Chapter 42 True Fire Sect

"Oh wow, Brother Tang, are these for auction? They are incredible treasures! You could easily fetch eighty or a hundred thousand superior-grade immortal stones for them, right?" Lu Zhenyang said, looking at the complete set of immortal artifacts Tang Yi had just produced.

Tang Yi rolled his eyes at him with a look reserved for idiots. "You absolute fool, these are for you. Auction them? If I put this set in my shop with an initial price of a million, people would be fighting over them!"

"No way, really? Aren't these just twelve fine-grade matching pieces? Look at my current outfit, it's also a set of twelve pieces, just of good grade, and look how few superior-grade immortal stones this whole set cost me. Brother Tang, don't try to pull my leg," Lu Zhenyang said in disbelief.

"Don't compare a bunch of trash to this set of mine. Put them away properly. We still have some time, let's head to Virtual Cabin Number One to run a test and you'll see for yourself. Immortal Number One, transport us to Virtual Cabin Number One!" Tang Yi commanded. With a flash of light, the two of them entered Virtual Cabin Number One.

"Initiate Energy Test Program Number One!" Tang Yi ordered Immortal Number One.

"Energy Test Program Number One initiated!" As Immortal Number One's voice faded, the scenery before Tang Yi and Lu Zhenyang shifted. The pristine, mirror-like interior of the virtual cabin transformed into a standard immortal spell and technique testing ground commonly found in the Immortal Realm, featuring five testing pillars within the arena.

"Little Yang, you can start testing now. First, use the set you currently have on, and then change into the one I gave you. Compare the two and you'll see clearly. Fear not the goods, but comparison with better goods. Begin!" Tang Yi said to Lu Zhenyang beside him.

"Whoa, holy cow, this—this is way too big of a gap! This set can completely rival top-grade immortal artifacts! Brother Tang, you are honestly too good to me!" Lu Zhenyang's eyes shone with golden light as he looked at Tang Yi.

"Get lost, I'm not into that sort of thing!" Tang Yi loomed over, least able to handle Lu Zhenyang's adoring gaze.

"This is only a twelve-piece set. After the auction, I'll forge an auxiliary immortal artifact for you. Once you complete the full thirteen-piece set, the effect will double again," Tang Yi said.

"Really?"

"Believe it or not, suit yourself. Time is running out, let's head to the auction."

***

The Lianchen Star auction house of the Blue Lake Auction House looked much like the Red Pagoda Mountain auction house Tang Yi had visited previously. As another renowned auction house in the Immortal Realm, the massive success of the previous auction held by the Red Pagoda Mountain house had provoked its peers, including Blue Lake.

Since it was Tang Yi's first time at Blue Lake and he had not consigned any items for auction, he simply entered the main hall this time. Although the materials required to forge time-acceleration artifacts were difficult to obtain, the number of people who actually needed such materials was extremely scarce. Senior figures like Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Emperors among the older factions already possessed whatever they needed. Thus, Tang Yi successfully purchased the items he required without a hitch.

After the auction concluded, Tang Yi took Lu Zhenyang into a trading room to finalize the transaction. Two people entered from the inner door: one was the previous auctioneer, and the other was a middle-aged man who appeared to be the person in charge here.

The middle-aged man produced three jade boxes, opened them, and said to Tang Yi, "These are the items Fellow Daoist Tang successfully bid on. Please inspect them."

Yuxuan Wood, Tianming Stone, and Everlasting Gold. Tang Yi examined them one by one before saying, "Yes, everything is correct. Here are thirty-eight million superior-grade immortal stones. Please check them as well." Tang Yi handed a spatial ring to the middle-aged man.

"Correct, perfectly correct. Fellow Daoist Tang is now a distinguished senior guest of Blue Lake. Please accept this jade token. With this token, you can enjoy corresponding privileges at any Blue Lake auction house." Having verified that the quantity of immortal stones was exact, the middle-aged man presented Tang Yi with a jade token—much like the one Tang Yi had previously received at Red Pagoda Mountain.

Once the transaction was complete, Tang Yi took Lu Zhenyang and left Lianchen Star, quickly arriving at the Wujin Star Region. Since this was essentially Lu Zhenyang's territory, they stayed in a certain place for a few days, during which Tang Yi forged the auxiliary immortal artifact. It turned out to be a third-tier top-grade immortal artifact. Once Lu Zhenyang equipped the complete thirteen-piece set, its might was more than three times that of the twelve-piece set. This exceeded Tang Yi's expectations, and Lu Zhenyang was utterly ecstatic. Because Tang Yi still had matters to attend to, he swiftly escorted Lu Zhenyang back to the True Fire Sect's sect grounds.

Before leaving, Tang Yi told Lu Zhenyang to stay put within the True Fire Sect and wait until their fellow expatriates ascending from Earth were finally reunited. Without wasting a single moment after saying this, Tang Yi hurried back to New Light Star.

Lu Zhenyang's prolonged absence and lack of contact this time had terribly worried his master within the True Fire Sect, Fang Wen. Although Lu Zhenyang had now entered the inner sect, he had, after all, ascended only a short while ago. His innate talent was remarkable, but the True Fire Sect was not entirely lacking in talented individuals. With great difficulty, Fang Wen had secured a coveted quota for his prized disciple to enter the God-Soldier Star; if any accident befell Lu Zhenyang, his lineage would lose all hope for the foreseeable future.

As the saying goes, a big forest has all sorts of birds, and the True Fire Sect was quietly divided into several different factions. Currently, Fang Wen's lineage was in the weakest state. Normally, a newcomer with such exceptional talent as Lu Zhenyang would never have fallen to a minor elder like Fang Wen to take on as a disciple, but Fang Wen had happened to cross paths with Lu Zhenyang by sheer good fortune on Muhuang Star. On the journey back to True Fire, the two found each other congenial and struck up a great rapport. Shortly after entering the True Fire Sect, Lu Zhenyang underwent the entrance examinations. The talent he displayed at that time prompted elders from various factions to try and recruit him, yet Lu Zhenyang ultimately chose Fang Wen. Moreover, quite a few of the newcomers from Lu Zhenyang's cohort were somewhat aware of the internal politics within the True Fire Sect.

With Lu Zhenyang joining his ranks, Fang Wen felt much more confident and cherished his disciple dearly.

"Where on earth has this brat Zhenyang gone? Didn't he say he was just going to harvest herbs in the nearby star systems? It's been nearly three months already, sigh!" Fang Wen muttered anxiously. Lu Zhenyang did not yet possess an immortal life jade tablet, and the immortal stone communication pendant he used was of the lowest grade, meaning contact was essentially lost once he left the star system.

***

"Elder Fang, senior brothers returning from the herb-harvesting star systems said they didn't see Junior Brother Lu anywhere," a True Fire Sect disciple reported as he entered the hall to address Fang Wen, who was pacing back and forth anxiously.

"Ah, I understand. You may leave!" Fang Wen waved his hand to dismiss him.

The disciple had just turned to leave when he collided head-on with someone rushing frantically into the room.

"Ouch... Junior Sister Fang, what's got you in such a rush?" the disciple asked once he recognized the newcomer.

"Grandfather, Grandfather! Zhenyang is back!" ignoring the person she had knocked down, the young woman shouted to Fang Wen.

"Zhenyang is back? That's wonderful, simply wonderful! Ah, and Little Yu, how many times have I told you, a young lady shouldn't always be so rash and reckless!" The newcomer was none other than Fang Wen's granddaughter, Fang Xiaoyu.

Meanwhile, that scoundrel Lu Zhenyang was currently showing off in one of the True Fire Sect's plazas, boasting wildly to his fellow disciples about how he had single-handedly taken on four opponents at once and emerged victorious. Naturally, no one believed him until Lu Zhenyang produced his spoils of war, at which point the crowd fell silent. Everyone recognized the miniature sword—it was the signature immortal artifact of the Medicine Pill Sect, qualified to be equipped only by those at the level of Great Luo Golden Immortals and above. Suddenly, a voice rang out, one that Lu Zhenyang and the other junior brothers found immensely grating.

"Hmph, Lu Zhenyang is bragging again. You can't even defeat me in a fight, yet you stand there shamelessly blustering about taking on four enemies alone and slaying foes above your realm!"

The speaker was none other than Shi Wuqian, the eldest grandson of True Fire Sect Leader Shi Yu.