“I wonder if there will be any Secret Treasures containing the soul of a True Dragon in this Ten Thousand Treasure Festival,” Xiao Chen asked with some anticipation.

Zi Ying smiled apologetically. “That’s unlikely. True Dragons are hard to find since they are pretty much extinct. Naturally, True Dragon souls are even harder to find. However, I will ask around.”

“It’s fine.” Xiao Chen waved his hand. It was just a casual question. If there was, it would be a pleasant surprise. If there was none, there would be no need to feel dispirited about it.

The two then started discussing the contract. Xiao Chen looked through the contract that Zi Ying wrote, and signed it immediately once he had checked for any loopholes that could be used to cheat him. After that, he handed the ten million Black Astral Coins to her.

Zi Ying felt incomparably joyful. With an order of ten million Black Astral Coins, the Nine Cauldron Pavilion would not have to worry about its business for half a year.

“Young Master Mo said that you still have a batch of treasures to deal with. How about we handle them together?” Zi Ying suggested, riding on the momentum as she carefully put away the contract and Black Astral Coins.

“Don’t worry. As long as the Nine Cauldron Pavilion can complete this within one day, I will definitely hand the treasures that I want to sell off to your merchant association to manage.”

Xiao Chen was not stupid. He had to dangle some incentive in front of the other party. Otherwise, if she could not accomplish what he wanted in one day, he would be helpless.

Zi Ying smiled and took her leave. Before going, she called over two pretty girls with voluptuous figures to wait on Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen waved his hand to have the two maidservants wait outside. It was fine for them to just stand by for instructions.

---

Late at night, Xiao Chen drew his Lunar Shadow Saber in the cultivation room of the courtyard for honored guests. He calmly materialized the Flawless saber Dao, trying to fuse the will of ice into the Winter Saber of the Four Season Saber Technique.

Logically speaking, he should not be this calm. On the way to the Ten Thousand Treasure Sea Market, he had consumed a Longevity Fruit that he had on hand and refined it.

As he had expected, the Longevity Fruit only extended the natural lifespan and not physiological lifespan. It had been of no help with his situation at all.

Now, if the Azure Dragon Body Nourishing Art showed no effects, the diagnosis of having only ten years left to live would be no joke at all.

That diagnosis would become a reality before Xiao Chen climbed to the peak, before he rebuilt the Dragon’s Gate, before he saw everything in the world. He also had many things undone. How could ten years be sufficient?

“It seems possible.”

Xiao Chen looked at the will of ice and the Winter Saber in the vast underground cultivation room. After merging them for the first time, the resultant destructive power brought a joyful smile to his face.

This was how he had always been. No matter how many regrets he had, even if he really had only ten years left, he would face his fate calmly.

Life still had to continue. There was no need to be all depressed and hate the heavens for being unfair, wallowing in regrets and grief.

In these twelve years, Xiao Chen had taken many paths, met many people, made countless choices. He did not regret any of those choices.

The reason was no other than his contentment with knowing what he wanted; he did not need to feel conflicted over it.

The falling snow drifted as his white robes fluttered. He was even colder than the snow. The saber was cold, the human was cold, only the heart was not cold. There was also the sharpness and hot-bloodedness.

As his mental state improved, the Great Perfection saber soul in the will of thunder in his sea of consciousness densified. It faintly seemed that it was about to make another breakthrough.

Xiao Chen casually stuck his saber into the ground. Amid the heavy snowfall, he practiced the Thousand Year Flame Palm Technique.

This was a move that he had created himself. When he unleashed the palm strike, there was joy and grief, separation and reunion, lofty sentiments and hot-bloodedness.

He could send out his comprehension, all the lofty aspirations of his life, all the joy, rage, grief, and happiness.

This palm strike still had a lot of potential for development. Joy, rage, grief, and happiness, partings and reunions—there should still be many possible changes.

At this moment, Xiao Chen thought about parting. He thought about his impending death in ten years. Grief spread through his palm. This Palm Technique clearly deviated from the initial hot-bloodedness, tyranny, berserkness, and ruin of the Thousand Year Flame.

In its place was the interminable melancholy of parting, a faint sense of grief pestering the heart. Every move, every swish of the hair or clothes seemed to speak of melancholy.

The Cyclic Banner that was connected to Xiao Chen’s consciousness unfurled suddenly in the Universe Ring. The Astral Pearl refined from the Grief Throne glowed with a brilliant light.

The snowflakes were no longer present. Now, thousands of flowers, scarlet multiflora roses, drifted in the air.

The multiflora roses were red like blood, spreading grief everywhere.

A scarlet moon rose up behind Xiao Chen. Red light filled his vision, everything within his line of sight replete with grief.

Time was like a river gushing endlessly with a moon at its side. A small boat floated on the river, moving in the moonlight. Time flowed and ten thousand years passed. The people in the boat lived and died, changing many times. Only the moon reigned alone, only the moon existed alone.

Who saw the moon for the first time at the side of the river? When did the moon at the side of the river first cast its light on people? Life was endless, generation upon generation. The moon at the river looked similar year after year.

The moonlight shone down on the white robes amid all the red. The one withered white flower in the middle of thousands upon thousands of scarlet multiflora roses looked very eye-catching, inspiring heavy grief.

Thousand Year Death. I have a palm strike that only speaks of the sorrow of parting and none of joy!

When Xiao Chen sent out the palm strike, all his grief and melancholy surged out, leaving him feeling free and unfettered, as if it had swept away all the concerns of his heart.

All his grief no longer existed. It was like there was boundless hope for all living things in the faint, flowing light.

Silently, even the microscopic dust of the underground cultivation room completely vanished with this palm strike.

The scarlet moonlight disappeared along with the withered scarlet multiflora roses. The underground cultivation room was silent and completely empty, the air unprecedentedly clean.

“This move shall be called Thousand Year Death.”

Xiao Chen retracted his hand and sheathed the saber that he had stabbed into the ground. Then, he walked out of the cultivation room with a peaceful expression.

No matter how dejected or how melancholic he felt, these emotions should not remain in his heart for long. Otherwise, one would end up taking things to an extreme, blaming others for everything and going down the wrong path. After grieving, a bright day still waited.

The instant Xiao Chen turned to leave the cultivation room, without him discovering it, thousands of flowers silently bloomed. The scarlet multiflora rose regained its original white. Plants—life—filled the place.

------

At the crack of dawn, after Xiao Chen had closed his eyes and rested for a while, Zi Ying appeared before him with a smile.

“Young Master Mo, we have already used up all ten million Black Astral Coins. In total, there are one hundred King Grade Secret Treasures and one thousand Sage Grade Secret Treasures, all containing dragon souls. I also received news that an Emperor Grade Secret Treasure with a dragon soul will be sold during the Ten Thousand Treasure Festival. However, it is damaged. What a pity.”

Xiao Chen accepted the spatial ring that Zi Ying proffered. Then, he swept through the spatial ring with his Spiritual Sense. He found that it was as she said. He smiled faintly and said, “Damaged? That suits my purpose. What is the price? I would like to buy it at its buy-out price.”

Zi Ying was somewhat surprised, not knowing why Xiao Chen was so concerned about Secret Treasures containing dragon souls that he would not even pass on the damaged ones.

“The price is two million Black Astral Coins—much too high. I’ve seen that that Emperor Grade Secret Treasure before. Aside from the dragon soul, it is already damaged beyond all recognition.

Since the dragon soul was still present, that was fine. Two million Black Astral Coins was not high for Xiao Chen.

Having made up his mind, he smiled and said, “The Nine Cauldron Pavilion is really efficient. You managed to complete everything in one night. It looks like I definitely must have Miss Zi Ying handle the goods I have on hand.”

Anticipation filled Zi Ying. She had activated the full power of the Nine Cauldron Pavilion so she could see what sort of goods Xiao Chen would take out.

“Clink! Clink! Clink!”

Nine jade strips landed on the table before Xiao Chen. Then, he smiled at Zi Ying and performed a gesture of invitation.

Zi Ying picked up a jade strip doubtfully, then sent in her Mental Energy. However, after just a moment, she received an enormous shock.

She quickly put down the jade strip and picked up the other eight in rapid succession, checking all of them.

Now, she was completely stunned. Far beyond her expectations, all nine jade strips actually contained Profound Martial Techniques.

Of the ten jade strips containing Profound Martial Techniques in Xiao Chen’s possession, he had taken out all but the one for the Thousand Frost Battle Snow that he practiced.

Profound Martial Techniques were existences that surpassed Heaven Ranked Martial Techniques. Regular cultivators would not have even heard of them before. They appeared only in the highest level of auctions.

With the limited number of Profound Martial Techniques, they were often pivotal for attracting talented geniuses.

Of course, Xiao Chen had made copies of the Profound Martial Techniques in the nine jade strips. He could leave them with the people at Heavenly Star Island in due time.

Buyers appeared to be at a great disadvantage. However, even if one did not buy, many others were willing to suffer this disadvantage. These were rare resources for combat. No big sect would mind having more Profound Martial Techniques.

The moment these Profound Martial Techniques appeared at the auction, they would immediately fetch sky-high prices—the kind of goods that always had a market but no stock.

Zi Ying quavered with uncertainty, “Young Master Mo, these nine Inferior Grade Profound Martial Techniques are all to be sold?”

“Haha! If I’m not selling them, why would I take them out?” Xiao Chen laughed. This was a stupid question.

Zi Ying looked conflicted as if she was struggling over some decision. After a while, she said, “These goods are very rare and precious. However, for such things, when there are many of them, they will not fetch too high a price.

“If you want to sell all these Inferior Grade Profound Martial Techniques in one go, you will not be able to get the best price. I have a suggestion that I hope Young Master Mo would be willing to consider.”

Zi Ying was right. If nine Profound Martial Techniques appeared at the auction at the same time, the prices would be lower.

If there was only one Profound Martial Technique, it might even sell for three to five times the market rate, earning at least three million Black Astral Coins.

Wondering what Zi Ying’s suggestion was, Xiao Chen remained silent, gesturing for her to continue.

“I would like our Nine Cauldron Merchant Association to buy them directly. We will not sell them all at the auction of the Ten Thousand Treasure Festival. There are larger sea markets and auctions operated by our own Nine Cauldron Merchant Association in Bright Moon City.”

Not going through an auction meant that Xiao Chen would not have to wait long to receive the Black Astral Coins from the Nine Cauldron Merchant Association. This was a pretty good method as well.

“What is the Nine Cauldron Merchant Association willing to offer?”

“The market rate for Inferior Grade Profound Martial Techniques is one million Black Astral Coins. However, everyone knows that buying one at that price is impossible. The Nine Cauldron Merchant Association is willing to buy them all at three times the market rate.”

Zi Ying smiled gently as she offered Xiao Chen a price that was hard to reject.

Just one Profound Martial Technique could sell for four million Black Astral Coins at auction. However, if nine Profound Martial Techniques appeared one after another, their value would not be that high.

Given this, Xiao Chen would not suffer any loss. Furthermore, he would not need to wait to get the Black Astral Coins.

“Deal!”

Rejoicing in her heart, Zi Ying said, “Good. Young Master Mo, please wait one day. For such a large sum, I will have to seek permission from my father first. Of course, rest assured, there will not be a problem. I will even include that damaged Emperor Grade Secret Treasure containing a dragon soul as a gift to Young Master Mo.”

Watching Zi Ying’s figure vanish, Ao Jiao, who was in the Immortal Spirit Ring said, The Nine Cauldron Pavilion is rather bold. They will surely take a loss by buying the Profound Martial Techniques at such a price in Ten Thousand Treasure City. However, when they bring the jade strips to Bright Moon City, they will earn a huge profit.

Xiao Chen smiled. The prices of the nine jade strips far exceeded his expectations. Including the gift, that was almost thirty million Black Astral Coins.

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