Chapter Ninety-Three: Closing the Net

The grand auction was about to be held, and countless cultivators had flocked to Luzhou City, making information far more accessible than before. Ye Yun even noticed people selling insider information, recorded in jade slips, each costing two low-grade spirit stones.

After a little inquiry, Ye Yun learned that newcomers to the city typically purchased such jade slips to better understand Luzhou's situation. Two low-grade spirit stones meant little to Ye Yun; he tossed them out and bought a copy.

The jade slip mentioned Shuiyun Sect’s Wang Heng, as well as the white-robed cultivator Bai Zhan, who specialized in swindling outsiders. Bai Zhan, unlike Wang Heng, first won people’s trust before gradually scheming to seize their treasures.

Such was the world outside: full of deception and treachery, where danger lurked at every turn.

According to the jade slip, Luzhou City also boasted many legitimate businesses, most of which belonged to the Guo family.

Ye Yun had six low-grade flying swords and sold one for seventeen low-grade spirit stones—a fair price.

The Jade Treasure Seal was a precious item with room to grow; Ye Yun decided not to sell it, intending instead to upgrade it when the opportunity arose, believing it would prove invaluable.

He also sold off sundry items, earning over six hundred more low-grade spirit stones.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The grand auction was held as scheduled—only Jindan cultivators from various clans were eligible to attend.

Ye Yun, being merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, had no qualification to enter.

Yet the Guo family was considerate; besides the auction, they specially set up a marketplace for cultivators below the Jindan stage to exchange goods.

The marketplace had four streets: Technique Street, Talisman Street, Pill Street, and Treasure Street.

Entry required a single low-grade spirit stone. Ye Yun first headed to Technique Street. The marketplace was crowded; all four streets were packed with people.

On Technique Street, Ye Yun spotted Bai Zhan, the white-robed man, at a stall displaying several jade slips—mostly low-grade, yellow-rank items, attracting little interest.

Here, mental techniques, spells, and martial arts were all on offer, in bewildering variety. Ye Yun saw a venom art, harnessing the world's poisons to refine one’s inner energy and true qi, making them deadly. It was vicious, but risky; a careless practitioner could easily poison themselves.

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There were also soul-searching and soul-stealing techniques—dubious and evil arts from the fringe.

Ye Yun strolled down the entire street but found nothing that piqued his interest. Compared to the auction, the quality here was simply too low.

The mental techniques and secret arts Ye Yun practiced were so rare that even the Jindan elites at the auction might not possess them.

Thus, he looked down on the low-level methods favored by ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Next, Ye Yun made his way to Talisman Street, where talismans were bought and sold. Most were low-level: fireball, ice arrow, wind blade, lightness, shield—none requiring true qi to activate.

Ye Yun himself had basic talisman skills and could craft such items.

Just then, Ye Yun noticed a young man’s stall displaying several talismans, among which was a Fire Dragon Talisman.

A Jindan-grade Fire Dragon Talisman could unleash the fire dragon technique once activated, boasting astonishing destructive power.

Ye Yun had witnessed Ye Min use the fire dragon technique before, slaughtering Foundation Establishment cultivators like livestock; corpses littered the battlefield wherever the fire dragon passed.

Though formidable, the Fire Dragon Talisman was outrageously expensive. The stall owner had clearly marked the price: fifty mid-grade spirit stones, equivalent to five hundred low-grade stones.

Such spell talismans were consumables, used only once—meaning a single toss cost five hundred spirit stones.

Many balked at the price and walked away; clearly, most attending the marketplace lacked the wealth for such extravagance.

Even Xu Shaodong, scion of a first-rate clan, didn’t possess offensive spell talismans—mostly protective ones for self-preservation.

“Could you lower the price a bit?” Ye Yun approached and asked.

He coveted the Fire Dragon Talisman; with it in hand, he’d have a powerful ace.

“I risked my life for this. The price stands—buy it or don’t,” the young man replied indifferently, glancing at Ye Yun.

Ye Yun had a few mid-grade spirit stones. After a brief consideration, he took out a storage pouch and tossed it onto the stall, then picked up the Fire Dragon Talisman.

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“Fifty mid-grade spirit stones?” The young man scanned the pouch with his spiritual sense, his gaze tinged with surprise.

For a Jindan cultivator, such a price was nothing, but for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to spend so much on a single-use talisman was truly astonishing.

Ye Yun’s purchase drew attention from other marketplace attendees.

As the saying goes, wealth should not be displayed. Many, after discovering Ye Yun was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, began eyeing him with calculating looks, their minds plotting.

Ye Yun paid them no heed. As long as no Jindan cultivator targeted him, he was content for Foundation Establishment types to seek trouble.

Afterward, Ye Yun wandered the four streets of the marketplace, but bought nothing else.

Rumors about the auction began spreading; Ye Yun heard that a top-grade magical treasure had appeared, purchased by a Jindan cultivator for a thousand mid-grade spirit stones.

Rare materials and advanced pills also surfaced at the auction, with Jindan elites spending lavishly—thousands or tens of thousands of spirit stones changing hands.

Compared to them, Ye Yun’s wealth of just over two thousand spirit stones was pitifully meager.

“It’s time to cast the net…”

Leaving the marketplace, Ye Yun sensed several concealed auras trailing him. A faint smile curved his lips.

Cultivation required vast resources: spirit stones, pills, techniques. If others wanted to rob Ye Yun, he too coveted their resources.

But Ye Yun had his principles—he never initiated conflict. If others harbored ill intent and sought to take what was his, he would return the favor without mercy.

“Fighting is forbidden in the city. I’ll lure them outside and deal with them, then leave Luzhou.”

Resolute in his plan, Ye Yun strode toward the city gates.

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