Chapter 34: The Situation

December 1st—the day of the annual auction hosted by the Nine Heavens Group.

Two days prior, the group had updated their list of auction items for the event. Among them were two mid-grade Broken Vein Pills, with a mention that there might be a chance for an additional Foundation Establishment Pill to appear during the evening auction.

To understand why “might” was used here, it’s necessary to explain the system governing the auction items.

The auction items at this yearly event came from two sources: products developed internally by the Nine Heavens Group and those consigned by other cultivators.

Additionally, if any cultivator wished to add an item last-minute, they could propose it during the auction. The auction committee would then assess its value on-the-spot before putting it up for bidding.

When the Nine Heavens Group stated there might be a Foundation Establishment Pill available, it meant that some cultivator had expressed interest in submitting such a pill at short notice. Since the submission wasn’t guaranteed, they hedged their announcement accordingly.

Nevertheless, even the slightest hint of possibility sent ripples through the cultivation world, driving those who caught wind of it into frenzy.

Without delving too far back, within just two days, over a thousand cultivators managed to arrive—a clear sign that Yunxi County’s already precarious security situation now hung by a thread.

The city’s protective array remained unrepaired. Despite hiring mid-tier array masters for its restoration, mending the damaged nodes would take time—certainly not before December 1st.

In the Security Bureau, Chief of Public Security stared at the magnified electronic map spread out before him, which displayed every street detail within Yunxi County.

“Guard Shang,” he asked, “how many policemen have you stationed near the auction site currently?”

This was their routine morning meeting, but even with tasks already assigned, the chief couldn’t shake his concerns.

“Fifty Qi Refining mid-stage policemen are positioned around the auction site,” Guard Shang replied. “Each is armed with rune darts and has been issued three times their usual supply of talismans. Additionally, I’ve kept our martial fighter armor on standby for immediate reinforcement!”

He felt helpless; nearly half of his available mid-stage policemen had been dispatched to the auction site. There was no choice—the influx of cultivators all converging there necessitated it. Any disturbance at such a gathering could quickly escalate into chaos without adequate law enforcement presence.

“Chief,” Guard Shang continued, “has Nine Heavens Group confirmed whether any Foundation Establishment true cultivators will be present to maintain order? It’s crucial we receive an accurate response by now.” His question hung in the air, carrying the weight of anticipation and anxiety alike.

“News from the Nine Heavens Group just came in,” the chief of public security said with a shake of his head. “No Foundation Establishment cultivators will be attending. They only have five Late Qi Refining Stage cultivators, one at the very pinnacle of that stage!”

“What is the Nine Heavens Group thinking?” Guard Shang asked discontentedly. “They dared to announce the potential appearance of a Foundation Establishment Pill but didn’t even send along a true cultivator for protection. Who’ll take responsibility if something goes wrong?”

“It’s all about stoking interest in the auction,” the chief replied, equally dissatisfied. “If they were to station a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator there, nearly half their profits would go towards paying him off. Merchants care solely for profit!”

“If a real Foundation Establishment Pill does show up,” Guard Shang continued, concern evident in his voice, “I fear our Security Bureau alone may not be able to maintain order during the auction.”

“Worry not,” the chief reassured him. “The Nine Heavens Group has invited the county magistrate to oversee proceedings. With him present, no major incidents should arise. Moreover, I’ll don another set of martial fighter armor and stand by on standby!”

In total, the Security Bureau boasted two cultivators at the Late Qi Refining Stage: the chief himself, at the ninth level, and Guard Shang, at the seventh.

Small counties like Xiangyun Creek struggled immensely to retain such powerful cultivators—a testament to both their allure elsewhere and the challenges faced by these rural outposts.

Cultivators in the late stages of Qi Refining often moved on to larger cities for further development. Even within organizations like the Security Bureau, there were only two such cultivators stationed.

In truth, if not for issues with the city’s protective barrier array, the county would have been well-equipped to maintain order. With the County Magistrate overseeing from above and the Security Bureau armed with powerful magical artifacts below, they could easily uphold peace within their domain.

Should any major upheaval occur, activating the protective barrier array would prevent external enemies from entering while also allowing them to suppress any rogue cultivators within the city walls.

“I have a premonition that today won’t be peaceful,” Guard Shang sighed.

Li Zhen was in class, having already noted down his teacher’s lecture. His mind now wandered slightly as he pondered the annual auction scheduled later that day. He couldn’t attend during the daytime hours, and securing entry in the evening wouldn’t be easy either.

Fortunately, Han Wenqin and Yu Nan planned to visit the evening session and had invited him along. Additionally, representatives from two prominent clans would be present at that time, ensuring a measure of safety against any potential trouble.

He hesitated over whether to use this opportunity to sell second-tier inferior spirit material—Winged Wood—at the auction. In fact, among all his possessions, only Winged Wood could safely be exposed; its origin posed no significant concerns. The other spiritual items carried varying degrees of complications associated with their provenance.

Moreover, among his other spiritual artifacts, only two held any value for auction: the Puyi Group’s small Inverted Five Elements Array and the Boundary Breakthrough Pill.

Even the Nine Heavens C045 mid-grade flying sword wouldn’t be accepted at the auction. This model was a mass-produced mid-grade weapon; anyone could easily order one from the Nine Heavens Group if they wished to purchase it.

As for the spirit artifact Li Zhen desired—the Five Elements Qi Gathering Array Disk—it required far more credit points than he could garner by selling both the Boundary Breakthrough Pill and the small Inverted Five Elements Array. There was no guarantee those sales alone would cover its cost.

Worse still, the small Inverted Five Elements Array had originated from the secret base of the Demon-Worship Cult. If sent to the auction, there was a risk that Li Zhen might expose himself to their notice.

Forget about it, Li Zhen decided. I’ll wait until tonight’s auction to see what happens.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, a series of thunderous booms shook the very foundations of the classroom, causing even Teacher Zhang, who was lecturing, to pale with surprise.

“Students,” she announced hastily, “you’re on your own for now!” With that, her figure flickered as she vanished from the room.

The students, bewildered by these events, broke out into animated discussion, their voices rising in a clamor throughout the hall.

Yu Nan, as class president, should have stepped up to maintain discipline during this chaos. Yet today, he found himself utterly unmoved by such concerns.

“This tremor feels just like when the formation nodes were sabotaged recently,” Yu Nan observed, leaning closer to Li Zhen and Han Wenqin. “Another incident must have occurred!” he whispered urgently.

“It likely is,” Li Zhen nodded with conviction. His keen senses compared this event unfavorably against their previous experience, supporting Yu Nan’s assessment.

“I’m contacting our clan now,” Han Wenqin said, fiddling with her identity bracelet. “Let’s see if they’ve received any news.”

Yu Nan couldn’t help but slap his forehead at his oversight. Quickly mirroring Han Wenqin’s actions on his own identity bracelet, he sought information from his family about what major events might be unfolding outside.

The auction venue for the Nine Heavens Group was set within Yunxi Conference Hall—the only location in Yunxi County large enough to host such grand affairs.

The daytime auction served as a warm-up for the evening’s main event, featuring an array of rare spiritual artifacts seldom seen in smaller cities, all up for bidding.

The sudden thunderous boom had sent every cultivator in the hall scrambling to their feet, each adopting a combat-ready stance. The majority of these cultivators were mid-stage Qi Refiners who had experienced life-and-death battles before. Their reactions were instinctively more cautious upon sensing danger—a testament to their training and survival instincts honed through perilous encounters.

“Everyone, there is no need for concern,” announced Xu Yi, his voice resonating with authority. As one of the Nine Heavens Group’s most powerful members, standing at the pinnacle of the Late Qi Refining Stage, he continued, “I assure you on behalf of our group that the auction site will be absolutely secure. We have arranged for County Chief Zhao himself to oversee safety!”

His eyes shifted towards County Chief Zhao as he spoke these words.

County Chief Zhao, who had been about to depart, found himself abruptly halted by this declaration. Had it been only Xu Yi speaking, he might have dismissed him outright. However, Xu Yi represented the prestigious Nine Heavens Group—a fact that carried significant weight. More crucially, County Chief Zhao had already accepted the terms set forth by the Nine Heavens Group, agreeing to ensure the security of the upcoming auction.

Upon hearing Xu Yi’s reassurance, the cultivators gradually settled back down in their seats.

After all, even if some monumental event were unfolding in Yunxi County, it mattered little to them. Their sole focus was ensuring their safe participation in the auction, hoping to acquire the spiritual artifacts they desired.

Meanwhile, multiple messages continuously arrived on County Chief Zhao’s identity bracelet. He began reviewing each one meticulously, his expression growing increasingly grim with each read.

As he read through these messages, Zhao Xiaozhou’s heart sank involuntarily.

The deafening roar earlier had been triggered by the destruction of three critical nodes within the county’s protective formation.

As the head of Yunxi County, it was inconceivable that he would be unprepared for such an event. His agreement to Nine Heavens Group’s request wasn’t solely due to their irresistible offer; he also had plans in place for Yunxi County.

In truth, the main defensive array of Yunxi County had been fully repaired last night. After consulting with the Security Bureau, they decided not to activate it immediately. Instead, their strategy was to wait for the mastermind behind recent events to make a move—then spring the trap like catching fish in a barrel.

No one could have anticipated that at this crucial moment, rogue cultivators would attack and destroy three key formation nodes simultaneously, derailing his meticulously laid plan.

Moreover, bound by agreements with the Nine Heavens Group, Zhao Xiaozhou couldn’t simply abandon the auction without breaking contract—a move he was loath to consider.