interested in the auction, this junior will arrange the best seat for you. When the treasure exchange fair begins, guidance will appear on Senior's token."

Qin Sang smiled upon hearing this, "Isn't the treasure exchange fair held in the city? With the Six-Prefecture Hall's influence in the Central Plains, do you still need to be so mysterious?"

Gong Xingqing dared not refute, saying, "Senior, you might not know, but before the Zhongyuan Dharma Assembly and the Ullambana Festival, our Hall always holds similar treasure exchange fairs, primarily inviting trustworthy fellow Daoists to provide an opportunity for mutual exchange. It was supposed to be the same this time; we had already prepared to ensure that seniors' identities would not be leaked and that you could trade with confidence, but a small accident occurred."

Qin Sang's brows slightly furrowed; he disliked variables the most. "Someone temporarily approached our Hall and entrusted us with hosting a treasure exchange fair, but they requested that the fair begin during the auction and be held outside the city, and that its location remain secret until it starts. Since we are only hosting it, we can only guarantee safety *at* the fair; Senior can decide whether or not to participate."

Gong Xingqing explained everything clearly, stating the pros and cons, "Senior, rest assured, after the auction, our Hall will still try its best to organize another treasure exchange fair, absolutely ensuring Senior does not leave empty-handed."

"How many true treasures will be left by the second fair?" Qin Sang snorted coldly.

Gong Xingqing maintained his bowing posture, not daring to reply.

"To make your esteemed Hall temporarily change plans, how much reward did the other party offer? Who is this distinguished expert, so generous?" Qin Sang was curious.

Gong Xingqing shook his head: "Senior, forgive me, this junior's position is lowly; I only know this much."

As things stood, he had to participate no matter what. In the cultivation world, powerful experts are neither few nor many. Each seclusion often lasts decades or even centuries, making them elusive like dragons. Treasures also accumulate slowly. Such top-tier treasure exchange fairs can only be organized when a dharma assembly is approaching; each one held means one less available. As for safety, if a truly threatening disturbance were to occur, even the Six-Prefecture Hall's own treasure exchange fair might not be able to suppress it.

"Go arrange a seat for this humble Daoist in the front, and also take these items for auction." Qin Sang threw out a mustard seed bag. There were several confiscated magic treasures, unremarkable, but after he refined them, they would surely be sought after by Golden Core cultivators.

Gong Xingqing acknowledged, quickly walked ahead, sent out a sound transmission talisman, and then led Qin Sang into the magnificent hall opposite. The grand hall held another realm. The interior space was over ten times larger than it appeared from outside, splendid and exquisite. "Is the Six-Prefecture Hall's headquarters here?" Qin Sang muttered to himself, ascended to the top floor of the grand hall, and entered a quiet room in the auction venue, with a panoramic view of the hall below.

He dismissed his attendants. Qin Sang placed the token on the table and scanned the hall below. The auction was about to begin, and the hall was already 80% full, mostly Golden Core cultivators. The gathering of so many Golden Cores showed the Six-Prefecture Hall's influence. Above the main hall were three more levels, surrounded by quiet rooms, all with restrictions that blocked spiritual sense. Presumably, there were many Nascent Soul cultivators like him, waiting for the treasure exchange fair. The noise from the hall was blocked by the quiet room's restrictions.

Qin Sang closed his eyes to rest, patiently waiting for the auction to begin, and woke up his Sky-Eye Butterfly. Every time he participated in such an auction, he would have the Sky-Eye Butterfly keep a close watch. The Sky-Eye divine ability could see through disguises others couldn't detect, but unfortunately, Qin Sang had bad luck and never found a good deal in all these times.

Suddenly, a bell rang, and a middle-aged scholar ascended the high platform, followed by a line of young maidens holding copper trays, smiling charmingly, quite eye-catching. As the auction progressed, treasures were auctioned off one after another, and the cheers in the hall grew louder.

"Buddhist body refining technique, 'Arhat Jade Bone Scripture'!"

When the middle-aged scholar unveiled a copper tray and announced the contents of the jade slip within, Qin Sang opened his eyes for the first time and looked over. Body refining cultivators were almost extinct in the Northern Territory. In the Central Plains, however, the lineage still existed, especially in Buddhist sects, where body refining masters often appeared. It was said that their divine abilities were powerful, allowing them to withstand magic treasures with their physical bodies. The "Seven Masters' Buddhist Seal" was likely brought by Xiao Xiangzi from the Central Plains. This Buddhist body refining technique piqued Qin Sang's interest. His main focus now was on "Golden Lotus of Incubation," but before attempting to break through to the Soul Transformation realm in the future, he definitely needed to enhance his physical body to increase his chances of success. The "Seven Masters' Buddhist Seal" was also a Buddhist divine ability. Moreover, cultivating demonic cultivation techniques with a human body would inevitably lead to disharmony at higher realms. Studying the "Arhat Jade Bone Scripture" might serve as a form of verification.

"'Arhat Jade Bone Scripture,' origin unknown, only three layers remaining, can be cultivated to the equivalent of late-stage Golden Core. Starting bid ten thousand spirit stones, each increment no less than one thousand. Please make your bids..."

The middle-aged scholar only gave a brief introduction, but the audience remained somewhat quiet. Body refining cultivators were already rare. Dual cultivation of body and magic was not even a consideration for Golden Core cultivators. Even if one wished to use body refining for verification and to assist in breaking through to Nascent Soul, there were many less incomplete cultivation techniques to consider, ideally those with a Nascent Soul section to provide a comprehensive foundation. This cultivation technique was somewhat of a white elephant, and the Six-Prefecture Hall naturally knew this, setting a very low starting price. Qin Sang was also disappointed, but with a "since I'm already here" mindset, he ultimately acquired the technique for only tens of thousands of spirit stones.

The auction was nearing its halfway point. The token suddenly vibrated, then emitted a faint blue light. At the same time, the middle-aged scholar's voice came from the hall. He unveiled a copper tray, picked up a nine-section iron whip, and chuckled before speaking, "The next item is quite special; I hope our fellow demonic cultivators don't mind. This item is called the Meteorite Divine Whip. It's said that its spiritual material is a rare and unusual meteorite, hard to find in this world, and it has a certain restraining effect on some demonic divine abilities..."

Qin Sang had just picked up the token, sensing the guidance within it, and was about to leave when his steps suddenly halted. He spun around abruptly, staring intently at the iron whip in the middle-aged scholar's hand. "This is..."

A faint trace of a familiar aura made Qin Sang's expression shift slightly. The aura emanating from this treasure was surprisingly similar to that of the Demon-Binding Rope! Back in the Ziwei Palace, Qing Jun and Bai used the Demon-Binding Rope to trap the Jade Bone Demonic Head, throwing him into spatial turbulence to be annihilated. The Demon-Binding Rope was taken by Qing Jun. Now, he sensed a similar aura from the Meteorite Divine Whip. The Sky-Eye Butterfly activated its Sky-Eye divine ability, revealing every minute detail of the Meteorite Divine Whip.

"The third, fourth... seventh, eighth, ninth sections..."

Qin Sang's gaze quickly swept over the iron whip. He suddenly raised his hand and sent out a stream of light, activating the quiet room's restrictions. These five sections of the iron whip clearly bore the exact same patterns as those on the Demon-Binding Rope, akin to a special kind of rune! Qin Sang remembered an iron chain he had found in the Seven Kills Hall's Treasury. Like that iron chain, the Meteorite Divine Whip was refined from a damaged Demon-Binding Rope. Therefore, it had some restraining power against certain demonic divine abilities, but without the corresponding spiritual formation, its power could not compare to that of a true Demon-Binding Rope. These "certain demonic divine abilities" likely referred to the legacy left by ancient demons, which had integrated into current demonic cultivation. After all, the Demon-Binding Rope was created specifically to restrain ancient demons.

There are also Demon-Binding Ropes in the Central Plains! Where there are Demon-Binding Ropes, there are ancient demons; where there are ancient demons, there might be Ascension Platforms!

Bidding had already begun below. This item's use was somewhat narrow, but its ability to restrain demonic cultivators made it interesting to many, and bidding quickly surged.

*Bang! Bang!*

The door knocked. Gong Xingqing, given permission, rushed in. He looked puzzled, seeing Qin Sang not yet attending the treasure exchange fair. "Senior..."

"I'll take this item, no matter the cost in spirit stones. If I don't return for it, send it to Fellow Daoist Jiang's residence." Qin Sang pointed towards the hall, then tossed a bag of spirit stones to Gong Xingqing.

Gong Xingqing looked down, his face showing difficulty. As a Six-Prefecture Hall steward, interfering with an auction was against the rules. Fortunately, Qin Sang was willing to pay spirit stones. Gong Xingqing sighed inwardly and said, "This junior obeys."

Qin Sang nodded, then made an even more outrageous request, "Additionally, find out the origin of this item, who refined it, and where the meteorite was originally discovered."

"This..." Gong Xingqing truly dared not agree, looking troubled. "Senior, forgive me, we only appraise the value of items and never inquire about their origin or the identity of the consignor. This item was transported from another branch several years ago, so the seller certainly cannot be found. Moreover, doing so goes against our rules..."

"If you can't find it, then go investigate. Do you think this humble Daoist would be short on spirit stones for you?" Qin Sang narrowed his eyes, suddenly released his aura, and coldly asked, "What rules?"

The aura of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator suddenly erupted, like a heavy hammer striking Gong Xingqing's mind, filling him with terror. He stumbled back to the door, his face filled with shock.

"Tell Fellow Daoist Jiang that this humble Daoist awaits good news." Qin Sang retracted his aura and walked out, leaving a faint remark as he passed Gong Xingqing. His sudden exposure of his cultivation was a decision made after instantly weighing the pros and cons. Finding clues about the Demon-Binding Rope was like looking for a needle in a haystack; he could only rely on the Six-Prefecture Hall's power. Even if he uncovered the origin of the Demon-Binding Rope and found an ancient demon, he would need to find allies to trap the demon. Qin Sang still vividly remembered the Jade Bone Demonic Head's strength. If he found the Ascension Platform and secured a spot for himself, he wouldn't mind letting others tag along. The Six-Prefecture Hall had deep connections and was qualified to cooperate with him. On another note, it also served as a warning to the Six-Prefecture Hall: it would be best if they had no ulterior motives regarding this treasure exchange fair.