Chapter 739: Yuan Ruins
At Sunset Cloud Mountain, Yi Qingwu’s jade-like hand swept down, leveling a crimson peak. Mountain winds howled, tangling the vines and trees, withering the hundred herbs, and yellowing the fallen leaves—an autumn desolation. She possessed a divine bone and jade-like bearing, her slender waist like a beauty serpent’s body, her figure tall and graceful, her black hair glossy enough to reflect light. At this moment, her face flushed with rosy clouds, her eyes rippled like water, exuding a thousand charms that could topple all beings. Every frown and smile caused the beauties of the world to lose their color.
“Hmph.”
Her white robes were whiter than snow. She gently extended her soft sleeves, smoothing the wrinkled snowy garment. Her hair flew wildly, and on her fair, melon-seed face, her black gem-like eyes held inner spiritual essence, also carrying a trace of playful anger. She flew away like a rippling water fairy.
Ye Fan was very composed. Stepping on the tangled vines and treading over the withered fallen leaves, he ascended step by step along the broken peak toward the heavens, carrying a faint smile as he flew into the distance.
Yuan Ruins was a very special place, perpetually filled with a hazy spiritual essence. It was not particularly dense, but it was very pure, suitable for cultivating various medicinal herbs.
Some said that in ancient times, this place had a medicinal garden, home to various ancient medicine kings, exhaling auspicious energy and gathering all the world’s spiritual beauty.
Others said that this was simply a patch of medicinal land that a divine being had pulled out from the legendary Penglai Immortal Island in the Eastern Sea using great divine power, hence a wisp of immortal energy leaked out.
Still others said that this was originally a dwelling place for a deity, capable of gathering the primal energy of heaven and earth. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the ancient times, becoming a stretch of Yuan Ruins.
It was located in the central part of Shenzhou. Cultivators passing through here initially exchanged spiritual medicines, and over time, it became a famous location.
Now, ancient medicines, rare materials, scriptures, and various other cultivation-related items were exchanged here, earning a great reputation. Even people from other continents came here drawn by its fame.
Ye Fan descended, having agreed to meet Yan Yixi and Li Tian here to capture Yin Tiande’s boy attendant.
Yuan Ruins was rumored to be exhibiting a precious ancient medicine king for auction, to be sold to the highest bidder, attracting the attention of many cultivators recently.
The master of Eight Scenery Palace, Yin Tiande, had inherited everything from the Supreme Purity Sacred Realm. In recent years, he often refined pills. Some said that every time he opened his furnace, auspicious energy soared into the sky, and the preciousness of his pills could bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones.
The precious pills he refined were of great benefit to cultivation. When Lu Ya and Sanque Daoist encountered bottlenecks, they relied on his spiritual pills to break through their tribulations.
Thus, he had a great demand for various medicinal plants. To refine the legendary Nine Revolutions Spiritual Pill, he specially sent out a boy attendant to constantly seek purchases abroad.
Green bamboo, dripping with emerald, grew without pattern. Wisps and strands of mist overflowed in Yuan Ruins, carrying a pure refined essence.
There were three low hills, lacking any divine beauty, yet possessing a flavor of returning to simplicity. Ancient vines, small bridges, emerald bamboo, and clear springs—everything was peaceful and serene.
However, when one truly approached, the tranquility diminished because there were truly many people. Cultivators were everywhere, in every nook and cranny, by the small bridges and spring pools, setting up stalls. There were flying swords, spirit talismans, pills, Daoist texts, and more, all at high prices.
Ye Fan was surprised. This place was indeed extraordinary. On a small straw mat, he spotted a weapon—a fragment of a king-level divine weapon. The seller was a very rustic-looking little old man.
On another stall, a broken purple conch contained a Sea God Pearl, its light concealed. Those who didn’t understand would never notice it.
Not far away, a pile of bamboo slips was stacked on a piece of linen. The opening passage was exposed, expounding on profound principles, very deep and abstruse.
Ye Fan immediately couldn’t move. This place was too extraordinary. There were some very powerful recluses here, seemingly inconspicuous, but the items they sold were very remarkable.
However, these treasures were not easy to trade. When he stepped forward to inquire about the price, he learned that they could only be exchanged for specific items. Nothing else was accepted. Each of these people only wanted what they needed.
“Not showing off, only prepared for those who truly recognize value. This is the nature of experts, and also to avoid being disturbed.” Ye Fan nodded.
Of course, not everything was such a treasure. It was only because his cultivation was strong enough that he could see the extraordinariness of a few people. Stalls were everywhere, and there were also many fakes. It could be said to be a mix of fish and dragons.
Ye Fan walked with his hands behind his back, crossing the stone arch bridge, climbing the low hills, and entering the bamboo grove. He roughly covered the entire area, greatly astonished. There were indeed many rare materials.
Some were even exchanging complete king-level divine weapons, gathering a large number of experts, crowding the place so tightly that not even water could pass through.
Moreover, what deeply shocked him was that an immortal treasure was about to be auctioned. Someone had unearthed a piece of Phoenix Blood Red Gold, the size of a thumb and two fingers wide, from beneath an ancient vein in Shenzhou.
A series of phoenix cries rang out. A living fossil figure activated his full Dao power, and the divine gold, a finger long, instantly flew out, filling the sky with crimson clouds. Phoenixes flew and danced, drowning the entire Yuan Ruins, shocking everyone.
“It’s definitely Phoenix Blood Red Gold, genuine without a doubt! I don’t know how many years it’s been since we’ve seen such an immortal material exclusive to a Great Emperor. Although it’s small, it can still forge a supreme holy weapon. It’s priceless, and I don’t know who will end up with it.”
Everyone was stunned. Just seeing this item alone made the trip worthwhile. It truly opened people’s eyes, for this was something that only appeared in legends.
“Even something like this is being sold…” Many clicked their tongues in amazement.
Soon after, Ye Fan met Yan Yixi and Li Tian. Both said they hadn’t yet found Yin Tiande’s boy attendant.
“That guy is a snake spirit. Although he looks harmless, no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, he’s actually been cultivating for eighteen hundred years. If only we had a Demon-Reflecting Mirror, we could probably find him quickly,” Li Tian said.
“Uncle Lecher, let me out. My master has arrived,” Tongtong cried, grimacing inside a magic artifact.
“You little brat who invites no favor, first memorize the general principles of the Path of Human Desire for me. Eighteen years from now, you’ll thank me,” Li Tian said. He found it very interesting to force a little thing who cried and shouted about not wanting to be a lecher to study these scriptures, and he truly wanted to take him as a disciple.
Ye Fan turned a blind eye, thinking that having some experiences in youth was beneficial for future growth. Of course, the premise was that it wouldn’t go bad. He believed everything was controllable for now.
“He’s here, over there.” Yan Yixi spoke, his gaze fixed ahead on a fair-skinned, red-lipped youth.
He wasn’t tall, only about fourteen or fifteen years old. He wore a white python robe, stepped in serpent-treading boots, and bound his ink-black hair with a purple-gold crown. Walking with his hands behind his back, he was a somewhat proud and arrogant youth.
“As expected of someone from Eight Scenery Palace. Just a mere boy attendant, yet he has the strength of a sect master level.”
But upon reflection, it made sense. This was actually a snake spirit who had cultivated for many years, naturally possessing extremely high Dao power. He had only become a boy attendant after being subdued by Yin Tiande.
“Wait, don’t act yet. This snake spirit boy attendant is very wealthy, controlling the financial power of Eight Scenery Palace. Looks like he’s going to bid on that piece of Phoenix Blood Red Gold for Yin Tiande. This is a huge fat sheep. Let’s fleece him!” Li Tian said.
In Yuan Ruins, white mist drifted in strands. Most cultivators only set up ground stalls, with no palaces or halls in sight. It was like a market, yet filled with countless treasures.
The only special place was a high platform, built from white jade stones, located at the center of Yuan Ruins. It was used only when particularly precious items or priceless divine objects were to be auctioned.
The snake spirit boy attendant stepped forward, hands behind his back, head held high, his purple-gold crown gleaming. He looked very eager and determined to win.
Ye Fan and the others also stepped forward. Someone on the hundred-foot platform was hosting the auction. In no time, the price reached astronomical heights. Someone took out seven or eight fist-sized pieces of Divine Source, throwing gold around like dirt.
“That’s a big shot from the Human King Hall. How generous! And this is just the beginning. Who knows how high the price will be driven by the time the deal is done.”
“Has the Human King Hall succeeded in exchanging the Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture with the Ancient Longevity Temple? In recent years, it has sparked countless rumors.”
Ye Fan’s heart stirred. He was also extremely yearning for that single-page Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture and wanted to know what was going on. But after several years, there was still no result. It could only be said that both sides were too cautious, both afraid of being deceived by the other.
“People from the Sea God Island have arrived. Look, what have they taken out? Heavens, Dust-Avoiding Pearls, Fire-Avoiding Pearls, Water-Avoiding Pearls… a pile of Sea God Pearls!”
People exclaimed. This pile of pearls was too dazzling and brilliant, almost rivaling the Phoenix Blood Red Gold in splendor, illuminating the world with incomparable radiance.
“Damn, these are all rich folks. Robbing one family would provide for a lifetime of enjoyment,” Li Tian cursed, then fixed his gaze on the Great Emperor’s sacred object. “This piece of Phoenix Blood Red Gold should be enough to forge a bracelet. If offered as a gift, I’m afraid no woman would be unmoved. Even an ancient girl would go weak.”
“Uncle Lecher, I despise you. Let me out,” Tongtong cried, grimacing.
“Crybaby, go memorize your lessons.” Li Tian put away the jade pendant-shaped magic artifact, not giving him a chance to speak.
At that moment, major powers like the Ziwei Divine Dynasty and Guanghan Palace also made their moves, starting to bid, the competition growing fiercer.
“Phoenix Blood Red Gold—a single grain is rarely seen in a thousand generations. To encounter it here today, we must buy it and present it to our clan king. With his creation-level divine power, he can surely refine it into a great artifact.”
Just then, several tall figures walked over. They all had golden hair draped over their shoulders, lightning shooting from their eyes, and were very imposing—experts from the Golden Crow Clan.
They all exuded boundless might. As they strode forward, those not participating in the auction immediately stepped aside, unwilling to provoke them, for the Golden Crow Clan was too powerful, and few dared to offend them.
Ye Fan did not dodge. Standing there, he was somewhat conspicuous, causing the Golden Crow clansmen to frown. One stepped forward and said, “Are you here to auction a divine object?”
“No,” Ye Fan replied.
“Then move aside. We wish to bid here.” The Golden Crow Tenth Prince was overbearing. Having walked arrogantly through the world for many years, as the youngest, he was always like this, even more so than all his brothers.
“If you wish to bid, go ahead. The place is large. Is there no room for me to stand?” Ye Fan replied.
“Has the world come to believe that my Golden Crow Clan is easy to bully just because a certain Ye appeared?” The Golden Crow Tenth Prince’s expression turned cold. He reached out and pushed forward, using immense force, enough to crush a person into meat paste.
“This place belongs to no one; anyone can stand here. Yet you say that simply standing here means bullying your Golden Crow Clan. One can imagine how domineering you’ve been in the past,” Ye Fan said, raising his hand to block.
“Little Ten, retreat quickly!” An elder of the Golden Crow Clan shouted. He opened his heavenly eye, saw Ye Fan’s true face, and was horrified.
“Bang!”
The Golden Crow Tenth Prince’s outstretched arm instantly deformed, then went limp like a noodle. He felt as if he had crashed into a great mountain and flew backward.
“You… who are you?”
“He’s Ye Fan!” The other Golden Crow clansmen shouted. The First Prince, Second Prince, and an elder all stepped forward together.
Yuan Ruins instantly shook. Everyone looked over. Ye Fan’s reputation was too great. Today, he had finally made a formal appearance on land.
“Are you sure Lu Ya will appear? Are we going to eliminate him here today?” Li Tian transmitted secretly.
“Yes, the information I received shouldn’t be wrong. With these people appearing here, it couldn’t be better. If there’s trouble, Lu Ya not far away will surely rush over. Then, with two holy weapons working together, he won’t be able to escape. We can seize the Crow Wing Flowing Gold Halberd!” Ye Fan replied.
“It must be Yi Qingwu’s information, right? You two, a man and a woman, still say there’s nothing between you. Providing people and holy weapons…” Li Tian cursed.