Booths that had been silent suddenly turned hostile. Some higher-level cultivators unleashed oppressive auras. Clan guards tensed, hands drifting toward weapons. A few old monsters looked calm to avoid unnecessary conflict, but their killing intent still seeped through.
A subtle storm had formed, dangerous, suffocating, inevitable.
Yu Lianyan clicked her tongue."We're leaving the moment this auction ends."
Yu Lianxue nodded without hesitation. "If we stay a second longer, we might get dragged into something… unpleasant."
The elegant lady stepped forward, her voice calm but commanding. "This is a Dao Soul Crystal... though only a fragment. I need not explain further, as you all know its value and usefulness."
The moment the words Dao Soul Crystal left her lips, restraint broke. Cultivators across the hall could no longer contain themselves; pressure from their qi erupted, suffocating the room even further.
It was said that a Dao Soul Crystal could greatly increase one's chances of breaking through to the Soul Dao Realm. Even a fragment carried tremendous potential, offering a rare opportunity for enlightenment and rapid growth in the Dao. The possibilities it presented were unimaginable.
Before she could even call out a starting price, the bidding had already begun. A sharp, aged voice from an upper booth declared, "One thousand high-grade spirit stones!"
Numbers began flying across the hall like knives. Major clans clashed with their wealth, cultivators glared daggers at one another, and some nearly drew weapons on the spot. The tension was palpable—every bid a spark in a powder keg.
Chu Feng and his companions watched silently, hearts steady but senses alert. The storm had truly begun.
Jìn Bǎo flinched at every outburst."Brother Feng… we're not fighting, right?"
"No."
"We're not bidding either, right?"
"No."
"We're leaving immediately, right?"
"Yes."
Jìn Bǎo exhaled in exaggerated relief.
The Auction Ends
The Dao Soul Crystal fragment sold for an absurdly high price. The crowd was caught between fury and fear — half furious, they couldn't claim it, half terrified of whoever dared to win it.
Even before the hostess finished her closing words, people began rushing out. Some fled to avoid ambush. Others left early to prepare one.
Yu Lianxue was already on her feet. "We leave now."
Yu Lianyan took the lead, Chu Feng followed behind her, senses alert, while Jìn Bǎo clung so closely that he almost stepped on Chu Feng's cloak with every nervous shuffle.
The moment they exited the private booth—
The scent of danger thickened. Experts lurked in the shadows. Murderous intent whispered from alleys and dark corners. Clan guards clustered tightly around their heirs, eyes sharp like hawks circling wolves.
Yu Lianyan muttered under her breath, "It's like walking into a forest full of starving tigers."
Chu Feng pulled up his hood, and without looking back, they slipped into the night — unnoticed among the chaos, hidden beneath their cloaks, leaving behind the storm brewing.
They left Red Pine City behind before the sun had fully risen. Not once did they slow their pace.
From the moment they passed the boundary of Red Pine Town, the group moved with relentless urgency. Forest after forest, ridge after ridge, and they crossed them like shadows fleeing the first touch of dawn.
Behind them, Red Pine City had already become a powder keg waiting for the smallest spark.
Even when night smothered the land in darkness, they did not stop. Yu Lianxue activated a small light talisman, its gentle glow leading them through the silent woods like wandering spirits.
Only when dawn crept over the horizon did something finally rise from the thinning mist ahead.
A city, sprawling fortress-like settlement reinforced with dark metal plates.
Steelforge City
A place known for its rugged stone-and-metal buildings, weapon merchants on every corner, and travellers who carried different stories.
The moment they passed through the gates, the thick smell of cooked meat and furnace ash rolled over them.
They found a restaurant, chose a quiet table tucked into the back corner, ordered simple dishes, and rested in silence.
But peace didn't last long.
At the table behind them, several rough-looking cultivators were already deep into conversations.
Voices lowered but intense enough to reach their ears.
The Dao Soul Crystal Aftermath
"…you mean you haven't heard? Red Pine City was half-destroyed!"
Chu Feng froze mid-bite.
Another man leaned forward, dropping his voice to an urgent whisper.
"Someone leaked that the auctioned item was a Dao Soul crystal — a fragment carrying ancient Dao resonance. The rumour spread like wildfire. Experts swarmed the city like ants drawn to blood."
Yu Lianxue's fingers stilled over her chopsticks.
A third man spoke up, his voice trembling despite his effort to keep it steady.
"They say over thirty cultivators fought in the streets. Buildings collapsed. Spirit beasts tore through whole districts. Even hidden figures crawled out of their holes."
A heavy silence settled over the table behind them.
Then—
"But in the end… the one who walked away with the Dao Soul crystal was the young patriarch of that insane family"
"You mean... the Ironblood Qin Clan."
Yu Lianyan's brows twitched.
The speaker lowered his voice dramatically.
"Rumour says it fell into the hands of Qin Tianjue, their crazy young patriarch, who has a mutated Iron Bear War Soul. A battle crazy cosmic soul that strengthens with every battle, multiplying force with each injury."
His companion sucked in a breath.
"No wonder no one could take it from them."
"He's cultivated his cosmic soul to the extreme," another added. "Some claim he's only a step away from breaking into that realm."
Several diners shivered at the story.
The man speaking sighed, almost pitying.
"With the Dao Soul Crystal gone… and Qin Tianjue disappearing right after… no one dares touch the clan. They haven't given a single explanation. But attacking them? That's suicide. Any clan that tries might as well prepare their own memorial tablets."
The table behind them fell silent — a silence thick with dread.
Moments later, the men forced themselves into lighter conversation, pretending nothing had happened.
Chu Feng and the others quietly finished their meal, rose without a word, and only spoke once they'd stepped outside into the open air.
Jìn Bǎo let out a long exhale.
"So it's good we left early. If we stayed, we might have been dragged into it."
Chu Feng didn't bother voicing his thoughts aloud. They echoed coldly in his mind:
In this world… reason means nothing. Only strength matters. Whoever carries the heaviest fist… rules.