Firmament Sword

”The Nether Flower Seed... It’s the Lord’s!”

”The target has appeared!”

”Report to the Lord immediately!”

”We’re too far away. The Lord might not be able to get here in time...”

”Then we have to keep an eye on them for the Lord!”

”Damn thief... showing up so soon. If we handle this well, it’ll be a huge merit. The Lord will reward us handsomely!”

In a remote courtyard in Baihua City, a group of people with cold expressions gathered, discussing something in low voices.

Although this group looked no different from ordinary humans, they didn’t exude much of a human aura.

Instead, they felt cold... an almost reptilian coldness, lacking the vitality that humans should have.

The leader of this group was one of the Infinite Saint Emperor’s trusted confidants!

The rest were various beings stationed year-round in Baihua City, all belonging to the Infinite Saint Emperor’s faction from the Vast Mountains.

Baihua City wasn’t home to just human factions; other beings... also held a place here.

On a normal day, humans and other beings kept to themselves, rarely interacting.

It had to be said that as one of the rulers of the Vast Mountains, the Infinite Saint Emperor’s influence was immense, with his reach extending even to Baihua City.

The being who had come here to try his luck never imagined he would be so fortunate as to be the first to find a suspected treasure from the Lord’s vault.

But some beings raised doubts, asking, ”The Nether Flower Seed... It’s rare, but it’s not necessarily something only the Lord possesses, right?”

”That’s right. Baihua City... is known as the world of flowers. It wouldn’t be surprising for any kind of flower seed to appear in Baihua City.”

”The Lord’s vault contains countless rare and exotic treasures. Any random item from it would be more valuable than a Nether Flower Seed. Why would the thief choose to auction only the Nether Flower Seed?”

”So, Chief... should we perhaps verify this before reporting it to the Lord?” A minor leader among the beings stationed in Baihua City asked cautiously, looking at the Infinite Saint Emperor’s confidant.

”What you’ve said... makes some sense. It seems I was being too hasty and eager for merit.” The Infinite Saint Emperor’s confidant was receptive to advice, not at all arrogant or domineering. After some thought, he agreed that his subordinates had a point and decided to verify the matter before making a final decision.

”However... we must find out the identity of the person auctioning the Nether Flower Seed!” the Infinite Saint Emperor’s confidant ordered sternly.

”Yes! We’ll get right on it!” the other beings replied in unison.

...

...

”’It looks like... we’ve achieved our goal. Seeing the Lady of Piaomiao Palace shouldn’t be difficult now. However... we’re also being watched. I have to admire these people, they’re absolutely everywhere! Good thing we prepared in advance.’”

Inside an ordinary carriage, Xu Luo sent a voice transmission to Monkey.

”’The major powers here are deeply entrenched and interconnected. It’s no surprise we’re being watched.’ Monkey, disguised as a young man in his early thirties with short hair and large, spirited eyes, leaned against the carriage’s soft cushions and sent a smiling voice transmission back to Xu Luo.

Master Mao and Xiaojin were not present. They had made an appearance on the day they seized the Immortal Cold Jade Vehicle from the Piaomiao Palace Master’s illegitimate son. To avoid attracting attention, both Master Mao and Xiaojin had remained at the inn to await news.

Xu Luo, meanwhile, went with Monkey to attend the auction.

After arriving at the auction house, the two changed into black, cloaked robes inside the carriage and used a treasure to conceal their auras, preventing detection by other powerful experts.

After disembarking, they followed the crowd into the magnificent auction house.

There were many others in the crowd dressed like Xu Luo and Monkey, wishing to hide their identities and conceal themselves completely. As such, the two of them did not stand out as they walked among the people.

Many people were discussing today’s grand finale item: the Nether Flower Seed.

”The Baihua Auction House is quite well-known throughout Xi Hezhou. Logically, they wouldn’t do something to ruin their own reputation. So, that Netherworld Flower seed... it must be real!”

”It must be true. I’ve already made detailed inquiries. A Netherworld Flower seed was indeed submitted for auction, but... the seller’s conditions are a bit unusual,” someone said.

”How so?” a person next to him asked.

The man replied, ”It feels like the seller is looking for some kind of material, but they don’t want anyone to know the specifics. So... they’re requiring anyone who wants to bid on the Nether Flower Seed to write down a material they believe is of equal value on a piece of paper and submit it for review. If it’s suitable, the seller will contact them personally!”

”Is that so? How mysterious. Being so secretive, they probably didn’t come by it through honest means,” someone scoffed from the side.

But another person expressed understanding, ”This sort of thing is actually quite common. They don’t want to reveal their identity and only wish to contact the buyer privately. There’s nothing strange about it.”

”True, but this method also makes it more difficult to obtain the Nether Flower Seed!”

”The Netherworld Flower... is an extremely rare item to begin with. Even a Supreme Great Sect would be tempted by it. Even in a normal auction, you and I might not have had a chance.”

”Haha, you’ve got a point, my friend. We’ll just enjoy the show!”

The people slowly entered the auction hall, chattering amongst themselves.

As the sellers and holders of the Nether Flower Seed, Xu Luo and Monkey were escorted to a VIP private box on the second floor of the auction house.

The box was luxurious, with every detail meticulously crafted. Sitting inside gave one a powerful sense of comfort and psychological satisfaction.

Top-tier, one-way Crystal glass windows allowed a clear view of everything outside, but no one could see in from the outside.

In addition, there was a dedicated Maid to explain the details of each auction item.

These Maids were not only beautiful but also possessed a solid grasp of various fields of knowledge. Any one of them would be considered a woman of great talent and learning outside.

Since Xu Luo and Monkey did not want their identities known, they naturally didn’t want a third person in their box and promptly dismissed the Maid.

Afterward, Monkey sent a voice transmission to Xu Luo, ”’Almost every private box on the second floor of the Baihua Auction House represents a powerful force in Xi Hezhou!’”

”’Including Celestial Brilliance?’” Xu Luo transmitted back.

He would eventually have to enter Celestial Brilliance, so Xu Luo had always wanted to learn more about this Supreme Great Sect that dominated all of Xi Hezhou.

”’That’s right, but... it’s unlikely a major figure from Celestial Brilliance would come to a place like Baihua City...’” Monkey transmitted.

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted from downstairs. The once relatively quiet first-floor auction hall became a clamorous uproar!

Xu Luo and Monkey looked down through the one-way Crystal glass window of their box.

The first floor of the auction house was already crowded. A stir went through the people as they consciously parted to form a path, all of them looking toward the entrance with expressions of intense reverence and envy.

Then, a group of people walked in from outside.

Surrounded like the moon by stars was a young man who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six. He had sharp brows and starlike eyes, a tall and slender figure, and the elegant bearing of a jade tree in the wind. A faint smile graced his face.

Upon closer inspection, one could sense a lofty aloofness beneath that calm smile.

The dozen or so people surrounding the young man were all expressionless, ignoring the various gazes from all around as if they were long accustomed to such attention and found it unremarkable.

Through the Crystal glass, they could see the Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House leading a group of its senior staff, welcoming the young man with deferential smiles.

”’Who is that? What a grand entrance!’” Xu Luo transmitted to Monkey.

Monkey narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on a purple, flame-shaped crown embroidered on the young man’s collar. He muttered, ”’Celestial Brilliance! He’s a disciple of Celestial Brilliance! And... he’s an... Advanced Disciple!’”

”’What? Didn’t you just say Celestial Brilliance wouldn’t send any major figures? How is there an Advanced Disciple here already?’” Xu Luo was somewhat surprised.

Monkey gave a dry laugh. ”’Well... I didn’t expect this either. Perhaps... it was our Nether Flower Seed that drew him here. With an Advanced Disciple from Celestial Brilliance showing up, things have gotten a bit troublesome.’”

Hearing this, Xu Luo also frowned and muttered, ”’Are you saying that if we don’t give this Nether Flower Seed to him, he’ll cause trouble for us?’”

”’A Nether Flower Seed... even a Supreme Great Sect would be tempted. This person might restrain himself because of his status and not cause trouble for us directly, but... his subordinates, and the countless people who want to curry favor with him, might not be so restrained,’” Monkey said.

Xu Luo smiled nonchalantly. ”’I already thought of that. The Nether Flower Seed... if they want it, they can have it! They treat it like a treasure, but we have hundreds of them!’”

Monkey couldn’t help but laugh as well. ”’That giant toad sure knows how to collect things. I really don’t know where it got all this stuff.’”

Xu Luo sighed softly. ”’Perhaps... these things are related to that old fellow.’”

Monkey blinked, then said, ”’What you’re saying isn’t without reason. Maybe it’s just as you say. That fellow’s reputation in the Divine Domain might not be particularly prominent, but he possesses terrifying strength and influence!’”

To be able to make an Emperor-rank being his subordinate, and to do so without anyone knowing, Kunpeng’s power was self-evident.

Neither Xu Luo nor Monkey wanted to dwell on the thought that perhaps... even that Emperor Venerable had a significant connection to Kunpeng!

At that moment, the young man from Celestial Brilliance, surrounded and escorted by his entourage, ascended to the second floor of the auction house. As he passed by Xu Luo and Monkey’s box, he seemed to... glance inside nonchalantly.

Although the Crystal glass was one-way, preventing anyone from seeing inside, and this type of Crystal also had the ability to block Divine Sense.

The auction house had spent a fortune in this area to protect their clients’ privacy!

But both Monkey and Xu Luo had the feeling that the young man’s eyes... could somehow penetrate the one-way Crystal glass window and see the two of them clearly!

The Chief Shopkeeper of the Baihua Auction House said something to the young man with a fawning smile. The young man nodded slightly, and then the group entered the box reserved for Celestial Brilliance.

”’This person is incredibly strong!’” Monkey muttered. ”’Even through the one-way Crystal glass... I feel like I’m being seen right through!’”

Xu Luo nodded. Just as he was about to speak, another clamor rose from the auction hall on the first floor below.