Chapter 21

Under Su Yu's urging, the two quickly circled around the streets of Green Mountain Town several times. When they reappeared, both were wearing black long robes that concealed their figures and appearances. Clearly, Su Yu understood that in the current chaotic Green Mountain Town, her appearance would only attract trouble and not bring her any benefits.

"What do you plan to do next?" Ye Zhong casually asked. If Su Yu had no specific plans, he might have to attend to his own matters.

"Let's go to the auction house in Green Mountain Town. Such places are usually full of all sorts of people and are the best for gathering information. At the very least, we should figure out why the news about the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿) ruins has suddenly become so sensational." Su Yu's gaze swept helplessly around the area. At this moment, countless forces of various sizes seemed to have gathered in Green Mountain Town. Even with Su Yu's temperament, she had to be more cautious.

"Then let's go and take a look." Ye Zhong naturally knew about auctions and understood that such events usually featured some excellent items. Since Su Yu intended to go, he had no reason to refuse.

After casually inquiring along the way, the two arrived at an ancient hall located in the center of Green Mountain Town. This hall, which had clearly existed for countless years, was damaged in many places but was still quite large. The forces in Green Mountain Town had repurposed it as an auction venue.

The level of this auction was not particularly high. After casually paying an entry fee of five hundred low-grade spirit stones, Ye Zhong and Su Yu entered the hall.

Although the hall was ancient and damaged, with drafts blowing through, the interior furnishings were still decent. Many seats were already occupied, indicating that many people were waiting for the auction to begin.

Led by Su Yu, the two sat down in a seat near the front. Their gazes immediately fell on the front row, where only those with true strength and status could sit.

Of course, with their identities as inner disciples of the Star Image Sect, sitting there would not be a problem for Ye Zhong and Su Yu. However, they both wanted to keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary conflicts at this time.

After scanning the front row, Ye Zhong shrugged and said, "Senior Sister Su Yu, with your extensive knowledge, you must be able to recognize who those people are, right?"

Su Yu hadn't expected that Ye Zhong, who was so skilled, would know nothing about the various forces in the Great Zhou Dynasty. She shifted her gaze to the nearest front row seat, where a young man in a white robe was leaning back in his chair, his eyes half-closed as he gazed at the auction stage, seemingly waiting for something.

"That person should be Song Shaochen, one of the five major families, the Song family. He is said to be the top figure of his generation in the Song family and is also a disciple of our Star Image Sect. However, he and I don't get along well." Su Yu's gaze lingered on the young man in the white robe for a moment before she shook her head.

"Song Shaochen? I've never heard of him." Ye Zhong shook his head; it was indeed the first time he had heard this name.

"According to rumors, he was a renowned figure in Yanjing, on par with your family's top young talent, Ye Yufeng..." As she said this, Su Yu suddenly paused, remembering that the so-called top young talent of the Ye family, Ye Yufeng, had been defeated by Ye Zhong in just three moves.

"Is that so?" Ye Zhong's gaze lingered on the young man for a moment before he said indifferently, "Fourth stage of the Body Tempering realm, indeed not easy to deal with."

Hearing this, Su Yu was even more surprised. She naturally knew Song Shaochen's strength, but that was because they were both inner disciples of the Star Image Sect and had some understanding of each other. However, Ye Zhong, who had only just met Song Shaochen, could identify his strength. This level of discernment was no small feat! At this moment, Su Yu felt that there was still much about Ye Zhong that she couldn't fully understand.

Ye Zhong, of course, was unaware of Su Yu's thoughts. Even if he knew, he wouldn't care. After gazing at Song Shaochen for a moment, he subconsciously frowned. At the moment, Ye Zhong was only at the third stage of the Body Tempering realm. Although he could easily handle other third-stage experts, the fourth stage was a different matter.

Those who could reach the fourth stage of the Body Tempering realm, the Tendon Transformation stage, had extremely powerful blood qi. While Ye Zhong wasn't necessarily afraid, he had to admit that dealing with a fourth-stage expert would require significant effort.

"Who would have thought Rong Tian would also be here!" Su Yu's gaze shifted from Song Shaochen to another person, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Fifth stage of the Body Tempering realm, the Meridian Unblocking stage!" Following Su Yu's gaze, Ye Zhong's eyes narrowed, and his expression became serious for the first time. If dealing with a fourth-stage expert was troublesome, then a fifth-stage expert was beyond his current capabilities. If he encountered one, escaping unscathed would be considered very lucky!

"Is this person also from our Star Image Sect?" Ye Zhong asked, frowning as he looked at Rong Tian, who was dressed in green and had a cold expression, speaking softly to a few people around him.

"Yes, he is also an inner disciple of our Star Image Sect. I didn't expect that our sect would send both of these figures. It seems the allure of the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿) ruins is truly great!" Su Yu also frowned, though she wanted to find a fellow sect member to cooperate with, these two were definitely not good partners.

"Besides these two, are there any other troublesome figures?" Ye Zhong sighed and continued to ask. It seemed he had underestimated the so-called geniuses of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Now, it was clear that the group of so-called geniuses at the City Lord's residence were probably at the bottom of the heap in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The true geniuses were indeed more formidable than he had imagined! After this, he must obtain the Purple Wood Spirit Root to further enhance his strength; otherwise, he would eventually run into trouble.

"Besides these two, there are also many other troublesome figures, such as Ouyang Zhuo from the Ouyang family, one of the five major families. Although he is not a Star Image Sect expert, he is also quite troublesome..."

"Another one is Ning Yu, the young lord of the Crimson Cloud Martial Mansion!"

"And there are more..."

As Su Yu introduced them, Ye Zhong realized that the situation was not much different from what he had guessed. The various forces in the Great Zhou Dynasty had basically sent their outstanding successors, clearly drawn by the allure of the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿) ruins. Moreover, if Ye Zhong's guess was correct, these people likely possessed maps similar to the one Su Yu had. However, it was unclear how these maps had appeared in such large numbers and spread so widely.

This realization left Su Yu speechless. No wonder the exploration of the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿) ruins was classified as a high-level mission. Just looking at the troublesome figures present made it clear that completing this mission would be extremely difficult.

Ye Zhong's gaze also swept around the hall. After a moment, his eyes flickered. These experts from the Great Zhou Dynasty had gathered in this not-so-high-end auction, which suggested that something inside the auction had caught their attention. And from the looks of it, that something was likely related to the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿).

"Interesting..."

After a moment of contemplation, Ye Zhong smiled. This gathering of powerful figures was a familiar scene to him. Before his reincarnation, he had attended such events countless times, which had forged his path to becoming a powerful figure. Now, it seemed that the ruins of the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿) might be his first trial in this life.

Su Yu, clearly sensing the possibility, also became more serious. Her gaze, like many others, fell on the auction stage. If something truly worthy of so many experts' attention appeared, the situation would certainly be far from simple!

"Clang—"

In the midst of the quiet waiting, a loud bell suddenly rang throughout the auction house, causing many to become more alert. Clearly, they all knew that the auction was about to begin.

Most people in the hall were there for the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿) ruins. With their discerning eyes, they would normally not bother with such a low-level auction. However, the rumor that something related to the先天圣殿 (先天圣殿) would appear at this auction had drawn so much attention.

Following the bell, an old man with a slightly gaunt appearance appeared on the ancient auction stage, smiling. He scanned the crowd and said, "Ha, dear friends, I am from the Mo family of Green Mountain Town and the organizer of this auction. Thank you all for your support."

The Mo family of Green Mountain Town was the local power, the only and dominant force in the town. Ye Zhong and Su Yu had already understood this. The group that Ye Zhong had dealt with at the city gate were likely from the Mo family.

"Today, we know why you are here. Our Mo family, though small, does not dare to play games with you. So, let's get started!"

As he spoke, the old man waved his hand, and a wooden cart was pushed onto the stage. The cart was covered with a silk cloth, and countless eyes immediately focused on it, filled with excitement!