Chapter 36: Surging Undercurrents

Dusk was falling, and the sky not far away had already been dyed with a deep night color.

In the Jiatai Fang market, in a corner to the west, the underground auction had already ended.

The auction usually started at noon and ended at dusk.

And after it ended, it was just approaching evening, a time that was convenient for cultivators to escape or track others.

Clearly, this was a means for the auction to retain its regular customers.

After all, only cultivators who obtained enough benefits here would continue to come.

As for the methods and means used, and the amount of killing and scheming involved, that was not the auction's concern.

After all, it was a legitimate business. If anything happened, it was your own problem, and it had nothing to do with me.

At this moment, on a street not far from the auction, a group of guards from the market were patrolling when suddenly someone blocked their way.

"Who dares..." The captain of the patrol was about to reprimand, but suddenly froze and quickly knelt down with his men.

"Greetings, Senior Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect!"

Because the other party directly took out a lush and dripping spirit leaf, emitting a faint blue light, and containing a terrifying spiritual pressure that made them tremble.

This was the identity badge of the Azure Cloud Sect, and the phenomenon on it indicated that the person was either a highly respected elder at the Foundation Building Stage or a promising disciple of the true transmission.

Regardless of which one it was, they had to treat it with utmost seriousness!

"I am Zhang Zhiming, a true disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. I order you, in the name of a true disciple, to immediately send a signal, gather cultivators, seal off all areas to the west of the market, and prohibit anyone from leaving or approaching. Anyone who violates this order shall be executed on the spot!" The person who spoke was the blue-robed cultivator from the auction.

As soon as the auction ended, he immediately left the venue and found the market patrol, issuing this order.

"This..." The captain of the patrol was a little stunned. Sealing off the market, even if it was just one area, would require a significant amount of manpower, resources, and cause a considerable impact. It was not a small matter!

"If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility. But if you delay and cause any problems..." Seeing that the other party did not act immediately, Zhang Zhiming's face suddenly darkened, and a fierce aura emanated from him.

"Yes, yes!" Sensing the killing intent, the captain of the patrol immediately regained his senses and quickly sent out the signal.

The other party was his superior and stronger than him. If he hesitated and delayed, he was afraid that the other party would not hesitate to kill him!

"Hmph!" Zhang Zhiming snorted coldly, turned around, and said, "Junior Brother, take my token and immediately find the elder in charge of managing the market. Inform him of this matter and have him immediately seal off the auction and capture the person in charge!"

"What about you, Senior Brother?"

"The Foundation Building Stage secret technique is related to the rule of our sect. We cannot let it spread outside. No matter who obtains it, they must be killed!" Zhang Zhiming did not answer, but looked towards the auction venue, his eyes flashing with a cold killing intent.

At the same time, in a secret room in the underground auction venue, Zhao Ming stood respectfully in front of an old man.

Although the old man was old, he had a vigorous spirit and a youthful appearance. Every move he made was filled with the aura of someone who had been in power for a long time.

Clearly, he was the true mastermind behind the auction, a Foundation Building Stage cultivator in the East Sea Independent Cultivator Alliance.

"Is everything ready?" the old man asked.

"Senior Situ, everything has been prepared. We can leave immediately," Zhao Ming respectfully replied.

"Good. Leave through the secret passage immediately. Take all the spirit stones and treasures with us, and deal with anyone unrelated to us to avoid exposing our whereabouts," the old man said calmly.

"After leaving, immediately take the flying boat back to the alliance. There must be no delays in between!... Is there anything else?" Seeing the slightly hesitant expression on Zhao Ming's face, the old man turned his head and asked.

"This... I have a question, Elder."

"Speak."

"The opportunity for cultivators outside the control of the three major forces to obtain the Foundation Building stage is a rule we established in collaboration with the righteous and demonic sects. Why are we unilaterally violating it? And... to the extent that we have to give up this auction? Elder, you must know..."

To be honest, Zhao Ming was not concerned about the Foundation Building secret technique. He cared about this auction. After all, it was the culmination of his many years of hard work. And now it was being abandoned like this?

"This is not something you need to know. Go!" The old man looked at him coldly.

"Yes." Zhao Ming clenched his fists, but still lowered his head and replied.

"Ah, what a troublesome autumn!" After Zhao Ming left the room, the old man sighed.

This sale of the Foundation Building secret technique was not the intention of the Independent Cultivator Alliance, but a decision made by the Situ family, a Gold Core family in their alliance.

He knew that doing so would offend the Azure Cloud Sect, but he had no choice.

Their ancestral patriarch of the Situ family was seriously injured and suffered a setback in a dispute with others in the past. In earlier years, due to a mistake in practicing cultivation techniques, he lost a significant amount of lifespan. Now, he is on the verge of passing away.

But the strongest Foundation Building cultivator of the Situ family has little chance of breaking through to the Gold Core stage. In the Immortal Cultivation World of Lingnan, where resources for cultivation are scarce, it is difficult to find Rank Three spiritual objects, let alone ones that can aid in Core Formation.

Just when the situation was deteriorating further, the Mysterious Yin Sect somehow obtained this information and proposed a trade. The trade involved the Mysterious Yin Sect offering a Core Formation spiritual object as a reward, and in return, they requested the Situ family to widely spread a Foundation Building secret technique in the Azure Cloud Sect's territory.

And that Foundation Building secret technique happens to be the one they just auctioned off - the Spirit Blood Foundation Building Technique!

"Collaborating with the demonic path is like seeking a tiger's skin, but at this point, the Situ family has no choice but to do so. I only hope that we can overcome this difficult situation..." The old man raised his head, his eyes filled with melancholy.

A Core Formation spiritual object, even within the Mysterious Yin Sect, is extremely precious. Since the other party is willing to offer it in exchange, they must have significant demands.

Although it is unclear what the other party's purpose is, the old man, being experienced and astute, can naturally see that beneath the seemingly calm surface between the Azure Cloud Sect and the Profound Yin Sect, there is already constant conflict brewing.

If this continues to escalate, it is highly likely to develop into a large-scale war that will affect the entire Lingnan cultivation world.

However, the Situ family is currently struggling to survive. If they cannot produce a Gold Core cultivator before their ancestral patriarch passes away, they will likely face a catastrophic disaster and will naturally not be able to consider future matters.

"Hmm?" The old man suddenly paused, as if sensing something. He raised his head and, even though he was underground, it seemed as if he saw the dazzling fireworks in the sky. "Is this a communication signal? Those two youngsters from the Azure Cloud Sect are quite decisive."

The old man smiled lightly, but it quickly disappeared, and his expression instantly became solemn. A sense of authority emanated from him.

He didn't speak, but his voice appeared in the ears of specific individuals.

"Convey my order. Everyone must immediately evacuate from the secret passage. The speed must be fast. If there are any delays, kill without mercy!"

"This is the communication fireworks of the Azure Cloud Sect?!" In a courtyard, Chen's uncle and nephew saw this scene, and their faces changed slightly.

Although they had left the underground auction, they were still in the vicinity, within the blockade area of the Azure Cloud Sect.

"Uncle, what should we do?!" The young man beside him asked anxiously.

"Act according to my plan. The people who followed us are already outside the courtyard. Later, I will have the servants drive out three carriages to confuse them. But after they leave, don't wait until midnight to leave. Leave immediately to avoid being caught by the Azure Cloud Sect's people." The burly man remained calm and gave his instructions.

"What about you, Uncle?"

"I'm going to fight for that Foundation Building secret technique. It concerns the future of our Chen family!" The man clenched his fist tightly, his face cold.

"Um... Second Uncle, please be extra careful," the young man gritted his teeth and said.

"Bring the things back to the Chen family!" the man nodded, glanced at him again, and gave the order.

Soon, three carriages drove out of the front gate of the courtyard, revealing a hint of greed in the eyes of many hidden cultivators around, who followed one after another.

Shortly after the three carriages left, a middle-aged man quietly walked out of the courtyard. He carefully observed his surroundings from front to back, left to right, then leaped into the air and ran towards the outskirts of the market.

After he left, several figures hidden in the shadows moved and silently followed him.

After walking for a while, the young man in the courtyard solemnly took out a talisman from his storage bag - the Earth Escape Talisman.

This type of talisman has always been expensive in the market, and in addition to the Chen family spending a lot of effort to invite an outstanding talisman master to improve it.

It not only allows one to move silently, but also completely conceals the fluctuation of spiritual energy. It can be said to be extremely precious.

This is one of the most precious treasures in the Chen family's treasury. It was originally prepared for the family to escape in the event of a disaster, but in order to ensure the safety of this auction trip, the family elders did not hesitate to bring it out.

"Chis!"

A earthy yellow light flashed, and the young man directly submerged into the ground, then stealthily moved for a while, and emerged in a house on the edge of the market that had been prepared in advance. After that, he quickly left the market.

It's not that he didn't want to stay in the market for a few days and meet up with his own caravan before leaving after the turmoil subsided.

But they had already been targeted by several other forces in Cloud Mountain County when they set off. Once they left the market, the possibility of being ambushed and killed would be even greater.

However, if he was alone, he could completely avoid the attention of the other party, escape the pursuit. In addition, he had a large number of teleportation talismans and a disposable flying Spirit Weapon. With full speed, he could easily return to the family within a day and reduce the occurrence of accidents.

"I have already avoided the attention of several forces in Cloud Mountain County, and the cultivators who followed from the auction have also been led away by Second Uncle. Plus, I left the courtyard in a special way. Now it seems that I should be safe as long as I am careful..."

Outside the market, in a dim forest, the young man held a defensive Spirit Weapon to protect his body and cautiously observed the surrounding environment, murmuring.

However, before he could finish speaking, his face suddenly changed, and his body stiffened.

Because at this moment, behind him, a crisp voice suddenly sounded,

"Fellow Daoist, please stop!"

(End of this chapter)

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