95: Chapter 95

On the high platform, the host swallowed hard, the shock in his heart beyond words.

As for reprimanding this person for breaking the rules of Linglong Pavilion?

What a joke!

When the weak touch a red line, the weak are gone. When the strong touch a red line, the red line is gone!

He took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice, "Are there any more bids?"

The auction hall fell silent for a few seconds; if anyone still dared to bid, wouldn't that be showing disrespect to those two black-robed people?

Just as the host was about to finalize the result, a clear voice came from a private room on the third floor.

"Wait a moment!"

"Tsk tsk... As expected of the Heavenly Fire Holy Land. No matter how high your Realm is, within this Central Region, if you are a dragon, you must coil up; if you are a tiger, you must lie down."

Just when everyone thought Immortal Master Lianyang was looking for a way out, they heard him say in a flattering tone, "Senior, may this Junior place the bid on your behalf? Consider it an apology for my previous offense."

Chen Xuan was somewhat surprised and looked up at the private room on the third floor.

Immortal Master Lianyang immediately showed a friendly smile and bowed with his hands cupped.

"You may!"

Immortal Master Lianyang finally breathed a sigh of relief; he had already guessed the true identity of the white-robed figure.

To have such a Realm at such a young age—not a single person in the Ten Great Sacred Lands fit the description. Even within Heavenly Secret Pavilion, there was no such figure. The only possibility was that he was an Envoy from the Profound Realm.

According to information leaked by Heavenly Secret Pavilion, the Envoy of the Profound Realm had arrived in the Central Region yesterday.

That was close... I almost offended the Lord Envoy on behalf of the Holy Land!

Everyone finally realized—as expected of Immortal Master Lianyang of the Heavenly Fire Holy Land, his mind was truly quick.

The host said in a deep voice, "Since there are no more bids, this high-grade earth-rank Flying Sword is sold."

After this Flying Sword, several more earth-rank magic treasures were auctioned off one after another.

The voices of the Cultivators in the hall calling out bids were much quieter, deeply afraid of provoking the displeasure of Immortal Master Lianyang or the Man in White Robes. They spent hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones, yet shouted as if they hadn't eaten, lacking any Aura at all.

After the Magic Treasures were introduced, several women of varying beauty and wearing revealing clothes were brought up one by one.

This was likely the so-called auctioning of Dao Companions.

Each one postured on the high platform, either swaying their hips, introducing their Spiritual Root Realm, or showing off their graceful figures. They claimed they wouldn't sell to anyone below the Golden Core Realm, with a starting price of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. After purchase, they wouldn't be responsible for serving tea or water; they only provided the service of dual cultivation.

Mu Wanqing found it utterly absurd and was beyond words: "These women truly have no shame at all."

Li Pingan said in a deep voice, "I didn't expect so many people to compete to buy them."

Xiao Yun explained, "This can be considered one of the specialties of the Central Region."

Chen Xuan had little interest in this and waved his hand. A woman responsible for serving nearby respectfully approached: "Does the Lord have any orders?"

After the earlier farce, Linglong Pavilion had replaced the previous attendant with a more clever woman to wait for orders, and she was instructed that no matter what request this Senior had, as long as it didn't damage their interests too much, she should agree.

Chen Xuan asked softly, "What other items are coming up for auction? Is there a list?"

"Lord, please wait a moment!"

The woman spread her hand, and a piece of paper appeared. She handed it to Chen Xuan with both hands: "Lord, please take a look."

Chen Xuan glanced at it. Following were two scrolls of Earth Rank Divine Abilities, an Earth Rank Cultivation Technique, and a Golden Core Ninth Layer Puppet. There wasn't much that caught his eye.

His eyes quickly scanned the paper: "Why is this woman named Xie Xingyao priced fifty thousand Spirit Stones higher than the others?"

The maidservant immediately replied, "The Lord might not know, but this woman is auctioning herself for the first time, and her Spiritual Root Aptitude is also quite extraordinary, hence the higher price."

"Extraordinary Spiritual Root Aptitude... can you bring her over for me to see?"

The maidservant hesitated for a moment before making up her mind. The higher-ups had specifically given instructions regarding this person; although viewing the 'goods' in advance was against the rules, this small matter wouldn't affect anything.

"Lord, please wait a moment!"

Xiao Lingxian asked softly, "Revered Master feels something is strange?"

Chen Xuan shook his head, "It's hard to say for now."

Not long after.

A slightly immature young girl was brought into the private room.

"Lord, this is Xie Xingyao," the woman said with a respectful bow.

Xie Xingyao scanned the people in the room, then fixed her gaze on the figure in white. She bowed somewhat uneasily and said, "Greetings, Lord."

Chen Xuan gave an "En" and sized up the woman before him.

She wore a green dress, not at all as seductive as the women on the platform who exposed large areas of snowy skin. Her eyes revealed a look of determination and resolve.

She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old.

[Name: Xie Xingyao]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment First Layer]

[Spiritual Root: High Grade Wood Spiritual Root]

[Physique: None]

[Aptitude: Alchemy Prodigy]

High Grade Wood Spiritual Root... a pity it's a bit short of the requirements for taking a Disciple.

Xie Xingyao hesitated for a moment, then plucked up her courage and said, "Could the Lord buy this servant for two hundred thousand Spirit Stones? This servant is willing to serve the Lord like a beast of burden."

"I will remember the Lord's kindness for the rest of my life!"

"Presumptuous!" The maidservant frowned slightly. For 'goods' to dare speak like this was a lapse on Linglong Pavilion's part. Moreover, the person before them was a great figure whom even the higher-ups had to treat with respect.

Chen Xuan nodded slightly and extended a hand to stop the maidservant who was about to discipline the 'goods'.

"Why sell yourself so cheaply? With your Aptitude, your future achievements will certainly not be below the Nascent Soul Realm."

Xie Xingyao was silent for a moment, and her eyes gradually filled with a thin mist. She said, "It doesn't matter what happens to me, as long as I can save my brother's life."

"Save your brother?" Xiao Yun couldn't help but ask.

He had thought this woman was also just greedy for cultivation resources, but now it seemed he had misunderstood.

With a "thump," Xie Xingyao knelt on the ground: "My brother's Aptitude was too outstanding, and he was forcibly taken away by the people from the Medicine Pavilion!"

"Those people said... said that as long as I could gather two hundred thousand Spirit Stones within three days, or offer an earth-rank magic treasure, they would spare my brother's life..."

So that was it. To save her brother, driven to a dead end, she had no choice but to sell herself as merchandise.

Wait... Chen Xuan immediately asked, "How does your brother's Aptitude compare to yours?"

Xie Xingyao replied with a slightly sobbing voice, "I am far inferior to my brother's Aptitude; otherwise, my brother wouldn't have been taken away because of it."

Even better than a High Grade Spiritual Root—wouldn't that be a top-grade Spiritual Root?

It was indeed necessary to go and take a look!

Li Pingan asked curiously, "Why were they 'taken'? Since your brother's Aptitude is so outstanding, shouldn't he have been accepted as a Disciple by that Medicine Pavilion?"

He still remembered the change in attitude of the Po Shan Sect group after Revered Master helped him awaken his Physique.

Before Xie Xingyao could speak, Xiao Yun, who was nearby, said, "You might not know, but there are many eccentric people in the Medicine Pavilion. Sometimes when refining Medicinal Pills or searching for medicinal herbs, they require Cultivators with outstanding Aptitude."

"Refining medicine with people?" Mu Wanqing covered her small mouth and cried out in shock, "If the Medicine Pavilion can do such atrocious things, aren't they afraid of provoking public outrage?"