Xuan Yan Dynasty, Crimson Blood City.
A warrior cloaked in black sat in the tavern, a bowl of rice wine in front of him, and a long sword wrapped in bandages that looked tattered beside him.
This martial artist was none other than Li Jingxiao in disguise.
He picked up the rice wine in front of him and took a sip, listening to the several rogue cultivators at the table in front of him discussing the scene of the Hundred Sects Martial Arts Tournament that day.
"My cousin told me that Young Master Lin dealt with the evil cultivators of the Dongfang clan in no time at all, and even the Dongfang family head didn't dare to utter a single word!"
"Envious, truly envious! If we had that kind of talent and background, we'd probably be able to roam freely in the Xuan Yan Star Realm! His Majesty would treat us with utmost respect!"
"Compared to Young Master Lin, the geniuses in the Xuan Yan Star Realm are nothing but a bunch of bullying idiots!"
Bang!
A loud crash came from behind, startling the group of rogue cultivators. They turned around and saw that the martial artist in the black cloak had accidentally knocked his sword to the ground.
These men were troublemakers in the area, on good terms with the city's law enforcement team, and usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly in the city, with no one daring to mess with them.
They were having a pleasant conversation when they were startled. They should have taught this unfamiliar young man a lesson, but the burly leader stopped the others and gently shook his head.
The Xuanhe Auction House is about to hold an auction. Crimson Blood City is full of hidden talents, and there are many who pretend to be weak but are actually strong. It is best not to provoke those you have never met, lest you end up shooting yourself in the foot.
Seeing this, the others had no choice but to give up.
Li Jingxiao's eyes were sharp. He drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp, then got up and left.
Lin Feng... Shen Xiaohong... he's just someone who relied on his family's wealth and backing, and built his reputation with pills!
If his parents were still alive, he might not be inferior to them now!
A deep sense of resentment surfaced in Li Jingxiao's eyes.
Is it really true that my own hard work day and night is inferior to that of two geniuses who rose to prominence through their families?
He rubbed the storage ring on his knuckles and looked at the Xuanhe Auction House not far away.
I've heard that the Xuanhe Auction House is about to hold an auction, the highlight of which is a high-level sword technique. It's said to have been created by the previous owner of the Azure Profound Sacred Body, and no one is more suitable to cultivate it than Li Jingxiao.
He brought all his belongings with him, along with a portion of the Crimson Blood Crystals lent to him by Tian Yusheng, determined to obtain that sword manual.
Just as Li Jingxiao was about to head to a nearby inn to stay, a familiar figure came into view.
The man sat in the carriage, smiling broadly as he spoke with someone whose face he couldn't see.
"That's...Xia Shufan, the fifth prince and son of Emperor Xuan Yan?"
Li Jingxiao's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and a bold idea suddenly came to him.
That's right! Xuan Yan Huang killed his parents back then, so why can't he kill Xuan Yan Huang's family to avenge them?
But... Xia Shufan didn't do anything wrong. He killed someone out of hatred. How is that any different from a demon?
Li Jingxiao has always looked down on demonic martial artists, and of course he doesn't want to become the kind of person he despises.
He was caught in a deep dilemma.
Inside the carriage at this moment.
"Thank you, Fifth Prince. If it weren't for you, we would probably have gotten lost for a while longer."
Shangguan Qingning nodded slightly to express her gratitude.
"It's alright, I just happened to run into you and gave you a ride. By the way... how did you two get lost?"
Xia Shufan was puzzled. Crimson Blood City was big, but it wasn't so big that he could get lost, was it? There were plenty of information brokers in the city; he could just ask any one for directions.
This time, Shangguan Jining's two daughters went to Crimson Blood City to participate in the auction. In response to the Shangguan family's goodwill at the Hundred Sects Martial Arts Tournament, Emperor Xuan Yan offered to arrange all their food and lodging in Crimson Blood City. Who would have thought that the two of them couldn't even find their way? If they hadn't met Xia Shufan by chance, they would have wandered around aimlessly for who knows how long.
"Feel sorry……"
Shangguan Tingye gave an awkward smile and tried his best to explain the matter without losing face.
Xia Shufan looked surprised.
Unexpectedly, Shangguan Jining's two daughters are both terrible at directions!
Shangguan Tingye simply has a poor sense of direction. Shangguan Qingning, who stays in the family for most of the year and rarely goes out, has an even worse sense of direction. In the relatively enclosed forest, he can't even distinguish between east, west, north, and south, which gives his father, Shangguan Jining, a lot of headaches.
Xia Shufan laughed heartily: "That's normal, that's normal. Everyone has things they're not good at. I'll take you two for a walk later, and you'll naturally get used to the way."
"The auction starts in five days. You'll have plenty of time to familiarize yourselves with Crimson Blood City. If all else fails, I can arrange a guide for you... Hmm, let's do it this way. I'll arrange a guide for you, and you won't get lost no matter what!"
Hearing his laughter, the two sisters became even more embarrassed.
Suddenly remembering something, Shangguan Tingye asked, "By the way, Fifth Prince, I heard that the final item in this auction is related to the Holy Body. Is that true?"
Shangguan Jining glanced at the girl, not understanding why she suddenly asked about this.
Besides Tian Yusheng, only Shangguan Tingye knew that Li Jingxiao possessed a sacred body. Unfortunately, this physique was too extraordinary, and if too many people knew about it, Li Jingxiao would definitely be in danger.
Throughout the history of the Xuan Yan Star Realm, there have indeed been many geniuses with sacred bodies. Most of them died before they could fully mature, due to their families' excessive promotion of them, at the hands of powerful individuals who saw them as a future threat.
Once the matter of the Holy Body is exposed, even Tian Yusheng wouldn't dare guarantee Li Jingxiao's safety.
Since the last incident, Shangguan Tingye has not contacted Li Jingxiao. She wants to restore her relationship with Li Jingxiao by buying that auction item.
"Yes, that's right. It's a sword technique created by the previous owner of the Azure Profound Sacred Body. It's said to be unparalleled in power. The Xuanhe Auction House has held many auctions before, but none of them have ever been comparable to this one. The reason why so many prominent and powerful figures have come to Crimson Blood City recently is because of that sword technique."
The sword manual left behind by the possessor of the Holy Body may very well contain the secrets of the Holy Body.
"Ahem, Your Highness."
Just as Xia Shufan was about to explain in detail to her, Old Wei's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"What's wrong?"
He remained calm and secretly transmitted his voice.
“Just now, a martial artist at the Divine Tribulation Realm set his sights on you. I followed him to take a look and found that it was Li Jingxiao, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Pivot Sect. I don’t know if he came for Shangguan Tingye, who is by your side, or…”
Old Wei didn't continue.
Xia Shufan's smile faded considerably, and his gaze towards Shangguan Tingye held a more scrutinizing quality.
"Keep a close eye on him and see what he's going to do."
Regardless of whether Li Jingxiao harbors any hostility, Tian Shu Sect is now the greatest enemy of the Xuan Yan Dynasty, and Xia Shufan must act with caution.
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