Chapter 1416: The One-Armed

Chapter 1416: One-Armed

The thrilling auction had come to an end, leaving the crowd in an uproar. Many were particularly fixated on Ye Chen, with thousands of probing divine senses sweeping over him, trying to uncover his identity—but to no avail.

Among them were the Da Sheng from the Shen Clan, whose divine senses were brazen and unmasked. The Shen Clan had lost face in such a spectacular way, yet they couldn't identify their opponent.

Ye Chen felt a chill run down his spine from all the scrutiny and desperately wanted to leave, but the problem was that the Xiao Mo Ding he had bid on couldn't be collected until the auction was over. So, he had no choice but to sit tight and wait.

What reassured him was that his Zhou Tian evolution technique was holding up well. As long as he didn't reveal any clues himself, not even a Da Sheng, let alone an ordinary Zhundi, could see through his disguise.

On the stage, the white-haired elder hosting the auction put away the Xiao Mo Ding and casually produced another item.

This time, it was a crimson killing sword. Though sealed, its sword cry was enough to strike fear into the heart, and the sword qi leaking out was icy and devastating. Once unsealed, its power could obliterate everything in its path.

In an instant, everyone's attention was drawn to it, their eyes gleaming with intensity—especially the older experts, whose breaths quickened, as if they recognized the crimson sword and knew its extraordinary nature.

"Old ancestor, what's the origin of that sword?" The younger cultivators, clueless about it, turned to their elders, their faces already pale and covered in cold sweat from the sword's qi.

"Tian Can Divine Sword," the older experts explained without hesitation. "It was once a Zhundi-level sword artifact. According to ancient legends, it has drunk the blood of more than one Zhundi."

"That's terrifying." The young cultivators shuddered, their faces turning even paler.

"Donghuang Gucheng is truly bold, auctioning off something of this caliber," the older cultivators marveled with sighs. "It looks like coming here was the right choice."

"A Da Sheng-level sword named Tian Can," the white-haired elder announced amid the murmurs, suspending the crimson sword in mid-air. "Forged from Chi Lian Immortal Gold, starting bid: five million yuan shi."

No sooner had the elder spoken than bids started pouring in from below, led by a formidable Da Sheng cultivator who raised it by five million yuan shi in one go, his tone commanding and determined to win the sword.

But he wasn't the only one who saw its value. Many other Da Sheng-level experts present were sharp-eyed and wouldn't give up easily. Bids flew back and forth in rapid succession.

In just a few moments, the immortal sword had soared to a price of fifty million yuan shi, with even the divine children from various sacred lands joining the frenzy. The auction was heating up intensely.

Ye Chen sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the immortal sword. He could tell how dominant the Tian Can was—far superior to his Chi Xiao. A Da Sheng-level sword was incredibly fierce.

However, he didn't join the bidding. It wasn't that he didn't want it; after purchasing the Xiao Mo Ding, he simply didn't have enough funds. The Tian Can Divine Sword would require at least ninety million yuan shi to secure.

"If you want it, I can lend you the money!" Hong Chen Xue transmitted a playful message from the Dan Zun Dian private room.

"Forget it." Ye Chen shook his head lightly. "My ding is good enough. Greed isn't always beneficial."

"The Ye Chen I remember isn't like this." Hong Chen Xue chuckled, resting her chin in her hand as she sent another message. "In my memory, Ye Chen would throw away all shame for a treasure."

"Are you bored or something?" Ye Chen glanced upward, black lines forming on his forehead.

"Tsk." Hong Chen Xue shrugged it off. "This is on you. Don't blame me for not offering."

"Let's not dwell on that." Ye Chen quickly changed the topic. "I heard that the finale treasure at this Donghuang Gucheng auction is an ancient treasure map. Did you know about that before coming?"

"I just heard rumors too; I don't know if it's true." Hong Chen Xue shrugged her shoulders. "Even if it is a treasure map, it probably has nothing to do with us. We're talking eight or nine hundred million yuan shi—don't even think about it."

"I can see that." Ye Chen replied casually, subtly glancing toward the private rooms of the Shen Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Yao Clan. With those three major powers present, no one else stood a chance.

"Young friend, would you care to join me in the rear hall for a chat?" Suddenly, a faint voice echoed in his ear, its source untraceable. It belonged to an elderly figure, warm and gentle.

Ye Chen furrowed his brows and scanned the room, then glanced at the white-haired elder on stage. He was certain it wasn't them—it had to be one of the senior experts from Donghuang Gucheng.

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, he stood up and made his way around the venue toward the rear hall.

The guards there didn't stop him, and he proceeded smoothly, stepping through a gate of light.

What met his eyes was a surreal and serene estate, filled with lush bamboo and exotic flowers, shrouded in mist like a small, idyllic world.

Deeper in the bamboo grove, he spotted a one-armed elder in plain robes, sitting at a stone table brewing tea. He looked like a kindly grandfather, but in reality, he was a Zhundi.

"Little one, come and sit." The one-armed elder smiled warmly and personally poured Ye Chen a cup of tea. "Try some tea brewed by this old man."

"May I ask why you summoned me, senior?" Ye Chen sat down and took a sip, eyeing the elder cautiously. The tea was plain, much like his unadorned demeanor.

"Who is Liu Dao to you?"

"A ancestor of my family." Ye Chen responded immediately, confirming his suspicions. This one-armed elder wasn't an ordinary Zhundi; he must have seen through his true appearance, which was why he had called him here.

"The Liu Dao family has produced a Holy Body." The elder chuckled lightly, his old eyes filled with nostalgic sorrow and a hint of satisfaction.

"Do you know my ancestor, senior?"

"This arm of mine was cut off by your ancestor." The elder glanced at his left arm.

"Cut off by my ancestor?" Ye Chen was stunned, momentarily at a loss.

"Back then, if I hadn't been holding an imperial weapon, I probably would have died." The elder shook his head with a smile.

"An extreme dao imperial weapon?" Ye Chen nearly jumped out of his skin. A Zhundi holding an imperial weapon had still lost an arm—what kind of terrifying power did Liu Dao possess? Had he reached some divine level?

"That extreme dao imperial weapon is an extraordinary existence, yet it was damaged by your ancestor Liu Dao." The elder laughed, his voice laced with ancient reverence—for both the weapon and Liu Dao.

"The imperial weapon was damaged?" Ye Chen swallowed hard, then pointed subconsciously toward the ethereal void. "The imperial weapon you mean—is it that broken silver sword?"

"Exactly." The elder let out a deep breath, his eyes filled with even greater reverence.

"Oh my goodness." Ye Chen licked his dry lips, utterly shocked. He hadn't realized how formidable his future self would be, capable of damaging an imperial weapon.

"The world calls the war god Xing Tian the strongest below the Great Emperor, but in my view, even if Xing Tian were alive, he might not defeat Liu Dao."

"I can't deny that my—my ancestor had quite the temper." Ye Chen wiped away cold sweat, feeling unsettled and chilled to the bone.

He began to suspect the elder's intentions. After all, his ancestor had severed an arm and damaged an imperial weapon—that was a grudge! Unable to find Liu Dao, was he here to take it out on his descendant?

He felt an urge to flee, but quickly dismissed it. This was Donghuang Gucheng, guarded by imperial weapons. With his cultivation, escape was impossible.

He regretted not asking more questions earlier and claiming Liu Dao as kin. Now, the consequences of his ancestor's actions were falling on him.

It seemed the elder sensed Ye Chen's thoughts and smiled. "That's all ancient history. Even if there were grudges with your ancestor, I would never involve his descendants."

"That's a relief." Ye Chen forced a laugh, though he still felt like running.

"Donghuang Gucheng is about to seal itself off. I have something here—if you ever meet your ancestor, please give it to him." The elder waved his hand and produced an ancient scroll. "Don't open it carelessly."

"This scroll doesn't contain some deadly technique, does it?" Ye Chen stood up and took the scroll, muttering to himself. If he handed it to Liu Dao, it might end up harming him.

"With his strength, only a Great Emperor could suppress him." The elder seemed to read Ye Chen's mind and chuckled. "Rest assured, I have no intention of harming him."

"I overthought it." Ye Chen tucked the scroll into his robe and rubbed his eyes, which had been affected by a glimpse of its seals that irritated his immortal eyes.

The elder just smiled silently and continued sipping his tea, occasionally glancing at Ye Chen with a meaningful look, as if sensing something.

Ye Chen played the part well, refilling the elder's tea. Maybe the old man would reward him with something if he was in a good mood. After all, a Zhundi wouldn't lack treasures.

But he was overthinking it. The elder had no such intentions, simply drinking cup after cup in silence, showing no sign of offering any gifts.

Ye Chen cleared his throat and stood up. Of course—who could blame him? His ancestor had chopped off an arm; it was lucky the elder wasn't demanding compensation. What was he expecting—a bicycle? Or treasures?

As he left, he couldn't help but steal a glance at the elder's left arm. The loss was peculiar; even with his Zhundi cultivation, the elder couldn't regrow it—or perhaps Liu Dao's strike had been too overwhelming.

After he departed, another figure entered the bamboo grove: a stunning white-haired woman, her robes fluttering like a pure exiled immortal, untouched by the mundane world.

Strangely, her eyes were blind, covered by a white veil tied into a beautiful butterfly knot in her white hair, swaying in the wind.

"Why did you let him go?" she asked coldly, her tone authoritative. "Have you forgotten our past grudge? Or are you afraid of that Liu Dao?"

"Grudges from our generation shouldn't involve the next." The elder smiled faintly. "He cut off my arm and blinded your eyes for a reason. It was our own arrogance that led to it."