At this moment, only the servant remained, his heart pounding wildly. Clearly, his master had already been taken down by the other side. What fate could possibly await him?

Slash!

Ding Fan didn't waste words, and another wind blade directly resolved the situation.

Now, Ding Fan was very close to Panyang Town, swiftly heading toward it, his feet propelled by wind, harsh and rapid sounds accompanying him...

The streets of Panyang Town had been bustling with traffic and people in recent days, a continuous stream of activity, among them many wealthy outsiders clad in luxurious silks and satins.

Ding Fan walked along the street, observing these leisurely pedestrians, understanding that they were likely drawn by the auction. The topic of the slave auction about to be held was the most discussed among the crowd, with intense and entertaining conversations...

"Have you heard? It's said Qing Mei will appear at this auction. We'll have a feast for the eyes!"

"Really? That's wonderful! Who would've thought that Qing Mei would get caught here? I'm afraid those rich young fellows will fight tooth and nail!"

"Not just that, it's entirely possible for a big fight to break out. After all, Qing Mei is a goddess here; whoever can get that little girl will enjoy a year of happiness..."

"There won't be a big fight! You must know that the auction is jointly hosted by several sects nearby. Even Spirit Severing Stage cultivators are present at the auction!"

"Ah! Spirit Severing Stage experts? That's a bit exaggerated! Is it necessary to have such grand formation for just an auction?"

"What did you think? Since several sects are hosting, they must maintain order!"

"..."

A few male cultivators in a corner of the street discussed the auction heatedly, feeling both surprise and shock. Clearly, the existence of Qing Mei was a pleasant surprise for everyone, while the presence of Spirit Severing Stage cultivators was rather startling; after all, it was merely an auction, yet Spirit Severing Stage cultivators were present!

Through casual observation in the street, Ding Fan also noticed quite a few cultivators taking interest in Spirit Severing Stage cultivators. These cultivators didn't focus on matters of romance but rather were keen on cultivation accomplishments, though Ding Fan discovered no sign of any experts despite wandering Panyang Town.

This was merely an ordinary town; throughout half a day's journey in town, Ding Fan only spotted an elder at the Emergence Stage, indicating Emergence Stage cultivation was the peak here. Thus, he could well understand why cultivators were so shocked by Spirit Severing Stage cultivators.

After all, seeing a Spirit Severing Stage cultivator here wasn't easy.

As for Spirit Severing Stage cultivators, Ding Fan wasn't much concerned. Now, his main worry was the safety of Gusu Qingwen. If Qing Mei was Qing Wen, she might have been seized and was awaiting auction. Ding Fan naturally had to find a way to rescue Qing Wen.

As for those Spirit Severing Stage cultivators, if anyone dared stand in his way, he'd simply slay them.

Currently, Ding Fan's strength made killing a Spirit Severing Initial Stage cultivator no issue. With his power, even handling a Spirit Severing Middle Stage cultivator wasn't impossible, and having the Frost Toad as a trump card meant he feared no Tribulation Stage cultivators!

However, after making inquiries, Ding Fan learned the auction would be held tonight at an underground martial arts arena in Panyang Town, less than two hours from now, indicating significant difficulty if he intended to rescue Qing Mei before the auction.

Within his heart, Ding Fan wasn't fully confident, as Panyang Town was relatively unfamiliar to him, and he'd heard the auction was jointly hosted by several sects. Ding Fan believed these so-called sects were likely small ones.

But even small sects, several combined, shouldn't be underestimated.

Yet, Ding Fan headed directly toward that underground arena, having already found its location. Ding Fan didn't care who hosted the auction; if Qing Mei was Gusu Qingwen, he was determined to bring her out.

While walking, Ding Fan unwittingly arrived at a small alley based on prior information. In this alley, the road was paved with red bricks and wasn't very wide, about two meters across, flanked by low walls over a meter high, behind which lay two rows of seemingly small houses.

Although the alley wasn't spacious, it gathered quite a few cultivators, mostly wealthy-looking young men. Upon seeing Ding Fan's rather ordinary attire compared to the rich young men, they couldn't help show slight disdain.

"Such a pauper, actually coming to the auction, it's ridiculous!"

"Ha~ Maybe they're here just to feast their eyes! Haha..."

"Such a pauper, I could take on ten like him! Haha!"

...

When Ding Fan passed by a few luxuriously dressed youths, they made no effort to hide their disdain, discussing openly without fear of him overhearing, even hoping he would hear...

Upon hearing them, Ding Fan cast a piercing gaze at the youths. His Divine Sense was exceptionally strong, and with just a slight exertion, his gaze could kill.

Ah! Ah...

At that moment, the youths felt as though they were staring directly at the sun, with a burning sensation in their eyes. They cried out in pain, clutching their eyes as they fell to the ground in agony. They suddenly realized their vision seemed to be fading, and a fear of going blind spread through their hearts, making them look utterly miserable...

Ding Fan ignored the youths, considering it a minor punishment.

Some other youths in the alley witnessed this scene and couldn't help but shiver. Their gaze towards Ding Fan turned to one of fear and caution, realizing he was no ordinary person. With just a glance, he could do that to those youths—how could they dare be insolent in front of him!

After a while, the pain in the eyes of the youths who had been glanced at by Ding Fan's Divine Sense subsided significantly. They slowly opened their eyes, delighted to find they could still see and hadn't gone blind, filling their hearts with relief.

But recalling Ding Fan, their hearts were filled with fear, realizing that he was far from ordinary. Otherwise, just one glance wouldn't have almost rendered them blind, which seemed utterly incredible!

In no time, the youths formed a group and left the alley. Though their eyes weren't blind, the pain lingered, blurring their vision, and they had to support each other to leave. They had no mood left for the auction, fearing that seeing him again might lead to more dire consequences.

The crowd in the alley, having witnessed the youths' plight, was filled with shock. Clearly, they had not expected that seemingly ordinary and slightly shabby Cultivator youth to be so formidable, scaring those youths into such a sorry state with just a glance...

When others tried to find Ding Fan again, he had already disappeared from their sight...

Ding Fan didn't take those wealthy youths seriously. If it weren't for wanting to avoid trouble and his eagerness to find Qing Wen, he might have simply killed them. But the effect achieved was already quite satisfactory, as those youths understood the situation and left, sparing him further annoyance...

The alleys wound on, and Ding Fan lost count of how many turns he had taken before finally arriving at a wider alley. This one was twice as wide as the previous alleyways, no longer feeling crowded to walk through. After a short distance, he reached a spacious gate, guarded by several Cultivators in identical robes. Ding Fan noticed they were all at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

This level of cultivation was considered quite good in the Cultivation World, at least average to above average. As Ding Fan approached the gate and looked inside, he drew some wary glances from the two Cultivators stationed there, who shouted at him with furrowed brows:

"The auction hasn't started yet, keep your distance!"

Hearing their words, Ding Fan confirmed that this was indeed the auction venue. He briefly glanced inside the gate, noting the courtyard's spaciousness, a stark contrast to the small houses he had passed earlier. He then left the gate and used his Divine Sense to explore the courtyard.

To Ding Fan's surprise, the courtyard was protected by a powerful Formation, blocking his initial probe. The fact that a place as small as Panyang Town had a Formation at all, and a rather strong one at that, with a mid-level rank, surprised him.

Ding Fan was somewhat startled, realizing the auction's organizers were not to be underestimated, given the presence of such a Formation.

After a brief pause, Ding Fan continued to circle the courtyard, intensifying his Divine Sense and probing the area again. His Divine Sense was no ordinary power, clearly unaffected by typical Formations, and even advanced ones posed little threat to him.

This time, Ding Fan's Divine Sense successfully penetrated the Formation, exploring some of the courtyard's interior. To his disappointment, however, he didn't find any trace of Gusu Qingwen. The courtyard only housed a few maidservants and male Cultivators preparing for the auction.

Ding Fan was puzzled, wondering why he hadn't found Qing Wen's presence at this auction.

Pondering the situation, with less than an hour until the auction, Ding Fan considered that he might have arrived early. So, he settled into a corner, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes to meditate, deciding to wait for the auction to commence before searching for Gusu Qingwen.