Lin Jing, Hunted Down

Before long, Shang Continent.

As its name implied, this was a continent centered around commerce. Though it was not particularly vast, its reputation resounded throughout the Great Thousand World.

That was because this continent possessed the grandest auction house among the dozen or so neighboring continents. Countless natural treasures, divine objects, and all manner of Divine Arts flowed here through various channels.

This continent boasted that, so long as one had enough Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, one could buy anything one desired here.

Though that claim was somewhat exaggerated, it still demonstrated the foundation of Shang Continent.

A streak of light flew in from the distant horizon and came to a stop outside Commerce City, the immense city at the heart of the continent.

Lu Chen descended to the ground and looked at the pitch-black city before him, which towered several hundred zhang high. A grave look flashed through his eyes.

Huge glowing runes flickered across the city walls, while terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations rippled quietly through the air, sending chills through people's hearts. Clearly, an enormous array enveloped the city.

The only way to enter the city was through its gates. Anyone descending from the sky would trigger the city's great array and be treated as an invader, drawing its attacks.

"As expected of an array laid down by a Spirit Array Ancestor..."

Lu Chen praised softly. His hand brushed the Sumeru Bracelet around his wrist before he headed toward Commerce City.

Shang Continent was the closest continent to Tianluo Continent. If he wished to reach Tianluo Continent quickly, he could only rely on the large teleportation array at the center of Commerce City.

Lu Chen entered the extraordinarily grand city. The moment he stepped inside, he saw dozens of broad streets crisscrossing the area, all packed with dense streams of people.

All sorts of shops lined both sides of the streets, each emanating vast spiritual energy. Clearly, none of their goods were ordinary.

Lu Chen paid no attention to those shops and headed straight for the auction house in the center of the city.

He still had a portion of Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow that he had yet to use. Since he had come to Shang Continent, he could auction it off and exchange it for some Sovereign Spiritual Liquid.

The journey took a full hour.

By then, Lu Chen could see an enormous auction house standing at the very center of the city. It was Commerce City's largest auction house.

Looking at the outline of the auction house in the distance, Lu Chen's heart grew hot, and he was about to quicken his pace when he saw countless people pouring out from its entrance and speeding away in all directions.

Lu Chen could not help but pause in surprise. The auction's over already? What terrible timing.

Just as Lu Chen was lost in thought, a white-clad figure hurrying away in the distance crashed into him.

"Ow!"

The white-clad figure rubbed her forehead. Seeing someone blocking her way, she hurriedly said, "Brother, please move aside. I have something urgent to attend to..."

Hearing that rather clear voice, Lu Chen frowned and looked down. The person who had bumped into him was a fair-skinned youth.

She held a folding fan, and her delicate face was exceptionally handsome. Her figure was slender, yet her chest was noticeably full. She was clearly a lively little beauty in the making.

"A woman?"

Lu Chen raised a brow and said in surprise.

At those words, the pretty face of the white-clad girl disguised as a man reddened slightly. "Keep your voice down. Don't let anyone hear. It wasn't easy for me to hide my identity."

Lu Chen could not help but laugh. Looking around, he saw that the corners of the mouths of the surrounding spectators were twitching as well.

Clearly, everyone could see just how poor the little girl's disguise was.

At that moment, a piercing sound of air being torn apart came from the distance. Two figures immediately shot toward them at high speed.

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. Space rippled, and the two figures stepped out of the void, arriving before him.

They were a white-robed young man and a black-robed old man whose aura was unfathomably profound.

The young man's appearance was somewhat effeminate, though he was rather handsome. When he arrived before Lu Chen and the girl, he looked at the girl with an unfriendly expression, a trace of anger flashing through his eyes.

Behind him, the Black-Robed Elder stood with his hands behind his back, clearly following the white-robed young man's lead.

The young man glanced at Lu Chen, then cupped his hands and said, "This matter has nothing to do with you, sir. Please do me the favor of stepping aside. I have a score to settle with this little wench!"

Lu Chen raised a brow and calmly glanced at the mysterious old man behind the young man, whose aura was immense. At least a Fifth Grade Sovereign...

He then nodded slightly, took a step to the left, and said to the young man, "Be my guest."

The young man smiled faintly, very pleased with Lu Chen's choice.

However, the white-clad girl's expression changed drastically at the sight. She turned and tried to leave.

The Black-Robed Old Man stepped forward expressionlessly and instantly appeared in front of the girl, blocking her path.

He said indifferently, "My young master wishes to invite you. Little girl, you should accept."

The white-clad girl's face turned livid as she looked at the Black-Robed Old Man before her, then at the white-robed young man beside him, who was sizing her up lecherously. She shouted angrily, "Don't push people too far! I'm from the Martial Realm. You can't afford to provoke me!"

"The Martial Realm?"

The surrounding crowd was shocked upon hearing this. Even Lu Chen, who had been about to leave, stopped and turned to examine the girl again.

The white-robed young man merely smiled and said calmly, "Miss, don't joke around. If you were from the Martial Realm, how could you be so poor that you couldn't even produce a drop of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid? Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue with such boasts..."

"Today, this young master will teach you a lesson. There are some people in this world that you simply cannot afford to provoke. Obediently submit to me, and if this young master takes charge of Profound Heaven Hall in the future, I might even reward you with the position of Hall Master's wife..."

"Who cares about being your Hall Master's wife?!"

The white-clad girl's willow brows instantly stood on end. Unable to restrain herself, she raised a hand to slap him.

"You've got quite the wild streak. I like it..."

Seeing this, the young man was not angered but delighted. A wicked smile curled across his lips as he reached out to grab the girl's wrist.

Though they were both First Grade Sovereigns, he had already reached the peak of the First Grade Sovereign realm, far surpassing this little girl who had only just entered the Sovereign realm. He had more than enough strength to subdue her.

Just then, a crafty glint flashed through the girl's eyes. A white jade pendant suddenly appeared in her hand, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted from it before she hurled it at the young man.

"Young Master, watch out!"

Before the white-robed young man could react, the Black-Robed Old Man beside him hurriedly pulled him away. With a grave look in his eyes, he shouted as a terrifying spiritual energy storm suddenly burst forth from his body.

Pitch-black spiritual energy swept across heaven and earth, causing the temperature of the surroundings to plummet at once.

The Black-Robed Old Man struck out with his palm, sending an incomparably frigid, pitch-black handprint hurtling toward the jade pendant!

Boom!

The jade pendant shattered. A dazzling flash of lightning streaked forth, and a thunderous handprint hundreds of zhang wide shot out and collided with it, erupting in boundless brilliance!

Seeing this, the girl in white was just about to seize the chance to escape when she suddenly felt someone grab her wrist.

Looking up, she saw that the stranger who had left earlier had returned. He gripped her wrist, while a pair of purple flaming wings behind him beat continuously, radiating scorching heat.

Lu Chen seized the girl's wrist and said gravely, "Come with me, Lin Jing!"

"How do you know my name..."

The girl was stunned, so shocked that she forgot to struggle.

"The jade pendant!"

Lu Chen hurriedly said this, with no time to explain further. His wings flapped, and he pulled the girl into the void, vanishing from the spot in the blink of an eye.