73: Chapter 73: The Auction Begins

Ye Bufan puffed out his little chest: "Father, I will work even harder!"

Ye Changge stepped forward, gently pulled the mother and son into his arms, and said warmly,

"My child has such ambition; as your father, I am very pleased."

He let go and said to Ye Bufan:

"Follow me, Father will pass on a Cultivation Technique suitable for your current cultivation."

Hearing this, Xiao Cui was even more moved, knowing that her husband was personally paving the way for their son, and said softly:

"Husband, Bufan, you two go ahead."

Ye Bufan nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Ye Changge led Ye Bufan to a secret room dedicated to teaching Cultivation Techniques and set up a sound-insulating Restriction.

He took out a warm jade slip, which was the Legacy jade slip containing the "Kunpeng Refining Art".

However, he only copied and imprinted the Qi Refining Stage portion of the Cultivation Technique onto another blank jade slip.

"Bufan, this is the 'Kunpeng Refining Art', a highly profound Body Refining Cultivation Technique."

Ye Changge handed over the Jade Slip and said solemnly.

Ye Bufan took the Jade Slip with both hands, his little face immediately showing shock.

"Don't worry, Father! Bufan will certainly live up to your expectations, Cultivate diligently, and master this Cultivation Technique as soon as possible!"

He gripped the jade slip tightly, as if holding a peerless treasure.

Ye Changge patted his shoulder with satisfaction:

"Good. Once you have initially mastered the Qi Refining section of this Cultivation Technique, and your body's Qi and blood are full, and your muscles and bones have begun to take shape, come find me. At that time, Father will have a special Magical Artifact for you, which will perfectly complement this Cultivation Technique and let you experience the feeling of refining."

"Yes! Father!"

Ye Bufan's eyes were full of fighting spirit.

...

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away from Longmai Mountain, at a desolate mountain pass.

Two figures dressed in black, with their faces covered by black scarves, were looking out at the faint silhouette of White Bird Market in the distance.

One of them was burly with a fierce Aura and eyes flashing with sharp light; he was a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The other was slightly thinner, with a hint of caution and hesitation in his eyes.

"Big Brother, are we... really going to make a move on this White Bird Market? That place is now the territory of the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain."

The thin man in black lowered his voice, his tone uneasy,

"I heard that the Old Ancestor of the Ye Family, Ye Changge, reached Foundation Establishment at a young age and once killed two Foundation Establishment Old Ancestors of the Li Family single-handedly. He has quite a fierce reputation. Shouldn't we... reconsider?"

The burly man in black, called "Big Brother", sneered, unconcerned:

"Second Brother, you really are becoming more timid as you age! Accepting money to do a job is only natural! The employer paid enough Spirit Stones and specifically asked us to disrupt this market to cause some trouble for the Ye Family, so we must do a good job!"

"That kind of Foundation Establishment Cultivator who relies on Family resources to build up his cultivation—he only has the cultivation level; how much real combat ability can he have? Your Big Brother has been at Foundation Establishment for many years; I can take on ten of him!"

"No, Big Brother," the second brother quickly explained,

"I'm not afraid of him, it's just... didn't I luckily obtain half a volume of a fragmentary divination Legacy years ago?

Although I didn't learn the essence and can only vaguely sense signs of good or bad fortune...

But this time, I just don't feel right in my heart; I feel... a vague sense of crisis."

The burly leader heard this and looked even more disdainful:

"With that half-baked divination art of yours? Eight out of ten times it's inaccurate! Last time you said the southwest was very auspicious, and we almost fell into a nest of Iron-backed Demon Wolves!

A vague feeling this time? I think you're just losing your nerve!

Alright, stop talking nonsense and follow the plan. Act quickly, and the Ye Family won't be able to react in time!"

The second brother opened his mouth, but seeing his leader's unquestionable gaze, he finally swallowed his words.

...

A few days later, White Bird Market.

The auction was set to officially begin tomorrow.

As the first large-scale event held after the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain took over, the scale and preciousness of this auction far exceeded previous ones.

Cultivators from various surrounding countries and forces arrived in an endless stream; the market was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.

The shops on both sides of the street were decorated with lanterns and colored banners, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining were endless,

The air was filled with excitement and anticipation.

The Ye Family attached great importance to this, not only sending out invitations months in advance but also strengthening the forces maintaining order to the extreme.

Teams of Ye Family Disciples, dressed in uniform green robes and with refined Auras, patrolled the main streets with sharp eyes.

At key nodes around the market, several temporarily reinforced early-warning and defense Formations were set up, overseen personally by the clan elders who were proficient in Formations.

Ye Changge and Lu Shiyin arrived early at the largest building in the center of the market.

This building had nine floors, with carved beams and painted rafters, and a magnificent Aura; it was the main venue for this auction.

The private room on the top floor had been set up as a temporary command post for the Old Ancestor of the Ye Family,

allowing him to overlook the entire venue and respond to emergencies at any time.

Lu Shiyin, dressed in a water-blue palace gown with her hair tied up in a high bun, carried the unique dignity of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator amidst her gentle and dignified temperament.

She was softly relaying details to the clan elders responsible for specific matters, clear and organized, with orders strictly followed, already looking every bit the qualified matriarch.

Ye Changge stood with his hands behind his back in front of the huge glass window, his gaze sweeping calmly over the bustling crowd downstairs.

Especially the female Cultivators in the crowd, whose numbers were significantly higher than usual and who were mostly elaborately dressed.

"Look! Is that Ancestor Ye? He really is so young and handsome!"

"I heard he reached Foundation Establishment before thirty, and he is so talented... If I could gain his favor, even just as a concubine, it would be a huge blessing!"

"The Ye Family now sits on Longmai Mountain, their momentum is strong, and Ancestor Ye has a boundless future... Sigh, I wonder if there is a chance to let him see me this time..."

Many gazes, whether overt or covert, containing admiration, curiosity, or calculation, were cast toward the high private room.

Ye Changge was long used to this and felt no ripples in his heart.

Although he usually restrained the peach blossom luck gu worm, the unique Aura brought by cultivating the "Yin Yang Creation Art" and "Jade Purity Beauty Cultivation Art" after Foundation Establishment,

coupled with his own strength and status, made his attraction to the opposite sex truly extraordinary.

"Husband," Lu Shiyin finished arranging matters, walked to his side, looked down following his gaze, curled her lips, and teased,

"It seems that at tomorrow's auction, the bidding enthusiasm of the female Cultivators will probably be exceptionally high."

Ye Changge smiled helplessly and took her hand:

"Lu Shiyin, are you teasing me too? Maintaining order and ensuring the auction goes smoothly is the real priority. The more such times there are, the easier it is for people to take advantage of loopholes."

Lu Shiyin nodded and said seriously:

"Don't worry, Husband, everything has been arranged properly. The number of patrol Disciples has been doubled, and hidden sentries have also been deployed. Several clan uncles will take turns guarding key Formation nodes during the auction, so there won't be any major trouble."

"Hmm." Ye Changge nodded, but his gaze drifted back to the bustling street scene outside the window.

Tomorrow's auction must not fail.

This is not only about the reputation and revenue of the Ye Family, but also an important occasion to flex their muscles and solidify their position to surrounding forces.