Seventy-one thousand was bid, and all eyes in the arena turned to the second floor of the auction hall in astonishment. The secrecy measures in the private box were extremely strict, with walls made of materials that could shield spiritual awareness. Unless a cultivator above the Crossing Tribulation stage came, it was impossible for anyone else to discover the true identity of those inside.

“Those who can enter the box must be wealthy and influential cultivators. Why would they buy such a small storage ring with only a capacity of one thousand cubic units?”

“You don’t understand. They must be eyeing the whole set of treasures!”

“But isn’t it too difficult to collect a whole set of treasures? If they have the money, they might as well make a complete set directly.”Chattering voices filled the hall, but most people remained cautious. In their minds, the price of seventy thousand was already sky-high and unlikely to go any higher.

However, just as the auctioneer excitedly shouted “Seventy thousand twice,” suddenly! Li Xiuchen on the first floor gritted his teeth and raised his sign: “Seventy-one thousand!

“The crowd was stunned, looking at Li Xiuchen incredulously.

Next, a calm voice came from the box: “Eighty thousand.”

Li Xiuchen clenched his teeth: “Eighty-one thousand!”

The people in the box remained indifferent: “Ninety thousand.”

Upon hearing this, the entire audience was shocked, and the auctioneer on stage became so excited that his hands trembled. He quickly exclaimed, “Ninety thousand! Ninety thousand! Does anyone want to bid higher? Anyone else?”

Outside the auction, the normal price for a ring of this quality would be around thirty-five thousand, at most not exceeding forty thousand. If it weren’t for the possibility of this ring completing a set of treasures, it wouldn’t even appear in the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association’s auction. But regardless, no one could have imagined that the price of this ring would triple!

Starting at thirty thousand, it had now soared to ninety thousand. This was truly outrageous! Li Xiuchen had clenched his sign so tightly that he couldn’t even utter a word. The auctioneer glanced at him disappointedly, then began counting down.

But just as he called out “twice,” Li Xiuchen struggled painfully and shouted, “Ninety-one thousand!”It seemed like he had exerted all his strength to shout this price, but after he finished, the person in the box just smiled lightly and calmly called out, “One hundred thousand.”

In just three words, Li Xiuchen was completely suppressed. One hundred thousand, no one could possibly bid any higher. And Li Xiuchen also needed to prepare money to buy other things. After agonizing hesitation, he finally didn’t bid again, and so the ring was won by the person in the box.

For such small items, the auctioneer could immediately hand over the goods. When the people from the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association delivered the ring to Luo Jianqing’s box, he took out a hundred thousand in cash from his own ring and handed it over. After receiving the ring, Luo Jianqing just played with it casually for a while, then put it back into his ring without wearing it on his hand.

Seeing this, the Buddhist monk beside him clasped his hands together and smiled, “Amitabha, friend Luo, I’m very curious. You seemed determined to get this ring at any cost. But after obtaining it, you just casually put it in your ring and don’t use it.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Jianqing poured a bowl of tea for the monk and said, “The monk is correct. I indeed had to get this ring. However, the ring I currently have was given to me by my senior brother Yuchingzi when I achieved Foundation Establishment. It’s a gift of a Golden Dan, capable of holding five thousand cubic units. So, I didn’t want to exchange it.”

The Buddhist monk smiled and looked at Luo Jianqing with clear eyes, without asking further. After a while, the storm caused by the “one hundred thousand for one ring” had passed, and the auction resumed with new items being auctioned off.

Luo Jianqing only bought one more thing, a piece of good-quality thousand-year ice marrow. Last time, when Luo Jianqing gave the Zhongqi Stone he obtained to his sixth junior brother, he was very happy and mentioned that he was currently making a treasure that lacked a few materials, one of which was ice marrow. Luo Jianqing spent a large sum of money to acquire the ice marrow, instantly attracting more attention to their box.

The monk smiled and said, “I didn’t expect Brother Luo to be so generous.”

Luo Jianqing couldn’t help feeling embarrassed, “This is for my sixth junior brother. He is a refiner, obsessed with refining Qi. In order to create better treasures, he has delayed his cultivation.”

The monk nodded, “The sixth person among the Seven Sons of Mount Taihua, I know.” Luo Jianqing smiled and nodded, only to hear the monk continue, “To have a senior brother like you, Brother Xiuhen is indeed fortunate.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Jianqing was slightly stunned, murmuring subconsciously, “Am I really fortunate to him…”

This seemingly random sentence might seem strange to ordinary people, but to the monk, it was just an ordinary remark. The monk gently flicked the crystal-clear Buddha bead in his hand, his compassionate and pure face filled with smiles as he said, “To become brothers, it’s a connection across three lifetimes. To become close friends, it’s a connection across five lifetimes. All phenomena arise from conditions; the Buddha said it is due to causes. Brother Luo’s care for Brother Xiuhen, why wouldn’t it be his blessing?”

Luo Jianqing suddenly felt enlightened and clear-headed. He bowed to the monk and said, “Thank you for your guidance.

“The monk smiled faintly.

The two of them chatted for a while in the box, and then it was time for the monk to acquire the Buddha bead he wanted. The bead was round and translucent, and even through a protective barrier, Luo Jianqing could feel the supreme and profound Buddhist atmosphere within it.

This time, the starting price for the auction was one hundred thousand, with increments of at least ten thousand each bid. As soon as the auctioneer’s voice fell, the monk whispered, “Two hundred thousand.”

The scene erupted into chaos, even the experienced auctioneer stood frozen in place. At that moment, Luo Jianqing was about to take a sip of tea, fortunately he hadn’t actually drunk it, otherwise he would have surely spit it out. He looked at the monk beside him in astonishment and whispered, “Monk, what are you…”

At this moment, the usually calm and composed monk blushed and smiled shyly, “I’m not good at handling worldly matters.”

Luo Jianqing: “…” This is not a reason for you to randomly quote a price!!!

Perhaps the monk’s bid was too astonishing, for a moment, no one else dared to compete with him. After all, while a Buddha bead was indeed very important to Buddhist cultivators, to other cultivators, it was simply a tool to purify and calm the mind.

The official price set by the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association for this Buddha bead was two hundred and fifty thousand. Seeing that no one bid after the monk’s call, the auctioneer immediately said, “It is rumored that this item is a treasure of a great being who once achieved enlightenment while sitting on the ground. I’m sure everyone knows the name of that great being, he is none other than Master Daoxin, the fourth patriarch of the Chan School.”

With that said, someone couldn’t help but shout, “Two hundred and ten thousand.”

The monk then said, “Three hundred thousand…

“Luo Jianqing immediately shouted, “Two hundred and fifty thousand!”

The voices in the box were always filtered. Just now, no one heard that there were still two people in Luo Jianqing’s box. Now that they heard it, they were all stunned. The monk in the box looked at Luo Jianqing in astonishment, only to see him sigh with emotion and say, “Monk, I finally believe now that the heavenly dao is somewhat fair, truly bestowing you with great wisdom.” But it didn’t bestow you with the corresponding emotional intelligence!

Even without Luo Jianqing saying it out loud, the monk could guess what he wanted to say. The monk was not angry, but instead calmly performed a Buddhist salute, still looking as serene as ever, “Amitabha, Brother Luo, would you kindly help me bid.”

Luo Jianqing asked, “I wonder what is the maximum budget you have for this Buddha bead?”

The monk thought for a moment, “Three hundred thousand.”

Luo Jianqing: “…” So why were you confident enough to directly bid two hundred thousand just now!

As soon as Luo Jianqing’s “two hundred and fifty thousand” came out, there was commotion Suddenly, Luo Jianqing was stunned. Was this Buddha bead really that precious?

But Luo Jianqing naturally didn’t know that in the version of “Seeking Immortality II” he saw, it only mentioned that Li Xiuchen had bid on these items, without specifying their significance. Luo Jianqing was aware of the incident with the ring. At the end of the book, Li Xiuchen did indeed find another item from the same set, indicating the possibility of completing the entire set in the future.

But what about this Buddha bead?

Only Li Xiuchen knew the true value of this Buddha bead. Upon hearing Li Xiuchen’s bid, the monk said, “Brother Luo, since that benefactor values this Buddha bead so much, let’s give up on it.”

Recalling some of Li Xiuchen’s previous actions, Luo Jianqing frowned and shook his head, “Monk, I feel this matter cannot be simply concluded.” With that, Luo Jianqing turned and said, “Three hundred and fifty thousand!”

Raising the price by forty thousand in one go caught Li Xiuchen off guard. But after hesitating for a moment, he said, “Three hundred and sixty thousand!”

Luo Jianqing responded, “Four hundred thousand!”

Li Xiuchen then said, “Four hundred and ten thousand!”

Luo Jianqing smiled lightly, took a sip of tea, and calmly said, “Five hundred thousand.”

“Swish—”

All eyes were focused on the box on the second floor. The monk could only smile helplessly, while Luo Jianqing remained unwavering. This price was indeed too high, twice the original estimate set by the auctioneer! Suddenly, Li Xiuchen was also furious and stopped speaking, only casting frequent glances in Luo Jianqing’s direction.

When the Buddha bead was delivered to the box, the monk rushed to offer all the spirit stones before Luo Jianqing could. Seeing this, Luo Jianqing was stunned, but he heard the monk explain, “Brother Luo, this time you bid against that benefactor for my sake. How can I let you bear the expense?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Jianqing smiled wryly, “It seems that I’m not destined to have this Buddha bead.”

The monk was surprised, “Does Brother Luo really want this Buddha bead? Then I shall give it to Brother Luo, consider it as establishing good karma.”

Luo Jianqing immediately stopped the monk from handing over the Buddha bead. He stared at the monk with bright eyes, gazing at his serene and pure face, and sighed helplessly, “In terms of Buddhist affinity, I am indeed far inferior to you. Since the monk has already paid, this Buddha bead should rightfully belong to the monk.”

The two of them returned to their seats, and Luo Jianqing said, “Monk, do you know what this Buddha bead is?”

The monk said, “I don’t know. Perhaps it is indeed a treasure of the Fourth Patriarch of our Buddhist lineage.”

Luo Jianqing laughed loudly, shaking his head, “Indeed, this is an item of the Fourth Patriarch, but at the same time, it is not just a treasure. It is actually a relic.”

The monk’s fingers, which were playing with the Buddha bead, immediately stopped. A shocked expression appeared on his usually calm face, but after a moment, his eyes showed madness, startling Luo Jianqing. The monk’s face was filled with fascination, as if he had seen the most beloved thing in his life. He stared closely at the Buddha bead for a long time, and only after a long while did the madness in his eyes gradually fade.

The monk looked up, “Brother Luo, I did not realize this was a relic. Where did you learn this?”

As the bidding progressed, the atmosphere in the room became tense. Luo Jianqing had never seen the monk in such a state before. After thinking for a while, he decided to bring out someone from the ring.

When the exquisitely carved jade-like child appeared in the box, a faint scent of elixir instantly filled the air. The beautiful and lovely child furrowed his brows, and the scent abruptly stopped, disappearing as mysteriously as it had come.

The monk looked at the child in astonishment, and Luo Jianqing introduced, “This is my…spiritual artifact, named Qingjun.”

Since living beings couldn’t be taken out of the ring, Luo Jianqing couldn’t say that this was a ninth-grade pill spirit. Thus, he could only refer to Qingjun as a spiritual artifact. It wasn’t that Luo Jianqing doubted the monk’s character, but the concept of a ninth-grade pill was too astonishing. Revealing it would inevitably lead to chaos and bloodshed.

The monk looked puzzledly at Qingjun, who calmly said, “Thousands of years ago, I followed my master and saw the remains of the Fourth Patriarch of Buddhism. At that time, my master wanted to take the relic from the Fourth Patriarch’s remains, but was blocked by the residual consciousness of the Fourth Patriarch. The Fourth Patriarch said that this relic was meant to be given to someone with destiny.”

As soon as Qingjun finished speaking, the monk was stunned.

Qingjun continued, “You must be wondering, didn’t the Fourth Patriarch attain Buddhahood directly from the earth? But I know that no one has ascended to immortality in the past ten thousand years. You, monk, are naturally gifted and possess exceptional wisdom. If you can overcome the only calamity in your life, perhaps you will have the chance to become the first Buddha in ten thousand years.”

The monk bowed, “Thank you for your guidance, senior.”

Qingjun waved his hand and sat down, pouring tea for himself.

The monk did not ask where Luo Jianqing obtained such a terrifying spiritual artifact, but instead fell into his own thoughts. When the auction was nearing its end, Luo Jianqing asked, “Monk, have you encountered a calamity in your life?”

The monk nodded, “Yes, nine years ago, my fate changed overnight. Originally, I had purified all six senses, but that night, my master calculated and found an additional calamity in my life. However, having a calamity is not a bad thing. Without undergoing calamity, how could I transcend it? I am not entering the world of mortals, so how could I transcend the world of mortals? Therefore, I didn’t mind.”

Luo Jianqing furrowed his brows slightly, “Nine years ago…”

Nine years ago, that number was somewhat sensitive. For example, Luo Jianqing knew that nine years ago, Li Xiuchen came to Taihua Mountain to participate in the trial for new disciples. It was also nine years ago that he woke up one night and suddenly found himself reborn. Moreover, in his previous life, he had never heard of any calamity befalling the monk from the Return to Origin Sect. Could this be another change?

Everything was unknown.

Finally, the auction reached its climax. The last item was a broken sword. When this broken sword appeared at the auction, Luo Jianqing’s body suddenly trembled, and there was a terrifying response from the ring.

Yes, this broken sword was the other half of the broken sword Luo Jianqing obtained in the Ten Thousand Beast Ridge.

Originally, Luo Jianqing seized the battlefield between Qingjun and the ninth-rank demonic beast while Li Xiuchen was still unconscious and obtained this broken sword. Even if it was only half, the broken sword still carried the pressure of a Heavenly Grade treasure. It was conceivable that once it was completely merged, it would definitely become a Heavenly Grade superior treasure!

Luo Jianqing’s Frost Floating Sword was only a top-grade Earth Grade treasure, and this broken sword was a superior Heavenly Grade treasure.

Among all the treasures Luo Jianqing had seen in his life, apart from Xuan Lingzi’s Xuan Ling Sword, there was no other divine sword that could match this broken sword. Xuan Ling Sword was a top-grade Heavenly Grade treasure nurtured by Xuan Lingzi’s divine spirit for over three hundred years. It could enhance the abilities of the user and even kill someone of a higher realm.

Thinking of this, Luo Jianqing felt calm in his heart and wouldn’t be affected by any demonic thoughts.

On the platform, the auctioneer announced loudly, “Although this broken sword is only half, it is still a Heavenly Grade treasure! As everyone knows, Heavenly Grade treasures may contain the insights of the user’s laws. The previous owner of this broken sword should have been a great expert in the Nascent Soul stage. The starting price is five hundred thousand, with increments of fifty thousand each time!”

Fifty thousand was too cheap for a Heavenly Grade treasure. If the sword hadn’t been broken, the starting price would have been at least five million. Soon, bids of “five hundred and fifty thousand,” “six hundred thousand,” and “seven hundred thousand” were heard.

Someone whispered, “It’s a broken sword. Will it affect the comprehension of the laws? What if something goes wrong?”

True,

The bidding for the broken sword was rather quiet, making the auctioneer anxious. Before he could liven up the atmosphere, Li Xiuchen raised his paddle and shouted, “Nine hundred thousand!” This sudden increase of two hundred thousand stunned many, leaving them hesitant to continue bidding. Seeing this, Luo Jianqing smiled faintly, about to speak, but suddenly heard, “One million!” A voice came from the neighboring box where Luo Jianqing was situated.

Li Xiuchen was taken aback, then gritted his teeth and countered, “One million one hundred thousand!” This price had already exceeded Li Xiuchen’s savings, but he decided to sell some of his possessions. Although he hadn’t obtained the other half of the broken sword, he believed it couldn’t have been destroyed easily; it must have fallen somewhere else in the Ten Thousand Beast Ridge. By winning this broken sword, he could use its connection to find its missing half!

Another crisp laughter emanated from the neighboring box, the speaker saying, “One million two hundred thousand.” Li Xiuchen responded, “One million… one million two hundred and fifty thousand.” Compared to his trembling voice, the owner of the neighboring box spoke cheerfully, “Then let it be one million five hundred thousand.”

The entire hall erupted! A broken sword, unexpectedly sold for one million five hundred thousand?

At this point, Li Xiuchen had lost his bidding power. He gritted his teeth, glaring at the two boxes on the second floor. One belonged to Luo Jianqing and the monk, who had nearly snatched everything Li Xiuchen wanted to auction earlier. The other belonged to the owner who had just dashed Li Xiuchen’s hopes of winning the broken sword.

The auctioneer was also extremely pleased, exclaiming excitedly, “One million five hundred thousand once, one million five hundred thousand twice, one million…” Luo Jianqing loudly declared, “Two million.”

The hall suddenly quieted down, with even the sound of a pin dropping audible.

In the next moment, an angry voice from the neighboring box exclaimed, “Two million five hundred thousand!”

Luo Jianqing calmly responded, “Three million.”

The opponent countered, “Four million!

Luo Jianqing chuckled lightly, “Five million.”

Suddenly, a clattering sound came from the neighboring box, as if something had been overturned. The person inside then gritted their teeth and shouted, “Six million! Who are you? Dare to vie with this lady? Are you tired of living?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Jianqing was momentarily stunned, then turned to look at the monk beside him. Seeing the monk’s astonished expression, they exchanged smiles.

This time, Luo Jianqing raised his bid again, “Eight million.”

The owner from the neighboring box retorted, “You!”

After struggling for a moment, she shouted, “Ten million!”

The monk whispered, “Amitabha, Jianqing, why are you bullying a woman?”

Luo Jianqing innocently replied, “Monk, I can’t afford to bid any higher. I only have over nine million spirit stones on me now.” There was something Luo Jianqing didn’t mention: half of the over nine million spirit stones he had were obtained from Xuan Lingzi.

After they understood each other’s intentions, since Luo Jianqing was leaving, Xuan Lingzi gave his storage ring to Luo Jianqing. This direct act of taking all of the other party’s belongings was a bit strange, so Luo Jianqing took only five million spirit stones. Even so, Xuan Lingzi was still somewhat dissatisfied, worried that his disciple would lack protection outside.

Upon hearing this, the monk asked, “Jianqing, can’t you bid anymore?”

Luo Jianqing nodded gently.The monk smiled and said, “I have three million spirit stones here, which I can lend to Jianqing.”

Luo Jianqing widened his eyes in surprise, only to see the monk innocently saying, “The guest scolded me for three hours, so it’s just like three million spirit stones.”

Luo Jianqing burst into laughter.

This time, Luo Jianqing immediately declared, “Twelve million!”

Upon hearing the bidding amount, Yunxiang immediately froze, her fingers trembling as she angrily exclaimed, “Who are you? Why are you targeting me! This broken sword is worth no more than two million.”

Luo Jianqing chuckled softly and replied, “My friend, in an auction, whoever wins it, owns it. I’m willing to use a hundred million spirit stones to buy this broken sword. I have plenty of money to spare and I’m happy to do so.”

Yunxiang fell silent.

Thus, the once-in-a-decade auction of the Yun Cloud Merchant Guild officially ended.

Some left with their arms full, having obtained many things they desired; others left without spending a penny, but witnessed a unique display of wealth, giving them bragging rights for the next ten years.

Among them, Li Xiuchen didn’t spend a single spirit stone but was not happy; instead, he was so angry he almost fainted.

Yunxiang, on the other hand, only bid on one item throughout the auction but failed to win it, leaving her fuming.

With a slight smile, the monk received a Buddhist relic, while Luo Jianqing owed three million spirit stones but still returned richly.

After leaving the auction together, the two planned to leave Cloud Province. The monk invited Luo Jianqing to visit the Return to Origin Sect, but Luo Jianqing politely declined, saying, “I’ve been away from Mount Taihua for several days now, and I miss it terribly.”

The monk chuckled, “Jianqing, you’re homesick.”

Luo Jianqing lightly smiled, “A home exists because someone’s there. Sometimes, what one misses isn’t the home itself, but the people inside.”

The monk nodded, “Jianqing, you’re deeply sentimental. In just one auction, you bought many things for your junior brothers and sisters.”

Evidently, the monk believed that Luo Jianqing was concerned about his junior brothers and sisters, which is why he was in such a hurry to return. Luo Jianqing didn’t deny it; he did indeed care about his junior brothers and sisters, but he cared more about that person. He just didn’t know if that person felt the same way about him.

As they walked out of Cloud Province, preparing to bid farewell at the intersection of Cloud Province and Cen Province, surrounded by verdant mountains and clear waters, with mountain ranges stretching endlessly, two streaks of light flew swiftly across the sky to a riverbank.

Luo Jianqing had already removed his silver mask, revealing an extremely handsome face filled with smiles. He bowed, “Today, I bid farewell to you here, friend.”

The monk played with his Buddhist beads and smiled, “Being acquainted with Daoist friend Lou feels like a dream. I won’t forget it.”

Luo Jianqing’s expression turned strange, “Monk, your words… are a bit odd.”

The monk pretended to be surprised, “Could it be that Jianqing misunderstood something?”

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Luo Jianqing said, “Then let’s part ways here!”

The monk replied, “Okay!”

As they were about to turn away and leave separately, bells suddenly rang out from the sky, their crisp and melodious sound flowing into a beautiful melody.

Luo Jianqing immediately turned back, and the monk stopped leaving. Soon, they saw a charming woman in black clothes. As soon as she saw Luo Jianqing, she exclaimed, “It’s you! You’re the one who took my broken sword!”

Luo Jianqing stared at her coldly and asked, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

Yunxiang’s beautiful face showed a look of anger. She said, “You won’t admit it? My tracking bell has long detected your presence.”

Luo Jianqing replied, “Nonsense.”

Yunxiang was about to speak again when she suddenly saw the monk standing beside Luo Jianqing. Her eyes widened in realization, “So you two are in cahoots! First, you, monk, stole my Soul-summoning Banner, causing me to participate in the auction to buy a birthday gift for my master. And now, your friend has taken away my broken sword, preventing me from finding a suitable gift! You’re doing this on purpose!”

Before she could finish her sentence, Yunxiang flew towards Luo Jianqing, claws aimed at his chest.

Luo Jianqing furrowed his brow, dodging her attack, but Yunxiang then struck at the monk.

Unexpectedly, Yunxiang used a trick; attacking Luo Jianqing was a feint, while attacking the monk was her true intention. Caught off guard, the monk instinctively grabbed Yunxiang’s hand, causing her to stumble and fall into his arms.

In that instant, a faint scent of sandalwood entered Yunxiang’s nose, momentarily dazing her.

With one hand holding Yunxiang, the monk couldn’t easily push her away and could only helplessly say, “Miss, could you please get up?”

Yunxiang’s face flushed suddenly, quickly pushing away from the monk, stuttering, “You… you monks of the Return to Origin Sect, you don’t seem like monks at all. You… you’ve assaulted me, you’ve violated your celibacy!”

The monk was puzzled, “Miss, I don’t understand what you’re saying. You threw yourself into my arms, so what does that have to do with me?”

Yunxiang’s face turned even redder, almost dripping blood. She glared angrily at the monk, intending to attack, but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she turned to Luo Jianqing and lunged at him, claws out, “I’ll kill you first, to ease my resentment towards that damn monk!”

The monk: “…”

Luo Jianqing: “…He assaulted you, what’s that got to do with me?”

Yunxiang’s face reddened even more, urgently saying, “Anyway, I’ll deal with you first!”

Luo Jianqing was speechless, “Are all demonic cultivators this unreasonable?”Ignoring him, Yunxiang attacked again. While Luo Jianqing didn’t want to bully a girl, he could only dodge repeatedly.

Every time the monk tried to intervene, Yunxiang would snap at him, “You still want to assault me?” leaving the monk standing awkwardly in place.

Although Yunxiang was two realms lower than Luo Jianqing, she was still the disciple of a Demon Venerable, gifted and ruthless in her attacks. Before long, she left two scratches on Luo Jianqing’s chest, only superficial wounds, but enough to make Luo Jianqing frown.

Seeing this, Yunxiang sneered and continued her advance. This time, she formed her right hand into a claw and aimed directly for Luo Jianqing’s eyes, but then a furious voice came from the sky, “Yunxiang! You bastard, stop it right now!!!”