Chapter 330

Chapter 330: Contest for the Black Tortoise Seal

Seeing that guy being scared away by Fang Lie, the people around immediately started to boo, and many began to mock him sharply.

Fang Lie, however, was also taken aback. He wanted to chase him out, but he noticed that the people from the Penglai Sword Sect had already started to emit their aura to block him. He realized that it was unlikely he would be able to kill anyone this time.

Moreover, the auction had not yet concluded, and Mo Lanyun had important responsibilities, which meant she could not leave. Alone, Fang Lie truly had no way to hold the other party back.

Helpless, Fang Lie could only angrily shout, "Consider yourself lucky this time. But don’t get too happy yet; I will remember this debt, and we will settle it the next time we meet!"

That guy stopped for a moment and then ran away even faster. He was determined to stay in closed-door training after returning, wanting to avoid Fang Lie until he was dead.

After this little incident, the auction resumed.

However, while others were bidding on treasures, all of Fang Lie’s attention was focused on the Blazing Dragon Cannon in his hands.

He caressed the smooth barrel and recalled his spirited father, feeling an immense pain in his heart.

At that moment, the old bird suddenly communicated, "Something doesn’t feel right. This Blazing Dragon Cannon, although a top-grade Sixth-rank treasure, has extremely high-end materials, including quite a few Eighth-rank spiritual materials. Was it meant to compete with an Eighth-rank treasure from the start?"

"Maybe?" Fang Lie replied uncertainly. "This item is a family heirloom that has been passed down for generations. By the time it reached my father, it had already been passed down for more than ten generations. Perhaps it really was meant for an Eighth-rank treasure originally."

"No, you’re wrong," the old bird replied sternly. "It was definitely not this powerful before. It must have been refined by a master decades ago and had Eighth-rank materials added, which is why it suddenly became so formidable."

"Is that so?" Fang Lie frowned. "I was only seven or eight years old when my father passed away and didn’t know anything! Plus, my family was plotted against, and quickly fell apart, so many documents and Jade Slips disappeared. I know little about my father’s past."

As he spoke, anger rose again in Fang Lie’s heart, wishing he could go back and kill those scoundrels who had wronged him back then.

The old bird frowned and said, "Those scoundrels were indeed too excessive. By the way, who is your mother? I’ve only heard you mention your father and never your mother."

"I don’t even know who my mother is," Fang Lie said dejectedly. "I don’t even know if she is alive or dead. My dad never talked about her, and when I asked, he would change the topic and push me to cultivate. Don’t you have all the records of the Mo Sect? Isn’t there anything about my family?"

"Of course, there are records about your family," the old bird chuckled. "Going back dozens of generations is no problem. I know who they married, who they had, their cultivation levels, everything is clear as day. But curiously, there’s no record of your mother! It’s as if your father magically produced you."

"Sigh," Fang Lie sighed heavily, feeling very upset. "My father is gone, and I fear I’ll never know who my mother is."

"Not necessarily," the old bird laughed. "Look at this Blazing Dragon Cannon. Its refining techniques are exceptionally advanced, and the component combinations are also extraordinarily clever, but the techniques are not from the Mo Sect!"

"What? Not from the Mo Sect?" Fang Lie exclaimed in surprise. "Then whose refining techniques are they?"

"Well, how to say it? They have similarities with West Kunlun and the Xuan Sect, almost like a combination of the two, along with some methods of the Mo Sect, making it a complete mix. But the combination is exquisite and surpasses any one of those three sects!" the old bird replied with a smile. "At least, I’ve never seen similar techniques."

"How is that possible?" Fang Lie gasped. "Our three sects are among the strongest refining sects of this generation. If this cannon’s refining techniques surpass ours, does that mean—?"

"Exactly," the old bird laughed. "It was likely refined by cultivators from another Great Thousand World."

"Another Great Thousand World?" Fang Lie’s eyes shone with longing.

There are countless Great Thousand Worlds, usually disconnected, but occasionally fissures and passages appear. Additionally, some special Secret Realms connect two or more Great Thousand Worlds, allowing for exchanges between them.

However, such occurrences are very rare, especially since teleportation between Great Thousand Worlds consumes an astronomical amount of energy. Even Ninth-Rank treasures cannot support it.

Therefore, cultivators from other Great Thousand Worlds only appear by chance, and they might not be seen for thousands of years.

The Blazing Dragon Cannon in Fang Lie’s hands could very likely have been refined by people from another Great Thousand World, suggesting that Fang Lie’s mother might also be from another Great Thousand World.

While there was a clue, considering his own strength and the difficulty of traveling between Great Thousand Worlds, all Fang Lie could do was smile bitterly and not dwell on it.

At least until he advances to become a Thunder Tribulation Immortal, traveling between Great Thousand Worlds would remain just an empty dream.

At that moment, the old bird suddenly said, "This cannon is very suitable for you! It aligns perfectly with your spiritual root and family Heart Methods. Should you refine it into a life-bound treasure?"

"A life-bound treasure?" Fang Lie frowned. "Don’t I already have the Chaos Sky-Devouring Halberd? Can I really have more than one?"

"Life-bound treasures cannot be too many; in fact, there can only be at most nine. Each of the three souls and six spirits can fuse one item. However, this item conflicts with the Chaos Sky-Devouring Halberd. It can be combined into one, complementing each other’s strengths, and it will surely create a remarkable treasure!" The old bird laughed and said, "So, what do you think? Do you want to give it a try?"

"Alright!" Fang Lie nodded and said gravely, "This item is a treasured heirloom of the Fang Family, crafted by my father himself. It holds great significance for me. If I can refine it into a life-bound treasure, that would be perfect."

"That’s good! But you’ll have to wait a few days; this cannot be rushed!" The old bird said, "You still need a lot of high-rank materials. Go back and ask the sect for them."

"Understood!" Fang Lie smiled lightly, "I can’t just give away a Dragon Turtle; I have to get some interest back, right?"

"Haha, it’s up to you!" The old bird said and fell silent.

The upcoming auction proceeded smoothly, with no big bidders appearing again. Although the prices of the treasures were still somewhat high, they remained reasonable. Even Fang Lie had to nearly deplete his assets, spending one million small spirit pearls to acquire a pair of male and female twin swords, both Pseudo-Spiritual Treasures, which could be upgraded to Seventh-Rank when infused with Wonderful Bodhi Fruit. By then, even if he couldn’t use them, he could sell them for at least ten times the profit.

Soon, over two hours passed, and the auction entered its final stage. Immortal Fire Cloud gently smiled and nodded, saying, "Everyone, below is the finale of our show, the Eighth-Rank High-Grade treasure, the Black Tortoise Seal. However, this item is not for auction by me. You must negotiate directly with its owner, Immortal Qingxu. Please, Immortal Qingxu~"

With that, Immortal Fire Cloud stepped back to provide space. In the next moment, a dry and thin Daoist in a blue robe unexpectedly appeared on stage. As soon as he showed up, a wave of astonishment spread through the crowd. Although he did not reveal any aura, he still gave off a terrifying presence.

Many people began to whisper.

"This is the only remaining Fire Tribulation Immortal of the Ta Qing Sect. Though he has reached the peak of Fire Tribulation, his lifespan is ending, and he may not have the strength to face Thunder Tribulation. Furthermore, his disciples are not capable; once he passes away, the sect will no longer be able to protect the Eighth-Rank treasure, and the inheritance may even be lost. So, he has simply decided to sell this treasure for the sake of the sect’s long-term stability!"

"It’s truly admirable that Immortal Qingxu understands the need for sacrifice in crucial moments!"

"Unfortunately, this treasure is worth a fortune, and very few sects are qualified to bid; we are just here as spectators!"

Amidst the discussions, Immortal Qingxu coughed lightly and then decisively said, "I won’t waste words; I’m sure everyone has received the information. I only want treasures that will benefit the sect, so please hand me your prepared bidding lists!"

In the next instant, over a dozen Jade Slips flew toward Immortal Qingxu, one of which was from Mo Lanyun. Immortal Qingxu received it, scanned it with his divine sense, considered briefly, then exerted his Magic, crushing the majority of them, leaving only two Jade Slips hovering in front of him.

"The Ten-Thousand Gu Sect offers 36 rods of Seventh-Rank Earth True Locust Banners, each with a billion Earth True Locusts! The Mo Sect offers ten Seventh-Rank treasure ships, Taiyi Divine Thunder Flying Towers!" Immortal Qingxu continued, "Your bids are equal; is there any room for further offers?"

Hearing the bids from these two sects, everyone gasped in surprise. The Earth True Locusts were at least Fourth-Rank gu insects, known for their tough skin and resilience against water and fire, capable of devouring all sorts of Spiritual Energy and restrictions, making them incredibly troublesome. With 36 rods of Earth True Locust Banners, they could truly dare to surround and attack even a Thunder Tribulation Immortal.

The Taiyi Divine Thunder Flying Tower, on the other hand, was exceptional as well; being a large treasure weapon, its combat strength was generally a level higher than ordinary treasures. A Seventh-Rank treasure ship could rival an Eighth-Rank treasure.

In a one-on-one scenario, a Taiyi Divine Thunder Flying Tower could contend against several Fire Tribulation Immortals; in a combined effort, ten of them could make two or three Thunder Tribulation Immortals flee for their lives.

If these two were to fight, the Taiyi Divine Thunder Flying Tower would absolutely overpower the Earth True Locusts. Forget about 36 rods of Earth True Locust Banners; even a hundred rods would be no match.

However, the problem was that Earth True Locusts were not just for fighting; they spent their days in the Spiritual Fields, and their droppings contained Essences of Earth Element.

Essence of Earth Element was a great find, a supreme material of the earth element. Although it was only Fifth-Rank, it was often in demand and certainly not hard to sell. So, these Earth True Locusts could also be seen as golden geese; having them would surely bring in a great fortune.

The Taiyi Divine Thunder Flying Tower was different; while it drew power from higher-grade Nascent Soul Furnaces, it still consumed spirit stones during fierce battles. Besides, its control and maintenance required a lot of manpower, so keeping it would indeed cost a significant amount of money. Poorer sects really couldn’t afford to maintain it.

From this perspective, the Earth True Locust Banners were definitely a cut above the rest. Hence, Immortal Qingxu found himself in a dilemma and ultimately decided they were of equal rank, wanting to see if the two major sects would raise their bids further.