Batian Martial Soul

Ling Xiao rubbed his throbbing temples, gazing at the charming Qingluan before him. He felt both sincere admiration and a lingering sense of unease.

This woman's schemes were as intricate as a net, every step a calculated move. If it weren't for the fact that their interests were now intertwined and they were on the same side, he would probably have already become a pawn on her chessboard, schemed against until not even bones remained.

“Senior,” Ling Xiao composed himself, suppressing his distracting thoughts, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Waiting for others to auction off is too passive, time-consuming, and leaves us vulnerable to their control. Why don't we take matters into our own hands and organize our own auction? That way, we can control the entire process and keep the initiative firmly in our grasp. Wouldn't that be much better?"

As Qingluan's eyes darted about, it seemed as if stars were floating within them. She nodded slightly, her tone carrying a hint of approval, yet also a trace of caution:
“What you say makes a lot of sense. But the Batian Empire must not be used as the auction site. This place is a sensitive area where various forces converge. If anything goes wrong, it will become a bloody slaughterhouse. We need to find another safe place.”

"Where would be the most suitable place?" Ling Xiao pressed, his eyes full of anticipation.

Qingluan raised her hand and pointed to the sky, where clouds and mist swirled and a dilapidated area of ​​sky could be vaguely seen: "The ruins of the Silent Sanctuary are an excellent choice."

"The area is vast enough that even if powerful forces from all sides fight fiercely, they won't be able to harm the Overlord Empire below in the slightest. It's perfect as our chessboard."

Ling Xiao pondered for a moment, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "Excellent! I'll leave this matter to you, Senior!"

"Let me do it?" Qingluan waved her hand, her tone somewhat lazy.

"Forget it, I don't have time to deal with such trivial matters. You can leave this to your subordinates. You have plenty of talented people under your command, such as Lu Fan, who is now in charge of the Holy Temple Ruins. He has already pledged allegiance to you, so he is the most suitable person to handle this matter."

"Very well!" Ling Xiao pondered for a moment, then immediately issued an order, putting Lu Fan in full charge of the auction preparations.

……

The news spread like wildfire, carrying the weighty information about the "Demon Lord's Sword" and the "Key to Breaking Boundaries," instantly sweeping across all realms and penetrating countless secret realms and dangerous places.

"Ling Xiao is going to publicly auction the Demon Lord's sword! That's the supreme key that can break the shackles of the Realm of Annihilation!"

This news was like a thunderbolt, causing chaos and upheaval throughout the entire Realm of Annihilation.

Countless powerful figures who had been hidden for millennia suddenly awoke from their slumber, and their long-sealed caves burst open; ancient warships in the distant sky tore through the clouds, pierced the starry sky, and sped toward the Batian Empire; even those ancient families and mysterious sects that had been silent for many years sent their elites to this grand event that was destined to be recorded in history.

In the elegant courtyard of Jueling City, Lin Muying was savoring a cup of tea.

The moment she received the message, she lightly touched the rim of her cup with her fingertips, causing ripples to spread across the clear tea, but a hint of interest flashed in her eyes.

"interesting."

She smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Pass down the order: the entire army must prepare and follow me to the Overlord Empire."

The maid beside him hesitated.

"Miss, this matter is extremely dangerous, with powerful figures from all sides gathered here. Should we really intervene rashly?"

"How could we miss such a once-in-a-century event?"

Lin Muying's figure gradually faded away in the aroma of tea, leaving only a soft whisper that lingered in the air.

In Lin Yuan City, the number of unfamiliar faces has been increasing recently, making it a mixed bag of people.

Initially, quite a few unscrupulous individuals did take advantage of the situation to cause trouble and attempt to profit from the chaos.

But when the three bloody heads were hung high above the city gate, radiating a chilling aura, the order of the entire city suddenly became solemn, and no one dared to act rashly anymore.

That was Ling Xiao's method of making an example of someone to scare others; it was simple and direct, yet remarkably effective.

At the mountaintop, a vast amount of rare medicinal herbs and dazzling spirit crystals floated in front of Ling Xiao, piled up like a mountain, exuding a rich spiritual energy and medicinal fragrance.

These are all treasures that Ji Mingkong painstakingly searched for, traversing countless mountains and rivers.

He took out a bottle of crystal-clear Kangguo Divine Liquid and slowly poured it into the pile of medicinal herbs. As the liquid dripped down, it instantly activated the potential of all the treasures, causing their spiritual energy to surge.

Ling Xiao sat cross-legged, circulating his demonic cultivation technique, frantically absorbing the pure energy, single-mindedly focused on improving his cultivation level as quickly as possible.

During his time in the Abyss, his combat experience had been honed to perfection, and his muscles and skin had been tempered through countless trials.

At this stage, what he lacks most is a breakthrough in his cultivation level.

Otherwise, if he were to encounter a top-tier expert of Chi Ling's level again, he would probably only have the option of running away in a sorry state.

Fortunately, no one dared to touch him at this moment.

Killing Ling Xiao might not be difficult, but what happens after that?
The ownership of the Demon Lord's sword and the key to breaking the boundary will fall into chaos. Whoever makes the first move will become the target of everyone's attacks and will be attacked by other forces.

Every tycoon present was well aware of this.

Ling Xiao's aura soared like a rocket, his demonic energy surging around him, causing ripples to spread across the void, as if he were about to shatter at any moment.

……

On the other side, Ji Mingkong and Shangguan Yue were already extremely busy.

Various forces have gathered in Lin Yuan City, a mixed bag of people. It is crucial to carefully distinguish and discern which ones are worth befriending and who require constant vigilance. No carelessness is allowed.

Fortunately, with Qingluan, Lingbi, Lu Fan, and others in charge of the central command, and with several ancient auras hidden in the shadows emanating an aura that could suppress all ages, they were able to barely suppress the restless powerful figures from all sides.

"Tomorrow is the auction day."

Shangguan Yue gazed at the starry sky outside the palace, her brows furrowed with undisguised worry, and her voice tinged with anxiety.

"The city is teeming with powerful figures, a place where hidden talents abound. Any tiny spark could ignite a massive upheaval."

Ji Mingkong nodded silently, his expression equally solemn.

He harbored an even greater worry: the mysterious "watcher" of the sanctuary had yet to appear, hanging like the Sword of Damocles over everyone's heads, ready to fall at any moment.

At that moment, atop the mountain, a terrifyingly powerful demonic intent suddenly erupted from Ling Xiao's body, as if a demon god who had been asleep for countless ages had awakened.

boom.

A powerful aura broke through the barriers of the realm, soaring straight into the sky and tearing apart the clouds!

He slowly opened his eyes, and within them seemed to be the birth and death of stars and the illusion of the void, which was extremely terrifying.

"almost."

He murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the ruins of the sanctuary.

There, a magnificent floating auction house is gradually taking shape, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

The trap has been set; all that's left is for the fish to fall into the net.

In the unseen shadows, pairs of cold eyes are watching all of this intently.

Some people wore cold smiles, revealing their murderous intent; some fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons; and others had already quietly made their moves, stirring up the game.

The void is the plate, and the most precious treasure is the bait.

This auction was never just a simple transaction.

Ling Xiao suppressed his demonic intent, and his aura surged once more, finally breaking through to the sixth level of the Star River Realm! (End of Chapter)