Desolate Devouring Art

Through the Divine Tribulation Pupil, Liu Wuxie released a wisp of mental energy carrying a faint strand of an immortal emperor's will. Gu Yi immediately tensed, no longer daring to show the slightest negligence.

Liu Wuxie understood that negotiating with the Skyhalberd Auction House required a display of strength. Otherwise, they would look down on him and might even kill him to seize the Sumeru Stone.

The aura disappeared as swiftly as it had emerged. Despite its subtlety, an expert of Gu Yi's caliber had sensed more than enough. Having established his strength, Liu Wuxie retrieved the Sumeru Stone from his interspatial ring.

"I want to consign this Sumeru Stone for auction," Liu Wuxie said.

Auction houses generally offered two methods for selling an item. The owner could sell it directly, after which the final price would no longer concern them. Alternatively, the owner could consign it, allowing the auction house to collect a ten-percent commission fee from the final price.

Gu Yi's eyes narrowed when the Sumeru Stone appeared. He had already known that Liu Wuxie possessed one, but witnessing it with his own eyes still shocked him.

Although the Sumeru Stone didn't qualify as a treasure within the central regions of the celestial realm, Fourfold City regarded it as a supreme treasure.

"Name your conditions," Gu Yi said.

He swept his divine sense across the Sumeru Stone and found its energy extraordinarily pure before looking at Liu Wuxie.

"My terms are simple. Hold an auction in three days and sell this Sumeru Stone. The Skyhalberd Auction House may keep thirty percent of the proceeds."

Every auction house followed a fixed schedule, rarely organizing grand auctions outside those predetermined dates.

The next major auction remained months away, yet Liu Wuxie demanded that the Skyhalberd Auction House arrange one within three days.

A frown tightened Gu Yi's brow, making his displeasure clear. Then he considered the thirty-percent commission, and his expression softened. The Sumeru Stone alone commanded an enormous price, which meant that thirty percent of the final proceeds would amount to a staggering fortune.

"This Sumeru Stone belonged to the Wen Clan, didn't it?" Gu Yi asked with a faint smile.

Rather than deliberating on Liu Wuxie's proposal, he calmly waited for an answer. He had already learned that the Wen Clan had lost seven experts along with a Sumeru Stone.

"I'm not at liberty to disclose that," Liu Wuxie replied, shaking his head.

"You understand that auctioning this Sumeru Stone will offend the Wen Clan. They might even suspect that we intercepted it ourselves," Gu Yi said with a smile, shifting the pressure back onto Liu Wuxie.

The Skyhalberd Auction House's concerns were entirely reasonable. Though they didn't fear the Wen Clan, they wouldn't provoke them without a cause.

Divine Immortals stood within the ranks of the Wen Clan. If open conflict erupted, even the Skyhalberd Auction House would pay a painful price. Worse still, the Wen Clan currently resembled a rabid dog, lashing out at anyone who crossed its path.

"If you truly had reservations, you never would've agreed to meet me," Liu Wuxie replied without losing his composure.

Had the Skyhalberd Auction House feared a confrontation with the Wen Clan, its people would never have brought Liu Wuxie inside. Anyone could see that Gu Yi was deliberately making things difficult, but Liu Wuxie simply refused to entertain it.

Silence fell over the private room as neither man spoke. Gu Yi reevaluated Liu Wuxie, recognizing a mind meticulous enough to see through human nature.

"I'll accept your terms and arrange the auction in three days, but you must answer one question," Gu Yi said, finally yielding.

"Go ahead," Liu Wuxie replied.

He had already anticipated this demand. Gu Yi would never agree to such an unusual request without asking for something in return.

"What is your real purpose in selling the Sumeru Stone?" Gu Yi asked.

He wanted to uncover the true objective hidden behind the transaction.

At first, Gu Yi had suspected that Liu Wuxie represented the City Lord Mansion, but he quickly discarded that possibility.

The Sumeru Stone's appearance would force the Wen Clan to do everything in its power to purchase it. If Liu Wuxie came from the City Lord Mansion, why would they deliberately place themselves in such a dangerous position? Yet if he had no connection to the City Lord Mansion, how had he obtained the Sumeru Stone?

That contradiction left Gu Yi deeply curious about Liu Wuxie's true intentions.

"To destroy the Wen Clan," Liu Wuxie replied, revealing his objective without hesitation.

Genuine delight burst from Gu Yi in the form of laughter.

"Now that's interesting. This affair grows more fascinating by the moment. I can barely wait for the auction to begin and see how it reshapes the balance of power in Fourfold City," Gu Yi said.

After getting up, he produced a contract and branded it with his soul imprint.

Once they signed the soul contract, neither party could violate its terms.

After both men completed the soul contract, Liu Wuxie left the Sumeru Stone behind and departed to await the auction. Gu Yi remained inside, silently staring at the stone resting on the table.

"Who exactly are you? Revealing the Sumeru Stone now places the City Lord Mansion at a disadvantage, yet you claim your objective is to destroy the Wen Clan. Even I can't decipher your intentions," Gu Yi said mockingly as he stored the Sumeru Stone.

Gu Yi had always prided himself on possessing unparalleled wisdom. His conversation with Liu Wuxie reminded him that someone more capable would always exist in the world.

Upon returning to the street, Liu Wuxie confirmed that the Skyhalberd Auction House hadn't sent anyone to follow him. He entered a teahouse and quietly observed the street below after ordering tea.

For the past two days, the Wen Clan had conducted an excessive search throughout the city, mainly to vent its fury. The turmoil had engulfed many innocent shops.

Liu Wuxie waited until evening before returning to the City Lord Mansion. Soon after his arrival, news from the Skyhalberd Auction House swept through the city.

"The Sumeru Stone will go up for auction in two days!"

The instant the Skyhalberd Auction House released the announcement, Fourfold City exploded into a frenzy.

The uproar didn't stem from the Sumeru Stone's rarity. Everyone understood that its ownership could determine the balance of power throughout Fourfold City.

Upon receiving the news, the Wen Clan immediately reported it to Wen Changxing.

"Patriarch, a Sumeru Stone has appeared at the Skyhalberd Auction House. Could it be the same one we purchased?" an elder standing below the main hall asked.

The Skyhalberd Auction House hadn't revealed the Sumeru Stone's origins. Everyone could only speculate whether it was the one the Wen Clan had lost.

"Whether it's the same Sumeru Stone no longer matters. No matter the cost, we must find a way to obtain it," Wen Changxing said coldly.

Even if the stone had originally belonged to the Wen Clan, they couldn't storm the Skyhalberd Auction House and seize it by force. A Divine Immortal also protected the auction house. The Wen Clan didn't fear them, but they lacked the courage to confront them directly.

The other elders fell silent, knowing Wen Changxing was right. Their immediate priority was to purchase the Sumeru Stone, even if doing so exhausted the Wen Clan's entire wealth. Once they obtained it, they could purchase a Golden Immortal Realm artifact. With that power, they could sweep across Fourfold City and become its undisputed overlord.

An unseen undercurrent instantly surged through Fourfold City, sending shockwaves into every faction.

Apart from the Wen Clan and the City Lord Mansion, several clans ranking just beneath them would probably join the auction. Whoever secured the Sumeru Stone would experience an enormous rise in status.

Within the City Lord Mansion, Ye Guhai wore a meaningful expression after receiving the news. Elder Wu and the others had told him that Wen Ding's self-detonation had destroyed the Sumeru Stone. If that were true, how had one appeared inside the Skyhalberd Auction House?

No one could explain the contradiction. Perhaps this wasn't the same Sumeru Stone the Wen Clan had purchased, and everyone's assumptions amounted to nothing more than wishful speculation. Yet how could such an extraordinary coincidence occur?

Elder Wu and the others stood below in furious silence.

It wasn't difficult for them to guess the truth. If this was the same Sumeru Stone that Wen Ding had carried, then it had likely fallen into Liu Wuxie's hands. Why, then, would he consign it to the Skyhalberd Auction House? If he needed resources, the City Lord Mansion could have helped him. No one understood what he intended to accomplish.

That uncertainty made Elder Wu and the other elders angry. They had gone to great lengths to ruin the Wen Clan's plan, but the Sumeru Stone’s sudden reappearance had thrown all their efforts into disarray.

The Wen Clan had even begun liquidating its assets for the sole purpose of purchasing the Sumeru Stone.

"Linghan, bring Wuxie here," Ye Guhai said.

He offered no opinion on the matter and instead sent Ye Linghan to summon Liu Wuxie so he could question him directly.

Ye Linghan nodded before leaving the main hall.

After returning to his courtyard, Liu Wuxie resumed cultivating. Reaching the True Immortal Realm had granted him a certain ability to protect himself, but he still stood no chance against origin Immortals or Divine Immortals.

Ye Linghan's arrival didn't surprise Liu Wuxie. In fact, she had come much later than he had anticipated. Most people would have sought him out immediately after hearing the news, yet Ye Guhai had waited more than half a day before sending her.

That delay served as a clear signal of Ye Guhai's trust in him.

"Let's go," Liu Wuxie said after wiping the sweat from his face.

Ye Linghan hesitated several times, clearly struggling with something she wanted to say, but she ultimately remained silent.

"If you have questions, ask them. As long as I can answer, I won't hide anything from you," Liu Wuxie said.

He could naturally sense the distress weighing on her.

The people gathered in the main hall were probably accusing him of betraying the City Lord Mansion after everything they had done to help him.

"Were you the one who consigned the Sumeru Stone to the Skyhalberd Auction House?" Ye Linghan asked.

If her father, Elder Wu, and the other elders learned that he had done it, they would undoubtedly turn their anger on him.

"Would you resent me if I did it?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He looked directly into her eyes, searching for her true feelings.

"No. I believe you must have had a reason," Ye Linghan replied, surprising Liu Wuxie.

He had expected her to react angrily. However, the time they had spent together had allowed her to understand his character.

Had Liu Wuxie intended to harm the City Lord Mansion, he would never have risked his life to kill Wen Ding.

"Hearing you say that is enough," Liu Wuxie replied, gently patting her shoulder.

The two crossed several courtyards before entering the main hall. Ye Guhai, Elder Wu, and the others were still discussing how to prevent the Sumeru Stone from falling into the Wen Clan's hands.

The entire hall fell silent when Liu Wuxie arrived. The elders glared at him fiercely, but none voiced their accusations.

"Greetings, City Lord Ye!" Liu Wuxie said, cupping his fists toward Ye Guhai after entering.

"How have you found your stay in the City Lord Mansion?" Ye Guhai asked.

Rather than immediately confronting Liu Wuxie about the Sumeru Stone, he first expressed concern over his stay.

"Thank you for your hospitality, City Lord Ye. My stay here has been comfortable," Liu Wuxie replied calmly.

Ye Guhai's refusal to address the matter directly proved that he was far from a simple man.

"Have you heard the news spreading throughout Fourfold City?" Ye Guhai asked, finally turning to the matter at hand.

His gaze settled on Liu Wuxie's face, searching for even the slightest clue.