"What? He bought the Nine Heavens Earth-Breath Crystals for me?"
Fang Han stiffened for a moment, genuinely shocked—but none of that showed on his face. He merely waved his hand with practiced calm. "I understand. Please thank that old acquaintance of mine. I'll meet him once the auction concludes."
As he spoke, a casual sweep of his sleeve sent the tray of Earth-Breath Crystals vanishing into his robe and slipping directly into the Yellow Springs Diagram.
"Not bad at all—authentic Nine Heavens Earth-Breath Crystals. Shame there isn't more. If you had an entire room full of this sand, your Yellow Emperor Earth Emperor Art could be pushed to perfection. You'd even birth Wutu Earth Thunder."
Yan turned the crystals over in his ghostly claws inside the diagram, inhaling deeply. "Back in the treasury of the Yellow Springs Demon Sect, we had piles of this stuff. One day we should return and take a look."
"Where is that treasury?" Fang Han asked immediately.
"Deep underground. Our sect once had a mountain gate ten times the size of the Feathered Immortal Palace. Endless folded space, countless sealed halls—more treasure and pills than you can imagine. But you can't go now. After the Yellow Springs Emperor died, the sect fractured. The remaining elders guard the place like starving wolves. Without enough power, you'd be captured and refined alive."
Yan chuckled darkly. "The Diagram is the key to the treasury. Without it, they can't even open the first Soul Gate…"
"I already know who bought the crystals for me," Fang Han said suddenly.
"Oh? Who?" Yan perked up. "Your appearance is still disguised by the Mirage Technique. Ordinary people can't recognize you. Someone who can—and casually spends thirty million—can't be simple. Even Fang Qingxue wouldn't do that."
"I'll tell you later. I'm seventy percent sure, but I want to verify it." Fang Han's voice lowered. "But one thing is clear—this Meng Shaobai is fouling the water. He's saving every coin for the final pure-yang treasure. The real war hasn't started yet."
Yan nodded. "So his wealth isn't endless after all. My guess? A few hundred million at most. Maybe a billion."
"Hmph. Someone who spends more than he earns can't compare to me—I mint wealth every day." Fang Han snorted.
Green-brow and Thirteen Maiden exchanged glances. "So Daoist isn't a rootless wanderer after all," Thirteen Maiden said. "In that case, our Tiandao Pavilion is willing to offer interest-free credit. Repayment in Nascent Soul Pills only. This," she gestured to the towering elder behind her, "is our Pavilion Elder, Senior Gu Meng. All matters can be handled by him."
Fang Han had already sensed the man's terrifying presence. The elder's hunched back wasn't deformity—it was concentrated destructive gang-qi, compressed so heavily it warped his posture.
Even the two women from Linglong Blessed Land bowed respectfully. "Senior Gu Meng."
"His Divine Ability has reached the Ninth Layer—Heaven and Earth Dharma Form," Thirteen Maiden said softly. "He seeks cooperation with you, Daoist Fang. Protection, loans, resources."
Fang Han felt a chill. He could fight a Golden Core master. He could run from an Eight-Layer Wind-Fire Tribulation expert.
But a Ninth-Layer Dharma Manifestation master?
He wouldn't even get away.
"To Linglong Immortal Sovereign, offer my greetings," Gu Meng said courteously to the two women.
They immediately offered their own bargain. "Our Linglong Blessed Land can loan one hundred million," Lianyun said.
"Tiandao Pavilion can loan two hundred million," Gu Meng countered with a mild smile. "Same exchange rate—one Nascent Soul Pill for two hundred White Sun Pills."
"Enough." Fang Han raised his hand before the competition escalated. "Business is business. For now, let this matter rest. I do have a small gesture, though—please accept it."
He flicked a sleeve. Three towers of pills materialized in the air—each formed from ten thousand Nascent Soul Pills, shimmering as they floated to the three guests.
"A million-value greeting gift," Gu Meng murmured. "Daoist Fang is truly generous."
He accepted without hesitation. So did the two women—none of them brought up loans again.
At that moment, a ripple surged through the auction venue.
A new treasure had been brought out—its fiery glow and crackling arcs instantly drawing all eyes.
"Fire-Essence Thunder Sand," someone whispered. A treasure that lets a fire-element practitioner instantly perfect their technique and generate genuine Fire-Essence Divine Thunder. Useless for Fang Han's Red Emperor Flame Sovereign Qi, though, so he didn't bid.
A few rounds later, the elder in the Myriad Swords Robe bought it for a million.
More treasures followed in dazzling succession—rare ores, ancient herbs, exotic beasts, even a six-winged Rift-Sky Beast capable of shattering evil spirits with a roar. Another million gone.
But Fang Han moved not a muscle. He was waiting.
Everyone was.
Even Meng Shaobai hadn't stirred.
And the mysterious child-voiced bidder who'd bought the crystals for him had remained silent.
Then—an eruption of commotion.
The final item had been revealed.
The attendants brought it out uncovered, so the entire hall could see.
A ship.
A miniature ancient tower-ship, three feet long, nine tiers tall, each level crafted with impossible detail—cabins, balconies, murals, incense burners, tiny chambers as intricate as a real vessel.
Its entire body glowed with a translucent sky-blue radiance, pure and clean as higher-realm daylight. Countless runes flowed through its structure like living streams of light, and the pure-yang force rolling out of it made the air feel like the heart of a miniature sun.
The ship thrummed with silent majesty.
It tugged at every gaze.
It whispered Take me.
Possess me.
"Good heavens…" Fang Han drew in a sharp breath. Judging from aura alone, this ship surpassed the Five-Prison King Cauldron. It was on the verge of becoming a Dao-artifact. With a century or two of refinement by a Longevity expert, it would surpass even the Blood-Night King.
"Now this is a treasure," Yan muttered, stunned. "The pure-yang energy is so thick even I could evolve another level from it. Too bad you only have sixty million—this won't go cheap. For Tiandao Pavilion to sell something like this… outrageous!"
The auctioneer's voice rang out:
"This is an ancient miracle—the Great Brahma Luminous Ark. According to archaic records, it was forged by an otherworldly master to traverse the Great Thousand Worlds and escape a celestial calamity. Though unfinished, its power rivals Dao-artifacts!"
The hall exploded into uproar. The bidding war was about to begin.