CHAPTER 564: CHAPTER 443 MAGNANIMITY

"Waiter, who is that spirited fellow up front?"

Gao Xuan called the waiter over to inquire.

The waiter cautiously glanced ahead and then whispered, "That is Li Xingyu, a true disciple of Profound Sun True Monarch."

Seeing the waiter’s cautious manner, Gao Xuan didn’t ask further.

As long as they’re from the Xuanzhen Sect, it’s not wrong to kill them.

It’s said the Xuanzhen Sect has over a hundred thousand disciples, most just following orders. The affair with the Five Elements Sect seemed unrelated to them.

However, that’s not the way to see it.

As Xuanzhen Sect disciples, they enjoy its benefits and work for it. They are one with the Xuanzhen Sect.

Just like Gao Xuan, as a disciple of the Five Elements Sect, is an adversary to the Xuanzhen Sect. Unless he surrenders, they are enemies. There’s no sentiment involved.

Gao Xuan sat quietly in the back watching the excitement, and the other cultivators also remained silent.

When Li Xingyu suddenly appeared, no one dared make any noise around him. As for the gossip, no one dared speak of it.

The entire auction felt stifling, and the old man hosting the auction tried to liven things up but to no avail.

The lack of atmosphere made the auction seem very dull.

Li Xingyu bid on two items. Once he opened his mouth, no one else dared to bid.

Until the finale item, the White Jade Gourd, appeared, the room remained silent.

The old auctioneer listlessly announced, "A spiritual artifact, the White Jade Gourd, starting at a thousand middle-grade spirit stones."

The room was silent. Even wealthy cultivators wouldn’t buy such a useless spiritual artifact.

When the auctioneer called out a third time, Li Xingyu suddenly raised a finger, "I’ll take it."

The auctioneer was a bit surprised and asked routinely, "Anyone else wish to bid?"

Even the auctioneer thought no one would dare bid against Li Xingyu as he raised his gavel to slam it down when Gao Xuan suddenly said, "One thousand one hundred middle-grade spirit stones."

Gao Xuan’s announcement drew attention from all sides. Everyone wanted to see who had the guts to challenge the prominent Li Xingyu.

Li Xingyu stood up and looked toward Gao Xuan. Though the seats in the back were dimly lit, he clearly saw Gao Xuan’s appearance.

The other person turned out to be a graceful young man with a jade-like demeanor, dressed as someone from the Jade Sword Sect in Fangzhang Province.

Li Xingyu was a bit surprised; he thought it was someone from the Celestial Secret Sect causing him trouble. Instead, it was an outsider cultivator.

The Jade Sword Sect is a major sect, but this is Penglai Province. What status does this person hold to dare openly trouble him?

The White Jade Gourd’s price increased by a hundred middle-grade spirit stones each time, but even one increase made Li Xingyu uncomfortable.

Li Xingyu cupped his hands toward Gao Xuan, "May I ask this fellow daoist’s name? I am Li Xingyu, a disciple of Profound Sun True Monarch of the Xuanzhen Sect. I bought this White Jade Gourd as a tribute for my master. Please show me some grace."

Gao Xuan sat without moving, smiled slightly, and said, "At the Wanbao Pavilion auction, the highest bidder wins. Fellow Daoist Li, if you want it, just increase your bid."

This remark was very impolite, giving no face to Li Xingyu, Xuanzhen Sect, or Profound Sun True Monarch.

Li Xingyu looked deeply at Gao Xuan and said, "You are right, fellow daoist; it was reckless of me."

He turned and sat down, ignoring Gao Xuan further.

This small conflict, however, made the atmosphere on-site extremely tense and oppressive.

The cultivators present didn’t even dare to breathe. Fortunately, their cultivation allowed them to hold their breath for a short time.

The old auctioneer glanced at Gao Xuan. He liked people raising bids, but it was obvious Gao Xuan was confronting Li Xingyu, potentially causing trouble for Wanbao Pavilion.

Listlessly, the old man asked, "One thousand one hundred spirit stones, does anyone want to increase the bid?"

"One thousand two." Li Xingyu coldly raised the bid.

"One thousand five."

Although Gao Xuan had some interest in the White Jade Gourd, he thought it too expensive. However, because Li Xingyu wanted it, he decided to play with him.

Li Xingyu didn’t bid further; he stood up and strode out. As he passed Gao Xuan, he stopped and sneered, "Fellow daoist, you’re generous, truly admirable."

Li Xingyu’s entourage also cast unfriendly glances at Gao Xuan. If it weren’t for the inappropriate occasion, they would have struck him down.

Li Xingyu flicked his sleeve and led his group out.

A waiter ran over and cautiously said, "Immortal Master, please come with me."

The waiter explained, "For the spiritual artifact, you need to deal directly with the shopkeeper."

Gao Xuan nodded and followed the waiter out.

As soon as Gao Xuan left, the group of cultivators couldn’t help but start discussing.

"Is this person courting death?"

"Xuanzhen Sect is all about tyranny. He’s provoked them, and it won’t end well."

"Xuanzhen Sect is currently on the rise; they won’t swallow this insult!"

"Youthful arrogance, youthful arrogance indeed..."

"He seems like an alien realm cultivator, but alas, such a promising talent is doomed in Penglai!"

The group of cultivators didn’t have high hopes for Gao Xuan’s fate. The spiritual artifact he bought for a hefty price would likely be handed to Li Xingyu for free.

However, intimidated by the Xuanzhen Sect’s influence, none dared to tell the tale. After all, they had no acquaintance with Gao Xuan.

This person brought ruin upon himself by offending Li Xingyu; no one else is to blame for his death.

In the world of cultivators, reality could indeed be this cruel.

Meanwhile, after handing over the spiritual artifact, the shopkeeper quietly said, "Fellow daoist, the artifact is expensive and may cause trouble. I have a passage to depart through the Ghost Market’s back door. What do you think?"

Gao Xuan thought for a moment and waved it off, "The Ghost Market has its rules. Who dares rob here, with how many heads?"

The shopkeeper shook his head, sighed, and said nothing further. He had said what he needed to; if the other refused to heed, it was none of his concern.

Gao Xuan fiddled with the White Jade Gourd for a while, and after a bit of refining, he had basically mastered it.

This spiritual artifact is quite interesting. Aside from other things, just the fact that it can hold an almost unlimited amount of water is magical.

Moreover, no matter how much water it holds, the gourd won’t get heavier. However, the speed at which the gourd absorbs and releases water is limited.

Gao Xuan studied it for a while and thought that using it in conjunction with the secret techniques of the Celestial Water Sect might be quite useful.

The White Jade Gourd, no larger than a palm, is exquisitely beautiful. Gao Xuan casually hung it on his waist sash, making it an attractive accessory.

With the White Jade Gourd hanging at his side, Gao Xuan strolled around the Ghost Market until dusk, and then found an inn to settle in for the night.

Naturally, the inns in the Ghost Market are expensive. Staying for a single day costs ten low-grade spirit stones.

If Yuanbao were staying here, she would be heartbroken.

Now that Gao Xuan was quite well-off, he didn’t mind this expense. He spent a comfortable night and enjoyed an expensive lunch in the afternoon.

After satisfying his hunger and thirst, Gao Xuan leisurely exited the Ghost Market through the main gate.

Upon leaving the grand old tree, Gao Xuan encountered two men in black Daoist robes, who immediately blocked his path.

Although many cultivators were coming and going around them, upon seeing the stance of these three, they stayed far away.

Gao Xuan raised an eyebrow, "Are you from the Xuanzhen Sect?"

One of the men in black robes said, "Our Senior Brother Li invites you over for a chat."

Gao Xuan smiled, "Alright, let’s go."

The two men in black robes were somewhat surprised as they had not expected Gao Xuan to agree so readily. They had been prepared with a full set of persuasive words.

After all, this was the Ghost Market, and although the Xuanzhen Sect was domineering, it could not openly break the rules here.

The two men in black robes simultaneously activated a Cyan Wood Boat and invited Gao Xuan on board.

The Cyan Wood Boat was obviously the same model as Jiang Lan’s, both being travel artifacts crafted by the Divine Craftsman Sect. Very handy and practical.

The Cyan Wood Boat sped along for more than half an hour, arriving at the top of a mountain peak.

Li Xingyu stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the mountain scenery. When Gao Xuan disembarked from the Cyan Wood Boat, he turned and smiled, "This fellow Daoist is quite bold. I must express my admiration."

He curiously asked again, "I wonder which sect this fellow Daoist belongs to?"

Gao Xuan didn’t answer this question. Instead, he asked in return, "Why did you bring me here?"

"My master loves to drink, and I wish to gift him the White Jade Gourd."

Li Xingyu smiled and said, "As long as you hand over the White Jade Gourd, I will let you leave."

"So, it turns out you wanted to rob me of my treasure," Gao Xuan sneered, "The renowned Xuanzhen Sect isn’t much, after all."

Li Xingyu nonchalantly said, "Cultivation goes against the Heavens. All this talk of benevolence and righteousness is but mortal concerns. We cultivators don’t fear the Heavenly Dao, so how could we be bound by mortals’ concerns?"

"You do have a point," Gao Xuan nodded, "and you’ve been very cautious, even inviting two Golden Core experts."

Li Xingyu smiled, "When doing bad deeds, one must be cautious."

Gao Xuan also smiled, "You’re right, one must be extra cautious when doing bad deeds."

He said this while patting the White Jade Gourd at his waist, and suddenly a large net woven from black light rose around him, about to envelop Gao Xuan.

With a turn of the invisible magnetic flame at his feet, Gao Xuan moved like a stream of light, instantly escaping the range of the black net and arriving directly in front of Li Xingyu.

Li Xingyu’s smile froze on his face. He didn’t even have time to think; the Profound Yin Magnetic Light Thunder Talisman in his hand was about to activate.

But he was too slow, and his mana was sluggish.

Gao Xuan was an assassin. After condensing his Golden Core, his mana surged, and with the Nine Peaks Profound Nether Celestial Robe and the Vermilion Bird Ring, he could cast most magic of the earth, water, and fire lines with a mere thought.

As Li Xingyu prepared to cast the Thunder Skill, Gao Xuan flicked his sleeve, and a thousand points of cold light shot out, instantly covering the entire group.

Upon encountering the magic attack, a thick layer of black light rose from Li Xingyu’s black Daoist robe, firmly surrounding him like a shield.

The Profound Yin Shield, a magic personally reinforced by his master Li Buyi, would automatically activate upon encountering a powerful mana attack.

The thousands of points of cold light were swallowed by the Profound Yin Shield, but the shield was torn with numerous cracks.

The second wave of piercing cold light left dozens of white dots on Li Xingyu’s body in an instant.

The Profound Nether Ice Qi penetrated Li Xingyu’s body, freezing his blood vessels and organs, freezing his divine soul.

In the blink of an eye, Li Xingyu became a block of ice emitting cold air.

The Profound Nether Ice Needle is the most vicious magic in the Celestial One Scripture. Gao Xuan’s activation with Golden Core realm power was certainly beyond what Li Xingyu could withstand.

If not for Li Buyi’s Profound Yin Shield, Li Xingyu would have perished in the first wave of the Profound Nether Ice Needles.

As for the dozen or so Daoists behind Li Xingyu, they were all pierced through by the Profound Nether Ice Needles, turning into ice statues on the spot.

"Stop!"

A man and a woman in black Daoist robes emerged from behind Gao Xuan, but they were a step too late, frozen to death from the waist down along with Li Xingyu and the others.

The two Daoists were Golden Core Dao Companions, and with a discerning eye, they immediately saw that Li Xingyu and the others had their divine souls extinguished and were beyond saving.

The lead male, with a rugged face, broad shoulders, and long arms, carried a large longsword on his back. His voice was firm and strong, exuding the demeanor of a high master, "Profound Nether Ice Needle? Are you from the Celestial Water Sect?"

The woman beside the man was stunningly beautiful, and a pair of Red Copper Wheels hung at her waist. Her face was also full of seriousness, her Daoist robe layered with brilliant flowing lights, evidently ready to strike at any moment.

Gao Xuan hadn’t met these two before, but he had heard of them. After all, there weren’t many Golden Core Dao Companions in Penglai Province.

He gave a slight smile to the pair, "You should have said so sooner. I couldn’t stop in time. These fellows were also a bit weak. With the magnanimity of high masters, surely you won’t blame me?"

This pair of Golden Core Dao Companions looked even more disgruntled. This kid not only killed people but was also so obnoxious! Truly detestable!