“I am Lin Yan, late stage Nascent Soul, currently a rogue cultivator.”
The brown-robed cultivator beside him also raised his wine cup with a smile.
“Zheng Lan, mid stage Nascent Soul, also a rogue cultivator.”
Having given their names, their attitudes became somewhat more formal than before.
Lin Yan looked at Yun Heng and said, “Fellow cultivator, you have just arrived in Tianque City, haven't you?”
Yun Heng nodded. “I just arrived today.”
“Then that explains it,” Lin Yan said. “Tianque City is the number one city in the Eastern Region, and the forces within it are extremely complex. Sects, prominent families, merchant guilds, and the Rogue Cultivator Alliance each have their own territories. But if you are talking about the one with the grandest reputation and the widest connections, it would have to be Wanbao Pavilion.”
Yun Heng recalled the nine-story building she had seen at the end of the Eastern Market after entering the city.
“That tallest building?”
Zheng Lan nodded. “Precisely. That is Tianque City's Wanbao Tower.”
Lin Yan said, “Behind Wanbao Tower is Wanbao Pavilion. Wanbao Pavilion is not considered a sect, yet it is far more formidable than many sects. Pills, artifacts, spiritual materials, information, and secret realm tokens—as long as the price is high enough, Wanbao Pavilion can provide most of them.”
Zheng Lan added, “Whenever a secret realm opens in Tianque City, Wanbao Pavilion holds an auction. Many rogue cultivators lack sect slots, so they can only fight for an entry token there.”
Yun Heng raised an eyebrow slightly.
An auction.
The most common cliché in cultivation novels.
She looked at Lin Yan. “Are the entry tokens for the Qingming Secret Realm being auctioned at Wanbao Pavilion as well?”
“Precisely.”
Lin Yan nodded.
“I see that you are quite generous, fellow cultivator. If you merely wish to win an entry token at the auction, it shouldn't be too difficult. Wanbao Tower is releasing more than one Qingming Command this time, but since so many people have arrived in Tianque City recently, I'm afraid the price won't be low.”
Zheng Lan added, “The sects and prominent families already have their own quotas. Those who actually compete at the auction are mostly rogue cultivators and disciples from smaller clans. If you prepare early, fellow cultivator, you should have a chance.”
Yun Heng gave a slight nod.
“May I ask when the auction begins?”
“Tomorrow night,” Lin Yan said. “Right at Wanbao Tower. If you are interested, fellow cultivator, you can go during the day tomorrow to submit your invitation card and verify your funds.”
Wanbao Tower... It seemed she would have to pay it a visit tomorrow.
She stood up and nodded slightly to the two of them.
“Thank you both for clarifying my doubts.”
Yun Heng entered her room, latched the door first, then retrieved the Breath-Concealing Array Plate and placed it in the center of the room.
She walked over to the table, sat down, and opened the System panel.
The Awe Points in the upper right corner remained at 1,300.
She had now arrived in Tianque City.
This was neither the Xuanxiao Sect nor Linxiao City. Wanbao Tower, the City Lord's Estate, sects, and prominent families were all entrenched here. With the Qingming Secret Realm about to open, cultivators from all sides would arrive one after another.
She still had too few trump cards on her. Since she had to enter Wanbao Tower, bid on a Qingming Command, and venture into the Qingming Secret Realm next, one could never have too many protective measures.
A ten-pull cost nine hundred Awe Points, which would leave four hundred remaining after drawing.
She remained silent for a moment.
“Ten-pull.”
[Do you wish to consume 900 Awe Points to perform a ten-pull draw?]
Looking at those words, Yun Heng felt a rare touch of nervousness in her heart.
The scene of the last ten-pull was still vivid in her mind. She hoped this dog System would give her something good this time.
“Draw.”
[Ten-pull draw initiated.]
The light screen suddenly lit up.
The first card flipped over.
[Four-Star Item Card: Taiqing Nascent-Nourishing Pill Formula]
[An ancient, complete pill formula for refining the Taiqing Nascent-Nourishing Pill. This pill can nourish the Nascent Soul, cleanse it of impure Qi, and is used prior to attempting breakthroughs to Soul Transformation.]
[Three-Star Item Card: Clear Void Spirit-Nourishing Pill]
[Can nourish the soul, stabilize the Nascent Soul, and repair spiritual sense shock.]
[Three-Star Item Card: Immaculate Spirit Liquid]
[Can cleanse spiritual items of impurities, nourish meridians, and serve as an ingredient for high-tier pills.]
[Three-Star Item Card: Thousand-Year Snow Lingzhi]
[Grown in extremely cold spiritual lands, its spiritual nature is gentle, and it can be used in pills for the Nascent Soul Realm and above.]
[Three-Star Item Card: World-Severing Spirit Garment]
[Can isolate aura leakage, conceal one's spiritual power fluctuations for a short time, and alter outward appearance.]
[Four-Star Identity Card: Young Lord Command]
[Can serve as proof of the host's current identity. The aura of the command token is ancient, indistinguishable to ordinary forces.]
[One-Star Talisman Card: Ten Sound-Isolating Talismans]
[Four-Star Character Card: Sword Forger Xuan Zheng]
[Cultivation: Late stage Nascent Soul.]
[Rank: Grade Ten Artifact Refiner.]
[Skilled in forging, repairing, and identifying artifacts, capable of recognizing high-tier spiritual materials.]
[Four-Star Event Card: Tianheng Broken Sword Repair Clue]
[After entering the Qingming Secret Realm, the host has a chance to trigger clues related to ancient sword-forging ruins connected to the “Tianheng Broken Sword.”]
[Four-Star Event Card: Wanbao Ancient Object Anomaly]
[After entering Wanbao Pavilion, the host has a chance to trigger a reaction from an ancient object that has been dormant for many years. This will attract the attention of Wanbao Pavilion's higher-ups, with unknown consequences.]
Yun Heng seemed frozen in place, her mouth slightly agape, unable to close it for a long time.
From the moment the first card appeared, her heart had been beating wildly. By the time all ten cards were arrayed before her eyes, her head felt light, and she nearly ascended to heaven on the spot.
Yun Heng quickly retrieved a Sound-Isolating Talisman, set it up in the room, then stood up from her seat and let out an extremely brief squeal.
“Aah!”
Then, acting as if nothing had happened, she sat back down to examine the cards on the light screen. First, she put on the World-Severing Spirit Garment, then scrutinized Sword Forger Xuan Zheng.
A Grade Ten Artifact Refiner! Most artifact refiners in the Taiyan Continent were Grade Three or Grade Four. A Grade Four refiner could already hold down the fort in a small sect, the artifact refining Elder of the Xuanxiao Sect was barely Grade Five, Grade Six refiners were few and far between, and Grade Seven refiners were virtually unheard of.
And now she had actually drawn a Grade Ten Artifact Refiner!
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Yun Heng looked at the Tianheng Broken Sword Repair Clue. The Tianheng Broken Sword had accompanied her this far; its power was not weak, but the missing section remained. Now that she had both an artifact refiner and a clue, repairing the sword had to be put on the agenda.
With a thought from her, the card transformed into a streak of dark spiritual light and landed in the room.
A man knelt on one knee.
His long hair was bound with a black wooden hairpin, his eyes and features were cold and detached, and he wore a dark grey robe with singe marks on the cuffs.
He raised his hand in greeting, his voice low and raspy.
“Xuan Zheng greets the Young Lord.”
Yun Heng spoke rapidly: “Can you repair swords?”
“I can.”
She immediately retrieved the Tianheng Broken Sword from her Qiankun Spirit-Storing Bag. As the frost-white blade emerged, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Xuan Zheng had been kneeling on one knee, but the instant he saw the sword, his gaze finally changed.
He looked up at Yun Heng.
“Young Lord, this sword...”
“Can it be repaired?”
Xuan Zheng reached out his hand, but did not touch the sword, merely examining the blade, spine, and notch closely from an inch away.
After a moment, he said softly, “It can be repaired.”
Yun Heng looked at him.
“What this sword lacks is not the tip, but its sword bone. If one merely patches it with ordinary mysterious iron or cold jade, the exterior can be made whole, but the sword intent will not connect. Though it may appear intact, when actually striking with the sword, it will instead drag down the Young Lord.”
“What is required?”
Xuan Zheng was silent for a moment.
“At the very least, same-origin ancient metal, or an ancient spiritual material capable of bearing this sword's sword intent.”
“Such materials are extremely precious. Ordinary artifact refining pavilions will not have them.”
Yun Heng nodded, already understanding in her heart that it likely had something to do with the Qingming Secret Realm.
She put away the Tianheng Broken Sword.
“I understand.”
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