SWDnovel Chapter 123 Go investigate this kid.
Chapter 123 Go investigate this kid.
Inside the secluded box at the highest point of the auction house, heavily guarded and isolated, the atmosphere was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.
The Fifth Elder of the Star Palace sat upright in a rosewood chair, idly playing with the jade thumb ring in his hand.
When the words "Number One Nascent Soul Transformation in the Great Jin Dynasty" pierced through the soundproof array like thunder and clearly entered his ears, the movement of his fingertips suddenly froze.
"The Great Jin Dynasty... Nascent Soul stage?"
The Fifth Elder's pupils contracted sharply in an instant, and his previously calm eyes suddenly surged with a turbulent storm.
On his face, etched with the marks of time, a muscle twitched almost imperceptibly. This was not due to anger, but rather to an extreme shock that came from the depths of his soul.
In his centuries of cultivation experience, the Chaotic Star Sea, though vast, was ultimately just a corner of the cultivation world.
The two Saints of the Star Palace are already the pinnacle of combat power in this world.
The term "Transformation into a Divine Being" is an unattainable myth for these old monsters who have been trapped in the Nascent Soul stage for hundreds of years.
Ancient books have vaguely recorded that on a distant continent, there is a sacred land for cultivating immortality called "Da Jin," where spiritual energy is abundant and the legendary Nascent Soul cultivators are not just a myth.
But those were just fragments of information found in yellowed ancient scrolls, and for thousands of years, no one has been able to prove the existence of that sacred place.
And now, this spoiled rogue cultivator, whom they regarded as "foolish and rich," has casually uttered this taboo name!
The Fifth Elder took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the pounding in his heart.
His sharp eyes, which had seen countless people, pierced through layers of arrays and locked onto Han Xiaoliu's cynical face.
"Who exactly is this kid?" The Fifth Elder's brain was racing, with countless clues colliding in his mind.
He recalled Han Xiaoliu's seemingly absurd yet insightful boast—a father-in-law in the mid-Nascent Soul stage, a generous dowry, and a Daoist partner who practically gave herself to him…
"Mid-stage Nascent Soul...father-in-law..." A sudden flash of inspiration struck the Fifth Elder, and a name appeared in his mind—Hong Fu!
This person has also publicly stated that he is a cultivator from the Great Jin Dynasty. Is there any relationship between these two?
"No, that's not right." The Fifth Elder frowned slightly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the table.
This kid deliberately threw out the words "Great Jin" and "Transformation God" in front of everyone; it wasn't just a simple boast.
"He's testing us! He's sending a message to the forces that know about the Great Jin! Or rather, he's sending a message to the Star Palace!" The Fifth Elder's eyes grew even deeper.
In the unpredictable world of cultivation, the more absurd and mad the words seem, the more likely they are to conceal deadly intent or a shocking grand scheme.
This kid spent a fortune to buy two evil cultivation artifacts and then publicly provoked others. What is he trying to hide or what is he plotting?
"No matter who you are, a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Great Jin Dynasty... this information is worth far more than two million spirit stones!"
The Fifth Elder could no longer conceal the excitement in his eyes; it was a yearning for a higher realm and a fervent desire for unknown secrets.
He slowly withdrew his gaze, his fingers, which had been trembling slightly from shock, now as steady as a mountain.
"Knock!"
He raised his right hand, bent his index finger, and tapped it heavily on the rosewood table.
The crisp knocking sound echoed in the quiet private room, carrying an unquestionable air of authority.
The commander of the Star Palace Guards, who had been standing behind him like a shadow, immediately stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
"Investigate." The Fifth Elder's voice was low and hoarse, each word carrying a chilling intent and decisiveness. "Investigate this brat named Han Xiaoliu thoroughly! I want to know every word he's ever said, every person he's ever met, every market he's ever visited! Especially... his network of connections. Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find every clue!"
"Yes, sir!" The guard accepted the order and vanished into the shadows in a flash.
The Fifth Elder leaned back in his chair, his gaze once again falling on the young man leisurely sipping tea in the auction room.
A meaningful, cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. He thought to himself, "Kid, since you dare to jump out like this, I won't be polite. I hope you really do have a Nascent Soul Grandfather!"
The air in the private room seemed to freeze for a moment.
Sitting next to Hong Fu, Zhou Yuan felt as if her values were being brutally crushed and rubbed into the ground.
She widened her alluring peach blossom eyes, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the leisurely Han Xiaoliu and Hong Fu below. Finally, she couldn't resist leaning close to Hong Fu's ear and exclaiming in a very low voice:
"Sister Hongfu, this Fellow Daoist Han... how can he be so boastful? He even dares to fabricate a story about his father-in-law, who is in the mid-Nascent Soul stage! If this boast is exposed, isn't he afraid of being skinned alive?"
Hong Fu remained unusually calm in the face of Zhou Yuan's questioning.
She gently raised her hand, picked up the cup of spiritual tea in front of her, lightly skimmed off the foam with the lid, and took an elegant sip.
Then, she put down her teacup, the porcelain making a soft sound as it collided with the table.
"Well, he wasn't lying." Hong Fu's expression was calm, but her tone revealed a hint of melancholy. "Xuan'er's biological father is indeed a cultivator in the mid-Nascent Soul stage."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan gasped, instinctively covering her red lips with her hands, her face filled with disbelief and shock.
She knew Hong Fu's personality all too well.
"Then...then that old man named Xiang Zhili he just mentioned, could he really be a Nascent Soul cultivator?!" Zhou Yuan's voice trembled, her beautiful eyes wide open as if she were looking at a monster.
This time, Hong Fu did not answer immediately. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she fell into deep thought.
"Xiang Zhili..." she murmured the name in her heart.
What came to her mind, however, was that smiling, unassuming old man in the Qi Refining stage from back in Tiannan Huangfeng Valley.
Could the "Number One Nascent Soul Cultivator" that Han Xiaoliu mentioned really be that old monster? If it really is him... then why did he hide his identity and enter Yellow Maple Valley...?
The more Hong Fu thought about it, the more alarmed she became. For a moment, she fell silent, a hint of confusion and shock flashing in her eyes.
Zi Ling, sitting on the other side, was so shocked that she stopped breathing.
Her eyes, clear as autumn water, stared blankly at Hong Fu, who was lost in thought, her small mouth slightly open, unable to close for a long time.
She couldn't believe that "Han Baibai," who usually seemed carefree and always took advantage of her, actually had such a terrifying background!
She couldn't help but recall something Han Baibai had casually mentioned before—he said he had a maternal grandfather who wanted to enter the "Dreamlike Minor Realm," but his father absolutely refused.
At the time, she didn't think much of it, but she never expected that Han Baibai's maternal grandfather was actually a Nascent Soul cultivator!
With a loud shout from the auctioneer, an ancient treasure radiating a chilling light was lifted onto the stage, instantly reigniting the atmosphere in the auction hall, which had been still immersed in the "farce" just moments before.
"Seven hundred thousand!"
"Seven hundred and fifty thousand!"
The bidding erupted like boiling water, the bidding paddles swaying under the lights, and the cultivators' eyes gleamed with undisguised greed and fanaticism as they vied for the treasure.
The entire auction hall was filled with a strong sense of tension, pushing the atmosphere to a new climax.
However, in this noisy corner, the Core Formation cultivator from the Blood Slaughter Sect seemed to have all his strength drained away, his face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.
He stared intently at Han Xiaoliu behind him, who was leisurely and had a faint smile on his lips, his eyes changing several times in just a few breaths.
What began as ruthlessness and murderous intent gradually turned into shock, and finally into deep fear and hesitation.
"One million spirit stones... without even blinking an eye..." The Core Formation cultivator's pupils contracted slightly, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
Having lived a life of constant danger, he knew all too well what such extravagant spending meant. To be able to casually produce so many spirit stones was something no ordinary rogue cultivator could do; there must be an extraordinary backer behind him, at the very least a large, well-established sect!
He had already planned to tie up Han Xiaoliu and the woman named Yu Niangzi together after the auction.
But now, he hesitated.
Even though he knew perfectly well that there was some kind of ambiguous relationship between Yu Niangzi and Han Xiaoliu, he still had to reconsider.
Would you risk offending a wealthy but unknown playboy for the sake of a mere plaything?
This deal, no matter how you look at it, seems to carry a risk of losing money.
"Forget it..." The Core Formation cultivator took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the killing intent in his eyes, and put on that cold, fake smile again. "Just pretend you didn't recognize that woman. Anyway, there's plenty of time in the future, no need to provoke this trouble now."
Just as he was about to withdraw his gaze and completely abandon the idea, a Blood Slaughter Sect cultivator with an equally gloomy expression suddenly approached him, lowering his voice with a barely perceptible tremor:
"Boss... what if that young master Yu wants to avenge that woman?"
These words were like a poisoned needle, instantly piercing the nerves of the Core Formation cultivator.
His expression suddenly changed, and his muscles, which had been relaxed, tensed up instantly. A strong sense of crisis sounded like an alarm in his mind!
He subconsciously clenched his teeth, a hint of panic and ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. His fingers, gripping the teacup, turned white from the excessive force, and his knuckles were faintly blue.
Yes, what if that seemingly foolish and rich young master Yu is actually a fiercely protective person?
If he gets angry and really uses his connections to retaliate...
The Core Formation cultivator's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. He stared intently at Han Xiaoliu's back, his eyes struggling wildly between ruthlessness and fear, as if he were trapped in a quagmire of dilemma.