The Blinding Robbery

Many, however, noticed something amiss.

The host had yet to declare the proceedings concluded.

Moments later, the host, a smile gracing their lips, directed someone to bring forth a radiant, multi-colored pill adorned with golden patterns from beneath the stage.

“Please, everyone, remain calm! This auction is far from over!”

“Next, we present the true pièce de résistance of this auction: a peerless eighth-grade pill, the Heaven-Mending Pill!”

“Legend has it that this pill can mend shattered foundations, restoring spirit roots to those whose cultivation has been crippled.”

“Furthermore, regardless of one’s identity or cultivation realm, anyone consuming it for the first time…”

“…will immediately extend their lifespan by a century!”

“The slight delay before the auction commenced was solely to verify the authenticity of this pill.”

“The verification results are in: it is indeed a genuine eighth-grade pill!”

“The starting bid… ninety million spirit stones!”

Upon hearing this, the crowd below immediately began ringing their bells, eager to place their bids.

The host, however, raised a hand, gesturing for the bidding to pause, and chuckled.

“Hold your horses, everyone, don’t be so quick to raise your bids~ Hear me out first.”

“When I said ninety million… I meant ninety million **high-grade** spirit stones!”

“Moreover, each subsequent bid must not be less than ten million!!”

A ripple of commotion immediately swept through the entire auction hall.

Many who had been ready to bid instantly fell silent, their numbers reduced by more than half after the host’s clarification.

Nevertheless, some still continued to bid.

A pill capable of extending one’s life by a century could grant a dying Ancestor another hundred years of existence.

To allow an Ancestor to live for another hundred years was, in their eyes, worth any price.

*Ding-a-ling~*

“Heavenly Box Number Three bids! One hundred million spirit stones!!”

Following this, bids continued to pour in one after another.

The bells chimed incessantly once more.

Each resounding chime… was worth a staggering one billion mid-grade spirit stones!

Zhao Yang and Jiang Ruoyun both stared at the pill, utterly stunned.

Jiang Ruoyun: [‘An eighth-grade pill! I never imagined I’d see one here!’]

Zhao Yang: [‘The Heaven-Mending Pill!’]

[‘Isn’t this the pill that the Pavilion Master and Old Ancestor Bai were comparing this morning?!’]

As this thought struck him, Zhao Yang turned his gaze towards Bai Qiuyuan.

Bai Qiuyuan, a gentle smile gracing his face, was observing the audience below, not betraying the slightest hint of surprise at the pill’s appearance.

Zhao Yang: [‘It seems…’]

[‘The Ancestor didn’t just go out to buy roast chicken earlier; he also entrusted the auction house with selling a pill!’]

[‘*Hiss!*… A pill that usually costs only ninety million, when auctioned, sees such insane bidding…’]

****

*Thud!*

After an intense bidding war between two unknown noble families, the Heaven-Mending Pill was finally sold for the astronomical price of two hundred and thirty million high-grade spirit stones!

Only after the pill had been auctioned off did the host look out at the audience and speak.

“We thank all esteemed guests for attending this auction!”

“With this, the auction is officially concluded!”

“We welcome you to return next time!”

Having spoken, they departed for the auction’s backstage, and the cultivators who had attended the auction began to exit in an orderly fashion.

The auction was now truly over.

The entire auction, from start to finish, had taken a full afternoon.

By its conclusion, dusk had already fallen outside.

Bai Qiuyuan smiled at Zhao Yang, who was seated beside him.

“Elder Zhao, you should take the Tree Ape Vermillion Fruit and leave first.”

“I’ll return a little later.”

Zhao Yang was momentarily stunned, then a wave of quiet emotion swelled within his heart.

[‘Is the Ancestor planning to use himself as bait, to draw the attention of all those who seek to murder for treasure?!’]

[‘To allow me to safely escort the Tree Ape Vermillion Fruit back!’]

[‘This kindness! This old man will remember it!’]

With that, Zhao Yang rose, bowed respectfully to Bai Qiuyuan, and then exited the private room.

Bai Qiuyuan then turned to Jiang Ruoyun, who was looking at him with an expectant expression, and said.

“There’s nothing left for you to do; you may leave.”

Jiang Ruoyun: “???”

[‘He’s just letting me leave?’]

[‘What about the help he promised? What exactly did I help with?’]

[‘Weren’t those magical artifacts sold to me earlier? Why would a grown man buy so many feminine artifacts?’]

Noticing Jiang Ruoyun’s bewildered gaze, Bai Qiuyuan teased.

“Could it be that you’ve taken a liking to me?”

“My apologies, but I am a married man. If you don’t intend to leave on your own…”

As he spoke, Bai Qiuyuan, still smiling, began rummaging through his spatial ring, seemingly searching for a weapon to ‘deal with’ her.

Jiang Ruoyun: “!!”

“Who would ever be attracted to a brute like you!”

With that exclamation, Jiang Ruoyun instantly sprang from her seat!

She fled the private room with astonishing speed!

Bai Qiuyuan pulled out a string of *tanghulu* (TL Note: Candied hawthorn fruit on a stick). Seeing Jiang Ruoyun had run off, he ate his *tanghulu* and chuckled inwardly.

[‘It seems she misunderstood something just now.’]

After finishing his *tanghulu* in his seat, Bai Qiuyuan slowly rose, a smile playing on his lips.

“It’s about time to head over.”

****

The host who had presided over the auction, upon seeing Bai Qiuyuan, respectfully led him to several neatly packed piles of treasures.

“Sir, all the items you bid on have been packed!”

Bai Qiuyuan flicked his sleeve, and all the items vanished instantly!

Only the sword named [Cangguang] remained. Bai Qiuyuan picked up the Cangguang Sword and said.

“Deduct the money spent on the auction from the proceeds of that pill.”

“I’ll wait for you at the entrance.”

The host quickly nodded and smiled upon hearing this.

“Yes, Sir.”

Bai Qiuyuan then proceeded to wait at the auction hall’s entrance.

****

Not long after, the host approached Bai Qiuyuan, holding a black card embedded with a red crystal and faintly depicting a black dragon, and explained.

“Sir, this is the Dragon Ascent Merchant Association’s Black Gold Card!”

“It is granted to those who spend over one hundred million spirit stones within the association!”

“The remaining one hundred and ten million are all stored within it! You can deposit and withdraw funds at any Dragon Ascent Merchant Association branch.”

“With this card, you can also enjoy VIP treatment at other merchant associations!”

Bai Qiuyuan mused inwardly.

[‘Does this world already have something similar to bank cards?’]

[‘It seems I’ll have to pay a visit to this merchant association’s chairman if the opportunity arises.’]

Bai Qiuyuan then took the Black Gold Card, a smile on his face.

“This is for you.”

As he spoke, he tossed a top-grade spirit stone to the host and turned to leave.

The host stared blankly at the spirit stone in their hand, which emanated a seven-colored radiance…

Clearly, it was the host’s first time receiving a top-grade spirit stone as a tip!

Around the auction hall’s entrance, a group of people, some hidden among the passersby and others lurking in the shadows, observed the scene.

They stealthily followed Bai Qiuyuan, maintaining a discreet distance.

Bai Qiuyuan, perceiving the ‘trees’ behind him with his divine sense, chuckled inwardly.

[‘They’ve taken the bait…’]

****

****

Bai Qiuyuan arrived at a clearing in the desolate wilderness, where he finally halted, turned around, and spoke.

“Come out, all of you.”

After a few seconds, several cultivators appeared before Bai Qiuyuan!

The cultivators’ cultivation levels varied greatly, including both Foundation Establishment and Core Formation practitioners!

Their intentions were clearly to seize treasure!

Although there was a rule that no one could engage in combat within the auction hall, still…

Outside the auction, there was no rule against plundering!

Once outside the auction, treasures belonged to whoever could snatch them!

The cultivation world operated on such a law of the jungle!

A male cultivator, wielding a sword, looked at Bai Qiuyuan and sneered.

“Brat! I didn’t expect you to run off to such a desolate place yourself!”

“After we kill you, we’ll bury you right here!”

“Quickly hand over everything you have on you!”

****

Everyone scrutinized Bai Qiuyuan with greedy eyes.

Their gazes were like those of predators eyeing fish on a chopping block!

It was no wonder they thought this way; after all, Bai Qiuyuan’s appearance was incredibly deceptive!

He looked far too young!

Coupled with his casual tip of a top-grade spirit stone and his non-ordinary attire, it was evident he was wealthy.

This was the primary reason everyone had simultaneously targeted Bai Qiuyuan!

However, seeing Bai Qiuyuan’s utterly calm demeanor, devoid of any panic, a hint of doubt arose in their hearts.

[‘Why isn’t this fellow scared at all?’]

[‘Is it a trap? No, the vicinity has already been checked; there can’t be an ambush!’]

[‘He’s just bluffing!’]

Then, the crowd watched as Bai Qiuyuan drew a sword, his left hand gripping the scabbard, his right hand reversed on the hilt, holding it upright before him, as if preparing to draw and strike.

Yet, the way he held the sword was peculiar.

“Could he possess cultivation?”

A cultivator, seeing Bai Qiuyuan draw his sword, asked doubtfully.

A nearby cultivator scoffed dismissively.

“Hmph, how high could a child’s cultivation possibly be?!”

Some, with sharper eyes, quickly recognized the sword in Bai Qiuyuan’s hand as the [Cangguang] that had appeared at the auction earlier, and immediately mocked.

“Isn’t that the broken sword sold at the auction?!”

“It really is!”

“Just a defective item!”

“Could this brat be naive enough to believe this useless sword can withstand an attack from all of us?”

Bai Qiuyuan, upon hearing this, smiled and said.

“Watch closely; my sword art will blind your dog eyes.”

The cultivators: “?”

After hearing this, an ominous feeling inexplicably arose in the hearts of all the cultivators.

Thus, they all vigilantly watched the sword in Bai Qiuyuan’s hand.

The cultivators frowned, perplexed.

[‘Could he actually be a master of the sword?’]

Then, the cultivators watched as Bai Qiuyuan closed his eyes, and then… drew the Cangguang Sword…

Suddenly! A blinding light, comparable to the sun, instantly erupted in the darkness!!

The cultivators, who had been intently staring at the Cangguang Sword in Bai Qiuyuan’s hand: (*Blindly mumbling*)?!!!

“Shit, shit, shit, shit…”

“What the f***!!?”

“I’m blind! I’m going blind!”

“Ah! My eyes!!”

[‘A sword art that blinds dog eyes (literally)!’]

****

****

A few seconds later, Bai Qiuyuan sheathed the Cangguang Sword, opened his eyes, and walked towards the crowd with a smile.

A Nascent Soul cultivator, clutching their eyes, frantically shouted.

“Don’t let him escape!”

*Bang!*

The very next second, the cultivator who had spoken was sent flying by a strike from Bai Qiuyuan’s scabbard!

The struck cultivator soared like a golf ball, flying for over a dozen meters before crashing heavily onto the distant ground!

Bai Qiuyuan said with a chuckle.

“I won’t be running.”

Just as the other cultivators felt their vision beginning to recover slightly.

Hearing Bai Qiuyuan speak, they all instinctively looked with bewildered expressions towards the source of the voice.

Then, the cultivators saw Bai Qiuyuan, who had once again closed his eyes.

The cultivators were instantly stunned upon seeing this…

Then, the Cangguang Sword in Bai Qiuyuan’s hand was drawn once more!

“What the f***!!” (x10 screams)

“No way! Again?!”

****

*Bang!*

Another man was directly sent flying by Bai Qiuyuan!

Despair instantly bloomed in the hearts of the crowd.

[‘How are we supposed to fight him?!’]

[‘We can’t look at him! But we also can’t *not* look at him!’]

[‘This sword can actually be used like this?!’]

****

Some immediately realized they could use their divine sense instead of their eyes!

Thus, they instantly unleashed their divine sense to observe Bai Qiuyuan.

Then, those who had deployed their divine sense once again saw Bai Qiuyuan, eyes closed, drawing the Cangguang Sword!

With a massive infusion of spiritual energy, the light emanating from the Cangguang Sword was even more overwhelming than before!

And then… the divine sense, capable of observing things from a full 360-degree perspective without blind spots, allowed the cultivators to ‘appreciate’ the dazzling radiance of the Cangguang Sword from every single angle!

“Ah!!!!”

A chorus of screams erupted.

Some cultivators, their primordial spirits (TL Note: The spiritual essence of a cultivator, similar to a soul) blinded and dissipated, even foamed at the mouth and fainted!

Bai Qiuyuan once again sheathed the Cangguang Sword, held it single-handedly, resting it on his shoulder, and, with a villainous grin, looked at the cultivators on the ground, whose faces seemed ‘broken,’ and chuckled.

“This is a robbery; hand over everything you have!”

The cultivators: “…”

[‘It seems… we were the ones who came to rob them…’]

[‘This is too despicable! How are we supposed to fight this?!’]

[‘If you don’t love it, please don’t hurt it…’]

****

Since no one responded to Bai Qiuyuan for a long time, everyone once again saw that light…

That night, everyone felt as if they had transformed into light themselves, merging with it completely!