Earth Spirit Pill.
Its color was faintly yellow, giving it an aged, almost dusty appearance—yet among Earth Transformation cultivators, it was one of the most coveted pills in existence.
Swallowing a single Earth Spirit Pill could equal six months to a full year of cultivation for an Earth Transformation cultivator.
The exact effect depended on the level of one's cultivation method, the speed of refinement, and how well the body absorbed medicinal power.
Every time an Earth Spirit Pill appeared on the market, it triggered fierce competition among Earth Transformation experts—because sometimes, one pill was all it took to break through to the next realm.
Lei Yongbiao was the perfect example.His cultivation had been stuck at Earth Transformation First Layer for nearly ten years without advancing an inch. If he could obtain an Earth Spirit Pill, there was a high probability he would break through—especially if the pill had been refined by Lin Ye, whose craftsmanship made ordinary alchemists look like amateurs.
But Lin Ye had no intention of consuming them himself.
Instant Qi Pills were useful in battle.Using Earth Spirit Pills just to raise cultivation, however, was too crude and inefficient for him.
As he stepped out of the courtyard, dusk was already approaching. Lin Ye headed toward the Grand Prosperity Auction House.
Inside the Grand Prosperity Auction House — Conference Hall
A heated meeting was underway.
Xia Wei sat in silence while accusations flew.
Xia Yuan, a middle-aged man seated at the head of the table, slammed her mercilessly.
"Steward Xia Wei, you're truly generous. A Seven-Million-plus Five Tigers Cloud-Suppressing Cauldron, and you didn't even blink before handing it away as a gift."
"And now what? That man is a wanted criminal of the Wind-Thunder Sect! Seven million spirit stones—gone, wasted, vanished into thin air."
"This matter is entirely your responsibility!"
He spoke harshly, but inwardly he was delighted. Someone like Xia Wei, with this kind of mistake on her record, would have a far harder time inheriting the Xia Clan leadership.
Xia Yuan was one of the three chief stewards of the auction house, and also an elder of the Xia Clan.
After he finished, another middle-aged man spoke slowly. His hair was thinning, and his tone carried a more measured threat.
"Losing spirit stones is not the true issue."
"That Lin Ye is now a wanted criminal. If the Wind-Thunder Sect learns we supported him, they may hold a grudge against us as well."
"And there's another problem."
"The Five Tigers Cloud-Suppressing Cauldron was something Master Sanhuo of the Fire Cauldron Sect had already set his eyes on."
"But we failed to keep it."
"Yesterday, the Fire Cauldron Sect sent word—Master Sanhuo will arrive in Lei River City soon."
This second speaker was Xia Hui, another one of the three chief stewards.
He specialized in navigating relationships between major sects. Most of the auction house's external diplomacy had been handled by him.
Now, because of this one incident, the Xia Clan's relationship with the Fire Cauldron Sect had turned rigid—possibly to the point of total hostility.
Xia Yuan slammed the table again.
"Foolish beyond belief! Xia Wei, do you understand what you've done?"
"One careless move and you've pushed the Xia Clan into the abyss!"
Xia Wei's expression darkened. She hadn't expected the consequences to spiral to this extent.
But the urgent priority now was obvious:
Appease the Fire Cauldron Sect.
There was only one way.
They needed to find a cauldron even better than the Five Tigers Cloud-Suppressing Cauldron.
Xia Wei spoke slowly, her voice steady.
"I will take full responsibility. Every loss the auction house suffers, I will bear."
Xia Yuan sneered.
"Bear it? With what? How will you bear it?"
Xia Wei's eyes sharpened, cold and unwavering.
"Within three days, I will find an item comparable to the Five Tigers Cloud-Suppressing Cauldron and give Master Sanhuo an explanation."
"If I fail—then I will resign from my position as chief steward."
The room went silent.
Even the other senior figures were stunned.
That was not a promise—it was a life-betting military pledge.
If she failed, it wouldn't just be her position. Her entire future in the Xia Clan could collapse.
But Xia Yuan showed no mercy and seized the moment before she could reconsider.
"Good!"
"Everyone here will witness it."
"If three days pass and Xia Wei cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, then don't blame me for being heartless."
Xia Wei was young, but her rise to chief steward had come from two things:
her father, the clan head, nurturing her strongly
her own competence
But commerce was war, and every step could hide a trap.
This was no exception.
The Five Tigers Cloud-Suppressing Cauldron had very likely been deliberately concealed by Xia Yuan. He waited for Xia Wei to give it away or sell it—only then did he reveal it was already promised to Master Sanhuo.
If Xia Wei had known that fact, she would never have touched it.
She had been set up.
But she didn't waste time blaming others. Solving the crisis came first.
The meeting continued, shifting into discussions of other auction-house matters.
Outside the Auction House
Lin Ye was about to enter when two burly guards dressed in black blocked his way.
"Get lost. Our young master is inside," one of them barked.
Lin Ye had already changed out of his usual clothes. He wasn't wearing Wind-Thunder Sect robes anymore—he had killed too many people, and the bloodstains were not worth washing.
"Oh?" Lin Ye looked at the guard.
No one had ever dared block his path.
Thud. Thud.
Two muffled impacts.
Both guards were slammed to the ground like discarded sacks and sent tumbling into the street.
Lin Ye walked inside.
And immediately he saw that this "young master" traveled with quite the entourage.
Two lines of guards.Two lines of attendants.Standing in rigid formation.
Lin Ye narrowed his eyes.
"Is this young master crippled or something? Why does he need this many people serving him?"
A black-clad middle-aged man stepped forward. His face was stern, his eyes vicious.
He was the guard captain.
"Who allowed you in here?"
His expression hardened.
Had the two guards at the entrance been negligent and let someone slip through?
He waved his hand coldly.
"Spare him out of respect for the Xia Clan."
"Break his arms and legs and throw him out."
Seven or eight guards rushed at Lin Ye.
Lin Ye moved.
His body blurred past them like a gust of wind, and in the next instant he was in front of the captain.
The captain's pupils shrank.
He hadn't even seen Lin Ye's movement.
An assassin?!
He reached for the saber at his waist—
But Lin Ye's foot came down like a hammer.
Crack!
The captain's kneecap shattered.
He collapsed, dropping to his knees before he even understood what happened.
Before his body could steady, Lin Ye seized his hair.
Shing!
The saber was ripped from its sheath and ended up in Lin Ye's hand.
The blade pressed against the captain's throat.
"You… you're dead… you dare touch me—"
The captain was drenched in sweat. He was used to bullying others.
Now he was forced to kneel on the floor while a blade kissed his throat.
To him, it was worse than death.
He didn't believe Lin Ye would actually kill him.
"I'm—"
He was about to shout his background and status—
Lin Ye simply dragged the blade across.
Slash.
Blood surged into the man's throat.
He collapsed face-first onto the floor, convulsing as blood pooled beneath him.
Clang.
Lin Ye dropped the saber.
The surrounding guards froze in shock.
They had never seen someone slit a throat without hesitation.
And the man killed wasn't just anyone.
He was their captain.
Without anyone to command them, the guards panicked—some ran to report to the young master.
A voice thundered nearby.
"What is this commotion?!"
A young man in his twenties strode over—an auction house manager from the first-floor sales district.
His name was Xia Lianzhou.
And his father was none other than Xia Yuan, one of the three chief stewards.
Xia Lianzhou stepped forward and saw the black-clad captain lying in blood.
His face drained instantly.
"Instructor Yue!! What happened?!"
"Someone—quick! Send Instructor Yue to the medical hall!"
If they moved fast enough, the man might still survive. The blade didn't seem poisoned.
Then Xia Lianzhou's eyes snapped to Lin Ye.
A murderous aura erupted from him.
"You did this to Instructor Yue?!"
Lin Ye looked at him calmly.
Then he slapped him across the face.
Smack.
A crisp, ringing sound.
Lin Ye's voice was cold and contemptuous.
"Who do you think you're talking to?"