Ye Chen walking away with the Scarlet Phoenix Holy Land disciples, but his mind was already drifting far behind them.
Specifically… toward the woman in dark-blue silk.
Gu Nalran.
That tempting beauty… that wild temptation…
He swallowed hard. He has possessed dragon bloodline…
'damn it! Why must dragons be born lustful?!How am I supposed to resist that?
But I can't rush. Su Xuner is already angry… if I look too excited toward Gu Nalran, I might lose the beauty I already have in hand. I must keep the righteous good-guy mask on…'
He straightened his back, pretending to be dignified and calm.
Su Xuner glanced at him from the corner of her eye. She didn't say anything. But her stiff expression, the faint press of her lips— told Ye Chen that she was not fine.
She was jealous.
And she was not hiding it.
Ye Chen felt a cold sweat slide down his spine.
'Great… just great. I barely touched her hand yesterday and now she will burn me alive because I accidentally looked at another woman too long.'
Just when he was about to speak to coax her— a sharp voice pierced the noise of the first-floor hall:
"RARE PRIMAL ASCENSION MARROW FRUIT! Only ONE! Don't miss it!"
Instantly—
Both the Scarlet Phoenix Holy Land and Nine Nether Palace disciples turned their heads.
Even Gu Nalran paused mid-step as her cold eyes flickered with interest.
Ye Chen's heartbeat skipped.
'Wait… that fruit— it is a treasure that purifies the divine beast bloodline! Even I can refine my Golden True Dragon Physique!'
He stepped closer unconsciously.
Behind the stall stood a burly rogue cultivator with disheveled hair and a scar across his jaw. In front of him, a crystalline jade box hovered above the stone platform. Contained within, a glistening red fruit pulsed softly as if it were some kind of small, beating heart—white-gold light swirling inside.
A genuine Primal Ascension Marrow Fruit.
The crowd gasped.
"That is a divine blood-nourishing fruit!
"Even great holy lands rarely bring this out!
"My god… something like this could let a beast-blood genius jump one whole major grade!
The rogue cultivator puffed his chest proudly.
"Exactly! I risked my life in the Ancient Bone Ravine for this! And now, I'm selling it cheaply—just five thousand top-grade spirit stones!"
Five thousand. Top-grade spirit stone. Even among major sects, that price made people blink.
But before any regular cultivator could speak—
Two soft voices coincided, "I'll take it."
Su Xuner and Gu Nalran both took a step forward, simultaneously.
Their eyes met.
Sparks.
Gu Nalran's lips arced-just a little.
"Oh? Scarlet Bird again?"
Su Xuner's phoenix eyes sharpened.
"You think you can take away things that this Saintness like?"
"Oh my, how bold," Gu Nalran replied lazily in amused disdain tone. "Do you think that this place owns you! But this is true that you sure need this thing, after all your phoenix bloodline is getting thin in every generation."
The implication was clear enough to draw gasps from the crowd.
"Thin? In what way? Your bloodline is barely stable—"
Su Xuner's face flushed in fury. Only a few people know that phoenix bloodline is getting thiner by every generation. This is also a top secret of their sect, even she has recently known about it.
"More stable than your temper," Gu Nalran countered with a soft smirk.
"You—!!"
Their auras sparked again. But it make more sparks in crowd about main topic in their discussion.
"What! Scarlet Phoenix Holy Land is losing their heritage?"
"Is really their Phoenix bloodline getting thin by generations?"
"This is big news. I did not expect to know such a secret."
Ye Chen felt his scalp numb. ''This Su Xuner… why must she fight this woman everywhere? Because of her, now the whole continent will gossip about them!'
"You—!"
"Oh? Struck a nerve?" Gu Nalran smirked softly. "Your bloodline's stability is even weaker than your temper."
"You want to die!"
Their auras flared— and the entire hall buzzed louder, ignoring the treasure and focusing on the drama.
Ye Chen's head throbbed.
'Shit! They're going to fight again! No, no, no—if they fight here, what if one gets injured? My harem can't collapse before it begins!'
He stepped forward quickly.
"Ladies, calm down! This is the Imperial Capital—"
Both women ignored him. Instead, they spoke to the stall owner.
Su Xuner: "I'll pay six thousand top-grade spirit stones."
Gu Nalran: "I think you did not bring your purse this time. I will pay ten thousand top grade spirit stone."
Su Xuner's eyes flared, "twenty thousand top grade spirit stone!"
"For a saintess of such a poor holy land… how pitiful." She touched her hip lightly, posture lazy and sensual. "Fine. Twenty-five thousand."
The rogue cultivator choked with such high price. You have to know that top grade spirit stone is only used by Saint realm expert, therefor one top grade spirit stone can exchange for one thousand high grade spirit stone.
This thing can only used by below saint realm experts. Having five thousand spirit stone already more than enough, mostly because of its rarety.
"Twenty five thousand?!"
The crowd swarmed, watching in awe.
"Two top beauties bidding for one fruit?"
"This is insane…"
"It's worth watching, though!"
The jaw of Ye Chen tightened. He also wanted the Primal Ascension Marrow Fruit, but that didn't mean he would pay more than five times the price.
He wants to stop her, but she is already in bad mood. If he still did not take her side, then it would affect their future relation. That's why he hesitated, but still try to stop her.
Before he spoke, Su Xuner snapped:
"Thirty thousand top-grade spirit stones!"
"Thirty thousand… do they even carry that much on them?!"
Gu Nalran smiled again this time there was amusement in her eyes. She knew she couldn't compare to her, let alone behind her is one of four great holy land-Scarlet Phoenix Holy Land. But she can bleed them, and did.
Silence.
Then a tidal wave of gasps.
Even the rogue cultivator almost fainted.
Ye Chen's pupils shook violently. He felt pain in his chest.
Real, physical pain.
'THIRTY THOUSAND!!'
It wasn't even his money.
But he felt as if someone had dug out his heart and smashed it.
'This woman! This woman! I was planning to borrow stones from her during the auction in two days! Now she's throwing money like water? Where is the savings? Where is the prudence?'
He stared at Su Xuner in disbelief.
Suddenly—
His eyes involuntarily drifted downward…
To Su Xuner's magnificent "twin mountains."
Large.
Majestic.
Sacred peaks.
He subconsciously nodded.
'Yes, yes… it's true. The bigger the mountain, the less brain inside. It's proven. It's heaven's law.'
He looked at Gu Nalran's chest.
Smaller.
Sharper.
Perky, but not comparable.
'Yes. Su Xuner's mountains are clearly… overwhelming. But Gu Nalran's brain works more cunningly. Balance of nature, I guess.'