"Vivian, we're being followed."
Huan Mao, finally indulging in the spiritual cuisine he had long anticipated, paused mid-meal and transmitted to Chu Lingwei.
"Mm, ignore them. Let's keep eating."
Chu Lingwei placed a piece of spiritual meat into Huan Mao's bowl. They had bought so much, appearing like core disciples who had never descended the mountain. Such individuals were easily noticed by those with ulterior motives.
There were at least six or seven groups of people paying attention to them.
However, the individual Huan Mao mentioned possessed the most hidden aura, a cultivator at the Three Realms stage.
Huan Mao twitched his ears and began to devour his meal with gusto. Eating his fill now would give him strength for the fight later.
Chu Lingwei ate at a leisurely pace. The aura of the person following her felt inexplicably familiar, piquing her interest.
The one person and one beast ate leisurely. After their meal, they listened to some gossip in the city for a while before slowly heading towards the outskirts.
"Vivian, can you defeat him?" Huan Mao asked with concern. That person was at least in the Heaven Merging realm.
"Don't you want revenge?" Chu Lingwei smiled. Her Profound Heaven Burning Fire technique had been able to repel Su Xianrou back then. Two years of cultivation should be sufficient to challenge a cultivator two realms higher.
Coupled with the Nine Heavens Sword Art, she was confident in facing the pursuer.
Huan Mao's small body stiffened. "Of course I want revenge. Vivian, don't intervene later; let me handle it."
Recalling the revenge from two years ago, Huan Mao was already eager to act. He wanted vengeance.
As they neared the outskirts of Xinghe City, both of them suddenly stepped onto flying swords and soared towards the distant mountains and forests.
The several groups following Chu Lingwei were taken aback. Then, they mounted their flying artifacts and gave chase. This was a plump sheep, and they couldn't let it escape.
Chu Lingwei stood within a formation, watching the trackers search for a long time before leaving one by one. A smile played on her lips.
She had deliberately left a slight opening. If they couldn't even find this, they would be useless.
After everyone had left, a man in black appeared before Chu Lingwei's formation, staring intently at her through the barrier.
"This isn't the subordinate from that day, but their auras are all the same," Huan Mao remembered clearly. These people had a distinct fishy scent; he wouldn't mistake them.
"Come out."
The man suddenly spoke. A stream of spiritual energy struck the formation's core, shattering the barrier instantly. The one person and one beast appeared before the man.
"Who are you, and why are you following me?"
Back then, when she saved Huan Mao, she had been cautious and concealed her appearance, believing those people wouldn't recognize her.
"My master wants you."
The man's eyes emanated a deathly aura. As he spoke, the entrapment technique of a Heaven Traversing realm expert tightly enveloped Chu Lingwei.
"Heh, then let's see if you have the ability." Chu Lingwei smiled, her eyes sharpening. The Ice Jade Frost Sword in her hand streaked across the sky like a long rainbow, and ten thousand sword qi shattered the entrapment technique.
Huan Mao was not to be outdone. His illusion techniques took effect, and the man found himself trapped in an abyss thousands of feet deep.
"Die."
Chu Lingwei looked at the man before her, eager to test her recent progress. She leaped up, aiming directly for the center of his brow.
"I didn't expect Junior Sister to be so formidable."
Nangong Luo sat on a large tree, observing the battle in the distance and tutting.
"In a few more years, Junior Sister will surpass you," Su Yan glanced at Nangong Luo, his eyes implying that if Nangong Luo didn't hurry, he would truly be outpaced by everyone.
"As long as you send me more spiritual beasts, I won't fear anyone, no matter how powerful," Nangong Luo thought enviously of their third junior brother, who with a wave of his hand, could summon over a dozen formidable spiritual beasts. With so many, he wouldn't fear anyone.
Su Yan snorted and ignored him.
Chu Lingwei's sword moved like a dragon in the sky, her sword following her will, each strike aimed at the man's body without missing.
"Vivian, leave the rest to me."
Huan Mao was impatient; he hadn't avenged himself yet. His body instantly grew, and with his sharp claws, he tore off the man's arm and bit off his neck.
"A Heaven Unification realm expert is nothing more than this."
Chu Lingwei stood before the man. As his aura dissipated, his body slowly changed color, turning dark green all over.
"He's been demonized," Su Yan appeared before Chu Lingwei, calmly observing the person before them. "No wonder their cultivation advanced so rapidly. This is the reason."
"What reason?" Chu Lingwei was not surprised by her senior brother's sudden appearance.
"Their bodies contain demon bloodlines, allowing them to cultivate using two methods simultaneously to enhance their power," Nangong Luo waved his hand, and the man before them instantly turned to ash. "However, cultivating two paths simultaneously makes it impossible to reach the Dominator realm. They are restricted from attaining the Great Dao of spiritual cultivation."
"In other words, they might just be slaves to demons." This was no different from the spiritual beasts raised by humans.
Nangong Luo smiled, not denying it.
It was not incorrect to think so.
Inside a secluded inn.
"Master, Zuo Ke's contact has been lost," a man in black reported to a young man.
"Waste."
Zuo Ao Ran’s teacup shattered as he spoke. These useless individuals were all as foolish as pigs; they couldn't even capture a disciple of the Spirit Wheel realm.
The man in black stood motionless before his master.
"It seems I'll have to go myself," Zuo Ao Ran stood up. The evening sky was resplendent, and a green light flashed in his eyes. "First, to the auction house."
Chu Lingwei and the others returned to the inn, where Leng Xingzhi had been waiting for a long time.
"Greetings, Senior Disciple Brother."
The three of them bowed to Leng Xingzhi.
"The auction has begun, let's go," Leng Xingzhi stood up. Seeing the excitement of the three, he led them towards the auction house.
To enter the Xinghe City auction house, one needed a special token issued by them.
The group arrived at the auction house. Leng Xingzhi produced his token. Upon seeing it, the guard's expression changed. He respectfully stepped forward and led them into the grand hall, entering the main arena through a teleportation array.
The main arena was luxuriously decorated, filled with defensive artifacts and formations, spiritual light shimmering everywhere.
The main arena was a circular hall with countless private rooms above, allowing guests inside to clearly view the auctioned items and bidding process below.
"Esteemed guests, this is your private room," the usher led them to the room and then bowed, withdrawing.
Inside the room, a dedicated attendant was present. Chu Lingwei's sharp gaze revealed the attendant to be a Heaven Merging realm cultivator.
"Withdraw."
Leng Xingzhi waved his hand, dismissing the attendant.
"This place is protected by high-level formations; outsiders cannot see what's happening here. Junior Sister can rest assured," Nangong Luo activated a formation, leaned back in his chair, picked up the spiritual fruits on the table, and began to eat.
"This place is indeed luxurious."
Chu Lingwei surveyed the room. The formations were all high-level, ones that even Supreme realm cultivators might not be able to fully break.