"Evan Chu, are you alright? What happened to make you react like that?" Serena Frost asked urgently.
Evan Chu gave a helpless smile. "I was born with a Pure Yang Constitution. Just now, what happened between us triggered the Pure Yang Qi in my body. If I don't vent this Pure Yang Qi, my body could explode and I'd die. It's mainly because I've sealed my Chaos Immortal Force."
"Chaos Immortal Force? Isn't it supposed to be Immortal Essence? How could you have the legendary Chaos Immortal Force, and why would you seal it?" Serena Frost asked, baffled.
"It's a long story. I have to go—Blazefire is still waiting for me downstairs. Roxanne, Macy, I'll leave them in your care. For now, let's keep a low profile and try not to draw attention. Roxanne's storage ring is stuffed with Immortal Stones—more than enough for this auction," Evan Chu said.
After Evan Chu left, Roxanne Lin turned to Serena Frost. "Serena, I split the Immortal Stones in this storage ring into three shares. You and Macy each take one. By the way, where exactly are we? Want to head out and take a look around?"
Serena Frost took the storage ring, and was instantly stunned. There had to be tens of thousands of Immortal Stones inside—most were mid-grade and high-grade, with hundreds of supreme-grade ones, and even a few Immortal Crystals. It was the biggest trove of Immortal Stones she'd ever seen. For a moment, she was speechless.
"Where did all these Immortal Stones come from? How could there be so many? Did Evan Chu rob the Immortal Emperor's treasure hoard or something?" Serena Frost blurted out.
"We dug them up ourselves! When Evan Chu ascended to the Immortal Realm, he ended up in the Immortal Stone Mines and discovered a massive Immortal Stone Spirit Vein. That's how he got so many Immortal Stones. The Immortal Crystals in the Timewheel Bracelet also came from there. Didn't he tell you?" Roxanne Lin said.
"Evan Chu's luck is insane. To find so many Immortal Stones—if anyone knew he had this much, even the Six Great Powers' Imperial Palace Sects would try to steal it from him," Serena Frost said, still in disbelief.
"That's not even all of it—he still has more than half left. And don't bother thanking me. You're more familiar with the Immortal Realm than we are, so you have to show Macy and me around. Evan Chu insisted. You wouldn't dare ignore his orders, would you?" Roxanne Lin teased.
The three women disguised themselves before heading out. If three peerless beauties showed up together, they'd stun all of Newcapital City, and once they left, every troublemaker would be after them.
When Evan Chu arrived at the Wealthrise Pavilion hall, Blazefire had already laid out food and wine. Seeing Evan, Blazefire stood up at once. "What took you so long? The food's getting cold."
"Sorry, I took a bath. You've been here a while—any big news?" Evan Chu asked quietly as he sat down.
Blazefire poured Evan Chu a cup of wine. "We can talk about that later. Try this—it's the most famous Celestial Nectar Jadewine in the Immortal Realm. Each pot costs a high-grade Immortal Stone, so don't waste a drop."
Evan Chu glanced at the emerald-green wine in his cup, faint energy rippling from it. "Why does this wine look so strange? Does it do anything special?" he asked.
"If you were a regular Immortal, a sip could boost your cultivation by a whole level. For us, though, it's just relaxing. You'll have to experience it yourself. Come on, let's drink!" Blazefire said.
Blazefire downed his cup in one go. Evan Chu lifted his own, sniffed the cool fragrance, and took a sip—sweet and sour, with a wave of heat rushing through him, followed by a refreshing coolness.
The sensation was pure 'ice and fire'—first hot, then cool. No wonder this wine is so legendary. Evan Chu finished his cup in one gulp.
Soon, that coolness spread through his whole body, washing away fatigue and leaving him utterly relaxed.
Seeing Evan Chu's satisfied look, Blazefire laughed. "Pretty great, right? That ice-and-fire kick is unique to Celestial Nectar Jadewine. That's why it's so pricey."
Just then, voices drifted over from the next table. One middle-aged man said, "This auction's going to be wild. Word is, there's a truly heaven-defying item up for grabs—a talisman from the Treasureforge Sect."
"That's not even the biggest deal. My cousin told me one of the auction lots is a key—supposedly left by an ancient Immortal Emperor who ascended to the God Realm. Before he left, that Emperor put all his life's cultivation insights and treasures into a hidden vault. If you find the place and use the key, it's all yours," another man chimed in.
"I've heard about that. There's a lake in Dream Spirit Sanctuary where multicolored divine light often appears over the water—it's a sign that a treasure's about to surface. Lots of people have gone diving, but everyone came up empty-handed," someone else added.
It's not that they didn't find the treasure—they just couldn't get inside. After diving to the lakebed, they found a gigantic tomb complex, but the place was sealed by an overwhelming barrier. All they saw was a keyhole beside the tomb gate. My bet is, the key at this auction is the Immortal Emperor Treasure Key that unlocks it," another said.
Evan Chu and Blazefire were floored. An ancient Immortal Emperor who made it to the God Realm—his power must've been unfathomable. Any weapons, treasures, or techniques he'd left behind would be off the charts.
Whoever got their hands on the Immortal Emperor's legacy would be set for life. But claiming it would be insanely dangerous—the tomb must be packed with traps and deadly arrays, and even just holding the Immortal Emperor Treasure Key would make you a target.
Everyone knows the saying: "A man of wealth is guilty." Unless an Immortal Emperor from one of the Six Great Powers takes it, nobody would dare make a move. But even then, nothing's guaranteed—people kill for fortune, and even an Immortal Emperor could be attacked by the other five.
Evan Chu was tempted by the Immortal Emperor's treasure, but he knew he didn't have the strength to compete for the key. He wasn't about to jump into that mess. Besides, with his own heaven-defying techniques and Immortal Stones, he didn't really need anyone else's legacy.
Just then, Serena Frost, Roxanne, and Macy stepped into the Wealthrise Pavilion hall. The place was packed, so they had to share a table. Spotting two open seats at Evan Chu and Blazefire's table, the three women headed straight over.