The exchange gathering continued, but many people's thoughts were no longer on the treasures onstage. Ye Chen's "profligate" act had been like a boulder dropped into a still lake, sending ripples spreading endlessly.
Ye Chen seemed oblivious to the gazes directed at him—astonishment, suspicion, greed, envy, scrutiny. He accepted the wooden box containing the Black Iron Piece without examining it on the spot, simply putting it away as naturally as he would any ordinary object.
Yet the instant his fingertips left the Black Iron Piece, the violent trembling and searing heat of the Nameless Fragment against his chest slowly receded like the tide. It returned to its previous state of steady, gentle warmth, though its directional pull seemed to have become more definite.
There really is a connection... Ye Chen was certain. The Black Iron Piece and the Nameless Fragment must have shared the same origin; they might even have once been parts of a single whole. He just did not know what they had originally belonged to, why they had ended up in the Primordial World, or how they had reached... the Myriad Laws Abyss in the Ye Clan's Ancestral Grounds.
His calm gaze swept over the next few items brought onto the stage. All were extraordinary treasures and sparked fierce competition, but none could hold his interest now. He had already accomplished what he came for.
Sitting behind him, Lin Qingxue watched Ye Chen's utterly unruffled figure, waves surging through her heart. Although she did not recognize the Nine-Turn Origin-Returning Pill, the value of a pill that could move even Old Man Greenstone was easy to imagine. Trading such a precious pill for a seemingly useless piece of iron? Young Master Ye's actions truly defied understanding. She found him increasingly mysterious and unfathomable.
The exchange gathering lasted nearly four hours before finally drawing to a close. Some left delighted, others disappointed, but without question, Ye Chen had become its greatest center of attention.
People began leaving one after another. Ye Chen rose as well, preparing to depart.
"Young master, please wait." A gentle voice rang out.
Ye Chen turned to find that Old Man Greenstone had come to his side at some point, a genial smile on his face.
"Senior Greenstone." Ye Chen nodded slightly.
"You're too courteous, young master." Old Man Greenstone's gaze swept over Ye Yun, Ye Ling, and the others behind Ye Chen before settling on him. A hint of inquiry entered his voice. "Your lavish spending just now left quite an impression. Might I ask your name, young master, and where you hail from?"
"My surname is Ye, and my given name is Chen. I come from a remote mountain region, hardly worth mentioning." Ye Chen's answer left no opening.
A flicker of understanding passed through Old Man Greenstone's eyes. Knowing that Ye Chen did not wish to reveal his background, he did not press him. Instead, he said, "Young Master Ye, there is something I would like to say, though I'm not sure whether I should."
"Please go ahead, senior."
"Your acquisition of that Black Iron Piece has likely stirred quite a few covetous hearts." Old Man Greenstone lowered his voice, a note of warning in his words. "The Blood-Baleful Wasteland is no kindly place. Wealth moves men's hearts. That Scar Wolf is the Third-in-Command of the Blood Skull Stronghold. He is vicious by nature and takes revenge for even the slightest grievance. You would do well to be cautious."
He paused, then added, "While you remain within the valley, I can still ensure your safety. But once you leave Greenstone Valley... I hope you will make preparations early."
Ye Chen looked at Old Man Greenstone. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes and realizing this was no empty attempt to frighten him, he nodded. "Thank you for the warning, senior. I'll keep it in mind."
"Good, then." Old Man Greenstone said no more. He cupped his hands and turned to leave. Offering that warning on account of Ye Chen's precious bottle of pills was already enough to fulfill his duties as host.
Ye Chen led the others out of the Many Treasures Pavilion. Outside, the sky remained a dusky yellow. People bustled along the streets, but he could clearly sense at least four or five ill-intentioned strands of divine sense quietly locking onto him like venomous snakes.
"Young master..." Ye Yun stepped forward, his hand already resting on his sword hilt, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.
"It's fine. Just a few clowns jumping about." Ye Chen waved a hand, still perfectly composed. "Let's return to our lodgings first."
The group passed through the streets toward the small courtyard where they were staying. The gazes lurking in the shadows followed them like their own shadows.
When they returned to the courtyard, Shi Meng and Mo Yu immediately came forward. Mo Yu said quietly, "Young master, quite a few more watchers have appeared outside. Their cultivation isn't weak. They should be from the Blood Skull Stronghold."
"Heh, perfect timing!" Shi Meng rubbed his fists, battle lust blazing in his eyes. "We can stretch our muscles a little and keep them from thinking we're soft persimmons they can squeeze!"
Ye Chen sat on a stone stool in the courtyard and motioned for everyone to remain calm. He took out the wooden box, held the dull black piece of iron in his hand, and examined it carefully.
It was still cold to the touch. When he probed it with his divine sense, it was like a stone sinking into the sea; he truly could detect no energy fluctuations whatsoever. Its material was also exceptionally unusual—even with his knowledge, he could not identify it. He tried squeezing it. With his current physical strength, he could crush stars barehanded, yet the piece of iron did not budge. He failed to leave so much as a fingerprint.
"Hard indeed," Ye Chen remarked in praise. Then he took out the Nameless Fragment as well.
When the fragment and the Black Iron Piece came within a certain distance of each other, another strange change occurred!
Both began trembling faintly at the same time. The warped symbols on the fragment's surface glimmered once more, while extremely dim, broken lines faintly emerged on the Black Iron Piece's lusterless surface. Their style bore a vague resemblance to the symbols on the fragment, yet they could not be joined together.
A faint yet incomparably ancient pulse of resonance flowed between the two.
"They... they really were part of the same whole!" Ye Xiaoshan's voice trembled with excitement as he pointed at the faintly emerging lines. "Look, young master! The direction of this line seems to match this broken symbol along the fragment's edge!"
Ye Chen looked closely, and it was indeed so. The Black Iron Piece seemed to be a missing portion of the Nameless Fragment—or, rather, a splinter from another, larger fragment.
"It seems we need to find more fragments." Ye Chen's gaze grew deep. The mystery to which the fragment and the Black Iron Piece pointed likely far exceeded his imagination. Why had they ended up here? What kind of power had they contained when whole?
He put the fragment and the Black Iron Piece away, and the resonance vanished at once.
"Young master, what should we do about those small fry outside?" Shi Meng asked in his rumbling voice, already struggling to contain himself.
Ye Chen glanced beyond the courtyard, the corners of his lips curling into a cold smile.
"Since they've delivered themselves to our doorstep, we might as well... accept this 'greeting gift.'"
His tone was mild, yet carried a trace of killing intent.
"Mo Yu, find out their positions and numbers. Ye Yun, Shi Meng, make your preparations. Tonight, we'll 'entertain' these uninvited guests."
"Yes, young master!" they answered in unison, excitement flashing in their eyes. Even the usually cold and reserved Ye Yun tightened his grip on his sword.
Lin Qingxue and her guards listened from the side, their hearts pounding with fear. The Blood Skull Stronghold had occupied this region for years, its influence deeply rooted. Was Young Master Ye actually planning to strike first?
"Young Master Ye, the Blood Skull Stronghold has strength in numbers, and its chief is even at Spirit Transformation Late Stage. You..." Lin Qingxue could not help warning him, worry in her voice.
Ye Chen glanced at her and said calmly, "Rest assured, Miss Lin. A few petty bandits can't stir up any waves."
His confidence came from absolute strength. In this Primordial World, where the greatest combat power might only be at the tribulation transcendence stage—Immortal Venerable—as long as he did not encounter those few old monsters, he and Emperor Xuanwu could stride wherever they pleased.
Night quietly descended amid the surging undercurrents. Greenstone Valley's tranquility was destined to be shattered. And Ye Chen's journey through the Primordial World would officially raise its curtain with a bloody purge.
Before you continue