The auction began, and the attention of cultivators was entirely focused on the auction items. Only Su Yin and Ye Zhizhou were completely out of the loop.
"What should we do now?" Su Yin stared at the intricately carved roof, feeling anxious. "How are we supposed to get to the third floor? It's almost noon."
Ye Zhizhou finished nibbling on a spiritual fruit and also stared at the roof while plotting in his mind. It wasn't just a mere illusion earlier; he had indeed sensed the aura of his beloved. Since arriving in this world, he had discovered that what was called spiritual power in his world was referred to as divine consciousness here. He used to think that the "Purple Void Technique," which could refine the soul, suddenly broke free from its constraints and became a genuine cultivation method in this world. So, despite his current three-year-old body, in terms of divine consciousness and cultivation depth, he might not be any weaker than Su Yin, who was in the Golden Core stage. What he lacked now was the accumulation of spiritual power, advancement in realms, and the learning of various cultivation techniques. And just now, his divine consciousness told him that his beloved was nearby.
He had been unable to find any information about his beloved before, and he almost thought he had been duped by the Soul Banner again. But now... damn it! They were in the same world, so why didn't his beloved come to find him? Wasn't their karmic connection strong enough? How could he not figure out where he was!
Seeing Ye Zhizhou's silence, Su Yin thought he was feeling uncomfortable and quickly patted his back, whispering, "Don't worry, Shishu will find a way. Before noon, Shishu will definitely get you to the third floor!" ^o^思^o^兔^o^文^o^檔^o^共^o^享^o^與^o^線^o^上^o^閱^o^讀^o^
Ye Zhizhou turned to look at him, raised his hand, and lightly tapped his forehead, looking disdainful. "What can you do? Let me handle it." Since only the powerful could go to the third floor, he could simply bring a batch of items that only the powerful would need to open the door to the third floor.
Su Yin pulled his hand down, staring at him with a serious expression. "What can a little kid like you do?"
Ye Zhizhou smiled, revealing his teeth, and discreetly took out a spiritual herb from a spatial flower field using his sleeve. He shook it and said, "This high-quality spiritual herb, ten of them. Later, you go find the manager of the auction and say you want to sell this, but only to the powerful on the third floor, with the condition that they let us go to the third floor."
"Shanqing—!"
Ye Zhizhou quickly covered his mouth and returned the herb to the spatial field.
Su Yin realized that he had almost messed things up with his outburst and quickly calmed down. He lowered Ye Zhizhou's hand and asked seriously, "Little Zhizhou, Shanqing Grass takes a hundred years to grow into one plant, and this mutated variety is even rarer. It's a necessary herb for refining the Infant Transformation Pill. Where did you get it from?"
Ye Zhizhou pointed in the direction of his storage bag.
Su Yin widened his eyes. "You found it again? Your luck..."
Ye Zhizhou blushed and smiled shyly. "Maybe the heavens love me."
Su Yin couldn't help but give his messy hair a playful tug.
Just as they had finished talking, the guest at the neighboring table had just finished bidding on a spiritual weapon. However, he suddenly stopped and sniffed with a puzzled look. "Such a strong spiritual plant fragrance. Could there be a high-level one mixed in this pile of low-grade spiritual fruits?" He started picking through them on his plate.
Su Yin's spine tingled, and he quickly picked up Ye Zhizhou, pretending to scold him in a loud voice, "You naughty kid, why did you have to pee right now? It's not easy for Shishu to attend the auction. Don't cause trouble!"
Ye Zhizhou cooperatively let out a couple of cries and then pouted towards the curious guest at the neighboring table.
The two of them quickly left the hall and disappeared. The guest at the neighboring table put down the plate of spiritual fruits and rubbed his chin. "Maybe raising a child wouldn't be a bad idea. It's time to take on a disciple..."
"Hanqing Grass, Nine Blossom Condensation Dew, Golden Lily Seeds, and Tiwu Fruits…" The manager swallowed hard, looking at Su Yin's storage bag with gleaming eyes. "Are you sure you want to auction these?"
"Absolutely." Su Yin adjusted his face mask and spoke cautiously, "But I hope to auction these privately on the third floor. The seniors there have seen plenty of treasures, and they certainly won't covet something from a junior like me. The hall is too crowded and chaotic, and I'm just in the Golden Core stage. I have a child to raise, and I can't risk my life over something passed down from my ancestors."
The manager looked at Ye Zhizhou in Su Yin's arms, feeling a bit soft-hearted, and considered for a moment. "I understand your concerns, but the decision to auction these privately on the third floor is not something I, a mere junior manager, can make. Please wait a moment; I will consult the owner."
Su Yin saw that the manager's expression was sincere and free of ulterior motives, so he breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
Fifteen minutes later, the manager returned with a delighted expression, handing Su Yin a cloak and saying, "The owner has agreed. Put on this cloak and follow me. Originally, we wouldn't allow you to go to the third floor, but considering your situation with a child and the need for transparency in the auction of these herbs, we are making an exception. However, remember not to speak recklessly. If you provoke the seniors, even our Ju Bao Ge won't be able to protect you."
Su Yin quickly nodded, put on the cloak, and covered Ye Zhizhou. Then, he followed the manager.
Ye Zhizhou, with his vision completely obscured by the cloak, felt a bit frustrated. This Ju Bao Ge was indeed remarkable; they had provided him with a high-grade spiritual weapon cloak. It could completely conceal a person's aura and cultivation level, preventing others from sensing the true identity of the person under the cloak. However, the cloak worked both ways, meaning he was now completely covered by it and unable to sense the outside world. It was practically suicidal!
"Don't make trouble."
As soon as his head poked out, Su Yin pushed him back and hugged his arms even tighter.
"There are powerful cultivators up there. You, a little kid who hasn't even stepped into the world of cultivation, probably can't withstand the pressure they unconsciously emit. Stay hidden, and this cloak can protect you."
Indeed, that was the case. Ye Zhizhou sighed and gave up struggling, preparing to wait for the right moment to act once they reached the third floor.
Following the manager, they passed through several defensive formations and finally arrived at the legendary third floor.
The layout of the third floor was similar to the main hall, but it was more extravagantly decorated, and the seating between the guests' tables was more spacious.
"Thank goodness it's not like the private rooms on the second floor," Su Yin patted Ye Zhizhou's back, sounding more relaxed. "Being in the main hall makes it easier. We just need to find that tree and wait patiently until noon."
Ye Zhizhou wanted to poke his head out again but was stopped once more.
There were small formations set up around the tables on the third floor that allowed individuals to choose whether to reveal their true appearance or aura as needed. The manager carefully led Su Yin to a table in a corner and instructed, "This is a voice transmission charm. If you need anything, you can crush it to contact me. Remember, do not offend other guests. Understood?"
Su Yin nodded and handed over the bag containing the herbs.
After the manager left, Su Yin opened a gap in the cloak, pointed to the middle of the hall, and whispered, "Do you see it? That glowing plant on the platform should be the thousand-year-old Spirit Tree. We just need to keep an eye on it. Remember, the first person to pass by that tree at noon will be your future master."
Ye Zhizhou stared at the tree in shock. He couldn't believe it. The familiar aura, belonging to his beloved, was emanating from that tree! Furthermore, there was a faint scent of mint in the air on the third floor. It was unbelievable; could his beloved be a tree now? If so, it would explain why his beloved hadn't come to find him in three years. How could a tree find someone!
His mind raced, and he couldn't help but try to poke his head out again, attempting to use his spiritual power to explore.
"Behave yourself," Su Yin keenly noticed his unusual behavior and pushed him back inside, admonishing, "The weakest cultivators here are Nascent Soul stage old monsters. Your inexplicable burst of divine consciousness shouldn't be sent out recklessly; you might get overwhelmed. Don't get yourself in trouble."
Ye Zhizhou kept a stunned expression and didn't say a word, feeling distressed.
...I wonder if Ju Bao Ge sells the store's most precious treasure. If they do, how much would it cost? If they don't sell it, how close to death will I be if I steal the tree?
While they were talking, the auction downstairs continued, and an impromptu auction on the third floor also began.
"These are ten high-quality spiritual herbs, emitting a strong spiritual essence as soon as they were brought out. Esteemed guests, please."
Su Yin was almost choked on his spiritual tea. "A hundred spiritual stones to start? Are you kidding me? I've never seen so many spiritual stones in my life, and they're high-grade! These herbs are indeed excellent, but do they need to be this expensive?"
Ye Zhizhou kindly reminded him, "You don't understand alchemy, so you might not know. These herbs are used for refining the Infant Transformation Pill, and their quality is excellent. I have another batch with me, which I'll give you later. Have the Sect Master find a reliable alchemist to refine them for you, so you won't have to worry about the Infant Transformation stage in the future." Unfortunately, his own alchemy skills weren't yet at the level of refining the Infant Transformation Pill; otherwise, he could have directly helped Su Yin achieve it.
"You still have another batch?!" Even with a barrier in place, Su Yin dared to exclaim in shock, grabbing him and asking, "You need to be honest with me. Is that storage bag really something you found? With so many valuable things inside, you'd need to be at least in the Nascent Soul stage to collect them. There aren't any Nascent Soul cultivators around our mountain!"
"Well, it's actually something I dug up while catching loaches," Ye Zhizhou stared at him with wide eyes and made up a story. "I found a skeleton under the loach, and I was afraid you wouldn't let me go to the mountain to play anymore, so I kept it from you."
"A skeleton?" Su Yin furrowed his brows, his expression serious. "That should be the remains of a cultivator who met an unfortunate end... How did you handle the bones?"
"I buried them and even erected an unmarked tombstone."
"Good." Su Yin nodded, still with a serious expression. "If you take someone's belongings, you should properly bury them. It's a matter of cause and effect, understand?"
Ye Zhizhou nodded obediently, looking very well-behaved.
By the time they finished their conversation, the auction downstairs had already reached a thousand high-grade spiritual stones, and Su Yin's attention was quickly drawn away.
Through a gap in the cloak, Ye Zhizhou watched the glowing tree in the middle of the hall, feeling both astonished and heartbroken. His beloved appeared so formidable, but when he returned to his own world, he had become a helpless little tree, unable to run or speak. It just didn't make sense!
The auction upstairs continued, while downstairs, another item was about to be auctioned.
"The next item up for auction is a damaged ancient artifact called the 'Heaven-Connecting Mirror!'"
Although the real-time projection on the other side of the hall was showing the auction downstairs, no one on the third floor paid any attention to it, except for the two who were here just for the ride—Su Yin and Ye Zhizhou.
"The Heaven-Connecting Mirror?" Su Yin playfully tugged at Ye Zhizhou's bag, teasing, "Quick, your precious Heaven-Connecting Mirror is about to be auctioned. Do you want it? Shishu will bid for you."
The familiar handle shape, the familiar patterns, and even the cracks on the mirror's surface were familiar. Ye Zhizhou's breathing quickened, and he stared intently at the projection, tugging at Su Yin's sleeve.
"Bid! I want it!"
Ye Zhizhou, the unsuspecting victim, raised his hand to cover Su Yin's mouth. He waited until the manager announced the successful auction of the Heaven-Connecting Mirror and then pointed to the various high-level cultivators on the third floor who were still bidding. He spoke sincerely, "Shishu, we have money." So, there was no need to worry about those one hundred high-grade spiritual stones; they were just small change!
Su Yin was so frustrated that his forehead veins bulged. He pulled Ye Zhizhou's hand away, knocked him on the head, and decided to cold-shoulder him for a while.
In the end, the herbs were sold to an elder from the Linsen Sect for five thousand high-grade spiritual stones. Su Yin received the spiritual stones, paid for the Heaven-Connecting Mirror, and with trembling hands, handed the storage bag to Ye Zhizhou. "Hide this. Don't tell your future master about it, understand?"
Ye Zhizhou pushed it back and said, "Take it back to the sect to improve the cultivation environment for everyone. Qingcheng Sect is a small cultivation sect, and we live quite frugally. These spiritual stones will come in handy. If it weren't for me looking suspicious with so many good things, I would have already filled Qingcheng Sect's storage."
"No, you hold onto it," Su Yin insisted, patting his head. "You're still young. It's better to keep more valuable things with you... If only you could stay in the sect, but it's a pity..."
Ye Zhizhou pursed his lips and pushed the storage bag back into Su Yin's hands, muttering, "I still have another batch of herbs, and having too many valuable items doesn't make me feel at ease... Well, it's almost noon. Maybe no one will pass by, and then I can go back to be with everyone." Maybe the person passing by was actually the thousand-year Spirit Tree itself. In that case, all he needed to do was find a way to bring the Spirit Tree, possibly his beloved, back to Qingcheng Sect.
They fell silent as the auction downstairs gradually reached its climax, both waiting quietly for noon to arrive.
Not long after, the manager brought them the Heaven-Connecting Mirror they had won. Ye Zhizhou, who had been engrossed in thoughts of stealing trees, snapped back to reality, carefully accepted the box, took out the mirror, and touched it. He silently called out to it in his heart, then slumped his shoulders.
There was no response... If this wasn't the Heaven-Connecting Mirror, where was the real one? It looked so similar...
"Noon has arrived!" Su Yin suddenly nervously whispered. He quickly looked at the Spirit Tree, his eyes filled with anticipation of the moment the tree would transform into his beloved and come to reunite with him.
A terrifying pressure suddenly shrouded the entire third floor, and all the powerful cultivators who had been watching the auction downstairs were stunned, then grew nervous.
"This aura... could it be..."
"Impossible! Didn't that person ascend long ago?"
"Nonsense! With the amount of karma on him, he would surely be killed by the Heavenly Dao when ascending!"
"I heard... a hundred years ago, during the opening of the Ancient Profound Secret Realm, that person... went inside..."
"The Ancient Profound Secret Realm?! My goodness..."
At this moment, the powerful cultivators turned into ordinary low-level cultivators, discarding their mysterious and inscrutable appearances. They forgot about their secretive techniques, like telepathic communication, and started gossiping and whispering to each other like tea house patrons.
The pressure grew heavier, and the soundless wind whistled through the hall, making even Su Yin, who was only at the early Golden Core stage, hurriedly mobilize his spiritual energy to protect himself. He hugged Ye Zhizhou tightly and said, "Noon has passed, and no one has appeared. Senior Brother probably fooled us again. An old monster is coming. Let's go!"
Ye Zhizhou struggled to reach out towards the Spirit Tree. "No, let's go and take a look at that tree—"
Click, crack.
The thousand-year Spirit Tree, emitting a faint light, was crushed into a myriad of glowing powder right before his eyes by the terrifying pressure. Then, it exploded with a bang, scattering in the air.
"The tree... no!"