Inside the auction house, the palm of the White-Clothed Martial Marquis ultimately landed on the hemp-garbed young man.
Yet, it didn’t actually land on him. To be precise, it landed on Fengg Wanli.
The moment the White-Clothed Martial Marquis brought his palm down, Fengg Wanli stepped in front of the hemp-garbed youth. He was then sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, coughing out blood that splattered across the auction floor.
"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!" the White-Clothed Martial Marquis sneered, looking at Fengg Wanli with utter disdain.
Just as Fengg Wanli blocked the strike, the crowd in the venue finally snapped out of their daze. They stared at the scene unfolding before them in sheer disbelief. They wondered who would dare to cause trouble in the Xuese Auction, especially since it even involved Miss Hongxiu and Fengg Wanli.
At this moment, the guards of the auction house revealed themselves—a staggering eighteen Celestial Element Realm experts in total. At the same time, Tu Gang, who had previously left, reappeared at the entrance of the auction house. Behind him, a throng of Blood Robe Alliance members crowded the entrance.
"Clear the floor!" Fengg Wanli coughed as he glanced at Tu Gang.
From his private booth, Lin Huang watched the unfolding scene with surprise. He was astonished by the White-Clothed Martial Marquis’s sudden killing intent and Fengg Wanli’s terrifying reaction speed. He was also surprised by Miss Hongxiu’s intervention; despite her frail appearance, the move she had just displayed proved she possessed at least the strength of the Celestial Element Realm.
He was equally astonished by the hemp-garbed young man’s identity. He wondered what kind of background could compel Fengg Wanli to protect him at all costs, and how the young man could possess a necklace capable of commanding Xuanyuan Tibing.
Everything playing out looked like a setup. It seemed to be a trap designed to encircle and kill the White-Clothed Martial Marquis; otherwise, the people from the Blood Robe Alliance wouldn’t have shown up so suddenly. However, this plan might have hit a slight snag due to the unexpected arrival of the hemp-garbed youth, causing the situation to deviate from Fengg Wanli’s expectations.
"So, you threw out the Sea of Karma Flower just to trap and kill this Marquis!" In the center of the auction house, the White-Clothed Martial Marquis stood with his hands behind his back. He narrowed his eyes at Fengg Wanli, a trace of disdain curling his lips. "But do you really think you can kill this Marquis with just your lot? What a bunch of arrogant fools who overestimate their own strength."
By now, the auction house had been completely cleared. Only the White-Clothed Martial Marquis, the staff of the auction house, the members of the Blood Robe Alliance, and the hemp-garbed youth remained. Lin Huang naturally stayed hidden to observe how the situation would unfold. After all, he still harbored a strong desire to obtain the Sea of Karma Flower.
"Rumor has it that under the Blood Robe Marquis are two Blood Spirit Envoys known as Black and White Impermanence. Black Impermanence wears black clothes and a black mask, while White Impermanence wears a white robe and a pale mask. I assume you are that White Impermanence!" Fengg Wanli wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke with a faint smile.
"It seems your identity is not as simple as just the Alliance Leader of the Blood Robe Alliance," White Impermanence replied coldly. The fingernails on his ten fingers grew wildly, extending over ten inches long like sharp steel blades.
"My identity isn’t important. What matters is that you won’t be walking out of this cage today!" Fengg Wanli stated confidently and calmly.
"You think you can stand against this Marquis with this group of third-rate trash, not a single Martial Marquis among them?" White Impermanence licked his fingernails and spoke with bloodthirsty malice.
"Then why didn’t I die after taking a palm strike from you just now?" Fengg Wanli laughed.
White Impermanence frowned slightly. Looking at the bloody smile on Fengg Wanli’s face, he said slowly, "You’ve stepped into the Martial Marquis Realm? But so what?" He immediately scoffed, "Even within the Martial Marquis Realm, there is a difference in strength. Killing you will be as easy as flipping my hand!"
"Then let’s test that theory," Fengg Wanli said, refusing to argue further.
In the corner of the auction house, Lin Huang watched the scene quietly, his brows furrowing. Once a Martial Artist reached the Martial Marquis Realm, it became exceedingly difficult to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Furthermore, Fengg Wanli’s realm was indeed much weaker than that of White Impermanence.
From Lin Huang’s perspective, unless there were further variables or backup plans in this battle, Fengg Wanli’s chances of winning were slim. In the worst-case scenario, the entire Blood Robe Alliance would be wiped out. After all, the fury of a Martial Marquis was not something just anyone could endure.
As Lin Huang pondered, his mind suddenly jolted. The surrounding air became filled with sharp Sword Qi, and the lights in the auction house dimmed in response.
In the center of the floor, Fengg Wanli sat cross-legged. He tore off his disguised Blood Robe, revealing a fluttering Baiyi that danced amid the Sword Qi. With his sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and drifting hair, he looked exactly like a Confucian Scholar brimming with Vast Righteous Qi.
"Zhao Guest’s Man Hu Ying!" Fengg Wanli chanted, reciting a line of poetry.
As his voice fell, an illusory figure materialized in front of him. Descending in Baiyi with fluttering sleeves, the figure walked forward with its hands clasped behind its back, looking exactly like a Baiyi Knight.
"The Wu blade shines like frost and snow!" Fengg Wanli recited the second line.
A sword appeared in the hands of the illusory Baiyi Knight—an extremely sharp Longsword that gleamed with a piercing, cold light.
"Martial Soul Heroic Journey!" Lin Huang’s expression changed abruptly as he stared at the Baiyi Knight in front of Fengg Wanli.
In this world, there were many Anomalous Martial Souls. Music, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting could all manifest as souls, and among them, the Poetry and Books Martial Soul was a major category. If a powerful Great Scholar possessed a Poetry and Books Martial Soul and drew upon the Heaven and Earth Literary Qi, their terrifying power would be unimaginable. He just didn’t know if Fengg Wanli had read enough books to harness such might.
"So this is the source of your confidence... Knight’s Journey. It really does make this Marquis somewhat wary," White Impermanence stared at Fengg Wanli and smiled coldly. "But it’s merely a sliver of wariness, nothing more!"
With that said, White Impermanence blurred into a shadow and darted toward the Baiyi Knight.
Instantly, a dazzling flurry of sword light erupted across the auction house.
"Silver Saddle and White Horse! Rushing like a meteor!"
A mystical Spiritual Steed suddenly appeared beneath the Silver Knight. Its hooves spun like wheels, galloping around White Impermanence while rushing like a meteor. Its speed was so fast it became impossible to track. At the very least, Lin Huang couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the white horse knight’s shadow.
The sword light in the auction house intensified even further, forming layers of a sharp Sword Net that closed in to kill White Impermanence. Yet, in the center of that Sword Net, White Impermanence remained as calm and composed as ever. His slender fingers effortlessly blocked the Baiyi Knight’s attacks head-on.
"Idly drinking by Xinling’s side, laying my sword across my knees! Serving roasted meat to Zhu Hai, raising a cup to coax Hou Ying!"
A ferocious Sword Momentum aggressively swelled within the auction house. As soon as this Sword Momentum emerged, the air itself grew heavy and stagnant. White Impermanence’s brow furrowed in response, and a Mourning Stick swathed in swirling Yin Souls materialized in his palm.
As the Yin Souls roared, waves of white mist spread outward, corroding the chaotic Sword Qi in the surroundings.
"With just this mere Sword Net, you can trap this Marquis for a short while at most. I’d like to see what other tricks you have up your sleeve," White Impermanence sneered coldly. He continuously swung the Mourning Stick in his hand, shattering the fierce Sword Qi that closed in on him.
"Three cups to make a heavy promise, making the Five Sacred Mountains seem light! When eyes blur and ears burn with wine, heroic spirit arches like a pale rainbow!"
The Sword Momentum in the auction house grew increasingly oppressive, weighing down like a towering mountain—perhaps even heavier. Meanwhile, the Baiyi Knight on the floor began to display an air of absolute frenzy.
The frenzied Sword Qi crashed down like falling meteors. Crisscrossing Sword Momentum formed a cage, imprisoning White Impermanence within.
A trace of solemnity finally appeared on White Impermanence’s face. That solemnity didn’t stem from the surrounding Sword Momentum, but rather from his unfamiliarity with the Heroic Spirit. He didn’t know what Fengg Wanli’s next move would be.
Right at that moment, the Mourning Stick in White Impermanence’s hand let out a shrill shriek. In the blink of an eye, it opened up and transformed into a snow-white paper umbrella, shielding him beneath it. Outside the umbrella, all of the Sword Qi was blocked, and all of the Sword Momentum was crushed into nothingness.
Holding the umbrella, White Impermanence walked toward Fengg Wanli with a smile on his face. His gentle voice carried a bone-chilling coldness. "This Marquis may not understand Knight’s Journey, but you are equally ignorant of this Marquis’s methods! However, this Marquis knows one thing—as long as I have this umbrella, you can forget about harming even a single hair on my head!"
Watching White Impermanence slowly approach with the White Paper Umbrella in hand, Fengg Wanli’s expression remained unchanged. Instead, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and forced himself to continue reciting:
"Saving Zhao by swinging the golden hammer, leaving Handan reeling in shock first! Two heroic warriors for a thousand autumns, their glory resounds in great Liang city! Even in death, the knight’s bones remain fragrant, unashamed to be heroes of the world! Who can match the scholar in the pavilion, growing white hair writing the Taixuan Jing!"
As Fengg Wanli’s words fell, a long, piercing howl of swords echoed through the auction house, ringing out like the roar of a dragon etched on a wall. The Sword Qi and Sword Momentum suspended in the void abruptly converged, transforming into a terrifying Sword Intent. Like the surging tides of a vast ocean, wave after violent wave surged forward to crush White Impermanence.
THUD THUD THUD THUD!
The dragon-like Sword Intent slammed into the White Paper Umbrella, producing sharp, crisp sounds of rebound. However, those echoes were soon followed by the sound of the White Paper Umbrella tearing apart.
White Impermanence’s expression froze.
"To think you could actually Cultivate Sword Intent from this Martial Soul... It seems this Marquis truly cannot leave you alive," White Impermanence declared, his killing intent overflowing.
His pale hand spun the paper umbrella, and tragic, wailing cries immediately erupted. Countless ghostly heads of Yin Souls surged out from the White Paper Umbrella, throwing themselves at the surrounding Sword Intent.
"You... are ultimately no match for this Marquis!" White Impermanence let go of the White Paper Umbrella, leaving it to struggle against the Sword Intent. He had already arrived right in front of Fengg Wanli, staring down at the weakened man with open mockery.
"Zhao Guest’s Man Hu Ying, the Wu blade shines like frost and snow. Silver Saddle and White Horse, Rushing like a meteor... What a beautiful poem. Why must it be used to kill? Now that death is upon you, does your Baiyi Knight have the ability to break this Marquis’s White Paper Umbrella and come save your life?"
A satisfied smile spread across White Impermanence’s face. His snow-white palm slowly raised, ready to crash down on Fengg Wanli.
In the corner of the auction house, Lin Huang stared at the arm hovering in the air, his brows furrowed deeply. He wondered if Fengg Wanli was truly going to be obliterated just like this.
Yet, Lin Huang felt that something wasn’t quite right.
But what was wrong?
Lin Huang’s gaze shifted, and his expression abruptly jolted in realization. Miss Hongxiu was gone. The woman who hadn’t made a single move after throwing three Flying Needles at the very beginning had completely vanished.
Furthermore, in the poem Knight’s Journey, it seemed Fengg Wanli had forgotten two lines...