C5 South Wind Auction

The Wang Family's departure scarcely impacted the banquet; in fact, it seemed to allow the festivities to flow even more smoothly.

Yet, the focus of the attendees had shifted from the banquet itself to Chen Yi.

Those gathered had not anticipated that Chen Yi, the typically unassuming Young Lord of the Chen family, would defeat Wang Yun, previously hailed as Wood County City's top prodigy. This unexpected turn of events sparked a keen interest in Chen Yi.

This was particularly true among the young ladies present.

At sixteen, an age suitable for marriage, they were aware that Chen Yi, despite his low profile, was neither married nor betrothed. His victory over Wang Yun only fueled their imaginations, for he had effectively replaced Wang Yun as Wood County City's premier genius.

Such a promising young man was bound to capture their hearts.

A few daring girls even went so far as to cast flirtatious glances at Chen Yi during the event.

Alas, their efforts were in vain, as Chen Yi paid them no mind.

His thoughts were consumed with the pursuit of greater strength!

The duel had gone well, but the blow that had injured Wang Yun also served as a stark reminder of his current weakness. To alter the course of his past life's events, he knew he must rapidly enhance his power.

From his past life's memories, Chen Yi knew the Chen family's disaster would strike within the next two or three years. Although the Life Devouring Blood Insect posed no threat to him now, he couldn't be certain the Chen family's doom wouldn't recur.

The Blood Holy Bead remained with him, after all.

Indeed, it was the Blood Holy Bead that had been the root cause of the Chen family's ruin in his previous existence.

The Life Devouring Blood Insect was merely a catalyst that led the Chen family to desperately seek blood-enriching items for Chen Yi, which ultimately led them to the Blood Holy Bead. Once the powerful beings aware of the bead's value learned of its acquisition, the Chen family's destruction was sealed. Chen Yi and Chen Yue had only escaped because they were fortuitously absent from the Chen household at the time.

Yet, even after that narrow escape, they never again knew peace. Over three centuries, Chen Yi and Chen Yue lived a life on the run, leveraging the Blood Holy Bead to slowly rise to power, only to meet their end in the Holy Heaven Realm.

Now reborn, Chen Yi found the Blood Holy Bead reborn with him, altering his fate. Still, he couldn't be sure that the Chen family's catastrophe would be averted. Rebirth was too enigmatic for certainty. But being prepared for any eventuality was a prudent course of action.

And the most crucial preparation was undoubtedly strength.

Only with formidable power could he take charge of his destiny!

As the banquet wound down amidst discussions of Chen Yi's prowess, the guests eventually dispersed.

Once the banquet concluded, Chen Yi called Chen Shanheng to the study.

The study was steeped in silence, with Chen Shanheng seated and Chen Yi standing.

It was Chen Shanheng who eventually broke the quiet, getting straight to the point, "Yi, I've summoned you to ask that you join me at the South Wind Auction tomorrow."

"The South Wind Auction?" Chen Yi was taken aback.

He had assumed Chen Shanheng wanted to discuss the techniques he'd used against Wang Yun, not to propose a visit to the auction. Yet, he recalled from his past life that the South Wind Auction had indeed hosted an auction following Chen Shanheng's birthday celebration.

"I understand, Father," Chen Yi nodded in agreement.

In his previous life, he had missed the auction, having been incapacitated by Wang Yun. But this life offered a new opportunity to attend.

He needed to amass resources quickly to enhance his strength, such as Spirit Beast Blood.

The Life Devouring Blood Insect had only unlocked the Blood Holy Bead's initial seal. The powers Chen Yi had previously unlocked were gone, and to reactivate them, he required ample Spirit Beast Blood.

Each of the six seals on the Blood Holy Bead signified a leap in power.

The first seal required only Sixth Grade blood, a criterion met by the Life Devouring Blood Insect. However, to break the second seal, a substantial quantity of Spirit Beast Blood was necessary. From the moment of its unsealing, the Blood Holy Bead needed continuous replenishment of Spirit Beast Blood to prevent reverting to its sealed state. Every seven days, Chen Yi had to supply at least a hundred drops of this blood; failure to do so would cause the bead to revert automatically.

Thus, to keep the Blood Holy Bead unsealed, Chen Yi had to ensure a steady supply of Spirit Beast Blood.

This was merely the routine provision. To break the second seal, Chen Yi would need to amass a significant amount of resources: a thousand drops of Eighth Grade Spirit Beast blood, a hundred drops of Seventh Grade Spirit Beast blood, and the blood from seven cultivators, each with a distinct physique.

Indeed, cultivator blood.

The Blood Holy Bead could absorb any blood, including that of human cultivators. Yet, to access its second seal, the bead required the blood of cultivators with seven unique constitutions.

In the realm of cultivators, through their practice, they develop bodies infused with various spirit energy attributes. This can result in offspring born with innate special physiques, such as a spiritual body with inherent attributes.

Cultivators with these innate qualities possess natural attribute energies. When they practice cultivation techniques aligned with their attributes, they achieve results more efficiently.

For Chen Yi, finding seven individuals with such rare physiques was essential to unlocking the second seal of the Blood Holy Bead.

While it might sound challenging, for him, with memories of his past life, it was a manageable task. He knew exactly where to find these cultivators.

Unsealing the second layer of the Blood Holy Bead was his immediate objective, a mission he had to accomplish swiftly. Once unlocked, the bead would grant him an ability to rapidly enhance his strength. In his past life, this very ability was instrumental in his ascent from the Blue Cloud Realm to the lofty Holy Heaven Realm.

"Alright, off you go."

Chen Shanheng, noticing the preoccupied look on Chen Yi's face, offered a reassuring smile and a dismissive wave.

He sensed that Chen Yi was harboring secrets, especially after witnessing the unusual technique used to defeat Wang Yun. Yet, he refrained from probing. It wasn't due to a lack of curiosity, but rather a respect for privacy.

Everyone has their secrets.

If Chen Yi chose to share, he would. If not, Chen Shanheng wouldn't intrude.

"Understood."

With a nod, Chen Yi departed the study.

Chen Shanheng hadn't inquired, and Chen Yi had no intention of volunteering any explanations, especially not about his rebirth—a concept far too enigmatic to divulge.

Rebirth was a profound mystery, one he wouldn't share with Chen Shanheng, Chen Yue, or anyone else. It was a secret he would keep to himself, though he might explore it further if he ever returned to the Holy Heaven Realm and the Destiny Ruins.

...

At dawn, outside the Chen family estate, Chen Yi, Chen Shanheng, and an elegantly dressed elder convened.

This elder, named Chen Ji, was the Chen family's Great Elder. He was accompanying them to the South Wind Auction, where his role as the family's financial overseer meant he had to be present whenever family assets were involved.

The trio boarded the carriage that had been readied for them and set off for the South Wind Auction.

The South Wind Auction was a significant enterprise of the South Wind Empire's royal family, with branches in every city throughout the empire. The branch in Wood County City was no exception.

Backed by the royal family, the South Wind Auction nearly monopolized the empire's auction industry. It was the largest and sole auction house in Wood County City.

The building of the South Wind Auction was among the most impressive in the city, occupying nearly a third of the commercial street. Its grandeur and opulence were a testament to their power.

First-time visitors would invariably be awestruck by the sight.

However, Chen Yi, having visited before and having been a figure of high stature in the Holy Heaven Realm in his past life, had seen far grander edifices. The auction house before him was luxurious, but it paled in comparison to the splendors he had known.

Stepping down from the carriage, Chen Yi and his companions entered the auction house directly.

Upon reaching the designated auction area, they found it already filled with attendees who rose to greet them respectfully.

As one of Wood County City's two major families, the Chen family commanded immense respect.

No one, except the Wang Family, would dare cross them.

The South Wind Auction recognized the Chen family's prominence and had reserved for them one of the two prime seats at the front. The other prime seat was, of course, reserved for the Wang Family.

Shortly after Chen Yi's group settled in, the Wang Family representatives arrived.

They were a duo: Patriarch Wang Sheng and the Wang Family's Great Elder, Wang Hee.

Wang Yun, the Young Lord of the Wang Family, was conspicuously absent.

The crowd hardly noticed his absence; after all, it wasn't unusual for the Young Lord to skip an auction. But Chen Yi knew better—it wasn't that Wang Yun didn't want to attend, he simply couldn't.

Why?

The answer lay with the Blood Devouring Curse.

While the Life Devouring Blood Insect took its time to manifest, the curse was swift in its cruelty. Initially, the insect's consumption was minimal, requiring time before its effects became apparent. The curse, on the other hand, spared no such delay. Within just six hours of being cast, its debilitating power would begin to take hold.

By now, the curse had had ample time to exert its influence since the day before.

Wang Yun was likely bedridden at this very moment, too weak to even leave his bed.

As soon as Wang Sheng and his companion arrived, their eyes locked with Chen Yi and his two associates.

The tension was palpable, sparking an almost tangible electricity in the air that made onlookers instinctively recoil.

"Hmph."

Wang Sheng's gaze landed on Chen Yi, seated next to Chen Shanheng, and he let out a disdainful snort, his expression darkening.

Chen Yi was right; Wang Yun was indeed languishing in bed. But Wang Sheng hadn't considered the Life Devouring Blood Insect as the cause. He simply blamed Chen Yi for being overly aggressive the previous day. So, upon seeing Chen Yi now, it was no surprise that his demeanor was less than pleased.

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