410: Chapter 409 Senior, Spare My Life

"15 million."

Just as the crowd was about to continue bidding, a cold and powerful female voice suddenly overwhelmed the entire venue.

Several Golden Core Cultivators, who were preparing to increase their bids, suddenly felt an extremely terrifying and immense Pressure erupt from Fairy Qingling's body.

That was the Pressure belonging to an Empress, far exceeding the suppressive force of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator, tyrannical to the extreme.

Boom—! An invisible Pressure swept across the entire main hall of Qingyun Tower. The Golden Core Cultivators present were completely unable to resist. Their bodies shuddered in unison, and they were forced to retreat uncontrollably, being pushed back a full dozen meters before they could barely steady themselves.

The entire venue fell into instant, dead silence.

Everyone looked at Fairy Qingling with eyes filled with deep astonishment and dread.

No one had expected that the true strength of this person wearing black clothes and a mask would be so terrifying.

Faced with this overwhelming and terrifying Pressure, no one dared to have any thoughts of competing further. They all fell silent, completely giving up on the bidding.

No one was willing to offend a top-tier powerhouse with unfathomable strength for the sake of one Magical Artifact.

Even Shen Shuying, who had been preparing to bid, sat back down.

The rowdy bidding scene instantly became deathly quiet.

Fairy Qingling scanned the hall. Seeing that no one dared to bid again, a hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes. She raised her hand and tossed two heavy Spirit Stone bags into the air, which landed steadily in front of Qin Changsheng.

"15 million Spirit Stones, the full amount is here." Fairy Qingling was determined to win. She only wanted to secure this earth grade high-rank defensive shield she had been longing for to make up for her own defensive shortcomings.

Qin Changsheng raised his hand and steadily caught the two bags of Spirit Stones. He instantly confirmed that the amount was correct and the quality was superior, with not a single stone missing.

There was not a ripple on his face, nor any dissatisfaction; instead, his heart was calm and joyful.

This was because this earth grade high-rank divine shield, which the entire crowd had fought over and which Fairy Qingling had spent a fortune to acquire, was merely a time-limited counterfeit he had replicated using a Golden Trait.

It appeared flawless and of top-tier quality, but in reality, it only had a one-month shelf life. After one month, it would dissipate on its own and completely vanish into nothingness.

To him, there was no cost and no loss.

These full 15 million Spirit Stones were entirely earned out of thin air, a huge profit that was pure gain.

Qin Changsheng waved his hand lightly. The golden shield hovering in mid-air shimmered with light and flew steadily toward Fairy Qingling.

The earth grade high-rank shield landed in her palm.

Fairy Qingling gently caressed the delicate patterns on the shield's body, her Divine Sense carefully scanning the entire shield. A look of complete satisfaction appeared on her face.

This shield was in perfect condition, its spiritual power was rich and enduring, and the defensive Dao patterns were complete and condensed. It was a genuine earth grade high-rank item, exactly the kind of top-tier defensive equipment she desperately needed, and it could completely make up for her current defensive shortcomings.

Having finally obtained the supreme treasure she had sought for so long, her eyes were filled with joy: "Fellow Daoist, if you have any more defensive shields of this grade in your possession, feel free to seek me out. I am willing to Exchange with you at a high price."

She highly approved of the shield's quality. In her heart, she already viewed Qin Changsheng as a connection with a source of top-tier defensive equipment, intending to maintain a long-term relationship for any future needs.

Qin Changsheng's expression was composed. Pretending to be humble, he nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Naturally, that is possible. If you have any needs, Fellow Daoist, there will be an Opportunity in the future."

After speaking, he said no more. He raised his hand and put the two heavy bags of Spirit Stones into his Storage Space, the massive sum of 15 million Spirit Stones safely secured.

The moment he finished, Qin Changsheng's gaze shifted slightly. Taking advantage of the crowd's silence, he swept his eyes very stealthily toward Chen Tianci on the side.

With this one look, it was just as he had expected.

Chen Tianci was wearing a mask, his eyes locked firmly onto Qin Changsheng, the greed in his eyes almost impossible to hide.

The sight of Qin Changsheng easily completing a transaction for millions of Spirit Stones and holding massive resources had deeply stung his eyes, making his desire to rob him impossible to suppress any longer.

In his view, Qin Changsheng possessed heavy treasures, held a huge fortune, and appeared to have mediocre Cultivation—the perfect target for robbery.

Qin Changsheng took all of this in, a cold smile in his heart, though his face revealed nothing.

The bait had been cast, and Chen Tianci had already taken the hook.

He did not linger in the pavilion. Pretending to be nonchalant, he cupped his hands slightly, then turned and rose. His steps were calm but carried a hint of haste, and he walked straight toward the outside of Qingyun Tower.

As Qin Changsheng's figure stepped out of the pavilion door and departed completely, the crowd inside remained immersed in the recent bidding turmoil, not thinking much of it.

Only the malicious Chen Tianci, the moment Qin Changsheng left, instantly composed his expression. He stood up quietly, lowered his own aura, and stealthily followed at a careful distance, trailing Qin Changsheng closely, waiting for the best Opportunity to rob him.

… Outside the Azure Cloud Sect, near a certain valley.

Chen Tianci landed here.

His face was full of deep frustration and annoyance, and in his heart, he was completely bewildered.

He really couldn't understand how Qin Changsheng, who appeared to have mediocre Cultivation, a restrained aura, and looked exactly like an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator, could have such terrifying and astonishing flight Speed.

For a full half-hour, he had not dared to relax for even a moment. He had unleashed his fastest flight technique, sprinting with all his might and tracking him relentlessly, not daring to fall a single step behind.

Yet even so, he had been thrown further and further behind by the other party, eventually losing Qin Changsheng's trail completely, letting the prey that was within his grasp slip away.

Thinking of those full 15 million Spirit Stones and the various treasures hidden on Qin Changsheng, all of which had now fallen through and vanished from before his eyes, the anger and unwillingness in Chen Tianci's heart could no longer be suppressed.

That was a massive Opportunity sufficient to resolve all his debts, right within his reach, yet it had slipped away for nothing. How could he not be angry, how could he not be frustrated!

He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with ferocity and regret. He cursed himself for missing the golden Opportunity, feeling it was incredibly regrettable.

Just as Chen Tianci was full of irritation and regret, a calm and gentle voice drifted from the Void Realm behind him without any warning.

"Your Excellency, are you looking for me?" The voice was not loud, yet it was clear and reached his ears, every word distinct.

Hearing the voice suddenly, Chen Tianci's whole body stiffened. He instantly reined in all his anxious emotions and turned around abruptly.

When he saw the familiar figure standing quietly behind him, his tense face instantly swept away its gloom, replaced by undisguised ecstasy and brightness. The scorching greed in his eyes flared up once more.

He had originally given up completely, thinking that this huge sum of Spirit Stones and supreme treasures had nothing to do with him, his heart full of the frustration of missing an Opportunity.

He never expected that, having searched high and low, Qin Changsheng would actually appear before him of his own accord!

The prey had not escaped but had instead delivered itself to his doorstep.

At this moment, only extreme excitement remained in Chen Tianci's heart. He was now convinced that this time, this massive wealth was destined to belong to him.

The next instant, Chen Tianci could no longer suppress the wild joy in his heart. He immediately threw his head back and laughed aloud, his laughter wild and tyrannical, full of mockery and greed.

In his eyes, Qin Changsheng was just a fat sheep carrying a huge fortune with zero combat power, now casting himself into the net, with no possibility of escape.

"Kid, if you're sensible, hand over all the Spirit Stones and treasures on your body! Surrender obediently, and I will spare your life and leave you a whole corpse!"

Facing Chen Tianci's threats and intimidation, Qin Changsheng's expression was calm, without a shred of panic. He simply lifted his eyes to look at him faintly and asked softly: "Are you so certain that you have me in your grasp?"

This unhurried counter-question fell into Chen Tianci's ears as nothing more than the desperate bravado of a Junior, instantly making him feel very smug and arrogant.

He held his head high and chest out, his body overflowing with the Pressure of a Fourth Layer of Golden Core. His face was full of arrogance and disdain: "I am a genuine Fourth Layer of Golden Core powerhouse, wielding an exclusive Golden Core Divine Ability, with combat power far exceeding ordinary peers! You are just a newcomer who has just formed a Golden Core, with a shallow Foundation and weak combat power. To deal with you, I don't need to expend any effort at all; I can crush you with a flick of my finger!"

Chen Tianci was full of conceit, already assuming the battle had no suspense, just waiting for Qin Changsheng to obediently hand over the treasures and Spirit Stones.

"Is that so?" A cold, chilly light flashed in the depths of Qin Changsheng's eyes. He didn't waste any more words.

Boom—! A vast, tyrannical, and terrifyingly immense Pressure suddenly erupted from within Qin Changsheng, sweeping across the entire valley.

This Pressure far exceeded the ordinary Golden Core level, carrying the supreme Dao rhyme and profound heritage of a golden Golden Core, like a ten-thousand-foot mountain collapsing, instantly enveloping the entire area.

The terrifying power of suppression descended in an instant, giving Chen Tianci no chance to react at all.

Chen Tianci, who had been arrogant and wild the second before, felt his body suddenly sink. His legs were instantly locked firmly by the terrifying Pressure, pressing heavily into the ground. His knees smashed into the mountain rocks, causing gravel to scatter, and he was completely unable to rise even a bit.

His pupils shrank, his face full of horror. He exhausted all his spiritual power, struggling frantically, wanting to break free from the confinement, wanting to activate his pride-and-joy Golden Core Divine Ability to counterattack.

But in the face of such overwhelming and terrifying Pressure, the spiritual power within his body was completely stagnant, his Meridians were sealed, and he couldn't even mobilize a trace of spiritual power. He couldn't chant the incantations, and his pride-and-joy Golden Core Divine Ability was completely sealed, unable to be used at all.

At this moment, Chen Tianci was completely confined to the ground, unable to move, and in a state of utter misery. Extreme fear instantly swallowed his mind. All his arrogance, wildness, and greed vanished into thin air, leaving only bone-chilling coldness and endless regret.

He finally realized that he had misjudged everything from beginning to end.

The seemingly ordinary Cultivator before him was not a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered, but a peerless tiger lurking in Disguise, ready to devour anyone! It was his own shortsightedness and arrogance that had led him to provoke a terrifying great expert.

At the same time, Chen Tianci was also extremely regretful. If he had known earlier that Qin Changsheng possessed such Heaven-Defying and terrifying strength, even if he were given a hundred times the courage, he would never have dared to harbor the slightest thought of robbery!

"Senior, forgive me! This Junior knows they were wrong!"

"This Junior was just speaking too fast earlier, just making a joke. I never truly had any intention of robbing you, Senior! Everything is a misunderstanding. It is this Junior who was blind and ignorant. I beg you, Senior, to be magnanimous and spare this Junior this one time!"

In order to survive, he completely disregarded his dignity, shifting all blame for his previous naked intention to rob, attempting to pass it off as a joke, only begging Qin Changsheng to show mercy and spare his life.

Facing Chen Tianci's humble begging and pale excuses, Qin Changsheng's expression remained indifferent, and he said nothing from beginning to end.

There was not a ripple in his eyes; he remained unmoved, not shaken in the slightest by the other party's begging.

Qin Changsheng loosened his five fingers slightly and flicked his hand gently.

A cluster of fine, crimson flames instantly burst from his hand. The flame light was condensed and pure. It looked unremarkable, but it carried a tyrannical and unparalleled power of destruction, turning into a streak of light that flew rapidly toward Chen Tianci on the ground.

The flame's Speed was as fast as thunder. Before Chen Tianci could offer any more excuses or react, it landed precisely on his body.

The next instant, the terrifying flame energy erupted! The raging inferno instantly swept outward, completely enveloping and swallowing Chen Tianci's entire body.

The scorching and violent power of destruction wantonly crushed and dissolved his Physical Body, spiritual power, and Divine Soul.

"Ah—!" The shrill scream only had time to ring out for a brief moment before it suddenly stopped abruptly.

Under the extreme burning of this tyrannical flame, Chen Tianci had no room to struggle or resist at all. His Physical Body and Divine Soul were instantly and completely refined away.

The spot was empty. Chen Tianci, who had been begging for mercy on his knees just a moment ago, had completely turned into a handful of fine ashes, drifting away with the wind and vanishing without a trace.

Qin Changsheng stood in place, his expression calm, his gaze looking at the place where Chen Tianci had died.

There, a tiny, brilliant speck of golden light was floating quietly in mid-air, standing out particularly clearly against the light and shadow in the woods.

That golden light was clear and pure, wreathed in a wisp of ethereal and vast Heavenly Dao rhyme. Unlike the Spiritual Qi of ordinary Spirit Stones or Spirit Treasures, it carried an aura of the supreme Heavenly Dao, faint yet particularly striking.

Qin Changsheng recognized it at a glance; this golden light was a heavenly dao fragment.

He raised his hand and gave a gentle tug. The tiny heavenly dao fragment floated over with the airflow and landed steadily in his palm.

This heavenly dao fragment could thoroughly temper and sublimate any Golden Trait in his hand, transforming it into a higher-level Heavenly Dao Trait.

[Ding, congratulations on obtaining a heavenly dao fragment. You can upgrade one Golden Trait to a Heavenly Dao Trait!]

Upon hearing the System prompt, Qin Changsheng's gaze also turned toward all his traits.

[traits: Immortality, Substitute Death, Breath Concealment, Exchange, Sharing, Rebirth, Instant Spellcasting, Body Refining, Speed, Instant Movement, Disease, Teleportation, Poison Resistance, Alchemy, Heart Demon, Insight, Armor Break, Disguise, Disguise, Sensing, Photographic Memory, Affinity, Detection]

[Heavenly Dao Traits: Cultivation, External Incarnation, Intelligence, Divine Sense, Source of Mana, Mana Absorption, Fire God, Thunder God, Innate Divine Strength, Blood Qi, Storage Space, Sword God, Enhancement, Blade God, Repair, Bleeding, Sword Domain, Copy, Slow Cultivation, Dharma Image]

First, Cultivation and External Incarnation were already Heavenly Dao Traits and could not be upgraded.

Next, Qin Changsheng excluded traits like Immortality, Substitute Death, Exchange, and Sharing.

The utility of these traits was limited; even if upgraded, they wouldn't have much effect.

After some thought, Qin Changsheng turned his gaze toward Speed.

In the Cultivation of the world, there are thousands of methods. Offense, defense, physique, and spells are all branches of the Dao, but only Speed is the supreme Foundation that runs through the entire process of Cultivation.