59: The pain of poverty! Taking advantage of chaos!

"Four million!"

"Five million!"

"Eight million!"

The bidding voices in the auction house rose and fell like waves, the numbers jumping in a heart-pounding manner.

Every bid represented the change of ownership of a small Spirit Stone mine.

Gu Yang sat in a corner, clutching the 2.3 million Spirit Stones he had scraped together—stained with the smell of the sea (from catching seafood to earn money) and blood (from robbery)—his expression looking worse than if he had swallowed a fly.

He watched helplessly as the price of that fist-sized piece of "taiyi essence gold," which radiated a sharp golden Qi, rocketed upward.

Finally, it was called out at twelve million Spirit Stones by the Five Elements Sect Sect Master in a second-floor private box, with an Aura of treating money like dirt!

The hammer fell.

"Twelve million..."

Gu Yang patted his shriveled Storage Pouch and looked at that Origin treasure that was so close yet so far away, his heart bleeding.

"Inflation, man..."

Gu Yang sighed toward the heavens, feeling that life had lost its luster.

"These days, it's too hard for an honest man (referring to relying on robbery, selling junk, and catching seafood) to make money. We work our lives away, yet we can't even compare to the dust falling from the cracks of a great Sect's fingers."

"Is this the class barrier? It's too cruel."

Immediately after, the second finale treasure—"tian yi divine water"—appeared.

This was a drop of deep blue liquid weighing ten thousand catties, sealed in a transparent jade bottle.

It floated quietly in the bottle, yet seemed to contain the roar of the entire vast ocean; just one look made one feel as if their Divine Soul was being sucked in.

A Water-attribute Origin treasure! The final piece of the puzzle to complete the Five Elements!

"Starting bid, eight hundred thousand Spirit Stones!"

Gu Yang's spirits lifted; this starting price was still within his range of affordability. He took a deep breath, just about to raise his heavy bidding paddle.

"Two million!"

From another private box on the second floor came a cold, hoarse voice, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

The entire hall fell silent for a moment.

That was the Young Lord of "Ji Yin Island," the direct Disciple of the Chaotic Star Sea Demonic Path giant "Old Ancestor Ji Yin," known for being ruthless and filthy rich.

"Three million!"

On the other side, an Elder from within the Star Palace was not to be outdone, calmly calling out a price.

The price soared again like a rocket, surpassing four million in the blink of an eye.

4.5 million... 5 million... every price increase was like a knife stabbing into Gu Yang's heart.

Gu Yang's hand, halfway up, froze in the air before he silently lowered it.

"Forget it, let it all burn, I'm tired."

He slumped in his chair, his eyes gradually becoming hollow, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.

Then... those hollow eyes gradually became extremely dangerous, flickering with a green light like a hungry wolf.

"Can't afford it, really can't afford it."

"Since being reasonable (bidding) doesn't work, I'll just have to use physics."

"In my, Gu Yang's, life, I have never been defeated by poverty. If we don't have guns or cannons, the enemy will make them for us!"

The auction ended.

The Five Elements Sect Sect Master, escorted by two Early Nascent Soul Stage Elders, left the auction house with his head held high.

They didn't just have money; they had strength. They weren't afraid of being robbed at all; they might even be hoping someone would come to seek death.

Gu Yang glanced over and shook his head: "Three Nascent Soul Stages, the target is too tough, I can't bite through it."

Meanwhile, the Ji Yin Island Young Lord, who had ultimately won the "tian yi divine water" for the high price of five million, also left gloomily with a group of demonic cultivators.

Gu Yang quietly stood up and blended into the exiting crowd, like a shark cruising in the deep sea, locking onto his prey.

"Pick the soft persimmons to squeeze."

His gaze was fixed on that Ji Yin Island Young Lord.

Although the opponent had experts by his side, there was only one Early Nascent Soul Stage (likely recently promoted) protector; the rest were Golden Core Stage small fry.

"It's you then. Thank you for nature's bounty."

...Thirty miles outside Star City, at a remote teleportation array node.

This place was sparsely populated, with only a solitary teleportation platform standing in the wilderness.

The group from Ji Yin Island was preparing to leave the Heavenly Star Island area via the teleportation array.

"Young Lord, spending five million to buy the divine water this time, I'm afraid the Old Ancestor..." The protector (a black-robed old man) said with some concern, his expression carrying a hint of heartache.

"No matter! As long as it helps me cultivate the 'Profound Yin Demonic Body,' what do these few Spirit Stones matter?"

The Young Lord toyed with the jade bottle in his hand, his eyes full of fanaticism. "Once my divine skill reaches Major Achievement, as for mere Spirit Stones, I can have as many as I want!"

Just then.

The ground suddenly gave an abnormal tremor.

Boom!!!

The ground beneath the teleportation array suddenly exploded, and soil and stones shot into the sky like a fountain.

A burly man wearing a hideous ghost-face mask, with muscles bulging like iron towers, charged out from underground like a demon god from Hell!

Without a word, he swung the pitch-black, spike-covered heavenly demon meteor hammer in his hand and smashed it right into the glowing teleportation array!

"Break... for me!!!"

Crack! Boom!

The precise array lines of the teleportation array were instantly smashed to pieces. The originally stable spatial fluctuations became violent and chaotic, and the teleportation was forced to stop.

"Enemy attack! Protect the Young Lord!"

The black-robed old man reacted extremely quickly, instantly summoning a pale white bone shield to block in front of the Young Lord.

Clang!

The Meteor Hammer smashed heavily against the bone shield; sparks flew everywhere, and bone shards scattered.

Although the bone shield blocked the strike, the massive impact forced the old man back three steps. His blood surged, and the rocks beneath his feet were crushed.

"What immense strength! A Body Cultivator! And a Golden Core Perfection Body Cultivator!"

Having succeeded in one strike, Gu Yang did not linger in the fight.

He didn't go to attack that troublesome Nascent Soul Old Monster; instead, his figure flashed like a bolt of black lightning, charging toward the group of Golden Core Stage followers surrounding the Young Lord.

Divine Ability—Extreme Dao Force Field! 20x Gravity!

Hum!

A terrifying gravity field instantly enveloped the area.

Those demonic Golden Core cultivators felt their bodies grow heavy, as if a mountain had suddenly been placed on their backs. Their movements instantly distorted, and some even knelt directly on the ground.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!"

Gu Yang was like a tiger in a flock of sheep, his fists flying as the Great Dark Heaven Demonic Tiger Fist erupted with full force.

Bang bang bang!

Three Late Golden Core Stage demonic cultivators didn't even have time to summon their Magic Treasures before they were sent flying by Gu Yang's iron fists, which were capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones. Their breastbones collapsed, and blood sprayed wildly.

"Bastard! How dare you ambush my Ji Yin Island!"

The black-robed old man was furious. A withered, ghost-like claw appeared out of thin air, carrying a thick ghostly Qi and a nauseating smell of rotting corpses, clawing toward the back of Gu Yang's heart.

Nascent Soul Divine Ability—Nether Ghost Claw!

This strike locked down space; it was unavoidable!

Gu Yang felt the hair on his back stand up, but he didn't look back.

"Tank it!"

Primordial Indestructible Golden Body—Warding Off Evil!

A thick layer of black-gold light surfaced on his body, and he took the claw strike head-on.

Sizzle!

Amidst the sound of clashing metal, five bloodstains deep enough to see bone were torn into Gu Yang's back. Blood flowed freely, and the black ghostly Qi tried to drill into his body, only to be firmly blocked by the power of the Golden Body.

Pain! A pain that went deep into the bone!

But using the push from that claw, Gu Yang's speed instead surged. He instantly broke through the defensive circle and rushed in front of the Young Lord.

"Hand it over!"

Gu Yang's large, blood-stained hand grabbed toward the jade bottle in the Young Lord's hand.

"You dare!" The Young Lord was also a Golden Core Perfection Genius. Though panicked, he didn't lose his head, immediately summoning a blood-colored demonic blade to slash at Gu Yang's wrist.

Gu Yang didn't dodge, letting the demonic blade strike his arm.

Clang!

The demonic blade struck the glass-like Golden Body, leaving only a white mark, while the vibration made the Young Lord's hand go numb.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Yang's large hand firmly gripped the jade bottle and yanked it.

Snap!

The jade bottle was in hand!

"Got the goods, the wind is tight, let's bolt!"

Gu Yang turned and ran, his movements smooth and fluid, clearly a habitual offender.

"Where do you think you're going!" The black-robed old man was driven mad. A dignified Nascent Soul Cultivator had something stolen right under his nose; where would his dignity go if this got out?

He summoned a Soul-Summoning Banner, which grew with the wind and turned into a sky full of black mist. Countless grieving Souls and malevolent ghosts wailed within it, instantly sealing off a ten-mile radius and cutting off all of Gu Yang's paths of retreat.

"Ghost Domain Seal?"

Gu Yang stopped his steps, looking at the thick, ink-like black mist all around him, a look of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

In his current state, once trapped by a Nascent Soul Old Monster's Domain, he would surely die.

"Can't escape..."

He looked at the jade bottle in his hand, then at the approaching Old Monster.

"Since I can't take it away, I'll destroy it! Or... eat it!"

Gu Yang crushed the jade bottle right in front of everyone.

Splash!

That single drop of "tian yi divine water," weighing ten thousand catties and emitting a ghostly blue light as if containing the entire ocean, floated in the air, radiating an enchanting glow.

"Stop! That's mine!" the Young Lord screamed in despair.

Gu Yang opened his large mouth, revealing a row of white teeth, and swallowed the drop of divine water in one gulp, like a candy.

"Gulp."

Boom—!!!"

A terrifying energy—extremely cold, extremely heavy, as if it could freeze the Soul and crush mountains—instantly exploded within Gu Yang's body.

[Devoured Water-attribute Origin (tian yi divine water)! Five Elements gap filled 2/3!]

[Warning! Warning! Energy severely overloaded! Physical Body about to stiffen!]

Crack crack crack!

A thick layer of blue ice instantly formed on the surface of Gu Yang's body. Even his eyebrows were frozen. He remained in the swallowing posture, turning into a lifelike ice sculpture.

That terrifying cold air even spread to the ground, freezing the land within a hundred-meter radius into permafrost.

"Oh no, indigestion! I got too greedy!"

Gu Yang wailed in his heart; he felt as if his very thoughts were about to be frozen.

Seeing this, the black-robed old man was overjoyed and sneered, "You refused the road to heaven! A greedy snake trying to swallow an elephant! He can't move anymore! Kill him and refine the divine water out of him!"

"Kill him!"

The Young Lord also charged forward with bloodshot eyes.

Just at this moment of desperation.

A deafening roar suddenly came from the sky, like a heavenly punishment descending.

"Who is causing trouble in the Star Palace?!"

Three incredibly powerful Divine Senses swept across the field. The Star Palace's Law Enforcement Squad (three Early Nascent Soul Stages) had sensed the Nascent Soul-level combat fluctuations here and were rushing over at high speed.

Fighting privately within the range of Heavenly Star Island was a provocation to the Star Palace's authority!

The black-robed old man's expression changed. Ji Yin Island was already part of the Demonic Path; if the Star Palace caught them in the act, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Damn it! Consider yourself lucky!"

The old man cast an unwilling glance at Gu Yang, who had turned into an ice sculpture, then at the approaching Law Enforcement Squad. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the injured Young Lord and turned into a streak of black light, burning his essence blood to flee.

Gu Yang: "..."

He was frozen in place, unable to move, watching those three aggressively flying Star Palace enforcers, wanting to cry but having no tears.

"This... seems even more troublesome."

"Just out of the wolf's den and into the tiger's mouth. This buffet... is a bit too hot to handle."