"That was too fast." An astonished voice greeted Liang the moment he emerged from the palace.

Liang turned to face a nine-tailed figure with surprise, not expecting her presence.

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

"Apologies for troubling you, senior."

"Not at all. You were away for mere seconds." The nine-tailed figure regarded Liang with interest.

"I see." Liang smiled. "It was simply good fortune, without which I may have failed to escape."

The nine-tailed figure nodded in acknowledgment, uninterested in further inquiry.

"You are now free to depart." She turned and vanished.

"Curious, why would she assist me?" Liang’s brow creased. After extending aid to Sun Wu during his battle with Mo Huang, he had meticulously planned to infiltrate the Heavenly Spirit Palace. Up to this point, everything had unfolded smoothly.

Not only had he mended his bloodline source and discovered a new method to cultivate it, but he had also secured the opportunity to cultivate at the Immortal Dragon Spring.

And now, this enigmatic woman presented him with an opportunity even more extraordinary than the Immortal Dragon Spring.

He was not naive enough to believe Sun Wu entirely duped. However, he remained apprehensive regarding the intentions of this mysterious Immortal woman.

"She has likely discerned my intentions all along," Liang mused, his expression darkening. "But why continue this charade?"

He could not help but suspect that she was aware of his involvement in Feng Xue’s death, perhaps even sensing that he had acquired her body. Otherwise, why offer him a cultivation technique exclusive for the Phoenix Race?

Nevertheless, he remained certain of one thing: nothing he possessed held value for the Immortal woman that would justify such elaborate deception.

"It matters not. I must maintain vigilance."

***

Back to the Heavenly Fortune Auction.

After the third pill was announced to be an Imperial grade pill, the auction resumed, Xia directed her attention to the Superior Essence Ascension Pills.

"Distinguished guests," she announced, "we are now privileged to offer two exceptional Superior Essence Ascension Pills. The first, with an essence convergence of twenty-five percent."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd. Twenty-five percent essence convergence was no small feat, and the prospect of acquiring such a pill sparked intense interest among the attendees.

Bidding for the first Superior Essence Ascension Pill commenced with fervor. In the end, it was acquired by an expert on the ground floor for a substantial sum.

Next, Xia presented the second Superior Essence Ascension Pill, boasting an impressive fifty percent essence convergence. The atmosphere in the auction hall grew even more electric as attendees eagerly vied to possess this extraordinary pill.

From the second floor, a mysterious expert emerged as the eventual victor, outbidding all others with a staggering offer. The identity of this individual remained secret.

As the auction neared its climax, all eyes turned to the most coveted item—the Imperial Essence Ascension Pill.

"Now, let’s move to the most anticipated moment, the only Imperial Grade Pill." Xia’s eyes flickered with excitement, her gaze fixed on the third floor. "The starting price will be adjusted slightly this time."

Many experts nodded in approval. After all, since the pill’s true grade had been exposed, it was logical to adjust its price.

"The starting price will be..." Alchemist Song paused dramatically. "One billion!"

An uproar erupted instantly, even the experts on the third floor were taken aback. One billion as a starting price? Wasn’t that a little excessive?

The Martial Lord frowned slightly and his gaze fell upon Alchemist Song again. A hint of irritation was evident in his eyes. If this old turtle hadn’t revealed the true grade of the pill, the price would have been at least half of what was currently being offered.

Feeling helpless, the Martial Lord decided to bid first. "One billion and two hundred million."

Swiftly, other experts on the third floor looked at the Martial Lord in surprise. Was this pill really that important to him?

"One billion and three hundred million!"

Many experts instantly shifted their gaze to the first floor, for this bid had come from there.

It was a short, middle-aged man wearing purple robes with long green hair. A hint of a indifferent smile played on his lips as he stared up at the third floor.

"I can’t be wrong, that’s the Divine Blacksmith, Heaven Smelting Lord—Shi Tian." A hushed whisper rippled through the crowd.

"Shi Tian?"

Younger experts looked at the ordinary-looking short man with astonishment. Heaven Smelting? What an intriguing name.

"Old dwarf, you’re here too?" The Martial Lord asked in a gloomy voice, staring at the short man.

"Old dwarf?" Shi Tian frowned and faced the Martial Lord. "Brat Wu, you’re still the same, showing no respect for your elders."

"Elders?" The Martial Lord laughed aloud. "Old dwarf, in the cultivation world, age and seniority are meaningless. Only strength matters."

He then gave Shi Tian a mocking look. "And clearly, my strength surpasses yours."

"Surpasses mine?" Shi Tian burst into laughter, and an overwhelming aura surged from him, shaking the entire space. The air crackled with energy as his late-stage Void Return Realm cultivation base was revealed.

"Late-stage Void Return Realm!"

All the experts on the third floor stood up and stared at Shi Tian in shock. Another late-stage Void Return Realm expert had emerged!

The Martial Lord’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly returned to normal and sneered. "So what? Even if you have the same cultivation base, I will not call you senior."

"Hmph, insolent brat." Shi Tian’s expression darkened, and he looked away.

"Divine Blacksmith, you’ve proven your point. Could you please retract your aura now?" The Pavilion Head took a deep breath. Internally, he thought, ’Another troublesome figure has emerged.’

Shi Tian’s eyes flickered with surprise before he retracted his aura. "I acted impulsively just now. I hope Pavilion Head didn’t take offense."

"Of course not, Divine Blacksmith. I wouldn’t dare." The Pavilion Head chuckled. "Now, let’s resume the auction. Martial Lord, please restrain yourself. If you disrupt the auction again, I will have to ask you to leave."

The Martial Lord shot him a hard look before nodding. After all, he was in someone else’s territory, and this Pavilion Head was not as simple as he seemed.