Library of Heaven's Path
Chapter 466-474

Chapter 466: Our Young Master Is Buying It!

As a 4-star pinnacle appraiser, he had a deep understanding of the occupation. It was already formidable if one could determine who the painter was based on the brush stroke. To determine that the painting was drawn when the painter was drunk, and that he had removed the title and his own signature from it… Was this truly humanly possible?

Hall Master Sai wasn’t the only one harboring such thoughts. Zhao Feiwu, Luo Qin, and the others were also dumbfounded by the sight before them. They stared fixedly at Zhang Xuan, determined to replace out how he managed to deduce this much.

“Hehe!”

Meeting their gazes, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. “Appraising isn’t just about identifying a treasure and its origin. More importantly, one should guess the thoughts going through the mind of the creator, and only then can one gain a deeper understanding of an artifact!

“This painting may seem well-organized, but in truth, it’s extremely inconsistent. One of the basics of painting is balance, but this painting is high on the left and low on the right, giving a feeling that it is tilted toward one side. Clearly, the person drawing isn’t steady on his feet. It is very likely that he was lying on the paper. Also, look at this area, that area, and that area. It’s clear those portions can only be drawn when one is lying down…

“Also, the bizarre birds have short wings, white beaks, black claws, black heads, and a slim body. It doesn’t resemble White Purity Birds at all, and it is impossible to tell what species it is with a single glance!

“However, if one were to take a closer look, there are reeds and blooming purple flowers all over the painting. Those two are the favorites of White Purity Birds. And most importantly, every single of those birds has a stalk of grass in its beak!”

Zhang Xuan pointed.

And just as what Zhang Xuan had said, every single bird in the painting had a stalk of grass in their mouth.

“This grass bears a striking resemblance with Riverleaf Grass. The Riverleaf Grass contains lethal poison, and there isn’t a single spirit beast that enjoys eating it. As such, it causes some confusion. However, what if these were White Jade Stem instead?

“The stems of the White Jade Grass resemble the Riverleaf Grass a lot, and there are even medicine suppliers intentionally mixing the two together to earn a larger profit margin… While the White Purity Bird wouldn’t even touch the Riverleaf Grass, the White Jade Stem is its favorite food…”

“This…”

Hall Master Sai and Luo Qin’s bodies froze.

The other party’s words were logical and rational. By following his analysis, one can easily conclude that the birds were White Purity Birds.

“Now that we’ve confirmed the species of the bird, the rest is simple. If one pays careful attention, one can see that the painting is completed in a single breath. Unlike usual paintings, an outline wasn’t drawn beforehand. As a talented painter who is capable of producing a work of the sixth level, how could he possibly neglect such fundamentals? More importantly… there are even traces of corrections being made to the birds! Following the previous line of thought, it can be deduced that this painting was done when the other party was in a drunken state!

“After deducing this much, it isn’t that difficult to fathom its origin…”

Zhang Xuan’s lips curled up.

He wasn’t just spouting nonsense. As a painter with capability of 3-star and above, given that he knew the result in advance and the flaws listed in the Library of Heaven’s Path, it wasn’t too difficult for him to notice the various peculiarities with the painting.

Otherwise, it would be nigh impossible for one to link all of these peculiarities together.

“Th-this…”

Seeing how Zhang Xuan explained the entire matter calmly, everyone in the room was frenzied.

At this very moment, Hall Master Sai realized that the other party’s appraising ability wasn’t just slightly higher than his; the two of them weren’t even on the same level.

“I must report it to the headquarter immediately. With his eye of discernment and capability, he should be qualified as a 5-star appraiser at the very least… or perhaps even higher!”

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Hall Master Sai made up his mind.

This fellow’s capability had already surpassed the level within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He was in no way inferior even when compared to a 5-star appraiser.

Given how talented the other party was, he had to report the matter up swiftly so that he wouldn’t be buried amidst dust.

“Alright, let’s not delay the auction. Take it over!”

After he was done with his explanation, Zhang Xuan took a glance outside and saw that the entire auction hall had been alarmed by the commotion he caused. Thus, he shook his hands casually and sat back down.

“Yes!” Finally recovering from his shock, Luo Qin carefully rolled the painting, kept it, and backed out of the suite.

Not too long later, Elder Chen shocked voice sounded, “I believe everyone here witnessed the spectacle just a moment ago. A painting of the seventh level has been created, and all of us here were privileged to watch this phenomenal sight!

“The painting itself came from a grandmaster painter from eight hundred years ago, Wu Xuanzi, and another rising painter has bestowed it with a name and triggered a Spirit Euphoria, allowing it to make the breakthrough from the sixth level pinnacle!

“This is the very first seventh level painting created in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. It’s a result of the perfect harmony between the older and current generations. I can’t say for sure whether there’ll be any more of such miracles in the future or not, but without a doubt, this is unprecedented in history!”

The more Elder Chen spoke, the more agitated he became. “And now, the owner of the painting wishes to auction it off. The starting bid will be 8000 spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than 1000. Let the bidding begin!”

“That painting is really up for sale? Great! I want it…”

“8000 spirit stones is the starting bid? It’s a little expensive, but it’ll be worth the price. Hurry up and inform the clan of the matter. Even if we have to mortgage our old residence, we’ve got to obtain it!”

“No matter the price…”

…

Hearing that the painting was up for sale, everyone below fell into a frenzy.

A painting of the seventh level had never appeared in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance before. If one could obtain a painting of such level, it would be worth if even if one had to go into bankruptcy.

Putting everything aside, it was highly likely that the price could increase by several folds when selling it in the future.

“I offer 9000!”

“10,000!”

“11,000!”

…

The price rose swiftly.

“This…” Seeing the frenzy below, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in shock.

Given how Hall Master Sai could only produce three thousand spirit stones, he thought that 5000 would be the limit already. Never in his dreams did he expect to see the price soar to beyond 10,000.

“Just like Elder Chen and the others, I spent most of my money on the collection of treasures. As such, I don’t have many spirit stones on me. Besides, I’m only an individual while they represent an entire power or a prestigious clan…”

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s doubt, Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly.

Logically speaking, given how lucrative appraising was as an occupation, these 4-star appraisers should possess immense wealth. At the very least, they should be able to match up to those bidders below.

But unfortunately, they spent all of their wealth collecting treasures. As such, their liquid assets were severely limited. Three thousand was already the limit of their wealth.

Furthermore, the clan that those bidders below could have thousands of years of history behind them. The wealth that a clan could accumulate over such a long period of time was astonishing. While Hall Master Sai and the others would replace it hard to take out 10,000 spirit stones, to those below, it only meant a short moment of financial difficulty. As long as they managed to replace a buyer for it, not only would they recoup their losses, they would even earn a huge profit.

…

Within a suite in the auction hall.

A young man was currently seated right in front of the window. He carried a majestic and lofty aura reminiscent of a noble dragon.

Standing behind him was an elder. Even though he was completely motionless, his very presence felt like an endless abyss, leaving one unable to determine the depth of his strength. It was likely that his cultivation was superior even when compared to Jin Conghai.

“A seventh level painting? Interesting!”

Looking at the [Rousing from a Drunken Dream] that Elder Chen took out, the eyes of the young man gleamed.

The elder bowed.

“Young master, are you interested in it?”

The young man nodded.

“A seventh level painting is a valuable treasure even to the elders of the sect. If I manage to buy it, it’ll surely be extremely useful to my supporting occupation as a painter.”

“Alright, I’ll buy it then!”

Nodding his head, the elder prepared to offer a price.

“There’s no rush to it. We can make our offer after the commotion below dies down.” The young man waved his hands casually.

“Yes!” The elder hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Just that… I’m afraid that if the price reaches way too high, we might not have sufficient spirit stones to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid…”

“The Soulless Metal Humanoid is linked to the soul oracles. As long as we take some useful information back to the sect, my standing will surely surge greatly… Once I earn the recognition of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it’ll just be a matter of time before I become the number one expert of the younger generation.”

The young man chuckled, “But… there’s no need to worry about it. I’ve already looked into the matter regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and the fellow auctioning the item doesn’t seem to intend to sell it for spirit stones.”

“He isn’t selling it for spirit stones?”

The elder was taken aback.

If a person took an artifact out for it to be auctioned, shouldn’t the purpose be profit? To refuse spirit stones as payment, what did that mean?

“I heard that fellow’s longevity is reaching its limit. As long as his bottleneck continues to confine him, it’ll be futile no matter how much spirit stones he has in his possession. Seems like you got it. Indeed, what he wants is a Tutelage Jade Token; the higher grade it is, the better it is,” the young man said.

Even though spirit stones were valuable, there was a limit to what they could do.

If one’s cultivation was stuck at a bottleneck, one’s longevity would remain at a standstill. If so, it would just be a matter of time before one was reduced to dust… Once one died, what use would money be?

One might as well trade it for Tutelage Jade Tokens. In the off chance that one managed to achieve a breakthrough, one could even extend one’s longevity. In any case, it was way better than hoarding spirit stones.

Besides, with a higher cultivation, it was much easier to earn money.

No matter where one went, strength was still the most important factor one needed to possess. Everything else was just secondary.

“If he only needed Tutelage Jade Token, then this matter is indeed easy to settle… Young master is a talented master teacher yourself. To guide a cultivator from this kind of small place and help him achieve a breakthrough shouldn’t be too difficult!”

Upon coming to a realization, the elder smiled.

“Of course. After all, I’m aiming for the top five places in the Master Teacher Tournament this time around!”

The young man declared confidently.

“Young master possesses unparalleled talent. Regardless of whether it’s your Soul Depth or your understanding toward martial arts, you are far superior to the others. I think that even the first three places won’t be too difficult for you!” the elder said.

“First three… It’ll be hard to say. Those few aren’t easy to deal with. However, I’m not afraid of them. Let’s see who will get the upper hand then!”

The young man’s expression turned grim for a moment before he shook it off and turned his attention back to the auction hall. “Alright, it’s about time. Make an offer! Right, I still have some uses for spirit stones so don’t waste them.”

“Yes!”

The elder nodded.

At that moment, the price had already come to a standstill. Before such a price, the affluent clans and powers had no choice but to back off.

“20,000 calling once. 20,000 calling twice. Is there anyone who can offer a price higher than this? If not, this Rousing from the Drunken Dreams will be going to this friend from the Suite 14…”

Elder Chen scanned the surroundings.

…

“20,000 spirit stones? To think that a painting could fetch such a price…” Zhang Xuan’s eyes glowed when he heard the final price below.

“Indeed, it seems like no one else can compete with that anymore. 20,000 spirit stones… This is truly a huge sum!” Sun Qiang nodded excitedly.

Before the duo could finish their words, the voice of an elder sounded.

“Wait a moment, I offer 21 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens. Our young master will be taking that painting!”

Chapter 467: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (1)

“21… 4-star Tutelage Jade Token? In terms of spirit stones, that will be 21,000 spirit stones! What a generous offer!”

“Incredible! Tutelage Jade Tokens are incomparably valuable, especially those belonging to 4-star master teachers. Even though the price is publicly known to be 1000 spirit stones per token, the price in the black market has already reached up to 1200. 21 of those would mean a hulking sum of around 25,000!”

“Seems like no one will be able to top that price…”

…

Upon hearing the offer, the auction hall flew into an uproar.

In truth, the most common currency on the continent wasn’t spirit stones but Tutelage Jade Tokens.

A 4-star Tutelage Jade Token could be traded for a hundred 3-star Tutelage Jade Token; a 3-star Tutelage Jade Token could be traded for a hundred 2-star Tutelage Jade Token… So on and so forth. And with ten spirit stones, one could buy one 3-star Tutelage Jade Token.

Thus, going by the proportions, a 4-star Tutelage Jade Token was worth 1000 spirit stones, and on top of that… they weren’t readily available.

One must know that of the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there were only ten or so 4-star master teachers. On the other hand, there were billions of cultivators… Considering the proportion of the two, one could imagine how lacking the resource was.

Usually, if a cultivator were to obtain a 4-star Tutelage Jade Token, they would use it for themselves. Thus, it was hard to replace one even in the black markets. Yet, that person in the suite actually offered 21 of those tokens just to buy a single painting. This incomparably generous act made everyone felt frenzied.

“Incredible!”

Hall Master Sai’s eyebrows twitched as well.

Even those of his cultivation would benefit greatly from the guidance of a 4-star master teacher.

The value of 21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token clearly exceeded that of 20,000 spirit stones by way too much.

Just as Hall Master Sai was about to turn to the young man to congratulate him on his massive profit he had just earned, the other party’s complexion darkened and he cursed out loud.

“The heck!”

At this moment, Zhang Xuan was undergoing a breakdown within.

The reason why he took this painting out was so that he could earn more spirit stones to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid, as well as to fuel his future cultivation.

He was just delighted by the windfall of 20,000 spirit stones when that fellow wrecked his dreams.

21 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens…

Why in the world would I want your Tutelage Jade Tokens?

Even the lesson of a 6-star master teacher would be useless to me!

No matter how formidable a master teacher was, even if it were Empyrean Kong shi himself, they couldn’t guarantee that the contents of his lesson would be entirely correct. However, the Library of Heaven’s Path could!

As long as a something written had no errors or flaws, it must be correct.

As long as he had this with him, there was no master teacher, no matter how formidable he was, who was qualified to become his teacher?

That fellow actually hoped to purchase his painting using this toy? Zhang Xuan felt so stifled that he was about to explode.

What that left him even more speechless were the countless gazes of envy from the surroundings… Envious your head!

Zhang Xuan was on the verge of crying.

“Zhang shi, those are 4-star Tutelage Grade Tokens! Countless people dream of it, you…”

Seeing Zhang Xuan’s reaction, Hall Master Sai was perplexed.

Everyone wanted to get their hands on some Tutelage Jade Tokens; even low ranked master teachers hoped to receive the guidance of higher ranked master teachers. Yet, this Zhang shi… Why did he seem so unhappy?

Wasn’t it something to be overjoyed about?

Suppressing his dismal, Zhang Xuan said, “Hall Master Sai, I’ll have to trouble you to send a message to Elder Chen to say that… I don’t need the Tutelage Jade Token. I only want spirit stones!”

“You only want spirit stones?”

Hall Master Sai was taken aback.

Indeed, the actions of a genius couldn’t be understood by mortals such as him…

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Alright then!”

Seeing the other party insist on it, Hall Master Sai could only agree to the matter.

…

“21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token, let’s see who else can compete with me!”

Seeing the uproar in the hall right after his bid was announced, the young man’s mouths crept upward.

Master teacher was a lucrative occupation, and this Tutelage Jade Token was the main reason behind it.

But of course, this token couldn’t be given out as one pleased. There was a limit to how much Tutelage Jade Token a master teacher of a certain rank could distribute each year, and this was regulated by the Master Teacher Pavilion. If one’s quota exceeded the limit in the first year, he would have to cut down on the next year.

After all, master teachers couldn’t possibly spend all of their time conducting lessons. They had to cultivate too, and there were many other things they had to attend to as well.

To give out 21 Tutelage Jade Token at a single go, that was nearly half a year of lessons for him!

“21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token, is there anyone who can offer a higher bid? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 23…”

Elder Chen was clearly stunned by this sudden generous offer as well. However, after a moment of daze, he hurriedly recovered and continued on. However, just as he was about to declare the results, he suddenly heard something and his body froze.

Then, with a bizarre face, he shouted, “Is there anyone who is offering a price above that of 20,000 spirit stones? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 14!”

“What?”

The young man was just swelling in pride at having bought the painting when he heard those words, froze, and nearly keeled over.

What was going on?

“Our young master has just offered 21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token. Does that price not exceed 20,000 spirit stones?” The elder couldn’t help but ask. “If that’s insufficient, we can still raise the stakes!”

“Oh, that friend over there, I apologize but the seller has just told me that he’s only accepting spirit stones!” Elder Chen replied.

“Only accepting spirit stones?”

The young man felt his head spin.

There was actually such a foolish person in the world?

With so many Tutelage Jade Tokens, not only could one from a 4-star master teacher, one could befriend him as well. Yet, this fellow actually turned it down… and went for the cheaper spirit stones instead?

“That’s right. Are there any higher bids? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 14!” Elder Chen continued.

The person in Suite 14 was a renowned painter. He thought that he would surely lose the bid given how the other competitor had offered so many Tutelage Jade Token. He didn’t expect to make such a sudden comeback; he was overjoyed.

“Sold!”

After confirming that there would be no one offering a higher price, the painting was eventually dealt at with a price of 20,000 spirit stones.

“Damn it, damn it!”

The young man’s face steeled, and he was on the verge of going on a rampage.

4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens were goods that were highly desired but in short supply no matter where one went; yet, over here, he failed to trade them for the item he wanted. This made him infuriated.

“Go and check the identity and the background of the one who sold the painting!”

The young man instructed.

“Yes!” The elder walked out, and not too long later, he returned.

“Reporting to the young master, the painting is sold by the people within Suite 1. If I’m not mistaken, the seller seems to be a friend of the head of the Appraiser Hall, Hall Master Sai. As for his identity, I wasn’t able to get any information on that at the moment!”

“Suite 1?”

Narrowing his eyes, the young man harrumphed.

“Young master, now that the painting is bought away by someone else, what should we do?” the elder asked.

“Let’s put that aside for the moment and focus on obtaining the Soulless Metal Humanoid first!”

The young man was frustrated, but knowing that there was no helping it, he shook his hands.

Once the hammer was struck, no matter how prestigious his standing was, he couldn’t reverse the decision.

If the seller insisted on dealing in spirit stones, then no matter how formidable he was, there was nothing he could do about it.

“Alright then!”

The elder also shook his head helplessly.

…

The auction continued on. After selling away the painting which had caused such a huge commotion, the Cold Yin Sword was put on sale again, and eventually, Zhang Xuan took it for a price of 700 spirit stones.

The artifacts that came afterward didn’t cause as much of a storm as Zhang Xuan’s painting.

Even though they were valuable, they were incomparable to a seventh level painting.

On top of the Cold Yin Sword, Zhang Xuan bought another two artifacts—a spear for Zheng Yang and a body plate for Yuan Tao.

The total price of the two objects was around a thousand spirit stones so it was still within an acceptable price range.

As for Liu Yang and Wang Ying, as there was nothing suitable in the auction, Zhang Xuan wasn’t able to buy anything for them.

“Now, the final object of the auction, as well as the one everyone has been anticipating for, the Soulless Metal Humanoid!”

As Elder Chen spoke, a stone pedestal slowly rose, and a figure seemingly crafted of gold donning a full body armor appeared before the crowd.

Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over as well.

It was indeed no different from a human; the only difference was that a huge quantity of metal had been added into the body, enhancing its defense.

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan soon shook his head in disappointment.

Clearly, this object was beyond his current analytical ability. He wasn’t able to discern anything about it at all.

“This Soulless Metal Humanoid has undergone a collaborative appraisal by Hall Master Sai, Elder Lu, and myself, and we’ve confirmed that there’s no mistake about it. This is the guard of the ancient soul oracles and it possesses unimaginable value.”

Elder Chen introduced. “However, I’m afraid that I am not in charge of this one. The owner of the Soulless Metal Humanoid has decided to sell it for himself. He intends to trade it for a treasure he needs… Let’s invite the auctioneer up on stage then!”

Following which, an old man walked in from the back of the round stage.

This old man had a white beard, his skin was slightly loose, and he carried a slightly archaic aura with him. With just a glance, it was clear that he was advanced in age.

“Hmm?”

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan took a glance at the old man and he immediately frowned.

Even though the old man’s cultivation seemed to have reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle already, for some reason, Zhang Xuan was still able to discern some things about him via the Eye of Insight.

Under normal circumstances, the Eye of Insight should only work on those of a small cultivation realm above him. Given that Zhang Xuan was current at Half-Transcension realm, he should only be able to peer into the flaws of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator.

But for some reason… He was able to see some problems from the other party. This was extremely peculiar.

“That is the person who discovered the Soulless Metal Humanoid?”

“It seems so. Who knows what kind of luck he has to stumble by it. Once he sells it, his wealth will surely increase by leaps and bounds!”

“Indeed, why do I not possess such luck…”

…

Upon realizing that it was a decrepit old man who’d found the Soulless Metal Humanoid, a commotion broke out amidst the crowd.

“Everyone, please calm down. Since everyone is interested in buying this object, let’s listen to what he intends to exchange it for. Regardless of whether it is on your own or with your clan, as long as you can produce the item he needs within a single day, you can feel free to make an offer!” Elder Chen said.

“Alright!”

Upon hearing that the conditions for participating was so lax, everyone was overjoyed.

Initially, just like Hall Master Sai, they thought that the other party would be trading it for spirit stones. Thus, they brought a huge fortune out with them. Yet, the owner was actually intending to trade it for another object. This had caught them off guard.

However, upon hearing that they would be given time to prepare whatever that was needed, they regained their spirit.

Who of those who could participate in this auction didn’t belong to an influential power?

As long as the other party could name out the treasure, they were confident that even if they couldn’t replace it, they could at least replace some news on it.

Stepping forward, the old man said, “It is very simple. Everyone here can feel free to offer anything that you can produce within a single day, and if it satisfies me, I’ll make the trade immediately!”

Chapter 468: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (2)

“Feel free to offer?”

“As long as he’s satisfied, he’ll make the exchange? What kind of condition is this?”

“Could it be that this fellow is lustful, and we have to prepare some ladies for him?”

“Indeed, this condition is way too bizarre. After all, you can’t possibly expect us to fathom his thoughts to give him something he desires!”

…

Upon hearing the bizarre condition of the auction, everyone was dumbfounded.

In an auction, one would usually demand spirit stones, Tutelage Jade Tokens, or valuable objects. Never had they heard of an auction which the condition was ‘as long as I’m satisfied’.

What if that person was unable to replace something that satisfies him? Would he refuse to sell it then?

What the heck was this?

“Interesting!”

In Suite 23, the young man had finally recovered from his shock. The anxiety from his eyes disappeared, and a slight smile crept onto his face.

“Interesting?” The elder was puzzled.

“The reason why he made this condition is so as to hook a big one!” the young man said.

“Young master, you noticed something about the auction?”

“Simple. As we’re dealing with artifacts here, the value might be subjective as people have different needs. As such, interested buyers can only raise their bids to their upper limit in hopes that the artifact they offer will satisfy him.”

The young man chuckled, “This way, the price will soar. All kinds of treasures will be offered, and all he needs to do is to choose the one that is the most valuable and useful to him.”

“This…” The elder was stunned.

That was indeed the case.

There were some treasures hoarded by some of the influential powers that one couldn’t obtain by normal means. If they were unwilling to take it out, those items would never see the light of the day.

However, for this Soulless Metal Humanoid, there was a good chance that they might take those treasures out. If so, this method of conducting the auction would bring the owner even greater value.

“Let’s forget about that for now, let’s see what those people have to offer!”

Knowing the other party’s motive, the young man chuckled silently.

…

“Something that would satisfy him?”

Hearing the condition, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“What arrogant words! Even though the Soulless Metal Humanoid is valuable, it’s just an ancient relic now. Who knows whether it still can be used or not? The only reason why most people are interested in it is because it came from the ancient soul oracles!”

Zhao Feiwu harrumphed.

In truth, the Soulless Metal Humanoid was no different from a slightly more advanced puppet, wielding the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. If not for research purposes, there was no one who would spend a fortune to purchase it.

With a few thousand spirit stones, one could easily hire several Transcendent Mortal 3-dan experts already.

“You’re wrong… What they truly wanted isn’t the Soulless Metal Humanoid but the heritage of the soul oracles!”

Hall Master Sai shook his head.

“Heritage?”

Zhao Feiwu turned to look at Hall Master Sai in bewilderment.

“Un, I’ve examined the Soulless Metal Humanoid and even though it was forged a very long time ago, it’s in extremely good condition. If one were to study it carefully, one might be able to uncover the way to forging it! While this puppet only forms a small part of the strength of the soul oracles, it could still become a huge source of fortune,” Hall Master Sai said.

“So what if one uncovers the way to forging this puppet? Would one really… use a living human being to forge this darned puppet?” Taken aback, Zhao Feiwu frowned. “If the Master Teacher Pavilion were to learn of it, they would surely eliminate that person.”

“It’s not to forge the puppet…”

Hall Master Sai shook his head and explained, “There’s a limit to a person’s lifespan. However, a person’s soul can continue existing for a very long time as long as it’s well cared for. Four hundred to five hundred years wouldn’t be a problem at all. If one learns the way to crafting it, one might learn how to transfer one’s soul into this puppet as well. In the ancient times, when the Master Teacher Pavilion was on a crusade against the soul oracles, they managed to escape on many occasions making use of this method…”

“Transferring one’s soul to the Soulless Metal Humanoid to sustain oneself?”

Zhao Feiwu widened her eyes in shock.

Even though she had read a lot of books, this was the first time she was hearing of such a peculiar notion.

“That’s right!” Hall Master Sai nodded.

He only found out about this after reading through many books concerning the Soulless Metal Humanoid while he was doing his research.

The powers who were interested in it also managed to grab hold of this news through certain means, and thus, they went to great extents to prepare for this auction. After all, there were very few people who could resist the allure of an extended lifespan.

This was especially for those who were reaching their limit. Even if they had to give up on their humanity to live for just another decade or so, they would be delighted to do so.

“If that’s the case, then this auction will surely raise a storm…”

Hearing the conversation of the duo, Zhang Xuan sighed.

If that was truly the case, many people would surely be frenzied over the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If so, the price would surely rise to an astronomical sum.

“Since no one is making an offer, allow me to go first!”

Just as the crowd was contemplating over the matter, an elder below raised his hand and shouted.

“It’s the Gold Saint Phantom Hands, Liao Yuxi! He had made a name for himself a hundred years ago—to think that he isn’t dead yet!”

“If he were to go first, he might possibly come up with a price that no one will be able to top!”

“Let’s just watch on first…”

…

After getting a clear glimpse of the elder’s appearance, the crowd immediately discussed with hushed voices.

Gold Saint Phantom Hands was an expert whose name induced fear across the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance a hundred years ago. Everyone had thought that he was already dead since it had been a century since he had disappeared from the public eye. Yet, to think that not only was he alive and kicking, he even attended this auction and became the first one to make his offer.

As an expert who had lived for so many years, no one would believe it if he said that he had nothing valuable on him.

Scanning the surroundings, the Gold Saint Phantom Hands Liao Yuxi said, “The Ursae Majoris Umbrella!”

“Ursae Majoris Umbrella? What’s that?”

“It’s a Spirit intermediate-tier equipment crafted in reference to the Alpha Ursae Majoris star of the Big Dipper constellation. It is aligned with a formation, and it’s an incredible treasure that is both suited for offense and defense. A hundred years ago, the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance trembled before its name. To think that that legendary weapon would appear here!”

“If one were to exchange it for spirit stones, its value would be inestimable…”

…

After hearing Liao Yuxi’s words, the faces of the people who recognized the treasure were astonished, and disbelief marked their faces.

“The Ursae Majoris Umbrella might be incredible, but it’s definitely not enough to trade for this Soulless Metal Humanoid. Allow me instead! Old mister, judging by your weak aura, you must be in poor health. I have a Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng here. Even if you’re nearing the end of your lifespan, if you were to consume it, you will definitely be able to live for another decade or so!”

Before the crowd could recover from their crowd, another cold voice echoed.

Everyone turned their gazes over. The one who had just spoken was a middle-aged man with thick, black eyebrows. He was dressed in a luxurious robe, and he had an arrogant expression on his face.

“It’s the Herb Emperor of the Great Herb Gazebo! That is a Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng! It is much more valuable than the Glacier Spirit Grass sold previously, and even the Ursae Majoris Umbrella cannot compete with it!”

“Indeed, the idea of trading with other artifacts is indeed insane. It’s just the second offer, but it has already locked out innumerable competitors!”

“How can we compete with this? A Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng isn’t something that one can obtain from the market with just money…”

…

Upon hearing the offer of the Herb Emperor, a commotion broke out once more.

Even the eyebrows of the old man on the stage twitched a little. However, he soon calmed down.

Clearly, this wasn’t the item that he was in desperate need of.

“The Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng might sound incredible, but if a person who doesn’t know how to process it consumes it outright, not only will his lifespan not be expanded, he might even die from the violent energy contained within the herb. Rather than that, don’t you think that the grade-4 pinnacle spirit pill [Duodecennial Longevity Pill] is better? Not only does it enhance one’s lifespan by twelve years, there are no side effects at all. Isn’t it clear which one is better with just a single look?”

An elder harrumphed.

“It’s the head of the Apothecary Guild…”

“Duodecennial Longevity Pill, the pill famous for being able to extend a person’s lifespan by twelve years… Even though it’s a grade-4 pill, it’s a known fact that one has to be at least a 5-star apothecary to successfully forge it! What a generous offer this is!”

“Insane, everyone has gone insane…”

Even though only three people had made their offers, the atmosphere had already reached a new high.

There were many powers here who had made ample preparations beforehand and they were confident of obtaining the Soulless Metal Humanoid. However, at this moment, they felt an immense pressure weighing down on them.

“Blood Ginseng and Duodecennial Longevity Pill? As long as one’s body is incompatible with either of them, it’ll become a deadly poison. I have a Spirit-tier cultivation technique here that is suited for all constitutions. One’s cultivation will surely soar swiftly with this! The best way to ensure one’s longevity is for one’s cultivation to grow!” another person said.

“Cultivation techniques are profound. Without many years of hard work, how can one possibly achieve a breakthrough? On the other hand, I have a grade-4 Bottleneck Breakthrough Pill here. The bottleneck that has been impeding your cultivation all along will be destroyed in an instant, allowing your cultivation to rise accordingly…”

“Don’t listen to them! I have a Myriad Manifestation Design. It’ll definitely grant you immense power to dominate others…”

“I have…”

Slowly, all of the powers raised their offers without holding back at all.

There were several powers here who was in no way less affluent than the Appraiser Hall here. Naturally, the artifacts they had to offer were unimaginable.

“Alright, everyone!”

Just as everyone was in the middle of bickering with one another over whose artifact was better, a calm voice sounded. It was from the old man on the stage.

Upon hearing him speak, everyone quickly quietened down.

“All of the items you all have offered are valuable, but it’s a pity that those aren’t what I wanted.”

The old man shook his head.

A person among the crowd harrumphed in displeasure.

“Those aren’t what you wanted? Then what do you want? If you were to tell us, I believe that at least one of us here can offer it to you.”

“Indeed, just say it. Even though we’re interested in the Soulless Metal Humanoid, we don’t have the time to be wasting here with you!”

Seeing that the other party had turned down all of these invaluable artifacts, everyone howled in anger.

It’s true that we are interested in buying the Soulless Metal Humanoid, but we don’t have the time or effort to be guessing your thoughts. Is there even any basis to what you’re doing?

Or are you trying to play us like fools?

“I…” After hesitating for a moment, the old man opened his mouth to speak but his entire body abruptly froze. Then, he slowly closed his eyes and mouth, not saying a word at all.

“What is that fellow doing?”

“Does he think that we’re jokes?”

“Damn it!”

Not expecting the other party to still be playing such games, the fury of the crowd surged.

If not in consideration of the location, they might have rushed forward to beat him up.

“Hmm?”

Zhang Xuan found the other party’s abrupt freezing to be extremely bizarre. But just as he was about to use the Eye of Insight to take a closer look, his mind suddenly jolted and a book appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“That person executed a battle technique?”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

There were only two reasons behind the appearance of a book in the Library of Heaven’s Path. Given that he wasn’t in physical contact with the other party, the only possibility was that the other party was using a battle technique.

To think that just shutting his mouth was a battle technique in itself… This was way too bizarre!

“I should take a look at the book first!”

Even though Zhang Xuan was perplexed, he knew that there was no point pondering over the matter. Thus, he turned his attention to the Library of Heaven’s Path and browsed through the book.

After flipping through the book, a bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuan’s face.

“Such a matter can happen as well?”

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in disbelief.

Chapter 469: I Can Help You Get It Out

While Zhang Xuan was slightly dumbstruck from the content of the book, that old man had already recovered from his bizarre condition. With a pale face, he surveyed the surroundings and said, “I understand the purpose behind why everyone wishes to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If any of you can bring me the treasure I want, on top of this Soulless Metal Humanoid, I’ll bring him to the place where I unearthed the metal humanoid as well so that he can explore the secrets of the soul oracle!”

“What?”

“Legend has it that the Soulless Metal Humanoids will accompany their soul oracles’ side, buried along with them even upon death… If it’s the place where he unearthed the metal humanoid, doesn’t it mean that it’s the tomb of a soul oracle?”

“After the soul oracles were destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion, their heritage disappeared from the world. Even if we can’t obtain their heritage, as long as we manage to uncover some information on that ancient occupation, there will surely be many people who would be willing to buy that information for hefty sum.”

“More importantly, soul oracles were known for being the most lucrative occupation in ancient times due to the nature of their powers. Even appraisers aren’t a match for them. If we were to unearth the tomb of a soul oracle, we would surely obtain a massive fortune.”

“Indeed, anyone who gets this opportunity will strike it rich!”

…

Initially, everyone was rather displeased with the old man due to his ridiculous auction proposal. However, after hearing those words, everyone began trembling in agitation.

The responsibility of the Master Teacher Pavilion was to enlighten the world, and they believed in equality in education as well. Unless truly necessary, they would never make a move against other occupations. Back then, it was due to the soul oracles pushing things too far that they were exterminated.

Even if someone were to obtain their heritage now, as long as they didn’t use it for malicious intentions, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn’t interfere in the matter.

In fact, if one were to make use of this opportunity well, one might even be able to win the grooming and protection of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Besides, given that an intact Soulless Metal Humanoid was dug up, the soul oracle buried in the tomb was likely to be extremely powerful before his death. If they were to replace the tomb, even if they failed to obtain the soul oracle’s heritage, they would at least be able to replace a whole mountain of treasure that was sufficient to send others frenzied.

“I must obtain it!”

“Indeed. But… so many invaluable treasures have been turned down already. The other party doesn’t seem to be interested in anything at all! Does he expect us to give our entire clan away?”

“Give our entire clan away? That is provided he’s willing to accept it first…”

…

After a short moment of excitement, the crowd fell back into a dilemma, and they rubbed their glabella in stress.

That fellow simply refused to say what he wanted. Everyone here had already offered about everything that could be offered. Was it because the artifacts they offered weren’t valuable enough, and he wanted to go for something better?

“I have the seedling of a Thousand Leafed Tree here. Would you be interested in making a trade for this?”

Just as the crowd was in a dilemma, an impassive voice sounded from one of the suites.

“Thousand Leafed Tree?”

“That legendary spirit tree that can fight and guard over a clan?”

“On the single trunk on a Thousand Leafed Tree, there are a thousand branches, and on each of those branches, there are a thousand leaves. After it reaches maturity, just like any Spirit tool, it’ll instinctively protect its owner. On top of that, the Thousand Leafed Tree possesses an astonishing cultivation that is on par with even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity realm expert!”

“If one were to plant the seedling in one’s clan, a hundred year later, the clan will be blessed with a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan guardian which would devote its life to protecting the clan. This is an ultimate treasure that all big clans are vying over!”

“This is way better than those Spirit weapons, pills, and cultivation technique manuals. Who is in that suite? To think that he would be willing to bring out such a valuable treasure!”

…

There was a limit to a person’s longevity; no matter how powerful one was, there would eventually come a day which one would have to die. As such, it was impossible for an expert to watch over his clan forever.

But the Thousand Leafed Tree was different. In a hundred years, one would gain a powerful guardian that could ensure the prosperity of the clan for the next hundred years.

It was no different from having a powerful expert looking after one’s clan at all times.

Given such, how could the crowd remain calm before such a treasure.

To trade it for a Soulless Metal Humanoid… This was truly a losing deal.

“This… He can’t possibly reject this as well, can he?”

The crowd turned to the old man on the stage, curious to see how he would react.

The Soulless Metal Humanoid was valuable, but it wasn’t anything much compared to the Thousand Leafed Tree.

Given the vast difference in the value of the two artifacts… Even a fool would know what to choose.

“I apologize but I’m not interested in the Thousand Leafed Tree.”

Just when everyone thought that a new owner of the Soulless Metal Humanoid had been determined, the old man shook his head once more.

“He’s not interested?”

“He rejected it outright? This… If it was me, I would have definitely made the trade immediately!”

“Such a waste…”

…

Clearly, the crowd didn’t expect that even a Thousand Leafed Tree seedling would be insufficient to move the old man. At this moment, they felt a little frenzied.

What in the world did he want?

“I’ll repeat my words once more. As long as anyone can bring out an object that interests me, I’ll trade for it immediately. This is a competition over the value of the objects!” The old man shook his hands.

“Interests?”

Hearing those words, everyone fell silent. For a long while, no one made any offer.

You asked for us to offer something that would interest you, but yet, you refused to tell us what is it that you want. Even if we were to continue making offers like that, who knows whether or not we will ever be able to replace something that’ll interest you. Why in the world did the auction hall bring such a weirdo in?

Glancing at Luo Qin, Elder Chen said, “Manager Luo, in my view, this fellow is here to cause trouble. Besides, I don’t think that the auction can benefit from a trade of goods. So, why did the auction hall take up this deal?”

The other party was clearly here to cause trouble!

Who in the world auctions items like that?

Besides, under normal trades, the auction hall would usually claim a small commission from the sales to earn a profit. However, given that the other party was trading the Soulless Metal Humanoid for another artifact, how was the auction hall supposed to claim a commission off the price?

“He isn’t causing trouble, he has already paid an advance of 5,000 spirit stones!” Luo Qin shook his head.

“He has already paid even though his item hasn’t been successfully auctioned yet?” Elder Chen was taken aback.

Even he was unable to take out so many spirit stones in a single go! To pay this sum in advance… Wasn’t he worried that the Soulless Metal Humanoid might not be sold?

“Indeed. So no matter how he auctions his item, the auction hall won’t make a loss at all.” Luo Qin said.

“Then… What does he really want?”

Elder Chen was perplexed.

Since the other party was able to produce 5,000 spirit stones in a single go, it was highly likely that he didn’t lack money at all. On top of that, all of the artifacts offered previously were invaluable treasures that had encompassed all sectors, and yet he turned down all of them, even the Thousand Leafed Tree… So what was his goal in conducting this auction?

“I have no idea either. Ever since his arrival, he has spoken less than ten words to me so how could I possibly know what he’s thinking of!”

Luo Qin smiled bitterly.

He was the manager of the auction and the sales of the Soulless Metal Humanoid was mainly arranged by him. However, his interactions with the seller were terribly limited.

They had barely traded more than a few words.

And thus, the other party’s thoughts and wants remained an enigma to him.

…

“To turn down even the Thousand Leafed Tree, interesting!”

The young man from Suite 23 chuckled lightly.

He was the one who made the offer for the Thousand Leafed Tree previously. This object was of great value, and even three Soulless Metal Humanoid couldn’t match up to a single one of it. Only a top-notch genius of a prestigious sect like him was able to take out an item of such quality easily.

But it was a pity that the other party wasn’t interested in it at all.

“Young master, it doesn’t seem like he’s trying to hike up the price,” the elder beside him said.

Previously, the young master said that the reason why that fellow refused to reveal what he wanted was so as to hike up the prices, but from the looks of it, that didn’t seem to be the case.

After all, in terms of price, what else could beat the Thousand Leafed Tree?

To turn down even this object, this only went to show that his motive could be to replace something that he really needed.

“Regardless of what he needs, he surely won’t be able to turn this down!”

Flicking his wrist, a jade token appeared in the young man’s hand.

Upon seeing the item, the elder was taken aback. He uttered in shock, “Young master, this item is incomparably valuable. Are you sure… that you want to make an offer with it?”

“That’s right!”

A glint flashed across the young man’s eyes, and his lips curled up slightly, “Since he has even refused the Thousand Leafed Tree, I can’t think of anything else that might interest him.”

The elder hesitated. “But… this item is useful to you too…”

“If I have any problems, I can consult teacher straight. So in truth, this item isn’t of much value to me!”

The young man waved his hands and said, “Make the offer!”

“Yes!”

Seeing the determination on the other party’s face, the elder knew that it was impossible to convince him out of it. Thus, nodding his head, he stepped forward to the windows and bellowed, “A half 5-star master teacher long-range Tutelage Jade Token!”

…

Everyone in the auction hall was wracking their brains to fathom what that fellow on the stage want when the voice sounded. A short moment of silence, and a huge uproar was suddenly generated.

“Half 5-star master teacher? What does that mean?”

“When a master teacher reaches 4-star and above, the difficulty to advance through the ranks would become exponentially more difficult. As such, there were many people who ended up being stuck at 4-star pinnacle their entire life, unable to make a breakthrough. However, there are clearly masters teachers who possessed teaching capability above ordinary 4-star pinnacle but simply haven’t reached 5-star yet… Thus, this rank was born!”

“There isn’t a half 5-star master teacher in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even though half 5-star master teachers are, in the truest sense, 4-star pinnacle master teachers, the value of their Tutelage Jade Tokens far surpasses those of ordinary 4-star pinnacle master teachers… Putting everything aside, even the 21 Tutelage Jade Tokens offered before cannot compare up to this in value!”

“I see. Then what is a long-range Tutelage Jade Token?”

“When one obtains an ordinary Tutelage Jade Token, one can look for a master teacher and request for two hours of his time for a one-to-one guidance session. However… replaceing this master teacher is likely to expend a significant length of time. On the other hand, a long-range Tutelage Jade Token isn’t restricted by this limitation. A sliver of the master teacher’s soul has been infused into the jade token, and when one drips a droplet of blood on it, one will be able to enter an illusionary classroom where one’s problems can be solved.

“In other words, as long as one possesses this item, it’s as good as having a half 5-star master teacher around you. No matter what cultivation problem one has, one can enquire about it at any moment. Even though it’s just a one-time use object, its value is unimaginable!”

Being able to undergo the guidance of a half 5-star master teacher on the spot and running around the world with the jade token in hand to look for the specific half 5-star master teacher were two vastly different concepts.

The value of this jade token definitely far surpassed that of the previous 21 jade tokens.

Having understood this, everyone turned to the old man on the stage to see how he would choose.

If he were to reject this as well, then no one here would probably be able to produce a treasure to his liking.

“This…”

The old man also clearly didn’t expect the person from the suite to take out such a valuable object. Hesitation clearly surfaced on his expression, and after a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, I’ll agree to the trade!”

“He agreed to the trade?”

“Well, I can’t imagine him doing otherwise…”

Hearing that the other party had agreed to it, even though the crowd was a little disappointed, they knew that the value of this jade token was simply too great for anyone to resist.

“This is more like it…”

The young man from Suite 23 chuckled lightly upon hearing the old man agree to it.

He had even gone to the extent of taking out this treasure. If the other party still continued to turn him down, there would be nothing else he could do.

Just as he was preparing to go down and conduct the trade with the old man, a nonchalant voice suddenly sounded from Suite 1.

“There’s no need to rush into an agreement, I haven’t made my offer yet!”

“You? Do you think that you can produce something even more valuable than my Tutelage Jade Token?”

The young man stood up in displeasure.

“I can’t say for sure whether the thing I can offer is of greater value because my offer is only a single sentence…”

A calm voice sounded, “I can help you… get it out!”

“What did you say?”

Hearing those words, the old man standing on the stage suddenly froze and his face paled. Then, he began to tremble non-stop.

Chapter 470: Zhang Xuan’s Move [2in1]

Help you get it out?

The entire auction hall fell silent. The respectable figures of Honghai City stared at one another with so much frustration that they were about to explode.

What the heck was this situation?

Who in the world was that hero in Suite 1?

Your interest…

… is way too heavy!

More importantly, he didn’t seem to be in the least embarrassed spouting such dirty words in public; on the contrary, he spoke forcefully and proudly…

Big brother, where in the world does your confidence come from?

Pu!

Hearing those words, the young man from Suite 23 immediately spat out the mouthful of tea that he had just drunk at the elder opposite of him.

The heck! I gave out a long-range Tutelage Jade Token—that is literally worth cities, and its value doesn’t lose out to even a Spirit high-tier equipment… If you had made a normal offer, I would still overlook it. After all, it’s a fair competition. I can only concede if my financial ability is unable to match up to yours.

But… ‘help you get it out’, what the heck was that?

The fellow selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was already in his declining years, and he looked as though he could pass away at any moment. Yet, you want to help him g-get it out?

Am I being too dirty-minded or is your taste really that heavy?

“That…”

The elder beside the young man wiped the tea off his face, and it took him a long moment before he recovered from the shock. “Young master, that person doesn’t have long to live so I doubt that he would be tempted by the pleasures of the body. Besides, even if he is interested, he could simply head to a brothel. Why should he resort to replaceing a male…”

“Cough cough…”

After a bout of violent coughing, the young man finally managed to prevent himself from choking to death. “I know that much. Just that… that fellow from Suite 1 sure is an incredible fellow to be able to say such words… It seems like we aren’t the only one astounded by his words. Even that old fellow up there is about to faint!”

“Indeed! No normal cultivator would accept such a depraved offer. How can someone be so shameless?” the elder replied indignantly. In the midst of his words, the ruckus below suddenly disappeared, and following closely, an agitated and excited voice sounded.

“Mister, do you… mean your words?” The old man on the auction stage was trembling in excitement. His face was flushed, seemingly unable to believe the other party’s words.

“Of course I do! As long as you pass the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me, I’ll try my best to help you get it out!” the calm voice from Suite 1 replied.

“Alright then, I’ll agree to it!” Upon hearing the other party’s confirmation, the old man nodded his head immediately.

Pu!

“If only I’d known earlier, I would have prepared a few beautiful girls… or perhaps dashing men…”

Hearing the old man agreeing to the matter readily, everyone felt blood welling up in their chest and they nearly fainted.

This works as well?

Cultivation technique, weapons, Thousand Leafed Tree, and even a half 5-star long-range Tutelage Jade Token… You turned all of them down just for this? Your interest sure is unique!

To abandon all of these treasures just for a short moment of pleasure… More importantly, the other party is a male… You have truly opened up our eyes today.

What is even more impressive is how the fellow in Suite 1 can speak such words in public without the slightest bit of embarrassment…

And most importantly of all, how could you tell that the old man on stage has such an interest?

Could it be that you are also…

Everyone shuddered.

“He agreed to it?”

The young man from Suite 23 trembled. For that moment, it felt as though the skies were rumbling.

Did he really come to a prestigious auction or was this truly a place for such exchanges?

Putting aside how his 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens were turned down from spirit stones, now, even his Thousand Leafed Tree and the even more valuable half 5-star long-range Tutelage Jade Token was rejected, all for just… a moment of relief!

Their world horizons shattered in an instant.

“He… agreed to it!” The elder uttered through trembling lips.

“Damn it! If only I knew that that fellow has such interests, I wouldn’t have wasted so much effort!” After a moment of dismal, a vicious glint flashed past the young man’s face, and he turned around to command. “Make the offer saying that we can help him get it out as well. Furthermore, we’ll agree to all conditions he sets, regardless of what poses he wants!”

“Young master, you…” The elder’s body froze. “Isn’t your sacrifice… a little too great?”

To go so far for a Soulless Metal Humanoid… Young master sure is vicious to himself!

“Sacrifice? Sacrifice your head! Do you expect me to do it? You think that I, Song Chao, a 4-star master teacher, would do such a thing? You must be joking! If someone has to go, it’ll be you. As long as he agrees to sell the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me, you’ll have to serve him well!”

The young man, Song Chao, harrumphed.

“Me?” It was just a moment ago that the elder thought that the young master was extremely noble, but after hearing those words, he shuddered and nearly burst into tears.

Do you have to be so callous?

I watched you grow up from a young boy to a young man, and I’ve followed behind you for so many years. To sell me out like that… surely this isn’t right…

Who did I offend? I’m already so old and yet I still have to give up my reputation and decency… to please not a young lady but a… decrepit, old man?

“Hurry up! Once they conduct the trade, it’ll be too late!” Seeing the other party’s warped face, Song Chao hurriedly urged him on.

“Yes!” Even though the elder was reluctant to do so, he still stepped forward to the window and said, “Our young master wishes to make an offer. He’s willing to help you get it out as well!”

“Ah? Another one?”

“The heck! There’s another one who has given up on his decency as well? How in the world did a normal auction hall turn into a location where such deals are made?”

“Are they all mad?”

The entire auction hall flew into a frenzy.

To think that there would be another one to make such an offer. Where’s their pride? Where’s their common decency?

For this Soulless Metal Humanoid, you all are willing to give up even your dignity?

While the stage below was in a frenzy, in Suite 1, Zhang Xuan was also perplexed. He stood up and facing the suite which had just made the offer, he asked, “You can help him get it out as well? How do you intend to do it? Shall we compete to see whose technique is better so that he can make a better choice?”

Based on what he knew, it should be very hard to get that thing out. Even with the omniscient Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan still found the matter troublesome. Thus, he was curious to see what kind of method the other party was going to use.

Pu!

Hearing those words, Song Chao felt as though a snake was diving around in his chest, and he nearly tore his hair out with his hands.

Can you at least have some pride?

To compete over whose technique is better… Is it really alright for you to say such things in public? Do you have to be so fierce?

Furthermore, what is there to compete about it? The main issue at hand should be just to satisfy him, right?

The mouth of the elder beside Song Chao twitched, and tears streamed down his face. Doomed, he knew that his reputation would surely be tarnished at this point…

“Why? You can’t say anything? To make such a claim despite being incapable, are you intentionally trying to jack up the price?” Upon seeing that there was no response from Suite 23, the person from Suite 1 continued.

“I-I… What other kind of techniques can I use? Of course it’s the one that everyone knows of…” Seeing that the elder had been shocked speechless, Song Chao couldn’t hold himself back anymore so he harrumphed.

“The one that everyone knows of?”

Hearing the other party’s frenzied words, Zhang Xuan was even more perplexed, “What kind of method is that? You should clarify yourself. He has been plagued by an evil spirit and he’s currently going through great anguish. What method do you intend to use to get it out? If it is feasible, I’m willing to let you give it a try first.”

“Plagued by an evil spirit? Get it out? Th-this…” Song Chao’s body swayed and his face paled. If there was a hole in the ground, he would definitely jump in this very instant.

What the heck was this!

Can your words not be that darned?

You kept saying ‘get it out’ so I thought you were talking about that… I was even willing to have my close subordinate give up his decency to compete with you and it turned out to be getting an evil spirit out…

You must be toying with me!

“So it’s to force an evil spirit out…”

“The plague of an evil spirit is incomparably dangerous. Under such circumstances, one’s life hinges by a thread. It’s no wonder that person is refusing all treasures. After all, given that his life is in danger, what use are those treasures? What he wants is probably a way to expel the evil spirit, but if that is the case… Why didn’t he say anything?”

“That is exactly what stumped me as well… However, being plagued by an evil spirit is an extremely rare occurrence. I’ve only read about it from some ancient books, how in the world did that fellow manage to stumble by it?”

“Soul oracles are skilled in attacking the souls of others. He must have suffered the retaliation of the evil spirits from the soul oracle whose tomb he dug up…”

…

Hearing the words of the person from Suite 1, everyone came to an understanding and wiped away their cold sweat.

So it wasn’t what they were thinking. What the other party meant was to get the evil spirit out. It seemed like they were the ones who were corrupted…

“I see…”

Hall Master Sai heaved a huge sigh of relief and his face flushed red.

Zhang shi’s previous words had nearly scared him to death. He had really thought that the other party had such heavy preferences… Only after hearing this did he come to a realization.

In truth, Zhang Xuan also didn’t expect his words to incur such a huge misunderstanding. His mind had been too absorbed into getting the Soulless Metal Humanoid that he’d failed to consider the possible innuendo in his words.

Just like everyone guessed, the reason behind the affliction of the old man selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was indeed vengeance from the soul oracle whose tomb was dug up. With his life at stake, it was natural that no treasure would be able to interest him. It was because he had been trying to suppress the evil spirit through the use of battle technique that the Library of Heaven’s Path compiled a book on him.

It was because of that that Zhang Xuan could comprehend what was happening.

Recovering from the awkward atmosphere, Song Chao asked, “Based on what I know, the plague of an evil spirit concerns the subject of souls. Since you said that you are able to… get it out, does it mean that you are skilled in that subject?”

Due to the intricacies behind souls, even master teachers would be stumped before this problem. Based on the other party’s voice, he seemed to be rather young. Thus, Song Chao was curious to know what method the other party in mind.

The crowd immediately turned their gazes over, and even the old man on the stage seemed a little anxious at this point. He was worried that the man in the suite was just making empty promises.

“The plague of an evil spirit is similar to a lethal poison corroding one’s soul. There’s nothing I can do about that!” The voice from the suite echoed.

“Nothing you can do about that? Then…” Everyone nearly fainted. The other party had declared so confidently a moment ago and yet he was saying that he was helpless at this point in time. Wasn’t this change in attitude a little too rapid?

Having his hope shattered when it was so close to him, the old man couldn’t retain his calmness. He immediately asked anxiously, “Then why did you say that you can help me get it out…”

“Since I can discern your condition and describe it so aptly, naturally, I have my own means!”

Man from the suite chuckled.

“This…” The old man was baffled.

The other party had clearly stated that he was helpless toward the plague of the evil spirit. But now, he was claiming that he had a solution in mind. Was that fellow playing him a fool or was there some secret meaning behind those words that he failed to comprehend?

Just as the old man was still stuck in bewilderment, the voice from the suite continued, “Alright, hand the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me and I’ll solve your problem. There are too many people here so it’s not convenient for me to go into detail!”

“Alright!” After a moment of hesitation, the old man surveyed the surroundings and bowed, “I thank everyone here for participating in the auction of the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Pardon me, but I’ve managed to replace a buyer already. Thus, I can only apologize to everyone here!”

After finishing his words, the old man grabbed the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

Hu!

With a light smile, the old man put the metal humanoid lying vertically on the stage away before walking off.

“Young master, what do we do?”

Seeing that the buyer had been confirmed, the elder in Suite 23 started to panic.

The young master had come over excitedly with a huge fortune in hand just to buy this Soulless Metal Humanoid but in the end… he didn’t manage to spend a single cent. He could still accept it if the other party’s financial ability was above that of his, but the problem was that… the other party managed to win over the metal humanoid with just a single word without spending a single cent…

The more he thought about it, the more dismal he felt.

“What else can we do? Are you able to expel the evil spirit plaguing him?” Song Chao asked with a darkened complexion.

“I… can’t!” The elder shook his head.

The plague of a spirit involved the subject of soul. Even though his cultivation and knowledge were impressive, there was nothing we could do about the seller’s problem as well.

“Forget it. Go and look into who the person in Suite 1 is. We’ll decide on our actions afterward!” Song Chao instructed.

“Yes!” The elder nodded his head.

If he didn’t even know who the enemy was, how could he make suitable preparations?

“To be capable of produce a seventh level painting, discern that the seller is plagued by an evil spirit, and show no interest in 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens… That person in Suite 1 sure is a mysterious figure. Investigate him! Make sure to dig up every single bit of information about him!”

Song Chao wasn’t the only curious one. Everyone in the auction was also dying to know whom that formidable figure in Suite 1 was, especially given how he was able to get Hall Master Sai willingly share his suite with him.

…

“This is the Soulless Metal Humanoid?”

In a vast room in the Appraiser Hall, Zhang Xuan studied the puppet on the floor in interest.

The sale of the Soulless Metal Humanoid meant that the auction had come to an end. Under Manager Luo’s lead, the old man was brought to the room.

The metal humanoid was around the size of a real human but its physique was much more muscular. As though crafted using metal, its skin was also gold in color. It was hard to tell the person’s original appearance under the metal coating.

Knowing that this wasn’t the time to be examining the object, Zhang Xuan stored it in his storage ring right after confirming the product was authentic. Then, he turned to look at the old man before him.

“Mister, please cure me of my affliction!” The old man hurriedly clasped his fist.

In truth, after seeing that the other party was a young man, he suffered a breakdown.

After all, no matter how talented a person was, his extent of knowledge was still limited by his age. He thought that the person who was able to tell that he was plagued by an evil spirit should at least be an old man who was beyond his sixties… He didn’t think that the other party would be so young, and he found it hard to believe that such a young person could cure him of his affliction.

If not for the other party pointing out his condition accurately, he would have surely thought that this was a scam.

“Un!”

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan started circling around the other party silently. Then, lifting his eyebrow, he said, “Hall Master Sai and Elder Jin, I have something that I would like to trouble you two!”

“Zhang shi, there is no need to stand on ceremony. Feel free to speak whatever that’s on your mind!”

The duo nodded.

Even though each of their cultivation was higher than the lad before him, the latter had simply performed too many extraordinary miracles. They didn’t dare view him as a junior.

“Simple…” Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over.

“This…”

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s message, the duo stared at one another in shock.

After a moment of hesitation, Hall Master Sai awkwardly asked, “Zhang shi… Surely this isn’t good?”

“Just do as I say. I know what I’m doing!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Alright!”

The duo gritted their teeth.

Seeing the look of difficulty on the faces of the two elders, everyone was perplexed, especially the old man selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

Does my treatment require the help of these two?

“Pardon me!”

Just as he was perplexed, he heard Hall Master Sai and Jin Conghai harrumph at the same moment. Then, the duo lifted their palms and two surges of zhenqi surged into the surroundings, sealing the entire area from the world.

“What are you all trying to do?”

The old man frowned.

Through this action, the duo had sealed his path of escape.

In other words, they planned to make a move on him!

“Do you all… intend to steal the Soulless Metal Humanoid?”

Upon realizing something, the old man’s eyes narrowed.

The Soulless Metal Humanoid was incomparably valuable. As just a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator, he was still a far way from becoming one of the top experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He knew that if he were to spread the word, there was a high possibility that someone might come after him for it.

Thus, as soon as he obtained the object, he immediately rushed to the Appraiser Hall. He felt that given the Appraiser Hall’s reputation, they shouldn’t conduct despicable acts like stealing the goods of its customers. Yet, to think that… the respectable hall master would make a move on him himself!

“Zhang shi…”

Luo Qin also didn’t expect such a sight to occur and his face paled. To think that Zhang Xuan would resort to this eventually!

If the Appraiser Guild were to commit such actions, the reputation of the auction hall would also go down to the drain. An auction hall that had lost its credibility would surely lose all of its customers.

“Don’t worry. If I intended to kill him, he would already be long dead. There would have been no need for us to seal his surroundings at all.” Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes.

No matter what, he was a master teacher. The other party should have been able to see through the benevolent face he had, why was the other party treating him as though a villain who would resort to such petty crimes?

To kill a person and rob him of his possession… To think that you can even think of this!

It was just a Soulless Metal Humanoid. Its value still wasn’t sufficient for Zhang Xuan to go to such an extent.

“That’s good…”

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s promise, Luo Qin heaved a sigh of relief. Turning around, he saw Hall Master Sai and Elder Jin making a move simultaneously. The old man could barely take two blows before he was subdued. Then, the duo sealed his cultivation, leaving him completely powerless.

These two were top-notch experts. With their strength, dealing with a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator was a walk in the park.

Seeing that the other party had only sealed his cultivation, the old man knew that he was overthinking it and he heaved a long sigh of relief. But still, baffled by the condition, he asked, “What do you all intend to do?”

“Didn’t you ask me to expel the evil spirit in you? If we don’t limit your movement, how can we expel the evil spirit?”

Zhang Xuan smiled.

Hearing that the sealing of his cultivation was a necessary procedure to expelling the evil spirit, the old man nodded his head and said, “I see! I’ll be depending on you then, mister!”

“Un!”

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. The edges of his lip slowly curled up as he raised his hands.

Pah!

His palm struck the other party’s face.

“You…”

The strike had caused the old man to flip on the spot and crash onto the floor. Dumbfounded, the old man stared at Zhang Xuan with widened eyes.

What was going on?

In exchange for the Soulless Metal Humanoid, you are supposed to expel the evil spirit within me. Yet, you had someone seal my cultivation first before… then came over here to slap me… What are you up to?

The old man was just about to ask about the situation when a kick came flying toward him.

Peng!

“What is going on…”

His words were jammed back into his mouth by the kick, and he was sent flying a few meters away.

Struggling to his feet, the old man’s eyes were filled with fury. He was about to turn insane at any point now.

But of course, he wasn’t the only one that was about to turn insane. Everyone in the room looked as though they had seen a ghost.

This was especially so for Luo Qin. At this point, he nearly couldn’t hold back his tears anymore.

Didn’t you say that… you aren’t intending to kill the other party and steal his possessions? Even if you aren’t going to kill him, beating the other party up and taking his possession like that… isn’t alright either…

Chapter 471: Do You Dare?

Peng peng peng peng!

With his cultivation sealed, how could the old man withstand Zhang Xuan’s attacks. In just a few moments, he was reduced to a pig head.

“I want to kill you…”

The reason why he brought the Soulless Metal Humanoid here was so that he could be cured of his affliction. Yet, he was beaten up like that instead. Unable to hold himself back anymore, the old man clenched his teeth in anger and his eyes turned bloodshot.

“Kill me? I thought you wanted to use my hand to kill him? Why do you want to kill me?”

Smiling faintly, Zhang Xuan looked at the old man with a look of leisure.

“W-What are you saying? I don’t know what you are getting at!”

Hearing those words, the old man panicked for a moment. However, he concealed it swiftly.

“You don’t know? Coming over here to possess another person’s body and going to the extent of trying to eradicate his soul… and you tell me that you don’t know anything at all?”

Zhang Xuan’s lips curled him in disdain.

“Possess?”

Jin Conghai, Hall Master Sai, and the others were taken aback. They glanced at the old man once more, but this time, with wariness.

Possession was the means of a soul oracle, and it was also known as ‘borrowing a body to reanimate a soul’. Just as the name hinted at, a soul oracle whose lifespan was coming to an end could forcefully suppress or a destroy a person’s soul and make use of their body to come alive again.

This was an extremely mysterious and vile process.

“Don’t worry, he hasn’t succeeded yet!” Seeing the wariness in everyone’s eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled. “If he had succeeded already, there’d be nothing I could do about the matter anymore.”

Zhang Xuan had previously said that he couldn’t do anything if the old man was plagued by an evil spirit, and these words had left everyone stumped. However, it seemed that instead of being plagued by an evil spirit, this fellow was possessed instead.

“You… Don’t spout nonsense! I am myself, and I’ve only been plagued by an evil spirit…” The old man clenched his jaws.

“You’ve been plagued by an evil spirit?”

Zhang Xuan shook his head. Circling around the old man with his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said, “I don’t know what method you used to suppress the original host’s soul, but I can still roughly tell what happened.

“Despite coming to the auction hall to sell the Soulless Metal Humanoid, you refused to say what you wanted and kept everyone guessing… If I’m not wrong, at that moment, the original host’s soul is still in control of the body. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to say anything but that you were exerting a pressure on him to prevent him from speaking up!

“Under the pressure from everyone else, he grew agitated and this created an opening for you to strike… Then, you said that you’d take the person who managed to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid to the tomb of the soul oracle. If I’m not mistaken, you probably intended to lure someone there and activate some traps so as to claim the bodies of a few more experts!”

Zhang Xuan harrumphed. “Otherwise, how could a person who is on the verge of death due to being plagued by an evil spirit in the soul oracle tomb propose to head there a second time? Unless he’s masochistic and eager to die, there’s no way a rational person would do so!”

“This…”

Jin Conghai and Hall Master Sai shuddered in shock.

Previously, back in the auction hall, under the intense questioning of the crowd, the old man did seem to intend to say something, but his body simply shook and he fell silent. Afterward, he immediately mentioned the issue regarding the soul oracle tomb.

Thinking back, it did seem slightly bizarre.

Even though the old man managed to obtain the invaluable Soulless Metal Humanoid in the soul oracle tomb, he was possessed as well, putting him on the verge of death. It didn’t make any sense for him to want to return back to such a dangerous place.

It was clearly a huge flaw in logic.

It was a pity that everyone had been blinded by the heritage of the soul oracle and the treasures contained within the tomb and failed to consider this logic lapse.

“I only intended to hike up the prices…” the old man said.

“Hike up the prices? Alright!”

Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. “Elder Jin and Hall Master Sai, may I trouble you two to release the seal on him?”

“Release the seal?”

The duo was taken aback.

Even though Zhang Xuan seemed to have struck the old man viciously, they were actually just superficial wounds. Once the seal was released, the other party would regain the cultivation level of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. If so, Zhang Xuan surely wouldn’t be a match for the other party.

“Don’t worry!” Knowing what the duo was worried about, Zhang Xuan shot them a reassuring gaze.

“Alright!”

Even though Zhang shi was still young, he never did anything he wasn’t certain of. Thus, the duo let go simultaneously.

Hu!

The seal suppressing the old man’s cultivation vanished and strength returned to his body.

“Humph, since you all aren’t capable of expelling the evil spirit at all, I’ll be taking my leave. Farewell!”

After the seal was released, the old man heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to leave.

However, barely after he took two steps, a young man blocked his path.

“Hah, with just your cultivation, do you think that you can stop me?” the old man sneered coldly.

Even though he couldn’t tell the exact strength of the young man before him, from the fact that he got others to fight in his place, he could deduce that the other party’s strength was inferior to his.

“Give it a try then!” Zhang Xuan didn’t bother saying anything unnecessary. Lifting his leg, he sent a kick toward the other party.

“Humph!”

The old man’s complexion darkened. His palm immediately struck forward.

However, before he could strike anything, he felt an ache at his chest.

Peng!

He was sent flying, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

“You…”

The old man narrowed his eyes.

“Are you very surprised?” Zhang Xuan stepped forward and lifting his hands, he struck the other party.

Pah!

The shape of a palm was printed on the face of the old man as he fell back down to the ground.

“This…”

The crowd stared at one another.

“A Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator isn’t able to match a Half-Transcension cultivator. Wha- what… is going on?”

“I don’t understand either…”

The old man clearly possessed the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. When he was sealed, everyone had witnessed the immense strength that he possessed. How in the world did he get subdued so easily? It was as if he couldn’t retaliate against a Half-Trancension cultivator at all!

Even though Zhang shi possessed the strength beyond that of his cultivation realm, dealing with a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator would already be tough. Smashing a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator like that so easily was completely out of the question.

“Could it be that teacher has grown stronger again?”

In contrast to everyone’s shock, Zhao Ya and the others looked excited.

Their teacher’s ability to achieve breakthroughs as easily as drinking water had left a lasting impression in their mind. Seeing the Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator being crushed so easily made them think that Zhang Xuan had achieved a huge breakthrough once more.

“No, that’s not it… It’s the old man who has become weaker! His current fighting prowess is only that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator!” Zhao Feiwu said.

Due to the limitations of her physical body, she had never cultivated before. Even so, having read through innumerable books, her knowledge and eye of discernment were extraordinary.

“Un, gongzi is right. His current fighting prowess is at most Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage only. Just that… for some reason, I can certainly feel the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle flowing within him!” Jin Conghai said.

“Despite having the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, his fighting prowess is only that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage. This…”

Hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others were baffled.

Luo Qin was also bewildered.

“Did you hear that? I’m not the only one who has noticed it. Everyone can tell as much too. What else do you have to say?”

Halting his attack, Zhang Xuan smiled at the old man whom he had just beaten up.

“It’s because… I’m injured. That’s why I can’t display my full strength…”

The old man gritted his teeth.

Having predicted that the other party would surely bring up such an argument, Zhang Xuan refuted, “Even if you’re injured, it’s impossible for your strength to fall by two realms!”

“Zhang shi, what’s going on?”

Seeing that the old man was unable to explain himself, Hall Master Sai couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore and asked.

“Simple. The strength of the soul possessing and the person being possessed are of different cultivation! If I’m not mistaken, the one possessed has the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle whereas the soul possessing only has the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage!”

Zhang Xuan continued, “Even though he has taken over the body already, he hasn’t adapted fully to it yet. On top of that, my pummeling has made it harder for his physical body and soul to harmonize with one another. As such, even though he is able to move the body easily, he isn’t able to move the Origin Energy in the other party’s body, thus resulting in his weakness!”

When Zhang Xuan first saw the old man on the stage of the auction hall, he managed to see numerous flaws through the Eye of Insight. This, in itself, had created doubts in his mind.

Under normal circumstances, given his current cultivation, he would only be able to peer into the flaws of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator at most… Yet, he was able to see the problems of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle. Thinking about it now, it was probably due to the soul that had possessed this body being of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage.

From the very start, it was extremely rare for a soul to have high affinity with the body possessed. The trauma caused to the body under such a state would result in the body rejecting the soul of the possessor… And thus, even though the old man clearly had the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, he was unable to display it at all.

“Y-you…”

The old man’s face paled.

He could have come up with a logical excuse for it if he had sufficient time. However, now that everything was explained so rationally, even if he were to explain now, it would already be too late.

After all, the injuries dealt to him previously were just superficial wounds. To a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator, those were negligible.

“There’s no need for you to be so surprised. The reason why I said that an evil soul is plaguing you is so as to lower your guard. This way, you’ll think that this is a good opportunity to get rid of the other soul competing with you over the body through my hands… Am I right?”

Zhang Xuan pushed on.

Even though the other party had managed to take over the old man’s body, he had yet to eradicate the original host’s soul. In fact, the original host’s soul was still on the upper hand just a moment ago.

Otherwise, the old man wouldn’t have been able to bring the Soulless Metal Humanoid here and auction it for a way to suppress him.

The plan of the possessing soul was indeed brilliant. If it was anyone else, they would have surely fallen for the trick and killed the original host’s soul, thus completing the possession. But… it was a pity that he met with Zhang Xuan.

There was nothing that could conceal itself from the heavens. Putting aside a soul, even a speck of dust couldn’t escape from its sight.

“You… Since you’ve managed to see through it, there’s no need for me to hide any longer. That’s right, I possessed this fellow!”

Seeing that there was no way to hide anymore, the old man stood up and harrumphed coldly.

“To think that it is really true!”

“A Transcendent Mortal 1-dan soul possessing a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator’s body…”

Hearing the other party agree to it, everyone’s faces turned pale.

There were almost two realms of difference between Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary and Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle. That was an entire world of difference in terms of fighting prowess. It was a gap that was impossible to breach. Yet, the soul still managed to possess the body successfully…

How in the world did it succeed?

That was way too fearsome!

“It’s good that you’ve admitted to it! In truth… all those that I said before are just my conjectures. If you didn’t admit to it, I would have no way of proving the matter…” Zhang Xuan said.

What Zhang Xuan said was the truth.

The Library of Heaven’s Path only reflected flaws. It wouldn’t analyze a situation or provide answers for Zhang Xuan.

He only deduced the entire situation by stringing all of the flaws reflected together through logic. He also didn’t expect that… he would be spot-on.

“You…”

The old man’s face reddened and he nearly spewed blood.

If only he’d known that it was a conjecture, he would have never admitted to it.

Now, it would be hopeless even if he tried to deny it…

“There’s no need for you to act so gleefully!”

Narrowing his eyes, the old man tossed aside his dismal and sneered coldly, “My soul is in control now. Even if you know that I’ve possessed the body, what can you do? Do you intend to kill me? Or rather, I should ask…

“Do you dare?”

Chapter 472: Possessing Sun Qiang

The soul that is in control effectively becomes the owner of the body. If another soul couldn’t make it in time to fill up the gap following that soul’s expulsion, there was a high possibility that the body might die, thus becoming a corpse.

At the very least, at the current situation, even though the previous host’s soul was suppressed, it still stood a chance. Once the body became a corpse, he would be doomed.

“Zhang shi, the study of the soul is an incomparably complex subject. Even gods dare not claim to fully understand it. Given that he’s in control now, if the other soul is unable to take back control in time… that would be no different from murder!” Hall Master Sai’s expression turned grim.

“Indeed! You should think twice!” Luo Qin also panicked.

Everyone knew that the old man was here to conduct a trade. If he were to die here, the reputation of the auction hall would fall into the gutters.

“I should indeed think twice!” Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

They were right. The topic of souls was incredibly profound—conventional rules may not necessarily apply to it. If Zhang Xuan fails to resolve the issue properly, the old man might become an idiot or even worse, meet his demise. If so, it would be hard for him to avoid responsibility.

“Many people know about our trade. If anything happens to me, the Appraiser Hall and auction hall will be doomed!”

Seeing the hesitation in everyone’s eyes, the old man chuckled, “Why don’t I suggest something? Let’s continue on with our trade. I’ll give you the Soulless Metal Humanoid but… in exchange, you have to eradicate the soul of the previous host for me! In the end, regardless of whether you are trading with me or him, you will obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid, so why should you take the risk?”

There was nothing for Zhang Xuan to lose from accepting his deal. On the contrary, if he were to insist on saving the previous host, it was one thing if he succeeded, but what if he were to fail?

“Zhang shi…”

Luo Qin looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously.

He was a businessman and, in his view, there was nothing profitable from going through so much risk to save a mere passer-by.

In any case, everyone only knew that this fellow was plagued by an evil spirit. Regardless of which one was killed, as long as he walked out of the Appraiser Hall alive, the auction hall’s reputation could be retained.

“Your words do make sense! My goal is the Soulless Metal Humanoid so there’s indeed no need for me to take this risk.”

Sighing, Zhang Xuan eyebrows shot up and he glanced at the old man indifferently, “However, did you just say that there’s nothing I can do? I happen to have just thought of one method and I would like to give it a try…”

“Try?”

Not expecting the other party to want to make a move despite having persuaded him the entire time, Luo Qin’s face reddened in panic.

Are you trying it out just for fun?

You do know that a life is at stake here right…

“Gongzi…”

Worried, Jin Conghai turned to gongzi in hopes of getting him to convince Zhang Xuan otherwise.

But this time, Zhao Feiwu waved his hands grimly and said, “Don’t. This is the responsibility and mission of a master teacher. This isn’t something he should avoid!”

Behind the respect and prestige master teachers possessed was heavy responsibility.

Zhang Xuan didn’t know the name and background of this old man, and he never even interacted with him before. However… if he were to overlook his life and death, what would be left of his morals?

How could an immoral person enlighten the world and guide his students?

If one is upright, his intentions will be obeyed without a command. If one isn’t upright, his command will not move anyone.

Guiding a student wasn’t just about imparting him the best cultivation technique so that they could grow strong. More importantly, one had to instill the correct values in them.

Otherwise, even if they were to mature, they would only become scum and bring harm to the world. If so, master teachers would lose their purpose of existence.

“This…”

Jin Conghai froze, and he clenched his fists tightly.

As a poison master, he could resort to underhanded tricks to achieve his goals. However, the other party was different. He was a master teacher whose responsibility was to enlighten the world. If he were to cower before difficulty, how could he win the hearts of his student?

…

The old man didn’t expect for Zhang Xuan to adamantly choose to deal with him despite the advantages and disadvantages being set out clearly. His face darkened and he said, “So, you intend to stand against me?”

“Stand against you? You’re thinking too much. I just want to expel you. After all, this body doesn’t belong to you!”

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a few silver needles appeared on his palm.

“Silver needles? You intend to use this to deal me, a soul?”

He thought that the other party had some idea in mind but after seeing what the other party took out, the old man burst into laughter.

Those needles might be able to heal one’s physical injuries and resolve one’s cultivation bottleneck… But to deal with a soul? You must be joking!

It was as though using an arrow to shoot a fly — futile.

Disregarding the old man’s contempt, Zhang Xuan infused a surge of zhenqi into the needles and flicked his finger. A cold gleam flashed as the needles shot through the air.

“Needles are completely ineffective against souls…”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan really intended to use those needles to deal with the old man, Hall Master Sai slapped his face.

Given how confident the other party was, he thought that he might have some good idea in mind. In the end, it seemed like the other party intended to just try everything that seemed plausible.

Hall Master Sai had read quite a few books on soul oracles and so he knew a bit about souls. Souls were intangible and coming into contact with it through material objects was impossible.

It was just like using one’s sword to cut air. Even if the needle struck the old man, it would be ineffective on the intangible soul. Perhaps, it might even cause meridian blockage, resulting in internal injuries for the body.

“To expel a soul, one has to prepare plain clothes, yellow amulets, an altar of tributes to the heavens, and a formation as well. There’s no way a silver needle can work…”

Knowing that the method wouldn’t work, Hall Master Sai shook his head. He immediately revealed everything he knew in hopes that Zhang Xuan could follow the conventional method. However, halfway through his words, he gulped down a mouthful of saliva and started trembling. “How… is this possible?”

As soon as the silver needle pierced into the arrogant old man’s body, the latter’s face immediately paled.

Fear surfaced in his eyes. He wanted to escape, but he fell to the ground instead, convulsing ceaselessly.

With just a single needle, the other party’s soul lost control?

This… How in the world did he manage to do it?

If souls were that easy to deal with, soul oracles wouldn’t have been such a feared existence back then so as to require the Master Teacher Pavilion to make a move personally.

“Y-your zhenqi…”

While Hall Master Sai and the others were overwhelmed with shock, the old man was frenzied.

He had just said the silver needle would be useless when such a situation occurred. The intense fear he felt made him shriek uncontrollably.

What he feared wasn’t the silver needle but… the other party’s zhenqi!

That zhenqi seemed to carry a bizarre strength that expelled souls. Upon contact with it, his soul felt as though a bottle of hard alcohol being set ablaze. The excruciating pain made him feel as though he was being torn apart.

‘This is… superior zhenqi?’ The elder narrowed his eyes and a thought appeared in his head.

Legend had it that due to the inconceivable purity of superior zhenqi, it possessed the ability to ward off evil. This was also the main reason why despite the incredible means of the soul oracles, they still chose to avoid crossing the paths of master teachers back then.

Just that… superior zhenqi was something that very few people in the Master Teacher Pavilion possessed, inherited only by the descendants of the Kong shi and his students. Why in the world did this fellow possess it as well?

Could this fellow be a descendent of Kong shi’s lineage as well?

If that was the case, he was truly an existence to be feared.

He had only barely escaped from the eerie tomb and he just had to meet with this person. Fate sure was cruel!

“No, if this continues on, I’ll surely die…” As the number of silver needles on him increased, zhenqi was constantly being transmitted over via the tip of the needle, threatening to tear him apart. The old man’s eyes turned crimson.

Superior zhenqi was the bane of soul oracles. If this were to go on, there would be only one result — he would be incinerated into oblivion.

“I have to replace someone to possess…”

Knowing that he would surely crumble if this were to go on, the old man bore with the pain and silently assessed the group before him.

Continuing to remain in this body would only lead to his death. The only plausible course of action at this moment was to possess someone else and replace a way in the future to exact vengeance.

But even if he were to successfully possess someone here, he had to make sure that the bizarre young man wouldn’t replace out. Otherwise, if the other party were to launch another course of attack on him, he would still be doomed.

“Damn it… To force me into possessing another body once more, I’ll never forget this grudge!”

Even though he had made up his mind, the old man’s heart was dripping blood.

Possession wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Every single attempt at possession would cause immense damage to his soul. Not only would his cultivation fall, his soul would also be significantly wounded as well.

Before possessing the body of this old man, his cultivation was actually at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage. However, after the possession, his cultivation fell by two cultivation realms to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage.

In other words, even if he were to succeed, his cultivation would plummet sharply. Perhaps, it might fall by another two cultivation realms once more, falling down to Zhizun.

“It’ll have to be one of them…”

Roaring furiously, he looked around and finally found an ideal target.

Of the entire room, the weakest one should be Zhao Feiwu who had never cultivated before. However, she had quite a few treasures on her that made it difficult for even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan to kill her, lest be said, an incomplete soul like him.

Thus, the only viable targets were Zhao Ya, Sun Qiang, and the others.

Their strengths were at Zongshi realm so even if his cultivation fell once more after possession, he would still be able to suppress them easily.

“He is the one…”

The old man’s eyes glowed as he focused his attention on a plump man standing not too far away.

That fellow’s cultivation was the lowest of the group, and judging from the dull-witted expression on his face, he seemed to have the lowest wariness of the group. Thus, it should be easiest to possess his body.

“Possession!”

Having chosen a target, the old man immediately acted, knowing that he might lose his chance if he were to dawdle.

Hu!

His soul immediately converted into an intangible smoke which gushed straight toward the plump man.

Putong!

As soon as the soul left, the old man’s body immediately froze and fell motionless.

“He’s gone…”

Upon seeing the changes, Hall Master Sai cheered in delight.

The lack of reaction meant that there was no soul to control the body at the moment. Most probably, the possessing soul was driven into a corner some method of this Zhang shi, leaving it with no choice but to escape.

When the young man said that he was going to give it a try, Hall Master Sai thought that the possibility would surely be extremely slim. Never in his dreams did he expect that the other party… would succeed so easily.

“Un…”

Then, the unconscious old man suddenly jolted and his eyes slowly opened.

As the possessing soul escaped, the original soul was finally free of its shackles, allowing it to regain control over the body.

“I am itinerant cultivator Luo Zhu. Thank you Zhang shi for saving my life…”

Even though his soul had been suppressed during this period of time, he was still able to see the entire proceedings clearly. He knew that if it wasn’t for this young man’s persistence, the one to die would have surely been him.

No amount of words could express the gratitude he felt for the other party.

Standing up, he was just about to express his deep gratitude when a sound echoed not too far away.

Ah choo!

A plump man standing a short distance away suddenly felt a gust of chill and shivered.

“This is bad, h-he is being possessed!”

Hearing the sneezing sound, the old man Luo Zhu suddenly remembered something. His eyes narrowed and he immediately exclaimed.

A cultivator’s body is tempered by zhenqi, making them invulnerable to common illnesses. Under normal conditions, they would never sneeze.

Back then, when Luo Zhu was being possessed, he also sneezed. Given that the fellow had just left and this plump man immediately sneezed, it was clear that he was trying to take over the body of the latter!

Chapter 473: Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation

To think that this fellow would still try to possess other people despite having been driven off by Zhang shi, Luo Zhu’s face immediately paled.

“Possession?”

Everyone was taken aback.

The soul was an intangible matter. As such, when the possessing soul left the old man’s body, no one could tell where it went.

“That’s right. Back then, when I was possessed, I also sneezed. That fellow must have surely entered his body…”

Luo Zhu hurriedly pointed toward the plump man.

“Me?”

Naturally, the plump man was Sun Qiang. He was just watching the young master flaunt his immense capability in expelling the soul when the old man pointed a finger toward him. Taken aback, he blinked his eyes innocently and said, “I’ve been possessed?”

Shouldn’t possession result in a tug between the souls? If so, why was he still standing completely fine here?

“That fellow is incomparably cunning. He must have known that Zhang shi would expel him as soon as he takes control of your body. As such… he chose to hide within your body!” Luo Zhu said.

Having been possessed once before, he’d learned quite a bit about the means of the soul oracles.

“Hide?” Sun Qiang scratched his head.

“That’s right. Given the size of a human body, once he decides to conceal his presence, it’ll be impossible to replace him…” Luo Zhu panicked.

If an intangible object like a soul were to really try to conceal itself, it could be lying practically anywhere within a person’s body. Even the most formidable of people wouldn’t be able to sense it at all. This way, it would be equivalent to this plump man being equipped with a ticking time bomb. He could possibly be possessed at any moment!

Luo Zhu felt incredibly guilty. It was due to helping him that another person got harmed.

“If that’s really the case, the situation is really bad then…”

Hall Master Sai clenched his fists tightly.

Based on the few books that he had browsed through in the past, it would be one thing if the possessing soul were to make a move and forcibly wrestle for control over the body, but if the soul decided to conceal itself and make use of the other party’s body to nourish itself as though a leech, that could prove to be troublesome.

Under such circumstances, it was like a virus lying dormant in your body. If the illness hadn’t even struck yet, even the best of physicians couldn’t possibly treat you!

Zhang Xuan harrumphed and said, “He has decided to hide himself? He sure is bold!”

He didn’t expect the other party would dare possess Sun Qiang right after he had expelled him from the old man’s body. If he had known about it earlier, he would have sent a torrent of his zhenqi in to destroy his soul instantly.

But still, this problem wasn’t too difficult for him. Even 7-star master teachers who were known to specialize in the subject of souls might replace it difficult to replace a hiding soul but he was different.

With the Library of Heaven’s Path in hand, there was no flaw that he couldn’t replace. A mere hiding soul was nothing before it!

“Sun Qiang, execute a punching routine!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Yes!”

Nodding his head, Sun Qiang’s clenched fists shot out, creating a huge gust of wind in the surroundings.

Upon seeing his fist technique, the mouths Jin Conghai, Hall Master Sai, and the others twitched.

To think that a Zongshi realm expert would still be using a Mortal low-tier battle technique… They found it hard to look at those incredibly crude and simple moves.

Even 5-year-old kids were able to execute several of these kinds of battle techniques in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet this fellow was using this… Just the thought of it left them light-headed.

“I’ve been too busy with my cultivation technique recently that I neglected my battle techniques…”

Sun Qiang could tell what everyone was thinking through their expression and he felt a little embarrassed.

Even though his cultivation had soared during this period of time, he didn’t cultivate any new battle techniques to match his newfound strength. He was still stuck with the moves he’d used back in Tianxuan Kingdom.

Naturally, before the experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the battle techniques of an unranked kingdom meant nothing at all.

Given the other party’s battle technique and his slightly unsteady cultivation, they could easily wipe out dozens of him with just a single finger. Recalling how they were actually scared by this fellow back then in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, Jin Conghai and Gu Mu felt a little awkward.

“Alright!”

Ignoring the expression of the crowd, Zhang Xuan had already managed to replace the location where the soul was hiding after a book was compiled in the Library of Heaven’s Path. Taking out a silver needle, he immediately pierced it into the spot.

Puhe!

As soon as the silver needle pierced into Sun Qiang’s body, a piercing scream echoed from within.

“Y-you… How did you know I was here?”

An agitated ripple of a soul echoed by everyone’s ears as though a voice.

Clearly, that fellow who possessed Sun Qiang didn’t expect to be found in an instant.

“If you get out now, I will spare your life!”

Zhang Xuan harrumphed as zhenqi rumbled on the tip of the silver needle.

“Get out? Humph! Since you want to destroy me, let’s die together then! This fellow is only of Zongshi realm; I might be unable to devour Luo Zhu but devouring this fellow still isn’t a problem at all! Even if you were to kill me, what you will be left with is just a corpse!”

The frenzied thoughts of the soul came gushing out.

“Don’t harm the innocent…” Luo Zhu anxiously stepped forward.

Even he had nearly failed to hold on while wrestling control with the other party. Given how this plump man was only at Zongshi realm, if the other party were to really attempt a possession, the plump man’s soul would surely be completely devoured in an instant.

“It’s too late to beg with me now…”

Along with the furious howling of the soul, a powerful aura abruptly engulfed Sun Qiang, striking his consciousness, attempting to devour him altogether.

“Since I’ll die anyway, I’ll recoup my losses by dragging one or two down with me! After killing him, I’ll devour the others as well. How are you going to do about it? Do you think you can be bound down a soul? Haha… Ah? The heck! What is this? AH… SAVE ME…”

Just as the soul was gleefully trying to devour Sun Qiang whole, a frightened scream suddenly echoed.

Following which, everyone felt the aura of the incomparably arrogant and powerful soul shatter apart, as though a balloon placed atop of a pot of sizzling oil.

“This… What happened?”

Luo Zhu was dumbstruck.

Hall Master Sai and the others also widened their eyes in shock.

They had clearly felt the soul’s killing intent for themselves previously. Why did it suddenly begin to shout in agony, as though it had seen a ghost?

Did Zhang shi do something?

Everyone hurriedly turned to look at Zhang shi, only to see him dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what was going on.

Turning to look at Sun Qiang once more, his eyes were widened and he shook his hands frantically, “It wasn’t me…”

Boom!

Before he could finish his words, the aura of the plump man suddenly surged as though he had eaten some incredibly nutritious tonic. His cultivation realm soared swiftly from Zongshi realm primary stage.

“This is… Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation?”

Luo Zhu and Hall Master Sai’s vision suddenly turned dark simultaneously.

“What does that mean?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“While ordinary cultivators cultivate their physical bodies and zhenqi, soul oracles are different in the sense that they cultivate their souls. Their entire cultivation is contained within their soul such that even if they were to possess someone, they could recover back to their original strength swiftly…”

Luo Zhu’s lips turned pale, “Now that soul oracle’s soul has been destroyed, his entire cultivation has been reduced into nourishment for your servant’s body…”

“There’s such a matter as well?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“Indeed. The strength of soul oracles is derived purely from soul energy, and it has no attributes whatsoever. It is compatible with all cultivators, and there is no threat of a conflict at all… If I’m not mistaken, your servant’s cultivation will surely increase by leaps and bounds!”

Even until now, Luo Zhu still had a dazed look on his face as he stared at the ignorant Sun Qiang.

What kind of monsters did he meet this time?

A young man who wasn’t even twenty yet was able to expel the possessing soul of the soul oracle from him with just a silver needle. His servant turned out to be even more formidable. A soul oracle tried to devour him, only to end up being devoured himself…

“H-he… was able to devour even a soul oracle?”

Gu Mu and Jin Conghai, who was just making light of Sun Qiang a moment ago due to his mediocre battle technique, suddenly turned pale.

Soul oracle was one of the most fearsome occupations in the ancient times. Back then, even the reputation of the poison masters paled to them. There were no experts who wouldn’t tremble before them… And yet, this fellow devoured one of their members as though it was nothing at all…

Did you have to be so monstrous?

It was no wonder why you acted so arrogantly at the Poison Hall back then… it seems like you have the capability to back your actions!

“His soul cultivation is currently at an unfathomable level, make sure not to offend him in the future…”

Clenching his fists tightly, Jin Conghai hurriedly instructed his student through telepathy.

Even Luo Zhu, a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle expert, was helpless before the possession of the soul oracle, and he could only be tortured day and night by it.

Yet, this fellow, despite possessing only the cultivation of a Zongshi realm, was able to kill the other party so easily. The strength of his soul must have reached an astounding level.

“If even the servant is so formidable, how powerful must the young master be?”

Thinking so, Jin Conghai turned to look at the young man not too far away in awe.

Since even a mere servant could devour a Transcendent Mortal realm soul oracle so easily, the young master must be even more formidable than that. It was no wonder why he was adept in so many occupations and his eye of discernment was extraordinary. Perhaps, even though his cultivation seemed to be only Half-Transcension before them, his true strength might be far beyond that.

Just as he was overwhelmed by shock, Sun Qiang’s rising aura finally came to a halt.

From Zongshi realm, his cultivation surged swiftly and broke through the bottleneck of a Half-Transcension, thus successfully advancing to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan!

Even though the cultivation of a soul oracle would plummet after a possession… that fellow was devoured even before he had a chance to possess him. In other words, the energy his soul harnessed was still that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan.

Having devoured the entire strength of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan soul, Sun Qiang’s cultivation managed to soar above Zhang Xuan’s, reaching Transcendent Mortal 1-dan intermediate stage.

However, as this energy came from an external source, Sun Qiang’s ability to drive it was still immature. As such, his fighting prowess was still far beneath Zhang Xuan.

“M-my cultivation…”

Sensing the change in his body, Sun Qiang blinked his eyes blankly.

Even until now, he hadn’t made sense of the situation yet.

Wasn’t that fellow going to devour him?

Did the other party’s compassion suddenly work up, and knowing that since he was going die, he allowed himself to be devoured instead?

“It’s… the zhenqi that young master left within me!”

Quickly turning his gaze into his body, he soon came to a realization.

Back then, when he went to Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, fearful for his safety, the young master had left a surge of zhenqi in his body.

However, he ended up not using it in the end, and gradually, he forgot about the matter.

And previously, when the soul tried to devour him, the surge of zhenqi immediately gushed forward to protect him, reducing the assailant into ashes.

In reality, his guess was spot-on. That was indeed the case.

When Zhang Xuan treated Luo Zhu previously, in order to prevent the other party from realizing the uniqueness of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he only infused a tinge of it in each silver needle. On the other hand, he’d left an entire surge within Sun Qiang’s body. That was a difference in quantity of nearly a thousand times… The soul of that soul oracle had already been wounded before so how could it possibly survive that onslaught!

“Thank you, young master…”

Coming to a realization, Sun Qiang was just about to run forward to thank the young master for saving his life when, unbeknownst to him, the calm young master was already standing before Luo Zhu.

“Elder Luo Zhu, is it? May I ask you where did you capture the soul oracle from? Can you get a few more here so that my students can make a breakthrough in their cultivation as well?”

“…” Luo Zhu.

“…” Hall Master Sai.

Chapter 474: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (1)

Other people would tremble in fear upon hearing the reputation of the soul oracle, escaping as far as they could. And yet, this fellow actually wanted to obtain a few more so that his students could make a breakthrough?

Everyone felt their lower jaws falling to the floor, and they nearly spurted blood.

If anyone else had said such words, they would definitely doubt if they had gone mad. However, after the incident with Sun Qiang, they knew that the other party was making an earnest request…

Capturing soul oracles to raise one’s cultivation…

Big brother, are you treating that fearsome occupation as a nourishment pill?

Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Luo Zhu hurriedly explained, “That… Zhang shi, the soul oracles have already died out; it’s been that way since ancient times. The reason why this one was still alive is probably because it made use of some secret art to put itself in a dormant state, and I only happened to wake it up unintentionally… There won’t be many of such exceptions in the world.”

Soul oracles didn’t number many, even during the ancient times, and after the crusade the Master Teacher Pavilion launched against it back then, those who survived could be counted on one’s hands. To replace even one required immense luck. Did you think that they are like potatoes and carrots on the street, and you can easily fill a sack of them anywhere?

To replace a few to augment the cultivation of your students…

You sure know how to dream!

“There aren’t many of them? That’s truly a pity…”

Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment.

Seeing how easily Sun Qiang advanced from Zongshi realm to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan as easily as though eating or drinking… If he were to manage to obtain a few of them, he wouldn’t have to worry about the cultivation of Zhao Ya and the others. If they could reach Transcendent Mortal realm, they would surely be a great assistance even if they were to reach the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

Knowing that replaceing other soul oracles depended heavily on luck, Zhang Xuan decided not to dawdle on the topic. Thus, he turned to Luo Zhu and asked, “Right, about the soul oracle tomb where you found the Soulless Metal Humanoid, can you tell us your story?”

The others were also intrigued by the matter.

Where in the world did this fellow obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid from, and how in the world did he end up getting possessed by a soul oracle?

“I can only blame my own greed for the matter! I found some possible clues to a soul oracle tomb on an ancient book and thinking that there might be invaluable treasures housed there, I went over… in the end, I did manage to replace a few Soulless Metal Humanoids. However, right after I kept one of them, I was possessed by the soul oracle there. Flustered, I immediately escaped…”

Luo Zhu’s face turned red in embarrassment.

His experience was rather similar to what the others guessed. He managed to replace a soul oracle tomb so he entered it in search of treasure. Yet, he couldn’t have expected that a soul oracle was lying in wait for a victim.

After wrestling for many days, he felt that the other party was getting stronger and stronger, and he sensed that he would be doomed if this were to continue on. Thus, he immediately headed over to the auction hall so as to make use of the Appraiser Hall’s reputation to gather a larger group of people interested in the soul oracles here in the hope that one of them could cure him of his affliction.

It was fortunate that his luck wasn’t bad; he managed to meet Zhang shi.

Otherwise, if it were anyone else, the other party would have surely traded with the soul oracle and destroyed his soul instead.

After hearing the other party’s experience, Zhang Xuan asked, “I would like to take a look at the soul oracle tomb and see if I can replace their heritage. Can you bring me over?”

The reason why he came to Honghai City was to replace the heritage of the soul oracles so as to replace a method to wake Lu Chong up. Since there was an opportunity right before him, naturally, he couldn’t simply let it go.

“Go to the soul oracle tomb?” Luo Zhu’s body trembled in fear.

The previous experience had already left him wary of the location. As such, he couldn’t help but feel intense fear from the thought of having to return there.

“If you’re worried, you can just tell me the location. I can head there alone.”

After hesitating for a moment, Luo Zhu clenched his jaws and said, “That… There’s no need for that! Since Zhang shi has saved me, my life belongs to you. If you really intend to head there, I’ll lead you over!”

If not for this Zhang shi, his soul would definitely have been eradicated. The huge favor that the other party had shown him was definitely beyond the value of a mere Soulless Metal Humanoid.

“However… Zhang shi, you have to be careful. That place is treacherous so I think that it would be best for you should make some additional preparations beforehand. Otherwise, I fear that… even with your extraordinary capability, you might still be caught off guard!”

Recalling the various sinister encounters in the tomb, Luo Zhu’s heart shuddered.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

To be capable of becoming one of the most feared occupation during the ancient times, soul oracles were anything but simple. Even though the Heaven’s Path zhenqi had played a part as to why Sun Qiang could devour the soul oracle so easily, more importantly, that fellow’s soul had already declined to a very weak state after innumerable years of existence.

On top of that, he had wrestled control with Luo Zhu for such a long period of time so it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he was already wearied out. Thus, it wasn’t surprising for him to be defeated so easily.

But it was a different matter venturing into the tomb. It was impossible to know if there were more soul oracles in the tomb, and if so, their means and their strength. As such, this journey was fated to be a difficult one.

After contemplating for a moment, Luo Zhu said, “I will make the preparations for the items required now so let’s set off in three days’ time!”

Having explored the soul oracle tomb, he had a rough idea on the various objects that soul oracle feared. However, these objects weren’t sold on the market so he had to make them himself.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

It worked with him as well since the cultivation techniques and battle techniques he’d asked the Appraiser Hall for hadn’t arrived yet, and there were various matters he had to attend to here as well. As such, an interval of three days was perfect for him.

“Then… I’ll be taking my leave then!”

After chatting for a moment longer and knocking into place the various details regarding the visit to the soul oracle tomb, Luo Zhu clasped his fist and left.

After Luo Zhu left, the room fell silent. With a reddened face, Hall Master Sai asked, “Zhang shi, the bizarre heritage of the ancient soul oracle intrigues me as well so… I wish to take a look as well. Would you mind if I were to accompany you on the journey?”

He failed to be of any use for the purchase of the Soulless Metal Humanoid this time around and yet he was requesting to be allowed to enjoy the rewards as well. As such, he felt a little embarrassed.

However, the soul oracles had left an astounding legend in history and as an appraiser, he didn’t wish to miss a chance to come into contact with it in close distance.

“Zhang shi, I wish to take a look as well…”

Luo Qin hurriedly chirped in too.

Since there were profits to be derived from it, the auction hall wanted to have a stake in it as well. The soul oracles specialized in the study of souls, and one could only render their services if one were to offer a huge amount in tribute to them. Thus, many soul oracles possessed a huge wealth. If he could obtain some of them, the auction hall would surely reap huge profits.

“You wish to take a look as well?” Zhang Xuan frowned for a moment before his eyes abruptly lit up, “Sure! However, I advise you all to prepare sufficient spirit stones beforehand. This way, if there are any treasures there, you can buy it on the spot!”

These two were definitely wealthy people. If there was anything of value in the tomb, he could sell it to them straight and earn some profits.

Currently, gold coins were already useless to him. If he could obtain some more spirit stones, it would surely benefit both the cultivation progress of him and his students.

“Yes!”

The duo nodded their heads in agreement.

If anyone were to say such words, the both of them would definitely leave the other party searching the floor for their teeth.

But after witnessing Zhang shi’s incredible capability that could eradicate even a soul oracle easily… they didn’t dare to harbor such thoughts anymore.

To be acknowledged by the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, discerning that Luo Zhu was possessed immediately… and not to mention, he was a master teacher. Given all of these, it was clear that the other party wasn’t someone they could trifle with.

After confirming the matter, Zhang Xuan turned to Hall Master Sai and asked, “Right, may I trouble Hall Master Sai to bring me to your library? I wish to look through the books concerning soul oracles!”

Since he had come to the Appraiser Hall, naturally, he should also pay their library a visit as well. A deep knowledge on appraising and soul oracles might just serve him well in the future.

“That’s not a problem at all!”

Hall Master Sai was still fearful as to what ridiculous request Zhang Xuan might ask of him but after hearing that it was just to look through the books, he heaved a sigh of relief and agreed with a smile.

The young man before him possessed appraising capability above that of his. Even without permission, he also possessed the qualifications to enter the library.

“That would be great! Also, may I trouble Hall Master Sai to prepare living quarters for my students and Zhao gongzi so that they may rest?”

Zhang Xuan requested once more.

Right after their long journey from Xuanyuan Kingdom, they immediately visited the Appraiser Hall and attended the auction… At this moment, everyone was already feeling slightly fatigued.

Hall Master Sai nodded his head and backed out. Not too long later, he led the group into a few quiet rooms.

Right after entering one of the room, Zhang Xuan immediately called Zhao Ya and the others to gather by his side.

“The soul oracle tomb is a treacherous place so you have to raise your cultivation as much as possible in these few days so that you all can ensure your own safety.”

Even a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, Luo Zhu, had fallen prey to the threats lying within the tomb. His students were only at Zongshi realm at the moment, thus putting them in a very vulnerable position. They had to raise their cultivation quickly or else they would just end up as baggage.

“Feel free to use the spirit stones as you all like. Within three days, all of you must reach Zhizun realm. Otherwise, I won’t allow you to come with me!”

Throwing a bunch of spirit stones to each of them, Zhang Xuan instructed.

Previously, due to his lack of wealth, he felt reluctant to even use the spirit stones himself and thus, his students had never really come into contact with them as well. However, after the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and the auction, Zhang Xuan had more than twenty thousand spirit stones in hand at the moment. With such wealth at hand, he wouldn’t be stingy with his own students.

“Yes!” After hearing their teacher’s instruction, the group immediately clenched their jaws in determination.

The breakthrough from Zongshi realm to Zhizun was difficult. However, their teacher had already deciphered and analyzed the various cultivation problems they were facing and might face. In addition to that, they were also cultivating the cultivation technique their teacher tailored for them. With so many spirit stones in their hands now, if they were unable to accomplish such a simple task, they would be too ashamed to address Zhang laoshi as their teacher.

“Alright, go and cultivate!”

After which, Zhang Xuan left the room and following behind Hall Master Sai, he arrived at the Appraiser Hall’s library.

Appraising covered a huge range of topics—culture, history, painting, antiques, equipment… The knowledge in the subject was unimaginably vast and so, the Appraiser Hall’s library had much more book than the libraries of other occupation.

Upon stepping into it, Zhang Xuan was immediately stunned by the immense size of the library.

Compared to this library, the Tianwu Kingdom’s book collection vault and even Xuanyuan Kingdom’s Master Teacher Pavilion weren’t worth of mentioning.

“Time to begin!”

Zhang Xuan began collecting the books into the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Hualalala!

After spending nearly an entire day’s time, he managed to duplicate all of the books in the library into the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan realized that his body was fatigued and even staying awake was a chore.

After traveling here from Xuanyuan Kingdom, visiting the Appraiser Hall, challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, and participating in the auction, Zhang Xuan was extremely exhausted. His physical exhaustion didn’t amount to much but overuse of his Eye of Insight had depleted his Soul Depth. On top of that, he had collected a vast quantity of books in a short period of time and this had left him completely fatigued.

Thus, he went to sleep and only on the second day’s afternoon did he manage to recover.

As long as he didn’t hurt his foundation, his Soul Depth would naturally recover with sufficient rest.

“Let’s see if I can replace any clues from the Soulless Metal Humanoid!”

After waking up and stretching his back, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a giant metal humanoid appeared in front of him.

Ever since he bought it from the auction, he hadn’t gotten a chance to examine it closely yet. Since he was free at the moment, he decided to give it a good look. Perhaps, he might be able to replace some clues that could give him a deeper understanding of the soul oracles.

The gold humanoid lay there quietly in front of Zhang Xuan, no different from a lifeless puppet. After observing it for a moment, Zhang Xuan was unable to discern anything peculiar about it. Thus, he placed his finger on the puppet.

“Flaws!”

Hu!

A book appeared in his mind.

Flipping it open, Zhang Xuan began reading through his contents and slowly, his eyebrows knitted together. A bizarre expression appeared on his face.

“Th-this… How is this possible?”