Chapter 285: Chapter 194: Murder and Robbery! The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!_2
But... a faction’s power was one thing, an elder’s status another.
His strength had just reached the Peak of the Acupoint Passage Realm, and the Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand had come just in time. After some practice, he might even comprehend the deployment of spiritual power from this quasi-Supreme martial art and thereby cross into the Detachment Realm. By then, with his status, he might even participate in the Hundred Dynasties Battle... Just thinking about this grand gathering of talents from vast domains made Tu Ling’s throat involuntarily emit a somewhat morbid chuckle.
To other Martial Artists, Qianyuan City was a colossal entity. But for him, who had lived here since childhood, Qianyuan City was still too small. Here, one could only ever achieve the Detachment Realm, a lifespan of merely three hundred years. In the depths of his heart, a wildfire burned; he yearned to become the first Alliance Hierarch of the Black Alliance and break through the Detachment Realm. The world is my furnace, and I am the fire within. To truly roam the world, to live for five hundred years!
Given Tu Ling’s identity and the high price of 18,000 Essence Yuan Great Pills, the entire auction hall fell silent, devoid even of whispered murmurs.
Elder Yan of the Ten Thousand Medicine Association paled and flushed, caught in a dilemma; he had never expected Tu Ling to be so disrespectful. Forcing the issue would only offend the Blood Battle Arena. After hesitating for a long moment, he finally chose not to speak again.
As the auction hammer fell, the quasi-Supreme martial art, "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," was definitively secured by Tu Ling.
Through Jiang Shu’s keen eyes, it was clear that on several occasions, some Martial Artists had wanted to offer a higher bid but ultimately chose to remain silent due to Tu Ling’s presence. Among these Martial Artists, perhaps there were geniuses from various Dynasties who had come to Qianyuan City for training. They might all have deeper foundations than Tu Ling, but this was Qianyuan City. Without status, standing out could be deadly.
"The second auction item is a supplementary Treasure, a Golden Ape Meditation Mat. This meditation mat is mainly crafted from the fur of a Sixth Rank Mutant Beast, the Fire-eyed Golden Ape. Engraved with the Heart Refining Treasure Pattern, when a Martial Artist sits on it and activates the Treasure Pattern, their mind will project the form of the Fire-eyed Golden Ape. Subduing this projection will refine the user’s mind."
"Although this Treasure does not possess strong offensive power, if a Martial Artist regularly meditates on it, it will definitely shorten the time needed to enter the Detachment Realm. The starting bid is 20,000 Essence Yuan Great Pills! Each increment must not be less than 1,000!"
On the auction platform, Manager Mu’s voice grew increasingly urgent and resonant, stirring the Martial Artists present so much that they felt compelled to stand.
The "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," no matter how rare or powerful, ultimately remained within the scope of the Acupoint Passage Realm. Moreover, this martial art originated from the Great Yuan Dynasty. Who knew if, after practicing it, one might face a reckoning from the powerhouses of the Great Yuan Dynasty? Even if successfully auctioned, it could only be used as a last resort.
But this Golden Ape Meditation Mat was a true Supreme item!
From the Acupoint Passage Realm to the Detachment Realm—this step had stymied countless Martial Artists!
"25,000 Essence Yuan Great Pills!" a Martial Artist, who had previously wanted to compete with Tu Ling for the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," suddenly shouted.
"26,000!" Soon, a sharp female voice followed.
The auction had truly entered its climax as one subdued bid after another quickly raised the price to the 30,000 mark.
"Terrifying, absolutely terrifying," a Martial Artist beside Jiang Shu couldn’t help but exclaim.
Acupoint Passage Realm Martial Artists might seem powerful, but their cultivation constantly required resources. What they actually possessed in terms of disposable wealth was often just a few hundred or a few thousand Essence Yuan Great Pills. Tens of thousands of Essence Yuan Great Pills could buy Supreme Elixirs, directly aiding an Acupoint Passage Realm Martial Artist in cultivating their Spirit!
"31,000!" Tu Ling gritted his teeth and spoke again; this was his second bid. The moment he saw the Golden Ape Meditation Mat, one thought dominated his mind: Get it, get it! With my current Realm, it wouldn’t be difficult for me to achieve entry-level mastery of the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," but to progress further, my spiritual power needs to be strengthened. This Golden Ape Meditation Mat would perfectly solve that problem.
"32,000."
In the face of real competition, status served no purpose. Qianyuan City had always been synonymous with chaos. Moreover, how many attendees at this auction were truly residents of Qianyuan City? Win the bid, and the first thing to do was leave—the sea is vast for fish to leap, the sky is high for birds to fly. Even if the Blood Battle Arena ranked among the five great powers, so what?
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Tu Ling internally seethed, glaring at the Martial Artist who had shouted the bid. His savings over many years amounted to only 50,000 Essence Yuan Great Pills. Having already won the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," this high price of 32,000 for the mat was already exceeding what he could afford.
"33,000..."
The price kept climbing, eventually stopping at 35,000. A Martial Artist shrouded in a black robe successfully won the bid with this amount, nearly double the price of the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand." The Martial Artist rose, expertly heading towards a special passage in the auction hall to conclude the transaction and swiftly withdraw.
In an instant, nearly 1,000 Martial Artists rose from their seats, Tu Ling included, and quickly followed. Even though there was still one final, show-stopping item yet to be auctioned, none of these Martial Artists paused.
The first item had been a quasi-Supreme martial art. The second, a Treasure that could help Acupoint Passage Realm Martial Artists step into the Detachment Realm. The third auction item would undoubtedly be even rarer, not something ordinary people could hope to covet.
Everyone’s target was the Golden Ape Meditation Mat. Compared to the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," which, even when mastered, could only allow one to contend with a Detachment Realm powerhouse for a short while, the Golden Ape Meditation Mat’s value was far greater.
"The third auction item..." On the auction stage, before Manager Mu could finish speaking, Jiang Shu had also stealthily left, uninterested in hearing more.
However, his target was different from the others. What he wanted was not the Golden Ape Meditation Mat, but the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand"! After all, the Golden Ape Meditation Mat was merely a cultivation aid. In the Da Jing Dynasty, it was extremely challenging for Martial Artists to advance from the Acupoint Passage Realm to the Detachment Realm. On one hand, Supreme Cultivation Techniques were rare. On the other, the previous five Realms focused on Body Refinement and Qi Refinement, with no enhancement to the Spirit. It was as if asking a Martial Artist from the Xia Country to elevate their Spiritual Cultivation directly from deep sleep to Fetal Breathing—such was the difficulty. But I, Jiang Shu, cultivating the Martial Arts of Two Realms and practicing the "Crystal Meditation Method," am only one step away from the Detachment Realm in terms of my spiritual power. Thus, my reliance on the Golden Ape Meditation Mat is naturally not high. On the contrary, the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," due to its uniqueness and dual use of Primordial Power and Spirit, could potentially become a true Supreme martial art if its limits were broken. During the Hundred Dynasties Battle, it could provide me with significant support!
"Young Master Tu, this is the ’Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand.’ Do you need to inspect it?"
In a private room near the passage entrance, Tu Ling casually tossed over a Black Alliance card. The Black Alliance was akin to a massive merchant guild, well-informed and possessing countless treasures. Distinguished guests who resided long-term in Qianyuan City all held Black Alliance cards, making transactions convenient as they didn’t need to carry excessive amounts of Essence Yuan Great Pills.
Quickly taking the Jade Scroll, Tu Ling stored it in his Storage Bag without even a glance. As one of Qianyuan City’s five great powers, his faction constantly engaged in transactions with the Black Alliance; there was no concern of being deceived over such an auction item.
Now, the most crucial thing is to keep up with that unseeing fool. That individual, acting so furtively, is definitely not from Qianyuan City. Most likely, they’re a genius from some Dynasty’s noble house. Though these geniuses are powerful, I, Tu Ling, Young Master of the Blood Battle Arena, have experienced far more bloody battles than they have!
At this thought, Tu Ling’s eyes grew cold. After obtaining confirmed information from the manager, he moved swiftly through the crowd, his gaze fixed on the Martial Artist who had won the Golden Ape Meditation Mat.
Unknown to him, just as his figure vanished, a nearly imperceptible shadow flashed and disappeared within the passage—Break Limit level Concealing Steps.