Chapter 33: Spirit Treasure Auction's Provocation

"So many seeking death!" Xu Yang sneered. What if they were Nascent Soul cultivators? To him, they were mere ants!

Xu Yang calmly extended a finger, clashing it with the incoming assailant's folding fan dagger.

There was no earth-shattering explosion. The assailant's folding fan dagger instantly disintegrated into sand, vanishing into the air.

"Pfft..." The assailant spat out a mouthful of blood. The moment their weapon struck Xu Yang's finger, it was as if they had collided with a colossal mountain. Their bones crackled and fractured, and they were sent flying backward, slamming violently into a wall.

After falling to the ground, the assailant's meridians and Nascent Soul were completely destroyed, their body fractured, leaving them on the brink of death.

In fact, this was the result of Xu Yang holding back; otherwise, he could have made them vanish on the spot, leaving no trace in the world.

"How... how is this possible? When did Qizhou get such a formidable figure!" the assailant mumbled to himself, his ashen, despairing face filled with disbelief.

His name was Deng Xuan, and he hailed from the headquarters of the Spirit Treasure Guild. Already a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator, he had been dispatched by the Guild to assist Zhang Shuangtian.

Deng Xuan, coming from the main Spirit Treasure Auction House, naturally looked down on the small region of Qizhou.

In his view, what powerful cultivators could a small place like this possibly have? He ignored Zhang Shuangtian's warning and brazenly entered Tianlan Sect to provoke them.

Xu Yang slowly walked towards Deng Xuan, looking down at him. Killing intent permeated his eyes.

"Don't... don't kill me!" Deng Xuan crumbled under that gaze. It was chilling to the bone, as if from the Nine Nether Purgatory!

Could such a gaze truly belong to a human?

"Please spare... my life! I'll tell you... everything I know!" Deng Xuan stammered incoherently.

"You tell me? No need!" A cruel smile twisted Xu Yang's lips. He placed a hand directly on Deng Xuan's head. The next second, Deng Xuan let out the most agonizing shriek of his life.

This was the Soul Extraction Grand Art, a wicked technique universally recognized across the Three Realms. It could seize a wisp of another's soul, revealing their entire life's past.

Those subjected to soul extraction would not only endure immense pain but, having lost a wisp of their soul, would die within three minutes.

Three minutes later...

Xu Yang tossed aside the lifeless Deng Xuan, then turned to Ling Qingshu and said, "Wait for me at the sect. I'll be back shortly."

He threw a bottle of pills to Ling Qingshu, adding, "These are healing pills. Share them among yourselves."

"Ancestor, where are you going!?" Ling Qingshu struggled to stand up and asked.

"To deal with the Spirit Treasure Auction House!" Xu Yang's words were filled with killing intent.

After extracting the soul, Xu Yang learned that the assailant had been sent by the Spirit Treasure Auction House.

Originally, if the Spirit Treasure Auction House hadn't sought trouble with him, Xu Yang wouldn't have bothered them.

However, this time, the Spirit Treasure Auction House's people had actually attacked Tianlan Sect disciples, making Xu Yang unable to tolerate it any longer!

Though powerful, he couldn't protect so many Tianlan Sect disciples at all times.

Therefore, he decided the Spirit Treasure Auction House should simply vanish.

***

In Qizhou City, within the Spirit Treasure Auction House, a high-grade treasured sword was being vigorously auctioned.

"The Primordial Flame Sword, one thousand spirit stones! Is there any higher bid?!"

The auctioneer, an old man at the Core Formation stage, was visibly excited. A high-grade treasured sword selling for a thousand spirit stones was already considered a high price.

"Going once, for a thousand spirit stones!"

"Going twice, for a thousand spirit stones!"

The old man raised his small wooden gavel high, ready to strike.

A young man happily stood up. After fierce competition, it seemed he was indeed the wealthier bidder. His gaze towards others was full of arrogance.

"Going three times! A thousand spirit stones, sold..."

"Wait, I bid ten thousand spirit stones."

Just as the old man was about to bring the gavel down, a lazy voice suddenly came from a private box in the center of the auction hall.

Silence...

Everyone's eyes turned to the private box. For a treasured sword where even a thousand spirit stones was considered high, he bid ten thousand? Was he joking?

The young man, who had just been delighted, turned ashen, his fists clenched tight. He actually said, "It's just a spirit sword. How could it fetch such a high price? He must be talking nonsense."

The auctioneer's expression hardened. He said, "Friend in the private box, there are no jokes in an auction. Since you've made the bid, you must purchase it at that price!"

"Heh heh, what's wrong? Are you looking down on me? If I say ten thousand spirit stones, then it's ten thousand spirit stones," the person in the private box said. His nonchalant words were dripping with the arrogant confidence of someone who had money to burn.

Well, if the "big spender" said so, what else could anyone say?

"Ten thousand spirit stones, going once."

"Ten thousand spirit stones, going twice."

"Ten thousand spirit stones, going thir—"

"I bid twenty thousand spirit stones." Suddenly, a lazy voice came from another private box.

The entire auction hall fell completely silent, everyone's gaze fixed on the two private boxes.

The auctioneer also sensed that something was amiss. He quickly summoned someone and whispered something into their ear. Upon hearing this, that person vanished from the auction hall.

Inside his private box, Xu Yang subtly raised an eyebrow.

Someone actually dared to compete with him! How interesting.

Indeed, the one who had just bid ten thousand spirit stones was Xu Yang. He had come here to cause trouble for the Spirit Treasure Auction House. He had never intended to actually buy the item at the price he'd offered.

"Interesting, very interesting. But I don't have time to play games with you right now," Xu Yang said with a dismissive chuckle, slowly enunciating a number.

"I bid one hundred thousand spirit stones."

The auctioneer was so excited he nearly fainted.

The people in the private boxes were either super wealthy patrons or individuals who completely disregarded the Spirit Treasure Auction House and were merely toying with it.

Unnoticed, several Core Formation stage cultivators surrounded the private boxes.

The auctioneer, holding up the high-grade treasured sword that had just fetched the astronomical price of one hundred thousand spirit stones, displayed it and then asked three times in succession.

This time, no one responded. Xu Yang successfully won the treasured sword with a bid of one hundred thousand spirit stones.

The auctioneer personally delivered the treasured sword to Xu Yang's private box.

"Esteemed sir, your sword." The old man respectfully handed the sword to Xu Yang. He looked up, murmuring to himself, "This... why does this person look somewhat familiar?"

Xu Yang took the sword. A flash of fire erupted from his hand, and the treasured sword turned to ash.

"You...!" The auctioneer's face drained of color. He asked coldly, "Who are you, daring to provoke the Spirit Treasure Auction House? It seems you're tired of living!"

Connecting this to what had just happened, the auctioneer naturally deduced that Xu Yang was not there to bid on treasures, but to provoke.

"I am Xu Yang. I heard your Spirit Treasure Guild wants to kill me?"