Life span plundered, I became a detective and achieved immortality

Upon hearing this, Mo Feng abruptly sprang from his seat. The hem of his purple robe swept across the tea table with the sudden movement, creating a gust of wind that scattered the swirling smoke of the calming incense. The gentle smile that usually graced his face vanished instantly, replaced by utter shock and disbelief. His voice trembled uncontrollably, as if an invisible hand were gripping his throat, each word uttered with difficulty.

The title of the Four Symbols True Immortals is probably little known to those Void Immortals and Celestial Immortals—12,000 cosmic eras is far too long for them, enough for a Ninth-Rank Celestial Immortal to die two or three times over. Moreover, every ten cosmic eras, the Nine Realms Immortal War sweeps in, and few Celestial Immortals can survive a hundred cosmic eras, so it is naturally difficult for them to remember such an ancient legend.

But for a True Immortal like Mo Feng, those four words were like thunder in his ears, shaking his very soul. It could be said that among the True Immortals of the Crimson Sea, very few were unaware of the Four Symbols True Immortal. He was a seventh-rank True Immortal who had once dominated the Crimson Sea without equal, and there were even rumors that he was only one step away from becoming the legendary eighth-rank True Immortal. Throughout the countless ages of the Crimson Sea's history, the Four Symbols True Immortal, even if not the strongest, was definitely among the top five, a monument etched in the memories of True Immortals.

His immortal tomb is said to contain most of his life's wealth and fortune. Such wealth and opportunities have made countless true immortal forces drool. When the three immortal tokens, Azure Dragon, White Tiger and Black Tortoise, appeared in the world before, they stirred up huge waves in the Crimson Sea each time. Hundreds of true immortals fell in the struggle for them, blood flowed like rivers, and immortal corpses were scattered all over the void.

This final Vermilion Bird Immortal Token will undoubtedly cause an even greater sensation. Especially now that there are only five hundred Chaos Eras left before the next Nine Realms Immortal War begins, all the major forces are frantically hoarding resources and improving their strength. The allure of the Four Symbols Immortal Tomb has increased more than a hundredfold. It is unknown how many forces will go crazy for it, even risking the fate of their entire clan.

Mo Feng's heart began to race uncontrollably. He stared intently at the pulsating red light in Yu Yuan's palm, as if trying to see through it. His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and his voice became slightly hoarse: "Senior... is this true?"

Even with his composure as a second-grade True Immortal, he could not hide his excitement at this moment. If the item in front of him was indeed the legendary Vermilion Bird Immortal Token, the Star Sea Merchant Guild, as the auction platform, could not only earn astronomical commissions from it, but also elevate their reputation to a whole new level, making them famous throughout the surrounding universes.

As the current head of the auction house, if he could facilitate this earth-shattering auction, the guild would undoubtedly offer a hefty reward. With sufficient resources, his breakthrough to the third-grade True Immortal level would be unimpeded and within reach. Thinking of this, Mo Feng's breathing became rapid, and his gaze towards Yu Yuan held not only awe but also a burning anticipation, as if he could already see the bright future of his breakthrough.

"Whether it's real or fake, Fellow Daoist Mo can have someone verify it and find out." Yu Yuan's tone was calm, and the red light in his palm continued to flicker quietly without any fluctuation, as if what he held in his hand was not the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token that could stir up storms, but just an ordinary token.

Upon hearing this, Mo Feng quickly composed himself, realizing his lapse in composure. He forced a respectful smile back onto his face: "It was my rudeness, Senior Yu. Please wait a moment while I fetch Elder Chen, the chief appraiser of my trading company."

As he spoke, he took out a pure white communication jade talisman from his sleeve. Then, Mo Feng gathered a wisp of true immortal power at his fingertips and quickly drew several runes on the jade talisman. He then immersed his divine sense into it and sent out the message urgently.

The jade talisman flashed with a soft white light before returning to silence. Mo Feng put the jade talisman back into his sleeve and cupped his hands to Yu Yuan, saying, "Senior Yu, Elder Chen will be here soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of hurried yet steady footsteps came from outside the quiet room, clearly indicating that the person who had received the message was rushing over. Mo Feng's face showed a hint of anticipation, and his gaze unconsciously drifted to the red light in Yu Yuan's palm—this appraisal was not only about the authenticity of the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token, but also about whether he could successfully break through to the third-grade True Immortal in the future, so he couldn't help but be nervous.

Yu Yuan remained seated, his posture upright like a pine tree. His fingertips gently caressed the edge of the red light in his palm, his movements slow and composed, as if he were completely unconcerned about the upcoming appraisal. The cool aura surrounding him was like an invisible ice shield, causing the calming incense in the quiet room to freeze, leaving only wisps of green smoke slowly swirling and lingering.

......

Three breaths later, the tightly closed door of the quiet room was pushed open from the outside, breaking the silence with a soft creak. An elderly man in a blue robe hurried in, his white hair and youthful face exuding an air of otherworldly grace. His face was filled with barely concealed urgency and excitement, and his steps were slightly unsteady. When his gaze fell upon Yu Yuan, who was sitting upright at the tea table, he abruptly stopped, and the urgency on his face was instantly replaced by solemnity.

With his cultivation as a peak fourth-grade True Immortal, he couldn't see through the red-robed old man's strength at all. It was as if the old man was shrouded in an invisible mist, and he couldn't detect even a trace of his aura.

A fifth-grade True Immortal, or at least a late-stage fifth-grade True Immortal.

Otherwise, there would be no way I could give him that feeling.

He quickly composed himself, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Yu Yuan, and said in a voice with a hint of barely perceptible reverence, "Chen Qian greets Senior. I was so eager to hear about the treasure that I lost my composure. I hope Senior will forgive me."

Hearing the word "senior" uttered by Elder Chen, Mo Feng's heart skipped a beat. Elder Chen was a rare peak fourth-grade True Immortal in the merchant guild; ordinary third-grade True Immortals wouldn't even catch his eye. Yet now he was so respectful to Yu Yuan… Just what was this Senior Yu Yuan's cultivation level? A fifth-grade True Immortal? Or an even more terrifying sixth-grade?

Mo Feng felt a chill run down his spine. He had thought he had given this Senior Yu a high enough regard, but he had underestimated him. No wonder the other party dared to openly bring the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token to the Star Sea Trading Company for auction. Trust in the trading company's reputation was probably only one aspect; more importantly, it reflected absolute confidence in his own strength.

Even with the Star Sea Merchant Guild's resources, a fifth- or even sixth-grade True Immortal would not be easily provoked unless absolutely necessary. Such an existence is capable of shaking the guild's foundation, and a slight misstep could turn it into a major threat, resulting in more harm than good.

Yu Yuan ignored Mo Feng's unusual behavior, glanced at Chen Qian with his gaze remaining indifferent, as if the other's respect and awe were irrelevant to him. He slightly raised his fingertips, and the red light in his palm slowly floated towards the center of the table. The light dissipated, revealing the full appearance of the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token—on the crimson token, the patterns of the Vermilion Bird's wings flowed with a faint golden light, each feather lifelike, as if it would break free from the token's restraints at any moment and spread its wings to ignite the heavens.

"No need for formalities." Yu Yuan's voice was not loud, but it carried a penetrating power. "The item is here, Fellow Daoist Chen can begin the appraisal."

Chen Qian's gaze was fixed on the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token in the center of the table. His pupils suddenly contracted, and his breath caught in his throat. He slowly crouched down, his fingertips trembling slightly as he reached out towards the token, as if he were touching not just any token, but a legend accumulated over countless ages. His fingertips traced the patterns on the token's surface, golden light flowing through his palm. The engravings of the feathers seemed to still retain the Daoist essence of the Four Symbols True Immortals, making his fingertips tingle from the heat.

"This...the flow of these patterns is exactly the same as the 'Vermilion Bird Burning Heaven Seal' recorded in ancient books!" He suddenly looked up, his voice cracking with excitement, and the white hair at his temples trembled slightly. "The golden light is restrained and does not leak out, the Daoist charm is profound yet does not dissipate...it's real! It really is the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token!"

He repeatedly stroked the edge of the token, as if confirming every trace of time, before straightening up after a long while and bowing deeply to Yu Yuan, his tone full of admiration: "Senior actually possesses such a treasure; this junior has truly broadened his horizons today. Whether it is the material, the Daoist aura, or the patterns, this token perfectly matches the records, without the slightest falsehood!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Feng's tense back suddenly relaxed, and the fine sweat on his forehead slid down his cheeks, condensing into a drop on his chin before silently landing on the brocade carpet. It's true! He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, the huge weight that had been hanging over his heart for so long finally lifted—as long as this auction succeeded, breaking through to the third-grade True Immortal was only a matter of time, and even the True Immortal power within him seemed to throb slightly with joy at this relief.

Mo Feng raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, suppressing the excitement churning in his eyes, and tried his best to make his voice sound calm and normal: "Senior, in ten more Chaos Eras, there will be a Cosmic Era Auction held by my Star Sea Merchant Guild once every Cosmic Era. At that time, this Vermilion Bird Immortal Token can be the grand finale treasure, which will surely attract the top forces from all sides of the Crimson Sea to fight for it, fetching an astronomical price. I wonder what Senior thinks?" As he spoke, his fingertips unconsciously stroked the cloud pattern on the cuff of his purple robe, and the anticipation in his eyes could not be hidden.

......

Cangling Sea, Yunlong Immortal City, the quiet room of Jiuling Manor.

Su Mo, who was focused on refining the True Immortal Medicine and expanding his cellular sea of ​​consciousness, suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of golden light appearing in them. The medicinal fragrance surrounding him lingered slightly due to this momentary pause, and the illusory images of the True Immortal Medicine floating beside him swayed slightly. "Ten Chaos Eras later?" he murmured to himself, lightly tapping his knee with his fingertip, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's not impossible."

He glanced at the continuous mountain range of True Immortal Herbs within his Natal Universe Sea, his eyes flickering slightly—this massive amount of resources could not be devoured and refined in just ten Chaos Eras, so there was no need to worry about resource shortages affecting his cultivation.

......

Xinghai Trading Company, third floor, quiet room.

Yu Yuan remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded slightly, his voice still cold: "I have no objection."

Mo Feng's face instantly broke into a smile, even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out: "Senior Yu is so generous! The Vermilion Bird Immortal Token is comparable to a seventh-grade True Immortal level natural treasure. According to the rules of the merchant guild, we will take a five percent commission. Does Senior have any objections?" This is already the merchant guild's preferential treatment for top-grade treasures. Ordinary True Immortal level treasures would take at least eight percent commission.

“A five percent commission is no problem.” Yu Yuan nodded in agreement. He had long heard about the commission rate for seventh-grade True Immortal level natural treasures. “However, I have one condition: the items to be auctioned must be True Immortal medicines. I will not accept anything else.”

"This..." Mo Feng's smile froze, and his brows furrowed slightly. Accepting only True Immortal Medicines would undoubtedly affect the final auction price.

However, he quickly nodded and said respectfully, "We will do as you wish, Senior Yu. I will make the arrangements immediately, and I will make sure you are satisfied in ten Chaos Eras."

The Vermilion Bird Immortal Token belongs to this Senior Yu Yuan, and he has the right to decide which treasures to bid on.

"In that case, I will await good news."

......