While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 73 Soulless Flower, Soul-Illuminating Pill!
A cacophony of voices rose and fell from the audience, and the entire auction hall was in an uproar over the appearance of this soulless flower.

Lu Yu's previously calm expression suddenly froze. His pupils contracted slightly, and his knuckles unconsciously tightened around the armrests of his seat.

"The Soulless Flower?"

He exclaimed inwardly, "I never expected to encounter one of the eighteen auxiliary ingredients for the Bright Soul Pill here!"

Lu Yu calmly adjusted his breathing, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. This seemingly ordinary, deep blue flower was of paramount importance to him.

The "Heavenly Fire Forging God Technique," the soul cultivation method he was about to cultivate, required the assistance of the Bright Soul Pill to break through to the Spirit Realm. And the Soulless Flower before him was the most difficult to find among the eighteen auxiliary ingredients for refining this Grade Eight Bright Soul Pill.

His eyes gleamed; even with a simulator, collecting the three main ingredients and eighteen auxiliary ingredients needed for the Bright Soul Pill was by no means an easy task.

To encounter this soulless flower in reality is truly a godsend.

It should be noted that although there are many soul cultivation techniques in the world, the "Heavenly Fire Forging God Technique" is a top-tier divine technique that ranks among the top three below the Supreme within the Fire Spirit Clan.

According to its inherited records, after tempering the soul with a different kind of fire and breaking through to the realm of fire transformation, the soul fire will be imbued with the characteristics of the different kind of fire, essentially becoming a weakened version of the different kind of fire. In future battles against other souls, this will give the user an almost absolute advantage.

Its value is only slightly less than the Floating Fire cultivated from the Great Floating Pagoda Technique, making it a priceless treasure.

Thinking of this, Lu Yu's gaze turned cold, and he slightly tightened his knuckles, making a decision in his heart.

Regardless, he was determined to obtain this soulless flower today.

"I will offer a Grade 5 Dragon Power Pill!"

At this moment, in the northwest corner of the private room, an old man in a gray robe suddenly spoke up. The cauldron pattern embroidered on his cuffs indicated that he was an alchemist.

"Two Grade 5 Wind Profound Pills!"

In the private booth opposite, a mysterious man wearing a bronze mask immediately raised the price, his voice hoarse and difficult to understand.

The atmosphere in the auction room immediately became heated, with the sounds of bidding from various parties echoing under the dome.

"Three Dragon Power Pills!"

"Four Purple Heart Breakthrough Pills!"

"A bottle of Heavenly Cold Air!"

……

Below the stands, Elder Qing of the Heavenly Serpent Palace frowned slightly, her slender fingers gently stroking the snake-shaped jade pendant at her waist, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. In the end, she sighed softly and gave up the bid.

Just as the price was soaring to a fever pitch, Lu Yu's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly raised his hand, his voice steady and powerful, and announced loudly: "One Rank 6 Spirit-Boosting Pill, plus one Rank 5 Rejuvenation Pill."

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the room.

At the seats of the Heavenly Serpent Palace, several female disciples dressed in green simultaneously covered their lips, their eyes filled with shock. Elder Qing, who was at the head of the group, suddenly contracted her pupils, and her slender fingers unconsciously gripped the armrest of her chair.

"Battle Spirit Pill..."

She murmured to herself, her voice filled with undisguised surprise, "This is a rare pill that can directly raise a Dou Wang expert by one star, and someone is actually willing to use it to bid..."

"They're really rich and powerful..."

In stark contrast to the excitement of the people from the Heavenly Serpent Palace, the Beast Taming Sect members were seated.

The Crimson Tiger Elder of the Beast Taming Sect remained with his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to the bidding, as if it were none of his business.

The representative from the Eight Doors slammed his fist on the table, his face ashen. They had intended to use this auction to replenish their inventory, but they hadn't expected this unexpected obstacle to appear out of nowhere.

Seeing that everyone was still hesitating, Lu Yu took out another crystal-clear jade bottle, with a milky white liquid faintly visible flowing on its surface: "Add another bottle of diluted Earth Core Tempering Milk."

Auctioneer Hei Yuan's eyes lit up. The combined value of these three treasures far exceeded that of an ordinary sixth-grade pill. He surveyed the room and, seeing no one else bidding, slammed his gavel down: "Sold!"

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, some envious and some cold, Lu Yu calmly stood up and completed the transaction.

His slender fingers gently stroked the jade box containing the Soulless Flower, while his peripheral vision took in the reactions of everyone present.

The Xuan-character hall master of the Eight Doors was ashen-faced, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and the killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible. The blood-robed men in the corner made no attempt to hide their greed, their scarlet tongues frequently licking their lips.

"The Three-Star Fighting King..."

Lu Yu sneered inwardly. In his eyes, the Xuanzi Hall Master of the Eight Doors was nothing more than a chicken or a dog with such low cultivation. How dare he glare at him? He would kill him in a moment. As the waiter presented the Soulless Flower, he casually tossed a brocade pouch, and the three treasures collided on the table with a crisp sound.

As the bidding for the final two items began, Lu Yu's figure had already disappeared at the auction hall entrance. The night wind ruffled his robes, carrying a hint of chilling unease.

"The bait has been placed."

He put the jade box into his storage ring and walked leisurely towards the dense forest outside the city.

"Let's see if the Blood Sect's fish have the guts to bite the hook."

……

Soon after,

Outside the city, the dense forest is filled with towering ancient trees that block out the sun.

Lu Yu's figure flashed like a ghost up a thousand-year-old tree, its dense canopy perfectly concealing his form. Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, a valley a hundred meters away was clearly visible.

That is the infamous Ghost Canyon of the Black Corner Region. The cliffs on both sides of the canyon are as if carved by a knife and axe, and the valley is shrouded in darkness all year round. The winding path is like a giant python coiled in the middle, and the vague outline of Black Skull City can be vaguely seen at the western end.

This place is not only the only way to Black Skull City, but also the perfect location for murder and robbery.

Lu Yu had just steadied himself on the treetop when his ears twitched slightly. Ten feet behind him, the faint sound of dry leaves being crushed underfoot reached his ears.

"I haven't even come looking for you yet, but you've already delivered yourselves to my door."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he gracefully landed on the ground.

"Boy, hand over the Soulless Flower!"

The Xuan-character hall master of the Eight Gates, along with five Dou Ling experts, leaped out of the bushes, instantly forming an encirclement. The Xuan-character hall master's face, full of fierce flesh, trembled, and the steel sword at his waist was already drawn three inches from its sheath, gleaming coldly.

"Noisy."

Without turning his head, Lu Yu made a grasping motion with his right hand, and a long sword, its entire body a deep blue-green, appeared out of thin air. Streaks of blue fire patterns swirled around the blade, and the faint silhouette of a dragon could be seen moving within its edge.

It was the Azure Flame Sword, which emitted bursts of dragon roars as soon as it was drawn from its sheath.

"Roar--"

With a deafening dragon roar, Lu Yu flicked his wrist, and the Azure Flame Sword drew a perfect arc in the air.

In an instant, six solidified azure sword energies burst forth, each containing the faint phantom of a menacing azure dragon.

"No! Back away!"

The Xuanzi Hall Master's expression changed drastically, and in his haste, he only had time to hold the steel knife horizontally in front of his chest.

However, the six sword energies emerged like dragons from the sea, instantly blocking all their escape routes. Wherever the sword energies passed, the air distorted, and vegetation was burned.

"Puff puff--"

After a series of soft sounds, the six people froze on the spot. A thin line of blood appeared on the neck of the Xuanzi Hall Master. He looked down in disbelief and saw that his steel knife had already been broken in two, with blue flames swirling around the broken ends.

"This is impossible……"

Before the words were even finished, six heads slid off simultaneously along the blood trail. The headless corpses crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Chong-"

Lu Yu flicked his wrist, and the illusory dragon on the Azure Flame Sword let out a soft murmur, as if it hadn't had enough, before slowly sheathing itself.

Just as he turned to leave, a violent energy surge suddenly came from the direction of the valley. A blood-red pillar of light shot into the sky, dyeing half of the night sky crimson.

The strong stench of blood could be clearly smelled even from a hundred meters away.

"The aura of a Dou Huang?"

Lu Yu frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and muttered to himself, "This smell of blood... could it be that the Blood Sect Master has come in person?"

……

(End of this chapter)