"Congratulations!"
"Brother Xu, you are so fortunate!"
"Is your grandson married?"
...
As soon as the emperor left, a large crowd surrounded the Xu family.
Some offered congratulations, others expressed envy.
Some pretended not to understand and asked about Xu Yuan's marriage.
Xu Zhaogu now knew that Xu Yuan indeed had no intention of marrying Murong Xue, so he implied that the marriage was entirely up to Xu Yuan.
This made the crowd even more enthusiastic towards the Xu family.
It also made the smiles on the faces of Xu Zhaogu and a group of elders even wider.
At their family's status, there were not many things they pursued anymore.
Among them, face was one of the things they cared about most.
Xu Yuan was also surrounded by people.
After the competition, the old emperor gave him a day off, so he didn't have to continue working.
But looking at the many high-ranking officials and nobles around him who were trying to sell their daughters or granddaughters to him, he outwardly agreed, but inwardly he was thinking: if they knew that he only coveted their daughters and granddaughters and had no intention of marrying them, what would their reaction be?
After another lively scene at the Xu residence, Xu Yuan returned to his earldom.
It was already night.
Everyone in the manor had eaten and gone to their rooms to rest or cultivate.
Having learned from Su Jin that Wan Qianyu had arrived, Xu Yuan went to Wan Qianyu's room.
He left the door open and pushed it open to enter.
The room was dark.
In the darkness, Wan Qianyu was still awake, sitting cross-legged on the bed, cultivating with the spirit stones Xu Yuan had given her.
Today she had certainly made a name for herself; besides Xu Yuan and Shi Wujian, she was the most memorable.
That feeling of being the center of attention was somewhat captivating to her.
Especially thinking about how long her elder brother had been in the army and had only just managed to rise to the rank of centurion, while she herself could join the army with the rank of centurion at any moment, she was even more motivated to cultivate.
Hearing the door open
, she opened her eyes. Even without a lamp, she knew it was Xu Yuan. She got off the bed and threw herself into his arms.
"Won't your family worry if you don't go home tonight?"
Xu Yuan waved and lit the lamp.
Wan Qianyu snuggled against him, "They won't care about me!"
Then she took out the ninth-place prize and the remaining talismans.
"Keep the talismans for yourself."
Xu Yuan only took the Mind-Concentrating Grass, and also gave Wan Qianyu some spirit stones.
Then Wan Qianyu, who was in ninth place, challenged Xu Yuan, who was in first place.
After a fierce battle, Wan Qianyu, who used all her skills and various moves, was still no match for Xu Yuan and was defeated.
Xu Yuan, who returned victorious, went to Jiang Yue's room.
He took out the Qingyi Sword, the prize for first place in today's imperial competition.
"I don't need this, so I'll give it to you."
Jiang Yue saw that the sword was of the water attribute, which matched her own, and liked it at first sight.
She looked at Xu Yuan affectionately and accepted it.
"Successfully gifted 1 Qingyi Sword (Tier 2, High Grade). Current number of women is 32. You can choose to return 32 Qingyi Swords (Tier 2, High Grade) or 3 Canglan Swords (Tier 2, Excellent Grade)."
Seeing that no Tier 3 magic weapon appeared, Xu Yuan felt a pang of regret but still chose the Qingyi Sword first.
Afterwards, he began cultivating under the fairy's gratitude.
At the Wan family
residence, during dinner,
Wan Qianyu's father, Wan Songling, was displeased at not seeing her and asked, "Where is that rebellious daughter?"
Her mother, Li Jinbi, was unaware of what had happened and inquired further.
Knowing that her daughter had made a name for herself in the imperial competition that day, she was quite pleased and chimed in, "Perhaps she went to celebrate with her friends."
Wan Songling also knew how outrageous his daughter's actions were and assumed she knew she had caused trouble and dared not return home, so he said nothing more.
After dinner, they went to the study. It wasn't
until they were preparing for bed that he remembered and asked his wife, "Has that rebellious daughter returned?"
Li Jinbi hesitated.
Because of today's imperial competition, she had been keeping an eye on whether her daughter had secretly slipped back so she could question her in detail.
But until now, her daughter hadn't returned.
After telling Wan Songling, he was even more furious.
"A young lady staying out all night, what kind of behavior is this? How will she ever get married if word gets out?"
Li Jinbi was also secretly worried.
The next morning, Wan Qianyu returned.
Wan Songling wasn't home, so Li Jinbi pulled her daughter aside and questioned her.
Wan Qianyu naturally didn't dare to tell the truth, claiming she had spent the night at Xu Sheng's place. But
Li Jinbi wasn't so easily fooled: "Last night you went to the Xu residence, but what about before?"
Before her daughter returned, she had already asked the servants in the mansion. She
was shocked by what she found.
Last night wasn't the first time her daughter had stayed out all night!
"What do you mean before?"
Wan Qianyu feigned ignorance.
Li Jinbi said angrily, "Still trying to fool me? I've already asked the maids in your courtyard. For the past month, you've often stayed out all night. Where have you been?"
Wan Qianyu didn't answer.
She could barely fool her parents about one night, but it was practically impossible to deceive them about frequently staying out all night.
Seeing her like this, Li Jinbi looked even more heartbroken: "How could a young lady like you do such a thing? How will you ever get married if word gets out?"
Wan Qianyu, however, didn't seem to care: "I've already broken off the engagement with the Ji family. How many people would dare to marry me now?" "
That's because you went to a brothel to catch someone cheating."
Li Jinbi didn't know the inside story of the Ji family's broken engagement.
The Ji family couldn't possibly reveal the reason.
Although they had agreed to Xu Yuan's request to dissolve the engagement, they were still a royal family and had to maintain their reputation.
Their public statement was that Wan Qianyu's behavior of going to a brothel to catch someone cheating was too outrageous, and that the Ji family was not worthy of such a woman.
Clearly, they harbored resentment towards Wan Qianyu.
Under these circumstances, how many people would dare to risk offending the Ji family to marry Wan Qianyu?
Even without considering offending the Ji family, just the fact that Wan Qianyu would go to a brothel to catch someone cheating would make anyone who wanted to marry her think twice.
Wan Qianyu, however, showed no regret: "If you want me to marry Ji Baixiao, I'd rather never marry at all!"
"You..."
Li Jinbi patted her chest in anger, then calmed down before asking, "Who is that person?"
Wan Qianyu didn't want to cause trouble for Xu Yuan, so she remained silent.
"You won't tell, huh? I don't believe my Wan family can't find someone in this capital!"
Li Jinbi said, about to send someone to inquire.
Wan Qianyu hurriedly said, "Wait, I... I'll tell you."
"Who is it?"
"It's... it's Xu Yuan."
Li Jinbi was pleased rather than angry: "Are you talking about Xu Yuan, the champion who just won first place in the imperial competition yesterday?"
Wan Qianyu nodded.
"That's great news! Why didn't you tell your family?"
Li Jinbi was even happier.
Xu Yuan was now not only the man young women most wanted to marry, but also the best son-in-law in his mother-in-law's eyes.
With Xu Yuan's strength and background, he didn't need to fear the Ji family at all.
If her daughter could really marry him, it would indeed be much better than marrying that good-for-nothing Ji Baixiao.
"Xu Yuan is engaged,"
Wan Qianyu reminded her.
Li Jinbi scoffed, "So what if you're engaged? You're still the eldest daughter of the Wan family. Are you really inferior to Murong Xue, who came from a lowly background?"
If Wan Qianyu hadn't visited the Marquis of Champion's mansion and met the other sisters there, she might have been swayed by her words.
But now, Wan Qianyu had given up on the idea altogether.
With so many sisters, including two at the Foundation Establishment stage, she had no advantage in any way.
It wouldn't be her turn anyway.
"Mother, please don't worry about it."
"You're my daughter, it's a major life event, how can I not care?"
Li Jinbi was already planning how to approach the Xu family and have someone come to propose marriage.
Seeing her attitude, Wan Qianyu directly stated her position.
"It's fine as it is now, anyway, I don't plan to get married, so don't make a fuss." "Not getting married?"
Li Jinbi looked at her suspiciously: "Is it you who doesn't plan to get married, or him who doesn't plan to marry you?" "..." Wan Qianyu was silent for a while before saying: "He has a marriage contract, how can he break off the engagement for me? What will outsiders think of him? I've fallen out with the Ji family like this, if I can only marry him as a concubine, what will outsiders think of me? Since that's the case, it's better to maintain the status quo." "Follow him without any status or title? You might as well marry Ji Baixiao." Li Jinbi found it hard to accept. Ji Baixiao may be a good-for-nothing, but he's still a member of the Ji family. If their daughter can marry into the Ji family, it will be a source of pride for the family. Even if Xu Yuan is the best, it's still shameful for his daughter to be with him without any official status or recognition; it's something that can't be made public. "What makes Ji Baixiao compare to Xu Yuan?" Wan Qianyu scoffed. "I feel disgusted just looking at him. If I married him and had to see his face every day, I'd rather be dead. On the other hand, I'm happy just being with Xu Yuan, as long as I can stay by his side." "But you can't just follow him like this without any clear distinction!" "This isn't unclear. We're both cultivators. In the cultivation world, this is called a Daoist couple. Daoist couples don't have so many formalities." Cultivators? "I can understand Xu Yuan, a Foundation Establishment True Person, saying he's a cultivator, but you're only at the fourth level of Qi Chain, what kind of cultivator are you?" "Why isn't the fourth level of Qi Chain a cultivator? Besides, I'll achieve Foundation Establishment someday." "You? Foundation Establishment?" Li Jinbi touched her daughter's forehead: "You don't have a fever! What nonsense are you talking about? Your father doesn't even have spirit stones for Foundation Establishment, how are you going to achieve it?" Wan Qianyu said proudly: "Xu Yuan said he'll give me spirit stones to help me achieve Foundation Establishment."
"You actually believe that kind of nonsense meant for a young girl?"
Li Jinbi suddenly felt her daughter was a little different.
Was this still her clever and bright daughter?
They say that when love is deep, one becomes intoxicated, and extreme love can make one confused. Could it be that her daughter has really become foolish because she likes Xu Yuan too much?
"Xu Yuan didn't lie to me!"
Wan Qianyu knew that this kind of thing was indeed hard to believe, so she released the storage ring's restrictions: "Look if you don't believe me."
Li Jinbi looked at her suspiciously, then checked her storage ring. When she
saw the spirit stones inside, she was instantly stunned.
"Where did you get so many spirit stones?"
"Xu Yuan gave them to me!"
Wan Qianyu said happily.
Li Jinbi was immediately speechless with shock.
She had just glanced at it and found that her daughter's storage ring contained at least a thousand spirit stones, and they were mid-grade spirit stones.
If converted to low-grade spirit stones, that would be almost ten thousand.
That would be enough for her daughter to cultivate to the late stage of Qi Refining.
They had only known each other for a short time, and he had already given her so many spirit stones?
Such generosity…
If she encountered someone who treated her like this, she probably would have fallen for them too, without a doubt that they would help her achieve Foundation Establishment.
Moreover, there were not only spirit stones but also many talismans.
"Those talismans, and the ones you used in the Imperial Competition yesterday, were those also given to you by Xu Yuan?"
"Yes."
"…"
Li Jinbi understood even more why her daughter trusted Xu Yuan so much.
These talismans were definitely worth tens of thousands, and adding the ones used in the Imperial Competition, the value of the talismans alone was probably over twenty thousand.
That meant that what Xu Yuan gave her daughter was worth over thirty thousand!
That was almost enough for someone to achieve Foundation Establishment.
At the same time, she understood her daughter's choice.
Between a title and the opportunity to achieve Foundation Establishment, she would definitely choose Foundation Establishment!
As long as she could achieve Foundation Establishment, what did a mere title matter?
She was still the wife of a Vice Minister!
" Don't you still have to be respectful to any Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
"Fine, I won't interfere in your affairs, but you'll have to figure out how to talk to your father yourself."
...
Two days later.
The first auction of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion was held as scheduled.
Despite the tight schedule, the number of people was not small at all; in fact, the scene was extremely lively.
The hall was completely full, and many people had to squeeze through the aisles.
A well-dressed young master arrived late and, finding no seats available, and not wanting to squeeze through the aisles, approached Anxi, who was acting as a maid.
"This fairy, how do I get into your auction house's VIP boxes?"
Anxi smiled and said, "Just pay a deposit of ten thousand spirit stones."
"What? Ten thousand spirit stones?!"
The man was startled. "That's so expensive, who would be such a sucker?"
"There are less than five boxes left. If you're interested, please pay the deposit as soon as possible, or they'll be gone."
Tch!
So many rich people!
Feeling his pockets were empty, the young master had no choice but to squeeze through the aisle.
He had initially wanted to strike up a conversation with Anxi, given her striking beauty,
but now he was too embarrassed to speak.
Entering the auction hall, he saw several other women dressed similarly to Anxi, each one remarkably beautiful.
He was almost dazzled by their beauty.
He had initially assumed Anxi, with her stunning looks, was someone of high status, like the eldest daughter of the Xu family.
But now, she seemed to be just a maid?
Even the maids were so beautiful—the owner of this place must be incredibly wealthy!
At that moment,
he felt a mixture of envy and jealousy towards Xu Yuan, the owner.
He wished he could take his place.
However, remembering Xu Yuan's exploits, he could only keep his thoughts to himself.
No sooner had he left than Ouyang Tian, accompanied by Ouyang Bai, found Anxi and inquired about the private room and deposit.
Seeing his extraordinary bearing and unfathomable cultivation, Anxi patiently explained,
"Today is the first auction, so a deposit is required for the private rooms. If guests no longer wish to purchase, they can get their deposit back at any time with their jade token. Furthermore, as long as you spend 20,000 spirit stones at Qianlong Pavilion, you will automatically receive VIP status and no further deposit is needed."
Ouyang Tian, without introducing himself, prepared to pay the deposit.
Anxi was only at the Qi Refining stage, and Xu Yuan wouldn't allow them to collect so many spirit stones in a crowded place, lest they attract unwanted attention.
He led Ouyang Tian to Ji Linxiao's room, where Ji Linxiao registered him.
Ouyang Tian was stunned to see that Ji Linxiao's cultivation was no weaker than his own.
Xu Yuan actually had a Foundation Establishment cultivator under his command?
It seems that even without the Xu family, his power is not to be underestimated!
No wonder he dared to open an auction house.
Ouyang Bai, standing nearby, was even more dumbfounded.
He had already seen several maids along the way, almost all of them no less beautiful than Murong Xue. Now, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was just as skilled as Murong Xue had appeared…
What was their relationship with Xu Yuan?
He thought about how he had been desperately seeking Murong Xue, while Xu Yuan not only had Murong Xue as his fiancée but also so many beautiful women working for him…
This auction had even collected hundreds of thousands of spirit stones in deposits alone.
He felt both jealous and resentful.
Why?
How could a young master from a declining aristocratic family possess all of this?
Meanwhile, his grandfather, Ouyang Tian, had already readily paid his deposit and received the jade token symbolizing his VIP status. The grandfather and
grandson, led by An Qian, arrived at the private room.
"Grandpa, are the spirit stones we prepared enough to bid for this Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Ouyang Bai asked with some concern.
It concerned his own Foundation Establishment, especially everything he had seen and heard since entering the auction house, all of which had spurred him on, making him even more eager to achieve Foundation Establishment as soon as possible.
Ouyang Tian confidently said, "Don't worry, I doubt there's anything else good at this auction besides that Foundation Establishment Pill. I should have no problem getting one with all my might."
He had barely finished speaking when the auctioneer Chu Yun's voice echoed throughout the hall:
"...The first item up for auction is the Longevity Pill, starting at 10,000 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 100 spirit stones. Bidding begins now!"
The mere mention of the Longevity Pill sparked fierce bidding.
The calls for it rose and fell, quickly reaching over 15,000.
With Chu Yun's encouragement, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch. Caught up
in the excitement, Ouyang Tian couldn't resist joining the bidding.
"18,000!"
Ouyang Bai, standing nearby, was stunned. "Grandpa, weren't you saying you'd bid high for the Foundation Establishment Pill? Why are you bidding too?"
Ouyang Tian glanced at him indifferently. "What do you know? The Foundation Establishment Pill is important, but the Longevity Pill is important too!"
Although he was still far from his death date and didn't need the pill for now, acquiring it at a reasonable price was still very worthwhile.
Even if he didn't use it himself, he could leave it for the ancestor.
A Core Formation ancestor living ten more years was far more important than the family having another Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Even buying it now and reselling it later wouldn't be a loss.
Ouyang Bai was anxious, but he couldn't make the decision and could only watch helplessly.
He prayed that someone would quickly offer a higher price, beating his grandfather.
At the same time, he was somewhat shocked by Xu Yuan's sources of goods.
He was already quite surprised that the first auction could produce Foundation Establishment Pills, which hadn't circulated for hundreds of years. He
hadn't expected that besides Foundation Establishment Pills, there would also be Longevity Pills, such precious pills.
Meanwhile,
in the private room next to the two upstairs,
Xu Zhaogu didn't rush to bid.
He hadn't told his ancestor that there might be Longevity Pills at this auction, to avoid his ancestor using all the family's available spirit stones to bid for them.
But since he was already there, and Longevity Pills had appeared at the auction, he had to put on a show.
But before that…
"The ancestor's meaning is that the family won't make things difficult for you. We don't ask you to give the family the items others consigned for auction; we just need to return the auction house's commission to the family."
He looked at Xu Yuan in the private room.
Normally, the auction house's commission is between 10% and 30%, mostly 20%.
At 20%, according to the ancestor's calculations, the family could gain a significant advantage in this bidding.
For example, if someone bids 20,000 spirit stones, you can bid 25,000!
That's a full 5,000 spirit stones higher!
But the actual amount paid is the same.
This would undoubtedly be a huge advantage in bidding for high-value items like Foundation Establishment Pills.
Xu Yuan rolled his eyes.
"Should I thank him?"
He's clearly taking advantage of me, yet he talks as if the family has given me a benefit.
"Ahem! Well, the family does have its own difficulties right now. In terms of financial resources, we certainly can't compete with the Shi family, the Ouyang family, and others."
Xu Zhaogu quickly cleared himself up, "Of course, I'm just passing on a message. Whether you agree or not is up to you."
Xu Yuan certainly couldn't agree to such a condition.
Once this door was opened, today it's returning the Xu family's share of the bidding, tomorrow wouldn't they demand a share of all the auction items' share?
However, considering that the old man had treated him fairly well, Xu Yuan didn't refuse outright.
"My commission is only half a percent, which might not even cover expenses. Buying this auction house cost a considerable amount, and I haven't even recouped the costs yet. Engraving restrictions on the private rooms, hiring people to oversee things, paying maids' wages... all of that requires spirit stones."
Xu Yuan glanced at Murong Xue and Xu Sheng, who were also in a private room. "If the family had helped engrave the restrictions for free and provided some maids, I might have considered it."
Xu Sheng pretended not to understand and looked away.
Murong Xue, however, hesitated slightly before saying, "I'm willing to work as a maid here."
"No way, I don't need anyone here right now,"
Xu Yuan refused directly.
Xu Zhaogu asked in surprise, "Why is the commission only half a percent?"
Xu Yuan replied, "If the commission isn't low, who would want to put their items in my new auction house to sell?"
"That's true,"
Xu Zhaogu nodded understandingly, not mentioning the commission again.
Xu Yuan's reasoning was enough for him to report back to his ancestor.
He then bid a few more times.
Once the bidding reached over 25,000, he stopped participating.
A price range of 18,000 to 22,000 spirit stones is considered reasonable for the Longevity Pill.
Anything higher would be considered a premium.
Only someone like the patriarch, with limited lifespan and abundant resources, would be willing to pay any price.
Xu Zhaogu's bid of nearly 25,000 spirit stones was enough for him to report back.
Any more, and the family would be unable to afford it.
If it weren't for Xu Yuan, he might have also been willing to pay any price to acquire this Longevity Pill.
But now that they have Xu Yuan, their grandson who can kill a Core Formation Realm cultivator…
the family's future no longer rests on the patriarch.
How could they waste resources on a Longevity Pill?
In the end,
the Longevity Pill was successfully auctioned off for a high price of 29,500 spirit stones.
Judging from the voice, Xu Zhaogu recognized it; it seemed to be someone from a duke's mansion, whose members, like his patriarch, were nearing the end of their lifespans at the Core Formation Realm.
Xu Yuan didn't stay in the private room long. After the first item was auctioned off, he excused himself, saying he had other matters to attend to, and left Xu Zhaogu's room.
Pulling Lu Shuran, who was temporarily acting as a maid, into another empty private room, he opened the security barrier and began teaching her how to be a maid.
Lu Shuran was much bolder than Cheng Yi and learned quickly.
She didn't become shy because of the environment.
After a while, Tan Kou asked,
"I heard your fiancée is at the auction house right now?"
She took the initiative to get up and sit on Xu Yuan's lap, curiously inquiring.
Her bright eyes held a hint of cunning.
After becoming familiar with Ji Baiwei and Wan Qianyu, she knew quite a bit about Xu Yuan.
Today, she had come to work as a maid and originally wanted to see what kind of woman Xu Yuan's fiancée was.
Unfortunately, she didn't know Murong Xue and wasn't sure if Murong Xue was there or which one it was.
She only knew that the Xu family had indeed sent people, and Xu Yuan had even gone to the private room to keep them company for a while.
She had asked her sisters who had seen who was in that private room and only knew that besides the head of the Xu family, there were two other women.
One was much weaker than herself.
The other was at most on par with her.
Xu Yuan patted her ample bosom: "Focus."
Lu Shuran shook him: "Tell me! I want to know."
Xu Yuan, feeling comfortable from her shaking, granted her request.
"She is indeed here, but I don't consider her my fiancée, much less intend to marry her."
"Why?"
Hearing that Xu Yuan's fiancée was indeed there, Lu Shuran's eyes lit up even more.
"Why so many questions?"
Xu Yuan said, effectively silencing her seemingly endless questions with his actions.
Lu Shuran, however, didn't find it unbearable, only blaming herself for being too delicate.
Soon, she was sweating profusely, her lips slightly parted, and she embraced Xu Yuan, completely naked.
She thought to herself: Regardless of whether Xu Yuan will marry his nominal fiancée, at least now, in this auction house, I am the one who possesses Xu Yuan!
"The next item is a second-tier, low-grade defensive magic artifact, the Rock Shield, capable of withstanding attacks from early Foundation Establishment cultivators. The starting bid is 200 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 10 spirit stones. Bidding begins now."
Seeing the second item, Ouyang Tian, who had failed in his bid for the Longevity Pill, breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, it was just an ordinary item.
It seemed the Longevity Pill was the best item in this auction besides the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Now all that was left was to wait for the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Ouyang Bai beside him also breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness!
Someone won the Longevity Pill.
The quality of the next items shouldn't interest Grandpa.
There was still hope for the Foundation Establishment Pill!
As he had hoped, Ouyang Tian didn't bid again.
It wasn't until almost ten items had been bid on that another item finally caught Ouyang Tian's attention.
"This is a low-grade, third-tier wind-attribute demon core. It has been appraised and no demonic power has been lost. The starting bid is 1,000 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 100 spirit stones. Bidding begins now."
As Chu Yun finished her introduction, a commotion erupted in the room.
A third-tier demon core meant the killing of a third-tier demon beast.
That was a demon king, on par with a Core Formation True Monarch!
Moreover, under normal circumstances, demon beasts of the same level are stronger than cultivators.
No demonic power loss proved it was killed recently.
What kind of powerful figure could hunt down a demon king?
Probably at least a late-stage Core Formation True Monarch, right?
Otherwise, even if one could defeat a demon king, killing it would be difficult.
One also has to consider whether the spiritual power consumed in killing the demon king can be replenished from the demon king itself.
Does Champion Uncle even know such a powerful figure or powerful force?
However, despite the shock, there weren't many bidders.
Third-tier demon cores have very few uses.
Or rather, only a very few people are qualified to use them.
One also has to consider whether the attributes are compatible.
Ultimately, the demon core was sold for 18,000 spirit stones.
During the auction, Ouyang Tian also placed a bid.
A third-tier demon core with its demonic power intact!
That's something that can help someone form a false core.
Unfortunately, it didn't match his attributes, so he gave up after bidding over 15,000 spirit stones.
This relieved Ouyang Bai once again.
Not long after, another third-tier demon core was put up for auction.
"This is a low-grade third-tier earth-attribute demon core. After examination, its demonic power has not been lost at all. The starting price is 1,000 spirit stones, and each bid must be at least 100 spirit stones higher. Bidding begins now."
Ouyang Tian excitedly stood up.
He cultivated an earth-attribute technique.
With his talent, he was well aware that he had no hope of forming a true core.
A false core was his best outcome.
And to form a false core, a third-tier demon core of the same attribute was the best treasure for forming a core besides the Core Formation Core!
So he didn't hesitate and directly joined the bidding.
And he immediately raised the bid by a large margin.
"10,000 spirit stones!"
Ouyang Bai's heart skipped a beat again.
"Grandpa, why are you bidding again?"
"What do you know? This is something that can increase the probability of forming a Core, how can it be compared to a Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Ouyang Tian snorted.
A normal person knows which to choose: a False Core or a Foundation Establishment Pill
. Especially since he himself has the chance of forming a False Core, while someone else has the chance of Foundation Establishment.
He has more than one son, and a whole bunch of grandsons.
Why would he give up his own chance of forming a False Core just for one of his grandsons to achieve Foundation Establishment?
However, cultivators with the Earth attribute, one of the five elements, are obviously far more numerous than those with the Wind attribute, a different spiritual root.
Therefore, the competition is significantly fiercer.
Before they knew it, the bidding price had exceeded 20,000 spirit stones.
And three people were still bidding.
All three seemed determined to win, pushing the price up to over 30,000 without giving an inch!
Hearing his grandfather shout out 30,000 spirit stones, Ouyang Bai could do nothing but pray for his grandfather's opponents again.
When his grandfather successfully bid 36,000 spirit stones for the demon core, he slumped into a chair in despair amidst his grandfather's laughter.
It's over!
It's all over!
There's definitely no hope for the Foundation Establishment Pill!
Meanwhile,
in Xu Yuan's private room,
Lu Shuran also slowly slumped to the floor by the window.
Xu Yuan stood by the window, stroking his chin in thought.
A third-tier demon core fetching over 30,000 spirit stones was somewhat unexpected!
From the information he'd gathered, third-tier demon cores at other auction houses rarely sold for more than 15,000 spirit stones.
Of course, those demon cores all lost some demonic power,
making their effect on Core Formation negligible.
But the fact that adding the Core Formation effect could more than double the price was something he hadn't anticipated.
After all, demon cores could only help form a false core, not increase the probability of forming a true core.
They didn't have the "enhancement protection voucher" effect of Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining Pills.
A false core, compared to Foundation Establishment, only grants an extra sixty years of lifespan.
The improvement is merely equivalent to an ordinary person reaching Qi Chain.
Moreover, there are very few people who can establish a foundation, and even fewer who have the opportunity to cultivate to the peak of foundation establishment and break through to the pseudo-core stage.
Xu Yuan thought that with few competitors, the bidding price wouldn't be very high.
He hadn't expected that he would underestimate the wealthy people of the Immortal Capital.
Thinking of that third-tier wind-attribute demon core...
"If I sent all the eligible VIPs who could bid on the third-tier demon core a list of all the auction items in advance, and gave them more time to raise spirit stones, the final price should be much higher."
"Forget it, consider this a bonus for you guys."
"Anyway, I've already made enough."
Xu Yuan shook his head, squatted down, and patted Lu Shuran's face.
"Wake up, once you've rested enough, go out and let someone else come in."
...
The auction stage.
The auction continued.
"This is a Beauty Pill. Its effects are self-evident; it's a favorite among female cultivators. If anyone has someone they like, bid on it—you won't regret it! Starting bid is one hundred spirit stones, with each bid increasing by at least ten spirit stones. Bidding begins now."
As soon as Chu Yun finished speaking, some teasing voices rose from below the stage. Some
said they would bid the Beauty Pill to give to her.
Chu Yun didn't mind at all, boldly declaring, "The first person to give me a Beauty Pill, I will definitely fall in love with him!"
This made even more people cheer.
More and more people participated in the bidding.
The price quickly reached over two hundred spirit stones.
In Ouyang Tian's private room
, after receiving the third-tier demon core from the maid and inspecting it, Ouyang Tian was satisfied and stored it in his storage ring.
Seeing that the new item was a Beauty Pill, a strange look appeared on his face.
Although the Beauty Pill wasn't particularly valuable, it was undoubtedly a very rare pill.
Third-tier demon cores, Foundation Establishment pills, longevity pills, beauty pills…
This terrifying supply is unmatched by any of the three major auction houses combined.
Where did Xu Yuan find these supplies?
He glanced at Ouyang Bai, who was slumped in his chair. He
secretly shook his head; Ouyang Bai was no match for Xu Yuan.
But he was, after all, the most promising Foundation Establishment cultivator among his grandsons.
He'd buy the beauty pills as compensation.
He knew he had no hope of getting a Foundation Establishment pill with the remaining spirit stones.
Thinking this, he rejoined the bidding.
"Three hundred spirit stones!"
Having spent over four hundred spirit stones to bid on the Beauty Pill, Ouyang Tian casually handed it to Ouyang Bai. Ouyang Bai accepted it with a complicated expression: "Thank you, Grandpa."
A perfectly good Foundation Establishment Pill had turned into a Beauty Pill… He really couldn't be happy. "Even if you don't get the Foundation Establishment Pill, don't be discouraged," Ouyang Tian said, in a good mood, even having the leisure to comfort him. "Foundation Establishment is about going all out, facing death without fear. Having the Foundation Establishment Pill, thinking that failure is okay, might not be a good thing for you." "Yes, grandson understands," Ouyang Bai replied perfunctorily. He wasn't stupid. If he could get the Foundation Establishment Pill, his grandfather's words would definitely become: with the Foundation Establishment Pill as a safety net, failure is okay, there are no worries, and he can freely attempt to establish his foundation, greatly increasing his success rate. While the grandfather and grandson were talking, the next item up for auction, the Azure Jade Pill, had already sparked fierce bidding. The pill was eventually sold to a VIP in a private room for over three hundred spirit stones. When Xin He went to deliver the pill, the person who bought it was immediately awestruck upon seeing her. "I was just wondering who to give this pill to, and here you are, fairy! This must be fate. Please accept this pill." Xin He refused without hesitation. "No need, young master, you should keep it for yourself." If she wanted it, she could eat it like it was food. The man was stunned. His name was Yu Teng, the young master of the Marquis of An'nan. For him to just give away a Condensed Jade Pill worth over three hundred spirit stones was definitely a grand gesture. He thought that after giving it away, the woman would throw herself into his arms. But he was rejected? Looking at Xin He's pitiful face, his heart burned even hotter. "Are you a maid here?" "Yes." "Stop working here. From now on, you can work for me. I guarantee you'll never have to worry about food or clothing, and you'll enjoy wealth and luxury for the rest of your life!" Xin He refused even more decisively: "No need, I have other things to do, so I won't bother you any longer."
She finished speaking and turned to leave without a trace of regret or attraction.
"Stop!"
Yu Teng flashed in front of her.
He was a late-stage Qi Chain cultivator, praised by his father as a genius with the potential to reach Foundation Establishment. Stopping Xin He, who was only at the fourth level of Qi Chain, would be easy for him.
"Hmph! You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences. It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to you."
Xin He frowned: "This is the Champion Earl's auction house. Are you sure you want to cause trouble here?"
Hearing Xu Yuan's name, a hint of fear flashed across Yu Teng's face.
He had also participated in the Imperial Competition, but hadn't even made it into the top twenty.
Naturally, he was far from being a match for Xu Yuan, who could easily crush even Foundation Establishment cultivators.
However, his expression quickly returned to normal.
"You're just a maid. Even if I play with you, what can he do to me?"
He said, and was about to attack Xin He.
The moment he made his move, Xu Yuan, whose divine sense covered the entire area, noticed.
He put down the mirror glass that was hanging on his body, which was not touching the ground.
Jing Liuli was still reluctant to leave, kneeling on the ground and tightly hugging his legs, her eyes glazed and yearning, unwilling to let him go.
"Wait patiently, I'll deal with you again when I get back."
Xu Yuan patted her cheek twice, released his spiritual energy, took out a robe from his spatial storage, put it on, and leisurely went out to Yu Teng's private room.
When he entered,
Xin He looked at him somewhat helplessly.
Lying on the ground was a man with tattered clothes, a blackened face, and his hair still smoking.
"He tried to attack me, so I hit him with a talisman, but I didn't expect him to be so weak..."
Xin He explained weakly.
Xu Yuan naturally knew what had happened. When he saw Yu Teng trying to attack, he directly hit Yu Teng with a Shocking Thrust.
Yu Teng naturally had no strength left to resist Xin He's talisman. He
was about to comfort Xin He when Yu Teng, in a fit of rage and shame, tried to attack Xin He again. Xu Yuan stretched out his hand, and the man got up from the ground and put his neck in Xu Yuan's hand.
"Dare to cause trouble on my turf? Do you want to die?"
Meeting Xu Yuan's icy gaze, Yu Teng, pampered since childhood, felt a chill run down his spine and instantly calmed down.
Remembering that the other man had truly fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he trembled with fear and hurriedly begged for mercy: "Champion Earl, spare me! My father is the Marquis of An'nan! Please don't kill me! I know I was wrong..." "
Luckily you were born into a good family, otherwise you'd be dead already."
Xu Yuan didn't let go of him, but simply grabbed him and carried him to the auction house entrance below, throwing him out in front of everyone.
"Dare to cause trouble again, and I'll make sure you come in upright and leave horizontally! Get out!"
Having lost face so badly, Yu Teng was both angry and annoyed, but he didn't dare utter a single harsh word and slunk away.
Xu Yuan returned and pulled Xin He into an empty room.
"Were you scared?"
Xu Yuan sat down in a chair and pulled Xin He onto his lap.
Xin He shook her head.
Xu Yuan lifted her chin, looking at her flawless face, and slowly kissed her.
Halfway through the kiss, he suddenly smiled.
He realized that Xin He's younger brother was experiencing the same thing as Xin He. And the one
harassing him was his old acquaintance—Pei Gan.
But when Xin Yuan spoke, Pei Gan almost fainted from fright.
Naturally, he didn't continue.
"What's wrong?"
Xin He asked, opening her hazy eyes.
"Nothing."
Xu Yuan was happy to be free, understanding her needs, and prepared to continue what he hadn't finished with Jing Liuli.
"No…not here…"
Xin He was a little shy.
But this appearance was undoubtedly even more alluring to the man.
"Don't worry, there's a barrier; no one outside can detect it."
…
Meanwhile.
Jing Liuli waited and waited, but Xu Yuan didn't return.
Her body gradually cooled, and her mind gradually regained its rationality. She began to curse Xu Yuan.
"Damn it! He lied to me, go die, go die, go die!"
But after venting her anger, she became even more anxious.
"Why hasn't that guy come back yet? Has he forgotten about me?"
"Am I really that unimportant to him?"
"Is it because of my status that he only sees me as his slave?"
"Has he never even liked me a little bit?"
After thinking about these things for a long time, the moment she saw Xu Yuan finally return, she immediately ran over and jumped onto him.
"Damn it, why did you take so long?"
Xu Yuan held her with one arm: "I gave you a little more time to rest, so you wouldn't start begging for mercy again before half an incense stick has burned."
"Hmph, who's begging for mercy is still uncertain!"
Jing Liuli retorted stubbornly.
As a result,
after only a little over half an incense stick's time, she started kicking and screaming, acting like she was going to die.
Seeing her clinging to him like this, Xu Yuan couldn't help but think of a song. "
I want to give you an everlasting love..." The long-awaited final item – the Foundation Building Pill – finally made its appearance amidst much anticipation.