From the fake emperor to the concubine

“It’s done.” Zheng Yi nodded.

"That's great!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Zheng Yi took out two storage bags from his pocket and showed them to everyone.

“This is the five million spirit stones deposit from Li Tiancheng,” he said, pointing to one of the storage bags. “This is the twenty million spirit stones reward from Wang Tianhai. The total is twenty-five million spirit stones.”

"Twenty-five million!" Zheng Bowen exclaimed. "Patriarch, we're rich!"

“Yes, now we can gain a foothold in Tianyuan City,” Xiao Tianxing said excitedly.

Zheng Yi waved his hand, silencing everyone.

“Don’t be too happy yet,” he said. “I’ve discovered some intelligence about the Han family in Qingyun City.”

He looked at Su Wanqing, "Miss Su, I have something to tell you."

Su Wanqing's heart tightened. "Please speak, Patriarch."

Zheng Yi briefly recounted the contents of the secret letters he had found in Li Tiancheng's study.

When he spoke of the "Heavenly Fire Token" and the truth behind the destruction of the Su family, Su Wanqing's face turned as pale as paper.

"The Heavenly Fire Token," she murmured, "so that's what it was for."

"Miss Su, do you know what the Heavenly Fire Token is?" Zheng Yi asked.

Su Wanqing was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“I know,” she said. “The Heavenly Fire Token is a family heirloom of the Su family, said to be a relic left behind by an ancient powerful being. My father is the guardian of the Heavenly Fire Token, responsible for its safekeeping.”

"The night the Han family destroyed my Su family, my father gave me the Heavenly Fire Token and told me to escape. He said that as long as the Heavenly Fire Token existed, the Su family would not perish."

"Where is the Heavenly Fire Token now?" Zheng Yi asked.

Su Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then took out a small token from her bosom.

The token was fiery red and emitted a faint heat. Although it looked ordinary, Zheng Yi could sense that it contained an extremely powerful force.

“That’s it,” Su Wanqing said, “the Heavenly Fire Token.”

Everyone was stunned, not expecting that Su Wanqing had always carried the Heavenly Fire Token with her.

“Miss Su,” Zheng Yi said in a deep voice, “this thing is very important, but also very dangerous. The Han family was willing to wipe out the entire Su family for it. If they find out that the Heavenly Fire Token is in your hands, your situation will be even more perilous.”

“I know,” Su Wanqing said, “but this is the only thing my father left me, and I can’t throw it away.”

Zheng Yi looked at Su Wanqing's determined eyes and nodded.

“I understand,” he said. “But don’t worry, with me here, the Han family won’t be able to harm you. We’ll find a way to deal with the Han family and avenge your family.”

"Thank you, Patriarch." A hint of emotion flashed in Su Wanqing's eyes as she said solemnly.

Zheng Yi waved his hand. "Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone's tired, get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll start planning our next move."

Everyone nodded in agreement and went back to their rooms to rest.

Zheng Yi stood in the courtyard, gazing at the bright moon in the night sky, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

This trip to Qingyun City was very fruitful. Not only did I earn 25 million spirit stones, but I also learned a lot of information about the Han family and the Heavenly Fire Token.

But he also knew that this was just the beginning.

The Han family is one of the nine great families, possessing immense strength and influence. Dealing with them will be no easy task.

Moreover, the Heavenly Fire Token will definitely bring them more trouble.

"The road ahead is long and arduous," Zheng Yi murmured, "but it's alright, let's take it one step at a time."

Zheng Yi got up early the next morning.

He stretched his limbs in the courtyard, then returned to his room, took out the two storage bags, emptied out the spirit stones inside, and carefully counted them.

Twenty-five million spirit stones were neatly piled on the ground, emitting a faint glow.

This is an enormous fortune. An ordinary cultivator probably couldn't earn this much money in a lifetime. But for Zheng Yi, this amount is far from enough.

He's currently at the mid-stage of the Mahayana realm, and to break through further, he needs a large amount of cultivation resources. Moreover, he has so many subordinates, each of whom requires resources for their cultivation. Twenty-five million spirit stones seems like a lot, but in reality, they'll be gone in no time.

"We must find a way to spend this money wisely," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

He recalled hearing someone mention in Qingyun City yesterday that Tianyuan City was about to hold a large-scale auction. It was said that the auction would feature many rare treasures, including various cultivation materials, elixirs, magical artifacts, and spiritual treasures, attracting cultivators from all over the Tianyuan Domain.

"Perhaps I should go take a look," Zheng Yi thought to himself. "Although the items at the auction are expensive, they have the advantage of a wide variety and guaranteed quality. If I can buy some suitable cultivation materials, it will be helpful for my cultivation and that of my subordinates."

Thinking of this, he made a decision.

After tidying up the spirit stones, Zheng Yi left the room and went to the courtyard.

Everyone was already up and busy in the courtyard. Su Wanqing was meditating and cultivating, Zheng Bowen and Xiao Tianxing were sparring, Zheng Hongzhi was studying formations, Liu Ruyan was preparing breakfast, and Chen Feng was cleaning the courtyard.

"Master, you're up." Zheng Bowen stopped what he was doing and came to greet Zheng Yi.

"Hmm." Zheng Yi nodded. "Bowen, do you know if there are any auctions in Tianyuan City recently?"

"An auction?" Zheng Bowen thought for a moment. "Patriarch, are you referring to the large-scale auction at 'Tianbao Pavilion'?"

“Tianbao Pavilion?” Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Zheng Bowen explained, “Tianbao Pavilion is the largest auction house in Tianyuan City and is very famous throughout the entire Tianyuan Domain. They hold a large-scale auction every three months, gathering all kinds of rare treasures and attracting cultivators from all over the country to participate.”

"When is the next auction?" Zheng Yi asked.

“Just three days from now,” Zheng Bowen said. “I heard this auction is particularly large-scale, and it seems there are some special treasures to be auctioned, attracting many important figures.” “Three days from now?” Zheng Yi nodded. “Perfect timing, I plan to go check it out.”

"The family head is going to attend an auction?" Zheng Bowen asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Zheng Yi said. “We have money now, but we lack resources. The items at the auction are expensive, but they are diverse and of guaranteed quality. If we can buy some suitable cultivation materials, it will be helpful to us.”

“The patriarch is right,” Zheng Bowen nodded. “Then, would you like me to accompany you?”

"No need," Zheng Yi shook his head. "I can go by myself. You all stay home and continue your cultivation."

“Yes,” Zheng Bowen replied.

After having breakfast, Zheng Yi went out and headed towards Tianbao Pavilion.

Although the auction wasn't starting for three days, he wanted to visit Tianbao Pavilion first to get a feel for the place. After all, it was his first time in Tianyuan City, and he wasn't very familiar with the auction houses there.

Tianbao Pavilion is located in the heart of Tianyuan City. It is a tall and magnificent building. From a distance, the entire building looks like a golden palace, shimmering in the sunlight, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Zheng Yi walked to the front of Tianbao Pavilion, looked up at the glittering golden plaque, and then stepped inside.

The main hall of Tianbao Pavilion was vast and lavishly decorated. Luxurious carpets covered the floor, exquisite calligraphy and paintings adorned the walls, and precious ornaments were displayed everywhere. Several enormous display cases stood in the center of the hall, showcasing various rare treasures that attracted the attention of passing guests.

A young woman in a light blue dress approached with a professional smile on her face.

"Young master, welcome to Tianbao Pavilion. How can I help you?"

"I'd like to know about the auction three days from now," Zheng Yi said.

"So you're here for the auction, sir," the woman said with a smile. "Please follow me; I'll take you to the VIP reception room, where someone will give you a proper introduction."

Zheng Yi followed the woman through the hall and into an exquisitely decorated reception room.

The reception room was furnished with several comfortable tables and chairs, several landscape paintings hung on the walls, and a few potted plants were placed in the corner, giving it a very stylish feel.

"Please have a seat, young master." The woman invited Zheng Yi to sit down and poured him a cup of tea. "Please wait a moment; someone will come to introduce you shortly."

Zheng Yi took the teacup and took a sip.

The tea was of the finest quality, with a delicate fragrance and a lingering aftertaste. Tianbao Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation as the largest auction house in Tianyuan City; even the tea served to its guests was so exquisite.

A moment later, a middle-aged man dressed in a gray robe walked in.

The middle-aged man was about forty years old, with a kind face and a goatee, looking like a shrewd businessman.

"Young master, I am Liu Yuanfa, the manager of Tianbao Pavilion," the middle-aged man introduced himself. "I've heard you're interested in our auction in three days?"

“Yes,” Zheng Yi nodded. “I’d like to know more about the auction.”

“Please ask, sir,” Liu Yuanfa said, sitting down opposite Zheng Yi. “What is it that you would like to know? I will answer to the best of my knowledge.”

“First of all, I’d like to know what’s on display at this auction?” Zheng Yi asked.

"This auction is very large in scale, with a wide variety of items," Liu Yuanfa said. "They can be roughly divided into several categories: first, elixirs, including various healing pills, qi-nourishing pills, breakthrough pills, etc.; second, materials, including various cultivation materials, weapon-refining materials, and pill-refining materials; third, magical artifacts, including various spiritual weapons, magic treasures, and array plates; and fourth, cultivation techniques, including various cultivation manuals and martial arts insights."

"In addition to these, there are some special items, such as rare mythical beasts, ancient relics, and mysterious heirlooms. These items are extremely rare and priceless, often serving as the grand finale of the auction."

After listening, Zheng Yi had some ideas in mind.

“I’m more interested in cultivation materials and weapon-refining materials,” he said. “Is there a specific list of items to be auctioned?”

“Yes.” Liu Yuanfa took out a booklet from his pocket and handed it to Zheng Yi. “This is the list of items for this auction, listing all the items and their starting prices. You can take a look first, and if there’s anything you’re interested in, you can register to bid in advance.”

Zheng Yi took the booklet and began to read it.

The catalog was densely filled with various auction items, categorized by type. He glanced through it and found that there were indeed quite a few good items.

Among the cultivation materials are several thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms, several ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, and some rare spiritual fruits and ores. These items are very helpful for improving cultivation levels, and the higher the cultivation level, the more rare these materials are needed to aid in cultivation.

Among the crafting materials are several pieces of high-grade refined gold, several pieces of rare meteorite iron, and some special spirit wood and animal bones. These materials can be used to craft high-quality magical artifacts and spiritual treasures, which are very helpful in enhancing combat power.

Among the elixirs were several bottles of precious Qi-Nourishing Pills, several bottles of rare Breakthrough Pills, and some special healing and detoxifying pills. These elixirs were highly sought after by cultivators, and their prices were naturally exorbitant.

Among the magical artifacts, there are several mid-grade spiritual artifacts, several high-grade spiritual artifacts, and one magical treasure said to be left over from ancient times. This magical treasure is the highlight of this auction, with a starting price of ten million spirit stones.

Zheng Yi carefully read the description of the magical artifact.

"The Heavenly Gang Sword?" he uttered the name of the magical artifact.

"Young master has a discerning eye," Liu Yuanfa chuckled. "The Heavenly Gang Sword is the centerpiece of this auction. It's said to be the sword of a powerful figure from ancient times, imbued with the power of the Heavenly Gang, possessing immense might. Unfortunately, the sword is damaged and cannot unleash its full power; otherwise, the price would be several times higher."

"Damaged?" Zheng Yi frowned.

“Yes,” Liu Yuanfa said, “This sword was damaged in the ancient war, and there is a crack on its blade, making it unable to withstand too much spiritual energy. However, even so, its power should not be underestimated; it is comparable to an ordinary high-grade spiritual weapon.”

Zheng Yi nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

A damaged magical artifact held little appeal for him. He was more interested in cultivation materials and weapon-refining materials.

He continued flipping through the booklet and soon came across several things that caught his eye.

The first item is "Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow," an extremely rare ice-type material. According to the booklet, this ice marrow originates from the ten-thousand-year-old glacier in the far north, containing pure ice-type spiritual energy. It can be used to refine ice-type magical artifacts or to aid in the cultivation of ice-type techniques. The starting bid is 500,000 spirit stones.

The second item is "Crimson Flame Refined Gold," a rare fire-type refining material. This refined gold is fiery red throughout, containing scorching flame power, making it an excellent material for refining fire-type magical artifacts. The starting bid is 800,000 spirit stones.

The third item is "Purple Lightning Stone," a mysterious lightning-elemental material. This stone contains powerful lightning energy and can be used to forge lightning-elemental magical artifacts or set up lightning-elemental formations. The starting bid is 600,000 spirit stones.

The fourth item is the "Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass," an extremely rare elixir. It is said that this herb can bring the dead back to life; as long as one has a breath left, consuming the Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass will cure them completely. The starting bid is one million spirit stones.

The fifth item is "Mysterious Heavenly Black Jade," a rare mineral. This piece of black jade is entirely black and contains mysterious Mysterious Heavenly Power. It can be used to refine spatial magical artifacts or to aid in the cultivation of spatial techniques. The starting bid is 1.5 million spirit stones. (End of Chapter)