Chapter 111 Heartless Love (Part Six)
"Retreat in groups of five!"
The attack came fiercely, but Xiao Qingyan quickly made arrangements and practically forced his way out by filling the area with people.
The flying boat was torn to pieces by the gale, and the Pingze cultivators were divided into more than a dozen teams by the Qiankun Tower people, breaking through in all directions.
After several months of cooperation, the Pingze cultivators' trust in Qiankun Tower has increased significantly, and they have also gained a clear understanding of the ruthlessness of the Eight Pavilions traitors. If they were taken out for a one-on-one fight, they would be almost powerless to fight back. This would be a huge blow to these former prodigies. However, in the face of life and death, these blows are insignificant. Their only goal now is to survive.
As expected, Jiang Gu, Jiang Xiangyun, and Yao Li were assigned to the same group. In addition to the three of them, there was also Lu Ziming from the Linglong Sect, Lin Feibai from the Lin family, and Zhou Tingran, the new Holy Maiden of the Zhou family. Although their aptitude and cultivation were not among the top in the list, Xiao Qingyan sent more than twenty Qiankun Tower disciples to escort them because of their powerful family background.
Both the Linglong Sect and the Lin and Zhou families had grudges against Jiang Gu. Jiang Gu ignored their visibly hateful gazes and then heard Jiang Xiangyun transmit his voice, "Is Xiao Qingyan doing this on purpose? Knowing that you have a grudge against them, why did you still team up with them?"
Jiang Gu said, "It's alright, there are three of us."
Yao Li, who was standing next to him, snorted coldly.
Jiang Xiangyun nodded with a smile, "That's right. Anyway, we won't suffer any losses. Besides, with people from Qiankun Tower around, they won't dare to make any rash moves."
The situation is complex and the future is uncertain. Jiang Gu is certain that Lin Feibai and Zhou Tingran will not act rashly. As for Lu Ziming, he also has a way to deal with him. The greater threat now is Qiankun Tower and the traitors of the Eight Pavilions outside.
“Five years ago, rebellions broke out one after another in the eight pavilions. The earliest ones were suppressed. This time, it is the Wind Pavilion traitors. Although they are extremely fast, their combat strength is not strong. The people from Yin Yang Tower who are coming to pick them up are already on their way. Gentlemen, there is no need to worry.” The people from Qiankun Tower were explaining to Lin Feibai.
Lin Feibai glanced outside thoughtfully.
They were currently being protected inside a strange magical artifact. The fierce winds outside had no effect on them. Occasionally, they could see a few dark figures flashing by, and surging spiritual energy roared past. They couldn't even see the fighting moves clearly.
Jiang Gu observed intently for a long time and barely managed to glimpse some of the method.
“Although they are at the same cultivation level, Wangyue’s approach is very different from Pingze’s.” Jiang Xiangyun transmitted his voice to him, “I’m afraid that even if they are at the same level, the Pingze cultivator will not have the upper hand.”
“Most cultivators in Pingze use swords and sabers. Magic arrays and talismans, which consume a lot of mana and take a long time, are mostly used as auxiliary methods. Their use of magic treasures is still at the most basic level, and they rely more on their own cultivation and reaction.” Yao Li said in a low voice, “But the cultivators of Wangyue are extremely skilled in the use of magic treasures. Whether it is magic arrays or talismans, they are very fast and their attack power is no less than that of swords and sabers.”
"...Their cultivation methods are different from Wangyue's," Yao Li concluded.
Although these words are simple, upon closer examination, they are suffocating – they now clearly see the gap between themselves and the cultivators of Wangyue, which is equivalent to their previous cultivation methods being completely negated. If they want to survive on the Wangyue Continent, they either have to start all over again or accept the status quo and be suppressed by others.
Neither of them is acceptable.
Jiang Gu thought of Xiao Qingyan. Although Xiao Qingyan's cultivation was the same as his, he was able to lead people out to fight, while he didn't even have the power to fight back... If they started from scratch, they would be powerless to protect themselves and would probably be controlled by others forever. It is clear that entering Yin Yang Tower may not be a good thing.
He glanced at the Qiankun Tower cultivators fighting the rebels outside the magic weapon and made a plan in his mind.
But Jiang Xiangyun pressed down on his wrist with the hilt of his sword.
"Wait a little longer," Jiang Xiangyun said in a low voice.
Jiang Gu turned his head and met his dark eyes. Yao Li had his back to them, observing the surrounding situation, clearly in a posture ready to take action at any moment.
The key is not hard to figure out, but how to choose is the real challenge.
For Jiang Xiangyun, he was considering not only himself, but also the vast Jiang family behind him, and the complex and intertwined forces of Pingze Continent and Wangyue Continent. Whether from his ambition or his status as the next head of the Jiang family, he had to enter Yin Yang Tower to fight for a way out for himself and the Jiang family.
For Jiang Gu, it was much simpler. Even when he was at a disadvantage, he would never entrust his life to others. He would only trust himself. Rather than being constrained by entering the Yin-Yang Tower and then having to find a way out, he would rather explore on his own, even if it was fraught with danger.
Jiang Xiangyun did not move the sword hilt pressing down on his wrist.
Jiang Gu's gaze remained unyielding, and in the end, Jiang Xiangyun gave a wry smile and compromised, "Seventh brother, can't you just help me out?"
Based on his understanding of Jiang Gu, if the other party really intended to quit, he would definitely find a way to escape in the end.
Jiang Gu looked at him expressionlessly.
"What if I can help you find Wei Feng?" Jiang Xiangyun asked.
Jiang Gu's expression hardened. "So you really are in contact with Lu Liyu."
"I didn't!" Jiang Xiangyun exclaimed in shock, her face showing a wronged and aggrieved expression. "Do I have to ask that bastard what I want to know?! Even though you've almost figured out the Jiang family, there should still be a few channels that only the direct descendants know, right?"
"It's not necessary," Jiang Gu refused coldly. "Whether he lives or dies is none of my business."
As soon as they finished speaking, the magical artifact beneath their feet trembled violently, and the group nearly lost their footing.
“All I know is that he was sent to the Death Tower back then, and the Jiang family lost contact with him after that.” Jiang Xiangyun seemed not to understand his refusal. “But if I want to find him, the Jiang family still has some connections in Wangyue.”
"...The Death Tower, opposite the Life Tower, is an organization dedicated to collecting spirit beasts and artifact spirits. Those who can enter the Death Tower are among the most powerful spirit beasts and artifact spirits, one in ten thousand. The qualified and high-quality ones are sent to the Eight Pavilions and the Misty Rain Terrace for selection. The lucky ones serve as spirit pets and artifact spirits, while the unlucky ones may be kept as playthings, not even as pets or furnaces. Many unqualified ones are sent to auction houses and bought by rogue cultivators for other uses..."
Jiang Gu recalled what Xiao Qingyan had mentioned about the Dead Tower and unconsciously frowned. "No need."
The magic weapon was attacked more and more fiercely, and cracks had appeared inside. Disciples of Qiankun Tower rushed in, covered in blood, shouting, "The magic weapon can't hold on anymore, split up and run!"
"Let's go first!" Jiang Xiangyun stopped negotiating with him, threw out his flying sword, and disappeared from the spot.
Yao Li followed closely behind, and Jiang Gu did not delay any longer. Even the slightest hesitation could be a fatal blow to them. Lu Ziming and the others beside him also summoned their flying swords and scattered to escape.
The magical artifact shattered into dust in the hurricane.
Hearing the commotion, Xiao Qingyan turned around abruptly, raised his hand, and conjured a magic array that crushed the person in front of him into a pulp. He looked in the direction of the magic weapon and said coldly, "The Yin-Yang Pestle is shattered. What happened?"
The Yin-Yang Pestle is the most powerful transport artifact, yet these traitors from the Wind Pavilion were able to shatter it.
"Special Envoy, this time the traitors from the Wind Pavilion are exceptionally powerful; we can't even locate several of them." A subordinate rushed over. "Moreover, the most powerful one has been attacking the Yin-Yang Pestle, and we haven't even seen a shadow of him."
Xiao Qingyan casually grabbed a captured traitor and used his soul to extract his knowledge. The man struggled desperately in his hands but to no avail. Soon, all his memories were read, and he collapsed to the ground with lifeless eyes.
Xiao Qingyan wiped her hands with a handkerchief and casually threw it at the traitor. Flames rose in the wind, burning the man and the handkerchief to ashes. "He's not from Fengge. Leave him to me. You take men to find those good-for-nothings and bring them back safe and sound."
"Yes." The man responded and left, transforming into hundreds of figures in a flash, chasing after the direction in which Jiang Xiangyun and the others had fled.
The next instant, Xiao Qingyan appeared within a thick fog. His hands formed hand seals, and the spiritual talismans around him spontaneously combusted, trapping the surrounding fog within a talisman array. After an unknown amount of time, just as the fog finally began to stir, he suddenly reached into the fog, grabbed the other person's shoulder, and then a talisman transformed into a thin sword, hooking and pulling hard against the other person's bones. He demanded sharply, "Who dares to be so insolent here!"
However, his opponent directly tore his thin sword in half, and a strong, pungent stench spread everywhere. Immediately afterward, a gust of wind rushed towards his brow. Xiao Qingyan blocked it, but in that instant, his opponent broke through his spirit talisman array and fled.
The crimson blood remaining on the sword turned into mist and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Qingyan's expression darkened as he looked at the scars on his arm, which were covered by black lines.
——
The enemy was extremely persistent during this attack, and the number of Qiankun Tower disciples who had been protecting Jiang Xiangyun and the others was constantly decreasing. After a day and a night, only one person remained to escort them.
"Take the token and head west to find the people from the Yin-Yang Pavilion," the last disciple, also severely wounded, instructed them before dying, "Never reveal your identities. The traitors from the Eight Pavilions are searching for you..."
Before he died, several talismans emerged from his chest and were about to land on Jiang Xiangyun and the others. However, two streams of spiritual energy landed on his chest simultaneously. Before the talismans could take effect, he died, and the talismans instantly lost their power.
Jiang Gu and Lin Feibai were the ones who made the move.
Because he had been locked in a spirit pet bag by Jiang Gu, Lin Feibai couldn't help but turn green whenever he saw him. He said, "This is probably a location talisman to make it easier for the people from Yin Yang Tower to find us. However, this way, those traitors will also find us. Although this fellow Daoist means well, it's still better to be safe than sorry."
His explanation was so reasonable that no one could find fault with it.
Lu Ziming and Zhou Tingran had no objections, after all, neither of them wanted their whereabouts to be tracked.
"Now that everyone from Qiankun Tower is dead, only we are left. Young Master Jiang, what do you think we should do now?" The one who asked the question was Zhou Tingran, who had the lowest cultivation level among them, and her eyes were fixed on Jiang Xiangyun.
Jiang Xiangyun pondered for a moment and said, "The Wangyue Continent is completely unfamiliar to us, and it is even more dangerous without the protection of Qiankun Tower. It seems that we can only hide our identities and head west first. The current situation is not suitable for fighting alone. I hope that everyone can put aside their past grievances for the time being and move forward side by side."
"What the eldest son says makes sense." Lin Feibai was the first to express his opinion.
“That would be best, of course.” Zhou Tingran had no objection.
Lu Ziming frowned, about to speak, but then stopped halfway, as if he had been persuaded by someone. He glanced coldly at Jiang Gu and said, "No problem."
Jiang Gu and Yao Li are even more obvious examples.
Jiang Xiangyun proved to be a reliable person in critical moments. He said, "Just in case, we should disguise our appearance and hide our cultivation level. Also, the spiritual energy of cultivators on Wangyue Continent is not quite the same as that of us in Pingze. We should not make a move unless absolutely necessary, so as not to expose our weaknesses."
The group of six disguised themselves and headed west, entering the first city on the Wangyue Continent.
"Daohai City." Lin Feibai looked up at the powerful characters on the city gate tower.
The architectural style of Wangyue is completely different from that of Pingze, which is grand and magnificent. The ancient and heavy city tower rises from the ground, and the dark black bricks seem to have been weathered by thousands of years of wind and frost, exuding a faint spiritual aura. There are no gatekeepers in front of the city gate, and cultivators can come and go as they please.
Soon Yao Li returned from scouting. He adjusted his straw hat and said to Jiang Xiangyun, "Young Master, there is nothing unusual in the city. It's safe."
The group then entered the city.
The city was bustling with cultivators, many of whom were selling or exchanging magical treasures and pills. The clear sound of silver bells grew louder as they approached, creating a wave of excitement among the crowd.
Jiang Gu and the others naturally noticed it as well.
Two enormous, snow-white, six-legged spirit beasts slowly pulled a red carriage adorned with silver bells. On either side of the carriage sat a dozen scantily clad, beautiful men and women, each carrying a pile of delicate sachets, which they tossed to the cultivators on the roadside with smiles.
"Three months already? Looks like the auction house has new stock. This time the invitation is actually quite legitimate." Someone took the sachet and eagerly opened it.
"Serious? These are all human skin paper, aren't they? They must be made from those unsellable goods. The poor things can't even rest in peace after death, they have to work for the auction house for the rest of their lives."
Jiang Gu heard the cultivator beside him say.
"Wow, this time it's a good find from the Dead Tower. Let me see, I'm currently lacking a Nascent Soul cultivator's inner core for alchemy." Someone took the sachet, opened it, and a paper figure jumped out. The figure whispered something in his ear, and then the person took out a bag of spirit stones from his pocket. "There really is one. Here, entry fee."
The little paper figure bowed repeatedly, stuffed the spirit stone into the sachet, and tossed it back onto the red carriage. It then transformed into a black bracelet that wrapped around the man's wrist.
The red car was already piled high with sachets containing spirit stones, and the scantily clad beauties were still smiling as they handed out new invitations.
Two sachets were tossed toward Jiang Xiangyun. He didn't catch them; they brushed past his shoulder and landed squarely in a slender hand.
Jiang Xiangyun turned to look at Jiang Gu.
Jiang Gu coldly opened the sachet, and a small paper figure emerged from it and stood on the back of his hand. Seeing this, Lu Ziming said coldly, "Are you trying to kill us by accepting something like this?"
Lin Feibai crossed his arms and remained silent, but he clearly didn't quite agree.
The little paper figure turned its head, looking at this and then that, before finally floating to Jiang Gu's ear and chattering in a flat, monotone tone, as if it were reciting something, "Dead Building rejects: Abandoned spirit pet Divine Kite Shark, auction number 943."
Jiang Gu's gaze sharpened.
But the others obviously didn't hear what the paper figure said. Just then, Zhou Tingran opened her sachet, and the little paper figure whispered something in her ear. Her face instantly showed a look of shock.
"Tingran?" Lin Feibai looked at her in confusion.
“I have to go to the auction.” Zhou Tingran clutched the sachet in her hand and looked at him. “This thing is really important to me.”
Before she finished speaking, several more sachets were tossed to Lin Feibai and Lu Ziming. Whether out of curiosity or for other reasons, they opened the sachets, and their expressions turned rather unpleasant.
Jiang Xiangyun said, "These paper figures should be able to sense people's desires. If the item being auctioned is exactly what you want, they will come to you. The more people bid, the more money the auction house can make."
Jiang Gu lowered his eyes to look at the human skin paper that kept bowing on the back of his hand, and threw one hundred high-grade spirit stones into the sachet. The human skin paper bowed repeatedly and quickly threw the sachet containing spirit stones back onto the carriage, where it turned into a bracelet and stuck to Jiang Gu's wrist.
Those paper figures that were rejected screamed and howled in agony, turning into ashes and disappearing without a trace.
However, most paper dolls succeed, since very few people can control their desires.
Jiang Xiangyun glanced at the paper ring on Jiang Gu's wrist, a knowing look flashing in his eyes, and whispered, "All the auction houses on Wangyue Continent are connected by a magic array and open every three months. It is said that the earlier the bidding number, the higher the value. Seventh brother, do you need to borrow spirit stones?"
Jiang Gu glanced at him but did not immediately refuse.
Jiang Xiangyun smiled and said, "How about we make a deal?"
——
There are 3,963 auction houses on the Moon Gazing Continent, but they all belong to the Life and Death Pavilion. They are connected by a magic array and auction simultaneously. They are held every three months and last for three days and three nights. The entrance fee is 100 high-grade spirit stones. Any competing items that are not sold are destroyed regardless of whether they are alive or dead. Therefore, many cultivators often frequent the auction house to find bargains. There are even special services for bidding on behalf of others to prevent being bid on.
The entrance to the auction house was unusually lively and crowded.
On the first day of the auction, Lu Ziming went to the auction house. When he returned, his face was green. Under Lin Feibai's questioning, he finally managed to squeeze out a few words: "Not enough spirit stones."
"How many spirit stones will it cost?" Zhou Tingran asked.
Lu Ziming said with a toothache, "I won 30 million top-grade spirit stones."
Lin Feibai and Zhou Tingran fell silent. Even if they came from prominent families, they couldn't possibly spend tens of millions of top-grade spirit stones in one go, let alone thirty million top-grade spirit stones to bid on an obsolete item.
Even Jiang Xiangyun couldn't help but look at Jiang Gu.
Jiang Gu remained silent.
The items auctioned after number 900 were scheduled for the evening of the third day. Jiang Gu left early and returned late for two consecutive days, and finally managed to enter the venue just before the auction started.
The auction hall was located at a low altitude, surrounded by darkness, with seats stretching as far as the eye could see. Above was a dome inlaid with luminous pearls, and at the very front was a two-story pavilion, clearly prepared for "distinguished guests".
Jiang Gu was led to his seat by the paper figure on his wrist. He couldn't see the people next to him, and naturally, others couldn't see him either. The auction house's confidentiality measures were very thorough.
Bright light shone on the high platform at the front, where a woman with a beautiful figure appeared. Her voice, though not loud, clearly reached the ears of everyone present: "Welcome everyone, the auction is now beginning."
She gently clapped her hands, and a jade couch emerged from the bottom of the platform. Lying on the couch was a naked girl. She was lying face down on the couch, with a fluffy tail growing from her tailbone, which barely covered her body. She also had a pair of furry ears on her head, which were pressed against her sides in fear, but they could not hide her peerless beauty.
"Competitor No. 901, a Heavenly Rank Snow Spirit Beast, whose breath can prolong life. It has both inner core and spiritual bones, and can be used to refine magic arrays and transform into weapon spirits. It has an excellent appearance and can be kept as a pet spirit beast. However, its cultivation is mediocre, so it is not recommended to use it as a furnace for nourishment. The starting bid is one thousand top-grade spirit stones."
Even so, people in the audience frequently raised their placards.
In the end, the Snow Spirit Beast was auctioned off for nine million top-grade spirit stones.
The next competing item was a top-grade spirit beast that had not yet taken human form.
"...A broken leg cannot be repaired. Starting bid: 1,000 top-grade spirit stones."
Then came a humanoid boy, his limbs suspended in mid-air by silk threads, his naked body exposed to the audience below. His handsome face was filled with shame and resentment. The woman spoke up: "Competitor number 903, a mid-grade furnace spirit. Combining with it can increase cultivation. Starting bid: one thousand top-grade spirit stones."
The sound of placards being raised from the audience continued.
Jiang Gu sat silently in his seat, his eyes filled with cold frost.
He had never felt time could drag on so long. One by one, the competing items on the stage were displayed without dignity, and bids were placed. It was as if each item had become Wei Feng, yet none of them were Wei Feng. He tried his best to suppress the murderous intent rising in his heart and to stop himself from thinking about what Wei Feng had gone through to appear in the auction house of the Life and Death Tower.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally sensed the unique aura emanating from Wei Feng.
A huge iron cage slowly rose from the center of the platform, followed by a violent crashing sound.
Jiang Gu subconsciously clenched his fist in his sleeve.
Inside the sturdy iron cage, a pitch-black, filthy monster could be seen. It was enormous, over ten feet tall, with a pair of deformed, twisted kite wings on its back. The wings looked as if they had been bound by something for a long time, their silver-blue feathers dull and covered in blood. Beneath it was a shark tail broken in two, its scales long since ripped off, leaving only a blurry mass of flesh. Its face was ferocious, covered in ghostly markings, and it wore a muzzle that was mostly chewed up by its sharp teeth, as if it hadn't been replaced in a long time. Its ram horns on its forehead and its shoulder blades on its back were nailed into chains, firmly binding it to the iron cage. But what was most terrifying were the bloody holes in its heart and abdomen, as if its heart and inner core had been ripped out by a human.
The woman seemed to be afraid and kept her distance from the monster. Her voice trembled slightly as she announced, "Competition number 934, a discarded spirit pet from the Dead Tower, the Divine Kite Shark. It is a top-grade spirit pet with deformed wings, a broken and irreparable tail, and its heart and inner core have been removed. It is extremely ferocious and difficult to approach, and it has lost its mind and cannot transform into human form. Starting bid: 800 top-grade spirit stones."
Off the field, the Xuanming Stone handrail was crushed by someone.
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