King of Creation
Chapter 554 - 548: Making Plans

Chapter 554: Chapter 548: Making Plans

"Thieves are despicable!"

In the exclusive No. 3 VIP room of Stars Tower, shortly after the guiding steward had left, Yan Cong slammed his palm on the hardwood table in front of him.

The hardwood table, made of hundred-year-old ironwood, silently turned to dust under Yan Cong’s strike, releasing some of the fury he held within him.

"Tower Master need not worry. The rumors spread by Ye Zhen will soon collapse on their own. Ghost Spear Xian Yutong, a man with such a notorious reputation, how could he be one of us from Stars Tower?" Deacon Ding said.

"Indeed, Tower Master. Yet now Ye Zhen is wholeheartedly our enemy at Stars Tower, and the boy has tremendous potential. We should really come up with a strategy against him early!" As Steward Ma spoke, a hint of regret surfaced on his face. A genius with such potential had been forcefully turned into an enemy of Stars Tower due to the Tower Master’s personal grievances.

"Yes,"

Yan Cong absentmindedly responded, but his vexation was hard to dispel. He had been holding back a grand scheme to deal with Ye Zhen, which he was looking forward to, but before he could execute it, Ye Zhen had blasted it back at him. It was as if he was preparing to pass gas to disgust others, but someone slapped it back in his face, which was extremely unpleasant.

Moreover, there was an indescribable bitterness, so the frustration was better left unsaid.

"Tell me, who exactly killed Ghost Spear Xian Yutong?" Yan Cong suddenly asked, this being his true doubt.

If Xian Yutong had been killed by Ye Zhen, then the situation would be quite grave.

A Martial Artist of the First Stage of the Soul Sea Realm killing a warrior of the Third Stage of the Vein Forging Realm signified something that Yan Cong, the Tower Master of Stars Tower, could not be clearer about.

"It shouldn’t be, right?" Deacon Ding said. "Though Ye Zhen is strong enough to dominate among Martial Artists of the Soul Sea Realm, he’d still hesitate to confront a strong Vein Forging Realm opponent. Of course, with thorough planning and setting up in advance, he might be able to kill a strong warrior of the First and Second Stage of Vein Forging Realm.

"However, Xian Yutong, who was adept at assassination, would definitely not be someone Ye Zhen could kill."

"But, when that person left earlier, I carefully observed with my Divine Sense, Xian Yutong’s fatal injury was indeed caused by a finger technique! And Ye Zhen possesses a very powerful finger technique..."

"Tower Master, don’t forget, Moonlight Hall Master Fengh Qingyue who stays by Ye Zhen is also skilled in finger techniques, and even more domineering! In my opinion, it was Xian Yutong who attempted to assassinate Ye Zhen but failed to notice Fengh Qingyue. In the end, he was slain by Fengh Qingyue. That’s much more likely!

Otherwise, for a Martial Artist of the First Stage of the Soul Sea Realm to fight evenly with Xian Yutong of the Third Stage of Vein Forging Realm and kill him without sustaining any injury? That’s impossible!"

Hearing this, Yan Cong’s eyes suddenly brightened, his concern greatly diminished.

If Ye Zhen could indeed kill Ghost Spear Xian Yutong, that would be a troublesome matter. Not only would it be difficult for him to deal with Ye Zhen, but the comments within Stars Tower unfavorable to him would likely increase.

After all, up to now, Ye Zhen was still considered a member of Stars Tower, but in the True Spirit Domain, he had been forcibly pushed into the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.

"Alright then, let’s not talk about these matters anymore. Let’s discuss today’s auction strategy, see which items we must acquire. Bringing back a few treasures will also be good to show our merits to the Main Building, right?" Yan Cong said.

"Tower Master, according to our intelligence, this time Heavenly Spirit Auction House has more than three Heavenly Level Technique Secret Manuals up for auction. These three Heavenly Level Technique Secret Manuals are a must-have for us. Next, there are two Pill Formulas..."

....

"Of course, Vice Sect Master Tian, Duan Yingnian framed me like that, if I don’t put up the Demon Cloud Fruit for auction, it won’t be long before I’m surrounded by trouble and my life is at risk! This is the only way I’ve figured out after much thought to break Duan Yingnian’s frame-up," Ye Zhen honestly answered under the watchful eyes of Tian Guizhang and Fengh Qingyue in another not-too-distant VIP room.

At these words, disappointment flashed across Tian Guizhang’s face, while Fengh Qingyue’s expression changed.

"Frame-up? Ye Zhen, you’re saying Duan Yingnian framed you, then where did you get this Demon Cloud Fruit?" Fengh Qingyue asked.

"I was fortunate enough to enter the recently opened Secret Realm of Demon Souls, where I grabbed a Demon Cloud Fruit," Ye Zhen said.

"Although your Cultivation is low, with your combat power, it’s indeed possible for you to grab a Demon Cloud Fruit in the Secret Realm of Demon Souls! When you brought out the Demon Cloud Fruit earlier, I thought you really stole one from Yang Zhengxi," Fengh Qingyue said.

"As if! That Yang Zhengxi fellow, what he carries are all Spirit Crystals, and they’re Spirit Crystals belonging to the Longevity Sect, he doesn’t have any Demon Cloud Fruits!" After some thought, Ye Zhen decided to speak out about this issue early.

It’s better to reveal the source of his abundant Spirit Crystals than to let them speculate.

"It’s a pity... If it weren’t for Duan Yingnian being so vile, using such a baseless trick against you, you wouldn’t have to auction off that Demon Cloud Fruit," Fengh Qingyue said.

Upon saying this, Fengh Qingyue’s expression suddenly paused, "Right, Ye Zhen, that day when you faced Elder Tus of Punishment Hall, I noticed your expression was unusual. Were you thinking of using this Demon Cloud Fruit to make your escape?"

"Indeed... I had that thought!" When Fengh Qingyue hit the nail on the head, Ye Zhen’s face turned slightly red.

"Correct, this method is indeed the only solution. If it weren’t for this, even the Sun and Moon Divine Sect might not have been able to protect you! After today’s auction and a little circulation through our Sect’s intelligence network, the impact of Duan Yingnian’s framing will be completely dissipated," Tian Guizhang said with a somewhat gloomy expression.

Saying so, Tian Guizhang sighed softly, "It’s just that, it’s a shame to benefit Yan Cong for no reason."

"What do you mean?" Ye Zhen frowned.

"In terms of wealth, in the entire Qinglan Martial City, even the whole True Spirit Domain, no one can match the wealth of Stars Tower," Tian Guizhang said.

"Actually, it’s not quite like that. When it comes to wealth, there are many forces surpassing Stars Tower, but the key point is that the fundamental purpose of Stars Tower is to collect precious items. As long as there’s a good treasure, Yan Cong can utilize the entire wealth of Stars Tower to purchase it at auction.

Other martial artists, like Brother Ye and Vice Sect Master Tian, even with strong personal wealth, simply can’t compete with the wealth of the first floor of Stars Tower," Feng Qingyue explained.

"So other forces just watch as Stars Tower acquires those top treasures?" Ye Zhen asked.

"Of course not! It’s just that when Stars Tower sets its mind on purchasing a certain treasure, no force can outbid them!

Stars Tower has powerful sales channels. When auctioning, they don’t care about the cost at all. A treasure, although fetching a sky-high price in our True Spirit Domain, can still bring very high profits for Stars Tower in other domains," Feng Qingyue said.

"Doesn’t that mean this Demon Cloud Fruit is doomed to be won over by that old thief Yan Cong?" Ye Zhen was astonished.

"At least an eighty percent chance!" Feng Qingyue said.

Ye Zhen’s brows tightly furrowed; this was definitely not a scenario he wanted to see. A treasure like the Demon Cloud Fruit absolutely shouldn’t fall into the hands of that old dog, Yan Cong.

"Is there no way to prevent that old dog Yan Cong from winning the bid?" Ye Zhen asked.

Tian Guizhang and Feng Qingyue exchanged glances, and suddenly, Tian’s old face blushed as he lightly coughed.

"Well, there is a way, but I’m really too embarrassed to speak of it!"

"There’s no need to be embarrassed, Vice Sect Master Tian. Please, speak your mind!"

"Ye Zhen, honestly, I too greatly desire this Demon Cloud Fruit! However, my wealth certainly can’t compete with Stars Tower, let alone with others who have just entered, such as Duan Yingnian. That’s why I didn’t mention it earlier.

However, if you don’t want Stars Tower to get their hands on this Demon Cloud Fruit, I do have a method, but I’m afraid you might not trust it!"

"What method?" Ye Zhen asked.

"It goes like this...." As Tian Guizhang got to this part, he suddenly lowered his voice and erected a soundproofing light screen before he whispered the method he had in mind.

"Can this really work? Will the auction house be fooled?" After hearing Tian Guizhang’s method, Ye Zhen was also shocked.

"It can work. It has been used by others in the past!" Tian Guizhang said.

"If that’s the case, let’s go with that!"

Seeing Ye Zhen nod in agreement, Tian Guizhang was overjoyed and immediately said with a grave expression, "Brother Ye, I owe you a favor for today. I’ll remember this kindness, and as for my credibility, rest assured, I will make a Divine Soul Oath when the time comes."

With Ye Zhen’s agreement, the relationship between Tian Guizhang and Ye Zhen became even closer, addressing each other as brothers.

"Eh, I say, Vice Sect Master Tian, I’m letting you have this rare Demon Cloud Fruit. How will you compensate me?" As she watched Ye Zhen and Tian Guizhang finalize their plan, Feng Qingyue humphed softly.

Tian Guizhang felt very embarrassed upon hearing this. He had taken great advantage of the situation today and had not even sought Feng Qingyue’s opinion. If Feng Qingyue wanted to compete for the Demon Cloud Fruit using the same method, things would get complicated.

"Master Feng, rest assured, from this day forward, if there’s any news of the Demon Cloud Fruit and you need my assistance, just ask! Whether it’s Spirit Crystals or martial power, I will not hesitate," Tian Guizhang said.

"Very well, it’s settled then!" Feng Qingyue said seriously, her jade hairpin gently swaying in her hair bun.

....

Dong!

With a resounding bell toll, the previously noisy auction hall fell silent in an instant. During the time Ye Zhen and Tian Guizhang were making their plans, the entire auction house had filled up with people.

Particularly, the hall downstairs was now overcrowded. Even outside the Heavenly Spirit Auction House, a large crowd of martial artists holding ten thousand Mid-grade Spirit Crystals, prepared to buy admission, was still present.

Firstly, the attraction of the nearing Spirit Returning Assembly and the tremendous draw of the auction itself were reasons enough; secondly, the news that the Demon Cloud Fruit would appear at the auction had spread throughout Qinglan Martial City via Talisman Communication, attracting a ceaseless stream of powerful individuals.

Since the Heavenly Spirit Auction House was already full, no amount of Spirit Crystals could secure entry. Some martial artists even considered using their Cultivation to force their way in, given the rarity of the Demon Cloud Fruit on the Jianghu.

Out of necessity, King Void King, who had already made an appearance once, had to show himself again and intimidate the crowd to settle them down.

"Welcome, fellow Martial Arts practitioners, to our Heavenly Spirit Auction House. I am You Fang, your auctioneer, and I bow to you all in respect! I need not elaborate on the auction house rules.

However, as per tradition, there is one matter to address before we begin.

Is there anyone who wishes to consign treasures for auction at the last minute? There are 15 minutes left until the auction starts; if so, please notify us via Talisman Communication so we can arrange the auction order based on the value of the items. If there are any last-minute submissions, I am afraid it might affect the final auction price!"

As the auctioneer announced this, a glint of hope shone in the eyes of many martial artists in the hall; more than a third of them had rushed to Heavenly Spirit Auction House upon hearing of the Demon Cloud Fruit’s appearance and had even used their connections to participate in the auction.

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)