Refining Ruins Cauldron

The visitor was none other than Xu Meier.

Gu Qingyun is now a customer of the auction house, so it's only right and proper for her to step forward and remind him.

However, offending a Nascent Soul cultivator for the sake of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is clearly not a wise choice.

Especially that Xuan Yin Zhenren, he's not exactly a kind person who follows the rules.

Just now inside the venue, the other party did not make a move directly only because of the auction house's rules and the fact that everyone was watching.

But once you leave the auction house and the Yonglan Market, it's a different story.

"This is Earth Dragon Spirit Ore, it's yours now."

After completing the deduction and guarantee procedures, Xu Meier handed over the jade box, sighed softly, and her expression became more serious.

This jade box is extremely heavy.

It is only a foot square, yet it looks as if it is supporting a boulder.

The moment Gu Qingyun touched the jade box, he was certain that the contents were correct.

That thick, earth-attribute spiritual energy was absolutely genuine.

The Refining Ruins Cauldron also trembled slightly at this moment, as if it were sensing something.

Gu Qingyun then put the jade box away.

Thank you.

"I will not disturb you any longer."

Without further ado, Gu Qingyun completed the handover, and the three of them left together.

No sooner had they left the auction house than the cultivators on the street noticed the three figures.

The scene at the auction house is still vivid in my mind.

The price of six million spirit stones was snatched from the jaws of a tiger, snatching the earth dragon spirit ore from a Nascent Soul cultivator, and what's more, it was taken from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Such a feat would leave a deep impression on anyone.

Many monks stood on the street, their eyes gleaming.

There was surprise, greed, and also schadenfreude, as well as a sense of schadenfreude from those who enjoy watching the drama unfold.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator possessed Earth Dragon Spirit Ore and had offended True Person Xuan Yin.

Isn't this just a piece of fat that can walk?

"Fellow Daoist Gu, this time I'm afraid it might be..."

Manager Shen smiled helplessly, thought for a long time, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to say it.

There's no going back now that things have come to this.

"Shopkeeper Shen, I'm so sorry."

Gu Qingyun didn't waste any words and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute to the former.

Although I was determined to win, it was indeed a lack of consideration on my part to involve the other party.

Especially since Manager Shen had just publicly vouched for him.

This favor is significant.

"There's nothing to be sorry about..."

Manager Shen waved his hand, not taking it too seriously; he was just curious at the moment.

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Who isn't afraid of death?"

Gu Qingyun gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Those who are not afraid of death are only afraid of not yet being born.

He has come this far, facing life and death countless times, and each time he was terrified.

It may be scary, but we still have to keep going.

"But spiritual objects of the five elements are scarce. If I don't seize this opportunity, how many years will I have to wait for the next one?"

"It's possible that I'll never be able to form a Golden Core in my entire life!"

Gu Qingyun spoke these words with exceptional sincerity.

No matter how many reasons Manager Shen had, they all paled in comparison at this moment.

The difficulty of cultivation is no less than ascending to heaven.

Opportunities and crises coexist, especially since Gu Qingyun has mixed spiritual roots!

Those with mixed spiritual roots are destined from birth to face difficult cultivation and make little progress on their path to enlightenment.

Even though Manager Shen wasn't skilled in cultivation, he understood this principle.

Gu Qingyun's achievements today come at a price that is beyond the imagination of others.

For the sake of the Way, they are willing to risk their lives, lick blood from the edge of a knife, and go against the will of Heaven!

Manager Shen could no longer persuade him on this point.

Because any cultivator who truly wants to climb the ranks would likely find it difficult to resist taking advantage of such an opportunity.

Do you know who that person is?

Manager Shen sighed deeply and suddenly spoke.

The person he was referring to was the Nascent Soul elder.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyun subconsciously shook his head.

"A rogue cultivator, True Man Xuan Yin."

Six simple words encompass everything.

Being a rogue cultivator means being without sect or faction, and having fewer constraints.

The Nascent Soul stage signifies terrifying power that ordinary forces simply cannot suppress.

The name "Xuan Yin Zhenren" (玄阴真人) signifies trouble.

"Although True Person Xuan Yin only has the strength of the early Nascent Soul stage, he is known among cultivators for his ruthlessness."

"They will stop at nothing to seize opportunities for cultivation."

"Last time, he managed to refine three late-stage Golden Core cultivators into breakthrough pills, which caused quite a stir!"

"He slaughtered dozens, if not hundreds, families, of all sizes, and none survived."

The more he spoke, the more gloomy Manager Shen's face became.

Luo Mei, standing to the side, turned pale and couldn't speak for a long time.

In his pursuit of cultivation, he could even refine Golden Core cultivators into pills, and he was ruthless in killing and annihilating entire clans.

How are these methods any different from those of evil practitioners?!

"This person cultivates the sinister techniques of the Xuan Yin lineage, and is most skilled at extracting souls and refining spirits."

"If he has his eye on you, it won't be as simple as just taking the Earth Dragon Spirit Ore."

"Your bottles of top-grade pills, and your status as a third-grade alchemist, will also become his targets."

Manager Shen lowered his voice and spoke very quickly.

Hearing this, Gu Qingyun felt even heavier in his heart.

This Xuan Yin Zhenren is more troublesome than he expected.

Stealing the spirit object is one thing.

If even people are to be refined together, that's a different story.

"Sigh, let's leave quickly and return to the Longevity Sect, where we may have a glimmer of hope."

Manager Shen sighed again.

Without the sect leader's intervention, no one can control him!

Gu Qingyun remained silent, then nodded solemnly.

This is the only way right now.

"And what about you?"

Gu Qingyun looked at Manager Shen.

The latter smiled calmly: "Master Xuan Yin came for the Earth Dragon Spirit Ore and for you, so naturally he won't make things difficult for me right away."

"Besides, I'm a member of the Xianggu Market. If he really wants to mess with me, he'll have to think twice about the consequences."

Even so, Gu Qingyun could tell that Manager Shen was not at ease.

Today's matter is no longer as simple as an auction.

As they spoke, the three of them had already crossed the streets and alleys and arrived at the entrance to the market.

"This journey ends here. I hope that when we meet again, you will have achieved the Golden Core."

Manager Shen solemnly clasped his hands in farewell to the two men.

Without further hesitation, Gu Qingyun and Luo Mei summoned their flying boat and sped towards the sect.

……

Secretly, news of Gu Qingyun snatching food from the tiger's mouth spread like wildfire, quickly reaching all the major powers and clans.

Many people are waiting for the show to begin.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator snatched the Earth Dragon Spirit Ore from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

This kind of thing would be explosive anywhere.

Not to mention that this Foundation Establishment cultivator is a direct disciple of the Longevity Sect Master and an excessively young Rank 3 alchemist.

A storm was brewing, with undercurrents gathering and poised to erupt.

Gu Qingyun continued forward, driving the flying boat back at full speed.

The airship was extremely fast, tearing a long trail through the clouds.

The scenery on both sides kept receding, and the mountains and rivers were left behind.

As long as one can reach the Longevity Sect, with a master in charge, there will be no worries.

Luo Mei was still worried and stayed by Gu Qingyun's side.

She kept looking back, afraid that she would see Xuan Yin Zhenren chasing after her at any moment.

"Junior Brother Qingyun, that...that old man won't catch up with us, will he?"

"Definitely."

Without hesitation, Gu Qingyun gave his answer on the spot.

Upon hearing this, Luo Mei's face paled.

"What should we do then?!"

At that moment, her mind went completely blank.

When a Foundation Establishment cultivator faces a Nascent Soul cultivator, the outcome is already certain, and even a god cannot save them!

"We'll meet force with force and water with earth; for now, we can only take it one step at a time."

Gu Qingyun said with a stern face, "There is no other way."

He spoke calmly, but his palms were already sweating profusely.

It's impossible not to be nervous when facing a Nascent Soul cultivator.

But it is precisely at times like these that we must not panic.

Once things fall apart, there's really no chance left.

Just then, the airship suddenly came to an abrupt stop, as if it were being held in place by a pair of invisible hands, unable to advance any further.

Gu Qingyun could even hear the flying boat making cracking, tearing sounds.

If this continues, the boat will sink and everyone will perish!

"What?!"

Luo Mei looked around in fear.

Gu Qingyun's spiritual sense was even stronger, and he instantly locked onto the culprit.

Looking straight ahead, in the void, a person is walking through the air.

White robes and white hair, eyes flashing with a fierce light, making no attempt to conceal the murderous intent in them.

Mysterious Yin True Man!

He arrived even faster than Gu Qingyun had anticipated.

It was so fast that it left no room for even a glimmer of hope.

"Hehe, it's actually a flying boat. You've got quite the luck, kid."

Xuan Yin Zhenren looked down at Gu Qingyun as if he were a god looking down on an ant.

"I only want the Earth Dragon Spirit Ore. Hand it over, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse."

The other party didn't even make any extra movements, just watched quietly, and Gu Qingyun felt immense pressure, as if a thousand mountains were pressing down on him.

The surrounding air became incredibly viscous.

The array patterns on the flying boat kept flashing, as if it was struggling to hold on.

Luo Mei's face was deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down her forehead. If Gu Qingyun hadn't been blocking her way, she probably wouldn't have been able to stand up.

"Senior, isn't it a bit unethical to hold an auction where the highest bidder wins?"

Gu Qingyun forced himself to speak, and slowly stepped forward to shield Luo Mei from most of the pressure.

"typical?"

"When you tried to steal the Earth Dragon Spirit Ore from me, did you ever imagine this would be your fate?!"

Master Xuanyin burst into laughter, his expression gradually turning ferocious.

He clearly didn't intend to waste time with Gu Qingyun and issued an ultimatum.

"Hand over or die, choose."

As soon as he finished speaking, the killing intent in the air became almost tangible, like a pair of invisible hands tightly gripping Gu Qingyun's neck, making it extremely difficult for him to breathe.

Despite the critical situation, Gu Qingyun suddenly smiled instead of getting angry.

"Senior, do you really think I'm incredibly audacious, daring to snatch food from the jaws of a Nascent Soul cultivator without any preparation?!"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yin Zhenren was taken aback at first, but quickly recovered and let out a cold snort.

"Like an ant trying to shake a tree, it's courting death!"

As the words fell, a massive palm print followed.

There are no tricks, only sheer force that can overcome all methods.

Xuan Yin Zhenren's spiritual power seemed inexhaustible, and his palm print was like thousands of mountains, pressing down on him relentlessly.

Even enormous flying ships were included.

The terrifying sense of oppression nearly tore the airship apart, and Gu Qingyun and Luo Mei, who were inside, naturally felt even worse.

The array patterns on the flying boat crumbled layer by layer, and the spiritual light flickered violently.

A series of cracking sounds rang out, as if the entire airship was about to be crushed into dust at any moment.

At this moment, Lome was already in despair.

Even those at the Foundation Establishment stage are no match for those at the Golden Core stage, let alone the Nascent Soul stage expert before them.

One palm strike would be enough to pulverize them, leaving not a trace!

However, at that very moment, Gu Qingyun finally made his move...