The management figure personally handed the token to Lin Hao, and the possibility of this happening was very high. If it really did happen, and they tied Lin Hao back to the sect, the ones who would suffer the most would likely be them...
Xingchen Yu was an inner sect disciple, and behind him stood a First Heaven power, making his status naturally higher than theirs. They feared that when the time came, Xingchen Yu would be unharmed, while they would suffer greatly.
"Senior Brother Xingchen, Senior Sister Yin Shier's words make sense. Since the Supreme Treasure has already been bid on by Brother Lin Hao, I think we should let it go. The Bai Family Auction House should have better treasures..."
"Yes, the Supreme Treasure is already in ruins. There must be better treasures to cap the auction."
At that moment, several disciples of the Immortal Sword Sect spoke up. To be honest, they were all unwilling to take away Lin Hao, whose identity was unknown.
If Xingchen Yu had no concerns, why didn't he do it himself? Instead, he was making others do it. If Lin Hao really had connections with the upper echelons of the sect, Xingchen Yu could wash his hands of the matter, but they would be the ones to suffer.
"Xingchen Yu, you were in the wrong from the start. Since the Supreme Treasure has already been bid on by this young master, it now belongs to him. Young Master Lin has already said that you can buy it from him for 200 medium-grade spirit stones. If you don't have the money, it's best to let it go," a woman in a white robe looked at Xingchen Yu, her eyes flashing with displeasure.
In fact, whether or not Lin Hao had taken out the management token, the woman would not have allowed Xingchen Yu to harm him.
They were all from the Immortal Sword Sect, and their presence at the Bai Family Auction House in Liuyun City largely represented the sect. Xingchen Yu had failed to outbid others and even wanted to harm someone. There were dozens of major and minor family powers present, including the Holy Heaven Sect and another sect. If Xingchen Yu really did something like that, it wouldn't take long for the news to spread throughout the entire Tiandu Kingdom, and even the Great Nation Alliance.
Without a doubt, sects that had poor relations or were even enemies would seize this opportunity to spread rumors about how the Immortal Sword Sect's disciples behaved. If that happened, the entire Immortal Sword Sect would lose face.
Xingchen Yu came from a First Heaven power and had been known as a genius since childhood, pampered by the family. He probably hadn't thought about these consequences.
"Master Lin, this was our fault. I, Yin Shier, apologize to you," the woman smiled warmly and spoke softly to Lin Hao.
Hearing this, Lin Hao nodded. Yin Shier had considered everything thoroughly, which was the proper way for a sect disciple to act.
Xingchen Yu's face was gloomy. Yin Shier's sister, Yin Shiyun, was also an inner sect disciple and a personal disciple of a high-ranking official, making her status even higher than his. Although Xingchen Yu was angry, he had nowhere to vent his frustration. He knew that attacking a common family disciple in front of everyone would have a negative impact on the sect, and he was the one who had been unreasonable...
The most critical point was the management token on that boy, which made Xingchen Yu somewhat wary. If he mishandled the situation, he might end up in trouble himself.
After some thought, Xingchen Yu let out a cold snort and sat back down, no longer looking at Lin Hao.
Seeing this, the other Immortal Sword Sect disciples breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't want to offend this young man who held a high-level token.
...
"How is this possible..." Lin Caiyi's face was full of disbelief. They thought they knew Lin Hao well. Apart from his visit to the Holy Heaven Sect years ago, he seemed to have never left the jurisdiction of Liuyun City. He was just an ordinary family disciple, so why was the Bai Family's young master so protective of him, to the point where even sect disciples dared not touch him...
Lin Yan'er and Lin Caiyi looked at the young man in the sturdy clothes not far away, suddenly feeling a sense of powerlessness. It seemed that the boy who they could once easily step on had become a mystery to them.
The Luo Family's Luo Qingqiu and others were also extremely surprised, wondering what kind of connections Lin Hao had, even making a sect disciple like Xingchen Yu wary.
Bai Zhanchen looked thoughtful. He had seen the token in Lin Hao's hand clearly, and although he didn't know its meaning, the pattern on it was from the Immortal Sword Sect.
"Brother Lin Hao, I will be heading to the Immortal Sword Sect tomorrow... I believe we will meet there soon," Bai Zhanchen walked up to Lin Hao and asked with a deep meaning.
Hearing this, Lin Hao smiled but did not give a clear answer.
Lin Hao did indeed plan to go to the Immortal Sword Sect, but he needed to wait. His current qualifications were not enough.
Sects were very strict in recruiting disciples. The age couldn't be too old, and the talent had to be good.
Just like when Lin Hao entered the Holy Heaven Sect years ago, he had only opened the second Earth Gate. According to the rules, he didn't have the qualifications to enter the sect, but because he had a treasure-grade spirit body, the sect made an exception for him.
Now, Lin Hao only had an ordinary spirit body, and his talent was average. It would be difficult to pass the sect's examination, and he needed to open at least the third Earth Gate.
Even if he had some connections with an Immortal Sword Sect member in Fenglin Town, relying on just a token to get through would be unrealistic.
The auction continued, with the three sects each bidding on a supreme treasure, and the major and minor families also had some gains.
After a few hours, the Bai Family's grand auction finally ended, and the various forces gradually left.
"Brother Luofeng, the Supreme Treasure we bid on today..." After the auction, Lin Hao found Luofeng alone. Eleven medium-grade spirit stones were not a small amount, and the original *Fenglei Palm* technique had only earned one medium-grade spirit stone.
"Hehe... Brother Lin, the third young master has already given instructions. The eleven medium-grade spirit stones will be prepaid by our Bai Family. When Brother Lin is more affluent, you can repay us with some spirit stones," Luofeng smiled and said.
Hearing this, Lin Hao nodded. After all, he had saved Bai Zhanchen's life, and the boy knew how to handle things.
Lin Hao had some thoughts about Bai Zhanchen. The boy was very smart and knew how to gain the maximum favor with the least effort.
Eleven spirit stones were nothing to the First Heaven power of the Bai Family, so Lin Hao didn't take it to heart.
Lin Hao took the golden bowl, said goodbye to Luofeng and others, and left the auction house.
On the way back to the Lin Family, Lin Xiurui and others were unusually silent, and Lin Hao didn't bother to speak.
...
The next day.
North of the Tianrang Mountains, there was another mountain range called the Hundred Refinements Mountains. This mountain range connected six countries and was vast, reportedly a thousand times the size of the Tianrang Mountains. In Liuyun City, it was just a small entrance to the range.
The spiritual energy in the Hundred Refinements Mountains was much denser than the outside world, and it was very mysterious. Its origin could be traced back to the ancient times. It was said that the Hundred Refinements Mountains had no clear map, as powerful experts who ventured deep into it never returned. Many ordinary families called it a death zone. However, the shallow areas connected to the major countries were not as dangerous and became a paradise for the major and minor families. The dense spiritual energy made cultivation twice as fast as in the outside world. The four major families of Liuyun City had set up their inner sect villas here.
At that moment, a group from the Immortal Sword Sect was walking in the Hundred Refinements Mountains. Xingchen Yu's face was gloomy. He had spent the night in Liuyun City, originally planning to sneak into the Lin Family at midnight and tear Lin Hao to pieces. After much thought, Xingchen Yu did not act.
No matter what, the boy had a management token from the Immortal Sword Sect, and he might have connections with someone in the management. If he didn't cover his tracks perfectly, the matter might be exposed, and it would harm his future.
After all, he was a sect genius, and sneaking into a minor family to kill and rob would not be a good reputation, especially since the boy seemed to have some connection with the Immortal Sword Sect.
"Boy... You've provoked me... I'll make you feel the terror of the abyss!" A fierce and cruel look flashed in Xingchen Yu's eyes.
He greeted Yin Shier and a few other Immortal Sword Sect disciples and then walked to a secluded area. He reached into his robe and took out a black seed.
"This Mandala seed I obtained from a secret realm... It can trigger a beast tide. This place is close to Liuyun City, and the beast tide will definitely enter the city..." Xingchen Yu's lips curled up. If he triggered a beast tide here, Liuyun City would be bloodbathed!
"If you dare to oppose me, I'll make you regret being alive! Along with your family!" Xingchen Yu buried the 'Mandala seed' deep in the ground. In a few days, the 'Mandala seed' would bloom and bear fruit, attracting powerful beasts from the surrounding areas.
...
In Liuyun City, inside the Lin Family, Lin Hao exhaled a breath of turbid air. The 'Return True Pill' had been absorbed by his body to about half its potency, and his strength had reached the Eighth Level of the Spirit Body Realm. He believed it wouldn't be long before he had the qualifications to open the third Earth Gate.
The first three Earth Gates required accumulating strength, and once the time was right, one could use the divine soul to break through. However, the subsequent Earth Gate realms were not so easy. One needed the assistance of the Earth Gate Canon to guide the divine soul through the next Earth Gate.
For example, to reach the Fourth Earth Gate, one needed the corresponding Fourth Earth Gate Canon. Without the Canon's assistance, the divine soul would be repelled by the Earth's power, and it might be shattered before even reaching the Fourth Earth Gate. The success rate was one in ten.
Of course, for now, the Fourth Earth Gate was not something Lin Hao needed to think about. His current focus was on preparing to break through the third Earth Gate.
Generally, one could start attempting the third Earth Gate at the Eighth Level of the Second Earth Gate. However, Lin Hao felt it was unnecessary to do so. If he reached the Great Perfection of the Second Earth Gate before attempting the Earth Gate, his foundation would be much stronger.