Firmament Sword

Upper-grade Immortal Spirit Stones were naturally no match for top-level ones, but for Wanghai, three hundred thousand upper-grade Immortal Spirit Stones was already everything he could currently muster.

It wasn’t that he was poor; rather, all his wealth was tied up in a major affair he was planning, and he couldn’t spare any more for now.

Fifty million top-level Immortal Spirit Stones... that was the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden’s money!

It had nothing to do with him!

Wanghai had only interjected because he didn’t want to miss this chance to curry favor with the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden, forcibly snatching the Netherworld Flower Seed from Piaomiao Palace.

Lu Ping’s throat was hoarse as he shouted, ”Everyone has heard Celestial Brilliance’s offer! A price like this is truly unprecedented! Now, are there any higher bids? If not, I will make the announcement!”

”Going once... going twice... three times!” Lu Ping cut the process short. Everyone present understood the situation perfectly, and he had no desire to repeat the final price again.

He raised the gavel in his hand and brought it down hard.

BANG!

”Sold!”

The most shocking—and also the most unprofitable—transaction in the history of the Baihua Auction House was settled.

As the crisp sound of the gavel striking the table echoed, nearly everyone collapsed back into their seats, panting heavily.

Many of them even found their backs completely drenched!

It was the sweat of nervous tension.

Although the matter had nothing to do with the vast majority of them, simply witnessing such an epic auction was a tremendous stroke of luck!

A tiny flower seed had actually fetched such a sky-high price, provoking an Elder from the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden to personally intervene!

This news was enough to blow countless minds.

Inside Celestial Room No. 6, the gentle and educated Maid couldn’t help but press a hand to her chest the moment the gavel fell. Her face was flushed, and the way she looked at Xu Luo was practically dripping with adoration.

’This man before me... he’s the true owner of this staggering fortune!’

Even though the Maid was not some vulgar woman who disdained the poor and fawned on the rich, at this moment, she couldn’t suppress the urge to throw herself into his arms.

The Maid was indeed attractive, but Xu Luo felt no stirrings of interest. He had only one thought on his mind: how to quickly sort everything out and devise the best possible strategy.

His and Monkey’s current advantage was that they hadn’t used their real appearances since the moment they entered Baihua City.

First, they had used disguises, then they had shapeshifted to alter their forms. After concealing their auras, not even outsiders, let alone Master Mao and Xiaojin, would be able to recognize them.

Their true identities remaining unknown to the world was Xu Luo and Monkey’s greatest reliance—and their biggest trump card!

As long as no one knew who they really were, they could use that fact to their advantage in many ways.

Another advantage was that they had obtained a spot to openly join Celestial Brilliance!

This position was incredibly precious!

As long as Xu Luo found the ideal way to enter Celestial Brilliance, he could immediately become a Direct Disciple of Grand Elder Yuwen Ji of the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden!

Don’t be fooled by Wanghai’s haughty, superior attitude here. In truth, he was merely a Direct Disciple of a Celestial Brilliance Elder!

Once Xu Luo joined, he would immediately become a Celestial Brilliance Disciple of the same status!

A status like that of an Advanced Disciple commanded respect, even reverence, wherever one went.

Baihua City had so many powers, large and small, but which of them would dare to openly challenge someone from Celestial Brilliance?

Even someone of Xie Yudie’s status had to give way to an Advanced Disciple of Celestial Brilliance like Wanghai, let alone anyone else.

This status, and the opportunity to join Celestial Brilliance as an Elder’s Direct Disciple, were Xu Luo’s advantages.

But the disadvantages were just as obvious. The Netherworld Flower Seed had caused too much of a stir!

Although for now, only that Advanced Disciple from Celestial Brilliance and Lady of Piaomiao Palace Xie Yudie might know the origin of the Netherworld Flower Seed, there was no guarantee such information wouldn’t leak.

Therefore, Xu Luo was certain that the moment he walked out of here today, he would probably be targeted by numerous factions at once.

Xu Luo and Monkey had originally come to Baihua City with the intention of befriending the Lady of Piaomiao Palace, Xie Yudie, to get a chance to enter Celestial Brilliance.

’Now, it seems like befriending Xie Yudie... isn’t really necessary anymore. But... is that really the case?’

Xu Luo frowned slightly.

Just then, a soft knock came from the private room’s back door.

The second-floor private rooms had both front and back doors. The back door, naturally, was to facilitate discreet transactions for the esteemed guests.

The door opened to reveal the Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House, accompanied by a man from the Celestial Brilliance private room.

The Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House was pale, completely drained of color. Seeing Xu Luo and Monkey, he forced a smile and said, ”The deal has been made. We can now proceed with the transaction.”

Xu Luo glanced coolly at the Baihua Auction House’s Chief Shopkeeper, feeling no sympathy. If the man hadn’t previously leaked his and Monkey’s identity as the owners of the Netherworld Flower Seed, he would have had the upper hand right now.

The man from the Celestial Brilliance room stood at the door with an arrogant expression, looking down on them. ”You’re the owners of the Netherworld Flower Seed?”

Monkey’s brows furrowed, and his lips, hidden beneath his cloak, tightened in annoyance.

Xu Luo’s calm voice emerged from under his cloak. ”We’re just two errand boys, same as you. We can’t really be called owners.”

”You...” The man from Celestial Brilliance was instantly incensed. He glared at Xu Luo and said coldly, ”Watch your words. Who’s the same as you?”

Seeing this, the Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House quickly put on a placating smile. ”Gentlemen... we’re here to make a deal. Let’s be civil... civility brings wealth!”

At the mention of that saying, the Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House was on the verge of tears, his heart filled with regret.

The man from Celestial Brilliance just snorted coldly and shot a glance at the Chief Shopkeeper.

The Chief Shopkeeper turned to Xu Luo with a pained smile and said, ”Celestial Brilliance... well, they had to contact the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden on short notice, so they don’t have that many top-level Immortal Spirit Stones on hand. Therefore... they were hoping to discuss something with you two...”

”Discuss what? Cash on delivery!” Monkey rolled his eyes, his voice cold from under his cloak. ”The great Celestial Brilliance Sect... are you planning to give us an IOU?”

”Insolent!” the man from Celestial Brilliance barked. ”I’ll remind you one more time, watch what you say!”

”Heh heh.” Monkey laughed coldly. He sat back in his chair, propped up one leg, and bounced it impatiently. ”What a joke. What am I supposed to watch? Was I wrong? Cash on delivery. Even an idiot understands that rule! Don’t think it matters that you’re just a servant of Celestial Brilliance. Even if the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master himself were here, I’d say the same thing!”

”How dare you!” The man from Celestial Brilliance was finally provoked. He raised a hand to suppress Monkey, unleashing the aura of the Saint Realm!

Xu Luo snorted coldly from the side. His voice contained a peculiar power that instantly shattered the man’s burgeoning aura.

The man from Celestial Brilliance stumbled back two steps and let out a grunt, having suffered a hidden loss.

His gaze toward Xu Luo was now tinged with shock.

Although this mysterious person was completely shrouded in a black robe, his voice wasn’t old. He sounded no older than forty at most.

Xu Luo said coldly, ”Don’t go too far. And don’t forget, part of the auction’s terms is that we hold a spot to become a Direct Disciple of an Elder from the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden!”

”So what?” the Celestial Brilliance man sneered. ”You really think you’d dare to go?”

Xu Luo chuckled. ”If I do go, the next time you see me, you’ll have to respectfully call me Senior Brother!”

”We’ll see when you get there!” Although his power had been suppressed, the man from Celestial Brilliance hadn’t lost an ounce of his nerve.

He then took out a Sound Transmission Stone, tossed it to Xu Luo, and said haughtily, ”Take this Sound Transmission Stone. It contains a message from Grand Elder Yuwen of the Medicine Garden. In ten days, you can go to any Money Shop in Baihua City marked with the Celestial Brilliance emblem to collect your fifty million top-level Immortal Spirit Stones!”

The man from Celestial Brilliance added coldly, ”As for the status of an Inner Sect Disciple, if you have the guts, you can go claim it anytime!”

Xu Luo caught the Sound Transmission Stone and turned it over in his hands a few times, finding it quite novel. A treasure like this, which could transmit sound directly regardless of distance, was unheard of in the Lower Realm.

Xu Luo quickly figured out how to use the Sound Transmission Stone. He discovered that it could not only play the sound aloud but could also be read directly with one’s Divine Sense, making it impossible for others to eavesdrop.

”Are you done inspecting it?” the man from Celestial Brilliance watched Xu Luo coldly.

”You can go.” Xu Luo had already determined the stone’s authenticity. More importantly, he believed Celestial Brilliance wouldn’t play tricks with something like this. They couldn’t afford the loss of face.

As he spoke, he casually tossed the small jade vial containing the Netherworld Flower Seed to the man from Celestial Brilliance.

After the Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House personally inspected it and confirmed its authenticity, he nodded at the man from Celestial Brilliance.

A cold glint flickered in the eyes of the Celestial Brilliance man. He gave Xu Luo and Monkey a deep look, a meaningful, cold smile playing on his lips, then turned and left.

The Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House nodded at Xu Luo and Monkey, clasped his fist in a brief salute, and followed him out.

After dismissing the Maid from the room, Monkey frowned and sent a mental message to Xu Luo. ”Brother... is this reliable?”

Fifty million top-level Immortal Spirit Stones and the status of a Grand Elder’s Direct Disciple in the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden... all vouched for by a tiny Sound Transmission Stone?

Xu Luo smiled and said, ”They can’t afford the loss of face. However... I doubt it will be so easy to walk away with those fifty million top-level Immortal Spirit Stones unscathed. If nothing else, they certainly won’t be keeping this news a secret for us.”