Chapter 168

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Chapter 168: Family Heirloom

The highest bidder wins!

The disciples responded enthusiastically. To most, this was the fairest method of distribution.

Yet many disciples wore bitter expressions. Some had their tokens seized by Ye Yun earlier, while others lacked spirit stones and stood little chance of winning through bidding.

Ye Yun swept his gaze over them. "While the highest bidder wins, I alone decide what counts as payment. Spirit stones hold little value, and medium-grade spiritual weapons are beyond your means. Even if you owned one, you’d cling to it. So I’ll be merciful—bring me strange oddities. Only those who truly lack such items may use spirit stones."

No spirit stones? No spiritual weapons? Just oddities?

The crowd exchanged puzzled looks. What use were peculiar trinkets? Cultivators rarely hoarded such things.

"To clarify," Ye Yun added, "I mean rare items with unique but impractical effects—unusual flowers and herbs, rare crystals, minerals. The kind too scarce for common markets."

The disciples’ eyes brightened instantly.

While strange trinkets were uncommon, every cultivator possessed unidentified curiosities gathered during sect tasks—items studied through ancient texts, then kept despite their apparent uselessness.

"I’ve got five-hundred-year Silver Deer Grass!" shouted a front-row disciple. "Eating it grants deer-like leaping power briefly!"

"Side effects?" Ye Yun grinned.

"Your skin turns gentle silver for ten breaths."

Snorts erupted.

Laughter spread through the crowd. Deer leaps meant nothing to cultivators! Ten breaths of silver skin? Worse than useless!

"Why laugh?" The disciple’s face reddened. "A split-second advantage decides battles! Enhanced evasion for ten breaths could mean victory!"

"Barely an advantage," scoffed a black robe disciple nearby. "Stop embarrassing yourself—put that weed away."

"Who says it’s useless?" Ye Yun beckoned. "Five-century Silver Deer Grass? I’ll take it."

The disciple gaped, then scrambled forward with a silvery herb from his storage pouch.

Ye Yun tossed the plant into his Thunder Sound Metamorphosis ring and flipped a token to the disciple.

Staring at the token, the young man trembled. "Th-thank you, Brother Ye!" He shoved the prize inside his robe, eyeing envious onlookers.

"Relax," Ye Yun said. "No one dares steal what I’ve given."

His words extinguished any stealthy ambitions. With Ye Yun’s cultivation level, thieves would face physical and spiritual destruction before reaching their life-saving talismans.

"Thirty tokens remain!" Ye Yun announced. "One’s already claimed. Move fast if you want yours."

The hundred-strong crowd surged like stirred hornets.

"Duan Chenfeng!" Ye Yun waved. "Run the auction. Find us interesting goods."

Rubbing his hands, Duan Chenfeng bellowed, "Form lines! Show your wares properly!"

Disciples jostled to empty storage pouches, revealing a riot of colorful oddities.

"This is an Ice Cold Crystal. Toss it into water, and it’ll freeze a three-zhang-wide river solid with ice three feet thick!"

"This here’s Fire Cloud Grass. It helps cultivate fire element energy. I wouldn’t bring it out except for wanting an assessment token."

"Fire Cloud Grass? Pah! See this black clod? Earthly Breath – the very essence of earth element!"

"Earthly Breath? More like Earthly Fool! What’s a speck smaller than a fingernail good for?"

"All of you, back off! You dare show Brother Ye this trash? Think he collects junk?"

"Big talker. Let’s see your treasure then!"

"Watch closely – soon you’ll all be groveling!"

Disciples jostled to display their prized possessions.

A white flash suddenly illuminated the scene. The rude disciple now held a jade-white boat in his palm.

The three-inch vessel glowed like polished jade, carved with exquisite detail that made it seem alive.

Dazzling white light pulsed from the tiny craft.

"What’s this?" Duan Chenfeng leaned closer.

"Heard of the Heavenly Waterway?" The black-robed disciple puffed his chest.

"Heavenly Waterway? The fabled path to ascension? They say twin roads exist – water and land. Both lead to Heavenly Platform where dao is comprehended."

"Correct!" The disciple nodded smugly. "No ordinary ship sails that waterway. Only Jade Dragon Boat or Phantom Ghost Vessel can navigate it."

"You claim this is Jade Dragon Boat?"

"Spot on! My family’s heirloom for millennia. But since our decline…" He sighed dramatically. "…I’ll trade it for a token. Practical choice."

"Song Huizhou! Think having ‘boat’ in its name makes it real?" A fellow black-robed disciple sneered. "If this were true, your clan’d either rule empires or lie in ruins! Why beg as Heavenly Sword Sect’s outer disciple?"

"Foolish Qian Sen! Such treasures stay hidden for generations!" Song Huizhou turned eagerly to Ye Yun. "Well, Brother Ye? Worthy of a token?"

Ye Yun flicked a finger. "Next."

Song Huizhou blanched. "I swear! Once you reach Nascent Soul stage, you’ll sense the Heavenly Path yourself!"

"Think Ye Yun’s an idiot?" Duan Chenfeng shoved him aside. "Trading trash for tokens? Expecting him to reach Nascent Soul first?"

"Exactly!" Another disciple shouted. "Minimum requirement’s Nascent Soul peak! Execute this swindler!"

"Kill him!" The mob roared.

"Brother Ye, I’m sincere!" Song Huizhou wailed. At third level Qi refining, passing the assessment was his only hope.

Ye Yun crooked a finger. The quivering disciple crawled over.

"Truth. Now." Ye Yun’s voice dropped.

Song Huizhou straightened. "Family heirloom…"

"Next."

"Wait!" The disciple crumpled. "Bought… bought it three years back. Some old peddler’s stall. Wasted thirty middle-grade spirit stones…"

"Thirty stones for a token? Clever scheme!" Duan Chenfeng cuffed his ear.

"I… I thought Brother Ye liked curios…" Mumbling, Song Huizhou retreated, clutching the boat.

"Wait."

The single word froze him. Trembling, he turned – face ashen.

"Bring that fake. Token’s yours."

Ye Yun’s voice struck like thunderclap.