Chapter 136: Wind and Thunder Align with Wood – A Golden Core Opportunity

Chapter 136: Wind and Thunder Align with Wood – A Golden Core Opportunity

Zhang Ruihao’s reasoning was straightforward: if Xiao Chen could borrow spirit stones from the Liu Clan, so could he.

The Yuyu Trading House had brought a substantial amount of spirit stones this time. Yan Hui was happy to facilitate the loan but set two conditions.

First, the debt must be repaid within ten years, with interest doubling for every overdue installment.

Second, regardless of when Zhang Ruihao repaid—even if he forfeited immediately after a failed bid—the Yuyu Trading House would still charge a 20% interest fee.

This was textbook profiteering at another’s expense.

Zhang Ruihao’s face darkened, but he signed the contract and borrowed 40,000 spirit stones. Returning to the third floor, he shot Xiao Chen a venomous glare. “I bid 90,000!”

In an instant, the price of the Wind-Thunder Pair Swords surged by another 20,000 spirit stones.

Solitary cultivators continued cheering the spectacle, but some began sensing something amiss.

Cheng Qihong, the sect leader of Cangyan Sect, scrutinized the swords resting on the tray. He could attribute Xiao Chen’s high bids to youthful rivalry and impulsive pride—but Zhang Ruihao borrowing money to compete? That hinted at deeper motives. These twin swords were clearly no ordinary top-tier magical artifact. Yet the truth eluded him.

Others present also grew suspicious, but suspicion alone wouldn’t stretch their spirit stone reserves to match the escalating price. Even if the swords held a hidden secret, it might only benefit Xiao Chen and Zhang Ruihao directly.

Exchanging wary glances, the onlookers collectively decided to stay out of the fray.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” Xiao Chen cooed, feigning fear. “Such a huge jump! Scary!” He smirked. “I’ll just add one spirit stone—90,001.”

The auctioneer coughed. “Cultivator Xiao, the minimum increment for this item is 1,000 spirit stones.”

“Oh?” Xiao Chen grinned. “Then scratch the zero. I bid 90,100.”

Bang! Zhang Ruihao slammed the table, rising abruptly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Xiao Chen’s deliberate penny-pinching was a calculated insult. This tactic had only occurred once before—when Zhang Ruihao himself had tormented someone over the Five-Color Golden Lotus. Now the tables had turned.

Xiao Chen simply smiled, silent and unyielding.

Realizing his outburst, Zhang Ruihao sat back down, seething. “90,300!”

“90,400.”

Xiao Chen’s bid followed instantly, still undercutting by the bare minimum.

“90,600!”

“I’ll raise it another thousand.”

“I bid 100,000!”

“Another thousand, then.”

Xiao Chen’s drawling tone dripped with nonchalance, his calmness maddening. Zhang Ruihao felt the air thicken around him, suffocating in its oppressive weight.

Including the loan, he had only 107,000 spirit stones left. Xiao Chen, however, showed no sign of strain. Zhang Ruihao longed to draw his sword and cleave his rival in two—but this was Mingyue Zhenren’s ascension ceremony. He dared not provoke chaos.

Gritting his teeth, he gambled everything. “107,000 spirit stones!”

Here it was—the final bid. The crowd recognized Zhang Ruihao’s limit. All eyes turned to Xiao Chen.

The young man’s reply was calm: “Add one thousand.”

The auctioneer’s face flushed crimson. “Cultivator Xiao, do you mean to bid 108,000?”

At Xiao Chen’s nod, he roared, “Cultivator Xiao bids 108,000! Going once! Going twice! Sold for 108,000!”

His voice cracked with excitement. He’d already calculated his commission—this was a record-breaking sale.

A procession of twenty-two maids carried tray after tray of radiant spirit stones away. Except for the brooding Zhang Ruihao, every cultivator in the Rui Bao Guild turned toward Xiao Chen.

The auctioneer personally delivered the Wind-Thunder Pair Swords, along with their jade stand, to Xiao Chen’s side.

Internally, he apologized: I mistook your strategy earlier. This wasn’t tactics—it was pure strength.

Elder Cheng shared similar thoughts. He’d dismissed Xiao Chen as a spendthrift when he’d bid on the Six Harmonies Spirit Water. Now he realized his folly. This wasn’t extravagance—it was power.

“Truly, the tides of youth surge ever forward,” Cheng mused.

Tian Jianning nodded to his clan. “I always knew competing with Cultivator Xiao was futile.” His kin, who’d criticized his retreat at Shi Valley, now conceded his wisdom.

The Jiang Family, however, faced grim realities.

Jiang Changhua puzzled: How does Xiao Chen command such resources from the Liu and Chen Clans?

The Chen Clan’s support was known, but the Liu Clan’s involvement baffled him. Had they learned something he hadn’t?

A chilling thought struck him: Heifeng Sanren vanished last year after promising to deal with Xiao Chen. And Hundred Poisons Demon never appeared at this ceremony either…

Could they have been eliminated?

Jiang Changhua’s blood ran cold. Xiao Chen wasn’t just a cultivator—he was a harbinger of death. With Foundation Building already achieved and refusal to reconcile, Xiao Chen would soon retaliate. The Jiang Family needed allies.

“Chu Mo Dian’s Divine Flame Cult could handle this,” he mused. Better to let others do the dirty work.

Lu Wuqiang, however, saw opportunity. A newly minted Foundation Builder with such wealth was a walking treasure trove. If he could ambush Xiao Chen, the swords, spirit herbs, and storage bag would be his.

“Just don’t hide in Lihu Sect like a turtle,” Lu sneered. “Step outside, and you’re mine.”

Yun Jinghang, meanwhile, deduced Xiao Chen’s secret. “He must be Chen Clan’s prodigy Pill Forging Master!”

This explained everything: the Liu and Chen Clans’ support, his rapid cultivation (fueled by pills), and his purchases of rare spirit herbs. A top-tier Pill Forging Master could afford such extravagance, even with mediocre roots.

“He’s likely a second-tier Pill Forging Master now,” Yun speculated. “That Five-Color Golden Lotus was probably for himself.”

Yun Ruoyan arched her delicate brows at his words.

After a moment’s thought, she realized the possibility was indeed high.

Yun Jinghang teased, “What do you think? A prodigy pill forging master would make a fine son-in-law, wouldn’t he?”

Yun Ruoyan pondered seriously, “If there’s no better option in the future, I suppose it wouldn’t be terrible.”

While she adored Golden Core cultivators, attaining that realm was notoriously difficult. A pill forging master, on the other hand, could provide abundant spirit stones to accelerate her cultivation. As a backup choice, it was an excellent option.

Yun Jinghang frowned slightly. A second-tier pill forging master of such youth was already a standout among his peers. In this generation, it would be hard to find anyone better than Xiao Chen. But considering he’d had a late-in-life daughter, he could afford to indulge her a little. With the Yun family’s resources, finding a Foundation Building late-stage partner would never be difficult for her.

As the auction concluded, the results were promptly reported to the top floor.

“Reporting, Zhenren,” said the auction house manager. “The auction has ended. The highest bid was 108,000 spirit stones.”

Mingyue Zhenren raised an eyebrow at the figure. “Oh? That high?”

Having recently breakthrough to Golden Core, he understood the weight of such a sum. Other Golden Core cultivators, though seasoned, were also surprised.

Yu Sha Zhenren asked curiously, “What item fetched such a price?”

The manager replied respectfully, “A top-grade magical artifact—a pair of wind-thunder swords crafted from Donghua wood.”

Yu Sha Zhenren’s eyes widened. “Just a top-grade artifact? That price could buy a Spirit-tier weapon.”

Yao Hua Zhenren, however, caught the deeper implications. “Wind and thunder align with wood. Could this be a Golden Core opportunity?”

“Spending such a fortune on twin wooden swords—perhaps someone seeks to harness wind-thunder to comprehend the Yin-Yang Dao and cultivate a pure wood Golden Core?”

“Is the buyer a wood spirit root?”

The manager hurriedly dispatched someone to investigate. "Reporting, Zhenren. The buyer is Xiao Chen from Lihuo Sect. He's confirmed to be a wood spirit root."

Yao Hua Zhenren’s face broke into a knowing smile. He turned to Mingyan Zhenren. “It seems Xiao Chen is indeed the Golden Core prospect Bright Flame cultivator has been nurturing.”

The other Zhenren nodded in understanding.

That explained it. How else could an unknown Foundation Building cultivator afford such a sum?

Only Mingyan Zhenren looked puzzled. Xiao Chen? A Golden Core prospect? He vaguely recalled a disciple at Lian Qi stage 7 from two years ago. But everyone here was Foundation Building—could it really be the same person?

His Golden Core memory sharpened his recollection. He’d seen Xiao Chen in the Chen family’s procession that morning. It must be him.

The mental process, though lengthy to describe, took less than a breath.

Mingyan Zhenren smiled faintly. “Fellow cultivator Yao Hua flatters. He’s merely shown a touch of promise.”

The words “a touch of promise” were a polite understatement, akin to calling someone “bright” when at a loss for praise. To the others, it sounded like modesty.

Though night had fallen, the Three Great Sects’ cultivators declined lodging and boarded a spiritual vessel to depart. Mingyan Zhenren, though outwardly dismissive, resolved to summon Xiao Chen for answers. Since his Golden Core breakthrough, he’d ignored sect affairs. But now, he summoned elders for updates before calling Xiao Chen alone.

The vessel’s cabin, spacious as a sect hall, hosted their meeting. Mingyan Zhenren cut straight to the point. “I recall you were still late Lian Qi stage two years ago. How did your cultivation progress so rapidly?”

Xiao Chen bowed. “Disciple was favored by Elder Chen and gained some proficiency in pill forging.”

“After that, serendipity…”

He attributed his progress to pills and celestial treasures consumed, omitting details.

Mingyan Zhenren nodded. Xiao Chen’s account matched his intelligence. Though his spirit root was mediocre, his cultivation aptitude was exceptional—multiple awakenings, rapid spell mastery, and reclusive diligence.

Combined with talent, discipline, and abundant elixirs, such rapid breakthroughs were plausible.

Yet Mingyan Zhenren sighed inwardly. A low-grade spirit root had less than 10% chance of Golden Core success, but steady cultivation offered hope. Relying on pills to force progress would leave his foundation unstable. Even reaching Foundation Building peak, he’d be forever trapped, unable to ascend.

His thoughts mirrored Yun Jinghang’s: Xiao Chen was merely a Chen family-bred pill forging asset, destined to abandon cultivation for alchemy.

He asked directly, “You bid on the Five-Color Golden Lotus. Are you already forging Foundation Building pills?”

Xiao Chen answered honestly, “Disciple intends to refine Foundation Building pills for sale to earn spirit stones.”

Mingyan Zhenren’s gaze dimmed. No surprise, then. He’d briefly considered nurturing a hidden prodigy, but Xiao Chen was just another tool—a pill forging cash cow.

Still, he offered perfunctory encouragement. “Pill forging is noble work. Learn from Tian Yuan and strive to surpass them.”

“Thank you for your guidance, Zhenren,” Xiao Chen bowed, departing puzzled.

As cultivators dispersed across Li Zhou, news of the ascension ceremony spread like wildfire. Mingyue Zhenren’s Golden Core breakthrough and Xiao Chen’s name dominated conversations.

Solitary cultivators marveled at the 108,000 spirit stones. “A Lihuo Sect disciple? So wealthy!” “Damn! I couldn’t earn that in ten lifetimes!” “Did you hear? Xiao Chen’s under thirty. Maybe the next Golden Core!”

Speculation spiraled. “He’s clearly a clan heir.” “How else could he afford it? Golden Core secret son?” “I heard he found an ancient relic with 100,000 stones!” “Nonsense! My relative in Lihuo says the artifact’s already gone!”

The wilder the rumors, the more believable they seemed. Most preferred shadowy conspiracies over mundane explanations.

Back in Cuiwei Valley, Xiao Chen examined his Wind-Thunder Pair Swords. After refining them with mana, he sensed a hidden trait: infusing wind into one sword subtly transformed it into thunder in the other, and vice versa.

“Wind-thunder conversion? Or…Yin-Yang?” He grinned. Whatever the cause, it promised opportunities. Though unversed in either Dao, the swords now offered combat versatility.

Paired with the Seven Star Sword Technique and dual instant-cast Scarlet Flame Bombs, he’d be formidable within Foundation Building.

“With Demonic Dao spreading, Hezhou may soon fall. Better preparedness is wise,” he mused, recalling the ceremony.

Only Yao Hua Zhenren’s unexpected visit to Li Zhou unsettled him—a potential omen.

But for now, two top-tier spiritual elixirs secured half a year’s cultivation.

“A turbulent era,” he sighed. “I hope Hezhou holds long enough for me to grow.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end