Immortal Path Space - Chapter 286: Hasty Departure

Wang Hong was not a prominent figure in Qianqiao City, and his information network was limited. Prior to attending the auction, he had no idea that there would be a Flying Boat available for bidding, and he made no preparations for it.

However, like other auctions, this one allowed bids with other Spiritual Objects.

He was genuinely interested in this Flying Boat; having one would greatly facilitate the operations of his trading caravan. No longer would they need to trudge along with a dozen wagons, moving slowly. Qi Cultivation cultivators would no longer be a burden, and their overall combat power would increase significantly.

Furthermore, he had a growing sense that something was amiss, and he felt that acquiring an item that could enhance the strength of his trading caravan was imperative.

The bidding for the Flying Boat quickly heated up, with the price soaring from fifty high-grade Spirit Stones to one hundred fifty in just a few moments.

Soon, it crossed the two hundred mark. Even some of the influential figures found it challenging to keep up, hesitating before each bid.

Wang Hong joined the bidding at this point, fully prepared to make a substantial investment since the Flying Boat was highly valuable to his caravan.

He continued bidding from two hundred and closely followed the escalating prices. What began with over a hundred participants bidding fiercely eventually dwindled to just a few dozen, then down to a dozen or so sporadic bidders, until only he and an old man remained in a head-to-head battle.

“Three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones!”

After this high bid from the old man, he was filled with both anxiety and conflict. He had gone all-in, and if he were to purchase the Flying Boat at this price, his entire family might face financial hardship for the next decade.

However, he couldn’t bear to give up either, knowing that with this Flying Boat, his family’s strength had a chance to rise to a much higher tier.

“Three hundred and sixty-five!”

Wang Hong, determined, immediately followed up with a bid. He had decided not to bid beyond five hundred Spirit Stones, and he still had a long way to go.

The old man, upon hearing Wang Hong’s bid, could no longer muster the strength to bid further.

Finally, when he had no choice but to concede, the old man felt a sense of relief. Although he didn’t win the Flying Boat, at least he hadn’t incurred a loss.

In the end, Wang Hong secured the medium-sized Flying Boat for three hundred and sixty-five high-grade Spirit Stones.

When a maid brought the shrunken Flying Boat to Wang Hong, he handed her a Storage Bag containing only a large wine jug, filled with four hundred catties of second-tier Spirit Wine.

There were rules in the auction house, and any transaction involving Spiritual Objects had to be calculated at a ten percent discount. They were in the business of making a profit, and once they acquired Spiritual Objects, they couldn’t sell them at the original price; they had to make some profit from them.

After completing the transaction with the auction house, Wang Hong decided not to participate in any further auctions. He also skipped the auction for Foundation Building stage Puppets. Leaving the auction hall, he quickly returned to the small courtyard they had rented.

Luo Zhongjie and the others were already prepared. They had sensed that someone had been tracking their movements for the past few days.

They were just waiting for the auction to end so that Wang Hong could acquire what he needed and they could leave. This was the main reason he had been willing to spend a hefty sum on the Flying Boat.

The group soon left Qianqiao City, and once they were outside the city walls, Wang Hong took out the Flying Boat he had obtained at the auction and infused it with Spiritual Power.

This particular Flying Boat was large and comprised numerous components, requiring a substantial amount of Spiritual Power to transition from its shrunken form to its full size.

All thirteen of them simultaneously channeled their Spiritual Power into the Flying Boat. Slowly, it began to expand, continuing until their Spiritual Power was nearly depleted. The Flying Boat finally completed its initial activation, reaching a length of over twenty zhang and a width of seven to eight zhang.

They abandoned their vehicles and miscellaneous items and loaded all their goods onto the Flying Boat. Over a hundred people boarded the Flying Boat, and it didn’t appear crowded inside; there was ample space to move around.

On both sides of the Flying Boat, there were empty spaces reserved for installing Spirit Energy Cannons, but for now, they remained vacant. These large-scale spiritual weapons were not easy to come by.

With everyone on board, the Flying Boat ascended into the sky and flew off into the distance. After a moment, it became a mere dot on the horizon.

At the same time, in a grand mansion within Qianqiao City, an old man with a cold expression sat at the head of the main hall. Several Foundation Building cultivators stood below him.

“Reporting to the clan leader, we just received news that the fat lamb we’ve been tracking has left the city,” one of the Foundation Building cultivators below reported.

This family was a rising force in Qianqiao City, but they lacked a strong foundation. They had expended all their efforts to help their clan leader achieve Golden Core cultivation, depleting the family’s savings accumulated over a century or two. As a result, every member of the clan had to tighten their belts to make ends meet.

Despite reaching the Golden Core stage, the clan leader lacked Spirit Stones and resources. For over a decade, he had remained without even a single magical treasure. He often felt embarrassed among fellow cultivators of the same stage, and some even ridiculed him as the weakest Golden Core cultivator.

One day, in a fit of frustration, he witnessed a trading caravan passing by outside the city. Suddenly, he realized that he wasn’t the weakest; after all, there were thousands of Foundation Building and Qi Cultivation cultivators in the Cultivation World.

In that moment, he had a revelation. He let go of his inner demons, found clarity in his thoughts, and decided to act.

He ruthlessly slaughtered the entire trading caravan, and it brought him immense satisfaction. He may not have been at the top, but he still had an edge over those beneath him.

After annihilating the caravan, he gained a substantial amount of wealth. Although these items didn’t offer significant assistance to his Golden Core cultivation, they provided great help to the family in escaping their financial struggles.

From that point on, he became addicted to this feeling – acting submissive in front of stronger individuals and then asserting dominance over those of lower cultivation levels. As he plundered more and more, he gradually acquired valuable resources, giving him hope for a brighter future.

He was determined to prove himself through his efforts, make those who had once looked down on him take notice, and even humiliate them.

The old man with the cold expression regained his focus and asked, “Which direction did they head?”

“To the northwest.”

“Good! I’ll be back soon. Keep an eye on the other fat lambs leaving the city. Remember the directions.”

The cold old man gave his orders and left the room.

He dispatched disciples from their clan who frequently mingled in the Wantong Market to find suitable targets for him to strike. Then, he would personally take action.

Over the past few years, they had successfully plundered over twenty trading caravans, leading to a dramatic transformation in the family’s circumstances.

It was during this time that they truly appreciated the advantages of having high-level cultivators in their clan.

Once Wang Hong and the others were on the Flying Boat, each of them took a few large sips of second-tier Spirit Wine to replenish the Spiritual Energy they had expended.

While the method of controlling the medium-sized Flying Boat was simple, among the hundred-plus people on board, only Wang Hong had prior experience with this type of Flying Boat and knew how to operate it.

For now, he would be the one controlling the flight while simultaneously instructing a dozen or so Qi Cultivation cultivators on how to load Spirit Stones, operate the flight, and activate the protective barrier.

Despite its convenience, this medium-sized Flying Boat consumed Spirit Stones at an alarming rate. Each loading required hundreds of Spirit Stones and could only sustain an hour of regular flight. This was without taking into account the increased consumption when activating the protective barrier during combat, which depended on the intensity of the enemy’s attacks.

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