Chapter 83

Inside the city of Tongtian, battles raged on, with the four factions constantly clashing. The streets were now devoid of civilians, and apart from the areas under the control of the Heavenly Punishment, there was no sanctuary left.

Today, the four factions had tacitly agreed to a ceasefire. The reason was an auction held by the Heavenly Punishment Auction House. At this auction, a Mystic Ice Sword was to be auctioned, attracting many powerful factions, including some disciples from the Ten Thousand Sects, who had appeared early in the morning.

Lin Changsheng had also arrived, accompanied by Zhao Yu. Besides Lin Changsheng, there was also Yun Long from the Ice River Sect, and these two formed a stark contrast.

Although Yun Long's strength was inferior to Lin Changsheng's, his status was no less. This was because he had an exceptional talent, entering the sect five years later than Lin Changsheng but already reaching the Fourth Layer of Absolute Dust, which caused a significant stir in the Ten Thousand Sects. Some even said that Yun Long was the most talented disciple among the new generation of the Ten Thousand Sects, and with proper cultivation, he had a good chance of winning the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Ceremony in three years.

"Brother Yun Long, I have heard much about you. Meeting you today, I must say, your reputation is well-deserved," Lin Changsheng took the initiative to show friendliness to Yun Long.

"Brother Changsheng, you flatter me. You are the pride of the Ten Thousand Sects, the first person of the Vast Heaven Sect. I dare not compare myself to you."

"Not at all, I am an old man, having cultivated for five years longer than you. If you were given five more years, I would not be able to match you."

"In cultivation, there is no early or late, only strength."

"Ha ha, I hope that in three years, at the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Ceremony, Brother Yun Long can give me a pleasant surprise. When the time comes, please go easy on me."

"Brother Changsheng, I also look forward to the battle in three years!" The two exchanged pleasantries, as if the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Ceremony was already within their grasp.

Apart from the two sects, some of the Ten Thousand Sects closer to Tongtian City also sent representatives. Although they did not have enough wealth to buy the Mystic Ice Sword, the Heavenly Punishment Auction House held only one auction per year, and they did not want to miss it, hoping to bid on a few items they liked.

The four factions were also present: Qingfeng, the eldest son of the Azure Dragon Gang; Shaobaiyu of the White Tiger Gang; Zhuluan of the Vermilion Bird Gang; and Wu Meng of the Black Tortoise Gang. These four were considered the most outstanding descendants of the four factions, who were usually proud and dominant in Tongtian City, but today they remained calm and did not make a fuss in the presence of the Heavenly Punishment.

The numerous elders of the four factions were also present, their eyes filled with killing intent, but they did not dare to cause trouble in the Heavenly Punishment.

Chu Yan had also come, accompanied only by Ye Xun. Both wore cloaks, and as soon as Chu Yan arrived, he glanced in the direction of the Ice River Sect. He saw a familiar face, gentle eyes, and a charming presence.

Chu Yan's eyes narrowed. It was really Xi Shuang. Their gazes met in the air, and the petite figure trembled slightly.

Chu Yan took a moment to regain his composure, wanting to step forward, but he froze in place. He clearly saw Su Xishuang avoiding him and shaking her head.

"Don't go over, it seems she doesn't want to acknowledge you," Ye Xun, who had seen this, also stopped Chu Yan.

"How can this be?" Chu Yan was puzzled. The Su Xishuang he knew would have been delighted to see him, but what was happening now?

"Perhaps she has her reasons. Let's see how things unfold. Today's auction will be quite exciting. The Heavenly Punishment is a mysterious force, said to be one of the top merchants in the inner circle, mainly dealing in weapons, elixirs, and various treasures. Even the four factions and the Ten Thousand Sects give them some respect," Ye Xun explained.

Chu Yan did not respond. He had no interest in the auction; he was only concerned about whether Su Xishuang had married Yun Long, how Yun Long treated her, and whether she was happy in the Ice River Sect.

If she was not happy, Chu Yan would use the power of the wilderness to flatten the Ice River Sect and take Su Xishuang away.

Su Xishuang glanced at Chu Yan, feeling a mix of relief and bitterness: "This silly boy has finally come out, but don't blame your sister. For Changlong's safety, I cannot acknowledge you now."

The Heavenly Punishment Auction House was large, and such a grand auction was held only once a year. Instead of auctioning items one by one, multiple exhibition halls were set up, allowing people to choose items they liked and participate in the auction for those items, saving a lot of time.

The Mystic Ice Sword was naturally the highlight of this auction and was the first to be auctioned, so a large crowd gathered in the Mystic Ice Sword exhibition hall.

Chu Yan and Ye Xun followed at the back. Looking at the Mystic Ice Sword, Chu Yan recalled his search in the first level of the Nine Heavens Mystic Tower, where he discovered that this Mystic Ice Sword was a divine artifact from ancient times.

The Mystic Ice Sword, ranked 9,900th on the Ancient Great List, possessed the power of ice, and when fully cultivated, could freeze space and even time.

Chu Yan immediately understood that a fierce battle was about to ensue. A young man from the Heavenly Punishment stepped forward, not yet twenty, but with a strong presence. Even in the presence of the four factions and the Ten Thousand Sects, he remained calm.

"He is Zhaotong, the right-hand man of Qiuyu. Qiuyu is a very mysterious person, and few have seen him, so in Tongtian City, Zhaotong usually represents Qiuyu," Shaobaiyu smiled beside Chu Yan.

Chu Yan glanced at Zhaotong and smiled faintly without a word.

At this moment, Zhaotong's gaze seemed to fall on Chu Yan, his eyes narrowing, and his expression becoming very strange: "Is it him?"

Chu Yan shook his head at Zhaotong, who then turned his gaze away. He then looked around, but his mind was in turmoil.

This small action went unnoticed, and Zhaotong directly addressed the crowd: "Everyone has seen this Mystic Ice Sword. Those who know its value will recognize it as a treasure. I won't waste words. As in previous years, the highest bidder wins. The starting bid is ten second-grade spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must be at least one second-grade spirit stone higher. The auction can now begin."

"Thirty!" As soon as Zhaotong finished speaking, Qingfeng began to bid.

"Thirty-five." Zhuluan immediately followed, and Qingfeng gave her a meaningful look.

"They are from the four factions. The current conflict between the four factions is intense. This Mystic Ice Sword is excellent, and if it falls into any of their hands, it could change the tide of battle. I expect a fierce competition soon."

"Forty!" Shaobaiyu also joined the bidding.

"Fifty!" Yun Long spoke, looking around and smiling faintly. "Ladies and gentlemen, my fiancée is very fond of this sword, so I hope you can let it go for her sake."

"They are from the Ice River Sect, and they have started bidding."

"These freaks, our royal family's annual tax revenue is only fifty-two second-grade spirit stones, but they are willing to bid fifty for a sword." A prince from an outer circle empire grumbled, and many others agreed, sighing and giving up.

Ye Xun was also deeply moved. The Ye family was one of the eight major families of Changlong Kingdom, but their annual income was only a few dozen first-grade spirit stones. Only after entering the inner circle did he realize how vast the world truly was. The Changlong Kingdom was like a well.

This was the world of martial arts, where the weak could never understand the world of the strong, and the strong would never spare a glance for the weak.

However, Yun Long's words also confirmed to Chu Yan that the marriage was real.

Surprisingly, after Yun Long spoke, the four factions remained silent. Shaobaiyu grinned: "Ha ha, since Brother Yun has spoken and is doing this for his wife, the White Tiger Gang will gladly let it go. Besides, I'm not a swordsman, and I don't want this sword to fall into the hands of the Azure Dragon Gang."

"Shaobaiyu, you bastard, do you want to fight?" Qingfeng's eyes turned cold, glaring at Shaobaiyu.

Shaobaiyu sneered but said nothing.

At this moment, Ye Xun glanced at Chu Yan and whispered, "Chu Yan, Yun Long is willing to bid fifty second-grade spirit stones for Princess Xishuang's sword. I think he must truly care for her. Are you overthinking this?"

Chu Yan shook his head: "I don't know, let's see. If he truly cares for her, that's fine."

"Brother Yun, although I would like to let it go, I must have this sword. I apologize. Fifty-five." At this moment, Wu Meng of the Black Tortoise Gang spoke, causing everyone to gasp.

Fifty-five spirit stones was already a significant price, and Yun Long frowned, looking at Wu Meng with a hint of coldness: "Sixty."

"Sixty-five!" Wu Meng continued to bid, determined to get the Mystic Ice Sword. Fifty was the best price for this sword, and anything higher was not worth it. Yun Long had just bid sixty, but now it was sixty-five, and bidding any higher would be a significant loss.

Yun Long finally stopped bidding and glanced at Su Xishuang, who whispered, "Let it go, it's just a sword, and I don't need it that badly."

"I'll have someone make you a new one later," Yun Long said to Su Xishuang, then stopped bidding.

"Seventy!" At this moment, Chu Yan spoke, and everyone looked at him with surprise. Chu Yan was wearing a cloak, making it hard to see his face, and many were puzzled.

"Seventy-five!"

"Eighty!" Chu Yan continued calmly, and Ye Xun was speechless... He knew that Chu Yan did not have eighty second-grade spirit stones. If he did, they would not have left the Vast Heaven Sect to cultivate.

"Who is this guy? I've never heard of him in Tongtian City." Many people discussed, and Shaobaiyu, with a deep meaning, took a sip of strong liquor and smiled. While others did not know Chu Yan, he did. He had expected Chu Yan to bid, but he thought he would not see this interesting scene because of Yun Long's bid. However, Wu Meng's sudden bid had made it happen.

"Kid, are you here to cause trouble?" Wu Meng looked at Chu Yan with anger.

"Are you bidding or not?" Chu Yan glanced at Wu Meng. Since this sword was what Su Xishuang liked, he was determined to get it, and no one could stop him.

Wu Meng's face darkened. Eighty spirit stones was far beyond the value of the Mystic Ice Sword, but he was reluctant to let it go.