Chapter 83: Pinnacle of the Ninefold Void Realm

Su Yizhao followed Ning Yuhe into the house, immediately assaulted by the pungent scent of medicine.

Ning Yuhe called out, “Daoist Qin, Daoist Su is here to see you!”

Su Yizhao trailed behind, shaking his head slightly. With a thought, a golden light flashed as he tightened his grip with his right hand.

“Daoist Qin?”

There was no response from Qin Hongyi.

“That’s strange,” Ning Yuhe remarked. “Normally, if nothing’s amiss, she would be here caring for her brother. Why isn’t she around today?”

Su Yizhao remained silent, watching Ning Yuhe’s performance with a cold eye.

“Let’s go inside and wait!” Ning Yuhe turned back to him. “Daoist Qin’s brother and father must be inside.”

With that, Ning Yuhe led the way into the inner chamber.

The inner room was dim, but for the two of them, everything was clear at a glance.

It was exceedingly simple.

A young man lay on a wooden bed, only his face visible, seemingly deep in slumber.

An elderly man sat at the bedside, keeping watch over the young man.

The old man seemed unaware of their arrival, unmoving, his attention fixed on the sleeping youth.

“Uncle Qin?” Ning Yuhe called softly.

Sweeping his spiritual sense through the room, Su Yizhao paused, surprised.

The young man was devoid of any cultivation, and the old man’s dantian was completely empty.

Both of them were mere mortals!

“You are...?” The old man turned, his cloudy gaze scrutinizing them. “Ah, it’s Yuhe! And who is this? Your friend?”

Faced with the situation, Su Yizhao could only prepare to introduce himself when Ning Yuhe suddenly said, “No, he is my enemy!”

Su Yizhao froze in shock.

He dares to be so brazen?

The old man’s clouded eyes instantly sharpened. “Your enemy? With this level of cultivation?”

Ning Yuhe flashed to the old man’s side, cupping his hands respectfully. “Senior, please kill him!”

“Hmph! I told you to draw out the higher-ups of the auction house, yet you bring him here and can’t even handle him yourself?” the old man snorted coldly.

Suddenly, Su Yizhao realized—the problem was with the old man! Either he was not a mortal, or his cultivation was so profound that Su Yizhao could not fathom it.

And this old man wanted to kill the auction house’s leaders?

What kind of faction would dare such audacity?

A thought passed through his mind. The golden stone puppet in his right hand, concealed behind his back, slowly expanded as he inserted a top-grade spirit stone into it.

He formed a hand seal, and the golden stone puppet seemed to come alive, brimming with spiritual energy.

Tenth Void Stage—let’s see if you can withstand it.

Ning Yuhe’s face twisted into a cruel grin. “His cultivation may be low, but he’s an important figure in the auction house—even Gou Jianren spoke up for him!”

At last, Su Yizhao could act without restraint.

With a thought, a golden flying sword shot out.

From a span of two yards, the golden beam, fine as a needle, instantly pierced toward Ning Yuhe’s brow.

Ning Yuhe’s expression changed dramatically.

The golden light was so fast, there was no time to defend or dodge!

Even a peak Seventh Spirit Stage cultivator couldn’t withstand it, let alone Ning Yuhe, who didn’t even have time to react.

Su Yizhao sneered inwardly.

He wanted to test just how profound the old man’s cultivation truly was!

Just as the golden light was about to strike Ning Yuhe’s brow, suddenly, a black hole appeared at that very spot.

Neither too large nor too small, just the size of a pinhole, it swallowed the golden light and then vanished.

Su Yizhao’s whole body trembled as his gaze shifted to the old man.

The timing, size, and power were perfectly controlled—this old man’s cultivation was far beyond his imagination.

Ning Yuhe, who had thought himself doomed, burst out laughing.

“Haha! The infamous Brothel Paragon lives up to his name! But too bad, bumpkin, you’re still going to die!”

Su Yizhao gave no reply, instead asking the old man, “Senior, who are you? What is your cultivation realm?”

Ning Yuhe, seeing Su Yizhao remain so calm, flew into a rage. “Su Yizhao, you killed my brother, humiliated me, and now you dare question Senior in front of him? Who do you think you are?”

Su Yizhao shot him a glare.

Ning Yuhe stumbled back, almost falling onto the bed.

The old man’s eyes showed surprise. “To have trained the Heavenly Sword Technique to such a level—truly a genius! No wonder you could intimidate him with just a glance.”

Ning Yuhe trembled, dropping all pretense. Now, even the old man drew his hatred.

Su Yizhao shook his head. “Before Senior, I am nothing. However, please, at least let me know why I must die.”

“You may not die,” the old man said appreciatively. “Swear yourself as my disciple, and he shall die!”

Ning Yuhe cried out, “Senior, no, please, I know the auction house inside and out!”

Su Yizhao’s heart stirred.

Since arriving in the cultivation world, this was the first time a true master had offered to take him as a disciple.

Could it be because he had corrected his cultivation foundation?

But generally, he disliked people being overly eager or enthusiastic toward him.

What’s more, he knew nothing of this old man’s cultivation. How could he rashly acknowledge him as master?

So he asked seriously, “Senior, what is your cultivation realm?”

At that moment, the old man’s aura suddenly erupted, a powerful force filling the room.

Yet it was so perfectly controlled that Su Yizhao alone could feel it, while not a single object in the room was disturbed.

“Peak Ninth Void Stage!” The old man’s face flushed with pride; as soon as he finished, his aura vanished.

Peak Ninth Void Stage?

Su Yizhao sighed inwardly. The cultivators he encountered grew ever more formidable.

But even the Ninth Void Stage was not enough!

Of course, that was assuming the golden stone puppet could truly unleash a full-strength attack at the Tenth Void Stage.

“What are you waiting for? Why don’t you kneel and become my disciple?” the old man asked, puzzled. “Once you do, I’ll take you somewhere to raise your cultivation!”

Just then, Ning Yuhe suddenly burst into wild laughter.

The old man slapped him with a backhanded swing!

With a crisp smack, Ning Yuhe fell onto the bed, landing atop the sleeping young man.

“You have no right to laugh here!” the old man snapped.

Ning Yuhe straightened, a vivid red handprint blooming across his face.

Yet far from cowed, he only laughed more maniacally.

“Hah... haha... you think the golden stone puppet will help you?” He pointed at Su Yizhao, gasping for breath.

Su Yizhao remained silent, watching his act intently.

“Golden stone puppet?” The old man’s face changed.

The golden stone puppet’s reputation was fearsome; below the Tenth Void Stage, who wouldn’t be afraid?

Even a peak Ninth Void Stage cultivator was no match.

“Hah... haha... Senior, he has a golden stone puppet at the Tenth Void Stage!” Ning Yuhe gradually regained his composure. “He bought it at the auction house for fifty million top-grade profound stones!”

Hearing this explanation, the old man suddenly lashed out with another slap!

With a resounding crack, Ning Yuhe toppled onto the bed again.

This time, he did not get up immediately.

Why?

His face was twisted with hatred.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” the old man demanded.

Ning Yuhe choked back his sobs. “He... he can’t possibly have a top-grade spirit stone...!”

“That’s right! I forgot about that!” The old man came to his senses at once.

A top-grade spirit stone! Even with his cultivation at the peak of the Ninth Void Stage, he’d only seen one or two in his life.

“Hand it over to me! Consider it your token of apprenticeship!” The old man reached out toward Su Yizhao, as if it were only natural.

Su Yizhao gave a wry smile.

If he’d known it would end this way, with no secrets unearthed, he wouldn’t have wasted everyone’s time.

After all, everyone is busy!

He extended his right hand, palm open...