Chapter 322: Strong Man

Qin Sang put on a mask.

The mask looked like it was carved from an old piece of bark, and the carving was extremely rough, hideous even. Yet, it was a mid-grade magic tool, its only ability being to block sight and spiritual sense. If someone tried to spy on him, Qin Sang would immediately detect it.

Looking at the people in front of the tall building, most were dressed similarly to Qin Sang. Some wore cloaks or masks, while others simply covered themselves completely in heavy robes. Even those who wore nothing and revealed their faces, walking around brazenly, could not be fully trusted. In the cultivation world, there were many magic tools and spells for changing appearance or simulating faces. After all, Yinshan Pass only guaranteed absolute safety on the stone island itself.

After putting on the mask, Qin Sang found an opening, lowered his head slightly, and walked to the entrance. At the entrance stood several Qi Refining stage cultivators. Though only at the Qi Refining stage, participants of the auction dared not show them any disrespect, as they wore Daoist robes embroidered with a miniature version of Yinshan Pass, symbolizing their status as disciples under the Yinshan Pass city lord. They were checking the cultivators' tokens; those without tokens were not eligible to enter.

Qin Sang's token was given by Steward Pu. He hadn't bothered to learn how to obtain eligibility, but he assumed it wouldn't be too difficult for a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. Handing the token to the guard and receiving clearance, Qin Sang was about to step inside when his peripheral vision caught sight of a figure beside him. His steps paused slightly, and a look of surprise appeared beneath his mask.

"Little brother, help me take a look. This token should be real, right?" A burly cultivator, a full head taller than Qin Sang, was holding a token and, with a hint of eagerness in his voice, was asking the gate-keeping disciple. The token looked like a toy in his large hand. This person wore a cloak-like magic tool on his head, with a faint wisp of black mist swirling around it. Combined with his tall stature, he cast a shadow that blocked the light from the luminous pearls embedded in the tall building, placing Qin Sang directly in his shade. From his voice, he was a male cultivator. Looking at this physique, surely no woman would be built like that?

Qin Sang reached out to take back his token, subtly observing the burly man from the corner of his eye. The man hadn't concealed his aura, making it easy to see he was at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Of course, it wasn't impossible that he was deliberately feigning weakness. Such a robust, bear-like physique was rare among cultivators. Luckily, his Daoist robe must have been capable of changing size; otherwise, it would have ripped. For some reason, seeing this person gave Qin Sang a vague sense of familiarity, which he found secretly odd. Qin Sang had met quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators. After recalling, he couldn't remember anyone like this and wondered where this strange sense of familiarity came from.

"Senior, your token is real, please enter!" The gate-keeping disciple, after checking the token, respectfully invited the burly man inside. The burly man seemed to let out a sigh of relief, thanked him repeatedly, and hurried inside.

Qin Sang walked in unhurriedly. Unable to recall when he might have seen this person, he stopped dwelling on it. It wasn't impossible that the man's physique was an illusion, or perhaps he was simply a stranger, merely resembling someone Qin Sang had seen before in some minor way. Regardless, it was best not to rashly disturb anyone in such a place, otherwise, one might be perceived as having ill intentions.

Upon entering the hall, there were no walls or corridors ahead, but rather a curtain-like darkness. Qin Sang activated his spiritual sense to probe, finding nothing but emptiness within the darkness. Once others entered it, they seemed to vanish completely. Qin Sang continued without pausing and stepped into it. After only a few steps in the darkness, his vision blurred, and he found himself in front of a seat in a large hall. The hall was square, but there were no walls around it; only darkness enveloped everything.

In front of the seats was a high platform. There was no one on the platform itself, only ten young maidens in Yinshan Pass attire, standing with hands clasped at their sides on either end of the platform. As soon as Qin Sang appeared, he heard a young maiden's spiritual voice transmission in his ear, "Senior, please take a seat. The auction is about to begin. Your servant will now introduce the rules of the auction..."

Qin Sang already knew the rules of the auction, but he didn't stop the maiden. As he listened to her clear, melodious voice, like a nightingale, he surveyed his surroundings. By this time, quite a few people were already seated in the hall, yet it was exceptionally quiet. Everyone was patiently waiting for the auction to begin. Qin Sang soon spotted the burly man in a corner. The man was hunched in his seat, motionless, his hands clenched into fists, veins bulging on the backs of his hands. For some unknown reason, he appeared restless. That sense of familiarity had been very vague to begin with and had appeared quite suddenly. Qin Sang still couldn't pinpoint its origin and now suspected it was just an illusion. Qin Sang frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping past him.

Just then, a black light suddenly flashed before Qin Sang's eyes, and a cultivator landed right next to him. Upon suddenly seeing Qin Sang so close, the person was startled and immediately adopted a defensive posture. Only after recognizing the hall's layout did he transmit an apologetic message, "I was reckless. Please forgive me, fellow Daoist." Qin Sang nodded, looked away, and also settled into his seat, feigning a nap. Subsequently, more and more people entered the hall.

It was past mid-Hai Hour. The hall was already seven or eight tenths full. Fewer and fewer people were entering. After waiting a while longer, a ripple suddenly appeared in the darkness behind the high platform. All the cultivators in the hall instantly brightened, straightening up in unison. Then, a line of cultivators dressed as Yinshan Pass guards filed out, splitting off to both sides, occupying the four corners of the hall to stand guard.

Finally, a middle-aged cultivator with sharp, sword-like eyebrows and eyes like stars, dressed in brocade robes, appeared. The man steadily walked onto the high platform, paused briefly, cupped his fists in a greeting, and then spoke in a powerful voice, "I am Gao Yi, humbly serving as the Captain of the Yinshan Pass Guard. I will be presiding over this auction. If there are any shortcomings, I ask for your forgiveness, fellow Daoists!"

As soon as Gao Yi finished speaking, a chorus of flattery immediately erupted in the hall. Qin Sang secretly observed Gao Yi. He knew from Steward Pu that this man was the chief commander of Yinshan Pass, ranking first, with a cultivation level comparable to Senior Brother Qi Yuanshou — a Pseudo-Core realm expert! This person was extremely famous and ruthless; countless cultivators had died by his hand. Some privately rumored that he was the foremost cultivator in the Minor Cold Domain below the Core Formation stage. This auction, with participants being only Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators, didn't require a Golden Core cultivator to maintain order. Gao Yi alone was enough to command the scene; no one dared to act recklessly.

"Fellow Daoists, you all know the rules of the auction, so I won't elaborate further. However, I must give one reminder..." Gao Yi's expression suddenly darkened, and his tone was filled with killing intent, "Whatever schemes you may have, it's best to put them away! Otherwise, no matter your background or identity, Yinshan Pass will surely exterminate you!" Intimidated by Gao Yi's aura, the hall abruptly fell into a deadly silence, an atmosphere of stark solemnity.