It Cooled Down! . . .
The abrupt, cold light severed Li Wanchun's arm, but the shocking part wasn't just the dismemberment; it was the fact that the wound remained eerily flat, with no blood spilling from it. Clutching his bleeding stump, Li Wanchun cast a wide-eyed, incredulous gaze toward Sky No. 1 Room.
His voice trembled with agony and disbelief as he confronted the unfathomable situation. "You…"
Li Wanchun's instincts urged him to question the inexplicable event, but he was abruptly interrupted by a voice outside the room. A man in black attire addressed him, advising him to thank Lady Wan for sparing his life and to make a swift exit. With a cordial but sinister smile, the man rested his hand on his sword.
Li Wanchun, his breath ragged, collected his thoughts. He inhaled deeply, calmed his racing heart, and finally agreed, recognizing the supremacy of the House of the Chaotic Storms. In an attempt to save face, he promised to remember this incident and hinted at a future meeting where he could show his gratitude for sparing his life.
Wan-Er, unimpressed, made her stance clear. She stated that she had no intention of allowing him to leave unscathed and that the only reason his life remained intact was Master Bai's good mood. In an icy warning, she presented the alternative of decapitation.
Li Wanchun, bearing the bitterness of the situation, left with his arm clutched and resentment etched on his face. As he exited the room, a white cloth floated to the ground.
Surprisingly, the cold light that severed his arm turned out to be a piece of robe binding!
Before he departed, Li Wanchun faced Cha Eun Xiao, addressing him as Feng Monarch and acknowledging the cunning scheme employed. He vowed to remember this encounter and hinted at future confrontations. With a bitter smile, he departed.
Cha Eun Xiao found Li Wanchun's parting words perplexing. He couldn't comprehend the cryptic message delivered. After all, Li Wanchun had just suffered an injury at the hands of the House of the Chaotic Storm, and it was counterintuitive to stir further trouble. Cha Eun Xiao voiced his confusion aloud, questioning the enigmatic exchange, but received no clarification in response.
Two high-ranking cultivators from the Starlight Sect, who had been accompanying Li Wanchun, heard Cha Eun Xiao's inquiry but chose to maintain their silence. They exchanged disdainful glances with him before leaving the premises.
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but feel perplexed by the bizarre behavior of the three men. He questioned their actions, unable to comprehend their shift in attitude. "What's wrong with you three? Why are you acting so strangely? It's understandable that you're upset after being mistreated, but why blame Ling-Bao Hall? This is an unexpected problem! To think there are such ruthless individuals in the world…"
Suddenly, the crowd erupted into a chorus of agreement. "Yes, you're absolutely right. They're unbelievably ruthless."
In reality, everyone was silently scolding them, thinking, "How could the Sunlight Sect and Starlight Sect end up in such dire straits without Master Bai's backing? Now they're pretending to be innocent victims. Who are they trying to fool? It's like a prostitute claiming to be virtuous. What's even more infuriating is that they want us to rally behind them! Well, we do love cheering for them, but only because they have such a powerful supporter!"
In a corner, Wenren Chuchu and Bing Xinyue struggled to suppress their laughter. They covered their mouths with their hands, their bellies aching from laughter.
Their initial purpose for attending the auction had indeed been to obtain the supreme dan beads. However, their underlying objective was clear: if Cha Eun Xiao failed to handle the two great sects, Bing Xinyue was prepared to step in and eliminate the threat. Compared to Master Bai, dealing with the Sunlight Sect and Starlight Sect would be a breeze for her.
Yet, there were two formidable forces in the Qing-Yun Realm backing these two sects—the Saint Starlight Sect and Saint Sunlight Sect. Bing Xinyue couldn't easily confront these two sects. However, Master Bai was a different story. He had no qualms about hiding his actions from them, whether they were from the Land of Han-Yang or the Qing-Yun Realm. To Master Bai, all these sects were on the same level.
As the auction got underway, Bing Xinyue and Wenren Chuchu had to abandon their quest for the supreme dan beads. Their reason was simple: they didn't have enough money on hand. Their hurried arrival had left them without sufficient funds. When they heard the starting price for the supreme dan beads, they decided to forgo their pursuit.
Instead, they remained with an ulterior motive—to assist Cha Eun Xiao when the need arose. However, before they could put their plan into action, Cha Eun Xiao had masterfully resolved the situation. He had completed his task and now, seemingly innocent, sought moral support. Unfortunately for him, no one was buying into his act.
The two troublemaking sects had departed, and the auction was now well underway.
The atmosphere in the hall had turned icy, and very few people were willing to place bids. Who would dare to compete in an auction while Master Bai presided over it?
Thoughts raced through the minds of those present. "What if I decide to call out a price, and Master Bai responds, 'I'll bid one billion, and you must continue bidding! There's no stopping!' Would that not lead me to ruin? The two great sects might be wealthy and unwilling to pay five billion, but they have much more to spend! We do not! In fact, we can't even fathom spending one billion! Even if I did have that amount, the issue is that no matter how much I possess, it could all end up in Master Bai's coffers, and the item will never end up in my possession. We all recognize this fact. One of the great sects spent five billion for a chest full of anger, while the other spent the same amount for a mere wax bead. Five billion is an astronomical sum. Let's remain composed. No matter how exceptional the supreme dan bead is, it's meaningless if we can't secure it."
These thoughts were shared by everyone present, leading to a collective cooling of the auction. However, a new problem arose: no one dared to leave. As the tension in the room mounted, even the most basic human needs were neglected. Some were on the verge of relieving themselves where they sat, fearing the consequences of leaving their seats. They weighed their options and concluded that wetting themselves was preferable to facing Master Bai's wrath. None of them possessed more power than the two great sects, and if even those sects were subjected to such humiliation, they couldn't expect a better fate.
If anyone dared to announce, "I need to use the restroom," and Master Bai responded with, "How dare you utter the word 'restroom' in my presence? You want to relieve yourself? Very well, I'll have you killed. Now you won't need to use the restroom anymore…" The result would undoubtedly be tragic.