Human Clan Defender

"Lord Shen, please be cautious!"

Ji Qu couldn't bear to watch any longer. In his opinion, Shen Changqing was now acting entirely on impulse. Even if the other party truly possessed the means to Control Evil Spirits, two Demon Evils comparable to Innate Martial Artists were not worth the high price of 600,000 silver taels.

"Although the Demon Evils in the Black Banner are equivalent to two combatants of the Innate Realm, Demon Evils also require daily nurturing, which is a considerable expense. Lord Shen, there's no need to spend 600,000 silver taels to buy such Demon Evils!"

At this point, Ji Qu was one hundred percent certain that Shen Changqing definitely had the means to Control Evil Spirits. It didn't matter that Shen Changqing didn't admit it, but spending 600,000 silver taels on the Black Banner already explained a great deal.

Shen Changqing shook his head, a faint smile on his face. "Brother Ji, rest assured, I know what I'm doing!"

Although the price of 600,000 silver taels is high, is it really that expensive for two Resentment Level Monsters? Two Resentment Level Monsters, with good luck, could contribute fifty Slaughter Value points. To put it another way, fifty Slaughter Value points could enhance the Great Sun Scripture by three levels. Eighteen levels of the Great Sun Scripture! Even if the Physical System doesn't break through, it could still be significantly amplified. Six hundred thousand silver taels in exchange for raising the Great Sun Scripture by three levels—such a trade is one hundred percent worth it. After all, money is an external object; only one's own strength is truly real. The reason I auctioned off three Grandmaster Martial Arts was to gain Merit Points and enhance my own power. Now that I can directly spend silver taels to improve my strength, why not do it? Therefore, while 600,000 silver taels might seem like madness to Ji Qu, in my eyes, it's entirely worth it.

After Shen Changqing made his offer, Miao Hong finally let out the breath he had been holding. That person indeed won't give up easily! At this point, he had completely let go. If I can't compete, then I just can't. If someone can offer 600,000, maybe they can offer 700,000 or 800,000. Even if my Hundred Ghosts Sect emptied its coffers, it wouldn't have that much silver. Giving up is completely normal.

"Now we can just sit back and watch the show," Miao Hong mused, picking up his teacup with a faint smile. "With 600,000 silver taels, I wonder if that old codger from the Dark Yin Sect will back down. I really want to see him lose his composure!"

Miao Feng shook his head. "The Dark Yin Sect has a slightly stronger foundation than our Hundred Ghosts Sect; they may not give up so easily." There aren't many notable unorthodox factions, and our Hundred Ghosts Sect is one. The Dark Yin Sect, however, is somewhat more established. When it comes to foundation, the Dark Yin Sect is indeed stronger than the Hundred Ghosts Sect.

Miao Hong laughed. "That's even better! Let that old geezer from the Dark Yin Sect clash with that person. If he empties the Dark Yin Sect's reserves to buy the Black Banner, all the better!"

He loved to watch a good show, especially if it meant trouble for others. That was precisely his mindset at the moment. In Miao Hong's view, the more the Dark Yin Sect expended, the better it was for the Hundred Ghosts Sect.

Just as Miao Hong had thought, the Dark Yin Sect Leader was indeed furious. Six hundred thousand silver taels, damn it! Even for the Dark Yin Sect, that's a huge sum. Although I could come up with that much silver, it would certainly cripple us afterward.

After much deliberation, the Dark Yin Sect Leader decided to struggle a bit longer. "Six hundred twenty th—"

"Seven hundred thousand silver taels!" Before he could finish, a light, airy voice directly cut him off.

The Dark Yin Sect Leader's face turned pallid. Seven hundred thousand silver taels had already surpassed his limit. If the Black Banner contained two Resentment Level Peak Demon Evils, the Dark Yin Sect would do anything to get it, even if it meant selling everything we own. But according to the information available, the Demon Evils in the Black Banner are, at best, barely comparable to the Outer Gang Realm, and might even be inferior. For such Demon Evils, 700,000 silver taels is already a significant overpayment. In other sects, 700,000 silver taels might be enough to cultivate several Innate Realm Martial Artists.

"Seven hundred thousand silver taels, going once!"

"Seven hundred thousand silver taels, going twice!"

"Seven hundred thousand silver taels, going three times! Sold!" Steward Number Two shouted excitedly.

Seven hundred thousand silver taels! The Black Banner has reached an astronomical price. Others didn't know who the winner of the Black Banner was, but he was very clear: the one who had won the auction for the Black Banner was Shen Changqing. Although Steward Number Two also wondered what Shen Changqing intended to do with the Black Banner after spending 700,000 silver taels, these were not his concerns to ponder. As an employee of the auction house, his role was merely to conduct the auction and sell items at high prices. Everything else was trivial.

In the crowd below, a person in a black robe and hood couldn't help but secretly clench their fist, feeling extremely excited. Seven hundred thousand silver taels! I never thought the Black Banner I put up for auction could sell for such a high price. I originally thought that selling it for tens of thousands of silver taels would have been quite good. Now, however, it sold for seven hundred thousand silver taels! This has greatly exceeded my expectations.

「Elsewhere.」

The door was knocked upon. Ji Qu got up to open it, and a Maid entered holding a wooden box. "Esteemed guests, this is the item you bid for. Please have a look!" As she spoke, she placed the wooden box on the table.

Shen Changqing opened the wooden box, revealing the Black Banner inside. At this closer distance, the Yin Evil Aura emanating from the Black Banner became even more pronounced.

He closed the wooden box. "Deduct the seven hundred thousand silver taels from my subsequent auction earnings. There's no problem with that, right?" Shen Changqing's gaze fell upon the Maid.

Hearing this, the Maid smiled charmingly. "The Stewards have already instructed us on this matter. Everything will be as you wish, esteemed guest!"

"Thank you."

"If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave." The Maid bowed, then left the room, helpfully closing the door behind her.

After she had gone, Shen Changqing reopened the wooden box and took out the Black Banner. "Brother Ji, with your insight, can you tell what material this Black Banner is made of, that it can seal Demon Evils?"

Black mist lingered around the Black Banner. If one listened closely, the wailing of tormented souls could even be heard.

Ji Qu stared at the Black Banner, his expression turning somewhat solemn. "There are countless materials in the world, and I do not recognize what the Black Banner is made of. As for sealing Demon Evils, I suspect it's not due to the banner's material but some special method." As he spoke, he pointed to the patterns on the banner. "The Suppressing Evil Hall and the Demon Sealing Hall have been researching Demon Evils for years, and so have some in the Jianghu. It's not surprising that one can seal Demon Evils. However, Lord Shen, for you to spend seven hundred thousand silver taels on this item seems rather unwise—"

Ji Qu had only spoken halfway when he suddenly choked on his words. Shen Changqing, who was holding the Black Banner, had abruptly exerted force and crushed it to pieces.

As the Black Banner shattered, the Demon Evils sealed inside were instantaneously released. Black mist billowed out, and the Demon Evils wailed. Immediately after, Shen Changqing punched out. His robust blood qi, coupled with the explosive power of the Great Sun True Qi, was like winter snow meeting the spring sun; the black mist dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye. Before the two Demon Evils could fully reveal their forms, they were completely annihilated by this force.

The incident occurred and dissipated with astonishing speed. Everyone present clearly perceived the eerie wail of tormented souls and a terrifying aura as formidable as the Great Sun. Just as they were wondering in shock what had happened, all commotion vanished.

This disturbance also attracted the attention of the powerful individuals in the auction house. However, once it was clear that the aura emanated from Shen Changqing's room, the Yuanyang Auction House refrained from any rash actions.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

The door was knocked upon. Shen Changqing retracted his fist and calmly said, "The door isn't locked. Please come in!"

The door was pushed open, and Steward Number One entered from outside. Looking at the shattered Black Banner on the floor and the almost completely dissipated Yin Evil Aura, a trace of doubt and astonishment flickered in his eyes. "May I ask, Lord Shen, has something happened?"

"It's nothing much," Shen Changqing said, his tone light and casual. "As someone from the Demon-Subduing Division, I couldn't tolerate the existence of Demon Evils, so I simply killed two of them."

He killed two Demon Evils just like that? Steward Number One looked at the fragments of the Black Banner on the ground and suddenly understood. Instantly, his regard for Shen Changqing turned into admiration, and he clasped his hands respectfully. "I had no idea Lord Shen was so selflessly devoted to the people, willing to spend seven hundred thousand taels on the Black Banner merely to exterminate the Demon Evils within! Had the Black Banner been the property of our Yuanyang Auction House, I would have insisted on returning the full seven hundred thousand taels!"

"Steward, you jest," Shen Changqing smiled faintly. "How could I allow others to pay for my own affairs?" Buying the Black Banner for seven hundred thousand silver taels did not cause him the slightest regret.

This demeanor made Steward Number One admire him even more. Afterward, he offered a serious reminder. "Lord Shen, your actions are truly admirable. However, as this is currently an auction, I hope you can exercise some restraint. Your strength is immense; if word of it were to spread, others might find it difficult to withstand. It would be regrettable if any casualties were to occur."

"Don't worry," Shen Changqing reassured him. "I was merely acting on impulse this time. I won't act recklessly again."

"That's good to hear. I shall take my leave now. I hope you both enjoy the auction!" With a respectful clasp of his hands, Steward Number One turned and left.

The door closed. Shen Changqing looked at his panel, where the Slaughter Value had climbed again to over fifty points, a happy smile gracing his face.

It's just as I expected. The two Demon Evils together contributed forty-nine Slaughter Value points. Adding that to my original seven points, the total Slaughter Value on the panel is now fifty-six. Fifty-six Slaughter Value points are enough to raise the Great Sun Scripture to the eighteenth layer! Seven hundred thousand silver taels for a three-layer advancement in a martial art—this deal is definitely not a loss! If I had to cultivate diligently, it might have taken several years to raise the Great Sun Scripture from the fifteenth to the eighteenth layer. Spending hundreds of thousands of silver taels to enhance my strength... Honestly, this was well worth it! Shen Changqing felt deeply satisfied.