Chapter 229: The Spoils and a Clash of Titans
Slowly stepping out of the auction house, Mo Yu stood at the entrance, looking up at the slightly dim sky before turning to head towards one of the lounges inside the building.
"I should get the auction money and the items I bought," Mo Yu murmured to himself.
Upon entering the lounge, Mo Yu handed his second-level VIP card to a maid. After explaining his purpose, she respectfully escorted him inside.
"Sir, please wait a moment. The auction will be over soon, and the person in charge will assist you with your auctioned items," the maid said with a smile as she placed a cup of warm tea on the table next to Mo Yu, then retreated.
Mo Yu nodded slightly and waited for a while until he heard footsteps approaching the hall. Opening his eyes, he saw a slightly plump, white-haired old man leading two maids into the room with a smile.
"Hehe, sir, you must be the one who auctioned off the Icefire Duality Sword and the Formation-Breaking Overlord Halberd, right? I'm the manager here; you can call me Manager Wang," the old man said, smiling as he approached Mo Yu, who was still cloaked in his black robe.
Mo Yu gave a slight nod and asked in a soft voice, "Manager Wang, has the auction ended?"
"Hehe, yes, it ended successfully," Manager Wang replied, smiling as he subtly scanned Mo Yu, trying to discern his identity. When he found nothing revealing, he gestured for one of the maids to step forward. She presented a silver tray holding a purple-gold card adorned with five different-colored stripes.
"A five-stripe purple-gold card—only Dou Ling experts or third-grade alchemists are typically eligible to hold such a card on the Dou Qi Continent," Wang explained.
"Sir, the total auction price for your Icefire Duality Sword and Formation-Breaking Overlord Halberd is 2.2 million gold coins. After deducting the 10% auction fee, you have 1.98 million left."
Manager Wang's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled, "You spent 100,000 gold coins on that mysterious map, 1 million on the Emerald Blue Crystal, and 850,000 on a set of Fire Obsidian. That leaves you with 110,000 gold coins, which are stored on this purple-gold card. Your purchased items are in this storage ring."
With a wave of his hand, the maid brought the tray closer to Mo Yu, where the five-stripe purple-gold card and a simple storage ring were placed.
"So, I'm broke again…" Mo Yu muttered to himself, realizing that after all his efforts, he was left with only a few thousand gold coins. He had initially set out to make money to buy the materials needed to craft the Soul-Merging Sacred Cup, but now his funds were nearly depleted again. Fortunately, he had managed to acquire the main material, the Fire Obsidian, which provided some solace.
As for the remaining auxiliary materials, he'd have to find a way to make more money later.
Mo Yu reached out to take the card and storage ring, carefully inspecting the Fire Obsidian, the mysterious map, and the Emerald Blue Crystal inside before placing them into his Beast Ring.
The Fire Obsidian was for crafting the Soul-Merging Sacred Cup, so he didn't need it yet since he hadn't gathered all the necessary materials. The Emerald Blue Crystal was reserved for the Void-Shattering Thunder, but now wasn't the right time to use it. As for the mysterious map, Mo Yu couldn't decipher its secrets at the moment, so he stored it away for future exploration.
"By the way, Manager Wang, which faction ended up buying the Shapeshifting Pill at the end of the auction?" Mo Yu asked casually, as if he were merely curious.
"Hehe, the pill was ultimately purchased by the Liehuo Sect. I heard that their sect leader has a fifth-tier battle pet, so they outbid the Savage Beast Sect with a final price of 13 million gold coins," Manager Wang replied without hesitation. After all, the purchase had been made in front of countless witnesses, and even if he didn't share the information, it would spread throughout most of the Black-Corner Region within the afternoon.
"The Liehuo Sect, huh…" Mo Yu murmured under his breath, raising an eyebrow beneath his hood. He had assumed the Shapeshifting Pill would fall into the hands of the Savage Beast Sect, given Gao Ba's aggressive bidding. But it seemed that the Liehuo Sect had outbid them, likely desperate to secure the pill for their fifth-tier battle pet, which could transform into a human form and significantly strengthen their faction.
"Now that I've got what I need, I won't take up any more of your time. Farewell," Mo Yu said after getting the information he wanted. He cupped his hands in a polite gesture and turned to leave.
"Hehe, please wait a moment, Sir Mo Yu. Our sect master is quite interested in you. If you don't mind, would you be willing to meet and chat with him?" Manager Wang suddenly called out with a smile as he saw Mo Yu preparing to leave.
Mo Yu's brow furrowed slightly beneath his hood, and he shook his head. "I'm just here to auction off a few items. What could possibly interest your sect master? I'm sorry, but I have other matters to attend to, so I'll have to decline."
Without waiting for Manager Wang to respond, Mo Yu quickly exited the hall.
"The Di Yan Sect dares to think they can recruit me? How foolish. Just give me some time, and I'll build a force that rivals theirs," Mo Yu thought as he left the auction house.
As he walked back to his inn, Mo Yu passed by the Hundred Refinements Pavilion again. Twirling the purple-gold card in his hand, he couldn't help but shake his head. Being an artifact refiner meant he could earn money quickly, but he could spend it just as fast.
Fortunately, he had already obtained the Fire Obsidian, the primary material for the Soul-Merging Sacred Cup. With the main ingredient secured, the auxiliary materials could wait. With his skills, he could easily earn millions of gold coins again soon.
"Be careful, someone is following you. It's likely the Di Yan Sect," Snake Uncle's voice suddenly echoed in Mo Yu's mind.
Mo Yu paused briefly, extending his soul force slightly to detect the several shadowy figures trailing him.
Continuing to walk at a leisurely pace, Mo Yu sneered inwardly, "So, the Di Yan Sect isn't playing fair. They'd better not push their luck."
"Ignore them for now. There's no need to clash with them. Focus on the Shapeshifting Pill," Snake Uncle advised.
"Understood," Mo Yu nodded slightly.
The Shapeshifting Pill was crucial to Purple Flame. If the beast successfully transformed, Mo Yu's own power would grow, making this task a top priority.
Glancing discreetly at the bustling street behind him, Mo Yu's figure suddenly blurred as he darted into a dead-end alley.
As he stepped into the alley, surrounded by high walls on three sides, a faint smile played on Mo Yu's lips. The next moment, he vanished from sight, enveloped in a spatial aura.
A few moments later, the figures following him rushed into the alley, only to find it empty. They stood there, dumbfounded.
"Where did he go?"
While his pursuers were left puzzled, Mo Yu had already emerged on a different street, strolling leisurely.
Easily shaking off his followers, Mo Yu chuckled to himself, changed his clothes, and wandered around the streets for a while.
After spending a few gold coins, Mo Yu gathered some information about the Liehuo Sect. Apparently, the elder who purchased the Shapeshifting Pill was so pleased that he made no effort to hide his movements and was staying in the most luxurious hotel in Di Yan City.
Di Yan City was crowded and full of prying eyes, so Mo Yu didn't want to make his move there. Instead, he found a concealed spot near the Liehuo Sect's residence to keep an eye on their movements, planning to ambush them once they left the city.
The next morning, the Liehuo Sect members left their hotel with great fanfare and rode out of Di Yan City. As they exited the city, a shadow silently followed them, sticking close like a persistent phantom.
In a dense forest dozens of miles from Di Yan City, a shadow flitted into a thicket and peered through the branches at a large tree about a hundred meters away, where a dozen figures were taking a break.
In the thicket, Mo Yu glanced at the sky before resuming his observation of the Liehuo Sect members.
After following them for so long, Mo Yu had a good grasp of their strength.
According to the information he had gathered the previous day, the Liehuo Sect wasn't a top-tier faction in the Black-Corner Region, but they were close, even slightly stronger than the Savage Beast Sect. Their leader, Huo Zong, was an eight-star Dou Wang, and the sect had no fewer than three Dou Wang experts among their ranks.
This was not a force Mo Yu could take lightly. Even with Snake Uncle's help, the Black-Corner Region was full of hidden dangers, including Dou Zong experts who were not to be underestimated.
Luckily, the group from the Liehuo Sect Mo Yu was tracking didn't include any high-level experts. Aside from the leading elder, who was a high-level Dou Ling, the two old men accompanying him were only low-level Dou Lings. The rest of their group consisted of skilled guards, but they weren't enough to pose a significant threat to Mo Yu.
Mo Yu's gaze remained fixed on the Liehuo Sect members. Just as he was about to ask Snake Uncle for help in swiftly dispatching them and seizing the Shapeshifting Pill, Snake Uncle's voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
"Mo Yu, be careful. There's a group of powerful auras approaching from behind, one of which is almost at the Dou Huang level. Its aura is as wild as that of a magic beast, much like Gao Ba's. It seems the Savage Beast Sect is here too."
Mo Yu froze for a moment, then murmured to himself, "The Savage Beast Sect is after the Shapeshifting Pill too? It looks like the two sides are about to clash."
Realizing that a third party was about to intervene, Mo Yu decided to hold off on his attack, retreating further into the undergrowth.
With the Savage Beast Sect now involved, there was no need to rush. Mo Yu would wait to see whether the Liehuo Sect or the Savage Beast Sect emerged victorious before making his move.
Taking advantage of the terrain, Mo Yu positioned himself where he could monitor the forested area below. As he narrowed his eyes, he suddenly detected a surge of energy through his soul force and immediately focused on the path leading from Di Yan City. In the distance, he heard faint hoofbeats.
"They're coming…" Mo Yu muttered quietly, his gaze sharpening. In the distance, a group of riders sped down the path, raising clouds of dust behind them.
As the hoofbeats grew louder, the Liehuo Sect members noticed the approaching group and quickly readied themselves.
At the edge of his vision, Mo Yu could make out the figures galloping toward them. When he saw the tall man in black armor leading the group, Mo Yu's brow furrowed slightly.
"What a powerful physique. This must be the Savage Beast Sect's leader, Gao Lie. It seems they're here for the Shapeshifting Pill as well. Things just got interesting."
Behind the towering man rode the Savage Beast Sect's young leader, Gao Ba, along with several other strong individuals, each exuding a formidable presence.
In an instant, the group of riders crossed the path and arrived at the Liehuo Sect's camp.
"Master Gao, it's you! What brings you here?" The lead elder of the Liehuo Sect frowned when he recognized the newcomers, his heart sinking.
"Haha! Elder Lie, surely you know why I'm here. The Savage Beast Sect is determined to get the Shapeshifting Pill. Hand it over, and in honor of Sect Master Huo, I might just spare your lives!" Gao Lie laughed confidently, exuding a terrifying aura that made the Liehuo Sect members instinctively back away.
When Elder Lie heard Gao Lie mention the Shapeshifting Pill, his face darkened as he demanded, "Master Gao, are you prepared to wage war against the Liehuo Sect?"
"Hmph! It seems you're choosing the hard way," Gao Lie's expression darkened before he sneered, a cruel glint in his eye. "If you all die here, who will know it was the Savage Beast Sect's doing?"
"Besides, with the Shapeshifting Pill, our sect can forge an alliance with that magic beast lord. With their help, I'll ascend to the Dou Huang level. By then, what will your Liehuo Sect be to us?"
As Gao Lie imagined himself breaking through to Dou Huang, a smug smile spread across his face.
Gao Ba, standing behind his father, also stared greedily at the red storage ring on Elder Lie's finger, knowing the Shapeshifting Pill was inside.
"Hmph! Gao Lie, we anticipated your attack on the Liehuo Sect. With me here, no one will take the Shapeshifting Pill, and the Savage Beast Sect will pay for this!" A cold voice suddenly rang out, and a figure in fiery red robes appeared in the air above the battlefield.
"Huo Zong, you're here too!"
Seeing the figure whose aura rivaled his own, Gao Lie's previously confident expression darkened.
(End of Chapter)