112: His cultivation was sealed, and he was threatened while bidding for lightning-struck wood.

As the sky lightened with dawn, Jiang Yan returned to the inn, looking utterly disheveled.

When the Shop Assistant saw him, he initially thought it was some blind beggar coming to beg for food so early in the morning.

But upon clearly seeing Jiang Yan's face, he immediately put on an ingratiating smile.

Upon learning Jiang Yan wanted a bath, the Shop Assistant didn't hesitate, immediately heating water and getting to work.

Soaking in the bathtub, Jiang Yan looked at his personal panel before him. He really wanted to complain to the Heavenly Dao again, but reality told him that if he dared to spout off once more, the next punishment wouldn't be just a simple lesson.

[Host: Jiang Yan]

[Talents: Heaven Rewards the Diligent, Life Span Plunder, Sword Dao Growth, Alchemy Growth, Spear Realm Growth Bonus]

[Level: 28]

[Current Experience: 47.65%]

[life span: 22/56,937 Years]

[Available life span: 389,871 Years (Can be used to strengthen Cultivation Techniques, Spells, Martial Skill proficiency)]

[Essence: 86.5 (Divine Power Realm Middle Stage)]

[Spirit: 31]

[Realm: Flawless Primordial Chaos Core Formation First Layer (Cultivation Seal Countdown: 36 hours 10 minutes 48 seconds)]

[Dao: 72.1]

[dao seeds: Blood (Perfect Nine Apertures) Kill (Nascent Form)]

[Concepts: Sword (Blunt Sword Sheath) Spear (Hidden Origin Realm)]

[Talisman: Grandmaster Level]

[Alchemy: Pill Envoy]

[Cultivation Techniques: Qi Refining Technique Advanced Chapter (scratching the surface) Blood Coagulation Qi Refining Method Advanced Chapter (scratching the surface)]

[Spells: Thunderstorm Art (grasped) Breath Concealment Technique (grasped) Tiger Roar Sound Wave (mastery) Blood Shadow Ghost Evasion (mastery) Cloud Breaking Art (mastery) Hundred Refinements Divine Mechanism Art (grasped) Pill Condensation Art (not started)]

[Martial Skills: Nine Dragons Sword (Legacy Level, beginner) Sword Rain Art (grasped) Sword Breaking Method (mastery) Sword Shadow Art (mastery) Qi Blood Fiend Source Scripture (grasped)]

...Seeing his cultivation sealed once again, he buried his head in the water and started blowing bubbles.

Since he couldn't complain to the Heavenly Dao, he would just vent underwater, letting out a torrent of output.

Just as he was mentally cursing the Heavenly Dao a hundred times over, the door was knocked.

"Master, I heard you just returned. Do you need my service?" Yin Duo's voice sounded from outside.

Hearing it was Yin Duo, Jiang Yan quickly stuck his head out and shouted, "No need. In a moment, just have the Shop Assistant dispose of the water."

"Yes, Master," Yin Duo replied, then asked, "Master, when are we leaving?"

Glancing again at the cultivation Seal countdown, Jiang Yan said, "We'll stay for another day and a half. After all, I still have some matters to attend to."

"Alright, I'll go tell them," Yin Duo said, then turned and left.

With Yin Duo's departure, Jiang Yan didn't plan to keep soaking either, as he truly had some things to do.

After dressing and waiting for the Shop Assistant to empty the bathwater and leave, Jiang Yan sorted several Storage Pouches by category and laid them out on the bed.

Although he had no cultivation power, he could still open the Storage Pouches using his Divine Soul without issue.

After a pile of treasures and resources were sorted and packed away, he was somewhat shocked by the sheer volume of these resources.

To put it bluntly, he could completely establish a small-scale Sect with these resources alone.

'No wonder my Cheap Master would say such things; it really wasn't an exaggeration.'

He used to think the resources Li Yi mentioned were somewhat boastful, but now he understood that Li Yi's statements were actually too conservative.

It's important to know that these resources of his already amounted to two-thirds of the Blood Cloud Sect's holdings. If one were to acquire them all, it would likely be an astronomical figure.

'Ah, ah, ah... Murder and arson bring golden belts, while building roads and bridges leave no bones behind...'

The Several women didn't know what Jiang Yan intended to do, but upon learning they would stay here another day, they had no objections. After all, it was just one day, and they were still in the market district, which was far better than being on a mission and camping in the wilderness.

After Jiang Yan finished categorizing all the resources and Magic Treasures, he didn't idle. He directly took Yin Duo and headed for the Auction House.

On the way, the two heard no shortage of stories about Heartless, some even told so vividly it was as if these people had witnessed it firsthand.

"Master, do you think rumors always spread like this?" Yin Duo asked curiously.

Jiang Yan said with a smile, "Pretty much. After all, hearsay upon hearsay, and they become exaggerated as they spread."

Yin Duo nodded in agreement, muttering softly, "Luckily I saw it with my own eyes, otherwise I'd definitely be shocked by these rumors."

Jiang Yan smiled without speaking. Upon entering the Auction House, he began a massive clearance sale.

After all, he had no use for Magical Artifacts and Magic Treasures; it was better to exchange them for Spirit Stones.

With his fire sale, the Auction House was very pleased, even buying back the items at high prices.

After counting the Spirit Stones, Jiang Yan bought some Materials for making Talismans and some Materials for crafting Soul Control Tablets.

He now felt that Soul Control Tablets were truly useful. As long as the opponent was fatigued or exhausted, it was a sure hit every time. Even a Core Formation Expert like Tie Cangmu couldn't escape this control.

Just as Jiang Yan and Yin Duo were about to leave, they suddenly heard someone shout "thunder-struck wood," instantly piquing his interest.

As the two entered the auction area, over a dozen people were bidding on a piece of pitch-black, broken wood.

"Fifty Spirit Stones. I want this thunder-struck wood."

"Fifty Spirit Stones and you want thunder-struck wood? Are you, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Luoyun Sect, an idiot? I bid one hundred Spirit Stones," a man in a blue robe shouted.

"Zhang Qin of the Bishui Sect, do you want to fight?" The Luoyun Sect Disciple's face flushed red, his tone furious. "I bid one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones."

The Disciple called Zhang Qin sneered, raising his hand nonchalantly. "One hundred and twenty-five Spirit Stones. If you want it, just keep bidding."

"Zhang Qin, you have guts. I'll let you have it," the Luoyun Sect Disciple said, clenching his fists.

Hearing the other party abandon the bidding, Zhang Qin showed a disdainful expression. Although he didn't have many Spirit Stones either, he would sell the pots and pans to buy this thing.

Seeing no further bids, the female auctioneer presiding immediately began the countdown.

But before she could count to two, Jiang Yan's voice came from outside: "I bid two hundred Spirit Stones."

Hearing someone bid such a high price just for a piece of thunder-struck wood, everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.

"Is this kid crazy? It's just a piece of thunder-struck wood."

"Judging by his attire, he doesn't look like a Sect Disciple. Could he be a Loose Cultivator?"

"Don't talk nonsense. What Loose Cultivator would be this rich? I suspect he's dressing like this on purpose. After all, many Core Disciples of Sects dress very casually. Didn't you see the little girl beside him? Her looks are first-rate."

...The surrounding onlookers chattered, but only the man named Zhang Qin was exceptionally furious, because his entire fortune wasn't even two hundred Spirit Stones.

"Junior Brother, lend me some Spirit Stones. I'll pay you back after I complete three Sect missions," Zhang Qin said to a Disciple beside him.

"Senior Brother, I only have fifty Spirit Stones here," Zhang Qin's Junior Brother said.

Hearing there were fifty Spirit Stones, Zhang Qin gritted his teeth and directly raised his hand, shouting, "Two hundred and thirteen Spirit Stones!"

Before everyone could recover from the shock of Zhang Qin's move, Jiang Yan casually said, "Two hundred and thirty Spirit Stones."

"Wow, this one must definitely be a Core Disciple of some Sect."

"Some are dying of drought, others drowning in flood... I've saved for ten years and haven't saved up two hundred Spirit Stones."

Jiang Yan ignored the surrounding discussions, slowly walking up to the auctioneer. "He doesn't have that many Spirit Stones. You can start the countdown."

The beautiful auctioneer glanced at the blustering Zhang Qin and decisively began the countdown.

As she called "one," the auction hammer came down heavily.

Jiang Yan took out two hundred and thirty Spirit Stones and then placed the thunder-struck wood into his Qiankun Bag.

"Brother, what's your meaning?" Zhang Qin deliberately blocked Jiang Yan's path and asked.

Jiang Yan frowned, his tone unfriendly. "Get lost. I don't have a brother as poor as you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qin revealed a sinister smile. "Good, very good. Dare you tell me which Sect's Disciple you are?"

Jiang Yan was amused by Zhang Qin's words and directly asked, "Oh? Want to cause trouble for my Sect? Or for me?"

"Of course, trouble for you!" Zhang Qin answered without hesitation.

"Very well. My name is Jiang Yan. I'll wait for you to cause me trouble," Jiang Yan said with a smile, his tone icy. "I'm staying at the Manjiang Inn in the west. If you want to come find trouble, bring more of your fellow Disciples, preferably those above the third layer of Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, killing them won't be very interesting."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qin stood frozen in place, frightened by Jiang Yan's tone.

But thinking again of the importance of the thunder-struck wood, he decisively boasted, "Fine! If you have the guts, just wait for me!"

Jiang Yan paid no heed to Zhang Qin's words, taking Yin Duo and leaving the Auction House. In his view, a Disciple of the Bishui Sect was truly uninteresting. It would be better to let him bring the Sect Elders; that would be more thrilling to kill.