Chương 137: Chapter 26: Crisis

The atmosphere inside the auction hall turned suffocatingly heavy. Previously, the cultivator in that specific booth had deliberately driven the price of the Pangolin's Core to a staggering ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. Now, they had struck again, intervening directly in a bidding war between two Golden Core experts. The crowd whispered in a frenzy—did this person truly have no fear of death, or were they simply insane to provoke such monsters in public?

"Hmph!"

"Hmph!" Two cold, synchronized snorts echoed through the hall, vibrating in the ears of every cultivator present. Simultaneously, two waves of overwhelming pressure erupted from the third-floor booths, sweeping across the hall like a physical tide, locking onto the second-floor booth where Reyn sat.

"Fellow Daoists, restrain yourselves. Combat is strictly forbidden within the walls of the Zhenbao Pavilion. Do you intend to challenge our authority?" A low, gravelly voice descended from above the auction stage. High in the air, a figure shrouded in a pitch-black robe hovered, his eyes flashing with a cold, merciless light as he stared down the two third-floor booths. Reyn's brow twitched violently. His expression shifted between shadow and light as he sensed the newcomer's aura.

This enforcer was at the Mid-stage of the Golden Core realm!

"A misunderstanding, Fellow Daoist. We were merely momentarily agitated. There was no intent to disrespect the Pavilion," a voice called out. Two figures emerged from the third-floor booths. One was a tall, gaunt old man with high cheekbones and a gloomy complexion—Jin Jupeng. He offered a forced, superficial smile and cupped his hands in a distant greeting. The other was a hunched old crone, the Matriarch Ghost-Controller.

She didn't seem particularly intimidated by the enforcer; she gave a curt nod and immediately turned her back.

"Hmph!" The black-robed enforcer snorted, clearly unwilling to escalate the situation further.

"The Zhenbao Pavilion operates on a 'highest bidder wins' basis. If anyone dares to cause a disturbance, do not blame this old man for being heartless!" Jin Jupeng's eyes flickered with a predatory light. A cold, thin smile touched his lips.

"Well said. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave first. Farewell." With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and vanished toward the exit.

"I, too, have business. Farewell," the old crone added, casting a lingering, inscrutable glance toward Reyn's silent booth before disappearing into the shadows.

"The auction continues!" The enforcer's gaze swept the room one last time before his form slowly dissolved into the air. Inside the booth, Reyn's face was grim. After a long silence, he let out a cold, sharp laugh. He paid the hundred thousand spirit stones, carefully inspected the ancient map fragment, and stowed it into his storage bag. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"Today's events will likely bring a storm of trouble," Reyn said, his voice rapid and low. He turned to Hu San, his brow furrowed in a tight knot. He handed over a storage bag.

"Inside are ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. Take them. Consider it compensation for the risk you've shared today. Be careful, and you should be able to slip away unnoticed." Without waiting for a reply, Reyn stood up, his eyes flashing with a lethal chill as he prepared to leave.

"Wait, let me go first!" Hu San took a deep breath. He quickly pulled two heavy, soul-shielding black robes from his bag. He threw one to Reyn and donned the other himself. Before Reyn could object, Hu San pushed open the door and hurried out, his pace frantic. Reyn paused, then slowly shook his head. Trying to hide the sun with a single hand... it will be difficult, he thought. But it might buy me the few minutes I need. If I survive this, I owe that man a debt.

Outside the eastern teleportation array of Tianli City, Jin Jupeng sat cross-legged on a rooftop, his eyes closed. Suddenly, he snapped them open. A cruel smile spread across his gaunt face. In a flash of black light, he transformed into a streak of shadow and tore through the sky. Meanwhile, in a nearby tavern, the Matriarch Ghost-Controller sipped a cup of spiritual wine. Her eyes glinted.

"That brat dared to snatch food from a tiger's mouth; he must have a trump card. Let Jin Jupeng test the waters first. If the boy is weak, I'll strike then." She tossed a few spirit stones on the table. A gust of wind blew through the room, and her seat was empty. Back at the Pavilion, the black-robed enforcer opened his eyes and sighed.

"A pity. That boy has already left. If I moved against him now, it would ruin the Pavilion's reputation. I suppose I'll let those two vultures have him." He closed his eyes again, but his Divine Sense remained stretched out, tracking the unfolding chaos.

"Snatching a map from two Golden Cores? He's either a genius or a corpse," Mo Shuaishao muttered to himself. With a cold sneer, he exited the auction house and sped toward the city gates. As the news spread, the entire city erupted. A mysterious cultivator had humiliated two Golden Core experts!

"Is he insane? He won't make it five miles past the walls."

"Perhaps he has a powerful background? You don't pull a tiger's whiskers without a plan."

"Why talk here? Let's head out and see the show!" In an instant, streaks of light flooded the sky over North Sea City as cultivators raced toward the outskirts, eager to witness the impending slaughter.

"Hmph! Still trying to run? Do I have to personally tear your limbs off?" Jin Jupeng landed, blocking the path of a black-robed figure. He sneered with contempt.

"Senior, mercy! Have mercy!" The figure turned and threw off the robe. It was Hu San, who immediately fell to his knees, kowtowing frantically.

"Dammit! A decoy!" Jin Jupeng's face darkened. With a roar of fury, he vanished in a blur of light, heading in the opposite direction. Hu San wiped the cold sweat from his brow, watching the streak of light disappear.

"You gave me ten thousand stones, and I risked my life to buy you time. We are even now. As for whether you live or die... that is up to the heavens." He scurried away, disappearing into the back alleys of the city. Meanwhile, Reyn was moving like a phantom. The moment he cleared the city gates, he discarded his robe and ignored the city's 'no-flight' laws. His Fiendish Metamorphosis was pushed to its limit as he blurred across the landscape. After fifty miles, he suddenly skidded to a halt.

He landed in a clearing, his face a mask of cold indifference as he stared at the horizon. A murderous intent was brewing in his heart. If I don't strike with absolute terror today, every vulture in this region will hunt me for my stones. I need a blood sacrifice.