Fengqin City Auction House.
The two disciples from Danxia Valley had ultimately squeezed into the same private box as Wen Qixue and Su Xuanlin, still clinging to the hope of luring Wen Qixue back to Danxia Valley once the auction concluded.
Su Xuanlin sat beside Wen Qixue, meditating and practicing. Periodically, he would crack open an eye, peek at Wen Qixue to ensure his master was still there and undisturbed, and then resume his practice. Ever since he had received the first three chapters of the Origin Heart Sutra from Wen Qixue, he had been diligently cultivating. In just a few days, he had advanced from the fourth to the fifth level of Qi Refining.
This was his first time practicing so smoothly; the persistent blockages he had encountered in the past had vanished without a trace. This instilled in him great confidence in Wen Qixue’s previous assessment of his spiritual roots it was indeed the wrong cultivation technique that had made his path so difficult. Since he had no interest in the auction and couldn’t afford anything anyway, he felt it was better to use this time for cultivation rather than wasting it watching items he could not obtain.
Rong Mingmo, sipping the Spirit-Fluff Tea and snacking on Cloud Phoenix Heavenly Spirit Cakes provided by the firm, watched Su Xuanlin and exclaimed, “Junior Brother Xuanlin is truly diligent!” Compared to him, she felt quite sluggish; since taking on the sect mission, she hadn’t practiced seriously at all. She bit into another cake meditation could wait, but free pastries could not.
Just as she was about to settle into a meditative pose, Xia Changxun poked her shoulder.
“What?” she hissed, annoyed.
Xia Changxun gestured toward Su Xuanlin. “Watch him closely.”
Rong Mingmo looked over. “I’ve been watching him for ages, what—” She broke off, her mouth hanging open. She finally saw what Xia Changxun wanted her to see.
Su Xuanlin was practicing with immense focus. To the naked eye, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but with divine sense, it was clear: the spiritual energy around him had formed a vortex, surging into his body.
She dared not disturb him, whispering, “Incredible! To show such a performance, Junior Brother Xuanlin must be a person of exceptional talent. Cultivating in the Qi Refining stage is not exceptionally difficult, so he shouldn’t be only at the fifth level. Did he start late, or…” Her gaze shifted to Wen Qixue. She suspected Su Xuanlin had experienced something similar to Wen Qixue, forcing him to restart his cultivation.
Wen Qixue noticed her searching look and answered, “There is no hidden mystery. He simply believed himself to have a Fire Spiritual Root and practiced the wrong technique, which led to his current situation. Speaking of which, when we reach Danxia Valley, I would like to borrow your Spirit Analysis Disk. I still cannot determine exactly what his roots are.”
Rong Mingmo’s eyes widened, seemingly understanding the implication, but before she could speak, Xia Changxun clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Fellow Daoist Wen, do not worry,” Xia Changxun interjected. “You may use it as much as you like once we reach the Valley. The Spirit Analysis Disk is not a rare artifact; we can even gift you one!”
Wen Qixue looked at them curiously. “Although it has been some years since Fellow Daoist Yun met with her accident, she has always been stable. Why are you in such a hurry now?”
Xia Changxun sighed heavily. “You may not know, Fellow Daoist, but when our Senior Sister forcibly tamed the alien fire, a portion of it broke through her Dantian and began wreaking havoc in her meridians. We managed to suppress it with various means, but after all these years, the fire has drained her, and her meridians are now too weak to hold it back much longer.”
Rong Mingmo pried Xia Changxun’s hand away and threw it aside. “This time, the sect sent many people out to search for stronger spirit herbs and treasures to suppress the fire. In fact, many elders have set out themselves. But the items we find are only moderately effective. The Great Elder believes suppression is no longer enough; we need a heavenly treasure that can extinguish the fire instantly. But such things…” She glanced at Wen Qixue. “Even we, as alchemists of Danxia Valley, know very little of them. We only heard that you had obtained a Mystic Water Pure Lotus years ago.”
“I see,” Wen Qixue replied. “No wonder you came knocking the moment I arrived.”
Rong Mingmo smiled sheepishly. “We passed through Yuanwu City, saw the sword marks on the gate, and my Senior Brother guessed it was you. The Great Elder was right; he always said you weren’t the type to die so easily.”
Wen Qixue raised an eyebrow. “The Great Elder?”
“Indeed,” Rong Mingmo said proudly. “The Great Elder’s judgment is always accurate.” Xia Changxun nodded in agreement.
Wen Qixue was intrigued; the Great Elder of Danxia Valley rarely appeared in public, and he had never even heard of the figure.
Suddenly, the auctioneer’s voice boomed from below: “Ladies and gentlemen, the Fengqin City Auction is officially underway! The first item: The Golden Snake Profound Halberd!”
Except for Su Xuanlin, still lost in meditation, the other three peered toward the stage. A golden halberd lay on the platform. The bidding began immediately, but since none of them used halberds, they remained silent.
Rong Mingmo studied the auction list. “Nothing exceptional yet. Only the Wind-Fire Dark Sand is somewhat interesting. It can be used to refine Fire-Control Arts; I’d be curious to see its size.”
Wen Qixue, leaning against the railing, overheard her. “I only gave Manager Ning a small piece. Do you want it?”
Xia Changxun, who was drinking tea, choked. “That Wind-Fire Dark Sand… is yours?” Wen Qixue nodded.
The first item closed at thirty thousand low-grade spiritual stones. Rong Mingmo set the list aside. “The price seems about right. It’s a pity I don’t use a halberd, or I would have bid on it.”
Xia Changxun added, “Fengqin City is small, and the Golden Snake Profound Halberd is not an exceptionally rare treasure, so a lower price is expected compared to major cities. I am curious, however, to see how much your Wind-Fire Dark Sand will fetch.”
Rong Mingmo was restless. “If it sells for a price similar to the halberd, I would love to bid on it, hehe.”
Wen Qixue, uninterested in the items, scanned the room. “The private boxes seem quite limited.”
Xia Changxun nodded. “Manager Ning poured his heart into this auction. If it is successful, the venue will be expanded, and there will be more boxes next time.” He looked at Wen Qixue, who was staring fixedly at a spot in the crowd below, and followed his gaze, seeing nothing but a sea of heads. “What are you looking at, Fellow Daoist?”
“I believe I see members of the Yuanwu Gate,” Wen Qixue said.
At the mention of Yuanwu Gate, Xia Changxun and Rong Mingmo recalled the sword gouge on the city gate. “Are they your enemies?” Xia Changxun asked.
“Not mine,” Wen Qixue replied. “But they hold a grudge against Xuanlin. I took him from their sect, and later, people were targeting him in the city.”
Rong Mingmo gasped. “So the sword marks on the gate were from you leaving after they tried to block you?”
Wen Qixue confirmed this. “Precisely. I wonder what they are here for today.”
Xia Changxun peered down. “Let’s see what they bid on. What do they look like?”
Wen Qixue pointed toward the crowd. “The one in yellow…”
Before he could finish, Su Xuanlin appeared by his side. Having sensed the mention of Yuanwu Gate, he had emerged from his meditation. Wen Qixue smiled. “Finished?”
Su Xuanlin, still brimming with energy, nodded. He held out a hand. “Xue-ge, look! I’m at the sixth level of Qi Refining!”
Wen Qixue didn’t need to check; he could feel the shift in cultivation. But seeing Su Xuanlin’s excitement, he didn’t dampen his mood and sent a trace of spiritual energy into him. “Truly, the sixth level. Congratulations, Xuanlin.”
Xia Changxun and Rong Mingmo were stunned. “Impressive! I remember when we first met, Junior Brother Xuanlin was only at the fourth level. To advance two levels in a few days—is this the result of latent potential finally being unleashed? To think that practicing the wrong technique could hinder someone this much!”
Receiving the praise, Su Xuanlin scratched his head shyly. “The practice has been very smooth these past few days.”
“That is natural,” Xia Changxun noted. “With the correct technique, spiritual energy flows naturally. Have you found a suitable manual, Junior Brother?” Su Xuanlin looked to Wen Qixue, who replied, “No, I simply transcribed a general-purpose technique for him to practice for now.”
Rong Mingmo peered at Su Xuanlin. “I wonder what kind of roots Junior Brother Xuanlin has, for even the well-traveled Wen Daoist to be unable to identify them?”
“I truly cannot,” Wen Qixue admitted, then said to Su Xuanlin, “If you don’t mind, show them.”
Su Xuanlin retrieved the Spirit Source Stone and funneled his energy into it. Perhaps due to his progress in cultivation, the dark red color manifested even more intensely than before.
Xia Changxun and Rong Mingmo were astonished. “I have never seen a color like this. What kind of root is it?”
Su Xuanlin explained, “I can use fire-attribute moves, but the power is ordinary. Before Xue-ge told me otherwise, I believed I was a Fire Spiritual Root. He suspects it may be a mutant root, but one that is not fully mutated, retaining the fire attribute.”
Xia Changxun agreed. “That is a plausible theory. You must confirm it with a Spirit Analysis Disk. Ours are very accurate; you are welcome to use them whenever you wish!”
Su Xuanlin steered the conversation back. “I just heard you mention Yuanwu Gate?”
Rong Mingmo pointed below. “Fellow Daoist Wen spotted disciples of the Yuanwu Gate among the crowd, appearing quite anxious.”
Wen Qixue said, “I don’t recognize all of them, only a few.”
Su Xuanlin frowned and peered down. Indeed, hiding in the crowd were several Yuanwu Gate disciples, all of whom looked deeply troubled for reasons unknown.