Free Web NovelChapter 522: Chapter 31: Traveling Auction
The move by the Five Blessings Commerce Association filled Li Ji’an’s heart with suspicion.
Connecting the identities of "Liu Qingyun" and "Huang Jie", one can understand, it must be related to the Si Shui Commerce Association.
But their interest in his past life was perplexing.
He thought to himself that aside from dealings with the Si Shui Commerce Association, there was absolutely no cause and effect with the Five Blessings Commerce Association in his past life.
"Why such focus on my past life?" Li Ji’an pondered with caution, yet he was at a loss for clues.
He decisively denied any cause with "Huang Jie" and his master and straightforwardly rejected the Five Blessings Commerce Association.
With two victories in a row, especially defeating the Immortal Seedling ranked tenth in magical power from the Nine Tripods Commerce Association, Li Ji’an became the dark horse of the current Flying Crane Dao Discussion.
According to his current record, as long as he wins the third battle, he can smoothly advance into the top five of the group, becoming one of the top ten prodigies of this Flying Crane Dao Discussion.
His odds sharply dropped, from one to ten to one to one.
However, at his third match, seeing the opponent’s Magic Crown, Divine Soul Protective Headband, and a set of armored Magic Robes specifically defending against the Qi and Blood Power of Body Cultivators, Li Ji’an chuckled bitterly.
Compared to these superior prodigies, his magical power foundation was insufficient. He completely relied on the refinement of Little Fire Spirit over the years to not be too weak, but in terms of magic techniques, he lagged far behind.
Additionally, the Seven Grade Magical Treasure temporarily gifted by the Jinhua Commerce Association didn’t particularly complement his magical divine abilities.
Without physique and the surprise of divine soul secret techniques, he simply couldn’t win.
However, he wasn’t too bothered; the win or loss in magical combat doesn’t equate to life and death success or failure in the cultivation realm.
No surprise, relying on the enduring Wood Magic Power, he struggled for three days and ultimately lost.
Then, in the fourth match against the prodigy with the Southern Netherworld Fire Spirit Body, he didn’t even last a day.
Eventually, eliminated in the qualifiers, he failed to enter the current top ten.
"In the next life, I must cultivate a Celestial Level cultivation technique, no matter what."
"And accumulate several celestial grade magic techniques!"
This was the insight Li Ji’an gained after unexpectedly participating in the Flying Crane Dao Discussion, realizing more clearly the huge gap between the Celestial Cyan Domain and the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain in nurturing Immortal Seedlings.
If one has remarkable talent, the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain offers broader paths for advancement, with more opportunities.
But for the general public, staying in the Celestial Cyan Domain offers more security.
After being eliminated, he decisively retreated long distance, changing to Huang Jie’s identity midway, and returned to Feihong Immortal City as a pure spectator to observe the prodigies’ magical combat.
The original purpose of the "Liu Qingyun" identity was to seek the opportunity for Gugu to condense a demon pill, but the spirit contract delayed it for some time, now it’s completely fulfilled.
Unless under special circumstances, this identity won’t reappear.
This was also the reason he exposed the divine soul secret technique during the Flying Crane Dao Discussion, as an attempt.
However, upon activating the Faceless Mask just then, he clearly felt that Huang Jie’s heart nature’s assimilation weakened significantly.
Until a few days later, finally bumped into by a group from Si Shui Commerce Association, he went to greet Master Yuxiao.
Master Yuxiao, although not blaming him for his tasks over the past year, expressed much dissatisfaction and disappointment in his words.
Originally, due to the relationship with Guo Wanzhi, he intended to give him a chance to achieve merit, and might consider providing a Core Formation Spirit Treasure afterward.
But now, he had lost hope.
Afterward, Li Ji’an stayed with the Si Shui Commerce Association.
However, during this time, it was always Yao Rui by his side.
Yao Rui’s advance to the semifinals delighted Master Yuxiao, increasing investment in the spirit contract for her and promising to raise the level of Core Formation Spirit Treasure even further.
This dispelled some of Yao Rui’s frustration for being eliminated in the three matches of the qualifiers.
Through this Dao Discussion competition, Yao Rui’s confidence was greatly affected and no longer as arrogant as before.
A month later, the top five of this Flying Crane Dao Discussion were decided.
Among the five, two from the Nine Tripods Commerce Association, and one each from the Fierce Tiger Commerce Association, the Five Blessings Commerce Association, and the Taian Commerce Association.
All were not from the commerce association’s direct lineage but civilian discoveries.
Of the five, three had innate spirit bodies, besides the Southern Netherworld Fire Spirit Body, the one from the Nine Tripods Commerce Association was the rare and precious Ten Thousand Laws Thunder Spirit Body, innately adept at thunder techniques, with thunderous might at every move.
Another one, though not a spirit body, had a rare anomalous spirit root, a Wind Spirit Root.
His cultivation in wind attribute cultivation techniques seemed natural, escape speed extremely fast, figure as elusive as phantoms, Li Ji’an’s Divine Sense at the pinnacle of Core Formation Middle Stage couldn’t catch his tracks at close range.
The only one of the five with just an Earth Celestial Spirit Root, but his cultivation technique seemed far superior, his Earth Element magical power was the best Li Ji’an had seen in his Three Lives Cultivation Realm experience. Whether it was magical treasure bombardment or Gold Element slaughter, neither could break his defense.
On that day, the group from Si Shui Commerce Association followed Master Yuxiao back to Cold Smoke Immortal City.
Three months later, the top five of Flying Crane Dao Discussion will conduct finals at the auction in Cold Smoke Immortal City, deciding the top three.
After the auction ends, there will be a grand final to determine the first place.
Cold Smoke Immortal City, after over two years of preparation, is now fully arranged.
No surprise, as the host of this touring auction, Si Shui Commerce Association will surely shine brightly, simultaneously greatly enhancing the overall strength of the commerce association.
Upon returning to Cold Smoke Immortal City the first day, Li Ji’an received good news that Guo Wanzhi was preparing to attempt Core Formation.
With her Upper Grade Spirit Root, cultivating Biyun Sect’s Earth Level Lower Grade Cultivation Technique, her magical power wasn’t thick enough, lacking tempering, not pure enough. If placed in Biyun Sect, she basically had no hope of obtaining Core Formation Spirit Treasure.
