Chapter 489: Huang Haoshan and Zhao Yunhai

Returning to his seat, Wang Changsheng carefully observed that many eyes were directed towards him, but he remained composed.

Following his previous battle with a cultivator at the second layer of Core Formation, Wang Changsheng had gained a clear understanding of his own strength.

His magic power was quite pure. Although he was only at the first layer of Core Formation, his magic power was deeper than that of a cultivator at the second layer. This was not surprising, as the *Sunflower Water True Scripture* required the aid of spiritual water from heaven and earth for cultivation, making its cultivation more difficult. In contrast, the Xuan-grade cultivation techniques practiced by Wang Qingshan and others did not require such intricate methods; they only needed to cultivate steadily, resolving any bottlenecks they encountered. Whether they could overcome these bottlenecks depended on the individual.

“The fifth highlight item was a high-grade Tier 1 magic treasure, the Sun-Moon Rings. These were a set of treasures, capable of both offense and defense. The starting bid was 600,000 spirit stones, with each subsequent bid not less than 50,000.”

Li Yan took out a golden jade box, and from it, he retrieved a pair of shimmering rings, one gold and one silver.

The power of a set of magic treasures far surpassed that of a single item. As a complete set, capable of both offense and defense, these Sun-Moon Rings attracted bids from many participants.

“I bid one million!”

A slightly hoarse male voice rang out.

As soon as the bid was made, it drew the attention of many. They all looked towards the source of the voice.

The bidder was seated near Wang Changsheng. He was a tall, thin man in his forties, with a sallow complexion and a faint aura of malevolence emanating from him. He was at the sixth layer of Core Formation.

Of course, two high-grade Tier 1 magic treasures were worth more than one million, and bids quickly followed.

After several rounds of bidding, the Sun-Moon Rings were ultimately purchased by the middle-aged man for a high price of 1,450,000.

Li Yan swept his sleeve across the jade table in front of him, and a three-foot-long blood-red saber appeared on it. Its blade had multiple grooves, resembling the teeth of some large beast. The hilt was carved with a lifelike shark, and it emitted a faint scent of blood.

“The sixth highlight item was a low-grade Tier 2 magic treasure, the Shark Tooth Saber. Crafted from the sharp teeth of a low-grade Tier 4 Bloodthirsty Shark demon beast, it possessed a blood-draining effect. If one’s body was pierced by this saber, all their vital essence would be sucked dry. Among Tier 2 magic treasures, it was a rare and exquisite item. The starting bid was 700,000 spirit stones, with each subsequent bid not less than 100,000.”

Zhang Wuchen’s crystal eyes flickered, and she indifferently stated, “This saber is good. I’ll take it for one million.”

“Fairy Zhang has good taste, but this old man is also interested in this saber. One million two hundred thousand,” an elder in a yellow robe said with a slight smile as he made his bid.

“One million five hundred thousand. The highest bidder wins. If Fellow Daoist Huang is also interested, feel free to raise the bid. This junior will see it through to the end,” Zhang Wuchen declared.

Zhang Wuchen directly added 300,000 spirit stones, showing off her immense wealth.

The yellow-robed elder smiled calmly and magnanimously said, “It’s just a Tier 2 magic treasure. If Fairy Zhang is interested, I shall yield it to her!”

Whether it was because Zhang Wuchen’s bid was too high, or because the magic treasure’s grade was not high enough, the other Nascent Soul cultivators did not bid against her.

“The seventh highlight item was a low-grade Tier 2 magic treasure, the Dry Fire Fan. This fan was refined from the vital feathers of a Tier 4 Dry Fire Crow and various other Tier 4 materials. The starting bid was 800,000 spirit stones, with each subsequent bid not less than 100,000,” Li Yan announced, taking out a red feather fan that pulsed with continuous red light.

The competition for this Dry Fire Fan was fierce. In less than three breaths, the price had already climbed to 1,200,000.

“This old man bids 1,500,000, and hopes that all fellow Daoists will give some face to our Yellow Dragon Island,” declared Huang Haoshan, the island master of Yellow Dragon Island and a cultivator at the third layer of Nascent Soul.

“Hehe, Fellow Daoist Huang, this is not the Coral Sea Domain. This old man bids 1,700,000,” chuckled a plump, fair-skinned elder. He wore a blue python robe with a whale motif on its sleeves; this was Zhao Yunhai, the deputy sect master of the Sea Whale Sect, a cultivator at the fourth layer of Nascent Soul.

Zhang Wuchen’s beautiful eyes shifted, but she remained silent.

Huang Haoshan pondered for a moment, then called out, “One million eight hundred thousand.”

If Huang Haoshan had immediately backed down after Zhao Yunhai’s bid, he would have lost too much face.

After several more price increases, the Dry Fire Fan was eventually purchased by Huang Haoshan for 2,200,000.

In truth, the Dry Fire Fan was not worth 2,200,000 at all. The reason for such a high final price was primarily the bidding war between Huang Haoshan and Zhao Yunhai; it seemed they held a personal grudge against each other, while others simply enjoyed watching the spectacle.

After the Dry Fire Fan was sold, the auction concluded. For the Nascent Soul cultivators, this auction was merely a formality; however, their juniors had successfully bid on quite a few items.

Both the Qingli Twin Beauties purchased numerous items, which clearly showcased the Zhang family's immense financial power.

“The auction concludes here,” Li Yan announced. “We thank all seniors and fellow Daoists for traveling great distances to attend this auction hosted by our Myriad Treasure Alliance. Next time, we will prepare even better goods, and we welcome you all to participate then.”

After Li Yan finished speaking, the Core Formation cultivators present began to leave one after another.

Back at his dwelling, Wang Changsheng took out the Tiger Shark Bow. With a gentle pull of the bowstring, his face turned crimson as he exerted himself to draw the bow fully.

With this Tiger Shark Bow, Wang Changsheng now possessed an additional means of combating foes.

He had spent over a million spirit stones at the auction, which had drawn considerable attention. He planned to stay on Golden Dragon Island for a period to refine several magic treasures before departing.

Coral Sea Domain, Spirit Turtle Island.

In a certain room, Wang Qingshan sat cross-legged on a wooden bed, his eyes tightly closed. Hundreds of flying sword phantoms of varying lengths floated within the room. As Wang Qingshan inhaled and exhaled, the sword phantoms swayed continuously, emitting clear and melodious sword chirps.

A moment later, Wang Qingshan opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. The flying sword phantoms swiftly dissipated.

“Sixth layer of Foundation Establishment!”

Wang Qingshan let out a soft breath, a hint of joy appearing on his face.

The South Sea was rich in cultivation resources. He used the majority of his gains from hunting demon beasts to purchase cultivation resources to aid his cultivation.

“I wonder if Uncle Nine has returned,” he mumbled to himself, then rose and walked out.

In the courtyard, Wang Ruyan frowned deeply, currently talking to Wang Qingjun about something.

Wang Changsheng had been gone for nearly a year and still hadn’t returned, making Wang Ruyan extremely worried.

“Aunt Nine, Twelfth Brother, what are you discussing?” Wang Qingshan asked casually as he emerged from the pavilion. “Has Uncle Nine still not returned?”

“Seventh Brother, you’ve advanced to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment!”

Wang Qingjun’s tone was filled with envy.

Upon realizing Wang Qingshan had advanced to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, Wang Ruyan felt a mix of emotions. When she married into the Wang family, Wang Qingshan hadn’t even reached Foundation Establishment. Now, Wang Qingshan had already cultivated to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, while she was still stuck at the sixth layer herself.

In the past few years of hunting demon beasts, with Wang Changsheng guarding them, they hadn’t encountered any dangers. However, Wang Ruyan had been unable to resolve her bottleneck.

“Qingshan, your Uncle Nine hasn’t returned yet,” Wang Ruyan said. “We were planning to go to Golden Dragon Island to check on him, hoping he’s alright.”

“No need to go, haven’t I returned?” Wang Changsheng’s voice suddenly rang out. As soon as he spoke, Wang Changsheng walked in, a faint smile on his face.

He had spent several months refining multiple magic treasures before finally returning to the Coral Sea Domain. However, the South Sea had been somewhat chaotic recently, with rogue cultivators appearing in multiple sea regions. He was delayed on the way, which was why he returned late.

Seeing Wang Changsheng return safely, Wang Ruyan’s worried heart settled, and she smiled, “Husband, if you hadn’t returned soon, we would have come looking for you.”

“I was delayed a bit on the way, but nothing serious,” Wang Changsheng replied. “It’s about time we head back. The South Sea has been quite chaotic lately, so let’s return to the Eastern Wasteland as soon as possible!”

Wang Ruyan and the other two had no objections. They quickly packed their belongings and left with Wang Changsheng.

Upon reaching the Teleportation Hall, Wang Changsheng paid the spirit stones, and the four of them stepped onto the teleportation array.

A thick white pillar of light illuminated beneath their feet, enveloping all four of them.

After the white pillar of light dissipated, Wang Changsheng and the other three had vanished.