Foreshadowing of a Karmic Bond, Prelude to the Grand Show

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was never exactly wealthy; these offerings were already their absolute limit.

On the other side, Ning Zhen did not even blink. With a grand sweep of his pen, he listed a massive array of assets: the sponsorship list provided by Emperor Xue Ye just last night, several core commercial streets belonging to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, various spirit bones, and even the secret technique of Heart Separation Control.

A moment later, all the parchment sheets were collected and stacked neatly on the desk before Qian Xunji.

The breathing of everyone in the hall stalled; every pair of eyes was fixed intently on Qian Xunji's slender hands.

Qian Xunji picked up the first sheet with an air of indifference, glanced at it, and set it aside.

The second sheet, set aside.

When he saw the third—Ning Zhen's bid—his brows arched slightly, and a hint of a smile flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Good fellow, this old man Ning Zhen is truly a philanthropist. I'll fleece him for a fortune this time, and in a few years, I can fleece him for another with Soul Tools.

Qian Xunji didn't even want to look at Yu Yuanzhen's bid afterward, but out of courtesy, he flipped through it symbolically.

Upon finishing, he pulled out Ning Zhen's parchment and tapped it lightly against the desktop.

"The results are in."

Qian Xunji stood up, looked at the crowd craning their necks below, and announced in a clear voice:

"After careful deliberation by This Seat, the ultimate guardianship of this peerless genius with Twin Spider Emperors belongs to—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"What?"

Yu Yuanzhen slammed the table and stood up, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets:

"That's impossible! Qian Xunji, have you gone blind?

They are just a bunch of tower-wielders; what could the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possibly teach a Twin Spirit user?

Is the price my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan offered not enough?"

"Sect Master Yu, watch your tongue."

Qian Xunji cast a cold glance at him.

"This Seat said the highest bidder wins. If you took a look at the list Sect Master Ning provided, you would realize just how... thrifty and frugal your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan truly is."

Ning Zhen suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, stood up, and cupped his hands toward the room: "I yield, I yield to you all."

Although Dai Tianfeng and Tang Zhen looked livid, bound by the toxic oaths they had just sworn, they could only swallow their bitterness.

As for Xue Ye, he was satisfied enough with the outcome of this trip; thirty years was a wait he could afford.

"Very well, today's auction ends here."

Qian Xunji waved his hand, signaling for them to leave.

"Since you have all traveled from afar, feel free to enjoy Martial Soul City for a few more days; all consumption is ten percent off. As for Sect Master Ning..."

Qian Xunji looked at Ning Zhen and smiled meaningfully.

"That child's identity is special. To prevent any mishaps, This Seat will personally escort her to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's residence tonight, and while I am at it... I shall audit the accounts.

Everyone, please return."

Night fell, and Martial Soul City was silent and still.

Inside the guest villa of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen sat in the main hall, pacing back and forth restlessly.

The table before him was laden with fine wine and delicacies, but he had no heart to savor them.

"Creak—"

The door was pushed open, and Qian Xunji, draped in a black robe, walked in alone.

"Hahahaha! I knew it."

The moment Yu Yuanzhen saw Qian Xunji appear, he rushed forward excitedly, his eyes filled with triumph.

"You were definitely just putting on a show for those idiots in the Pope Hall today, weren't you?

You wouldn't give a Twin Spirit user to my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, only to give it to that upstart Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? That would be the greatest joke under heaven.

Where is she? Bring the little girl in."

Watching Yu Yuanzhen indulge in his wild fantasies, Qian Xunji pulled up a chair without ceremony, sat down, poured himself a glass of wine, and sighed:

"Sect Master Yu, you are overthinking this.

I wasn't joking today; you truly did not win."

Yu Yuanzhen's smile froze on his face, and he immediately flew into a rage: "You're playing me?! Then why did you come to see me in the middle of the night?!"

"Don't be so agitated."

Qian Xunji took a sip of wine.

"I came because I admire your love for talent, so I am gifting you a piece of top-secret intelligence as a gesture of friendship. It concerns your son, Yu Xiaogang."

Upon hearing the name "Yu Xiaogang," Yu Yuanzhen's pupils contracted violently, and the lightning spirit power on his body exploded uncontrollably for a fleeting moment.

"Xiaogang... what happened to him?!"

"That Martial Soul of his, Luo Sanpao, is not a trash Martial Soul at all."

Qian Xunji dropped a bombshell.

"After cross-referencing the highest-level archives of our Martial Soul Hall, it is actually an extremely rare 'benign mutation.' It's just that the mutation process lacked sufficient energy stimulation and stalled halfway through, which is why it appears to be trash."

"In other words, while I don't know if he has a chance, there is a possibility that his Martial Soul can still be saved."

"What did you say? A benign mutation?" Yu Yuanzhen stared fixedly at Qian Xunji, his breathing becoming rapid.

He had always felt guilty toward his good-for-nothing son; if this were all true...

"Not only that."

Qian Xunji began to lure him into the trap, step by step.

"If we are talking about who has the deepest research into mutated Martial Souls and Martial Soul defects, besides the theories of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who else is there in the entire continent?"

"Furthermore, to fully activate your son's Martial Soul, you need extremely vast and precious top-tier treasures. Does your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan have the financial resources for that?"

Qian Xunji stood up and patted the shoulder of the dumbstruck Yu Yuanzhen.

"Ning Zhen not only has the money, but he also possesses the data on Martial Soul defects and evolution researched by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect throughout the generations. Sect Master Yu, for the sake of your son's future, your two sects should get a little more 'intimate' and communicate more."

Having said this, Qian Xunji hid his merit and fame, pushed open the door, and merged into the night.

He left Yu Yuanzhen standing alone, his expression shifting from shock to fanaticism.

"Xiaogang... Xiaogang's Martial Soul can still be saved! The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... Ning Zhen! Yes, I must seek his cooperation."

Yu Yuanzhen slammed his fist onto the table, as if he had grasped the final straw of hope.

Outside the door, Qian Xunji listened to the commotion from within and let out a satisfied, cold sneer.

Go on, go and communicate. Once you bring Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong together, that will be the perfect show for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to both meet their ends.

Leaving the villa of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Qian Xunji walked straight toward the secret chamber behind the Pope Hall.

At this moment, Bibi Dong was sitting quietly on the bed in the secret chamber, her eyes as cold as a viper.

She was waiting.

Waiting for Qian Xunji to push open this door just like in her previous life, to offer her hypocritical concern, and then take her as his disciple. She had even prepared a perfect set of lines to gain the trust of this beast.

"Click."

The door opened.

Qian Xunji walked in with swift, decisive steps. Without a word, he grabbed Bibi Dong by the scruff of her neck, lifting her up like a chick.

"Pope... what are you doing?" Bibi Dong instantly entered character, squeezing a few tears of terror into her eyes and trembling.

"Shut up, I'm taking you to move."

Qian Xunji didn't buy her act at all. He grabbed a black cloak, wrapped her in it, carried her straight out of the secret chamber, and shoved her into a low-profile carriage that had been prepared in advance.