The moment the two of them appeared, a Communication Talisman shot out from someone’s hand.

’This is bad!’

Ye Chuxue and Bai Yang exchanged a glance. It was just as they feared!

They immediately tried to turn and flee, but a powerful blast of energy shot toward them from behind.

Bai Yang spun around, attempting to block the attack, only to realize his opponent was a Golden Core Cultivator.

The blast of energy, thick with the element of Metal, was like a razor-sharp blade. It sliced through the sword-light he conjured, and the resulting aftershock slammed into him, sending him stumbling back several yards with a sharp pain in his chest.

The fierce wind grazed past Ye Chuxue, whipping the hem of her clothes into a frenzy. She had to raise a hand to shield her face from the blast.

From that one simple exchange, the two were already at a disadvantage.

"Hmph!"

The Golden Core Cultivator flickered, cutting off their escape route. The assailants formed a circle, trapping the two of them in the center.

Bai Yang’s and Ye Chuxue’s hearts sank. They stood back-to-back, facing their opponents.

"Who are you? You’re from Yunxiang City, aren’t you?"

Ye Chuxue asked, feigning ignorance, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way out of this situation.

She and Bai Yang were both only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, while their opponents had a Golden Core Stage Cultivator. Escaping would be incredibly difficult.

Worse, their opponent had already sent a Communication Talisman. Reinforcements would surely arrive soon, making their escape even more difficult!

Ye Chuxue grew anxious. She repeatedly swept her Divine Sense over her Storage Ring, searching for anything that could help them break free.

Behind her, Bai Yang’s expression was just as grim. Normally, they could fight opponents at a higher stage, but the gap between the Foundation Establishment Stage and the Golden Core Stage was a vast chasm. What’s more, he was only at the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment...

They had no chance of victory!

Their only hope now was the Sect.

He immediately sent a mental message to Ye Chuxue. "Junior Sister Ye, I remember you have a Yin Yang Talisman. Can you use it to send a message back to the Sect?"

A Yin Yang Talisman could traverse the "two ends of yin and yang." The talismans came in pairs and could be used as a medium for communication.

This talisman was a gift from Gu Qingyuan, who hoped it would be useful if Ye Chuxue ever found herself in danger.

Senior Uncle Gu was unconscious now, but An Ze, who was taking care of him, was still there.

"Right! I almost forgot!"

Ye Chuxue’s mind had been so focused on Spiritual Artifacts and Magical Treasures that she had nearly forgotten about the Yin Yang Talisman.

She rummaged in a corner of her ring and, sure enough, found the extremely inconspicuous Yin Yang Talisman.

Imbuing the Yin Yang Talisman with her Divine Sense, she quickly described their current situation and urged An Ze to find someone to rescue them!

Under normal circumstances, they could have risked a fight, and they might have had a chance of finding an escape route.

But now, with the Elixir Pill in her possession, she was afraid it would be stolen. Five hundred thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones would go down the drain. The cost was too great for either of them to bear.

Therefore, it would be for the best if the Sect could intervene and rescue them.

The Yin Yang Talisman quickly burned to ash inside her Storage Ring, indicating that the message had been successfully delivered. Ye Chuxue’s brow furrowed as she prayed that someone from the Sect would arrive soon.

「Heavenly Inquiry Sect.」

An Ze was watching over Gu Qingyuan when he suddenly heard someone calling for him from outside.

Without a second thought, he went out. ’Gu Qingyuan is safe here in the palace, nothing dangerous will happen,’ he thought.

A moment after he left, a Yin Yang Talisman on Gu Qingyuan’s body suddenly floated into the air and ignited, turning to dust in an instant.

Immediately after, Ye Chuxue’s worried voice echoed from it.

But the unconscious Gu Qingyuan couldn’t hear a single sound from the outside world.

Even after the voice from the talisman faded, it failed to cause the slightest stir in the room.

"They’re all a bunch of bastards!"

"You just wait! I’ll settle this score with all of you one day!"

An Ze stormed back in, muttering furiously under his breath.

Someone had actually taken over his room in the Inner Sect and thrown all his belongings out.

Those brown-nosing bastards were taking things too far!

’I’ll wait until Senior Uncle Gu wakes up, then I’ll go back and settle the score with them!’

He stomped over to the bed, then suddenly noticed the ashes on the floor. He frowned in confusion.

"What’s this?"

He stared at them for a long time but couldn’t make sense of it, so he put the matter out of his mind.

"Master, just as you predicted, Ayue really did follow them in secret!"

The Shopkeeper’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Ayue had worked under him for years, and he had never noticed a thing. It was a failure of his oversight.

Thankfully, his Master didn’t blame him.

"He’s shown a lot of interest in Elixir Pills over the years, but I just thought he was an enthusiast. Who knew he was harboring such wicked intentions!"

For an auction house employee to secretly follow a customer with the intent to do them harm... if this matter wasn’t handled properly, it would shatter their auction house’s reputation.

Listening to the report, Song Wanning simply smiled, a slight curl at the corner of her lips. She didn’t seem particularly concerned.

"Since he wants to go, let’s not stop him."

"Perhaps he’ll even bring us a surprise."

’Ye Chuxue and Bai Yang are the protagonists. The group from Yunxiang City won’t necessarily be able to take them down,’ she mused.

’After all, they always manage to find a way out of impossible situations. They even turn disasters into blessings, seizing even greater opportunities in the process.’

’So, Mo Yuan will act as the oriole, waiting to deliver the final, devastating blow.’

’Regardless of the outcome, it will at least cause them some trouble and frustration.’

’And chip away at their good fortune, bit by bit.’

"Yes! I’ll follow all of your arrangements, Master!"

The Shopkeeper was now utterly convinced of his Master’s abilities. It seemed nothing could escape her notice; every detail was firmly within her grasp.

As for him, he just needed to obediently carry out her instructions.

*

"I knew it was you!"

Watching Yun Jin Yue appear with her entourage, Ye Chuxue’s heart sank further and further, overcome with a terrible premonition.

She tightened her grip on her storage ring. The Heavenly Yuan Nourishing Heart Pill inside had now become a death warrant!

"It seems we all understand the situation. Now, hand over the Elixir Pill," Yun Jin Yue said, lifting her eyelids languidly. She casually took out a Storage Bag and tossed it in front of Ye Chuxue.

"Inside are three hundred thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones. I’m buying your Heavenly Yuan Nourishing Heart Pill."

"In your dreams!"

Ye Chuxue’s expression was so dark it looked like storm clouds were gathering. Leaving aside the fact that her master was waiting for this pill to save his life, she would never sell the Heavenly Yuan Nourishing Heart Pill to Yun Jin Yue at such a staggering loss!

’Three hundred thousand?’

’What a joke!’

"Heh."

Yun Jin Yue let out a humorless laugh, her expression darkening. "If you weren’t True Disciples of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, you wouldn’t even be getting these three hundred thousand Spirit Stones."

This was, after all, the Heavenly Inquiry Sect’s territory. If they actually killed the two disciples, the Sect would immediately give chase, and they wouldn’t be able to get away with the Elixir Pill.

But if they didn’t kill them, they would make a mortal enemy and would inevitably face retaliation from one of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect’s Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Therefore, spending a few Spirit Stones to "buy" it from them was the safest option.

"I don’t want your Spirit Stones, and I will never sell this Elixir Pill to you!"

Ye Chuxue hated these powerful people who relied on their family backgrounds to bully others as they pleased.

Song Wanning was like that, and so was Yun Jin Yue!