438: Chapter 438 Heartbreak

Xie Xingchen arrived at Wanbao City in an instant.

His mind suddenly cleared, and he understood why he was here—it was because of the lingering obsessions in his heart that he had been struck by this internal thunder, falling into a Dao Heart Illusion.

Even though his Revered Master had already entrusted Senior Qin to send word to the Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven, and the name Medicine Pavilion had long been removed from the Middle Realm.

But as for heart knots, they have always only been solvable by oneself; no matter how strong the help from others, it cannot be a substitute.

Xie Xingchen did not head straight for the Medicine Pavilion, but instead followed the faint yet resilient connection in his Divine Soul to his sister, hurrying toward the most prosperous core district of Wanbao City.

Even if it was an illusion, his sister was the softest and most irreplaceable concern in his heart, and he could not allow for even the slightest mishap.

Inside the Linglong Pavilion auction house, the crowd was clamoring, and the successive sounds of bidding made the wooden beams hum.

On the auction stage, a young girl was dressed in a slightly worn plain dress. Her figure was small, yet she still stubbornly straightened her back, with a hint of unhideable unease hidden in her clear eyes.

“Fellow Daoists, please look! This girl’s Spiritual Root is pure and flawless, and her appearance is refined and superior. She is truly an excellent Cauldron for use alongside cultivation! The starting price is one hundred thousand Spirit Stones!” The auctioneer’s spit was flying everywhere, his tone fanatical.

A burst of foul and vulgar laughter immediately rang out from below the stage, and the bidding rose one after another, unbearable to the ear.

Xie Xingyao gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her fingertips turning white and her eyes reddening, yet she forcefully held back her tears.

For her brother, she had no other choice—the Medicine Pavilion Cultivators said that if she couldn't gather two hundred thousand Spirit Stones, her brother would have no way out but death.

Just then, the doors of the auction house were gently pushed open.

A figure in green robes walked in slowly. Xie Xingchen's gaze passed through the noisy crowd and landed precisely on that familiar small figure on the auction stage. A fleeting trace of heartache flashed across his eyes, which then returned to their original calm.

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a gentle power that pierced through the clamor, clearly spreading throughout the entire auction house:

“Sorry for disturbing everyone's enjoyment.”

Everyone was stunned by the sound and turned to look. Seeing it was just a gentle-looking young man, someone immediately scolded impatiently:

“Where did this brat come from, daring to disrupt the Linglong Pavilion's auction?”

The auctioneer's face darkened even more: “Does Your Excellency know the rules of my Linglong Pavilion? This girl is already an item to be auctioned. If you wish to bid, come onto the stage and make an offer; otherwise, please leave quickly and do not make a fool of yourself!”

Xie Xingchen ignored him, simply taking a step and walking unhurriedly toward the auction stage.

Seeing this, the guards blocking the way drew their sabers and swords, the cold gleam of the blades pointing straight at his vitals with an aggressive Aura.

But strangely, even though Xie Xingchen clearly hadn't made any extra movements, a wisp of invisible Sword Qi spontaneously swirled around him. As soon as those guards approached, they all cried out and fell to the ground, their breath cut off—they were actually strangled on the spot by the Sword Qi circulating around him.

In an instant, he had stepped onto the auction stage and stood firmly in front of Xie Xingyao.

“Brother...”

Xie Xingyao's eyes turned red, and the tears she had been holding back finally rolled down.

“Brother has come to take you home.”

A gentle smile blossomed on Xie Xingchen's face. He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears on her cheek, his spiritual power as soft as silk at his fingertips, silently undoing the hidden Restriction on her body. His tone was full of pity: “I've let you suffer.”

After saying that, he bent down and carefully carried his sister on his back, turning around to walk slowly out of the auction house.

“Presumptuous!”

A furious shout suddenly rang out, and a Cultivator dressed in a brocade robe leaped up to block the door. His tone was sinister: “How can the Linglong Pavilion allow you to act so wildly? This girl is an object I have set my sights on. If you want to take her away, you must first ask the sword in my hand!”

As his voice fell, several Cultivators affiliated with the Linglong Pavilion attacked simultaneously, their violent spiritual power weaving into a net aimed straight at Xie Xingchen's vitals.

Xie Xingchen protected his sister even more tightly, his eyes showing not the slightest fluctuation. He merely flicked his wrist, and a sword light flashed.

Puchi—Puchi—

A few soft sounds rang out in succession. Those few Cultivators didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, their breath cut off.

Seeing this situation, no one else in the auction house dared to step forward to block him, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Xie Xingchen knew what he was doing; every debt has its debtor, and his grudge was only with the Medicine Pavilion. He wouldn't go so far as to vent his anger on these people making a living at the Linglong Pavilion.

Qiongdan City.

This city was far more prosperous than Wanbao City, with crowds of people and heavy traffic all day long, showing a scene of peak prosperity.

Inside the most grand building in the city was the headquarters of the Medicine Pavilion.

In the Pill Refining Room, the Medicine Pavilion Revered Master, Daoist Lianxiao, was resting with his eyes closed, a thick medicinal fragrance swirling around him. On the table beside him, dozens of dazzlingly precious medicinal herbs were neatly arranged, all of which were essential for refining high-grade Medicinal Pills.

He was waiting for something—more accurately, a key medicinal primer.

As soon as the medicinal primer was in hand, he would immediately open the furnace to refine that seventh-grade elixir that could help him break through his Bottleneck—the heavenly dust pill.

“Pavilion Revered Master! Pavilion Revered Master! This subordinate has an important matter to report!” Before the person even arrived, a hurried voice pierced through the door.

Immediately after, two Outer Sect Elders of the Medicine Pavilion, their faces pale, rushed in.

Daoist Lianxiao snapped his eyes open, unable to hide the excitement in them. His tone was urgent: “Has the inner core of that Spirit Devouring Tapir been obtained? Quickly, present it!”

After nearly two hundred years of painstaking effort, he had finally reached the Bottleneck of the Soul Emergence Stage. Today was the key day for breaking through the realm.

However, things did not go as planned.

After Elders Xu and Qin entered the room, they both fell to their knees with a 'thud', their bodies trembling. They took a deep breath before saying in a shaky voice: “Pav... Pavilion Revered Master, some... someone has fought their way to our door!”

The smile on Daoist Lianxiao's face froze instantly, and the burning light in his eyes was extinguished by a bucket of cold water, replaced by a heart full of astonishment and fury.

“Nonsense!”

He scolded sharply, “My Medicine Pavilion is one of the dignified Ten Great Sacred Lands. Who would be so audacious as to come here and act wildly?”

“This... This subordinate has not yet determined the other party's origin!” The two Elders braced themselves to reply.

Daoist Lianxiao waved his hand, his tone full of impatience: “Truly useless, can't even handle such a small matter... Hmm?”

Before he could finish his sentence, he keenly sensed the strong spiritual power fluctuations coming from outside. Daoist Lianxiao's face darkened, and with a flash of his figure, he had already soared out of the building.

Within the mountain gate of the Medicine Pavilion, green robes fluttered and sword light flowed.

Xie Xingchen walked with a composed gait, his expression still gentle, as if he were not seeking revenge but taking a leisurely stroll. Yet the longsword in his hand was lethal with every move, and the Medicine Pavilion Cultivators fell one after another; not a single person could block him for even half a step.

Until he reached the main hall, where Daoist Lianxiao stood suspended in the air, his Aura as majestic as an abyss, staring fixedly at the young man in green robes below.

He was slightly stunned—he actually couldn't see the depth of this young man's cultivation base. He couldn't help but feel a bit more wary, suppressing the anger in his heart as he said solemnly: “Who is this Fellow Daoist? Why have you broken into my Medicine Pavilion without cause and slaughtered the Disciples under my gate?”

Xie Xingchen looked up, his tone peaceful: “The Pavilion Revered Master is high and mighty, occupied with a myriad of affairs; naturally, you wouldn't remember a small figure like me who was once at your mercy.”

Then he smiled slightly: “But no matter, there is no need for the Pavilion Revered Master to remember my name today.”

As his voice fell, a sword light suddenly unsheathed, like the Milky Way hanging upside down, slashing straight down.

...