CHAPTER 447: WEALTHY AND MAGNIFICENT, LEADER OF THE XUAN GATE

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In Emerald Water City, Lan Chang'an had patiently waited for nearly two years.

Because he had sealed his spiritual power and isolated the Evergreen Dao Fruit, he couldn’t cultivate during that time.

Two months before the Central Region Auction, he was quietly crouching near the Bishan Sect.

That day, high above the sect’s mountain gate, a wave of light resembling deep azure water rippled through the sky, blending with the clear blue.

Amid the spiritual pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator, a serene and graceful woman in green robes appeared in Lan Chang'an’s senses.

She looked to be in her twenties, her eyes as clear as a tranquil spring, exuding an air of purity and ethereal grace, a beauty untouched by the mundane world.

“Bishan Sect’s True Monarch Tian, the Jade Water Fairy...”

Lan Chang'an only glanced out of the corner of his eye, careful not to alert the keen perception of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

As he had expected, this once-in-twenty-years Central Region auction had prompted Bishan Sect to send a significant figure.

According to the intel, this Jade Water Fairy was Cyanwood True Monarch’s closest confidante, the two had shared trials and deep camaraderie, perhaps even a subtle emotional bond.

However, despite their long years together, the two had never acted overly intimate in public, nor shown signs of a romantic relationship.

“Cyanwood True Monarch, are you truly willing to let your closest junior sister go out alone...?”

Lan Chang'an’s gaze flickered, his thoughts swirling.

To some extent, this Jade Water Fairy was like Cyanwood’s kindred spirit, not unlike the bond Lan Chang'an once had with Zhao Siyao.

Still, Jade Water Fairy wasn’t entirely alone.

She was accompanied by two or three Core Formation elders and Nascent Soul seeds.

After watching their figures vanish into the distance, Lan Chang'an didn’t rush into pursuit. Instead, he used divination arts to calculate their movement and significance.

Certainly, he could intercept or capture them mid-journey with a high chance of success.

But if he struck down a Nascent Soul cultivator, he would surely expose his identity, which would immediately alert Cyanwood True Monarch.

And Jade Water Fairy wasn’t a newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator, within the Righteous Dao Alliance, she’d rank among the stronger early-stage Nascent Souls, far beyond the likes of someone like Yin Yuanhai.

Bishan Sect, being a top-tier sect of the Central Region, had deeper heritage than even the Golden Sun Sect of the Righteous Dao Alliance, and had produced multiple mid-stage Nascent Soul giants in its history.

If Cyanwood and the sect’s senior were confident enough to send her out, they’d surely provided her with powerful life-saving treasures. She might even have the ability to escape from a mid-stage Nascent Soul ambush.

“At present, Cyanwood True Monarch likely has no idea I’ve arrived in the Central Region and am lurking near Bishan Sect.”

“Jade Water True Monarch has gone out to attend the auction on Cyanwood’s behalf, likely to purchase materials for refining his new defensive magical treasures...”

After a round of divination, Lan Chang'an reached a general conclusion:

Cyanwood was still holed up, unwilling to expose himself. The task of obtaining materials had been handed off to Jade Water.

It was, admittedly, a prudent move.

Cyanwood likely assumed that Lan Chang'an wouldn’t rashly make a move against Jade Water Fairy.

Lan Chang'an turned his sharp, icy gaze back toward Bishan Sect.

The mountain gate was built atop a mid-grade fourth-rank spiritual vein, and the sect’s protective grand formation had been activated, loose on the outside, but tight within.

“Now that the sect is missing one Nascent Soul guardian, its defenses must be slightly weakened…”

Lan Chang'an continued calculating, assessing the odds of a successful infiltration and assassination.

The result made his brows furrow.

Even with one Nascent Soul gone, infiltrating and assassinating remained nearly as difficult as before.

There was a hidden force of fate shrouding the sect, blocking clear divination and increasing resistance to his calculations.

“As a major sect in the Central Region, the Bishan Sect surely possesses treasures or rare artifacts that obscure fate. Cyanwood has already suffered twice, he surely expected I’d have the assistance of a fourth-rank diviner and prepared accordingly…”

“Moreover, there’s still True Monarch Chen, a veteran Nascent Soul cultivator at the peak early-stage, holder of the sect’s guardian treasure and the mid-grade fourth-rank grand formation…”

At that, Lan Chang'an ceased his divination and made his decision.

The Central Region was Cyanwood’s home turf, with trusted allies and layers of protection, which was no surprise.

If this were the Righteous Dao Alliance, Lan Chang'an would have many allies of his own. Aside from his closest confidants like Zhang Tianfeng and Fairy Xia, even Sect Master Liang and Chu Tianfeng would likely support him if called upon.

A short while later, Lan Chang'an departed from the Bishan Sect and began trailing Jade Water Fairy and her group of four.

Because she was traveling with three Core Formation cultivators, her flying speed wasn’t as fast as an unburdened Nascent Soul cultivator, making it much easier to track them.

After careful consideration, Lan Chang'an abandoned the plan to infiltrate and assassinate. It was too risky with serious consequences.

He possessed Cyanwood’s corpse-skin, allowing him to track and divine the general direction without haste.

Since Cyanwood was focused on crafting a new defensive treasure, he would remain hidden for a while longer, so he could use this as an entry point.

...

The Central Region Auction was to be held in Five Spirit City, the number one immortal city in all of Great Qing.

Five massive spiritual mountains surrounded an ancient greenstone city, its outer layers veiled in mist, with the five-element grand array shimmering in colorful waves of energy within.

Several days later, Jade Water Fairy and her group entered the city. Lan Chang'an did not follow further.

Along the way, he memorized the aura signature of the female Nascent Soul cultivator.

Five Spirit City was now bustling with its largest gathering in twenty years, high-level cultivators from across Great Qing converged here.

Among them were even a few Demonic Path cultivators hiding their identities.

Centuries ago, the Ten Sects of the Xuan Gate had defeated the Six Demonic Sects, driving them out of the Central Region and reaching a peace accord to each mind their own business.

There were no explicit rules forbidding Demonic Path cultivators from attending the auction.

Five Spirit City did not strictly screen the identities of visiting cultivators. Backed by one of Great Qing’s top-tier arrays, they had enough confidence to handle potential threats.

Within this context, an elderly man in a straw raincoat from another region smoothly entered the city.

He found lodging in a local inn and began quietly gathering information about the auction and its major players.

Such behavior was commonplace and went unnoticed amid the sea of cultivators in Five Spirit.

Over the next two days, the raincoat elder changed identities multiple times, purchasing bits of intel from several intelligence networks in the city.

“Tian Zhi Pavilion? They have a branch even here in the Central Region? Not simple at all...”

The elder hesitated briefly, ultimately choosing not to enter this mysterious intelligence group, one he had dealt with in the Eastern Region.

While collecting information, the elder also kept a close eye on the movements of Jade Water Fairy and her entourage but as of yet, nothing unusual.

She had interacted briefly with a few Nascent Soul cultivators from the Xuan Gate faction, though the details were unknown.

...

Three days later, the number of high-level cultivators gathered in Five Spirits City reached its peak.

The Central Region Auction was jointly hosted by several top-tier merchant guilds of the Great Qing.

Due to the sheer number of auction items and participants, the auction was scheduled to last for three days.

The third day was reserved for high-level cultivators, including quite a few Nascent Soul stage old monsters.

At the auction venue, bidding voices occasionally echoed, carrying an intangible sense of majesty and oppression.

Whenever a Nascent Soul cultivator bid, their powerful spiritual sense would sweep through the room, making the surrounding Core Formation cultivators tense up, as if sitting on pins and needles.

“Any higher bids?”

“If not… this fine-quality Heavenly Tribulation Umbrella will go to this Fellow Daoist.”

The auctioneer, an elderly man with white hair, glanced with slight curiosity at the elderly man in the straw raincoat.

“Fellow Daoist from afar, might you give a little face to Windcloud Hall? This Heavenly Tribulation Umbrella is urgently needed by my personal disciple.”

From a distant suspended viewing platform, a middle-aged Nascent Soul cultivator in a wide dark yellow robe sat as still as a boulder. His voice, like muffled thunder, rumbled down from the heavens.

“My granddaughter needs the Heavenly Tribulation Umbrella as well to resist the tribulation lightning.”

The old man in the straw raincoat seemed displeased with the man’s overbearing tone and responded with mockery:

“What’s this? One of the Top Ten Xuan Sects in the Central Region, yet Windcloud Hall can’t outbid a loose cultivator from the Southern Region, and now wants to use status to suppress others?”

“Hmph! Hiding your identity, do you dare report your name? Are you perhaps a disguised demonic cultivator?!”

The Nascent Soul cultivator from Windcloud Hall, his thick brows furrowed and eyes flashing with cold light, swept his powerful spiritual sense across the straw-coated elder.

The tension between the two drew the attention of many cultivators in the auction hall.

A few other Nascent Soul cultivators turned their eyes toward the old man with curiosity.

Although Windcloud Hall ranked toward the bottom among the Ten Xuan Sects, its reputation for aggressive conduct and hatred of evil was well known.

“Ridiculous.”

The old man snorted coldly, unfazed by the overwhelming spiritual pressure from the Windcloud cultivator. A faint searing flame aura emanated from him.

Instead, it was the Windcloud Hall cultivator who let out a muffled grunt, his face paling slightly as his spiritual sense was forcefully repelled, nearly injuring his soul.

“That man’s spiritual sense is nearly at mid-Nascent Soul level! He just made True Monarch Leiming of Windcloud Hall suffer a hidden loss.”

“A fire-elemental cultivator? From which part of the Southern Region?”

“The Southern Region is riddled with volcanoes and harsh terrain. Fire-element cultivators are especially common. If one hasn’t spent years in that region, it’s hard to guess this old man’s origins.”

Amidst the whispered discussions of the high-level cultivators, the Heavenly Tribulation Umbrella was successfully won by the mysterious elder in the straw raincoat.

True Monarch Leiming from Windcloud Hall sat there, his expression grim but restrained.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to raise the bid again but the current price had already greatly exceeded the item’s value, and the auctioneer had set specific conditions that bidders who could provide two rare materials would be prioritized. Leiming couldn’t, but the straw-coated elder could.

Moreover, the latter’s spiritual sense was stronger than his, and the fire-elemental aura was clearly not from the demonic path, making Leiming's earlier accusations seem unfounded.

Even from a rules perspective, the Central Region Auction does not explicitly forbid demonic cultivators.

...

As the auction progressed toward its finale, the quality of items being offered steadily increased, many were items desired by Nascent Soul cultivators, including materials and spiritual items at fourth-rank and above.

During this period, the old man in the straw raincoat made two more bids, each one assertive and forceful, outshining the competition and drawing considerable attention.

Not only was he lavishly wealthy, but he could also produce rare and obscure materials sought by the auction’s commissioner.

Even those who lost to him accepted defeat willingly.

One such item was a fourth-rank fire-element spirit herb, for which the elder paid a significantly inflated price, reinforcing the image of him as a fire-element Nascent Soul elder from the Southern Region.

In a suspended viewing platform on the other side, Jade Water Fairy sat with three Core Formation cultivators of the Bishan Sect.

She couldn’t help but notice the straw-coated elder with some admiration and envy.

“If I had his kind of wealth, I wouldn’t have to pinch every coin while helping Brother Cyanwood forge his life-saving magical treasure…”

A thought stirred in her heart.

“This Southern elder is so generous, he might’ve unearthed some ancient ruins or perilous forbidden zone. Maybe… he has the very wood-element materials that Brother Cyanwood needs.”

Unbeknownst to her, she was also one of the targets of the straw-coated elder’s attention.

During this auction, Jade Water Fairy had made a modest harvest, acquiring only a single piece of fourth-rank spiritual wood at a steep price.

There were two crucial materials she had desperately needed for refining but lost the bid for one, which was taken by the straw-coated elder.

Jade Water Fairy was secretly annoyed, but his bid had exceeded hers by over 30%, leaving her with no room to complain.

After the auction concluded, the old man in the straw raincoat unhurriedly received his three items after making full payment in spirit stones and materials.

Besides the fire-elemental herb, which he didn’t plan to use, both the refining material and the Heavenly Tribulation Umbrella were highly useful.

The umbrella was intended for Profound Water Turtle to survive its Heavenly Lightning Tribulation in the future.

Back when Lan Chang'an underwent his own tribulation, his Thunder-Dissolving Pearl had been destroyed. Though he still had some charms and treasure to resist thunder, none matched the umbrella’s quality.

For spiritual beasts, their lightning tribulations are even harsher than those of human cultivators and cannot be taken lightly.

As for the unused fire-element herb, it was extremely rare in the coastal Great Yuan region, and could be resold for at least twice the price.

After traversing two major cultivation realms, and having slain many Nascent Soul cultivators, not to mention the post-war spoils from the Demonic war, Lan Chang'an was practically overflowing with wealth.

The resources and rare materials in his possession vastly surpassed that of most Nascent Soul cultivators.

Through the use of the Hundred Illusions Mask, Lan Chang'an had disguised himself as a fire-elemental Nascent Soul cultivator.

The disguise was so convincing because the fourth life Master Lihuo's shadow had descended.

Master Lihuo had been a classic fire-element cultivator.

Additionally, Lan Chang'an carried backup fire-element talismans and the top-grade spirit treasure, the Purple Gourd.

Of course, Nascent Soul cultivators with powerful spiritual senses might notice something off. But at most, they would detect some disguise, without him making a move, it would be very difficult to pierce his true identity.

...

“Fellow Daoist from the Southern Region, please wait a moment!”

Just as Lan Chang'an stepped out of the auction venue, a warm, magnetic male voice called out from behind.

The speaker was a refined man with pale skin, dressed in a dark blue long robe, his black hair tied neatly. He looked to be in his thirties and carried the air of an elegant scholar.

Lan Chang'an recognized the man, it was a Nascent Soul cultivator who served as a protector for one of the merchant guilds behind the auction.

During the auction, regardless of whether they were from the major sects of the Central Region or other regions, many Nascent Soul old monsters seemed acquainted with this man and addressed him as “True Monarch Ai¹.”

“So it’s True Monarch Ai of the Tianhe Merchant Association. What guidance might you have for this old man?”

The straw-cloaked elder Lan Chang'an in disguise, spoke calmly and without expression.

“Oh? Fellow Daoist knows me? May I ask how I should address you?”

True Monarch Ai wasn’t surprised that Lan Chang'an recognized him. As a core figure of the Tianhe Merchant Association, the number one merchant guild in Great Qing, he had dealings with high-ranking cultivators from all five regions.

“This old man’s surname is Jing.”

“So it’s Fellow Daoist Jing! Upon seeing you, I had a strange sense of familiarity, have we met somewhere before?”

True Monarch Ai scrutinized the elder with a hint of curiosity, trying to strike up a friendly talk.

“Haha! Decades ago, I did catch a glimpse of True Monarch Ai from afar, though you didn’t quite look as you do today.”

Lan Chang'an laughed it off, vaguely brushing off the question.

After some polite small talk, True Monarch Ai got to the point:

“Every Central Region Auction attracts high-level cultivators from all over Great Qing. After this once-in-twenty-years event, a few like-minded individuals and I host a Nascent Soul Exchange Gathering, where more private and high-level trades take place.”

“Though the exchange is primarily centered in the Central Region, we also invite capable Fellow Daoists from the other regions.”

“I see! May I ask which fellow Nascent Soul cultivators will be participating this time?”

Lan Chang'an was delighted internally but maintained a casual tone.

He had deliberately acted wealthy and showcased rare resources during the auction to pique the interest of Central Region cultivators. He had long known about this post-auction Nascent Soul exchange through his intelligence network.

“Hehe, this time, we’ve invited quite a few legendary figures of Great Qing.”

“For example, True Monarch Lingyu of the Star Pavilion, Dragon Subduing True Monarch from Dragon-Tiger Mountain… even the Medicine King himself is currently in Five Spirits City and has accepted our invitation.”

“Tsk tsk… Such grand figures! I’ve long admired them.”

Lan Chang'an expressed sincere admiration and readily accepted the invitation.

True Monarch Ai wasn’t just inviting Lan Chang'an. He handed him an invitation slip, exchanged a few more words, and then departed.

The Nascent Soul Exchange Gathering was to be held that very night, so there was no rush for now.

“True Monarch Lingyu…”

Lan Chang'an tucked away the invitation slip, the name stirring strong memories.

Hundreds of years ago, a child of fortune emerged from the Jing Kingdom, which was then part of the Righteous Dao Alliance. That prodigy journeyed to the Central Region, the most prosperous region in Great Qing, and eventually became a Nascent Soul cultivator under an ancient sect.

Thanks to his presence, the relatively weak Jing Kingdom became a neutral trade-centric cultivation nation in the region.

Later, this chosen one, under the pretext of protecting his homeland, intervened in the Demonic War.

His most dazzling feat was defeating and gravely wounding the Sect Master Meng of Beast King Valley in a single battle.

It was also rumored that he once had a secret duel with the Master of the Unseen Gate, though the exact outcome was unknown to the world.

Over the years, as Lan Chang'an rose to become a leader within the Righteous Dao Alliance, and through private exchanges with True Monarch Jue Ying, he had learned the truth:

That battle ended in mutual defeat.

In other words, even back then, True Monarch Lingyu possessed the strength to stand on equal footing with the leaders of the Demonic Sects.

From Lan Chang'an’s perspective, True Monarch Lingyu was likely stronger than the Unseen Gate Master.

First, the Unseen Gate Master never engaged opponents directly, preferring surprise assassinations.

The Golden Moon True Monarch of the Proud Moon Palace, for instance, was killed in a single strike by the Unseen Gate Master while disguised, not even having time to escape with her Nascent Soul.

Of course, stealth and assassination were strengths in their own right.

Second, True Monarch Lingyu reappeared in the Central Region only a few years after that battle, fully recovered.

In contrast, the Unseen Gate Master remained in seclusion for many years, and his recovery took far longer.

Now, after so many years, True Monarch Lingyu had become a leading figure among the Ten Great Xuan Sects.

...

Twilight thickened as the moon ascended to its zenith.

At the heart of Five Spirits City, within the fourth-rank spiritual vein forbidden ground owned by the Tianhe Merchant Association, stood a scenic island nestled at the center of a lake.

Within half an hour, over a dozen streaks of Nascent Soul light descended one after another onto the island's secluded cave residence.

Far away, cloaked in darkness several dozen li away, Lan Chang'an, using the concealment power of his Black Wind Cloak, hid in the shadows.

Until a certain moment arrived.

He caught sight of a familiar stream of aqua-blue light, descending precisely onto the heart of the forbidden area, the lake island.

“She’s here.”

Lan Chang'an’s heart stirred with joy, though he made no move yet.

“Heh, Jade Water Fairy has arrived!”

“True Monarch Tian, why didn’t your sect’s ‘True Monarch Cyanwood’ come to this exchange?”

On an open-air plaza atop the island, one or two dozen Nascent Soul cultivators were seated.

Upon seeing Jade Water Fairy’s arrival, several cultivators stood up and greeted her. Others, old monsters of the Nascent Soul realm, remained seated and unmoved.

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Jade Water Fairy found a cushion and sat down.

She quietly observed the gathering. Over seventy percent were familiar faces. The ones she didn’t recognize were mostly from other regions.

The territory of Great Qing was vast. Even within the Central Region, there were many peers she hadn’t met, not to mention Nascent Soul cultivators from the far corners of the other four regions.

Jade Water Fairy’s delicate brows knit slightly as she recalled the mysterious straw-cloaked elder from the auction, the one who had flaunted immense wealth, formidable cultivation, and possessed a treasure trove of rare resources.

Given his power and financial strength, it was highly likely he would’ve received an invitation to this exchange.

Of course, some cultivators disliked such events, or had their own private circles. Even if invited, they might not attend.

In fact, it wasn’t just Jade Water Fairy looking forward to the elder’s arrival.

A fellow cultivator with rare resources and deep pockets was always welcome at a Nascent Soul gathering.

Moreover, every Central Region exchange carried an inherent advantage for local cultivators. Even if they couldn’t fleece an outer-region fat sheep every time, they could often walk away with a favorable deal.

...

As the start time for the Central Region’s Nascent Soul Exchange drew near, at the very last moment:

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two streams of light flew almost simultaneously toward the island in the lake.

“True Monarch Lingyu has arrived!”

On the island, cultivators from all regions fell silent for a breath, then stood up in unison to greet him.

One of the streaks of light shone like a blazing star, its deep blue glow subtly tugging at the lunar tides above, shaking the starry sky itself.

Buzz—

As the starlight slowly receded, it revealed a silver-haired man clad in a constellation robe. He appeared unusually young, his handsome, youthful looks defied his true age.

His sharp, marble-chiseled features carried an icy elegance. His starry eyes were vast and profound, and at the center of his brow shimmered a faint blue star-shaped mark, exuding a noble and mysterious aura.

Though True Monarch Lingyu didn’t deliberately release his spiritual pressure, the entire group of Nascent Soul cultivators on the island could feel an oppressive force bearing down from the night sky.

Even among mid-stage Nascent Soul giants, their aura was clearly suppressed.

True Monarch Lingyu paid no mind to the welcoming greetings from True Monarch Ai, Dragon Subduing True Monarch, True Monarch Leiming, and the rest.

“Hmm?”

His sharp gaze instinctively swept to the lower side where the straw-cloaked elder, whose presence was completely obscured by the starlight, had arrived at the same moment.

When did this old man get here? He had seamlessly merged into the starry night, and yet he hadn't noticed?

“Hmm?”

The elder had the exact same reaction, glancing at Lingyu True Monarch with a trace of surprise.

Lan Chang'an was slightly startled. When had this man appeared in the night sky? I’ve been hiding here for ages and didn't sense him.

And what’s with this guy… does he have some condition where he must show up at the last possible second?

After their simultaneous 'Hm?' the two of them instinctively locked eyes and in that brief instant, each saw in the other’s gaze the same trace of unexpected alarm.