501: Chapter 501 Appraisal

An eighth-grade cultivation kingdom, Fire Turtle Kingdom, Huogui City.

Huogui City was built among a cluster of volcanoes. Everywhere the eye could see were houses and streets constructed from dark red volcanic rock. On both sides, Artifact Refining workshops and spiritual material shops stood row upon row, and the air was filled with a scorching heat, a blend of sulfur and spiritual fire.

In the distance, several active volcano craters were still emitting blue smoke, and occasionally, the glow of crimson magma would spill from the peaks, dyeing half the sky red.

As the overlord of this region spanning tens of thousands of li, the Sect gate of Huogui Mountain was situated atop the largest active volcanic crater a thousand li outside the city.

Ling Hao walked through the city with Yu Lingshuang and Yue Xinlan.

The pedestrians on the street were mostly Cultivators, among whom there was no shortage of Golden Core and Nascent Soul individuals, and occasionally one could see Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators flying overhead.

"Truly, Golden Cores are as common as dogs, and Nascent Souls walk everywhere."

The three of them, Ling Hao, had restrained their auras and slightly concealed their appearances, so they were not conspicuous in the crowd—except for Yue Xinlan.

Yue Xinlan's face remained dark.

The petite little girl, adorned with tinkling silver ornaments, walked between a man and a woman; no matter how one looked at it, they resembled a Dao Companion couple out traveling with their daughter.

Ling Hao's gaze fell upon a three-story pavilion in the center of the city, constructed entirely from East Sea white jade.

That pavilion stood in stark contrast to the surrounding dark red volcanic rock buildings, like a piece of pure white jade dropped into a pile of charcoal, lustrous and translucent.

Hanging on the lintel was a golden plaque inscribed with the four characters "East Sea Chamber of Commerce." The brushwork was powerful, faintly exuding a majesty like that of the great ocean.

Standing on either side was a welcoming attendant wearing sea-blue brocade robes. Both had cultivation levels above the Golden Core stage, standing with upright postures and wearing polite smiles.

Ling Hao looked up, and memories of the East Sea Chamber of Commerce, heard from Sect Master An Suxin, surfaced in his mind.

The East Sea Chamber of Commerce was a commercial power formed by the alliance of numerous island Families in the Dongming Vast Sea. Its headquarters was entrenched deep within the Dongming Vast Sea, and it had branches in coastal provinces such as Haiyang Province and Fusang Province.

It was said that a Mahayana Stage Old Ancestor presided over it. As a business, it maintained neutrality in every province, neither forming deadly enmities nor attaching itself to any side, relying on its intelligence network spread across all provinces and its abundant resource reserves.

"Let's go."

Ling Hao stepped toward the main entrance, Yu Lingshuang followed, and Yue Xinlan followed behind with a tense little face.

The welcoming attendant at the door glanced at the three of them, her gaze lingering on Yue Xinlan for a moment longer, seemingly puzzled as to why someone would bring such a small child to the Chamber of Commerce, but she did not look further.

As a receptionist, she had seen many Cultivators bringing their families, but it was extremely rare to see one with a little girl like this.

Yue Xinlan sensed that gaze, and her little face darkened by another three degrees.

From Qixia City to Huogui City, no matter where she went, she could not escape the feeling of being a "Family of three."

"She wanted to grow up quickly!!! But after growing up, would he take action against her..."

"No, what am I thinking!!! Even if I don't grow up, this guy would take action against me, right!"

"Those three little ones are proof!"

Ling Hao smiled at the welcoming attendant: "We would like to consign a few items for auction."

The attendant then looked at Ling Hao properly.

The man before her had an aura as deep as the sea, and although his appearance was slightly concealed, it could not hide the openness and composure between his brows.

She was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned to the side to lead the way: "Please follow me."

On the way, the attendant secretly looked back at Ling Hao several times.

"Even with so much concealment, it still couldn't hide that damn charm!"

The East Sea Chamber of Commerce's appraisal room was located deep on the second floor, equipped with a Formation to isolate Divine Sense. The four walls were inlaid with several jade walls that sensed fluctuations in Spiritual Qi, and in the center was a Millennium Profound Jade Platform, with several exquisite appraisal Magical Artifacts placed on it.

Presiding over the appraisal was an old man with gray hair, at the Body Integration Late Stage. He was a seventh-grade appraiser for the East Sea Chamber of Commerce's Fusang Province branch, known as Master Shen.

Master Shen's attitude was originally indifferent. He had been an appraiser at the East Sea Chamber of Commerce for three hundred years; what kind of spiritual materials or Magical Artifacts had he not seen? He knew the background of items brought by ordinary Cultivators with a single glance.

But when Ling Hao took out two jade bottles one after another, his gray eyebrows gradually raised.

The first jade bottle was opened, and a drop of spiritual spring water spilled from the mouth, landing on the Profound Jade Platform. The entire jade platform was instantly covered by a thin layer of emerald green vitality, and the existing fine cracks on the jade surface healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ling Hao casually introduced, "Bilu Sheng-Yuan Spring..."

"A spiritual spring that can remove erosion qi, heal Dao injuries, and extend Lifespan."

Master Shen's expression tightened slightly as he leaned in to sniff the Spiritual Qi of the spring water.

"Bilu Sheng-Yuan Spring... Never heard of it..." he muttered, "Can remove erosion qi, heal Dao injuries... but increase Lifespan?!" Master Shen expressed doubt.

Ling Hao ignored him and opened the second jade bottle.

"Chaos Gui-Yuan Liquid, can improve Spiritual Root quality, even above Earth Grade."

The moment the bottle cap was opened, all the jade walls in the appraisal room lit up simultaneously, the spiritual light blinding, almost illuminating the entire room like daylight.

The pool water in the bottle was the color of Chaos, filled with misty vapor, and faint phantoms of Azure Lotuses bloomed within the mist.

Master Shen extended his finger and flicked it through the air, and a drop of pool water from the bottle landed in his palm. As he circulated his spiritual power, his expression changed drastically.

"...It really can improve Spiritual Root quality, but this old man has never seen such a spiritual object."

Thin beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. "The spiritual charm is overwhelming; it is at least a seventh-grade Heaven And Earth Treasure, but its specific grade... this old man is ignorant and cannot appraise it."

He looked up at Ling Hao, his gaze carrying a bit more caution. The aura of the man before him was deep, and he could not fathom his depth at all.

Master Shen wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice slightly dry: "Fellow Daoist, this... this old man cannot make the decision."

Ling Hao was unconcerned: "If you can't appraise it, so be it."

He took out another jade bottle and placed it on the Profound Jade Platform: "Then use this. It's a bit ordinary, just to make up the numbers."

Master Shen took the third jade bottle. The moment he opened the stopper, an astonishing wave of fire-attribute Spiritual Qi surged out.

Resting quietly in the bottle was a crimson Medicinal Pill. The pill patterns resembled a burning Golden Crow, iridescent and scorching.

Master Shen's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the bottle.

"Ninth-grade Crimson Crow Pill!" he exclaimed, "It is highly effective for fire-attribute Mahayana Cultivators, and if a fire-attribute Tribulation Transcendence Stage Cultivator consumes it, they can increase by one small Realm!"

He could finally no longer hold it together, placing the bottle back on the platform carefully, and took a deep breath: "Your Excellency, please wait—this old man's authority is insufficient; I must invite the manager to come forward!"

Before he finished speaking, he had rushed out of the appraisal room like a gust of wind, leaving the three of them—Ling Hao—standing before the Profound Jade Platform, looking at each other in dismay.

Ling Hao touched his nose: "Is it that big of a deal?"

It was just some Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring and water from the Chaos Azure Lotus Pool he had taken casually. The Elders and Disciples of his Sect drank it like water when thirsty and used it as bathwater casually.

Yu Lingshuang picked up her teacup and took a sip, saying indifferently: "Sect Master, of the three items you brought out, which one wouldn't cause Tribulation Transcendence or even Mahayana Cultivators to fight to the death? And you still think their reaction is too much."

Yue Xinlan sat in the corner, expressionlessly playing with the silver bells on her wrist.

A moment later, the three of them were led into the highest-grade VIP room of the Chamber of Commerce. The room was elegantly furnished, with a coral screen standing at the entrance, and night-luminescent pearls inlaid in the lamps at the four corners, emitting a gentle light.

The coffee table was inlaid with deep-sea spirit shells, and the cushions were woven from whole pieces of mermaid silk, everywhere exuding the luxurious atmosphere of the East Sea.

The door curtain was lifted, and a sea-blue figure stepped in.

The woman wore a sea-blue long dress with wide sleeves, the hem swaying gently with her steps. Her black hair was adorned with coral branch ornaments, her bright eyes were beautiful, and a cunning smile hung on the corners of her lips.

Her figure was slender, and a small string of seashell bells was tied to each of her wrists and ankles, tinkling softly as she walked, like waves lapping against reefs.

Behind her followed an old woman with a rustic face, her aura steady.