Chapter 575

Chapter 575

I Can See Through Everything

Due to the unique nature of his self-forged Perfect Golden Core, Lu Qing's cultivation technique could only be self-created.

Over the years, relying on the many techniques he had collected and the chapter on the Golden Core Dao bestowed upon him during his Tribulation, he had—under the aid of his innate Spiritual Powers—deduced a cultivation method most suitable for himself: the

Perfect Golden Core Technique

.

However, creating and evolving a cultivation technique from scratch was far from simple.

It required a massive number of existing techniques for reference, to spark inspiration through comparison and contrast.

Despite how miraculous his Spiritual Powers were, the techniques Lu Qing possessed were ultimately limited—and most of them were those he had acquired back in his home world.

In the end, he had only managed to push the

Perfect Golden Core Technique

to the Sixth Transformation. Beyond that, he had hit a bottleneck.

Now, seeing these Golden Core Realm techniques, Lu Qing thought that if he could acquire them all, he might be able to deduce the Seventh Transformation of the

Perfect Golden Core Technique

.

With this in mind, Lu Qing immediately expressed to the shopkeeper his desire to purchase all the Golden Core-level techniques available here.

“You wish to buy all these Golden Core-level techniques?”

The shopkeeper widened his eyes in astonishment at Lu Qing’s words.

Even Daoist Wubao was taken aback.

“That’s right. Such a large transaction—you’ll have to give me a good discount,” Lu Qing said with a smile.

“Of course, of course!”

Once the shopkeeper confirmed that Lu Qing truly intended to purchase all the Golden Core-level techniques in the store, his face lit up with joy.

Just as Lu Qing said, this was a major sale. As long as it went through, he’d earn a generous commission.

Without delay, the shopkeeper pulled out a jade abacus and began clacking away.

Soon, he came up with a total and presented it to Lu Qing.

“Sir, how does this price look? I’ve already given you a ten percent discount.”

Lu Qing glanced at the total. Seeing it was within his expectations, he didn’t haggle further.

He nodded slightly. “That’ll do.”

The shopkeeper was overjoyed. “Then shall you be paying now, sir?”

“Yes. Please check if this is enough.”

Lu Qing produced a pouch and poured out its contents.

A small pile of mid-grade spirit stones spilled out, shimmering with brilliance that left the shopkeeper momentarily dazzled.

“More than enough!”

After counting the stones, the shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, his joy deepening.

Lu Qing had paid with mid-grade spirit stones, which were even more valuable than the asking price in lower denominations.

“I’ll fetch the techniques for you right away.”

The shopkeeper walked to the shelf housing the Golden Core-level techniques, took out a jade talisman, and performed over a dozen hand seals in succession.

After a series of manipulations, he finally dispelled the array protecting the shelf and retrieved the jade slips stored within.

“Please, check them over to confirm that they’re all Golden Core-level techniques. Once you leave the store, we won’t be responsible for any issues.”

Lu Qing took the jade slips and examined them.

In truth, he had already inspected them using his Spiritual Powers before making the purchase. The floating information tags confirmed they were legitimate.

Still, the information from the Spiritual Powers had its limits—it was best to double-check in person.

These were the highest-grade techniques the Dao Canon Pavilion had to offer, and although they were only at the Golden Core level, the majority could be cultivated to the peak of the realm.

A few could reach the late Golden Core stage.

Clearly, the ones displayed here were all top-tier.

After careful inspection, Lu Qing found no issues.

Even if something were wrong, his cultivation always relied on Spiritual Powers, so he didn’t have to fear hidden traps within the techniques.

Moreover, he believed that a shop like Dao Canon Pavilion—operating openly and for so long—wouldn’t dare pull such tricks.

Otherwise, it would’ve been razed to the ground long ago.

Though Tianxu City was formidable, the cultivators passing through Tianxu Sacred Mountain were a hidden sea of tigers and dragons.

You never knew who might have some terrifying background.

Thus, Lu Qing nodded. “All good. No issues.”

“Then these techniques are now yours,” the shopkeeper said respectfully. “And please rest assured—all the techniques we sell come from proper channels. You can cultivate them without worry.”

After storing all the techniques and leaving Dao Canon Pavilion, Daoist Wubao finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, why would you purchase so many Golden Core-level techniques?”

To Daoist Wubao, Lu Qing was a man shrouded in mystery—even the disciples of the Qiankun Sect treated him with unusual respect.

Clearly, his origins were extraordinary.

For someone like that, surely his cultivation technique would be beyond ordinary. So why place so much value on techniques capped at the Golden Core level?

“It’s just a minor hobby of mine,” Lu Qing replied with a smile. “I’ve always had a fondness for collecting cultivation techniques. If you happen to have any spare Golden Core-level techniques, I’d gladly buy them from you as well.”

“A minor hobby…”

Daoist Wubao couldn’t help but gape.

The amount of spirit stones Lu Qing had just spent was no small sum.

Clearly, Fellow Daoist Chen’s wealth was astounding.

First, he bought some treasure of unknown use. Now, he was purchasing Golden Core-level techniques en masse.

To cultivators of their level, none of these seemed particularly useful—yet Lu Qing had bought them all without hesitation.

No wonder he had shown such interest when he heard about the auction.

Clearly, unlike Daoist Wubao who merely wanted to watch the spectacle, Lu Qing truly had the means to participate.

“Dong! Dong-dong…”

As Daoist Wubao stood in awe, long bell chimes suddenly rang out from the mountaintop above.

The sound was so deep and resonant, it could be heard hundreds of miles away.

“The auction is about to begin! Fellow Daoist Chen, let’s hurry up!”

Daoist Wubao’s voice rang out as he turned toward the summit.

“So it’s starting…”

Lu Qing looked up the mountain.

He saw a stream of cultivators heading upward.

By the time he and Daoist Wubao arrived at the towering structure at the peak, many cultivators were already gathered, waiting to enter.

They were among the later arrivals.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, I’ve already asked around. To get into the auction, we have to pay a deposit of a thousand low-grade spirit stones.

“It’s just a precaution to stop people from making fake bids. When we leave, it’ll be returned.

“As for the seating inside, it’s divided into two types.

“One is in the main hall—crowded, and everyone can see one another.

“The other is a private VIP room.

“These are protected by multiple arrays to block prying eyes.

“If you win an item, the Tianxu City authorities will deliver it straight to your room. You won’t have to wait for the auction to end.

“But getting one of those rooms isn’t easy.

“Generally, only Nascent Soul cultivators, or those with immense wealth or special backgrounds, qualify.”

Daoist Wubao explained everything he had found out.

“And what counts as immense wealth?” Lu Qing raised an eyebrow.

“According to Tianxu City’s rules, you’ll need at least a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones to barely qualify for a VIP room.”

“I see…” Lu Qing nodded thoughtfully.

While the two of them were still in line, a Foundation Establishment Perfection stage young woman respectfully ushered them into a room.

Inside, an elderly man sat with a kindly expression on his face.

However, the moment Lu Qing and Daoist Wubao saw him, their hearts tensed in unison.

That barely perceptible aura surrounding the old man told them one thing—he was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!

“Fellow Daoists, do you wish to enter the first-floor hall or the second-floor VIP rooms?” the old man asked pleasantly.

Daoist Wubao immediately looked to Lu Qing.

If it were just him, he would’ve chosen the first-floor hall without a second thought.

But remembering Lu Qing’s earlier demeanor, he held his tongue.

Lu Qing pondered for a moment, then said, “We’ll take a VIP room.”

“Oh?”

The old man glanced at Lu Qing with a hint of surprise.

He hadn’t expected this unassuming young man, dressed in plain clothes with average cultivation, to make such a choice.

Still, he was an old hand, having seen far stranger things. His expression quickly returned to calm.

“Then I assume you’re aware of the requirements?”

“Ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, correct?” Lu Qing replied casually, producing a brocade box and opening it. “Here are a thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Please have a look.”

Seeing the neatly arranged mid-grade spirit stones inside, even Daoist Wubao’s jaw slightly dropped. The old man’s gaze flickered ever so slightly as well.

After a brief inspection, he nodded and retrieved two jade tokens, handing them over.

Smiling, he said, “The amount is correct. These are the tokens for Room Nineteen on the Earth Floor. As long as you carry these and step into the teleportation array, you’ll be transported inside.

“If you take a liking to anything during the auction, you can submit your bid through the jade token.”

Following his gaze, Lu Qing and Daoist Wubao finally noticed a small teleportation array glowing faintly in the corner of the room, and both felt a subtle thrill.

Lu Qing silently marveled. Truly worthy of being Tianxu City—even entering an auction required teleportation arrays.

But this also offered discretion, which suited him perfectly.

“Many thanks, Senior.”

The two accepted the jade tokens respectfully and stepped onto the small teleportation array. The next instant, their figures shimmered and vanished from the room.

“What an interesting young man,” the old man murmured with a chuckle as he turned to receive the next guests.

“So this is the VIP room?”

With a flash of light, Lu Qing and Daoist Wubao found themselves in a spacious chamber.

The interior was elegantly furnished, and calming incense that nourished the spirit burned quietly, creating an instant sense of comfort.

Moreover, thanks to the formations within the room, they could see the scene outside with perfect clarity.

Below them was an enormous hall, nearly filled with cultivators.

Around them were other rooms like their own, but each was shielded by formation arrays, making it impossible to peer inside.

“I wonder if Fellow Daoist Ye and the others came to this auction,” Lu Qing thought suddenly.

He hadn’t seen Ye Qingzhu and her companions in the hall below.

But he remembered her saying that their senior brother was in Tianxu City.

That senior was a Nascent Soul cultivator—surely, if Qiankun Sect disciples had come to this auction, they too would have used VIP rooms.

“Senior Sister, do you think Brother Chen might come to this auction too?”

Just as Lu Qing was thinking about Ye Qingzhu, in a room across from his—marked with a Heaven symbol—someone else was thinking of him as well.

“I don’t know,” Ye Qingzhu replied, shaking her head at Chu Xiaojing’s question. “Fellow Daoist Chen is always unpredictable. It’s not something we can guess.”

“Indeed, Fellow Daoist Chen’s actions are hard to anticipate,” agreed a man in purple robes—Zixiao.

“The Fellow Daoist you’re talking about—is he the one who saved you from Li Motian?”

A gentle, jade-like voice suddenly asked.

“Yes, Senior Brother!” Chu Xiaojing immediately turned toward the white-and-blue robed youth beside her, her tone full of grievance. “If it hadn’t been for Brother Chen, we would’ve perished at the hands of that Li Motian!

“That demon even slandered you, Senior Brother, saying you killed his family years ago—utter nonsense!

“If Brother Chen hadn’t arrived when he did, we might never have seen you again!”

This man was none other than Qiankun Sect’s senior brother—Qian Lingxiao.

Ye Qingzhu’s expression shifted slightly as she heard these words.

“I never expected Motian to stray so far and fall into the demonic path,” Qian Lingxiao sighed. “It’s my failure as senior brother. If I’d noticed earlier, perhaps I could’ve pulled him back before it was too late.”

“That’s not your fault, Senior Brother!” Chu Xiaojing responded immediately. “Master said it himself—those who fall into the demonic path are beyond redemption. Even if you had noticed, I doubt you could’ve saved Li Motian.”

“This junior sister is right,” a black-robed young man beside Qian Lingxiao chimed in with a smile.

“Demonic cultivators are evil to the core. There’s no saving them. Once they fall, they must be eliminated. There’s no need to waste your thoughts on them.”

“Senior Gongsu is right. There’s no need to trouble yourself over such a villain,” Ye Qingzhu suddenly added.

“Even so, he was still a junior brother I’d spent many years with. As long as there’s even a sliver of hope, we shouldn’t give up,” Qian Lingxiao said with a deep sigh.

“Brother Lingxiao, you’re too sentimental. Sooner or later, that’ll come back to bite you,” Gongshu Zheng warned.

Qian Lingxiao shook his head and sighed once more.

The other disciples of Qiankun Sect looked on, all moved by their senior brother’s deep loyalty.

“In the end, it’s my own failing as senior brother that put you all in danger. Fortunately, that Fellow Daoist Chen saved you.

“If there’s ever a chance, please introduce me to him. I’d like to thank him on behalf of the sect.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!” Chu Xiaojing replied cheerfully.

Only Ye Qingzhu’s eyes flickered slightly before returning to normal.

Lu Qing remained unaware that he had already caught the attention of Qiankun Sect’s senior brother. He was still watching the hall below.

Because they were among the last wave of arriving cultivators, it wasn’t long after they entered their room that the announcement came—the auction was officially beginning.

In the center of the hall, on the most prominent jade platform, a figure suddenly appeared, and a powerful aura radiated from their body.

The previously noisy hall instantly fell silent.

For the figure who had appeared—was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.