448: Repeated failures and conspiracy (two-in-one, please subscribe for a monthly ticket)

"Please note: Real Person Fengxing suspects the highest prices are 28,000 Medium Grade Spirit Stones for the Fourth-Order Beast Nurturing Pill Pill Formula, 44,000 Medium Grade Spirit Stones for the pure-blooded Wind Scale Python cub, and 38,000 Medium Grade Spirit Stones for the sturgeon dragon wine recipe!"

Lin Shiming looked at the prompt and finally relaxed.

He had even detected the reserve prices of the True Persons from Nine Dragon Island!

This meant these were prices normal Cultivators could afford. As long as he didn't exceed these prices, the other party's suspicion wouldn't be as great. Similarly, he couldn't not bid, or bid too low, as that would make it seem like the Lin family was deliberately avoiding it!

As long as it was within this range, there would be no problem.

Of course, this didn't mean the Lin family had to give up these treasures.

Among them, the Fourth-Order Beast Nurturing Pill Pill Formula and the sturgeon dragon wine recipe were both urgently needed by the Lin family.

In recent years, the Lin family's infiltration into Tianxiang Island was not just through overt Lin family Cultivators.

Many Cultivators had also been developed into the Lin family's secret agents; otherwise, the Lin family would not have been able to control public opinion and manipulate bidding prices on Tianxiang Island.

With a clear plan in mind, Lin Shiming's expression became more composed. He picked up the spirit tea and casually drank it.

Lin Xianzhi and Lin Shijie didn't understand why Lin Shiming was so calm. Lin Shilei and Lin Shiyuan, on the other hand, were extremely interested and eagerly wanted to bid for the Fourth-Order Beast Nurturing Pill Pill Formula.

Neither of them knew that the True Persons of Nine Dragon Island were searching for the Lin family's golden dragon fruit tree. At this moment, they were discussing how much higher they should bid to secure it with one decisive offer.

Lin Shilei had a young Thunder Spirit Turtle. His Thunder Spirit Turtle had already undergone Bloodline Restoration three times. It had now grown a horn, and although it hadn't broken through to the Fourth-Order yet, there was no need to worry about its Breakthrough to Fourth-Order.

It was only a matter of time.

It was important to know that the Lin family now had many Fourth-Order inner cores from Thunder-attribute great Yao Beasts, and they could perform another Bloodline Restoration on the Thunder Spirit Turtle. At that time, the Fourth-Order Beast Nurturing Pill would come in handy.

"Fifteen thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!"

Unintentionally, the price of the Pill Formula had doubled.

Yunchengzi on the third floor kept looking at Lin Houyuan, trying to discern his plans from his face.

The transparent crystal ball was held high, its Spirit Light illuminating the entire Auction hall.

A faint Divine Sense lingered in the Auction hall.

However, after Lin Houyuan received the message and told Lin Xianzhi, Lin Xianzhi told him not to worry about it.

Therefore, Lin Houyuan was indeed a bit anxious at this moment, but out of trust in Lin Xianzhi and Lin Shiming, his expression remained unusually calm.

"Twenty thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" This time, Lin Shiming made the bid, and as soon as he did, many Cultivators began to hesitate.

The fact that the Lin family possessed Golden Core combat power was no longer a secret, and the story of Lin Shiming single-handedly slaying eighteen Jiaolong had long spread.

Although Lin Shiming showed no particular expression, for everyone, it was clear that they couldn't compete, regardless of whether it offended him or not.

The Auction instantly cooled down.

Even the Lin family themselves hadn't expected such a significant difference in bidding between Lin Shiming and other Cultivators.

After a long while, a little-known Loose Cultivator in a private room on the second floor finally called out a price of twenty-three thousand!

That Loose Cultivator also offered an apologetic smile.

Clearly, he understood that Lin Shiming was watching him at this moment.

Lin Shiming was not surprised. If Wind Travel Merchant Alliance had been here for so long without any preparations, that would be truly abnormal.

"Twenty-five thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" Lin Shiming didn't stop, continuing to bid.

"Twenty-six thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" This time, the bid came from a Purple Mansion Daoist in a room on the third floor.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I apologize, but this Beast Nurturing Pill Pill Formula is also something this old man needs!" A vicissitudes of life voice echoed.

And the previous Loose Cultivator also raised the price again:

"Twenty-seven thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Twenty-seven thousand five hundred Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" Lin Shiming paused, then spoke again.

As soon as he said this, the Loose Cultivator bid even faster, adding a full two thousand this time.

The price reached thirty thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones, and it's important to know that this was just a Pill Formula for a Fourth-Order Medicinal Pill.

It was for accelerating the growth of Yao Beasts, and itself provided little help for Yao Beast advancement.

The normal price was around twenty thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones; it was only the nature of the Auction that caused the price to rise so dramatically.

Lin Shiming sat back directly, no longer bidding. Lin Shilei and Lin Shiyuan were also filled with regret.

After all, there was no Fourth-Order Beast Nurturing Pill.

Only that Loose Cultivator and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator continued to raise the price.

On the other end of the crystal ball, several True Persons looked up, their faces full of doubt.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator was someone they had instructed; of course, the Purple Mansion Daoist was also arranged by them.

For the Foundation Establishment Cultivator to continue bidding above thirty thousand would seem a bit strange, but the Purple Mansion Cultivator could continue to raise the price.

They just hadn't expected Lin Shiming to give up below thirty thousand.

"It's getting difficult!" True Person Blood Cloud also looked annoyed.

"No matter," Real Person Fengxing said again. "Since he leaves no traces, we'll investigate ourselves. He appeared at this Auction, so his Dao Protector Spirit Cultivator must also be here!"

His words made the True Persons present sigh, realizing the wisdom in Real Person Fengxing's statement.

If the Lin family was truly guarding against them, then they must have brought the Spirit Cultivator this time.

Their investigation this time wouldn't even require a Golden Core True Person; any Purple Mansion Daoist could go to the Lin family's island to probe.

"But what if that Spirit Cultivator is on Shuangmu Island? After all, both Shuangmu Island and Nine Dragon Island have Teleportation Arrays!" Real Person Baiyu also expressed his concern.

"No matter," Real Person Fengxing replied without hesitation. "With the Jiaolong appearing in the sea, our Nine Dragon Island Cultivators should do even more to help the Coral Alliance clear the Yao Race from the archipelagos!"

Whether they discovered anything or not, it would not affect their investigation of the Lin family.

He was also running out of time. The appearance of the Lin family's daughter red wine this time was bound to attract the attention of the Coral Alliance's higher-ups.

If they stayed here all the time and didn't go to the Dragon Nest, then everyone would know their intentions.

By then, even if they could stay on Nine Dragon Island, it would be with a large group of Fellow Daoists.

"The subsequent probes will continue, but we won't look at the results. We'll let Yunchengzi act freely!"

As he spoke, Real Person Fengxing suddenly produced some five-colored blood. If Lin Shiming were here, he would realize that this blood was similar to the Discoloration Jiaolong blood he had slain.

The Dragon Blood dropped into the bronze long lamp and immediately began to burn fiercely. The spiritual mist it emitted began to churn, transforming from white spiritual mist into five-colored spiritual mist.

The entire room's atmosphere also changed dramatically.

The next moment, the bronze Dragon head suddenly turned five-colored, and even grew a Jiaolong body, Jiaolong claws, and a Jiaolong tail.

It was as if the bronze Dragon head had come to life.

What appeared before the True Persons was clearly a Fourth-Order Late Stage Discoloration Jiaolong, not a rigid bronze statue.

The Discoloration Jiaolong continuously swam, and the scenes of the sea rolled back one by one, swiftly flowing past on both sides. The speed was extremely fast, and the sea it traversed was precisely near the Lin family's Shuangmu Island.

Clearly, Real Person Fengxing had been prepared… The Auction continued, and the Fourth-Order Beast Nurturing Pill secret formula was bought by a Purple Mansion Daoist, with a transaction price of thirty-two thousand.

Lin Houyuan's face showed regret. Although he didn't know why the Lin family had given up, he didn't say much. As a merchant, he understood even better that his inner thoughts should not show on his face.

"Next up for Auction is the recipe for the Fourth-Order Medium Grade sturgeon dragon wine, also provided by the Wind Travel Merchant Alliance. Its wine formula uses deep-sea sturgeon and Jiaolong Python for refinement, resulting in a potent flavor. Its amplification effect on the Physical Body can be called a divine medicine. All Body Cultivators with interest, please make your moves!" Lin Houyuan continued, walking to a new female Cultivator, removing the brocade cloth, and the Jade Slip revealed a slight hint.

As for the later parts, they were sealed with a secret art, and only Cultivators with the original Jade Slip could unveil them.

"The starting price is ten thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones, and each bid must not be less than five hundred Medium Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Fifteen thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!"

This time, it was again a Purple Mansion Daoist, who directly added five thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones to the price.

And Lin Shiming also stood up again.

"Twenty thousand!"

Just two bids immediately stopped many Body Cultivators who had been interested.

This time, Lin Shiming's Aura was even stronger, as if he wouldn't stop until he got it.

And the Purple Mansion Cultivator opposite also bid again, showing no weakness, and this time, he didn't even bother to be polite to Lin Shiming.

"Twenty-three thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Twenty-eight thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" Lin Shiming added another five thousand!

His face was expressionless, as if the Spirit Stones he spoke of were Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"Twenty-nine thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" The Purple Mansion Daoist, however, had a flushed face.

"Thirty-four thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" Lin Shiming raised the price by another five thousand. This time, his Aura was distinctly different.

And many Loose Cultivators also knew that the Lin family had slain many Jiaolong and Python great Yao Beasts.

They precisely needed this secret recipe for sturgeon dragon wine.

This time, it was clearly a must-win situation.

What many people clearly didn't expect was that the Purple Mansion Daoist spoke again:

"Thirty-five thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!"

Inside the Auction pavilion, many Cultivators were shocked. Some Cultivators had already guessed the identity of the Purple Mansion Cultivator on the third floor.

This was the Lin family's Auction!

"Could it be that the Wind Travel Merchant Alliance Cultivators are buying and selling to themselves?" In the hall, some Cultivators also raised this question.

Especially since the Fourth-Order Beast Nurturing Pill Pill Formula earlier was also like this.

It made it seem even more likely.

Of course, what they didn't know at this moment was that in the private room on the third floor, Yunchengzi also looked puzzled.

They had arranged for Cultivators to bid, but at this moment, it seemed there was no need to arrange any more.

A Purple Mansion Cultivator was already helping them probe the Lin family.

He looked into the crystal ball, which was now devoid of light.

The True Persons on the other side seemed to no longer be paying attention here.

The young man beside him also looked over, his face full of questions.

Because, even he suspected that the Purple Mansion Cultivator was secretly arranged by Yunchengzi.

sturgeon dragon wine was a wine formula that the Lin family almost certainly had to acquire.

And the price on the floor responded perfectly.

Lin Shiming called out a price of thirty-eight thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones.

But the bidding wasn't over yet.

"Forty thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" The Purple Mansion Cultivator spoke again.

And inside the Lin family's private room, there was no longer a sound.

Lin Shiming had given up again.

This relinquishment also meant that the Lin family had once again missed out on a Pill Formula.

And to the Cultivators present, it seemed like the Wind Travel Merchant Alliance was buying and selling to themselves, with no intention of actually selling the Pill Formula or wine formula.

In Yunchengzi's private room, Yunchengzi sighed and looked at the young man:

"Tell those Cultivators not to bid anymore. Let the Lin family acquire this Wind Scale Python cub!"

The absence of the True Persons watching meant that the Lin family's situation was not a major issue, and even if they continued to watch, they wouldn't discover anything.

However, if this Auction item were to also not fall into the Lin family's hands, then whether the Wind Travel Merchant Alliance truly intended to form an Alliance with the Lin family would become questionable.

Their Nine Dragon Island's entry into Nine Dragon Island was achieved by forming an Alliance with a merchant caravan.

If a treasure didn't end up in the Lin family's hands, then Real Person Hongye would have to speak up.

In addition, Lin Shiming also had a Spirit Cultivator and Tianliu Island backing him.

This also represented the conservative faction of the Coral Alliance, and by then, Nine Dragon Island could forget about entering the Outer Sea again.

The implications were too vast.

The young man also nodded. His fingers moved slightly, and a spiritual jade began to change. The change in the spiritual jade was very subtle, invisible to the naked eye.

As for Divine Sense, they had a Formation that isolated it.

After all the arrangements were complete, he looked at the adjacent private room, his eyes filled with fighting spirit... Lin Houyuan's face showed regret. Even with his composure, he couldn't help but look a little displeased.

Lin Shiming's bids of five thousand, five thousand, clearly showed his anger, yet it was still snatched away by someone else.

His face was also not looking good.

However, they were the organizers of the Auction, and it was impossible for them to make things difficult for any bidding Cultivator. Moreover, they also had to ensure the safety of these Cultivators in Nine Dragon City; otherwise, who would come to the Lin family's Auction to buy things?

Where would all the reputation they had built up before go?

Many Cultivators in the hall also felt that Lin Shiming had a good temper; if it were any other Purple Mansion Peak Daoist, they would have probably slammed the table by now.

Even though he was unwilling, Lin Houyuan still composed his expression:

"Congratulations to this Fellow Daoist for acquiring the sturgeon dragon wine formula!"

"Next up is the most important treasure of this Auction!"

"Provided by the Wind Travel Merchant Alliance, it is a cub descendant of a Fourth-Order pure-blooded Wind Scale Python great Yao Beast. It is a Third-Order Middle Stage Yao Beast from birth, and its cultivation value goes without saying. It even has the potential to transform from a python into a Jiaolong, achieving the legendary status of a Yao King!" Lin Houyuan spoke with great enthusiasm.

It was as if what stood before him was truly a Wind Scale Jiaolong, and one that might even become an existence like the Azure Flood Dragon King in the future.

As he spoke, he walked to a female Cultivator, unveiled the brocade cloth, revealing a spirit beast pouch.

And to allow everyone to see better, beside the spirit beast pouch was a Jade Slip. The Jade Slip fell into Lin Houyuan's hand.

Then, a Spirit Light shone, revealing the majestic appearance of a young Wind Scale Python in the Void Realm before everyone.

Of course, even a young Wind Scale Python was three to four zhang long, its entire body densely covered in scales. On them were azure whirlwind spiritual patterns, and its python head was extraordinarily fierce, with a slight bulge on its head, as if Dragon horns could grow at any moment.

It was clearly a pure-blooded Wind Scale Python of the purest kind, born not long ago, yet already possessing the potential to transform into a Jiaolong.

"The Wind Scale Python cub, with a starting price of twenty thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones! Each bid must not be less than one thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!" Lin Houyuan announced.

"Twenty-three thousand!"

"Twenty-five thousand!"

...For a time, countless people were bidding.

And at this moment, inside the private room where Lin Shiming was, a voice once again rang out.

"Forty-five thousand Medium Grade Spirit Stones!"

A price that directly more than doubled appeared before everyone.

Many Cultivators directly gave up. It was important to know that even Yunchengzi, though he desperately wanted to probe at this time, would offend people if he probed any further.

He ultimately had no choice but to give up, and Lin Shiming finally secured his first Auction item this time, the Wind Scale Python cub!