Chapter 214 Ghost Market Auction: Soul-Searching Secret Technique

Wang Yu was certain that when the Purple Gold Chamber of Commerce first joined Guiling City, it was because of the Golden Scale Prince's informant.

He may have had some connection with Qian Zhong back then.

Now that he has been secretly subdued by Master Qingyang, it means that this huge and complex conspiracy has completely fallen into his hands.

He discovered.

Whether it's Changxi, the Sword Sect's leader, or Jinlin, the successor candidate of Jinmanlou, they both seem to enjoy devising complex plans.

Such a plan is meticulous and complex. Although the final returns can be considerable, it is difficult to guarantee that everything will go according to plan if one's strength is insufficient.

This kind of domineering personality and arrogance.

They really are...as arrogant as their background suggests!

“City Lord, there are many Core Formation cultivators and even Nascent Soul cultivators among the participants in this Ghost Market auction. We cultivators are too weak... it’s best not to make a move.”

"I see."

Qingyang's warning was not without reason. Wang, who always paid attention to risks, would not be so naive as to think that the rules of the Yama Ghost Market were absolute.

Besides... he doesn't have any money now, so even if he wanted to buy something high-end, he couldn't afford it. Most of the spiritual items in the third tier are within his control.

Even if he had spirit stones, he wouldn't make a move if it were at the fourth rank.

As I said before, the purpose of this trip is to broaden my horizons and, incidentally, to turn the tables on Jin Lin's schemes. He really wants to see the astonished look on the enemy's face after their plot has been thwarted.

The two walked to the foot of a tall tower in the very center of the ghost market. After passing through a dark curtain that resembled ripples of water, their eyes were suddenly opened to a bright light.

They appeared in a spacious private room, with a transparent screen like a floor-to-ceiling window in front of them, and black, square objects all around them.

It should be a private room structure like theirs, with 32 floors from low to high. Wang Yu and his companion were on the eighth floor, with a floating jade platform below them.

At this moment, there was no one above them, and the entire tower-shaped auction house was deathly silent, as if only the two of them existed.

At this moment.

Suddenly, wisps of ghostly mist erupted from the ground, and a beautiful female ghost, pale-skinned and dressed in an exquisite slit maid's dress, emerged from underground.

Her eyes were filled with bloody tears, yet her attitude was extremely respectful.

"Distinguished guests, the 136th auction of the Yama Ghost Market, a Nascent Soul level auction, will begin in half an hour. This is the list of items you can preview."

"Once the auction officially begins, Nunu will convey the price information and details regarding the delivery of the items to our esteemed guests. Well then—see you later!"

The female ghost sank back down from the ground. Wang Yu and Qingyang exchanged a glance. The auction in the ghost market was indeed well-hidden.

Upon reviewing the auction list, as expected, it contained only extremely rare second-tier spiritual items and information on most third-tier spiritual items.

They did not have the authority to know about fourth-tier spiritual objects in advance.

Even so, Wang Yu was still amazed when he saw the record of more than 1,600 rare spiritual items above. It was astonishing that a mere ghost market could possess such a collection capability.

He couldn't even imagine how abundant the resources of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect were.

“The outside world is where opportunities are for ordinary people like me. The class system within the sect is extremely rigid. The pill shop run by Steward Xu is a prime example. They are like lambs to the slaughter, and no one can afford to offend them.”

Wang Yu became alert again. Half an hour of free time was not too long. He silently recited the Heart Sutra to cultivate his mind, and time slowly passed.

"when--"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, two figures in black robes suddenly appeared on the empty, suspended jade platform. The man was handsome and the woman was beautiful, and they released their auras without any restraint.

Peak of the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage!

Only one step away from becoming a late-stage Grand Cultivator were the two powerful beings, Yama and Yamafu.

The most active Nascent Soul cultivators in the Crimson Kite Demon Realm are mostly early-stage cultivators at levels one to three. They can be considered powerful in the middle stage, and invincible great cultivators in the later stage.

These two are indeed quite capable to have secured a place on the border between the two superpowers. Judging from the compatibility of their auras, they are very likely practicing a combined attack technique of the same origin.

The deterrent effect derived from strength has thus increased even further!

"Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, the 136th auction is officially beginning."

"This first item will be personally overseen by me."

A flash of inspiration.

Yama, the Ghost King, tossed an object into the air. Its alluring spiritual energy indicated it was indeed a rare treasure.

"This item is called [Thunderous Elixir], a third-tier thunder-attribute Core Formation spiritual item. It comes from the Taihu Spiritual Domain and is in the possession of a true disciple of the Thunderfire Temple. The starting bid is one million spirit stones."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu was slightly taken aback.

Yama Ghost Lord's meaning was clear: this item was obtained by killing a true disciple of the Thunderfire Temple. Anyone who is not afraid of death can bid for it. Only Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators need such a treasure.

But some people would buy it for the sake of their descendants. He thought he would at least remain silent for a while, but then the price quotes came one after another, announced by the Lady of Yanfu.

"One million three hundred thousand."

"One million six hundred thousand."

"Two million three hundred thousand!"

"Two million four hundred thousand..."

The price has skyrocketed, which means this is clearly not an ordinary top-quality product. It is close to the level of the Everlasting Treasure Branch, only it does not have regeneration.

Ultimately, the item was bought for a high price of four million spirit stones, and no one knows which VIP room it was purchased from.

After the two Ghost Market Lords enthusiastically auctioned off ten items, they disappeared again, leaving their ghost servants to continue the auction.

The two peak third-tier ghost slaves were both stunningly beautiful women with exceptionally good figures, making them a beautiful sight to behold.

However... her figure is a bit too exaggerated, like a modified mannequin, which creates a sense of disharmony.

The Core Formation artifacts were just the beginning; all sorts of rare and precious treasures would appear in succession.

The sheer number and variety of treasures—including the Heavenly Flame Blade, the Origin Mark of the Hungry Ghost King, the rare spiritual medicine, the Zhima Horse, the Pure Blood Flood Dragon Inner Core, and fragmented ancient inheritances—makes the trip truly worthwhile.

Then another thing appeared, which piqued Wang Yu's interest.

"The next item is a legacy of the ancient Heavenly Soul Sect, a kind of soul-searching secret technique called the [Soul-Snatching Evil Boat Curse]. The starting price is 200,000 spirit stones."

The Soul Searching Technique is widely circulated in Chi Yuan, and there is even a universal version, but it also has prerequisites for its execution. The caster must possess a third-order divine sense to perform it.

If the target's spiritual power is too strong, it will backfire, causing damage to one's own soul, which is extremely difficult to recover from.

For powerful demonic cultivators, the Soul Searching Technique is an essential skill to learn. Buying another one from an auction is not very meaningful, as those below the Core Formation stage lack the foundation for casting the technique.

For most people, it's a useless item.

Therefore, the value of the Soul-Stripping Evil Boat Curse lies more in its ancient heritage. Few people know it, so it naturally has unique effects and is more difficult to break.

There's a reason why it can be auctioned for 200,000 spirit stones.

Without hesitation, Wang Yu asked the ghost woman beside him to quote a price. It wasn't much... just 210,000. This was one of the few secret techniques he could afford, and one that he happened to lack.

With it, intelligence gathering will be much simpler in the future.

After a relatively mild bidding war, Wang Yu purchased the item for 280,000 spirit stones. The ghost woman immediately retrieved the item and completed the transaction with Wang Yu.

He just looked at the rest.

He then focused his mind on the newly acquired [Soul-Slaying Evil Boat Curse]. This secret technique condenses divine consciousness into black paper boats that can penetrate matter and enter a person's Niwan Palace (the area between the upper and lower dantian).

Forced soul search!

Furthermore, it can condense countless paper boats and evil ships within its own Niwan Palace to resist the invading divine power, making it both offensive and defensive, and quite comprehensive.

These functions can also be achieved through many soul-searching techniques.

Its true value lies in the fact that, once perfected, the black paper boat can penetrate the protection of divine consciousness restrictions and forcibly peer into memories.

"Perfect..."

Techniques involving divine sense have always valued talent, and are much more difficult to perfect than normal techniques. For an ordinary person, it may take most of their life to achieve perfection.

For Wang Yu, it was perfect, as he loved taking on challenging tasks.

[Placement slot 6: Soul-Slaying Evil Boat Curse]

"Soul-Slaying Evil Boat Curse (0/100): Practice it ninety-six times a day, and it will be perfected in forty years."

"good--"

After a brief assessment, once the placement bar began to take effect, Wang Yu received his first feedback, and the divine power in his Niwan Palace automatically activated.

They coalesced into the shape of a black paper boat, but unfortunately failed when they were only one-fifth complete. Their spiritual power dissipated, and they returned to their original calm state.

While waiting for the next feedback from the placement bar, his mind was also filled with many thoughts and insights into the Soul-Slaying Evil Boat Curse.

The placement bar is still the best.

In the field.

As the quality of the treasures increased, it soon became beyond Wang Yu's reach. When the first fourth-tier spiritual item appeared, the frequency and magnitude of bidding increased dramatically.

"A fourth-grade superior magic weapon, the Blood Skull Demon Sword, and fifty top-grade spirit stones!"

When this offer was made, everyone fell silent.

Top-grade spirit stones cannot be hand-crafted. They are the most refined spiritual energy condensation in the world, possessing extremely strong regenerative abilities. Even if all the power inside is absorbed, they can be restored to their full state after being placed in a spiritual vein for a hundred years.

With special methods or the assistance of formations, this recovery time can be greatly accelerated.

Top-grade spirit stones are fundamental for Nascent Soul cultivators to increase their cultivation level, and are also one of the foundations of dominant forces; they are almost never spent.

Fifty yuan is not a small amount, but it's not a bad deal to exchange it for a high-grade magic weapon at the Nascent Soul level.

The Blood Skull Demon Sword triggered a climax.

The final item in the auction was even more remarkable: a high-grade Nascent Soul Pill, which could increase the probability of a peak Core Formation cultivator breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage by 50%!

It also comes from the spiritual realm of Taihu Lake, the assets of some unlucky guy.

It sold for three million high-grade spirit stones, plus the price of ten top-grade spirit stones.

The final, grand finale lot was equally remarkable.

During the ancient Immortal Dynasty, the Poison Path was a fragmented Nascent Soul stage inheritance. It possessed complete cultivation techniques, but lacked all associated magical treasures, supernatural powers, secret methods, and poison formulas.

Other types are fine, but the Poison Path inheritance lacks auxiliary means, and having only the cultivation method is not enough, so it is only sold as a treasure for the Nascent Soul stage.

It also sold for an astronomical price.

Two hundred top-grade spirit stones!

(End of this chapter)