The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 192 - 177: What Gives You the Right?_1

Chapter 192: Chapter 177: What Gives You the Right?_1

"Does anyone else wish to join the bidding?"

The short-statured Cao Mang stood on the circular platform, looking around and his booming voice echoed in every corner of the trading venue.

The attendees naturally turned their attention to Luo Hongyan within the crystal, her flawless beauty captivating all.

However, no one spoke again.

At this point, those qualified to attend the trading venue were either the distinguished elders of the major sects or the renowned high-realm individual cultivators of the Third Realm.

After Jiuyuan, Lou Yunming, and Yang Rui made it clear that they were competing for Luo Hongyan, with Jiuyuan even showing a determination to win at all costs...

Any new bidder had to carefully consider whether they could successfully win Luo Hongyan and still leave the Yuanmang with their life.

"Cao, the kid called Pang Jian, said to be that woman’s brother. Qi Qingsong and Zhao Yuanqi are closely related to the lad, wouldn’t our actions..."

Madam Hua, sitting with a dignified composure, lips unmoving, communicated with Cao Mang using Divine Sense Secret Skill.

Cao Mang’s face remained unchanged as he responded with the Secret Skill: "It doesn’t matter. He knows Qi Qingsong and Zhao Yuanqi, but he is not Qi Qingsong or Zhao Yuanqi!"

Madam Hua ever so slightly nodded in acknowledgement.

"As far as I know, Qi Qingsong, Zhou Qingchen, Dong Tianze, and others experienced a trial together several months ago. This Pang Jian is likely just one of them who took part in the trial, and he even offended Dong Tianze."

The decisive Cao Mang had already sorted out the connections and subtly transmitted his voice: "His true identity is that of a hunter from the Solitude Mountain Range in the Lower Realm. Regardless of how much Qi Qingsong or Zhao Yuanqi values him, his identity currently cannot be changed."

"I won’t give up the million Spirit Stones I have in hand just because of him or any minor connections with Qi Qingsong or Zhao Yuanqi!"

Cao Mang, greedy for wealth but not lecherous, had painstakingly managed the Yuan Mang Fragmented Lands for years, collecting rare Strange Treasures and Spiritual Materials from various worlds. He held these trade fairs every three years to accumulate resources for himself and Madam Hua to sustain their cultivation.

—— He would never let go of wealth that was within his reach for no good reason.

"Good, as long as you understand,"

Madam Hua no longer persuaded.

"Whoosh!"

She stood beside Huang Qi with a smile at the corner of her mouth and said, "Each contestant must prove they have sufficient wealth, and it’s not a matter of simply shouting out a bid that we will accept."

She knew Jiuyuan, Lou Yunming, Yang Rui, and Pang Jian could produce a million Spirit Stones.

Huang Qi, whom she had never seen before, she guessed must be around Hollow Profound Realm, and concerned that he was intent on causing trouble, she signaled Huang Qi to reveal his wealth.

"It seems you don’t trust me."

Huang Qi showed an expression of being insulted.

His sleazy eyes scanned over Madam Hua’s impressively contoured chest, then he began retrieving Spirit Jade from his storage bracelet.

Soon, Huang Qi was nearly submerged by the Spirit Jade he took out!

"Is that enough?"

Standing in the confined space amidst the Spirit Jade, Huang Qi looked at Madam Hua with a grin.

"Enough! It’s enough!"

Madam Hua nodded repeatedly.

Meanwhile.

Another thread of her Divine Sense voice slipped into Cao Mang’s mind: "This man’s origin is unclear. He once sold a Grand Creation Saint Body Fragmentary Scripture to Pang Jian, and yesterday disregarded Yang Rui, purchasing a pair of Red-eyed Demon Wolf eyes from Pang Jian for six hundred thousand Spirit Stones."

"I never thought he would actually have a million Spirit Stones in his possession!"

"I feel his actual cultivation realm is only Hollow Profound Realm, at best in the early stage of Spirit Condensation Realm."

"Cao Mang!"

Madam Hua’s last Divine Sense voice was slightly agitated.

On the platform, Cao Mang was expressionless, but secretly responding, "Have someone keep an eye on him. After he leaves Yuanmang, I will meet him personally!"

Madam Hua’s eyes glowed with delight.

As one of the strongest individual cultivators in the Third Realm, Cao Mang was able to amass enormous wealth not just because of his visible operations, but due to his underhanded dealings made unseen.

Above, he had connections with the most vicious and ruthless forces of the Second and Third Realms.

Below, he maintained contact with the Alien Tribes of the Fifth Realm.

Over the years, individual cultivators like Huang Qi, without the backing of sects and noble families who dared to flaunt their wealth in Yuanmang, would vanish without a trace after his gatherings concluded and the cultivators left joyously.

"Jiuyuan, Lou Yunming, Yang Rui, Pang Jian, Huang Qi."

Madam Hua, in front of everyone, took out a round wooden barrel and tossed in five bamboo slips.

"Only one slip is marked with the words ’winning slip.’ You five will have to draw based on luck," she said.

"Rustle! Rustle!"

She shook the round wooden barrel to mix up the slips before standing with the barrel in front of Luo Hongyan’s crystal prison.

"Who will go first?"

Madam Hua asked with a smile.

Yang Rui of the Raging Sun Sect didn’t respond and walked over from a distance.

After arriving, he didn’t look at Pang Jian but turned his attention to Qi Qingsong who seemed indifferent and said, "It won’t be long before I also enter the Second Realm and become well-known there. Since I joined the Raging Sun Sect first and cultivated its Spirit Spell, even if I can’t become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Sword Tower or the Demon Sect once I’m in the Second Realm..."

"I can still become a respected Guest Elder."

Yang Rui showed confidence on his face and said, "If I go to the Sword Tower, and your realm is inferior to mine, you will have to respectfully greet me even as an Inner Sect Disciple."

Qi Qingsong, grasping the deeper implication of his words, laughed nonchalantly without responding.

"I’ll go first!"

Huang Qi suddenly stepped forward.

With his back to the crowd, he faced Madam Hua, his covetous eyes lingering on her chest as he extended a dry left hand toward the bamboo slips in the barrel.

Quietly, each slip in the barrel glowed with a silvery white lustre to prevent Huang Qi’s Divine Sense from sneaking in and identifying the slip marked with "winning slip."

"Ah! My apologies, I think I touched the wrong thing!"

As he had been staring at Madam Hua’s chest and not at the barrel, Huang Qi’s hand, instead of reaching the bamboo slips, mistakenly touched Madam Hua’s smooth hand that was holding the barrel.

He sneakily grabbed two handfuls, and only when Madam Hua’s beautiful eyes were about to shoot lethal glares did he hurriedly draw a bamboo slip.

He glanced at it, helplessly shook his head, and said to Pang Jian with a wry smile, "My little brother, sorry."

Pang Jian "hmm"ed a sound.

Upon the platform.

The dwarf-like Cao Mang regarded Huang Qi, who had intentionally taken advantage of Madam Hua, with the eyes one looks at a dead man.

Cao Mang was already thinking, once Huang Qi left the Yuanmang Fragmented Lands, how he should deal with him.

The crowd of onlookers glanced at the shifty-eyed Huang Qi and then at Cao Mang on the platform, secretly admiring Huang Qi’s courage.

Many people whispered in the corners, all inquiring about the identity of this Huang Qi, speculating about his background and origins.

Huang Qi, who had a huge fortune, dared to publicly flirt with Madam Hua, even in front of Cao Mang—this man... his recklessness was more likely to bring him misfortune.

Those who knew Cao Mang’s temper believed that once Huang Qi left the Yuanmang, he would instantly be smashed to pieces by a furious Cao Mang.

"Who’s next?"

Madam Hua, trying hard to suppress her anger, called out again.

"Let me do it."

Yang Rui from the Raging Sun Sect stepped forward.

He had no interest in Madam Hua at all, but was instead always looking at Luo Hongyan within the rhomboid crystal, admiringly saying, "A million Spirit Stones to acquire such a remarkable woman, although there are other reasons, is still worth it."

He drew a slip, glanced at it only once, and said in a cold voice, "I’m very disappointed, I didn’t get to disgust you with it."

He looked at Pang Jian and with a "puff" the bamboo slip was suddenly burned to ashes by blazing flames.

Disappointed, he turned and left, heading to the other side of the platform, looking at a wooden box containing pills.

At that moment.

Pang Jian raised his head, looking towards Cao, who was suppressing his rage, and said calmly, "Cao Mang, has my sister offended you?"

He called him by his name directly.

Talents like Yang Rui, when facing Cao Mang, would also address him as Elder Cao.

Jiuyuan, Lou Yunming and other elders from various sects, would call him either Brother Cao or Little Brother Cao.

All the cultivators who entered the Yuanmang Fragmented Lands, in the face of this famous and formidable individual cultivator from the Third Realm, would show the respect he deserved, and no one would call him by his name outright.

Yet today, at this moment, an exception had occurred.

"I don’t remember how many years it’s been since someone called me by my name directly..."

Cao Mang did not immediately answer Pang Jian’s question; he first muttered to himself in a daze. After he regained his composure, he indifferently looked at Pang Jian and answered, "She has never offended me."

"Cao Mang, we came to attend the gathering you held, and we took up residence on the First Peak,"

Pang Jian looked at him, spoke very slowly, and in a voice not raised high, he asked, "Why?"

"Why, on your way back, did you destroy the Soul Array she set up? And why did you force her to hastily leave the First Peak of Yuanmang? On what basis, Cao Mang, did you capture her and offer her up for sale as your trophy?"

"On what basis?"

Pang Jian questioned him word by word.

The trading site suddenly became silent as a tomb.

Shocked gazes wandered between Pang Jian and Cao Mang, everyone deeply pondering his words.

"My little brother!"

Huang Qi gave Pang Jian a thumbs up and said, "Well done!"

"Right, on what basis?!"

Jiang Li pursed her lips and softly exclaimed.

Zhao Yuanqi appeared reflective, watching Pang Jian’s upright figure and thought to herself, "No wonder Zhou Qingchen and Jiang Li hold him in such high regard."

Publicly calling Cao by his real name, questioning him powerfully—a brash act not even someone without a significant background like Pang Jian would dare.

Even if she were Pang Jian, she might not have that kind of courage!

"Yeah, why on earth should Cao just capture people for no reason? Just because she is from the Blood Spirit Sect?"

A youthful and beautiful woman clad in Star River Alliance garments, with a star disc at her waist, also murmured in agreement.

"Xie Girl, you better speak less!"

Her Elder from the Star River Alliance, Liang Ying, scolded her quietly.

"When Pang Jian, who doesn’t have any backing, can boldly say it, why should I be afraid?"

Xie Xiwen pouted, glancing at the elder with displeasure, saying, "Or is it because our Star River Alliance is not solid enough that we have to be so cautious even around an individual cultivator?"

"We are standing on someone else’s territory, after all; we ought to give them some face. That’s common courtesy!"

Liang Ying, the Spirit Condensation Realm elder, retorted angrily.

"Oh."

The genius girl Xie Xiwen looked as if she half-understood.

"Just because I am Cao Mang."

The dwarf-height Cao, amid the murmuring of the crowd, stood in front of Pang Jian, carrying himself with an overwhelming presence aiming skywards.

He still stood in place but gave off an imposing sensation of a high mountain range, as if he was the First Peak of Yuanmang, able to overlook all the smaller mountains and suppress all the peaks!

Jiuyuan, Lou Yunming, and elders like Liang Ying, watching Cao Mang at that moment, also appeared quite solemn.

As peers in the Spirit Condensation Realm, they were only at the initial stages, whereas Cao Mang was clearly a notch above!

"It has nothing to do with her being the remnant of the Blood Spirit Sect; just because I am Cao Mang!"

Cao, staring directly at Pang Jian as though looking at an ant struggling on the ground, arrogantly said, "In my territory, whatever I, Cao Mang, wish to do, not even the five major sects would dare to interfere!"