I'm determined to become an immortal!

Three days later.

The morning light is dim.

He Sheng and Feng Lingzi walked side by side along Tianqu Avenue in the city center.

This avenue is about ten zhang wide, with the ground paved with whole lapis lazuli slabs. Every hundred steps on both sides, there is a spirit jade lamp pillar about ten zhang high. The luminous pearls inlaid on the top of the pillars emit a soft glow, illuminating the entire street as bright as day.

Although it was still early, Tianqu Avenue was already bustling with people, and spirit beast carriages were coming in an endless stream, most of them heading towards Tianyuan Pavilion in the city center.

He Sheng looked up and saw a magnificent building standing in the mist in the distance. That place was the venue for the Yuanxia Auction, Tianyuan Pavilion.

Tianyuan Pavilion is seven stories high and is made entirely of an unknown type of white jade. Each floor's eaves and brackets are inlaid with fist-sized spirit stones, creating a layered effect, just like an exquisite pagoda.

A faint golden light swirled around the top of the pavilion, refracting the rosy clouds in the sky into a myriad of colors. From afar, it looked like a celestial palace that had fallen from the clouds.

"How impressive!"

He Sheng sincerely praised it.

Feng Lingzi stroked his beard and smiled:

"This Tianyuan Pavilion was personally supervised by True Person Tianwu, and countless spiritual materials were used. The 'Seven Stars Shining in the Sky Pearl' on the top of the pavilion alone is said to be worth nearly 200,000 spirit stones."

He Sheng nodded slightly upon hearing this, not surprised by the extravagance of Tianyuan Pavilion, after all, it was a landmark building in Yuanxia Immortal City.

The two quickened their pace and soon arrived in front of Tianyuan Pavilion.

In front of the pavilion was a wide white jade square, which was already packed with people, including cultivators of all kinds.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are considered ordinary, and occasionally one or two Pseudo Core cultivators with an aura as deep as the ocean can be seen, attracting everyone's attention.

"The leaders are over there."

Feng Lingzi glanced around and pointed to a stone staircase on the east side of the square.

He Sheng looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that the old man Tianfu was still wearing that half bronze mask, standing with his hands behind his back on the stone steps, with Zhang Tuo, Jin Zhaofa and others standing behind him.

Zhang Tuo still had that aloof and unapproachable demeanor, but today he was wearing a brand new black robe and had an antique bronze token at his waist, making him look much more solemn.

He Sheng had heard Feng Lingzi mention in private that Zhang Tuo was a guest elder of the city lord's mansion and also served as the captain of the city's guard team. That token was a symbol of his status.

He Sheng and Feng Lingzi walked through the crowd to meet up with the group.

Today, the number of cultivators gathered at Nanshan Society is even greater than that of the high-level cultivators gathering on the same day. There are not only mid-to-late Foundation Establishment cultivators, but also more than ten early Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Chen Keshan, the son-in-law of the Lin family who is impersonating Li Lin, did not come today. Could it be that he is going to participate in this auction under his original identity?"

Perhaps this is one of the drawbacks of the Nanshan Club?

He Sheng's gaze swept over the people in the room, his mind racing.

The old man Tianfu led the group to wait a while longer, until more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators had gathered around him, before he spoke:

"Most of the people have arrived, let's go in."

After saying that, Old Man Tianfu walked towards the main entrance of Tianyuan Pavilion.

Just as the others were about to follow, a gasp suddenly rang out in the square.

He Sheng's heart stirred, and he looked up to see that the first floor of Tianyuan Pavilion suddenly shone brightly with spiritual light, and a figure soared into the sky from the pavilion.

The man was dressed in a black Taoist robe and was of ordinary height, but the pressure emanating from him was as heavy as a mountain and as deep as the sea, making it difficult for people to breathe even from dozens of feet away.

That wasn't the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, nor was it the vague feeling of a False Core cultivator with one foot on the threshold; it was the pure, real aura of a Golden Core cultivator.

"It's the Celestial Centipede Immortal!"

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted something.

He Sheng's gaze narrowed slightly as he saw the Heavenly Centipede Immortal standing in mid-air, with a large, azure worm several dozen feet long beneath his feet.

The giant insect resembled a centipede, but it had two pairs of wings as thin as cicada wings. Its entire body was a jade-green color, and it exuded a terrifying aura just like its owner.

It was actually a genuine Tier 3 demonic beast!

The Celestial Centipede Master stood with his hands behind his back atop the insect's head, looked up at the sky, and then waved his sleeve.

hum...

A deep, muffled hum echoed from the depths of the immortal city; it was the sound of the city's protective array activating.

He Sheng felt a slight tremor beneath his feet, and then a pale golden light screen lit up above the entire immortal city. The light screen was covered with dense forbidden patterns, which overlapped layer by layer and enveloped the entire city.

That is the protective formation of Yuanxia Immortal City, the "Yuanxia Heavenly Curtain Formation".

It is said to be as powerful as a top-grade third-tier array, and is one of the foundations upon which Yuanxia Immortal City was founded.

As soon as the light curtain took shape, a crack appeared in the sky.

A crescent-shaped light boat, entirely silver-white and radiant with rosy light, slowly emerged from the gap. Several female cultivators in white robes stood on either side of the boat, each with a beautiful appearance and a powerful aura. Leading them was a young woman dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, with beautiful features. Her Taoist robe could not hide her exquisite figure, and a jade token was tied around her waist. She stood with her hands behind her back at the bow of the boat, her clothes fluttering in the wind, giving her a somewhat otherworldly air.

Her aura was restrained, making it impossible to discern its depth, but her demeanor was far beyond that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Master Tianwu personally stepped forward and guided the crescent-shaped light boat through the light curtain, slowly descending into the special docking platform on the top floor of Tianyuan Pavilion.

The square immediately erupted in chaos.

"Whose treasure ship is that? It even required True Immortal Tianwu to personally open the protective barrier to welcome it!"

"Judging from the markings on that light boat, they seem to be the emblem of the Moonlit Cloud Sect?"

"The Moonlit Cloud Sect? Who are they?"

...

He Sheng frowned slightly as he listened to the discussions around him. It was the first time he had heard of the Moon Glow Sect, so he asked Feng Lingzi for more information.

Feng Lingzi mumbled:

"I've only heard that the Moon Glow Sect is a Core Formation sect in northern Qizhou, and few of its disciples travel outside. I wonder why they've come to participate in the Yuanxia Auction."

Why is that?

They're naturally after the Core Formation artifacts!

Jin Zhaofa squinted his cloudy old eyes, his tone carrying a hint of boasting:

"Many years ago, the Moon Glow Sect was the leading Core Formation Sect in northern Qizhou. The sect was divided into two branches: Ginseng Glow and Water Moon."

Hundreds of years ago, during the Daoist war between the Tai Xuan Zheng Yi Dao and the Tong You Ming Zhen Dao, which affected three states, all three Golden Core cultivators of this sect perished, and the entire sect was almost wiped out.

Later, it was only through the intervention of the Eight Views and Heavenly Profound Sects that the lineage was preserved.

He paused, glancing at Feng Lingzi with a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes:

"I've heard that in recent decades, the Water Moon lineage of the Moon Glow Sect has produced an unparalleled genius who entered the Dao with dual earth spiritual roots. Now, at just over thirty years old, he has already reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage, and is only one step away from forming the Core."

The Moonlit Cloud Sect's grand arrival this time is likely to purchase materials for this genius's Core Formation stage.

Feng Lingzi's face stiffened upon hearing this.

He had previously won the bidding for the Golden Jade Branch, thinking his biggest rivals would be declining immortal sects and surrounding cultivation families. But now, even a Core Formation sect like the Moon Glow Sect was eyeing this item...

A gloomy feeling suddenly arose in his heart. Although he tried his best to keep his face calm, the corners of his mouth involuntarily drooped, revealing a hint of bitterness.

"Let's go."

Having seen many storms, Old Man Tianfu didn't say much, but led everyone towards the pavilion.

He Sheng's eyes flickered slightly as he took in everything. He didn't say much either, but silently followed behind the old man Tianfu, passing through the tall white jade gate and entering the Tianyuan Pavilion.