Chapter 23

As time passed, in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the price of the stone tablet had already been raised by 100,000 mid-grade spirit stones, far exceeding everyone's expectations. After all, even the five major families of the Great Zhou would find it quite difficult to come up with so many mid-grade spirit stones at once. At this point, those who had initially bid, such as Rong Tian and Ning Yu, were all scowling and had closed their mouths, because after the price soared to this level, they had already lost the qualifications to compete.

"110,000 mid-grade spirit stones!" In the venue, Song Shaochen's eyes twitched slightly. He almost gritted his teeth as he shouted out this price.

On the other side, Ouyang Zhuo's face turned extremely ugly. His cold gaze fell on Song Shaochen, and after a long moment, he sneered, "Song Shaochen is indeed generous, it seems you are well-prepared!"

"I dare not compare with your Ouyang family's wealth." Song Shaochen's eyes flickered slightly, and then he sneered.

"Why not! This time, our Ouyang family is determined to get this stone tablet. If your Song family insists on competing, we will accompany you to the end!" Ouyang Zhuo sneered, then waved his hand and shouted, "120,000!"

"Claiming it with such a low price, you don't find it embarrassing, but I do!" Song Shaochen sneered, then clapped his hands and said coldly, "I offer 150,000. If you can raise the price, the item is yours!"

Ouyang Zhuo's eyes twitched violently, and his face trembled. Although the Ouyang family was well-prepared, they had exactly 150,000 mid-grade spirit stones, and to gather these, the Ouyang family had almost drained their resources. At this moment, Song Shaochen had grabbed his Achilles' heel, which made the killing intent in his eyes surge.

This price also made the others in the venue draw a sharp breath. Although entering the先天圣殿relics would certainly bring some gains, the gains would never reach this level.

The Song family was willing to pay such a high price for something whose use was still unknown, which could only mean they were very wealthy.

"Song Shaochen is indeed generous; this time, the Song family has indeed bled heavily." Su Yuning looked ahead, her eyes flashing with surprise. Clearly, she had not expected this stone tablet to be so fiercely contested.

Ye Zhong smiled but did not say much. Although the stone tablet was now in the hands of the Song family, whether they could keep it was uncertain. Moreover, even if the Song family could keep the stone tablet, whether they could figure out its purpose was another matter. If things went badly, the Song family might end up losing everything. Therefore, it was better not to draw conclusions at this moment.

"Hehe, Song Shaochen indeed has great courage. Thus, this stone tablet belongs to your Song family. Please bring the spirit stones to * to exchange later. The auction today ends here. Everyone, please!" On the auction stage, the old man, seeing no one was raising the price, waved his hand to put away the stone tablet and then smiled as he retreated to *.

"Brother, you are indeed determined. If you need any help from me, just say so. Don't be shy; after all, we are fellow disciples!" Rong Tian stood up and suddenly smiled at Song Shaochen.

"If I need help, I will certainly ask you, Brother." Song Shaochen responded indifferently.

Hearing this, Rong Tian looked at Song Shaochen meaningfully, then clapped his hands and left decisively.

Ouyang Zhuo, after staring at Song Shaochen for a moment, shook his head and slowly left. However, his expression clearly showed that he would not let this go easily.

After these two left, Song Shaochen gazed in the direction they had gone, his eyes deep. After a long moment, he waved his hand and led his group to * to exchange the stone tablet.

"Song Shaochen and Rong Tian seem to be at odds, don't they?" Ye Zhong, watching this confrontation, frowned.

"Indeed, they are not on good terms. In the inner sect ranking of our Star Constellation Sect, Rong Tian is ranked 17th, and Song Shaochen is ranked 18th. In the past six months, Song Shaochen has challenged Rong Tian three times, but all failed." Su Yuning explained.

"Ranking?" Hearing this, Ye Zhong nodded, slightly surprised. The inner sect of the Star Constellation Sect seemed to be quite formidable. Even a powerhouse like Rong Tian, who was at the fifth level of Body Tempering, was only ranked 17th. It was hard to imagine what the ranks above him were like.

"Still, Song Shaochen is quite impressive. With the fourth level of Body Tempering, he dared to challenge Rong Tian, who is at the fifth level."

"Rong Tian has astonishing talent and strength, but Song Shaochen, born into the Song family, one of the five major families, has had almost all the cultivation resources of his family poured into him. Therefore, his Body Tempering Spirit Technique is stronger than Rong Tian's, and it is said that he has two lower-grade spirit artifacts, which are quite powerful." Su Yuning explained.

Hearing this, Ye Zhong nodded. Spirit artifacts are divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, and even lower-grade spirit artifacts have great power. With such a trump card, it was no wonder Song Shaochen dared to challenge Rong Tian.

"By the way, Senior Sister Su Yuning, you cultivate the Star Constellation Sect's Star Constellation Body Tempering Technique. What is your rank in the inner sect?"

"I can barely rank outside the top 20." Su Yuning smiled indifferently, clearly not placing too much importance on the ranking.

"Alright, let's go. We have figured out the origin of this map. After resting for a day, we should set out as soon as possible. Otherwise, we won't even get a taste of the action."

Ye Zhong nodded, estimating that after the auction, many people might have already set out, following the map in their hands. Some more patient ones might be waiting for the Song family's reaction. After all, it was almost certain that the relics of the先天圣殿would soon appear.

...

Qing Shan Town, Mo Family Manor.

The Mo family, as the first power in Qing Shan Town, did not appear grand from the outside, but entering the interior, the elegant and ancient decorations revealed that the Mo family was not just a local bully. The Mo family's background and lineage might have some depth.

At this moment, in a secret chamber of the Mo Family Manor, a man in his twenties, dressed in dark clothes, sat casually on a purple sandalwood chair. In his hand were two bone balls made from demon beast bones, which he was rotating with his right hand.

Amidst the unpleasant sound of the bone balls, one could see that the man's fingers were long and crystal-clear, with a faint jade-like luster, making him appear extremely extraordinary.

"Are you saying that the stone tablet ended up in the hands of the Song family?" After a long silence, the man suddenly raised his head and asked the emaciated old man standing opposite him. The old man was the one who had presided over the auction.

"Yes, Young Master!" The old man smiled sinisterly. "And the news we spread has also been disseminated. I believe many people are already eager to find the先天圣殿."

"Very good!" The man called Young Master grinned, his face showing a hint of peculiarity. "Do these people really think the先天圣殿is so easy to enter? My ancestor, as an outer sect elder of the先天圣殿, only entered a few times. Moreover, after that event, the先天圣殿has not opened for a thousand years. Now that the temple is opening, having these fools help us explore the way is a good thing."

"Still, Young Master is wise. After realizing the先天圣殿was about to open, you spread the maps we had. Otherwise, where would we find so many cannon fodder to help us explore the way?" The old man laughed sinisterly.

"Not exactly. Among these so-called cannon fodder, there are some formidable characters, but it doesn't matter. For this matter, our Mo family has prepared for many years! Guarding the先天圣殿for so long, the legacy of the先天圣殿should rightfully belong to our Mo family!" The man coldly snorted. "Send people to monitor the movements of the more troublesome ones. If there are any developments, report back immediately. This matter cannot go wrong."

"Yes, this old servant understands." The emaciated old man said solemnly.

"Also, have you found out who eliminated the people at our city gate?"

"Temporarily, there are no clues. It's as if they disappeared after entering the city..." The old man hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

"Be more cautious. Although I haven't seen the person in action, the wounds on the dead bodies are clean and precise. The person who did this might be a major obstacle for our Mo family. We must find out his identity and, if necessary, eliminate him early!" The man pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. His tone was no longer as relaxed as before, clearly showing his deep concern after personally examining the wounds on the dead bodies.

"Also, pay more attention to the people from the Star Constellation Sect. They are more troublesome than the major families and forces..."