Li Tailong swaggered, looking down on everyone — even the so-called Mad Ghost Butcher."Line up. Hand over your Evolution Points one by one, and I'll spare you."
He Xiangliu pushed the black-draped stone forward and set it before the crowd. Nobody believed Li Tailong. Who would trust a man who'd just shown he could murder at will?
"Start with you." Li Tailong pointed at someone at random.
The man froze — a proud base leader reduced to a trembling supplicant. He stepped forward, jaw clenched. Then a sword aura fell. A head rolled to the floor.
"Isn't this going too far?" someone blurted. "We already moved — how can you break the rules?"
Li Tailong didn't reply. He pointed at the speaker. "Then start with you."
Panic became a stampede. People rushed the stone with their hands out, frantic to empty their accounts. Those who'd handed over their points were locked away nearby. Nothing good awaited them.
Chen Xiao watched, counting in his head. Li Tailong had just harvested Evolution Points from nearly two hundred people — roughly ten thousand points so far. He smiled faintly. No one knew what he was thinking.
"Your turn, Jiangbei." Li Tailong finally pointed at Chen Xiao.
Calm as always, Chen Xiao walked to the black cloth. "You sure you want my points?" he asked, voice quiet.
He placed his hand on the cloth.
[Evolution Opportunity][459550/500000]
A blinding light erupted from beneath the stone — a supernova swallowing the hall. People screamed, shielding their eyes. Those still clutching their points stumbled back, stunned.
Li Tailong's face drained of color. "We were fifty thousand short! Why—how did it activate?!" He Xiangliu, closest to the light, staggered, ringing with shock. He had checked — they were short. They had no idea what had just happened.
Then the display updated.
[Evolution Opportunity][500000/500000][Creature No. 230001][Obtain Evolution Opportunity][Mountain and River Map]
Description: A strange artifact that contains heaven and earth. It holds boundless geographical aura and natural laws.Effect 1: The holder may materialize the map's scenery into reality.Effect 2: Absorb vitality from ecosystems to rapidly restore injuries and stamina.Effect 3: Freely use the map's space — store or retrieve items with thought.
When the light dimmed, Chen Xiao was holding a scroll — glossy, supple, bordered with ancient cloud motifs, with rosewood rollers carved in tiny landscapes. He unfurled it: over a meter wide and three meters long, a painted panorama of mountains and rivers, utterly alive.
Yang Baiying lunged, furious. "Give me that divine object and I'll spare you!"
Chen Xiao's lip curled. He pointed at the map and whispered, "River."
The painted landscape trembled. The river in the scroll swelled into a churning, colorless vortex, ripping the painted scene apart. Energy poured out, forming an oppressive river that rushed forward like an avalanche.
"All Things Water."
Chen Xiao shaped the map's river with his water techniques. The current turned into a legion of sword-shadows — blades riding the torrent. They struck Yang Baiying without warning.
Yang Baiying's roar turned to wet, tearing sounds. Muscle split, blood spurted. A dozen Dachang fighters beside him were sliced into the flood and vanished. One side of the auction house disintegrated into starlight. The river's source? The Mountain and River Map itself — its energy endless, relentless.
Everyone watching finally understood: this treasure was beyond price.