Just Like Coming Home

"This is the Dragon Claw."

As the bidding concluded, a maid in a plain gauze dress moved gracefully, carefully carrying the brocade box containing the Dragon Claw to an elegant private room on the second floor of the auction house.

The gilded, carved wooden door opened and closed, faintly exuding an almost imperceptible pressure.

Inside the room, sandalwood incense curled in the air, and the soft glow of candlelight illuminated a man and a woman.

The man wore a sleek black martial outfit, a jade pendant engraved with intricate patterns hanging at his waist. His expression was calm as he gazed at the enormous claw on the table, its green scales shimmering. Though lifeless, it still radiated an eerie aura.

"A Green-Scaled Demon Dragon… Pity it’s only a Golden Core-level dragon, and the core is missing."

His tone carried a hint of regret.

Then, he turned to the girl beside him. "Junior Sister, I’ll give this to you. Your Azure Dragon Sacred Body needs dragon bloodline to advance. Though it’s just a claw, the refined essence will still be useful."

"Thank you, Senior Brother," the girl replied sweetly. "You’re the best, Brother. But… Senior Brother Bai also bought me a Dragon Core, so…"

"What?! He actually got you a Dragon Core?!"

"Mmm… I didn’t really want it, but I couldn’t refuse his kindness," the girl said, blinking innocently at him. "Brother, you know I need dragon-related materials for cultivation, so… you won’t be mad, right?"

"Hmph, it’s just a measly Dragon Core. Once I break through, I’ll get you a real dragon’s core!"

"Tehe, you’re still the best, Brother."

However, at that moment, the girl suddenly frowned and instinctively touched her neck.

"That’s odd… It feels like a mosquito bite."

She was puzzled. With her spiritual energy shielding her, ordinary insects shouldn’t be able to get close. Had her protection failed?

Unbeknownst to her, a pitch-black mosquito lurked silently in her hair, blending perfectly with the dark strands, its eerie glow flickering faintly.

......

"Ugh, the stench of simps is strong here."

Ye Chuan sat in his chair, watching the private room where the Dragon Claw had been auctioned off. The occupants seemed to be disciples from some sect—their bearing was extraordinary, and their willingness to spend so much suggested they weren’t ordinary figures.

The power of Chaos was just too versatile. The mosquito avatar he’d created could bypass any formation and cling to a person without being detected.

It was basically a tracking device.

Meanwhile, the auction grew even more heated.

On the stage, Mu Qianqian stood gracefully, raising a hand to quiet the crowd. Her voice was crisp and penetrating.

"The next item is the finale of today’s auction—a single drop of the Divine Black Tortoise’s essence blood!"

The Divine Black Tortoise!

The announcement sent a wave of excitement through the crowd. As the red covering was slowly lifted, a drop of blood suspended in a specially crafted glass case came into view. The essence blood pulsed with dense vitality, its surface swirling with mysterious runes. The sheer life force it contained made everyone hold their breath.

"Black Tortoise essence blood!"

"This drop was discovered in an ancient ruin. After appraisal by our Treasure Pavilion’s experts, its authenticity has been confirmed," Mu Qianqian said with a faint smile.

"It can break through cultivation bottlenecks, extend lifespan, refine artifacts… the benefits are endless. I’m sure you all understand its value."

"Starting bid—five million spirit stones."

"Eight million!"

"Ten million!"

The price skyrocketed in mere moments, reaching a staggering thirty million in just a few breaths!

"Thirty million… These bastards are loaded," Ye Chuan muttered from his seat. He’d sold so many cultivation techniques and only earned a little over ten thousand spirit crystals—equivalent to just over a million spirit stones.

He was still too poor.

Maybe he should rob a few more peaks of the Qingyun Sect when he got the chance.

As Ye Chuan schemed, the price for the Black Tortoise essence blood had already soared to fifty million—with no signs of stopping.

"It’s still going up?" Ye Chuan clicked his tongue. He’d underestimated the value of this drop of blood.

Well, might as well borrow this one too.

His fingers twitched, and another mosquito formed from Chaos energy materialized.

Whoever won this auction would soon have an uninvited guest.

He marked his target.

When the bid reached eighty million, a voice rang out from one of the private rooms.

"Our Qingyun Sect’s Sect Master has need of this item. We kindly ask fellow cultivators to yield. The Sect Master will personally express his gratitude in the future."

The words were polite, but the underlying message was clear—this item belonged to the Qingyun Sect’s Sect Master, and anyone who dared compete would be courting trouble.

"Qingyun Sect’s Sect Master?"

"Tch."

Many of the wealthy families bidding on the essence blood hesitated, their expressions turning wary. The Qingyun Sect was the most powerful faction in the region—not someone to provoke lightly.

"Hmph, what of the Qingyun Sect? Can our Cangtian Sect not bid?" A cold voice retorted. "Eighty-five million!"

"Cangtian Sect?!"

"That’s a behemoth on par with the Qingyun Sect! Why are they here?"

"They must be here for the essence blood."

Inside the Qingyun Sect’s private room, an elder frowned. "Why is the Cangtian Sect here? Their own Treasure Pavilion branch should be holding an auction too."

"Elder, should we continue raising the bid?" Zi Ning'er asked.

"Of course. Let’s see just how bold the Cangtian Sect dares to be on Qingyun Sect’s turf," the elder sneered. "Ninety million spirit stones!"

The Treasure Pavilion had backing from a Holy Land, so it couldn’t be easily challenged.

But the Cangtian Sect? They weren’t even on the Qingyun Sect’s level. Did they have a death wish, flaunting their arrogance here?

"One million spirit crystals."

The Cangtian Sect’s representative spoke calmly, but the shift in currency sent a ripple of shock through the crowd.

"Fine, very well, Cangtian Sect! We bid one million and ten thousand spirit crystals!"

"One million two hundred thousand!"

"One million five hundred thousand!"

"Hahaha, the Qingyun Sect is truly generous. We were just testing the waters," the Cangtian Sect’s voice mocked before falling silent.

"You—!"

What could have been settled for eighty million spirit stones had now been driven up to one hundred and fifty million. The Qingyun Sect elder’s face darkened with fury. Once the auction ended, they’d have words with the Cangtian Sect.

"One million five hundred thousand spirit crystals, going once."

Mu Qianqian paused, then continued when no further bids came.

"One million five hundred thousand, going twice."

"One million five hundred thousand, sold! Congratulations to the Qingyun Sect for obtaining this treasure."

"The Qingyun Sect got it?" Ye Chuan raised an eyebrow from his private room.

Perfect. This made things much easier.

He was familiar with the Qingyun Sect—borrowing from them was as easy as going home.