Chapter 63 Competing for the Map

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Time passed quickly. Following the auction of the ninth lot, the fox-girl, the much-anticipated grand finale item was finally about to make its appearance.

"I presume our esteemed guests have long been unable to suppress your eagerness? Therefore, I shall no longer be mysterious!" With a gentle smile, the female auctioneer spoke slowly.

Accompanied by her soft words, the final grand finale item presented before everyone's eyes turned out to be a somewhat aged and yellowed ancient map.

It was a yellowed, ancient map with slightly curled edges, seemingly bearing the vicissitudes of time. On the map, mountains and rivers were outlined with peculiar patterns, dotted with several deliberately blurred locations.

Under the illumination of the lights, the center of the map was covered by a red silk cloth, adding an air of mystery. The auctioneer gently lifted the red silk, revealing the outline of an unknown territory.

For a moment, the once noisy and boisterous auction hall fell into a dead silence, the gazes of everyone present firmly locked onto this mysterious map.

Their eyes were filled with curiosity, longing, and greed, as if they could peer through this thin piece of paper to catch a glimpse of the endless secrets and mountain-like piles of treasures hidden behind it.

"According to the consignor, this map is an immortal's treasure map. He obtained it by a fortuitous coincidence, but knowing deeply that such a precious place is not something he can meddle with, he entrusted us to auction it."

Just at this moment, a voice came from the third floor, breaking the original quiet atmosphere. A cultivator dressed in luxurious robes stood up, staring intently at the map on the auction stage, and asked, "How can we tell whether the map in your hands is genuine or fake? After all, if something like this turns out to be fake, it would be a waste of money!"

Faced with the cultivator's challenge, the auctioneer did not show the slightest trace of anger. With a slight smile, she calmly replied, "Do not be impatient, everyone, and hear me out. The starting bid for this map is merely one low-grade spirit stone, and there are no fixed limits on incremental bids; you may bid freely according to your wishes." After a brief pause, she continued, "Of course, if you still harbor doubts about this map, its true value can only be explored and verified personally by the one who successfully wins the bid."

As soon as her voice fell, bids began to ring out from the third floor. The first to speak was a somewhat languidly proportioned woman. Covering her face gently with her hand, she called out in a sweet voice, "Ten thousand low-grade spirit stones." However, her bid provoked the dissatisfaction of another man. Exhibiting an exceptionally hot temper, the man immediately jumped up upon hearing her bid and cursed loudly, "Stinking bitch, just showing off that you have spirit stones, aren't you? This daddy bids fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

Publicly humiliated in such a manner, the woman's face immediately turned pale with anger. The maidservant attending her side was even more furious, her lovely eyes glaring fiercely at the foul-mouthed man as she said through gritted teeth, "You dare to show disrespect to my mistress! You deserve a thousand deaths!" For a moment, the gunpowder-like tension between the two escalated rapidly, as if a single spark could instantly ignite the entire scene.

Seeing that the situation was about to spiral out of control, a sudden roar thundered, "Enough! Cease your actions! This is the Treasure Pavilion, and no fighting whatsoever is permitted here. If you wish to settle personal grievances, wait until the auction concludes and you step outside these doors—then fight and kill each other as much as you please, and we will not interfere in the least. But for now, whoever dares to disrupt the order of the auction, do not blame us for being impolite!"

"It is Elder Bing, a sixth-realm cultivator!" Someone immediately recognized the veteran stabilizing the venue.

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Elder Bing released his aura, and at that moment, all the cultivators behaved obediently and resumed the bidding.

At this time, a refined and handsome man bid one hundred thousand medium-grade spirit stones.

Instantly, the venue plunged into a dead silence.

This was because fifty thousand medium-grade spirit stones were equivalent to five hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.

The auctioneer could no longer suppress her joy at this moment.

"Fifty thousand medium-grade spirit stones, going once!"

"Fifty thousand... going twice!"

"Fifty thousand... going three times, sold! Congratulations to the mysterious guest on the second floor for winning this map."

"Today's auction concludes here. Later, the cultivators who won the lots, please wait a moment in your rooms; someone will personally deliver them to you."

"A reminder to everyone: once outside the Treasure Pavilion, we assume no responsibility for authenticity."

Having not bid on a single item, Liu An and his companions watched the entire spectacle from the sidelines.

At this moment, Du Jin said to Liu An and Jian Yi, "Junior Brothers, the real good show is only just beginning. Let us go and join in the excitement as well."

Stepping out of the gates of the Treasure Pavilion, the night was as dark as ink and the cold wind was biting. Du Jin, Liu An, and Jian Yi followed closely behind the crowd, their eyes flashing with excitement and vigilance. Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from a dark alley, charging straight at the refined man who had won the map.

The man's gaze was like a torch and his movements were agile. Spiritual energy instantly surged from within his body, resembling a turbulent, roaring flood that rapidly converged into an indestructible protective shield.

This shield abruptly deflected the fiercely powerful attack.

Right at this moment, a series of intensifying piercing sounds echoed through the surroundings, as if countless sharp arrows were hurtling rapidly toward this direction.

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No sooner said than done; in the blink of an eye, three figures flew in like lightning. Acting in unison and with flawless coordination, the three instantly tightly guarded the man in the center.

The leading man among them was robust and possessed a majestic aura. With burning eyes, he gazed at the man protected in the center and transmitted his voice: "Is the treasure map of the Immortal Tuopu already in hand?"

Clearly, this person who had spared no expense to win the map was already well aware of its origins.

However, before the four of them had time to converse further, a sudden change occurred!

A cold snort rang out. Following the sound, it turned out to be the fifth-realm cultivator nicknamed Shadow Crow. This man was precisely the hot-tempered fellow who had previously quarreled with the languid woman.

At this moment, his naturally narrow eyes became even more gloomy and terrifying, shooting like two cold glares straight at the refined man surrounded by the group.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, sketching a chilling, creepy sneer.

Following that, his figure flickered, and he vanished from the spot like a ghost. The next instant, people only saw a dark shadow shuttling rapidly through the crowd at an astonishing speed, kicking up a howling gale in his wake, aiming straight for the man carrying the map.

Meanwhile, the languid woman naturally would not sit idly by. Shifting her lotus steps, she approached the man with a movement that appeared slow yet was actually exceptionally swift.

Beside her, the furious maidservant followed closely behind, step for step.

At some point, a dagger flashing with a freezing, cold light had appeared in the woman's hand. The blade was exceptionally sharp, reflecting a chilling radiance under the moonlight.

Judging by this posture, the woman had clearly made up her mind to strike secretly in the chaos and seize the immensely precious treasure map in one fell swoop.

Several factions formed a standoff in the cold night wind, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder—a fierce battle sparked by the ancient map was about to unfold.

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