txolops Chapter 121 Nascent Soul Nascent Soul's Natal Magic Treasure: "Soul-Locking Tower"
Chapter 121 Nascent Soul Nascent Soul's Natal Magic Treasure: "Soul-Locking Tower"
With the dual cultivation technique and pill formula now in his hands, Han Xiaoliu couldn't wait to start reading them, which drew teasing from the other cultivators!
As the envoy stepped onto the stage, the once noisy venue fell silent, with hundreds of eyes fixed on the center of the booth.
As the auctioneer's withered hand slammed down, a protective light barrier on the display platform shattered with a deafening roar.
In an instant, a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine swept across the entire area like a flood bursting its banks. On the display stand, a small, nine-story tower, no bigger than the palm of one's hand and as black as ink, slowly floated into the air.
The tower was covered with dense, dark purple lightning patterns, and countless distorted human faces flickered and wailed on the tower walls, as if the Nine Nether Hells had been forcibly dragged to the human world.
"Gentlemen, this is the Soul-Locking Tower, a natal magic weapon once used by Nascent Soul cultivators!"
The auctioneer's aged voice, imbued with profound spiritual power, resonated so intensely it made everyone's eardrums ache: "This is the natal magic weapon of the demonic cult giant 'Blood River Ancestor' from three hundred years ago! The tower itself forms a purgatory space. Once unleashed, without the need for hand seals, it instantly suppresses all living beings within a hundred miles! At its peak, let alone Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators, even early Nascent Soul stage monsters, if their souls were not sufficiently refined, would have their bodies forcibly extracted, imprisoned within the tower forever, suffering the torment of ten thousand ghosts devouring their hearts, unable to live, unable to die!"
A collective gasp rippled through the audience, and several Nascent Soul stage monsters' pupils constricted, their eyes blazing with undisguised greed.
"Not only that," the auctioneer's tone shifted, becoming enigmatic, "the Soul-Locking Tower is not only unparalleled in its killing prowess, but its foundation also contains the Blood River Ancestor's lifelong masterpiece—the 'Nine Netherworld Blood Transformation True Scripture.' This technique is extremely profound; it requires no absorption of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, only the essence of living beings as a guide, allowing one to ignore bottlenecks and forcefully advance cultivation at breakneck speed—truly a supreme holy scripture of the demonic path!"
Upon hearing this, the demonic cultivators in the front row could no longer contain themselves, and their breathing became heavy.
"However!" The auctioneer suddenly raised his voice, his gaze sweeping across the room like a hawk's. "The conditions for this tower to recognize its master are extremely harsh. Those without a dark spiritual root who forcibly refine it will suffer a backlash, their meridians severed, and they will die! Moreover, the cultivation method within the tower is extremely insidious; only those who cultivate demonic arts can even begin to grasp its secrets. Ladies and gentlemen, whether this is a shortcut to heaven or a death warrant, is entirely up to you to decide!"
A deathly silence fell over the venue. Dark Spirits were incredibly rare, and the requirement to cultivate demonic arts effectively barred 99% of the attendees.
"Starting bid: 300,000 low-grade spirit stones; each bid must increase by at least 10,000!"
The power of a natal magic weapon nurtured by a Nascent Soul cultivator with all their heart and soul is self-evident. Logically speaking, even at its worst, it should be much more expensive than an ordinary ancient treasure.
To Han Xiaoliu's great surprise, after the auctioneer announced the reserve price, the huge auction hall was completely silent, and no one raised their paddle to bid.
This left Han Xiaoliu full of doubts.
Having just heard the introduction, this magical artifact is not only incredibly powerful, but also involves extremely rare soul-binding techniques, making its practical value far surpass that of the Soul-Guiding Banner in their hands. Why are the others just watching from the sidelines, showing absolutely no interest?
Just then, the auctioneer on the stage chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping leisurely over the crowd below, and drawled, "Gentlemen, do not underestimate this item. Nine hundred years ago, the Blood River Ancestor, with only the power of this tower and a mere Dark Spiritual Root, forcefully snatched the 'Heaven-Mending Pill' from three Nascent Soul cultivators of the righteous path, instantly becoming famous throughout the Chaotic Star Sea. Now, the magical treasure's divine light is contained, yet its power remains undiminished; it is truly a rare and invaluable treasure!"
Before he could finish speaking, a cold snort came from below the stage.
"Alright, this isn't my first time here!" The speaker was an old man sitting in the front row. He had white hair and beard, wore a faded blue Taoist robe, had a gaunt face, and exuded an aura of righteous authority.
The old man slammed his cane heavily on the ground, his tone full of disdain and mockery: "It's true that this magic weapon is powerful, but the price to use it is too high! So many cultivators bought it before, and which one didn't die quickly and miserably? Stop boasting. These days, who would be willing to risk the life of a cultivator with a dark spiritual root for a single opportunity to use this magic weapon?"
Upon hearing this, the auctioneer on the stage changed his expression slightly, but did not get angry.
A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, clearly aware of the current awkward situation of this magical artifact. Each time it was activated, it would basically consume the life of a cultivator with a dark spiritual root, which was why it had been auctioned off at high prices several times, only to be sold back at low prices as a hot potato, making it a complete liability.
Han Xiaoliu, who was sitting in the corner, became interested.
This item is clearly extraordinary, yet no one is interested in it. The problem lies here!
A hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes, and he leaned forward slightly to ask, "This is my first time here. Could you please explain, senior, what fatal flaw this magical artifact possesses?"
Those cultivators below the stage who knew the details all kept silent.
This is an auction after all. Even if there's some commotion, if we make things too explicit and it affects the auction, wouldn't we be offending the Star Palace for no reason?
The righteous elder who had just contradicted Han Xiaoliu glanced at him and said with a half-smile, "Young friend, why don't you just buy this item? You don't seem to lack spirit stones anyway. Once you buy it, Fellow Daoist Feng will naturally tell you all its flaws!"
Upon hearing this, the auctioneer on the stage immediately nodded in agreement, "Indeed! If you are willing to buy this item, I will certainly tell you all the details of this magical treasure without reservation!"
Han Xiaoliu frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two faces, and alarm bells immediately went off in his mind.
These two are working together in perfect harmony; it feels like they're setting a trap for themselves, just waiting for them to become the suckers.
He leaned back warily and said coldly, "You're not trying to trick me into buying a piece of trash, are you?"
Seeing that Han Xiaoliu, though skeptical, hadn't outright refused, the auctioneer guessed he was interested in buying it. He quickly lowered his voice and explained sincerely, "Young friend, you are wise. Even if you don't use this item in battle, just melting it down into materials is worthwhile. You certainly won't lose out by spending 300,000 spirit stones!"
Upon hearing this, Han Xiaoliu secretly began to make his own plans.
He was extremely interested in the magical artifact's ability to extract living souls.
It's understandable that a Nascent Soul cultivator could extract the soul of a Core Formation cultivator using a secret technique; but to be able to even shake the soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator is truly terrifying and has extremely high research value!
He pondered for a moment, then finally relented: "In that case, I'll buy it for 300,000 and see. If other fellow cultivators are interested, I naturally won't compete."
"One, two, three, sold! This item is yours, young friend!" The auctioneer, fearing that Han Xiaoliu might change his mind midway, banged the gavel loudly, and the transaction was completed smoothly.
Seeing Han Xiaoliu's bewildered expression, the audience finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Every year, there are always one or two reckless rogue cultivators who covet this magic weapon, only to regret it bitterly after winning the bid, ultimately forcing the Star Palace to buy it back at a low price. This year, another unlucky fellow has appeared!"
Before the auctioneer could even begin to explain, the crowd below had already rattled off all the side effects of the magical artifact.
It turns out that this magical artifact imprisoned too many souls, and its space had long since transformed into a purgatory world, filled with countless ghosts and spirits.
It was filled with extremely evil curses, venomous wails, bone-chilling cold, and an atmosphere of despair that could drive one to madness.
Anyone who attempts to refine this treasure will be constantly afflicted by the malevolent spirits within it. The malevolent energy within their bodies will increase daily, and within a few years they will succumb to the pressure and go insane.
Even the once-renowned Nascent Soul cultivator, Blood River Ancestor, ultimately met a tragic end, suffering a broken soul and dying a miserable death!
Hearing the undisguised mockery and explanations from the crowd, Han Xiaoliu simply shrugged indifferently, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, and said lightly, "Forget it, I have plenty of money. Just consider it a decorative item to ward off evil spirits!"
Everyone was slightly taken aback by his wasteful behavior of throwing away spirit stones like waste paper, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.
Whispers began to circulate among the crowd, with people speculating about just how wealthy Han Xiaoliu was. Several rogue cultivators, their eyes gleaming with sinister greed, were already plotting how to take advantage of Han Xiaoliu after the event.
After the transaction was completed, Han Xiaoliu took the 'Soul Locking Tower' that emitted a ghostly light, examined it casually for a couple of seconds, and then stuffed it into his storage bag with a look of disgust.
However, though he appeared to be disgusted, he was secretly overjoyed!
In that brief moment of casual exploration, he discovered that the tower was densely packed with at least millions of souls wailing and writhing within.
These are all genuine acts of good deeds done in secret!
At least several million! This is a huge windfall!