Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 624 So you're going against the Fourth Prince? Highway robbery!

As Chen Fan reached out, the moment his fingertips touched the surface of the fragment, a cool, water-like power surged into his body through his fingertips.

The power wasn't domineering, but it carried a profound and unsettling quality, as if the fingertips were touching not a fragment, but a bottomless, icy pool.

The golden bowl in his arms trembled even more violently.

That burning desire pounded in Chen Fan's chest like a fire.

He put the fragments back into the jade box, closed the lid, and reinforced the outside of the box with two additional seals before storing it in his storage bag and keeping it close to his body.

After doing all this, Chen Fan didn't linger in the private room and got up to go downstairs.

Most of the lanterns on Zhuque Avenue were already lit, their pale golden light shining through the glass domes onto the bluestone pavement, reflecting the bright moon in the sky.

As Chen Fan stepped out of the Jubaolou gate, a cool night breeze blew in his face.

He subconsciously squinted for a moment, and then he saw the scene outside the door.

Four guards clad in black armor stood on either side of the gate. All of them were at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm and wore standard longswords at their waists, with the flame emblem of the Fourth Prince's residence engraved on the hilts.

Behind them stood another person, thin and dressed in a dark blue brocade robe. He had a sinister face, high cheekbones, and a pair of triangular eyes that were coldly staring at the auction house's entrance.

The aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Perfection stage was released without any concealment, as conspicuous as a javelin in the night wind.

Chen Fan had met this man once in the government office; he was none other than Duan Wuliang, a trusted retainer of the Fourth Prince.

Duan Wuliang clearly did not recognize Chen Fan.

Because Chen Fan had suppressed his cultivation to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and his appearance had been slightly adjusted using the Fixed Character Technique, he looked like a sallow-faced, unremarkable rogue cultivator.

This outfit was completely inconsistent with his extravagant spending of 650,000 mid-grade spirit stones at the auction house, and in Duan Wuliang's eyes, he appeared to be a nouveau riche who had gotten lucky.

"Halt." Duan Wuliang stepped forward, blocking Chen Fan's path. He slightly raised his chin, his gaze sweeping over Chen Fan, a sneer playing on his lips. "So you're the one who was fighting with the Fourth Prince for that fragment at the auction house? A mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dares to be so arrogant? Do you even know that fragment was something the Fourth Prince specifically requested?"

Chen Fan stopped and looked at him calmly without saying a word.

Seeing that he remained silent, Duan Wuliang assumed he was frightened and spoke even more dismissively: "What's wrong? You were so eager to raise the price in the private room just now, but now you're mute? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? A rogue cultivator in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, who can't even afford a decent robe, dares to compete with the Fourth Prince for things?"

He took a step forward, his gaze lingering for a moment on the storage pouch at Chen Fan's waist, a flash of greed in his eyes: "If you know what's good for you, give that fragment to the Fourth Prince at its original price, kowtow three times to apologize, and we'll let this matter drop. If you don't know what's good for you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan had already walked past him.

The movement was so casual that it was as if Duan Wuliang was nothing more than a roadside rock blocking the way, and they were too lazy to even go around him.

Duan Wuliang's mocking expression froze for a moment, then turned into anger.

He suddenly turned around, his five fingers forming claws as he grabbed at Chen Fan's shoulder. The claw's wind was fierce, clearly a full-force attack from a Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivator.

If this claw strikes firmly, the protective aura of an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator will shatter on the spot, and their shoulder blades will be crushed into powder.

Chen Fan still did not turn around.

He didn't even stop walking.

Just as the claw was about to touch his shoulder, a deep and authoritative voice came from inside the gate of Jubaolou.

"Fellow Daoist Duan, to make a move at the entrance of Jubao Tower, do you not respect the rules of our profession?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like an invisible hand forcefully pressing Duan Wuliang's claws back.

Duan Wuliang grunted and staggered back two steps before regaining his balance.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man with white hair, dressed in a black robe, slowly walking out of the entrance of Jubaolou.

This man had a thin face, his eyes were sharp but his aura was restrained, and his aura was as steady as a mountain. He was clearly a cultivator in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He had a dark gold token hanging at his waist. The front of the token was engraved with a relief of a nine-story pavilion, which was exactly the same as the VIP token that Han Cen had given to Chen Fan, except that the back had an additional ancient character "Master".

Leng Qiu, the head manager of Jubao Auction House.

Leng Qiu stood with his hands behind his back before the gate, his gaze sweeping over Duan Wuliang's face, his tone flat and devoid of any emotion: "Since its opening, Jubao Tower has had an ironclad rule: we do not concern ourselves with grudges outside the tower, but no one is allowed to engage in private fights within the tower or within a ten-zhang radius in front of the gate. This rule was personally decreed by the current emperor; Fellow Daoist Duan must be aware of it, right?"

Duan Wuliang's expression changed slightly, and he quickly withdrew his attack, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect to Leng Qiu: "Manager Leng, please calm down. I acted impulsively and did not intend to offend your guild's rules."

Leng Qiu didn't look at him, but instead turned her gaze to the street corner not far away.

There stood a bright yellow jade palanquin, its body carved from a single piece of spirit jade. The curtains were half-drawn, and behind them, a figure dressed in a bright yellow python robe could be vaguely seen.

Fourth Prince Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu slowly stepped down from the carriage.

He was publicly humiliated by Chen Fan at the auction today, and was also suppressed in the bidding, leaving him utterly limp with anger.

Upon seeing Leng Qiu appear, he dared not lash out on the spot, but his otherwise decent face was now filled with gloom.

"Manager Leng." Zhao Yu stopped beside Duan Wuliang, his tone laced with barely suppressed coldness. "I, the Prince, lost the auction at your guild today. I admit my inferior skill and accept the loss. But this person has been hiding his true identity from beginning to end, not even daring to reveal his name. He's clearly deliberately trying to oppose me. Manager Leng wants to uphold your guild's rules, and I naturally dare not disobey. But your guild's rules only apply to those inside, not those outside, right?"

Leng Qiu looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and slowly said, "The Fourth Prince is right. The rules of Jubao Tower only govern the area inside the gate and within ten feet in front of it. We have no right to interfere in matters beyond ten feet."

Zhao Yu's lips curled into a cold smile as he turned to look at Chen Fan, his eyes filled with undisguised threat: "In that case, I, the prince, will be waiting for you ten zhang away. The Treasure Pavilion will eventually close its doors, and you can't hide inside forever. I want to see who can back you up outside this ten-zhang radius."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere around them suddenly froze.

Duan Wuliang sneered and retreated behind Zhao Yu. The four Xuanjia guards also dispersed, vaguely forming a semicircle around the ten-zhang boundary outside the gate of Jubao Tower.

Leng Qiu frowned slightly, but ultimately said nothing more.

He has done all he could.

As for matters beyond ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), they are indeed outside his authority.