57: eating soft rice and forcing yourself

"Purple-Gold Grade Fate? The Reincarnation of the Primeval Human King?"

Su Xuanchen's fingers holding the wine cup tightened slightly, his pitch-black eyes instantly turning into two deep abysses as he calmly scanned the massive crowd in the auction hall below.

Tens of thousands of auras were as clear as fireflies within his Divine Thought.

Nothing.

There was no target that matched the System's description.

"System, did you make a mistake?"

Su Xuanchen complained inwardly.

"Ding! The target is in a special Seal state, and their aura is isolated. Please wait patiently, host."

Su Xuanchen withdrew his Divine Thought and drained his cup of wine, concealing the flash of brilliance in his eyes.

"What is it?"

Opposite him, Ji Luanxi noticed his momentary abnormality. Her pale gold Phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, filled with a hint of inquiry.

"The look in the Head of the Su Family's eyes just now was like he was searching for prey."

"Or perhaps..."

She leaned forward, staring into Su Xuanchen's eyes with a half-smile.

"Is there an old flame of yours in this auction hall?"

Su Xuanchen set down his wine cup, his expression returning to its usual lazy demeanor.

"The Ninth Princess must be joking."

"I was merely marveling at how the Myriad Dao Immortal Alliance is truly wealthy and powerful."

He pointed to the inconspicuous incense burner in the corner of the private box.

"Dao Enlightenment Incense."

"What's the difference between burning this stuff and burning Top-Grade Source Stones?"

"And then there's that one."

Su Xuanchen's gaze seemingly drifted casually toward the old woman standing behind Ji Luanxi, who had been standing there with her hands down, completely devoid of presence.

"Aunt Ye, is it?"

"Your Breath Concealment Technique is quite well-cultivated."

"If we were outside, even I might have been fooled."

The old woman known as 'Aunt Ye' suddenly looked up, a sharp light flashing in her cloudy old eyes. Her originally hunched body seemed to straighten up several inches in an instant.

Boom!

An obscure yet terrifying aura flashed through the private box for a brief moment.

Space itself seemed to solidify.

A Great Sage!

This was a Great Sage!

Su Xuanchen sat in his chair, motionless, not even a corner of his robe fluttering.

The 'Ten Thousand Tribulations Indestructible Primal Demon' Origin within him vibrated gently, and the Great Saint Might that was enough to crush a Saint King felt like a light breeze to him, instantly dissipating into nothingness.

"Hmm?"

A look of shock appeared in Aunt Ye's eyes.

Though she hadn't used her full power, this wisp of pressure was enough to make an ordinary Saint King of the Nine Heavens kneel.

This young man actually withstood it?

And so easily?

"Aunt Ye, do not be rude."

Ji Luanxi waved her hand, the smile in her eyes deepening.

"The Head of the Su Family truly hides his strength well."

"To see through Aunt Ye's disguise, it seems the rumors of you exploding Old Man Black Devil with a single finger are true."

She leaned back onto the soft couch, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

"The Myriad Dao Immortal Alliance has deep foundations that span across the myriad heavens and worlds."

"Let alone a Great Sage, even a Pseudo-Emperor would have to behave themselves here."

"Because behind them stands an 'Immortal'."

"An Immortal?"

Su Xuanchen's eyebrows twitched slightly.

This word was a taboo in this world.

"Exactly."

Ji Luanxi pointed above her head.

"A true Immortal."

"Therefore, in this Myriad Dao Immortal City, no one dares to use force, and no one dares to default on a debt."

"Even if a Great Emperor were to visit in person, they would have to follow the rules."

Su Xuanchen nodded, but he was sneering in his heart.

Rules?

Those are set for the weak.

As long as your fist is hard enough, even if an Immortal comes, they'll have to offer me a cigarette.

Clang—!

The melodious ring of a bell interrupted their conversation.

In the center of the auction hall below, nine golden Dragon phantoms soared into the sky, supporting a massive white jade platform.

An old man in a red robe with white hair and a white beard appeared out of thin air on the platform.

The chief auctioneer of the Myriad Dao Immortal Alliance, the Heavenly Secret Saint King.

"Everyone."

The Heavenly Secret Saint King's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, carrying a convincing magic.

"A once-in-ten-thousand-years grand event begins now."

"I won't waste words."

"Bring out the first item!"

There was no preamble.

Two maids with voluptuous figures carried out a tray covered with red silk.

The Heavenly Secret Saint King whipped away the red silk.

Buzz!

A crimson glow shot into the sky, instantly illuminating the entire auction hall in bright red.

It was a longsword, entirely crimson and radiating a scorching aura.

Engraved upon the blade were nine lifelike fire Dragons, looking as if they might burst from the sword at any moment.

"Saint King Weapon—Nine Dragon Sky-Burning Sword!"

"Forged from Nine Heavens Crimson Gold and refined with Earth Core Poison Fire by the Great Grandmaster Ou Yezi himself!"

"Starting price: one hundred million Top-Grade Spirit Stones!"

Boom!

The entire audience was in an uproar.

Starting with a Saint King weapon?

This was too extravagant!

In ordinary auctions, a Saint King weapon would be the grand finale, yet here it was just the warm-up?

"One hundred and fifty million!"

"Two hundred million!"

"Three hundred million!"

Bids rose one after another, and divine lights flickered from the boxes of various major powers.

Su Xuanchen leaned back in his chair, watching the group of Cultivators below arguing until they were red in the face, and let out a yawn.

"Trash."

A Saint King weapon?

He had a pile of them in his System space; usually, he just used them for Su Jie to peel apples.

Ji Luanxi saw his bored expression and the corners of her mouth curled up.

"The Head of the Su Family has high standards; naturally, such common goods won't catch your eye."

"However, you should be interested in the next item."

As the auction progressed, rare treasures were brought out one by one.

Ten-thousand-year saint medicines, ancient Incomplete Manuals, slaves with special Physiques... until the ninth item appeared.

"Everyone!"

The Heavenly Secret Saint King's voice suddenly rose, and his expression became solemn.

"The next item is somewhat special."

He gave a large wave of his hand.

Several strongmen carried out a massive black stone.

The stone was as large as a millstone, pitch black, and covered in the marks of time, along with... a shocking crack.

But the moment this broken stone appeared.

A vast, ancient, and extremely overbearing aura erupted!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The Cultivators in the front rows with lower cultivation were directly shaken by this aura until they spat blood, their expressions filled with horror.

"This is..."

Su Xuanchen suddenly sat up straight, his laziness vanishing instantly.

"A great sage weapon?!"

The Heavenly Secret Saint King nodded and said in a deep voice:

"Correct!"

"This is the natal divine weapon of the Heaven Shaking Great Sage, who was known as the one who 'suppressed the heavens' thirty thousand years ago—the heaven shaking seal!"

"Although it is damaged and the artifact spirit is dormant."

"Its material is Extra-terrestrial Star Iron Essence, and it is indestructible!"

"If an Artifact Refining Grandmaster can be found to repair it, the might of a Great Sage may yet be restored!"

"Starting price: one billion Top-Grade Spirit Stones!"

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Then, complete madness ensued.

"One and a half billion!"

A roar like thunder came from a private box on the second floor.

That was the Nine-Headed Lion King from the Heavenly Demon Palace, a Saint King expert!

"Two billion!"

An icy voice followed from another box.

"The Heavenly Kingdom wants this item."

"Two and a half billion!"

"Three billion!"

The price soared, surpassing the four billion mark in the blink of an eye.

Su Xuanchen's fingers lightly tapped the armrest, a determined light flashing in his eyes.

The heaven shaking seal.

The material of this thing was perfect for reforging Su Jie's broken blade.

Furthermore... he could sense that there seemed to be a very weak but extremely high-level Law fluctuation hidden within the Seal.

If he could swallow it... "Four and a half billion."

Su Xuanchen spoke up.

His voice was flat, but it clearly echoed throughout the hall.

"Hiss—"

The sound of people sucking in cold air came from below.

"Heaven-Tier Room One?!"

"That Su Family Ancestor has made a move?"

"Four and a half billion? Is this Su Family really that wealthy?"

"Hmph!"

In the box of the Heavenly Demon Palace, the Nine-Headed Lion King snorted coldly and slammed his hand on the table.

"Su Xuanchen? Just a nouveau riche, and you dare compete with this King?"

"Four point eight billion!"

"Five billion."

Su Xuanchen didn't even lift his eyelids as he directly raised the price.

"You!"

The Nine-Headed Lion King trembled with rage, killing intent nakedly visible in his eyes.

"Su Xuanchen, you are looking for death!"

"This heaven shaking seal belongs to a Senior of my Yao Race. Can you even keep it?"

A threat.

A completely undisguised threat.

At the same time, a sinister laugh came from the Heavenly Kingdom's box.

"Head of the Su Family, some things you might have the life to buy, but not the life to use."

Two Saint Kings were applying pressure simultaneously!

The atmosphere of the entire auction hall instantly dropped to the freezing point.

Everyone held their breath, waiting to see Su Xuanchen made a fool of.

In the Sacred Ruins Continent, although the Myriad Dao Immortal Alliance forbade violence, once outside this Immortal City, killing and looting were common occurrences.

Su Xuanchen laughed.

He picked up his teacup and was about to mock them with a few words.

Slap.

A palm as white as jade lightly pressed down on the back of his hand.

It was Ji Luanxi.

She had sat up straight at some point, her beautiful face wearing an inscrutable smile.

"Su Xuanchen."

"This Princess said that as long as you ask, I can keep you."

"Consider this stone a meeting gift from me."

After saying that.

She didn't give Su Xuanchen any chance to refuse and directly pressed the bidding button.

A cold, noble, and unquestionable voice instantly rang through the hall.

"Six billion."

Boom!

The crowd exploded.

Six billion!

She directly added a billion!

Who was this? So wasteful?!

"Heaven-Tier Room One... is it the Ninth Princess?!"

Someone recognized Ji Luanxi's voice and was so frightened they almost slid off their chair.

The boxes of the Heavenly Demon Palace and the Heavenly Kingdom instantly went silent.

Compete with the Ninth Princess of the Imperial Court in terms of wealth?

That would be sheer stupidity.

What's more...

"Hmph."

A cold snort exploded in everyone's ears like a clap of thunder.

Standing behind Ji Luanxi, Aunt Ye slightly raised her eyelids.

Rumble!

A vast, sea-like, and supreme Great Saint Might poured out without reservation!

But this pressure was extremely well-controlled, targeting only the boxes of the Heavenly Demon Palace and the Heavenly Kingdom.

Crack!

The defensive Formations of those two boxes were instantly covered in cracks.

The Nine-Headed Lion King and the Saint King of the Heavenly Kingdom felt as if a Primordial Divine Mountain had slammed into their chests. They spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot and were pinned to the floor, unable to move even a finger.

"Gr... Great Sage?!"

The Nine-Headed Lion King screamed in terror, his eyes filled with despair.

By the Ninth Princess's side, there was actually a Great Sage Dao Protector?!

"Is there anyone else who wishes to bid?"

Ji Luanxi's voice remained lazy, as if she had just swatted a fly.

The entire hall was deathly silent.

Who would dare?

Did they have a death wish?

The Heavenly Secret Saint King wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and his auction gavel fell heavily.

"Six billion, going once!"

"Six billion, going twice!"

"Six billion, sold!"

"Congratulations to Heaven-Tier Room One!"

Inside the box.

Su Xuanchen looked at the heaven shaking seal that was respectfully delivered by a maid, then at Ji Luanxi, who had an expression that said 'hurry up and praise me'.

"Shamelessly playing the kept man?"

Su Xuanchen rubbed his nose, his expression a bit strange.

"Ninth Princess, are you... pursuing me?"

Ji Luanxi rolled her eyes at him and threw the heaven shaking seal into his arms.

"In your dreams."

"This Princess just didn't want to see my 'Chief Guest Elder' being bullied and losing face for me."

"Remember this."

"This six billion counts as a debt you owe me."

"If you dare to be disobedient in the future..."

She made a throat-slitting gesture, her eyes looking fiercely cute.

"This Princess will make you spit it out with interest."

Su Xuanchen weighed the heaven shaking seal in his hand and gave a playful smile.

"Fine."

"I'll keep this debt in mind."

"In the future... I will surely 'pay it back with my body'."

Ji Luanxi's face flushed red, and she spat out, "Rogue!"

Just then.

On the auction stage below, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

The previously noisy auction hall fell silent once more.

The Heavenly Secret Saint King's expression became more solemn than ever before, even carrying a hint of... fanaticism.

"Everyone."

"Next is the grand finale of this auction."

"It is also the true reason you have all traveled thousands of miles to gather here!"

"Bring out the item!"

Rumble!

A massive cage slowly rose from beneath the floor.

The cage was forged entirely from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron and was densely covered in sealing runes.

And within the cage.

There was no peerless divine weapon, nor any supreme Medicinal Pill.

There was only a woman.

A woman dressed in tattered white clothes, her hands and feet bound by chains.

She was curled up in a corner, her long hair covering her face, making it impossible to see her features.

On the auction stage.

The Heavenly Secret Saint King took a deep breath and shouted with a trembling voice:

"This woman was obtained by my Myriad Dao Immortal Alliance from a primeval ruin."

"Upon identification, the blood flowing within her body is..."

"The True Blood of the Primeval Human King!"

"This is a... living descendant of the Human King!"