After a brief pause, he seemed to recall something. "Ah, speaking of which... You've more or less gathered the materials for your defensive treasure, haven't you?"

Luo Chen thought for a moment. "I'm only missing the Soft Serpent Saliva from the list. It can soften ores and make the refinement process much easier."

"That's easy to find. Any slightly larger market in the Northern Sea sells it."

Luo Chen glanced at him. "What are you getting at?"

"Let's go!" Han Zhan said decisively. "You've been drawing a lot of attention at this auction these past two days. Cultivators like us normally don't bother hiding our wealth, but Jadecold City doesn't forbid fighting. If someone starts eyeing what you've got, it's only going to cause trouble."

Luo Chen thought it over and agreed. In the past, the auctions at Tianlan were under strict control, and there would still be private banquets for cultivators to negotiate further. However, Jadecold City placed no limits on conflict, so an auction of this scale would almost certainly lead to trouble afterward.

"As expected of you, Senior, always steady," Luo Chen said with a smile. He stopped paying attention to the bidding war for the pseudo-spirit treasure and stood to leave the private room.

He made his way to a large side hall behind the Cold Palace. The place was nearly empty. Only Jadecold City cultivators remained to record the auction proceedings. The moment he entered, several people turned to look at him.

The attendant Ah Qing stepped forward on his behalf and spoke to an old cultivator, "This is Adept Luo Hai. He's here to settle on the items he won at the auction. Elder Yan, could you please make the arrangements?"

Elder Yan glanced at Luo Chen in surprise, then nodded. "Adept, please wait here while I prepare the items you purchased. In the meantime, please have the corresponding spirit stones ready. If you're short and intend to make up the difference with other items, let us know in advance so we can arrange an appraisal."

"No need. I have more than enough spirit stones."

So confident? Elder Yan took a few more looks at Luo Chen. "That is even better!"

Luo Chen sat to the side and waited calmly. Ah Qing stood by and poured him tea.

After a while, Luo Chen frowned. "Isn't your settlement process a bit slow?"

Ah Qing smiled and explained, "Adept, you purchased quite a large number of items. A slight delay is only natural. I hope you can understand."

Luo Chen shook his head, displeased. "If it's already this slow with just me, what happens when the auction ends and everyone comes in at once?"

Ah Qing froze.

Thud!

A fat storage pouch was slapped onto the table.

"In one hundred breaths, I want my items in front of me."

With that, he closed his eyes to rest. Ah Qing hurried off toward the back. At the same time, Han Zhan quietly released his divine consciousness and withdrew after a while. "You were right. I heard someone address that Elder Yan as Wu Yan. He's a cultivator from the Wu family, and he's deliberately dragging out the settlement."

"The Wu family?" Luo Chen repeated the name softly. He recalled what the old Zhou cultivator had said when he first arrived at Jadecold City to rent a cave residence. Zhou, Wu, and Qian were the three strongest cultivation families on Coldlight Island. Each had several Adepts and their strengths were on par with a major sect. These families had shared the island for years without open conflict. Sage Jadecold kept them in check, but they definitely maintained ties behind the scenes. Luo Chen had clashed with Qian Ting over the Soul-Nurturing Wood. Now that Wu Yan was deliberately delaying the process, it was likely that he was doing so on behalf of the Qian family.

Luo Chen never hesitated to assume the worst. That was how one seized the initiative. He had done the same when he attacked Xiaohuan Mountain and wiped out the Duan family. Only by acting early could danger be cut off at the root. Here, of course, he had to hold back; Jadecold City was not his home turf, and he had to give the city authorities some face. Still, if Wu Yan delayed any further, he would not hesitate to make a move. He was a major customer today. If he showed anger, a mere Initiate could not bear the consequences.

Fortunately, Wu Yan knew his limits. Before a hundred breaths had passed, all the resources were laid out before him neatly. There were more than a dozen large chests!

Wu Yan wiped cold sweat from his brow as he explained, "Adept Luo, my apologies. Most of the resources you purchased are minerals, so they are heavy and bulky. That's why it took us longer. Everything's here now. Would you like us to have them delivered to your residence?"

Luo Chen glanced at him coldly and flicked his sleeve. All the chests vanished instantly.

Wu Yan froze. "Adept... you're not going to check them?"

"I don't know. Would you dare to deceive me?" Luo Chen shot back, releasing his spirit pressure in a sudden surge.

Wu Yan dropped to his knees. "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"

"Hmph!"

Luo Chen flicked his sleeve and strode away. In the shadows, several Adepts sensed the surge of spirit pressure and sent out their divine consciousness. They seemed intent on holding someone accountable, but after learning that it was their side that had been slow and caused offense, they dropped the matter. There were too many important things to handle.

As for Wu Yan, he only dared to shakily get back on his feet after Luo Chen was no longer in sight. He looked around and clenched his teeth before leaving the back hall and heading for the esteemed guest private room.

***

After leaving the hall and stepping out of the palace, Luo Chen glanced back at the massive structure. "Cold Palace? Heh... who would name their own residence that? There must be some story between Sage Jadecold and that elder from the Primordial Devil Sect."

He sneered inwardly, then shot across the central street like wind and lightning. Even without Ninety Thousand Li, his speed surpassed Adepts at the same tier. Only late-stage Adepts might be able to match him. Before long, he arrived at a valley in the northern district. He strode inside and found Heavenjade in seclusion, working on the Heavenspan Wing Codex.

"Master!" Heavenjade exclaimed as she snapped awake.

Luo Chen nodded. "Get ready, we're leaving."

"Where are we going?"

"That doesn't matter. We're leaving."

After speaking, Luo Chen released Han Zhan from the Primordial Unity Cauldron. It was his life-bound treasure, and he would not let others stay inside for long. Black King was, of course, an exception. He was Luo Chen's spirit pet, and he was in deep slumber while refining the Cliff Serpent, so he could stay there for now. Han Zhan was a different matter.

The moment he came out, he slipped straight into the Myriad Soul Banner. Luo Chen slung the banner over his back and beckoned. The Divine Seal Compass buried deep under the valley flew into his hand. The formation dispersed, and the thick mist that covered the valley began to thin.

He stepped forward and walked toward the valley's exit through the fading mist. But as he reached the outskirts, he looked back along the path he had taken and his eyebrows lifted. "They sure are fast."

From within the soul banner, Han Zhan said, "Maybe they aren't that fast; maybe they've been lying in wait all along."

Luo Chen grinned fiercely. "They're treating me like a little rabbit trapped in its burrow. Well, I suppose they're about to find out they've actually poked a sleeping bear."

His mana surged through his body, and a pair of fiery crimson wings spread out. At the same time, the Primordial Unity Cauldron within him vibrated, and crimson chains burst out from his body.

From the Myriad Soul Banner, Han Zhan watched this scene in astonishment. After years of refinement, Luo Chen's life-bound treasure had finally begun to take shape. It was time for it to show its power!