Chapter 18

In Tian Jie's view, Lin Xuan's aura was not overwhelming, which was why he dared to be so brazen.

The arm glowed with a yellowish light, reaching out towards Lin Xuan.

"Hmph, do you think you can pass as a high-level expert just by wearing a black robe? Brother Tian Jie is at the Fifth Stage of the Condensation Pulse!" The group of young men sneered.

"Trying to snatch our things, you're just asking for death!"

The yellow-faced stall owner was also frightened, his face pale and his body curled up to one side, not daring to watch the bloody scene.

Lin Xuan's brows furrowed slightly. He grabbed the brown stone in his hand and met the yellowish fist.

Seeing Lin Xuan use the brown stone to block his attack, Tian Jie felt frustrated but did not dare to strike hard, fearing damage to the stone. He changed his fist into a claw mid-way and aimed for Lin Xuan's shoulder.

Lin Xuan still moved his arm quickly, using the stone to block the attack. He said slowly, "I'll offer sixty spirit stones."

"Damn, don't be so arrogant! If you delay our business, you'll regret it!" Tian Jie was frustrated, clearly having strong power but unable to use it, feeling extremely stifled.

"I'll count to three. If you don't raise your bid, I'll crush this stone on the spot." Lin Xuan sneered, "One."

The martial artists on the commercial street, seeing a fight, thought a treasure had appeared and gathered around.

"Damn, who has such good luck to find something valuable?"

"Even if you find something good, you need to have the luck to take it, especially when you encounter a Fifth Stage Spirit Scholar!"

"Two!" Lin Xuan shouted, "If experts are drawn here, don't blame me."

Tian Jie's palm moved continuously, his techniques exquisite, but Lin Xuan always used the brown stone to block his attack route.

"I'll offer seventy!" Tian Jie said through gritted teeth, determined to tear this black-robed man apart as soon as he got the stone.

"What? Seventy, did I hear that right!" The crowd shouted, "A treasure for just seventy spirit stones!"

"I'll offer eighty, can I buy it?" someone asked.

"The highest bidder wins!" Lin Xuan laughed loudly.

"I'll offer one hundred!"

"Damn, all of you get lost!" Tian Jie was furious, his spiritual energy surging, the yellow aura flickering like flames.

Some people still wanted to bid, but were intimidated by Tian Jie's aura.

"Hmph, we are from the Divine Might Group of the Xuantian Sect. Who dares to cause trouble will not be spared!" The young disciples shouted coldly.

Many gave up the fight, valuing their lives more than the treasure.

"Wow, what a big mouth, I'll offer one hundred and fifty spirit stones!" A mocking voice rang out.

Many turned to see who had the nerve to challenge the Xuantian Sect, and Tian Jie also stopped his attack, coldly looking at the bidder.

Lin Xuan quickly glanced over and recognized the bidder.

"Lu Yi!" Tian Jie said through gritted teeth, "Does your Combat Group also want to get involved?"

"I didn't want to, but I just can't stand your Divine Might Group!" Lu Yi said with a grin.

"Two hundred spirit stones!" Tian Jie did not continue to argue with Lu Yi, as they were equally matched in both strength and status, and a prolonged fight would not yield a quick result.

"Two hundred and twenty spirit stones!" Lu Yi crossed his arms, looking very relaxed.

"Die!" Tian Jie did not bid again but suddenly attacked, his fist like a charging tiger, making the air tremble.

It was too sudden, and Lu Yi and the others did not expect it, so they could not come to the rescue in time, only hoping the black-robed man could dodge.

Like a tiger descending from the mountain, the yellow fist, enveloped in spiritual energy, emitted a low tiger roar, heading straight for Lin Xuan's face.

"That's the Intermediate Yellow Rank martial technique, Tiger Roar Fist! This black-robed man is done for!"

"Brother Tian Jie is indeed formidable. No one at the same stage could withstand that punch, right?"

Lin Xuan's left hand formed a sword, green spiritual energy surging out, forming a sword beam. He used his finger as a sword, pointing it out like a star from the heavens.

Swoosh!

This was the technique, Star from the Heavens, but Lin Xuan used his finger to execute it, and its power was no less. The sword beam flickered, flying out like a shooting star, instantly breaking through Tian Jie's Tiger Roar Fist.

Puff!

Tian Jie's arm ached, and he staggered back, his eyes full of fear. The disciples following him still had smiles on their faces, but their muscles were as stiff as stone.

"How, how is this possible!" The young men almost bit their tongues, that was Brother Tian Jie, an elite of the Divine Might Group, a Fifth Stage Spirit Scholar!

Lu Yi's pupils also constricted. He carefully thought about it and realized that if it had been him, he probably couldn't have dodged that sword either.

"Who is this black-robed man?" He was filled with apprehension.

"Trying to ambush me?" Lin Xuan's voice was cold, "I've changed my mind. If you don't offer five hundred spirit stones, you won't get this stone!"

Tian Jie was still in shock, that sword had shattered his confidence. He was now convinced that Lin Xuan was a mysterious expert, as he had never seen anyone's sword move so fast!

"Senior, forgive me, I was blind and disrespectful." Tian Jie said in panic, "Here are five hundred spirit notes, which can be exchanged for spirit stones at the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower in the city. I hope Senior will give me the stone..."

Tian Jie's demeanor was completely different from before. In a world where strength was paramount, only those with strength could command respect.

"Take it!" Lin Xuan took the spirit notes and said sternly, "This time, I'll let it go. If it happens again, no mercy!"

He threw the brown stone to Tian Jie. The spirit branch inside the stone had already been taken out by Old Jiu, so the stone was useless to him.

"Senior's lesson is well taken!" Tian Jie said respectfully, immediately leading his disciples away, clearly terrified.

Lin Xuan then gave a spirit note to the stall owner and asked, "Where did you get this stone?"

The yellow-faced stall owner trembled as he took the spirit note and said softly, "Senior, I found the stone in the outer area of the Taihang Mountains. That day, a hurricane swept through the forest, bringing many things, including this brown stone."

"Hurricane?" Lin Xuan immediately thought of the enormous bird from that day. "It seems this stone originally came from deep within the forest, but was brought out by the bird."

"Are there many such stones?" Lin Xuan asked again.

"I only found one. The rest fell into a deep pit, and I didn't dare to retrieve them." The stall owner said cautiously, "It's a demon pit. Any living thing that approaches it will lose its mind and die, turning into a pile of bones. Senior, don't go there."

"Don't set up your stall for a while, be careful of those people coming to cause trouble." Lin Xuan warned, then left without looking back.

He had heard of that demon pit before, a forbidden area in the Taihang Mountains where people only went in but never came out alive.

"Such a dangerous place." Lin Xuan originally wanted to collect more brown stones, but now he had to give up. He went to a deserted place, quickly took off his black robe, and restored his original appearance.

"First, I'll return to the sect. Once Old Jiu brews the spirit wine, I can start practicing the Thunder Movement Sword Technique." Lin Xuan was filled with anticipation.

...

Tian Jie and his group took the brown stone to an inn. They gathered around a table, curiously looking at the stone on the table.

"Brother, is this really a stone from deep within the Taihang Mountains? It doesn't seem special!" a disciple said.

"I don't know, but it was requested by an inner sect senior. We outer sect members can only collect it." Tian Jie said solemnly, "The senior instructed us not to damage the stone, as there seems to be something special inside, but I don't know what exactly."