Zilan City — a beautiful city in the Southern Domain, clean and orderly within, everything proceeding in proper fashion.

Purple orchid trees lined both sides of every street, these fragrant trees as luminously clear as purple crystal. Each could reach several meters in height, every cluster of blossoms carved as though from purple agate, releasing an intoxicating fragrance.

“This is quite nice. If I ever lay out a cemetery, I’ve decided I’ll plant some purple orchid trees,” Duan De said, his wretched habit rearing its head again.

The entire city was pervaded by a gentle fragrance of orchids — refreshing and pleasing, an exceptionally pleasant place to live. Walking along the streets left one’s mind clear and spirit bright, heart settling into quiet.

The Guyue Auction House was situated in a quieter part of Zilan City, yet on this day it was anything but quiet. It was already packed to capacity, shoulder to shoulder, barely possible to enter or leave.

At the entrance stood two enormous qilin, glowing brilliantly, sculpted from golden jade marrow — grand in presence, rich in air, imposing and heroic.

Inside the auction house, ornately carved beams and gilded pillars gleamed. Enormous decorative screens, antique precious wood chairs, thick columns coiled with dragons and phoenixes.

“A fairy from beyond the domain — the clash of two different civilizations. There’s some interest in that,” a young man from the Ancient Clans said, folding fan in hand, smiling pleasantly.

Beside him, a person in a ghost-faced mask entered with a body full of cold air and a haughty stride, a group of people following behind. They brought a pile of divine Source in with them directly — clearly bent on winning the bid no matter the cost.

“I’ve heard this woman has some connection to the Sacred Physique, Ye Fan. Won’t bidding for her cause trouble?” someone murmured quietly.

“Highest bidder wins. Does he think he can simply take her by force?” another voice said coldly.

It was obvious that some people had not come to actually bid — they were there entirely to target Ye Fan. Even if they couldn’t succeed, they wanted to create problems.

“Fools who don’t know the meaning of death,” the Monkey muttered softly from a distance.

At this point, Ye Fan, Duan De, and their companions had already entered, though they had altered their appearances, not wishing to attract too much attention — even though everyone knew he would appear there today.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please quiet yourselves. The auction will now begin.” A gray-haired elder past the age of sixty stepped onto the platform, struck the wooden gavel once, and began presiding over the occasion.

At first, the proceedings were uneventful. Various precious materials, weapons, and pills were auctioned in calm succession without producing any great excitement — even the appearance of a king-level weapon failed to stir any particular reaction.

It was only when a final scroll of sage’s personal notes appeared that a stir was created, though it was only a thin seven or eight pages — badly incomplete. Even so, many people competed eagerly to bid for it.

Finally, the white-haired elder struck the table and raised his voice. “Next, we will auction the fairy from beyond the domain. Highest bidder wins.”

Boom.

At last, the previously quiet Guyue Auction House ignited. Instantly it erupted into noise — clamor filling the sky, every kind of sound assaulting the ears, many people rising to their feet.

Among them, half paid no attention to what was on the high platform and instead scanned the crowd in all directions, clearly searching for Ye Fan — more focused on him than on anything else.

“Well concealed. There are powerful assassins among them, though at the moment I can only sense a few auras — all hidden among ordinary people,” Ye Fan said.

No one dared act recklessly here. The assembled crowd was a mix of fish and dragons. If one tried to clean out the entire place, it would likely ensnare dozens if not hundreds of powerful forces. Even the assassin divine dynasties did not dare act rashly.

“Where is this supposed fairy from beyond the domain? The auction has begun, but why hasn’t she appeared? Let us at least see her.” someone called out.

“Exactly. For all we know, she was found at some pleasure house rather than truly coming from the celestial void. Let her show herself first so we can take a proper look.”

The Guyue Auction House was immense. At that moment, tens of thousands of people sat below. It held spatial laws within it — otherwise it could never have contained so many.

“My apologies. This woman is of extraordinary origin. The fusion of two different civilizations, equal to the wisdom-spark born of a thousand years of enlightenment. For this reason, only a limited number of spots are being auctioned here. The true competitive bidding will take place at a different location.” The elder on the platform said.

Below, an instant uproar. Many people were deeply dissatisfied. Some refused to accept this, stood up, and kept shouting.

Yet nothing would change. The elder on the platform continued speaking: anyone who wished to advance to the next round would be required to put up a deposit of eight hundred thousand catties of Source and proceed to a separate location for the actual bidding.

“Eight hundred thousand catties of Source as a starting deposit? Have you gone mad? She’s a single woman — no matter how precious she might be, she’s not worth this much!”

“Even scamming someone shouldn’t be this shameless. Is there any justice left in this world? Even granting that she comes from beyond the domain, this is still outrageous.”

Amid a chorus of curses, more than ten groups of people stepped onto the platform in succession. Some pressed down a small piece of divine jade from the Ninth Heaven Sequence. Some placed a small block of Great Luo Silver Essence. Some set down several large chunks of divine Source.

The hall quickly fell silent. Everyone knew these were not ordinary people — they had almost certainly all come with Ye Fan as their target. The fairy from beyond the domain was nothing more than a pretext for them.

An atmosphere of tension spread through the room, pressing down on everyone. People seemed to smell a scent of blood, as though they could already see the flash of blades, white bone, and rivers of red.

“Through this auction, the enemies of the Human Sacred Physique have achieved a kind of alliance. Everyone understands: their unified goal is to kill him together.”

“Some of those people likely have spatial artifacts on their persons. Right now it looks like a handful of individuals, but at the crucial moment, ten thousand soldiers may emerge.”

Several old cultivators spoke in low voices, gripping the sleeves of their younger relatives, telling them to observe carefully and stay quiet — above all, not to run around carelessly.

More than ten groups stepped onto the platform and were led away to another great hall not open to the public, leaving behind a floor of treasures whose light blazed and shimmered so intensely it was hard to keep one’s eyes open. The most ordinary among them were divine Source; everything else was precious and rare.

Duan De felt his heart leap. “The Vicious Ghost… there is an aura of his here!”

He fixed his gaze on a crimson-red stone on the platform, carved over with deep and complex Dao patterns. Even the auction house’s own people did not know what it was, though they estimated its value at over a million catties of Source.

Duan De made a definitive judgment: whoever possessed this blood stone had regular contact with the Vicious Ghost, for the stone carried an aura that made his hairs stand on end.

“He has finally come. Though I think it is more likely he will head for the Tianduan Mountain Range — this may be no more than a minor figure.” Ye Fan murmured.

At last, Ye Fan’s group also stepped onto the platform. After a long wait, they entered a separate, magnificent ancient hall richly hung with calligraphy and paintings by renowned masters — even the teacups used there were of distinguished provenance.

At the center of the ancient hall was an altar, a formation pattern flickering with light. The more than ten groups who had entered ahead of them had already vanished. They exchanged a glance with one another, then stepped onto the altar.

A flash of radiance — and they emerged in the middle of a desert. A magnificent structure rose before them, standing incongruously in the desolate landscape.

This was one of only a few deserts in the Southern Domain, ordinarily unvisited and empty. The Guyue Auction House had stated plainly that they feared great battles breaking out, and so could not hold the final bidding within a city.

Inside the grand hall, the more than ten groups each sat apart, some with a cold sneer curling their lips. They had special means for detecting things, and they knew Ye Fan had arrived.

“Anyone who doesn’t belong here may leave. Is it time to stage the real performance? When can we kill the Human Sacred Physique?” a hoarse voice said. The speaker’s entire body was encased in black armor from head to toe, concealing even the face.

“This old one is only here to preside over the auction.” On the platform stood the same white-haired elder. “Highest bidder wins the fairy from beyond the domain.”

Though the setting was a desert, the air inside the great hall was ice-cold. The more than ten groups each radiated a terrifying killing intent. Several had already fixed their gazes on the three: Ye Fan, Duan De, and the Monkey.

“All the better. Since that woman comes from the same place as the Human Sacred Physique and was his companion,” a young man said lightly, “I’ll just bid for her and make her my slave girl.”

This was naked, brazen humiliation. He knew Ye Fan had come, and yet he spoke these words, leaving not even the smallest shred of face — it was like a slap across the cheek.

Duan De sent a voice transmission: “This is someone quite extraordinary — a king-level expert! He looks young on the surface, but heaven knows how many years he has actually lived. The depth in his eyes cannot be hidden. His body contains a staggering killing intent that has been sealed away — almost certainly a small world master from an assassin divine dynasty!”

“Already arrived, so why the hurry? The Human Sacred Physique is well and truly boxed in. He’s trapped here alive. What need is there to wait? Take our time and boil him slowly,” another person said with a chilling flatness, tinged with mockery and contempt.

“No wonder there’s such confidence. He has a sacred weapon!” Duan De was shaken, and secretly warned Ye Fan and the Monkey — this was almost certainly a realm master from Hell.

“Since he is the old companion of the Human Sacred Physique, I cannot fail to bid,” a young man from the Primordial Lake said, opening his mouth, his tone full of insult. “Serving as a handmaid, pouring tea and warming the bed — wouldn’t that be tremendously satisfying?”

“Human Sacred Physique, you’re finished!” The people from the Fallen Feather Clan were more direct. Their gazes lit with a fierce gleam as they turned toward Ye Fan, Duan De, and the Monkey.

Lu Dongfa had died at Ye Fan’s hands — and they had come. Two old men stood side by side at the front, both at the terrifying peak of the king realm, jointly holding an eight-treasure demon vessel from which an awe-inspiring pressure radiated.

“The Demon-Sealing Vessel!” Duan De was alarmed. This type of vessel could seal off space, render all formation patterns useless, dissolve all order and law-force, and reduce the area into a wasteland where no divine laws held sway.

“Ye Fan — how many years has it been? I have missed you greatly. To finally meet again — I have longed for this moment endlessly, so eager to see that expression of shock and panic on your face!” The figure encased entirely in black armor spoke, voice cold and eerie as something rising from the depths of the nine abyss.

“It’s him. Suffused with traces of the Vicious Ghost’s aura!” Duan De was an expert at detecting such things and saw through it at a glance. At the same time, a chill settled over him — through this person, he glimpsed the true terror of the Vicious Ghost.

“Then this must be a certain old acquaintance who crossed the starry void alongside me and arrived in this world,” Ye Fan murmured.

The others were all supremely calm, their faces even colder than before. It was not difficult to imagine that at the critical moment, they would all strike. The spatial artifacts they carried would be activated — and in an instant, ten thousand soldiers might fill this entire desert.

More than ten groups represented more than ten devastatingly powerful and terrifying factions.

On the platform, the elder remained utterly composed, proceeding methodically, continuing to preside over the auction. Lin Jia still had not appeared, and all present were first required to display their treasures, heap them before the auction platform, before bidding could commence.

“Two million catties of Source — to make the old companion of the Human Sacred Physique his slave girl!” The small world master of the assassin divine dynasty — who appeared young but was anything but — laughed loudly, with a faint undercurrent of cruelty.

“I, too, want such a maidservant!” The young man from the Primordial Lake opened his mouth as well, as two old men behind him heaped a large pile of divine Source on the table.

Before long, the platform was piled high with divine materials of every kind, each one blazing with light, shimmering in all directions, dazzling to the eye.

Yet the vast majority of those present had not moved, watching coldly from the side. They had little interest in the fairy from beyond the domain. They were here to kill Ye Fan.

After a moment, someone finally could no longer contain himself. “Have all of you had your fill of games? Perhaps we should first kill the turtle in the jar together.”

“Quite right. He walked into the jar himself. We’ve let him simmer long enough — the time is about right,” someone else said with an icy smile.

Swish.

At that moment, Ye Fan revealed his true face. There was no longer any reason to conceal it. He rose to his feet.

The figure encased entirely in black armor was the most agitated, giving a long, screech-like cry, speaking with icy coldness: “Ye Fan — do you know who I am? I have been waiting for this moment for so long, waiting to meet you again, so desperate to see that expression of shock and terror on your face!”

Ye Fan said calmly: “Pity. You are destined for disappointment. Whether in the past or the present, you have always been nothing but a small fish.”

“You—!” The figure’s sinister energy was intense. He gasped violently for a long moment before managing to steady himself. “When you know who I am, you will regret it.”

“Actually, I am quite curious — which friend among us was it who orchestrated this auction, bringing so many of us together in one place for the express purpose of killing the Sacred Physique?” a king-level expert asked, voicing what was on everyone’s mind.

“Thank you for your generous gifts.” Ye Fan strode forward, swept all the various precious treasures from the high platform into his possession, then announced in a loud voice: “I set this trap myself — to trap myself.”