Great Qing Auction

"Since it concerns Miss Liu Ya's own reputation, why must Senior Liu Qian force the issue and make me play the villain?"

"As for the deal Senior Liu Qian proposed, I choose the latter—one hundred thousand Nirvana Pills."

"After all, my original purpose in coming to Great Qing City was to make friends with Miss Liu Ya. Therefore, if I possess the ability in the future, fulfilling Senior Liu Qian's request will naturally not be a problem."

Lin Chen gave Liu Ya a faint glance. His gaze did not linger on her slender, graceful figure before shifting to Liu Qian. Looking at her with considerable resolve, he spoke in a deep voice.

"Perhaps you are right, but people of our dynasty cannot compare to disciples of those super sects. We may be proud and strive constantly to improve ourselves, but perhaps sacrificing a talented imperial woman today can secure a great deal of cultivation resources tomorrow, thereby enhancing the strength of the entire Great Qing Dynasty and even the Liu Clan."

"Liu Ya was born in the Great Qing Dynasty, so it is only right that she contribute something to the Great Qing Dynasty. As for whether she herself is willing, that is not important, because she does not have the right to choose."

"Strictly speaking, I have more of a right to speak on this matter than Liu Ya. But those are matters of the past, so there is no need to mention them. Besides, there is no need to consider such things just yet."

"If you fail to become a Heavenly Symbol Master, then everything will be nothing more than an illusion, unrelated to you!"

"One hundred thousand Nirvana Pills is no small sum to the Liu Clan of our Great Qing Imperial Family. If you want the Great Qing Imperial Family to place its bet on you, you must first meet that standard. Otherwise, it is all empty talk."

Hearing Liu Qian's words, Lin Chen nodded lightly. There was little expression on his exceptionally handsome face, only his usual calm.

To the current Lin Chen, one hundred thousand Nirvana Pills was indeed no small amount, enough to move him greatly, but nothing more.

Liu Qian had casually confined him within Great Qing City. How could he not feel resentment? Yet the disparity in strength was right there. As the weaker party, he had no right to choose.

Now that Liu Qian had offered one hundred thousand Nirvana Pills, a readily obtainable benefit, it could more or less be considered compensation for him. It was no different from giving him a sweet date after striking him with a stick.

From beginning to end, Lin Chen had not cared much about helping Liu Ya join a super sect. In his eyes, it would merely be an effortless task for his future self.

"Liu Jiang, arrange accommodations for him. For the time being, you will stay by his side. Our Great Qing Imperial Family has finally discovered a true genius. If he dies halfway, it would be an enormous loss to the Great Qing Dynasty.

"Also, send someone to the Lin Clan of the Great Yan Dynasty. Establish friendly relations with them and explain the circumstances."

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

The Great Qing Merchant Association proceeded as usual under the watchful attention of many parties. During this time, Lin Chen's name thoroughly spread throughout Great Qing City and the surrounding prefectures. Everyone knew that there was a young man from the Great Yan Dynasty who was a top-tier high-grade Spirit Talisman Master.

Seven days could not change much, but for Lin Chen, they were a torment. On the path of cultivation, whether Origin Energy or Spiritual Power, everything needed to be accumulated bit by bit, like grains of sand piling into a tower.

With Lin Chen's current Spiritual Power, even while using the Spirit Grinding Mill and cultivating day and night without rest, it would still take at least half a year for him to reach the level of a Heavenly Symbol Master.

This left Lin Chen somewhat irritated, but there was nothing he could do. Escaping from Liu Jiang might not be difficult, but if he provoked Liu Qian and the other Nirvana Realm experts of the Great Qing Imperial Family into acting, it would be difficult to resolve.

Through his casual conversations with Liu Jiang over the past few days, he had gained a general understanding of the pyramid-like hierarchy of powers in the Eastern Profound Region. He now clearly understood the difference between the strongest experts of middle-level dynasties, high-level dynasties, and super dynasties.

Unlike low-level dynasties such as the Great Yan Dynasty, the strongest experts of middle-level dynasties like the Great Qing Dynasty were generally at the Three-Origin or Four-Origin Nirvana Realm. In the present Great Qing Dynasty, there was more than one such expert in both the Great Qing Imperial Family and the Qing Xuan Sect.

The strongest experts of high-level dynasties had generally reached the Seven or Eight Yuan Nirvana Realm. As for super dynasties, not only did they have Life Profound Realm experts or stronger stationed within the dynasty itself, but their affiliated super sects would also dispatch Elders at the Life Profound Realm or above to take turns guarding them.

To a certain extent, once a dynasty reached the level of a super dynasty, it could already be regarded as a backyard specially used by those super sects to cultivate reserve disciples.

As Lin Chen learned more about the Eastern Profound Region, the restlessness that had suddenly arisen in his heart naturally calmed. He thoroughly accepted the reality that he could not leave Great Qing City.

The Nirvana Realm was divided into nine origins. The gap in both physical body and Origin Energy between each origin was immense. Without special methods, fighting above one's level was basically impossible.

The gap between an ordinary Nirvana Realm cultivator and a Three-Origin Nirvana Realm expert was even more unimaginably vast. For this reason, Lin Chen did not dare act rashly and risk drawing the constant attention of such an existence.

"It seems the auction items are all ready. Why has it not begun yet?"

Inside the Great Qing Merchant Association, in an exceedingly luxurious and prestigious private room, Lin Chen sat before a crystalline blue window framed in silver. Looking at the dazzling array of auction items suspended above the platform below, he asked Liu Jiang, who was seated beside him, somewhat listlessly.

At a glance, Lin Chen did not find anything that interested him. There was no Natal Spirit Talisman that he needed among them, though he was not surprised.

Rare items like Natal Spirit Talismans were all finale auction items and would only appear at the very end.

The strength of a Natal Spirit Talisman depended on the strength of the Symbol Master who inscribed it. Generally speaking, those capable of inscribing Natal Spirit Talismans were at least Heavenly Symbol Masters or stronger.

"This Great Qing Auction is quite important, but the people from the Qing Xuan Sect have not all arrived yet. They were likely delayed by some important matter, so they should be waiting for them."

Just as Liu Jiang finished speaking, the purple-gold doors connecting the auction hall to the outside passage opened once more, and a large procession of people surged in.