The Hong Yue Auction House
The invitation from the Hong Yue family arrived with our morning correspondence. Father examined the gilded parchment with approval ~ such events provided excellent networking opportunities for our family's growing influence.
The auction hall buzzed with anticipation as Glory City's elite gathered. I watched Nie Li navigate the proceedings with practiced ease, securing various treasures while building his reputation. When the gold rank armor went up for bidding, he caught my eye and nodded slightly. The gesture meant he'd yield the item to me ~ a calculated move that served both our interests.
"Thank you," I murmured as the armor was delivered to my booth.
Then came the moment I'd been waiting for. The nightmare demon pot appeared on the auction stage, its dark surface seeming to absorb light from the crystal chandeliers above. The bidding started fierce, but I had resources to spare. More importantly, I had a plan.
While others focused on the physical pot, I extended my consciousness through the Law of Heaven and Providence, creating a perfect replica within my pocket world. The original continued absorbing heavenly energy to fuel its growth, while my copy began its own development cycle. Since the storage remained within my body's natural limits, maintaining both posed no problems.
The dark guild leader's schemes could wait ~ Nie Li would handle that particular threat when the time came. My job is to improve strength and experience.
Back home, my body had finally processed every trace of the medicinal remnants I'd consumed. My physique had reached legend rank peak ~ the absolute limit possible within the Divine Continent's natural laws. Only by advancing my cultivation to heavenly fate realm within the ring could I transcend these boundaries.
The soul spirit elixir went down like liquid starlight, five hours of breakthrough agony resulting in black gold rank three. By the next day, I'd stabilized at four star. A week later ~ six star. Peak black gold rank stretched before me like an open door.
Sword training became my obsession. The ability to move beyond reaction speed of others and kill one at distance using techniques and ultimately just by swinging it makes it efficient in both close quarters and ranged combat. The experiences and insights about sword will and sword heart gave me unfair advantages in comprehending the dao. Within days, I'd grasped entry-level sword techniques to transcended level that should have taken months to even master.
After a week of intensive practice, I examined the nightmare demon pot with enhanced perception. Damaged inscriptions riddled its surface ~ flaws that required heavenly energy to repair. I corrected each imperfection methodically under the presence of heavenly energy within and outside, watching the pot's efficiency skyrocket as it resumed proper function.
The demon beast spirits I'd collected numbered over two thousand, including five hundred from the ancient ruins. Combining darkness, void, and shadow devil spirits resulted in something unprecedented ~ a mutated Void Phantom with god-level growth potential. Similar processes created the mutated Fanged Overlord Panda, capable of merging law energies with superior combat instincts. The mutated Dreamweaver Butterfly granted psychic abilities, while the Force Weaver Beast manipulated vectors themselves.
Absorbing each creature's power increased my abilities tenfold. More importantly, the god-level growth characteristics meant my powers would continue evolving alongside my cultivation.
Yang Xin found me emerging from the cultivation chamber, she was dusty from dealing with dark guild assassins tracked from stolen alchemy goods. News of my agreed fight with the Sacred Family had reached her ears. Yeah, back then as Nie Li wagered the bet, it was not on him but me. It ultimately came onto me as if I am asking for a trial by combat for his ex fiance to be with me. He gifted me the armor as a compensation and his belief in me..whatever.
"What are your odds?" she asked directly.
I revealed my gold rank cultivation base ~ enough to convince her without showing my true strength. "Care to place a wager?"
Her eyes lit up with mercantile interest.
The fighting date arrived with appropriate fanfare. Yang Xin had negotiated a fifty million demon spirit coin bet with the Sacred Family's representatives. While she and Nie Li maintained the betting performance, I kept a deliberately low profile.
The colosseum roared with spectators cheering Shen Fei's name. The irony was delicious.
"Having second thoughts?" Shen Fei sneered as we faced each other in the arena center. "There's no backing out now. Unfortunately for you, I've seen you close to the woman I fancy. If I can't have her, no one can~"
"Sure, Mr. Eunuch," I replied calmly. "I heard you fancy men these days. How's that working out for you?"
His momentum shattered like glass. The rumors about his recent... preferences... had spread despite his family's efforts to suppress them. The patriarch's thrashing had only made things worse, driving him deeper into self-loathing and confusion.
"YOU BASTARD!"
He merged with his demon beast ~ a scarlet black tiger ~ and charged with flames sprouting from his mouth. I didn't wait for the attack to reach me, transforming into the overlord panda form and expecting serious combat.
The swirling mass of flame came onto me with high speed for a silver soul rank to even respond. As it neared me, I did a spin with my massive hands returning back.
The fire beam reversed direction through my combined fire and vector manipulation, streaking back toward him. My human instincts had acted unconsciously, sending the bright flames flying without conscious thought. I needed better control in battle ~ rational decision-making rather than reflexive responses.
When he launched himself into the air for a falling strike, everything slowed to a crawl. I watched his trajectory with analytical precision, then punched his gut with quarter of my physical strength, distributing the force evenly across his torso. Shockwaves followed by sonic bursts sent him rocketing skyward like a human missile.
He was already unconscious.
I watched him fall from five hundred meters up, disappointment flooding through me. Walking directly under his landing point, I waited ten seconds for gravity to complete its work, then caught him mid-flight and set him down gently. No point in creating a bloodstain over crippling a Sacred Family member.
My physical strength alone could battle legend rank cultivators ~ this fight had been pathetically one-sided once I saw his sluggish movements.
The stadium erupted in mixed reactions. Yang Xin beamed with profit-induced joy while I collected my ten million coins ~ half for the alchemic association, half for personal use. Nie Li's subsequent gold rank battles earned him the official genius title. Well I also received one for showing gold ranked cultivation.
The city lord's mansion invitation came as expected with protection against dark guild retaliation. Three days of political maneuvering and strategic discussions later, when he was just wondering it has been so long he has heard from his so called girlfriend, word arrived that Xiao Ning'er had entered the Heavenly Sacred Border.
I secured permission from the principal and followed her into the sacred realm. The rich soul force environment suited my needs perfectly ~ far better than the heavenly energy in my ring, which no longer required active refinement at my current cultivation level.
Time to break through to legend rank.
My breakthrough produced minimal aura fluctuations thanks to domain power combining vector control, illusion manipulation, and elemental mastery. Being infinitely close to legend rank already, the transition felt almost anticlimactic. An old soul named Ye Yan came investigating the disturbance but quickly remembered his own precarious situation and retreated.
Sword practice consumed the following week. Ancient sword intents merged and integrated into my personal style ~ techniques that could sever barriers, souls, laws, and even other intents. My intensive training created sword intent so intense it permeated throughout the Heavenly Sacred Border.
The Thunder God Meteorite Sword responded with killing intent, trying to negate my power. I sensed I could cut an opening to the outside world if desired ~ a realization that drew Xiao Ning'er onto my attention.
She'd reached gold rank four during her time here. I retrieved the demon spirits she'd saved from the ruins, refined them into a mutated Celestial Thunderbird with god-level growth potential, then returned with the enhanced spirit and diluted soul spirit liquid.
"This should help," I said, watching her eyes widen at the gifts.
After some discussion about techniques and cultivation theory, she advanced from gold rank four to peak gold rank with the medicinal effects. I channeled my own soul force to stabilize her core ~ now she was a true peak gold rank demon spiritualist.
"I'm leaving Glory City for a while," I mentioned as we prepared to exit the border. The old guy didn't want to greet me at all? Never-mind.
"I want to come with you," she said immediately.
"Sometime later. I have preparations to make first."
I invited Nie Li to cultivate in the Heavenly Sacred Border, hoping he'd claim the Thunder God Meteorite Sword now that Xiao Ning'er was with me. If the dark guild attacked while he was unprepared...
Meanwhile, Xiao Ning'er moved into the city lord's mansion alongside Ye Ziyun. Their friendship blossomed through shared training sessions, leaving a disappointed Nie Li watching from the sidelines.
A week passed. Nie Li helped arrange the first part of the ten thousand demonic beast array and received a thrashing from the city lord for undisclosed reasons. The divine thunder array reached completion soon after.
The dark guild's distraction came right on schedule ~ an abyss flame giant summoned while separate forces attacked Nie Li and myself. My enhanced cultivation had sensed the summoning process from the beginning.
I moved to protect Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun. As a black gold rank cultivator, Ning'er could handle herself, but Ye Ziyun remained only gold rank three. Nie Li had lured some attackers into the killing array ~ being two star gold rank now instead of his original power level, he dodged black gold rank attacks with relative ease.
Two dark guild members approached us. The ice clone user engaged me first, but going down with a single punch. When he tried escaping through clone techniques, I drew my iron sword and swept with pure sword intent. Every clone disintegrated instantly, reduced to atomic particles.
Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun handled the other demon beast together, knocking their opponent unconscious with combined snow and lightning attacks. City Lord Ye Zong and Elder Li arrived to find our battle concluded, then chased the remaining four attackers who'd been hiding and planning secondary strikes.
Nie Li killed his opponent with the Tai Yi killing array, then activated the thunder array using his sword to eliminate the abyss flame giant. His higher cultivation level protected him from the unconsciousness that had plagued him in the original timeline.
Other family reinforcements arrived and killed one dark guild spiritualist while seriously injuring another who managed to escape. Together they cleared out the minor flame demons. Only two enemies escaped alive ~ the captured ones died from soul control techniques before interrogation.
My iron sword crumbled to dust, unable to handle my power output. I'd already copied the Thunder God Meteorite Sword but couldn't use it without explaining its origin. Learning forging techniques to modify the divine weapon became a priority.
Our parents faced attacks too. Mine had reached black gold rank and, with numerous gold ranks supporting them together with the array, captured all the would-be kidnappers. The prisoners died mysteriously later. Nie Li's parents were hidden by their clan patriarch.
The dark guild's disaster was complete ~ of twenty-four operatives, only three or four escaped. Retaliation was inevitable.
Glory City lost no cultivators while the dark guild suffered devastating losses. A meeting for those who'd fought was arranged. Sacred Family representatives attended, including their two actors. I reported overhearing discussions about "Long Sha ordering the attack on the city lord's mansion" and their desire to learn about the defensive pillars and count our forces.
Three days later, the city was still rebuilding.
Nie Li's contributions had been significant, but Ye Ziyun no longer acted like the shy girl he remembered. Knowing his true identity had created reservations in her heart. She valued him as an asset to the city ~ his contributions were becoming impossible to repay ~ but remained conflicted about their relationship.
Lord Ye Zong felt similarly. He valued Nie Li's abilities but noticed his daughter's lack of reciprocation. Beyond treasures from the palace treasury, he wouldn't provide additional support.
Then Ye Han arrived ~ Ye Zong's adopted son, who'd trained since childhood to become city lord and marry Ziyun. But now the legitimate heir had similar cultivation, and many youngsters in the city showed exaggerated growth rates that dimmed his achievements. His position was becoming questionable in the Snow Family's eyes again, though adopted son remained son.
A banquet was arranged. Major families received invitations.
The Sacred Family came without Shen Fei. His self-confidence had vanished after the disastrous tournament defeat and recent mental troubles. He teetered on the verge of expulsion from the family. Shen Hong remained deeply troubled by the family situation, most infuriatingly because they had no clue about Shen Fei's attacker other than her face ~ whoever had transformed a brilliant young man into... whatever he was now.
Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun were already present, communicating mainly among themselves as befitted their noble status. Ye Han approached Ziyun for conversation, but she felt awkward after rejecting his gift ~ something she no longer needed given her fairly high cultivation rank.
Nie Li and I entered as the city lord's resident guests. Xiao Ning'er came to me immediately, with Ye Ziyun joining our group after feeling alone. Nie Li's elation at seeing her was short-lived as Ye Han re-appeared for introductions.
We were addressed as geniuses, prompting him to suggest a friendly match ~ two against one, him providing pointers. Things became awkward when one of his lackeys whispered that I was black gold rank and Nie Li matched his own cultivation level. He excused himself and retreated. It was his social death yet.
Hu Yan Lanruo came pestering Nie Li, who had no choice but to maintain a straight face through her ordeal. I went to discuss alchemic association business with Yang Xin, taking leave for training purposes.
Later, Nie Li proposed to Ye Ziyun again ~ obviously by teasing her ~ but Ye Han had been paying full attention to Ziyun all evening and felt increasingly frustrated. Plans began forming in his mind.
One more significant development: Ye Zong had reached legend rank one, Ye Xiu was also legend rank, and many other family heads had achieved peak black gold with numerous gold ranks supporting them. Today they'd brought patriarchs and young masters who'd been advised to keep their new techniques and actual powers secret ~ part of selling the items Nie Li had sent to increase Glory City's fighting power against the dark guild.
Those who knew, knew. Those who didn't ~ like the Sacred Family, who'd only heard certain rumors about many gold ranks appearing ~ were still planning actions to enhance their position.
Despite the Snow Wind Family and Alchemy Guild parties engaging with Sacred Family representatives, underlying tensions remained visible in their expressions.
I'd apparently missed parts involving the capture of Shen Ming and dark guild parties by Nie Li and the alchemy guild reporting to the city lord. But Nie Li had once again lost the opportunity to show off since Shen Fei wasn't present. No more like lost presence.
A few days passed. Every major family's servants and guards with Sacred Family connections were investigated and weeded out. Some of their businesses were also affected.
School reopened with new and improved techniques provided. As far as protagonists were concerned, they attracted trouble without waiting long. Nie Li was challenged by Ye Han on grounds that he was pestering Ye Ziyun and to reestablish his status as a genius.
Reality often disappoints, especially villains. Ye Han was defeated instantly and so effortlessly that others found it comical.
Shen Xiu received orders from her family to check if they could align Ye Han to their cause. Somehow his intelligence had been lowered by heaven ~ he wanted revenge against City Lord Ye Zong but decided to wait for his time while investigating Nie Li.
I had reached legend rank two. Time to leave the city.
But when I saw those towering walls, I felt I should do something about them. For four consecutive nights, I inscribed defensive and strengthening inscriptions on the outer walls near civilian compounds, working in void form to avoid detection. I also placed flame burst inscriptions at equal intervals ~ whenever attacks were sensed, surrounding aura would strengthen and regenerate the defensive arrays, with continuous attacks triggering repeated flame bursts.
Seeing my work completed, I decided to travel outside for a short trip. The realm travel technique awaited, and I'd have to use it sooner or later.