194: Forced auction

As Lei Lie was dragged away like a dead dog, the atmosphere in the square, after a momentary freeze, became exceptionally heated.

This heat did not stem from joy, but from a primal urge to survive.

Who among those present wasn't a shrewd individual?

Looking at the four Female Demon Lords on the high stage who looked ready to poke a hole in the sky, and then at Su Lin, who looked indifferent as if he had just swatted a fly, everyone understood.

This Daochu Sect was not to be provoked.

And this Su Lin was even more untouchable!

"Good! Excellent skill!"

The Sect Master of the Tianyuan Sword Sect was the first to jump out, clapping his hands until they were red, with a smile on his face that looked worse than crying.

"That fellow Lei Lie relied on his profound cultivation to bully others daily. Today, Sect Master Su's punishment is truly... gratifying! Truly gratifying!"

"Exactly! Sect Master Su's Divine Might is unparalleled, and his disciple are... er, heroines among women!"

"We admire you! We admire you to the point of total prostration!"

For a moment, the sounds of flattery surged like a tide.

Su Lin's ears were growing calluses from listening, so he waved his hand, signaling Gu Qiuyue that she could begin.

Gu Qiuyue understood perfectly and walked to the front of the stage holding that glittering gold abacus.

She had specifically changed into a long purple dress embroidered with gold ingots today, making her look incredibly wealthy and imposing.

"Fellow Daoists, since everyone has graced us with their presence, our Daochu Sect cannot be stingy."

She looked around with a smile, her gaze making the guests below feel like fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"For today's Re-emergence Ceremony, besides the observation, there is a more important segment—the auction."

"Auction?"

Everyone was stunned.

"That's right."

Gu Qiuyue snapped her fingers.

Several strong miners came up carrying several huge boxes.

"These are all specialties brought back from the depths of the foreign realm by my Revered Master and Senior Sisters."

Gu Qiuyue opened the first box.

A thick scent of blood and a primitive aura instantly filled the venue.

Inside the box were crystals emitting a dark red glow and several huge beast bones that hadn't completely weathered yet.

"This is the Blood Fiend Crystal, produced in the Red Lotus Blood Sea; it is a top-tier Materials for refining Demonic Path Magic Treasure."

Gu Qiuyue picked up a crystal and shook it in the sunlight.

"Starting price, ten thousand High-Grade Spirit Stone."

There was silence below the stage.

Ten thousand High-Grade Spirit Stone? While the price wasn't outrageous, it certainly wasn't cheap. Moreover, this item's Devilish Qi was too heavy, so Righteous Path Cultivators couldn't use it at all.

Seeing no one bidding, Su Hongling, who was standing to the side, became unhappy.

With a "thud," she slammed her giant sword, no edge, onto the ground, her red eyes scanning the crowd fiercely.

"What? No one's buying?"

She pointed at the Sect Master of the Tianyuan Sword Sect.

"Old Man, I see your forehead is darkened with bad luck. This Blood Fiend Crystal is just right to bring you some good fortune. Are you buying or not?"

The Tianyuan Sect Master trembled all over, and looking at that giant sword still stained with brain matter, he was almost moved to tears.

"I'll buy! I'll buy! I bid twenty thousand!"

"Now that's more like it!" Su Hongling nodded with satisfaction and looked at the Myriad Poison Ancestor. "You, the one who plays with bugs—I see you like this bone quite a bit. Taking it back to make soup?"

The Myriad Poison Ancestor's face turned green as he looked at the beast bone, which clearly carried a toxic and cursed aura.

"I... I bid thirty thousand!"

Under Su Hongling's "enthusiastic promotion," the atmosphere of the auction reached an unprecedented climax.

Regardless of whether it was useful or not, or even a broken stone Su Hongling picked up from the ground, everything was sold for a sky-high price.

"This piece is a specialty from the Tongtian Demon Peak."

Gu Qiuyue picked up a black stone, which Su Hongling had casually pried off while climbing the Demon Peak.

"Starting price, fifty thousand."

"One hundred thousand! I bid one hundred thousand!"

"One hundred and fifty thousand! No one snatch it from me! This is a stone Sect Master Su stepped on; it carries Immortal Qi!"

"Two hundred thousand! I'm going to take it back and enshrine it!"

The guests had gone mad.

They had to be mad.

That red-clothed Female Demon Lords carrying the giant sword was grinding her teeth nearby, her gaze clearly saying: if anyone dares to let a bid fail, I'll twist off their head and kick it like a ball.

Better to lose one's wealth than one's life.

Sitting in the main seat, Su Lin's lips twitched slightly as he watched this scene.

This was the so-called "grand ceremony"?

This was clearly a bandit's den for forced buying and selling!

"Revered Master, look, everyone is very enthusiastic."

Luo Ximei peeled a spirit fruit and handed it to Su Lin's lips, smiling like a fox.

"It shows that Revered Master's prestige remains, and it is what the people want."

"What the people want?" Su Lin rolled his eyes. "I think it's what the people panic about."

Chu Weiwei was counting the collected Storage Pouch to the side, unable to close her mouth from smiling.

"Who cares if they panic or not? Anyway, the money is in hand. With this money, I can buy many more rare toxic grasses to refine medicine for Revered Master..."

"You dare!"

Just then.

A melodious and majestic horn sound suddenly came from the horizon.

"Woo— woo— woo—"

The sound penetrated the clouds, carrying a vast imperial pressure that instantly drowned out the clamor in the square.

The originally cloudless sky was suddenly filled with rolling auspicious clouds.

The phantoms of nine hundred-foot-long golden Dragons pulled an extremely luxurious golden chariot, slowly approaching from the clouds.

Around the chariot followed hundreds of Imperial Guards dressed in golden armor and holding long halberds, each possessing a cultivation at the Soul Transformation Stage.

That surging imperial pressure was like Mount Tai pressing down, causing all the guests who were just feeling heartbroken over their Spirit Stone to turn pale instantly, even finding it difficult to breathe.

"This... this is nine Dragons pulling a carriage?!"

The Sect Master of the Tianyuan Sword Sect looked up tremblingly.

"Golden-armored guards, Imperial Dragon Qi... This is one of the five top Sects, the Chaotian Sect!

And this display... the one who came is definitely an old fogey of the Sect!"

"Tribulation Transcendence Stage! Definitely a great expert of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage!"

The crowd instantly boiled, followed by a deathly silence.

In this era where those at the Mahayana Stage are already as rare as Phoenix feathers and Dragon horns, what does the Tribulation Transcendence Stage mean?

It means a Terrestrial Immortal! It means the ceiling of cultivation in this world!

It is an existence with one foot truly stepped into the immortal gate, able to trigger the Law of heaven and earth with a breath, and change the world with a single thought.

"It's over, it's over. This time, the Daochu Sect is truly finished!"

"They must be here to subdue demons! Su Lin and this group of Devil Heads made too much noise, and they finally provoked a real big shot!"

Many people secretly complained in their hearts, yet also felt a faint sense of expectation.

If this expert from the Chaotian Sect acted, perhaps they could get back the Spirit Stone they had handed over?

However.

Before that golden chariot could even come to a steady stop.

"Protect the Revered Master!!!"

A delicate shout resounded through the clouds.

The four disciple who were still "slacking off" on the high stage showed an amazing tacit understanding at this moment.

"Boom!"

Su Hongling was the first to move. The giant sword no edge in her hand was slammed into the ground in front of Su Lin, sinking three feet deep and kicking up a cloud of debris.

Her petite body stood before the giant sword, her red clothes fluttering loudly, the golden war patterns all over her body flashing wildly as the blood energy of a Mahayana Stage Body Cultivator erupted without reservation, forcibly carving out a vacuum zone within that imperial pressure.

"You old undying! What do you want to do?!"

She pointed at the chariot in the sky, a fierce light showing in her red eyes, like a mother tiger protecting her cub.

"If you dare touch a single hair of my Old Man, I'll skin all your Dragons and stew them for soup!!"

"Form the array!"

Luo Ximei followed closely behind.

She took a step forward and stood to Su Lin's left, her platinum right eye instantly widening as black and white Devilish Qi soared into the sky, condensing behind her into a thousand-foot-tall Demon God Phantom that stared fixedly at the chariot.

"I don't care if you're the Chaotian Sect or the Chaodi Sect! If you want to touch Revered Master, first ask if my Demon Pupil agrees!"

Chu Weiwei stood on the right, her hands suddenly scattering green powder into the sky.

The toxic mist spread rapidly, wrapping Su Lin's surroundings tightly.

"Revered Master, don't be afraid! Weiwei will poison him to death right now! As long as he dares to come down and take a breath, even if he's at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, he'll rot into a puddle of water!"

"Frozen... Absolute Domain."

Mu Qingxue was the last to land; she stood behind Su Lin, her hands pressing on his shoulders as a burst of bone-chilling spiritual power instantly enveloped Su Lin's entire body, forming a layer of indestructible Ice Crystal Armor.

Her pale blue eyes coldly watched the sky, and the space around her seemed to freeze under this chill.

"Anyone who approaches within three feet dies."

In an instant.

Su Lin was surrounded so tightly by these four disciple that not even a strand of hair was exposed.

This stance—did it look like they were welcoming a distinguished guest? It was clearly a preparation to fight to the death!

Sitting in the middle, Su Lin felt the four waves of determined and crazed protective intent around him, feeling both moved and helpless.

He was just about to open his mouth to explain a few words.

In the sky, the curtain of the golden chariot was slowly pulled open.

An elderly man with a lean face, wearing a purple-gold Daoist robe and a high crown, stepped out slowly.

There was no spiritual power fluctuation on his body; he looked just like an ordinary mortal Daoist.

But with every step he took, a golden auspicious cloud was born beneath his feet, and the Law of heaven and earth seemed to bow in greeting to him.

The Grand Elder of the Chaotian Sect, a Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert—Wu Tian.

Standing in the clouds, his gaze swept over the four Female Demon Lords below who were ready for battle, finally landing on Su Lin, who was protected in the very center.

Originally, everyone present thought that this leader of the Righteous Path would directly bring down a thunderous wrath to suppress this group of lawless Devil Heads.

However.

A smile of appreciation slowly appeared on Wu Tian's face.

He ignored Su Hongling's shouting and didn't care about the toxic mist and Devilish Qi.

He adjusted his clothes and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, performed an extremely solemn... cupped-fist bow towards Su Lin below.

"Wu Tian of the Chaotian Sect greets Fellow Daoist Su."

"?!"

The entire venue was petrified.

Su Hongling's hand holding the giant sword froze in mid-air.

The demonic light in Luo Ximei's eyes flickered, almost going out.

The poison bottle in Chu Weiwei's hand nearly fell to the ground.

Even the guests waiting to watch the show had their eyes bulging out one by one.

A Tribulation Transcendence Stage big shot... bowing to a "Body Integration Stage"?

And calling him Fellow Daoist?

Has this world gone mad?!

"Fellow Daoist Su."

Wu Tian ignored the strange atmosphere around him, his voice as warm as jade, clearly reaching every corner.

"I have come this time not to condemn, but to... give thanks."

"Give thanks?" Su Hongling asked warily, "Thanks for what? Thanks for my mercy in not killing you?"

Wu Tian laughed in spite of himself and shook his head.

"In the battle of Juejian Pass in the Western Desert, Fellow Daoist Su used a great Divine Ability to repair the Boundary Wall, saving the world from the brink of collapse and rescuing hundreds of millions of lives from fire and water."

"Such Karma is enough to move heaven and earth."

"Although I have been in seclusion for many years, I also sensed that Noble Spirit and the great power that changed the world."

As he spoke, he looked at Su Lin with burning eyes, filled with undisguised admiration.

"Everyone says that Fellow Daoist Su's cultivation has dropped, but in my view, you have broken through to establish yourself anew; the Great Dao is complete!"

"Not judging by cultivation level, but solely by this responsibility and means, the title of the Number one person in the world... Fellow Daoist Su is well-deserved!"

These words were like a heavy bomb exploding in the crowd.

Those Cultivators who originally thought Su Lin was just relying on his disciple to live off them now only felt a burning pain in their cheeks.

So... the man was truly impressive!

Even a Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert had personally stamped and certified it!

"And..."

Wu Tian's gaze swept over the four disciple blocking the way in front of Su Lin, and the look of appreciation in his eyes grew even stronger.

"To be able to teach such brilliant, talented, and deeply affectionate disciple, Fellow Daoist Su's teaching ethics and methods make me feel even more ashamed."

"The pinnacle of a Body Cultivator, breaking through the Void Realm with strength."

"A Demon Path Supreme Being, governing Yin and Yang."

"Unrivaled in both medicine and poison, bringing the dead back to life and growing flesh on bones."

"Freezing ten thousand miles, with a clear Dao Heart."

"These four Fairies, any one of them placed in my Chaotian Sect, would be a peerless Prodigy to be cultivated as the next Sect Head."

"And now, they are all willing to protect you by your side, following you through life and death."

Wu Tian sighed, his tone even carrying a hint of envy.

"Fellow Daoist Su is truly a Divine Being!"

This wave of flattery was quite skillfully delivered.

Not only did it praise Su Lin, but it also praised all four disciple along with him.

The four disciple who were originally full of Killing Intent were now a bit dazed.

"This Old Man... is he praising us?" Su Hongling scratched her head and lowered the giant sword in her hand. "It sounds quite pleasant to the ear."

"At least he's sensible." Luo Ximei retracted her Devilish Qi and gave a soft snort. "It's good that he knows Revered Master's greatness."

Chu Weiwei also put away the toxic powder, muttering in a low voice: "Since he's here to praise Revered Master, then I won't poison him to death for now."

Su Lin pushed aside the "Ice Crystal Armor" blocking him and walked out from the disciple' circle.

He still maintained an air of calm indifference, as if facing the praise of a Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert was only natural.

He nodded slightly and returned the bow.

"Fellow Daoist overpraises me."

"I have merely done what was within my duty and taught a few unpromising disciple."

"Unpromising?"

Wu Tian laughed heartily and took out a glittering golden box from his sleeve, tossing it lightly to Su Lin.

"If this is considered unpromising, then all the Cultivators in the world should find a piece of tofu to bash their heads against."

"Today is the re-emergence of the Daochu Sect. I came in a hurry and didn't bring any grand gifts."

"This Nine Heavens Soil was obtained by me in my early years. Perhaps it will be of some use for repairing the mountain gate; please accept it, Fellow Daoist Su."

Nine Heavens Soil!

Hearing this name, Gu Qiuyue's eyes instantly turned into two huge gold ingots.

That was a legendary divine object; a single grain of dust could turn into a ten-thousand-foot-high mountain. It was a supreme treasure of the earth element and an excellent material for repairing Spiritual Vein and reshaping grotto-heavens!

This gift was too heavy!

Heavy enough to buy ten Tianyuan Sword Sects!