Chapter 1418: Stabbing in the Back

"Understood," Ye Chen replied, then turned and left the private room. After handling everything, he added another layer of a secret technique, though it wasn't because he had noticed a pair of eyes watching him from the corner.

The auction had ended, and the bidders scattered, heading to the back hall with their payments to collect the treasures they had won. This had always been the custom of auctions, unchanged since ancient times.

The back hall was still bustling. Those who retrieved their items, whether Sheng Wang or Da Sheng, turned and left quickly, afraid of being targeted for robbery or murder. Such incidents were all too common.

"Senior, here's the small ding I bid on," Ye Chen said, stepping forward and handing over a jade token, followed by a large storage bag containing over nine million Yuan Shi.

"Take the small ding, but you don't need to pay," the elder receiving him said, presenting the Xiao Mo Ding and pushing the storage bag back. He added through a voice transmission, "This is on the city lord's orders."

"No payment?" Ye Chen was startled but felt delighted inside, realizing it must be the one-armed elder's directive. Over nine million Yuan Shi, such a fortune, was being given away as a gift.

"Go on!" the elder said with a warm smile. Since it was the city lord's command, his attitude was naturally friendly.

"Thank you, senior," Ye Chen grinned, took back the storage bag, and hurried away faster than usual, worried that the one-armed elder might return and reclaim the nine million Yuan Shi.

However, before he could leave the back hall, he was blocked by someone—the Shenzu Shenzi, his face sinister and terrifying.

"Kid, once you're out of the city, you'll die a horrible death," the Shenzu Shenzi said.

"Whatever," Ye Chen replied casually, walking out of the back hall and then swiftly leaving the Xian Que.

His vigilance was high; as soon as he exited the Xian Que, he vanished like a ghost, slipping into an empty corner and donning a black robe before heading straight to a tavern.

Hong Chen Xue was already waiting at the tavern, along with the black-and-white elders and the Danzun Dian Shenzi.

Hong Chen Xue seemed unfazed, but the black-and-white elders and the Danzun Dian Shenzi looked at Ye Chen with eyes full of cold intent. The Danzun Dian Shenzi, in particular, openly revealed his killing intent.

Moreover, his smile carried a sly edge, sending chills down anyone's spine who saw it.

Ye Chen ignored the three of them and followed Hong Chen Xue's steps, flying out of the Donghuang Gucheng.

At the same time, the auction participants were also leaving the city one after another. Many had wanted to linger and explore, but they were forcibly ordered to depart, with some even being thrown out directly.

Outside the city, nearly a million attendees gathered, a dark mass covering the sky and blanketing the ground. They all gazed at the Donghuang Gucheng with expressions of astonishment.

They watched as the Donghuang Gucheng was enveloped in mist at a visible speed, gradually fading from everyone's sight until it was completely obscured by the clouds—a profound secret technique.

Before long, the majestic Donghuang Gucheng vanished entirely. All that remained was an empty expanse, and even those with great divine abilities couldn't find it despite using their secret techniques.

"It's just as the rumors said—the Donghuang Gucheng is sealing itself," the old folks murmured, stroking their beards. "The entire city has disappeared without a trace. Has it entered some vast spatial realm?"

"What a powerful concealment divine ability. The Donghuang Gucheng truly has deep foundations," the younger cultivators marveled. Such a massive city vanishing in an instant was no simple feat.

"How strange. So many forces are choosing to seal themselves—did they all plan this in advance?" someone wondered. "Even the great sects like Kunlun Xu have done the same; no one knows where they've gone."

Ye Chen paused in the void, his Six Paths Immortal Eyes seeing clearly. That mysterious place could only be found if the Donghuang Gucheng chose to reveal itself.

"Let's go," Hong Chen Xue called out, turning first to head back to the Danzun Dian.

But as soon as she turned, she was blocked mid-air by someone again—it was the Shenzu Shenzi, smirking with a mocking and playful grin, baring two rows of white teeth that gleamed with a sinister light.

This scene made everyone who was about to leave stop in their tracks, their expressions full of surprise.

They recognized the Shenzu Shenzi and also knew the Danzun Dian Shen Nv. Now, with the Shenzu Shenzi blocking the Danzun Dian Shen Nv's path, it was clear something was amiss. Anyone with eyes could see trouble brewing.

In an instant, nearly a million people stood still, hands tucked away, some even pulling out wine flasks. They watched eagerly, all adopting the pose of spectators.

"What do you mean by this, Shenzi?" Hong Chen Xue said coldly, her tone and gaze both icy.

"The Danzun Dian and the Shenzu don't interfere with each other, so I won't harm you, Shen Nv," the Shenzu Shenzi replied with a faint smile, then turned his eyes to Ye Chen. "But he must die."

"He's an old friend of mine. You can't just decide to kill him," Hong Chen Xue stared coldly at the Shenzu Shenzi.

"This Shenzi has some grudges with him that need settling today," the Shenzu Shenzi sneered.

"What are you talking about, Shenzi?" Ye Chen stepped forward, looking at the Shenzu Shenzi with interest and smiling. "I've been minding my own business and don't recall offending your Shenzu."

"Is that so?" The Shenzu Shenzi's lips curled. "Have you forgotten about bidding against me for that small ding at the auction? Your concealment technique is impressive, but it can't hide the truth forever."

"You're mistaken, Shenzi. The one who bid against you wasn't me," Ye Chen said with a light laugh.

"You did it, so own up to it," the Shenzu Shenzi said before another mocking voice chimed in—it was the Danzun Dian Shenzi, elegantly fanning himself with a folding fan.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Hong Chen Xue snapped coldly, caught off guard by the Danzun Dian Shenzi's betrayal. Her disgust for him surged to new heights in an instant.

"Don't blame me, junior sister. It's the truth," the Danzun Dian Shenzi said with a sly smile. "I saw him leave the Danzun Dian private room with my own eyes, and I saw him disguise himself and hide in the corner of the hall. It was him who bid against the Shenzu Shenzi for that small ding. Since he did it, he should admit it, or else the Shenzu friends might think the Danzun Dian is behind it."

"You..." Hong Chen Xue's eyes turned icy, and she truly wanted to strike him down right then.

"You're quite skilled, kid!" Ye Chen turned his head, smiling at the Danzun Dian Shenzi, though a cold glint flashed in his deep eyes. He hadn't expected this one to stab him in the back. The Danzun Dian Shenzi's goal was simple: to use the Shenzu Shenzi to eliminate him.

"You're too kind, dao friend. I'm just stating the facts," the Danzun Dian Shenzi said, flashing his own set of white teeth. He had waited for this moment to vent his pent-up grudge.

"The Danzun Dian Shenzi is certainly reasonable," the Shenzu Shenzi laughed, glancing at Ye Chen again. "As I said, anyone who offends the Shenzu will pay a heavy price."

"So it was him bidding against the Shenzu Shenzi!" Discussions erupted from all sides, with people looking at Ye Chen. "This kid's hiding skills are top-notch—I didn't notice a thing."

"Now that he's been exposed, the Shenzu Shenzi won't let it slide," many said, pitying Ye Chen. "I know the Shenzu Shenzi's nature—utterly ruthless."

"Fine, I admit it," Ye Chen finally conceded under everyone's gaze. Whether he admitted it or not didn't matter; the Shenzu Shenzi had already targeted him, and today was meant to be his day of retribution.

"Then what?" The Shenzu Shenzi's smile grew even more sinister, his eyes revealing a ferocious glint.

"What do you mean, then?" Ye Chen shrugged. "Auctions are about the highest bid wins. If the Shenzu Shenzi didn't want it, you can't stop me from taking it. Is this how you operate? Where's the justice?"

"Justice?" The Shenzu Shenzi laughed, his laughter abruptly stopping as he stepped forward and struck with a palm. "I'll show you—I'm the justice here."

"You're going too far." Hong Chen Xue moved to intervene, but the two Da Sheng from the Danzun Dian behind her blocked her path, imposing a powerful seal to hold her in place.

"Release the seal," Hong Chen Xue demanded icily, her voice carrying the supreme authority of a Shen Nv.

"Shen Nv, this is between them. It's best not to get involved," the black-and-white elders said, stroking their beards without any intention of lifting the seal. "Just wait and see."

"The two elders are right. Don't ruin the harmony between us and the Shenzu over an outsider," the Danzun Dian Shenzi added with a playful smile. "Otherwise, when our master returns, there will be consequences."

"You despicable wretch." Hong Chen Xue's killing intent overflowed, her loathing for the Danzun Dian Shenzi now escalating to outright murderous rage, but she was firmly bound by the seal.

On the other side, Ye Chen had already clashed head-on with the Shenzu Shenzi, and both were sent staggering back.

"You're stronger than I thought," the Shenzu Shenzi said, not angry but excited. "I expected this to be boring, but now it seems there's some fun to be had."

"What do you want, Shenzi? Let's set the terms," Ye Chen said, cracking his neck. "Is this a duel to settle our grudge, or do you want it to be a fight to the death?"

"I'll make you wish you were dead." The Shenzu Shenzi licked his lips and charged forward, a secret technique forming in his palm as he struck with the power of sun, moon, and cosmos, shattering space inch by inch.

Ye Chen countered with his own secret technique, a simple palm strike that inverted the cosmos and neutralized the Shenzu Shenzi's attack. Then, his ethereal voice echoed through the heavens: "Senior Jiu Xiao, I know you're here. Please bear witness for me. In this battle, victory and defeat, life and death, are by our own will."

"Jiu Xiao? The Jiu Xiao Zhenren?" Ye Chen's words stirred commotion on all sides, with many scanning the surroundings for a certain figure—the youngest quasi-emperor in the Xuan Huang realm.

"Since you think so highly of this old one, I'll serve as a impartial witness," a faint, gentle voice drifted down from the nine heavens amid the discussions. Following it, a purple divine sword manifested in the sky, radiating quasi-emperor pressure and suppressing the entire area with terrifying might.

"The Jiu Xiao Immortal Sword," the onlookers trembled at the sight, well aware of its dominance.

"This old one won't interfere in the outcome or the lives at stake," the Jiu Xiao Zhenren's ethereal voice rang out again. "Let the juniors settle their own disputes. If any seniors dare to step into that domain, they will face the thunderous wrath of the Jiu Xiao Immortal Sword. Fellow daoists, consider yourselves warned."