"Esteemed member, please follow me." After Ye Chuan entered the passage, another attendant greeted him and led him into a private room.
Seated comfortably, Ye Chuan glanced around the room's decor, slightly surprised.
"So there are private rooms here?"
"Please enjoy some fruits." A qipao-clad attendant knelt nearby, holding out a tray of fruit considerately.
Another attendant presented a small booklet. "This is the catalog of items for today's auction. Please take a look."
The attentive service left Ye Chuan quite satisfied. As he took the booklet, he asked curiously, "Does every guest receive this level of service?"
How many staff members would that require?
"No, only members of the third tier or higher are entitled to private room service," the attendant explained.
"Oh?"
So the token Qian Duoduo had given him wasn’t just an ordinary item—it even granted access to private rooms.
Settling into a more comfortable position, Ye Chuan began flipping through the auction catalog—
Meanwhile, outside the Treasure Pavilion, the crowd remained as dense as ever, yet no one dared cause trouble. After all, the Treasure Pavilion had branches across the entire Tianxuan Continent, and its operations were backed by the protection of sacred lands. Even members of the top three sects had to behave themselves here.
It was precisely this influence that allowed the Treasure Pavilion to gather treasures from all over the world and host grand auctions throughout the Tianxuan Continent.
"The Qingyun Sect has arrived." The crowd suddenly parted, making way for three or four figures dressed in blue-and-white robes. Their expressions were calm as they strode forward with measured steps.
At the forefront was a woman Ye Chuan knew well—Senior Sister Zi Ning'er.
She had been sent to secure a certain treasure from the auction. Rumors claimed that this auction would feature a drop of blood from the Black Tortoise, a divine beast. Such an item was undoubtedly a priceless treasure for cultivators of any level—capable of extending lifespan and even breaking through the shackles of cultivation realms.
Moreover, she had received word that the auction house had recently acquired a large number of cultivation manuals. Some elders in the sect suspected these might be linked to the missing manuals from the Flying Sword Peak, so Zi Ning'er and a few elders had been dispatched to investigate.
"Miss Ning'er, it’s been a while." As a member of the top three sects, the Qingyun Sect’s arrival naturally drew immediate attention, and they were swiftly escorted to a VIP chamber.
Mu Qianqian smiled gracefully, her wide-sleeved celestial dress enhancing her ethereal beauty.
As the auction’s host, she had dressed splendidly for the occasion, radiating charm.
"Miss Mu, I heard the Treasure Pavilion recently acquired a large batch of cultivation manuals—all sold by the same person?" Zi Ning'er inquired.
"Oh? How did Miss Ning'er come by this information?" Mu Qianqian poured tea leisurely, her tone neutral.
Zi Ning'er fell silent for a few seconds, offering no answer.
Naturally, she couldn’t reveal the Qingyun Sect’s intelligence channels. Instead, she said solemnly, "This matter is of great importance. Could Miss Mu provide some clarity?"
"The Treasure Pavilion’s policy is to never inquire about the origins of treasures or the identities of our guests," Mu Qianqian replied with a smile.
Zi Ning'er was well aware of the rules. Though frustrated, the Qingyun Sect couldn’t afford to clash with the Treasure Pavilion—its backing was far beyond what the sect could oppose.
Hearing Mu Qianqian’s response, Zi Ning'er exhaled slowly. "Then, could you at least allow us to verify whether any of the manuals originated from our Qingyun Sect?"
"Miss Mu, are you aware of the thunder tribulation incident at the Qingyun Sect?"
Mu Qianqian answered with a faint smile, "I’ve been rather busy lately and have only heard bits and pieces."
Her flawless evasion made Zi Ning'er pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Please, Miss Mu, show me the manuals."
If the manuals truly belonged to the Qingyun Sect, they had to be recovered—especially the core texts.
These were the foundation of the sect and could not be allowed to circulate outside.
"My apologies, Miss Ning'er. The manuals we recently acquired have already been cataloged. If you wish, I can provide you with a list." Mu Qianqian gestured to an attendant, who promptly brought over a booklet.
The booklet contained records of all the manuals the Treasure Pavilion had purchased over the years. There was no way to distinguish which were newly added or which belonged to the Qingyun Sect.
"Elder." Zi Ning'er turned to the elder beside her.
"Don’t worry, Ning'er. Having guarded the scripture pavilion for years, I know exactly which manuals were housed in the Flying Sword Peak." The elder accompanying her was none other than the keeper of the scripture pavilion. Since the pavilion had been struck by heavenly lightning, he had been confined to his residence, unable to go anywhere.
Worse yet, with all the manuals gone, the sect leader had even halved his monthly stipend.
The elder began scrutinizing the booklet, his expression growing increasingly perplexed. After a while, he looked up at Mu Qianqian. "Miss Mu, why does the Treasure Pavilion possess so many cultivation manuals?"
"The Treasure Pavilion lives up to its name—gathering treasures from across the world. Though this isn’t our headquarters, we still hold many precious items," Mu Qianqian replied with a light chuckle, covering her mouth.
The elder felt a headache coming on as he scanned the densely packed list.
There were far too many!
The problem was that many of the manuals from the Flying Sword Peak weren’t unique. As he combed through the list, he spotted a few familiar ones, but none definitively confirmed that the missing manuals were here.
"Ah!" The elder’s eyes lit up.
If the mid- and low-tier manuals yielded no clues, perhaps the top-tier ones would.
"Where are the top-tier manuals listed?" he asked.
"Right here." Mu Qianqian handed him another booklet dedicated to premium manuals.
Compared to the others, the top-tier section was brief—just a single page, easily skimmed in moments.
"This…" The elder examined it carefully, his face darkening.
Because—
None of the Qingyun Sect’s exclusive manuals were present.
"Ning'er, the Qingyun Sword Art and the Breeze Movement Technique aren’t here," the elder said.
Not even his privately collected "Ten Thousand Methods of Cauldron Refinement" was listed.
In truth, all these manuals had been taken by Ye Chuan for study.
While Ye Chuan could learn any manual with a single click, the downside was that the manuals would vanish afterward—unlike normal study, which left the originals intact.
"Could it be that he didn’t sell them?" Zi Ning'er asked.
"If so… wouldn’t that mean we can’t prove these manuals came from the Qingyun Sect?"
"Since we lack evidence, we should focus on securing the divine beast’s blood for now," another elder advised Zi Ning'er. Without proof, lingering here was pointless.
"Very well." Though reluctant, Zi Ning'er had no choice but to agree.