Within the manor of Flowing Cloud, as the assembled families heard the figure of 'fifty million taels of gold,' most chose to withdraw.

"Fifty million taels of gold. Are there any higher bids?" Situ Fan’s face split into a wide grin. The initial agreement between his Situ Merchant House and the seller stipulated that if the final price fell below thirty million taels of gold, the Situ Merchant House would cover the difference, guaranteeing the seller thirty million taels! However, if the price exceeded thirty million taels of gold! The surplus amount would be split equally between the merchant house and the seller! Calculated now, the Situ Merchant House alone stood to profit by a full ten million taels of gold! Naturally, the Situ Merchant House hoped the price would climb even higher!

"Mr. Teng," Fu Dao murmured softly.

"Hmm?" Teng Qingshan turned his gaze towards him.

Fu Dao inquired, "Does the esteemed Sir intend to retain this set of Mithril Stone Slabs long-term, or use them for personal cultivation in the short term?" Fu Dao himself sensed that there didn't seem to be any super-clan in the world bearing the surname Teng, suggesting that perhaps Teng Qingshan was not purchasing the Mithril Stone Slabs for his lineage.

Teng Qingshan’s eyes lit up at the question.

Mithril Stone Slabs? Although the thirty-six slabs contained myriad crucial points that were difficult to memorize in their entirety, Teng Qingshan calculated that after a year or perhaps eighteen months of dedicated cultivation, the physical slabs would offer him diminishing utility. Furthermore, as his understanding deepened, his memory of the carvings on the stone would surely become perfectly clear.

"I only require them for a year and a half at most!" Teng Qingshan stated.

Fu Dao was overjoyed. "Then let us jointly bid for this set of Mithril Stones! How about this: I offer thirty-one million taels, and Sir Teng contributes nineteen million five hundred thousand taels of gold. Sir Teng may use them first for a year and a half, and upon your completion, you return them to me. What say you?" Fu Dao himself had no need for the actual cultivation insights.

"That sounds agreeable," Teng Qingshan nodded with a smile. While covertly seizing the slabs would not prove overwhelmingly difficult for him, dealing with the foremost family on the Duanmu Continent—the 'Heavenly Wind Family,' especially one rumored to possess a 'Heavenly Wind War God'—was a different matter. Although Teng Qingshan was confident in handling the Heavenly Wind Family, achieving his goal without unnecessary trouble was naturally preferable!

"If there are no further bids, then this set of Mithril Stone Slabs will belong to the Heavenly Wind Family!" Situ Fan continued scanning the surroundings, clearly hoping someone else would make an offer.

Helian Haoxing of the Heavenly Wind Family watched the proceedings with a serene smile.

"Fifty million five hundred thousand taels of gold!" A voice calling out a bid echoed across the garden.

Everyone turned to look. A ripple of shock went through all the assembled families in the garden! Helian Haoxing, whose expression had previously been smiling, froze, and he too turned his head to see who had spoken. The bidder was none other than Fu Dao. Facing the intense stares of the gathered families, Fu Dao offered a slight smile.

"Fifty million five hundred thousand taels!"

Situ Fan loudly proclaimed, "Mr. Fu Dao bids fifty million five hundred thousand taels of gold! Does anyone have a higher offer?" The higher the bid, the happier Situ Fan naturally became. As he announced the bid, Situ Fan kept glancing over towards the Heavenly Wind Family's contingent, apparently hoping they would raise the price again!

But Helian Haoxing remained composed. He stared intently at Fu Dao for a moment, then finally let out a cold laugh and remained silent. He had already declared his stance earlier... that if the bid went past fifty million taels of gold, they would no longer pursue it! For Fu Dao to bid only five thousand taels higher—when the minimum increment required was five thousand taels of gold—infuriated Helian Haoxing! Yet, no matter how provoked! He had spoken on behalf of the Heavenly Wind Family. To retract his word now would make him a complete laughingstock.

"Is there anyone who bids higher?" Situ Fan persisted, looking around.

But no further bids materialized. After calling out a few more times, Situ Fan finally announced with a beaming smile, "The auction concludes! This set of Mithril Stone Slabs ultimately belongs to the Thunder Blade Martial Saint, 'Fu Dao'! The final price is fifty million five hundred thousand taels of gold... Once Fu Dao presents the fifty million five hundred thousand gold to the Situ Merchant House, our House will personally ensure the Mithril Stone Slabs are delivered into Mr. Fu Dao's possession."

The sale was over! The result was determined. Of course, Mr. Fu Dao could not take the slabs immediately. It was a case of payment upon delivery; the Situ Merchant House needed to see the gold first.

"Congratulations, Mr. Fu Dao," many family representatives offered with smiles. "Mr. Fu Dao truly demonstrated extraordinary capability."

Fu Dao returned their greetings with a smile.

"Mr. Teng, it is now time to fetch the gold. I will send men to retrieve mine first. Sir, you..." Fu Dao looked towards Teng Qingshan. Teng Qingshan smiled and nodded: "I shall retrieve my gold immediately as well... Let us meet back here in the Flowing Cloud Manor in half an hour."

Fu Dao’s smile widened. "Certainly!"

"Brother Teng, if you had mentioned earlier that you only needed them for a year and a half, our Sunrise Merchant House would have certainly joined forces with you," the Great Elder sighed from the side. "A delay of a year and a half makes no practical difference in the long run! Letting Fu Dao gain such an advantage to acquire the set of Mithril Stones for thirty-one million taels of gold is quite the bargain for him."

Fu Dao chuckled. The Great Elder spoke as he did, but he had remained silent when Teng Qingshan and Fu Dao were discussing their arrangement earlier. After all, there was a matter of precedence. The Great Elder knew his place and only offered his opinion now that the auction was finalized.

"I truly owe Mr. Teng a great favor," Fu Dao said cheerfully.

As Teng Qingshan and Fu Dao spoke, members of other families passing by or coming to offer congratulations naturally overheard their exchange. Only then did everyone realize—it was Teng Qingshan and Fu Dao who had joined forces to secure the purchase! And Teng Qingshan would have exclusive use for the first year and a half. However, whether it was Teng Qingshan or Fu Dao, both were supremely confident that no one could steal the set of Mithril Stone Slabs while they were in possession!

Amidst the chorus of congratulations, and under the watchful gaze of Situ Fan, Teng Qingshan and Fu Dao immediately departed the Flowing Cloud Manor to collect their gold.

Half an hour later!

In the main hall of the Flowing Cloud Manor, five chests of gold were lined up in a row: two chests brought by Teng Qingshan, and the remaining three by Fu Dao. The lids were open, revealing stacks of lustrous, golden ingots and numerous neatly arranged gold bars inside! The sight of five chests brimming with gold illuminated everyone’s faces!

"Quickly, weigh it all precisely!" Situ Fan barked orders. Ten men from the Situ Merchant House swiftly moved the gold bars and bricks, verifying their authenticity while taking precise measurements.

"Elder, it totals exactly fifty million five hundred thousand taels, precisely as required." The men worked up a sweat handling the heavy load.

"Good." Situ Fan’s face radiated satisfaction.

"Haha, thank you both for waiting," Situ Fan said, turning towards Teng Qingshan and Fu Dao, who were seated and sipping tea. "This was a major transaction; my Situ Merchant House dared not be careless." If they had been tricked with counterfeit gold, the Situ Merchant House would have suffered a massive loss. Both Fu Dao and Teng Qingshan were supreme experts; they could simply depart in a flash if they chose. Would their merchant house dare pursue them?

Fu Dao waved his hand with a smile. "As businessmen, caution is always warranted." Fu Dao was in an excellent mood.

"So, this set of Mithril Stone Slabs belongs to us now?" Teng Qingshan asked with a smile.

"Indeed," Situ Fan pointed towards the three iron chests. "These now belong to you both."

"Mr. Teng, allow me to inspect them first, to confirm they are genuine." Fu Dao walked over and opened the three iron chests in turn, briefly examining each Mithril Stone Slab.

Teng Qingshan himself was incapable of discerning the authenticity of the Mithril Stone Slabs. But at the very least, Teng Qingshan could confirm that the carvings etched upon them were indeed the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting.

"Worthy of being one of the nine sets directly imprinted from the original thirty-six carvings. Even a single carving possesses a different kind of imposing aura! Furthermore... there is that character, 'Dao'," Teng Qingshan praised silently. Each carving was rectangular: the left side depicted the axe technique, and the right side bore the character 'Dao'. The essence conveyed by every single 'Dao' character was unique!

"Emperor Yu's carving skill was merely average, but his calligraphy is quite impressive!" Teng Qingshan mused inwardly. "It's no wonder he inscribed a 'Dao' character beside every axe technique depiction; perhaps he intended the profound meaning contained within the strokes to help the cultivator more easily grasp the secrets of the axe arts!" For Teng Qingshan, while the thirty-six axe technique carvings were vital, the thirty-six 'Dao' characters held even greater importance.

"Yes, they are authentic!" Fu Dao looked towards Teng Qingshan with a grin. "Sir, this set of Mithril Stone Slabs is entirely genuine; I can confirm it. From this moment forward, they are yours."

"I shall return them to you in a year and a half," Teng Qingshan promised with a smile.

"No rush, a year and a half, or even two or three years, is fine," Fu Dao replied. He truly had gained the greater advantage this time. Teng Qingshan spent nearly twenty million taels of gold for eighteen months of use, whereas Fu Dao secured perpetual future access. Therefore, Fu Dao needed to show utmost sincerity.

Teng Qingshan immediately instructed the personnel arranged by the Sunrise Merchant House to help move the chests.

"Congratulations, Brother Teng," Xiao Jun said with a soft laugh.

Teng Qingshan smiled. "Let's go."

Who truly gained the advantage in acquiring this set of Mithril Stone Slabs this time? It is difficult to say! Because the manual for the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting is relatively easy to transcribe. Although the major families kept their copies heavily guarded, for any substantial clan, a small price would suffice to obtain a version of the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting. With the manual in hand, their eagerness for this set of Mithril Stone Slabs, though significant, would not reach a frenzied level.

However—if this set of Mithril Stone Slabs were located on the lands of the Nine Provinces, it would be an incomparable treasure! Because Emperor Yu left the Nine Tripod Heavenly Tome at the Yu Emperor Gate, but entrusted the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting to the Divine Axe Mountain. It is highly likely that the Yu Emperor Gate does not possess this ultimate technique, the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting. At least, Teng Qingshan only knew of the Four Great Divine Scriptures and had never heard of the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting existing anywhere in the Nine Provinces.

...

At the foot of Divine Axe Mountain, by the crescent lake.

The Mithril Stone Slabs were driven edge-down into the soil, forming a line, from the first slab to the thirty-sixth. Teng Qingshan stood on the snow, gazing at this long row of Mithril Stones: thirty-six distinct axe technique carvings, and thirty-six 'Dao' characters, each exuding a completely different spiritual resonance. When these thirty-six carvings were arrayed together, they created an oppressive aura that seemed to radiate from heaven and earth! It felt as though a colossal axe, capable of splitting the firmament, was cleaving directly towards him!

"It truly is different!" Teng Qingshan's eyes shone brightly. "Having these thirty-six Mithril Stone Slabs will save me at least three years in reaching the Void Realm!" As he studied the inscriptions, several previously difficult points in his axe technique comprehension suddenly became clear.

"Teng Qingshan!" A resonant voice boomed out.

"Hmm?" Teng Qingshan turned to look.

A faint shadow darted from the distance. "I am about to return to the West Tang Domain, but before I do, I am extremely eager to test my strength against you!" The figure materialized, clad in a black leather coat, a formidable great blade strapped to his back, his face appearing youthful yet bearing streaks of silver at his temples. It was the Great Elder of the Sunrise Merchant House!