Chapter 147: Chapter 146: Quite the Nerve
Everyone stood up in a fury, a resolute look in their eyes.
A cold gleam flashed in Luu Fangliang’s eyes. He shot to his feet and said, "I think they’re preparing the last few grand finale treasures now. Let’s go to the back courtyard."
"Alright," Wen Qingye nodded.
The two rose and headed toward the back of the auction house. The scene was utterly chaotic and deafeningly loud; no one noticed them making their way to the Divine Wind Auction House’s back courtyard.
A fire was spreading in silence, yet no one seemed to notice.
.......
"In the back courtyard, a middle-aged man in his forties was instructing several nearby handmaidens. ’Next up is a bottle of a Sixth-Grade Pill, the Guiyuan Pill. Get it ready, quickly.’"
The handmaidens nodded hurriedly in acknowledgement, not daring to show the slightest delay.
The middle-aged man was clad in a tight, black outfit. One of his eyes was blind, but the other shone with an exceptionally sharp light.
THUD! THUD!
Suddenly, a disorderly noise erupted as two figures barged into the back courtyard.
"Yux Yang!" Luu Fangliang bellowed the moment he saw the one-eyed man, his pupils widening.
Sensing the newcomers’ ill intent, the surrounding handmaidens immediately scurried behind the one-eyed man for protection.
Yux Yang looked at Luu Fangliang and Wen Qingye and asked coldly, "Who are you two?"
"The ones who will take your life!" Luu Fangliang roared, already thrusting his spear forward.
Luu Fangliang lived up to his name as one of the four great geniuses of Qig Mountain Academy. Not only had his cultivation reached the Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven, but his skill with the spear was also exceptional.
His Long Spear moved as fast and fierce as a dragon, faintly whistling as it cut through the air. A sharp, unrivaled wave of Spear Qi shot straight forward.
"Daring to cause trouble at my Divine Wind Auction House? It seems you have a death wish!"
Yux Yang let out a furious roar. Powerful Qi erupted around him, his robes fluttering wildly. He snatched a nearby sword, and a piercing shriek seemed to emanate from the very depths of space.
With a SHIING, the very air seemed to split in two. A wickedly sharp, unstoppable wave of Sword Qi surged upward from below, cleaving the oncoming Spear Qi in half.
With a single, ferociously sharp strike, Yux Yang shattered Luu Fangliang’s Spear Qi, showcasing the full might of his cultivation at the Peak of Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven.
Luu Fangliang’s heart clenched. He hadn’t expected Yux Yang to be so powerful. ’We’re both at the Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven, but I feel an immense sense of danger from him.’
Luu Fangliang clenched his jaw and let out a great roar. He drove his power into his Long Spear, spinning it into a dazzling flourish.
"Yux Yang, die!"
Luu Fangliang’s spear carried a piercing, cold glint, sheathed in a vast tide of Ice Cold Primordial Qi as it stabbed toward Yux Yang. The surrounding temperature plummeted in an instant, as if the very air was about to freeze solid.
"Brat, for those words alone, I cannot spare your life!"
"Kill!"
Yux Yang’s brows furrowed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. With a flick of his longsword, its piercing shriek echoed throughout the back courtyard, even reaching into the main hall of the Divine Wind Auction House.
VMMMM!
A vast, gray wave of Sword Qi, like a boundless ocean, rushed toward the heavens before crashing down. This strike wasn’t just aimed at Luu Fangliang—it was also directed at Wen Qingye.
Wen Qingye, who had been standing by a stone table searching for the Innate Grass, suddenly felt a spike of danger.
Wen Qingye instinctively drew the One Thought Sword from his back. Gripping it tightly in his right hand, he met the attack head-on.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The aftershock from the Sword Qi shattered the surrounding rockeries and stone pillars. Wen Qingye was forced back four or five steps before he could regain his footing.
Yux Yang stared at Wen Qingye in surprise. "Not bad, kid. Taking half of one of my sword strikes at the Refining Essence Eighth Layer Heaven? That’s something you can be proud of for the rest of your life."
Wen Qingye had only just broken through to the Refining Essence Eighth Layer Heaven last night; otherwise, that last attack would have left him severely injured.
Wen Qingye’s eyes narrowed. With his vast experience, he could see it clearly. ’Yux Yang radiates a boundless killing intent. This man is no simple foe. Luu Fangliang is talented, but he’s still young. He’s no match for this guy. It looks like we’re in real trouble.’
Wen Qingye’s eyes darted back to the nearby stone table, continuing his search for the Innate Grass.
Luu Fangliang took a step forward, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Yux Yang as he yelled to Wen Qingye, "Find the Innate Grass and get out of here!"
"Bastards! The two of you dare to covet the treasures of my Divine Wind Auction House?" Yux Yang roared, "Divine Wind Guard, assemble!"
SWISH! SWISH!
Suddenly, several figures in black appeared out of thin air. Luu Fangliang and Wen Qingye’s hearts sank at the sight.
"Find the Innate Grass, then get out of here immediately," Luu Fangliang said to Wen Qingye through gritted teeth.
Luu Fangliang had underestimated Yux Yang’s strength—or perhaps, he had overestimated his own. He had originally thought he could defeat Yux Yang and hold off the Divine Wind Guard, but now it was clear he couldn’t even handle Yux Yang alone, much less with so many guards present.
Wen Qingye looked at Luu Fangliang’s back. He could hear the resolve to fight to the death in Luu Fangliang’s voice; it was obvious Luu Fangliang knew he was out of his depth.
"Hmph. Thinking of leaving? Neither of you is going anywhere today," Yux Yang said, his eyes like a viper’s as he hissed, "I’m going to inflict the Twelve Great Tortures on you back in Qiyang City. I’ll make sure everyone knows that the back courtyard of the Divine Wind Auction House isn’t a place one can come and go from as they please."
Just then, Wen Qingye’s eyes lit up. He had just spotted a wooden box. It was made from Yangchun Wood, which was clearly used for storing herbs that were prone to decay or losing their spiritual essence.
WHOOSH!
Wen Qingye moved with incredible speed, dashing forward in a single bound.
"You’re courting death!"
Seeing Wen Qingye still daring to go for the Innate Grass under these circumstances, Yux Yang roared in fury and thrust his sword viciously toward him.
"You dare get distracted while fighting me? Frost Shatter, Star Break!"
Seeing Yux Yang’s sword aimed at Wen Qingye, Luu Fangliang’s heart seized with anxiety. His Long Spear shot forward, and in an instant, a layer of merciless, cold frost flowed through the air.
Yux Yang was horrified to see Luu Fangliang’s Long Spear aiming for his throat. He hastily retracted his sword to parry the attack.
CLANG!
The sound of metal on metal echoed through the air, accompanied by a shower of sparks.
Wen Qingye had already reached the Yangchun Wooden Box. He snatched it, a surge of joy in his heart.
SWISH! SWISH!
A piercing whistle reached Wen Qingye’s ears. His feet moved in a blur as he executed the Butterfly Step, dodging with a clean backflip.
Among the Divine Wind Guard, a large, bald man spoke in a gravelly voice, "The kid’s quick on his feet. You all block his escape routes. I’ll handle him myself."
"Yes, Boss!"
The other seventeen members of the Divine Wind Guard nodded grimly and moved to completely block off every possible exit.
The bald, powerfully built man hefted a giant iron warhammer, leering at Wen Qingye. "You’ve got some nerve, kid. Daring to cause trouble at our Divine Wind Auction House with a cultivation of only the Refining Essence Eighth Layer Heaven."
"I’ve never been one for being timid," Wen Qingye replied with a faint smile, tucking the Yangchun Wooden Box into his robes.
