280: Tianxing Pavilion, the young master's prey

Black Market Star.

This was a chaotic planet without day or night, only eternal neon and desire.

The Heavenly Star Pavilion, the most prestigious auction house on Black Market Star, was currently brightly lit.

Various starships with strange shapes and powerful Auras were docked at the massive spaceport outside the Heavenly Star Pavilion like a swarm of bees returning to their hive. Every Cultivator who stepped off a starship was either wealthy or noble, radiating a cold Aura that warned others not to approach.

An attack ship, pitch-black and shaped like a sharp sword, silently glided into a remote docking bay.

The hatch opened.

A man wearing a plain black robe and a silver mask stepped down slowly.

He had no attendants, and his Aura was as restrained as a common rock; he was utterly unremarkable as he blended into the crowd.

It was Lin Fan in disguise.

He looked up at the magnificent auction house, which resembled a divine temple, and walked straight toward it.

"Young Master, please show your invitation."

At the entrance, two guards at the Late Stage Soul Transformation Rank stopped him. Their tone was polite, but their stance was firm.

Lin Fan didn't say a word, simply tossing something with a flick of his hand.

A pitch-black token landed in the guard's hand.

It was the highest-grade VIP token of the Black Sail Pirate Crew, enough to command the highest level of treatment in most black markets across the sea of stars.

The guard scanned it with his Divine Sense, and his expression changed instantly.

The previous professional politeness vanished, replaced by heartfelt respect and... fear.

"A distinguished guest has arrived, please forgive our lack of a proper welcome. This way, please!"

The guard bowed ninety degrees and made a gesture of invitation.

A maid with an alluring figure and a cultivation at the Peak Nascent Soul Rank immediately approached with light steps, a sweet smile on her face.

"Honored guest, please follow me. Your exclusive private booth has been prepared."

Lin Fan nodded slightly and followed the maid toward the depths of the pavilion.

Along the way, the surroundings were magnificent and densely packed with Formations.

Countless subtle Divine Senses scanned from all directions, but upon touching the silver mask on his face, they were all quietly deflected by an invisible force, unable to probe him in the slightest.

Just as they were about to enter an independent teleportation Formation, an arrogant and overbearing voice came from the side.

"Stop right there."

A group of people blocked their path.

Leading them was a handsome youth in fine clothing with a feminine gaze. He had women in both arms and was followed by a squad of fierce-looking guards. Wherever he went, other Cultivators moved aside to avoid him.

The youth's snake-like eyes scanned Lin Fan, finally landing on the silver mask, his lips curling into a contemptuous arc.

"A rat hiding its face—does he think he's worthy of using the VIP passage?"

The maid's face turned slightly pale as she hastily bowed.

"Greetings, Young Lord of the Heavenly Charm Sect."

The Young Lord of the Heavenly Charm Sect, Si Kongya.

Within Lin Fan's mind, the Black Sail Eye's intelligence database automatically brought up all information regarding this person.

He was eccentric, lecherous, and cruel, with a particular love for collecting female Cultivators with special Physiques to use as Cauldrons. His methods were extremely ruthless.

"Get lost." Si Kongya didn't even spare the maid a glance, his gaze still locked onto Lin Fan with a playful look, like a cat toys with a mouse.

He thoroughly enjoyed using his status and Aura to crush others.

Especially these seemingly mysterious 'experts.'

His favorite thing to do was to tear off their disguises and watch their pathetic expressions as they knelt and begged for mercy.

The maid's body trembled slightly, not daring to move.

Lin Fan finally made a move.

He didn't look at Si Kongya.

He simply turned his head to look at the pale, flustered maid beside him.

Then, he took a small cloth bag from his Storage Ring and tossed it to her.

"Lead the way."

Two simple, flat words.

The maid instinctively caught the bag and felt its weight. A surge of Spiritual Qi so pure it made her Soul tremble emanated from the bag.

She instinctively scanned it with her Divine Sense.

Boom!

The maid's mind went blank.

Inside the bag, there were no Low-Grade Spirit Stones, no Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and not even any High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Instead, it was a bag full of brilliantly shining... Top-Grade Spirit Stones!

There were at least a thousand in this bag!

It was enough to buy her life ten thousand times over!

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's gaze froze.

Even the playful expression on Si Kongya's face stiffened.

Using Top-Grade Spirit Stones... as a tip?

Where the hell did this powerful outsider come from?

Si Kongya's face instantly shifted from mocking to livid, then to a bruised purple-red.

This was no longer a provocation.

This was humiliation.

It was the most direct and brutal way of telling him—your status and position are worthless in my eyes.

"You... very well!"

Si Kongya squeezed the words through his teeth, the killing intent in his eyes almost manifesting into substance.

Lin Fan continued to ignore him.

It was as if Si Kongya were nothing but thin air.

He merely looked at the completely dazed maid and repeated himself.

"Lead the way."

The maid jolted and suddenly snapped out of it.

The look she gave Lin Fan was full of fanaticism and awe. Without any further hesitation, she bowed and led the way, completely leaving Si Kongya's group standing there in the cold.

The teleportation Formation flashed, and Lin Fan's figure vanished.

"Argh!!!"

Si Kongya let out a suppressed low roar, his Aura becoming incredibly violent as he instantly shattered a nearby vase into dust.

"Investigate him! I want to know who he is! I want him dead!!"

The guards behind him were as silent as cicadas in winter... Inside the exclusive booth on the top floor, it was incredibly luxurious.

Lin Fan sat on a chair crafted from Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Nurturing Wood, looking down through a one-way crystal wall at the massive auction hall below.

The maid from earlier had already respectfully withdrawn.

Before leaving, she left behind a Communication Jade Slip with the highest authority, stating that she would arrive immediately if he had any requests.

Lin Fan casually set it aside.

His attention had already fallen on another part of the hall.

There, the Young Lord of the Heavenly Charm Sect, Si Kongya, sat in his VIP seat with a dark expression.

Suddenly, Si Kongya's eyes lit up as they landed on a female Cultivator who had just taken her seat nearby.

She was a woman dressed in a moon-white dress, possessing a cold and celestial Aura. A thin veil covered her face, obscuring her features, but her transcendent temperament alone was enough to make any man take notice.

A trace of greed and heat flashed in Si Kongya's eyes.

"A Top-Grade Ice Spirit Physique... Hahaha, the heavens are truly helping me!"

He made no attempt to hide his desire, licking his lips as if he could already see the wonderful scene of pinning this female Cultivator down and draining her Primal Yin.

The female Cultivator seemed to sense his aggressive gaze; her brow furrowed imperceptibly, and a flash of disgust appeared in her eyes.

Yue Xi.

In Lin Fan's mind, the intelligence database provided information once again.

Her background was mysterious, and her strength was unfathomable; she was suspected to come from a top-tier hidden Sect.

"Interesting."

At that moment, the auction officially began.

The first auction item was a High Grade Spirit Treasure Flying Sword of decent quality.

"Starting price, one million High-Grade Spirit Stones!"

To vent his earlier anger and to show off his wealth in front of Yue Xi, Si Kongya didn't even think before raising his sign.

"Three million!"

He wanted to crush the entire room with absolute power.

However, just as his voice fell.

A flat voice echoed throughout the hall from the top-floor booth via the Formation.

"Ten million."

The entire hall fell silent once again.

Everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the highest booth.

Si Kongya's face instantly turned a deep purple.

It was him again!

"Fifteen million!" he roared.

"Thirty million." The voice remained flat, without a hint of emotion, as if the number being called wasn't an astronomical sum but just a simple 'three.'

"You...!"

Si Kongya was shaking with rage.

This sword was worth five million at most!

The other party was purely trying to disgust him!

But now, he was in too deep to back down.

If he gave up now, where would the reputation of the Young Lord of the Heavenly Charm Sect go?

"Fif... Fifty million!" He practically screamed the price.

The crowd erupted into an uproar.

Everyone looked at Si Kongya as if they were looking at a fool.

The top-floor booth went silent.

No more sound came from it.

The auctioneer excitedly struck the gavel three times.

"Congratulations to Young Lord Si Kong!!"

Pfft!

Si Kongya felt a sweetness in his throat, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He had used the price of a Low Grade Dao Artifact to buy a High Grade Spirit Treasure.

The surrounding faint, mocking glances were like steel needles stabbing into his heart.

He stared fixedly at the top-floor booth, the malice in his eyes almost turning into a physical curse.

Just then.

A tiny voice that only he could hear, seemingly carrying a hint of well-intentioned advice, drifted into his ear.

"Young Lord Si Kong, don't spend impulsively."

"I'm not interested in these trifles."

"I'm only here for one thing—the [realm beacon]."

"You'd better not try to compete with me for it."

Si Kongya's body completely stiffened.

The realm beacon!

His target was actually the realm beacon as well!

An indescribable fury and killing intent instantly rushed to the top of his head.

He could no longer maintain his surface poise, and a venomous transmission shot directly toward Lin Fan's booth.

"No matter who you are, after this auction ends, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Inside the booth.

Lin Fan leaned back in his chair, and listening to the threat echoing in his mind, a pleasant arc slowly curled on his lips beneath the silver mask.

Make me wish I were dead?

There's such a good thing?

He picked up the spiritual tea on the table, took a light sip, and casually swept his gaze over the hall.

Coincidentally, his gaze met a cold pair of eyes in the air.

It was the woman named Yue Xi.

She was quietly looking at his booth. In those eyes hidden behind the veil, there was no fear and no admiration, only a hint of pure, searching curiosity.