zhǐ jiàn nà shì yī shēn cái gāo tiǎo de shào nǚ ， kàn shàng qù dà yuē èr shí zuǒ yòu nián jì ， róng mào xiù měi ， suī fēi jué sè ， dàn rén yě shì yī děng yī 。 dì yī shí jiān kàn Vp, jiù lái .joo
只见那是一身材高挑的少女，看上去大约二十左右年纪，容貌秀美，虽非绝色，但人也是一等一。第一时间看Vp,就来.joo
The scene revealed a tall and slender young woman, who appeared to be around twenty years old. Her appearance was delicate and beautiful; though not breathtakingly stunning, she was certainly a first-rate beauty. Lin Xuan's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized her: "Zheng Xuan? How could she be here?"
“ zhèng xuán ？”
“郑璇？”
Lin Xuan's astonishment was understandable. This young woman was Moon's beloved disciple in the mortal world. During their last encounter, an unexpected event had brought Lin Xuan back to the Heavenly Cloud Twelve Provinces, and several of Moon's disciples, including Liu Xin and Yin'er, had seen her. However, Zheng Xuan seemed to have vanished without a trace.
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì chà yì zhī sè ， jī hū yǐ wéi zì jǐ kàn cuò ：“ tā zěn me huì zài zhè lǐ ne ？”
林轩瞳孔微缩，脸上满是诧异之色，几乎以为自己看错：“她怎么会在这里呢？”
It was said that she had mysteriously disappeared during one of her outings.
yě nán guài lín xuān jīng è ， cǐ nǚ nǎi shì yuè ér zài rén jiè suǒ shōu de ài tú 。
也难怪林轩惊愕，此女乃是月儿在人界所收的爱徒。
Though Lin Xuan felt a tinge of regret, he couldn't do anything about it. The affairs in the cultivation world were unpredictable; perhaps she had met with danger and perished, or maybe she had encountered some other opportunity to greatly advance her cultivation.
shàng cì jī yuán qiǎo hé ， lín xuān zài dōng hǎi chuán sòng chū cuò ， yì wài huí dào le tiān yún shí èr zhōu ， liú xīn ，6 yíng ér jǐ gè yā tou dōu jiàn dào le ， dú dú zhèng xuán què zōng yǐng quán wú 。
上次机缘巧合，林轩在东海传送出错，意外回到了天云十二州，刘芯，6盈儿几个丫头都见到了，独独郑璇却踪影全无。
Regardless of what happened to her, Lin Xuan never imagined that after hundreds of years, they would meet again under such circumstances.
jù shuō mǒu cì wài chū ， jiù mò míng shī zōng diào le 。
据说某次外出，就莫名失踪掉了。
Zheng Xuan had actually ascended to the Spirit Realm as well. This was indeed a cause for celebration, but it also brought about hidden dangers; she had been captured and brought here to be sold at the Grand Treasure Fair.
lín xuān suī yǒu xiē yí hàn ， dàn yě wú kě nài hé ， xiū xiān jiè de shì qíng ， shuí yě shuō bù qīng chǔ ， nà yā tou yě xǔ yù jiàn wēi xiǎn ， yǐ rán yǔn luò ， yě xǔ lìng yǒu shén me jī yuán ， xiū wèi dà jìn yě bù yí dìng de 。
林轩虽有些遗憾，但也无可奈何，修仙界的事情，谁也说不清楚，那丫头也许遇见危险，已然陨落，也许另有什么机缘，修为大进也不一定的。
To be fair, Lin Xuan wasn't very familiar with Zheng Xuan as a junior disciple, but Moon and this young woman were like sisters, bonded by their shared bond. Without knowing her, there would have been no reason for him to intervene now that she was in captivity. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to face Moon again.
bù guǎn nà yā tou jiū jìng yù jiàn le shén me ， lín xuān zuò mèng yě bù céng xiǎng ， shù bǎi nián hòu ， huì yǐ zhè yàng de fāng shì chóng féng 。
不管那丫头究竟遇见了什么，林轩做梦也不曾想，数百年后，会以这样的方式重逢。
Regardless of the situation, Lin Xuan had to save her from this predicament.
zhèng xuán jū rán yě fēi shēng dào le líng jiè zhī zhōng 。
郑璇居然也飞升到了灵界之中。
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced as a voice echoed in his ears: "Fire Cloud Venerable, is this truly a body with the Five Yin Absolute Pulse?"
kě xǐ kě hè ， rán ér fú xī huò suǒ fú ， tā jū rán huì bèi bié rén zhuō zhù ， dàng zuò dǐng lú ， ná dào wàn bǎo dà huì chū shòu lái le 。
可喜可贺，然而福兮祸所伏，她居然会被别人捉住，当作鼎炉，拿到万宝大会出售来了。
The speaker was a short and plump cultivator who looked around thirty years old. He said proudly, "It's genuine. You must know how valuable such a body can be. If it weren't for my cultivation technique conflicting with hers, I wouldn't have sold her off. It would greatly assist in breaking through the bottleneck."
píng xīn lái shuō ， zhèng suì zuò wéi wǎn bèi ， lín xuān yǔ tā bìng bú shì hěn shú ， rán ér yuè ér yǔ nà yā tou míng wèi shī tú ， hǎo dé què yǔ jiě mèi chà bu duō 。
平心来说，郑碎作为晚辈，林轩与她并不是很熟，然而月儿与那丫头名为师徒，好得却与姐妹差不多。
"This kind of opportunity is rare and hard to come by. Fellow cultivators, don't miss out on this chance."
ruò shì bù zhī dào yě jiù bà le ， cǐ shí jiàn xiǎo yā tou chéng wéi le lóng zhōng niǎo ， lín xuān méi yǒu shì ruò bú jiàn de lǐ yóu ， fǒu zé yǐ hòu méi yǒu liǎn yǔ yuè ér xiāng jiàn de 。
若是不知道也就罢了，此时见小丫头成为了笼中鸟，林轩没有视若不见的理由，否则以后没有脸与月儿相见的。
With Fire Cloud Venerable's words still ringing in his ears, a murmur spread among the crowd.
bù kàn sēng miàn kàn fó miàn ， wú lùn rú hé ， yě yào jiù qí tuō xiǎn 。
不看僧面看佛面，无论如何，也要救其脱险。
"Five Yin Absolute Pulse body? I didn't hear wrong?"
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， yī jī dòng de shēng yīn yǐ chuán rù ěr duǒ ：” huǒ yún zūn zhě ， cǐ nǚ zhēn shì wǔ yīn jué mài zhī tǐ me ？， zhǔ
林轩脑海中念头转过，一激动的声音已传入耳朵：”火云尊者，此女真是五阴绝脉之体么？，丶
"The典籍say that only an infant or higher stage yin spirit can perform the传承融合ritual to reincarnate and re-cultivate. The chances of such a body are slim."
shuō huà de shì yī ǎi pàng xiū shì ， róng mào bù suàn chǒu ， dà yuē sān shí suì chū tóu 。
说话的是一矮胖修士，容貌不算丑，大约三十岁出头。
"But if it is true, it would be immensely useful for us. We should try to acquire her."
“ rú jiǎ bāo huàn ， kàn lái dào yǒu yě zhī dào cǐ tǐ zhì de hǎo chù ， lǎo fū ruò bú shì gōng fǎ xiàng chōng ， jué duì shě bù dé jiāng qí chū shòu ， yǔ qí shuāng xiū ， duì yú tū pò píng jǐng ， huì yǒu hěn dà zhù yì de 。” nà hóng páo lǎo zhě yǒu diǎn zì ào de shuō 。
“如假包换，看来道友也知道此体质的好处，老夫若不是功法相冲，绝对舍不得将其出售，与其双修，对于突破瓶颈，会有很大助益的。”那红袍老者有点自傲的说。
The murmurs continued as Fire Cloud Venerable brought Zheng Xuan to the Grand Treasure Fair instead of the underground auction hall, clearly with his own agenda.
“ zhè děng jī yuán ， děng xián kě shì hěn nán yù dào de ， zài chǎng de dào yǒu ， qiān wàn bù kě yǐ cuò guò le 。”
“这等机缘，等闲可是很难遇到的，在场的道友，千万不可以错过了。”
Indeed, Tianshi Sect's cultivation techniques were mostly of a Yin-cold nature. Bringing in a female cultivator with the Five Yin Absolute Pulse would make her a valuable commodity.
huǒ yún zūn zhě huà yīn zhōu luò ， xià miàn jiù yī zhèn shāo tán qǐ lái le 。
火云尊者话音州落，下面就一阵稍谈起来了。
Seeing that the Tianshi Sect's cultivators were indeed interested, Fire Cloud Venerable beamed with satisfaction: "The base price for this girl is one million middle-grade crystal stones. Fellow cultivators, feel free to bid."
“ wǔ yīn jué mài zhī tǐ ， wǒ méi yǒu tīng cuò ba ！”
“五阴绝脉之体，我没有听错吧！”
"One million middle-grade crystal stones?"
“ diǎn jí shàng shuō ， nà yào yuán yīng yǐ shàng de yīn hún ， shī zhǎn chuán chéng róng hé zhī shù ， zhuǎn shì chóng xiū ， yǒu nà me yì diǎn jǐ bàn ， dàn shēng rú cǐ tǐ zhì de 。， zhǔ
“典籍上说，那要元婴以上的阴魂，施展传承融合之术，转世重修，有那么一点几半，诞生如此体质的。，丶
Many cultivators gasped in shock; converting it into lower-grade crystals would amount to ten billion.
“ bù guò ruò shì zhēn de ， duì yú wǒ děng ， què yǒu dà yòng ， néng gòu ná xià jiù hǎo le 。”
“不过若是真的，对于我等，确有大用，能够拿下就好了。”
Although most participants at the Grand Treasure Fair were above the Separation Stage, few had witnessed such a high-priced auction before. It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over their heads, extinguishing any hopes they might have had.
yì lùn shēng fēn fēn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， huǒ yún zūn zhě jiāng zhèng xuán dài dào wàn bǎo dà huì ， ér bú shì dì xià pāi mài chǎng ， nà yě shì yǒu mù dì 。
议论声纷纷传入耳朵，火云尊者将郑璇带到万宝大会，而不是地下拍卖场，那也是有目的。
The base price was one million middle-grade crystal stones. While this body would be immensely useful for breaking through the bottleneck, it wasn't something they could afford to desire.
yào zhī dào tiān shī mén ， gōng fǎ diǎn jí suī rán hěn duō ， dàn dà bù fèn gōng fǎ ， dōu shì yīn hán shǔ xìng de ， jiāng wǔ yīn jué mài de nǚ xiū dài dào zhè lǐ ， nà jiù shì qí huò kě jū 。
要知道天尸门，功法典籍虽然很多，但大部分功法，都是阴寒属性的，将五阴绝脉的女修带到这里，那就是奇货可居。
Most people gave up, but as the auction began, several cultivators still joined in the bidding.
jiàn tiān shī mén zhòng xiū shì guǒ rán dà gǎn xìng qù ， huǒ yún zūn zhě de liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī dé yì ：“ cǐ nǚ dǐ jià yī qiān wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí ， dào yǒu men jǐn guǎn chū jià jiù shì 。”
见天尸门众修士果然大感兴趣，火云尊者的脸上露出一丝得意：“此女底价一千万中品晶石，道友们尽管出价就是。”
One million middle-grade crystal stones? In a room filled with wealthy cultivators, many had deep pockets.
“ yī qiān wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí ？”
“一千万中品晶石？”
"Ten million."
hěn duō xiū shì dào xī le yī kǒu liáng qì ， duì huàn chéng xià pǐn de ， nà kě jiù shì shí yì 。
很多修士倒吸了一口凉气，兑换成下品的，那可就是十亿。
"One hundred and ten million."
suī rán cān jiā wàn bǎo dà huì de ， jiē shì lí hé qī yǐ shàng de xiū xiān zhě ， dàn jiàn guò rú cǐ tiān jià pāi mài de ， yě méi yǒu jǐ gè 。
虽然参加万宝大会的，皆是离合期以上的修仙者，但见过如此天价拍卖的，也没有几个。
"Two hundred million."
rú dāng tóu yī pén lěng shuǐ ， jiāng nà xiē rén de shē wàng jiāo miè diào le 。
如当头一盆冷水，将那些人的奢望浇灭掉了。
"Two hundred million."
dǐ jià jiù shì yī qiān wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí ， cǐ nǚ suī duì tū pò píng jǐng yǒu dà yòng ， dàn yě bú shì tā men kě yǐ shē qiú 。
底价就是一千万中品晶石，此女虽对突破瓶颈有大用，但也不是他们可以奢求。
The cold voice echoed, increasing the bid by eight hundred thousand middle-grade crystal stones. All the cultivators were stunned, their expressions turning to awe and bewilderment.
jué dà bù fèn rén dǎ qǐ le tuì táng gǔ ， dàn dāng pāi mài huì kāi shǐ yǐ hòu ， yī jiù yǒu shù míng xiū shì jiā rù le zhēng duó 。
绝大部分人打起了退堂鼓，但当拍卖会开始以后，依旧有数名修士加入了争夺。
Not only did this person increase his bid by eight hundred thousand middle-grade crystal stones, but his identity was also significant. The ancient demon, a formidable old monster from Tianshi Sect at the Separation Stage, had joined the bidding.
yī qiān wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí yòu rú hé ， zài chǎng de xiū xiān zhě zhōng ， kě yǒu bù shǎo rén cái dà qì cū 。
一千万中品晶石又如何，在场的修仙者中，可有不少人财大气粗。
Wasn't he known for his aversion to female companionship?
“ yī qiān wàn 。”
“一千万。”
But considering the Five Yin Absolute Pulse body's potential in breaking through the bottleneck, it made sense that he would be interested.
“ yī qiān yì bǎi wàn 。”
“一千一百万。”
With this bid, other cultivators immediately gave up. After all, they were Tianshi Sect members; how could they dare compete with their own senior elder?
“ yī qiān liǎng bǎi wàn 。”
“一千两百万。”
Moreover, they couldn't afford to do so since a cultivator's wealth was generally proportional to their cultivation stage.
“ liǎng qiān wàn 。”
“两千万。”
Fire Cloud Venerable was taken aback by the scene and frowned slightly. He hadn't expected even the ancient demon to be interested in this girl, but two million middle-grade crystal stones wasn't too high a price.
zhōu zhōu jìng pāi le jǐ gè huí hé ， yī lěng lěng de shēng yīn jiù chuán rù ěr duǒ ， jiā jià de fú dù ， gèng ràng rén wéi zhī cè mù ， suǒ yǒu xiū xiān zhě yī dāi ， suí hòu biǎo qíng jiù biàn dé jìng wèi yǔ gǔ guài 。
州州竞拍了几个回合，一冷冷的声音就传入耳朵，加价的幅度，更让人为之侧目，所有修仙者一呆，随后表情就变得敬畏与古怪。
The room fell silent as Fire Cloud Venerable asked: "Senior Ancient has bid two million middle-grade crystal stones. Is there anyone willing to offer more?"
bù jǐn shì yīn wèi ， cǐ rén yī xià jiā jià le bā bǎi wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí ， guān jiàn zài yú tā de shēn fèn ， shí zài shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
不仅是因为，此人一下加价了八百万中品晶石，关键在于他的身份，实在是非同小可。
After repeating his question twice, he was about to confirm the auction when a cold voice interrupted: "Hold on, Lin's bid is three million middle-grade crystal stones."
gǔ lǎo mó ， nà wèi tiān shī mén de fēn shén qī lǎo guài wù ， jū rán jiā rù le zhēng duó 。
古老魔，那位天尸门的分神期老怪物，居然加入了争夺。
"What?!"
nà lǎo guài wù bú shì bù jìn nǚ sè ？
那老怪物不是不近女色？
All cultivators were stunned. Zheng Xuan trembled at the sound of this voice and turned her head in excitement, only to see disappointment as she recognized the unfamiliar face.
bù guò xiǎng xiǎng wǔ yīn jué mài de tǐ zhì ， duì yú jiāng píng jǐng tū pò ， huì yǒu hěn dà de xiào guǒ ， cǐ shì yě jiù méi shén me hào qí guài le 。
不过想想五阴绝脉的体质，对于将瓶颈突破，会有很大的效果，此事也就没什么好奇怪了。
Lin Xuan had used the Shape-Shifting Technique and restored his cultivation stage to the late Profound Concealment Stage. A Separation Stage cultivator spending such a large sum of crystal stones would attract too much attention, making him an easy target for others.
gǔ lǎo mó zhè yī chū jià ， qí tā xiū shì dùn shí fàng qì le zhēng duó 。
古老魔这一出价，其他修士顿时放弃了争夺。
Someone was bidding so generously without fear of offending the ancient demon. The other cultivators were shocked and turned their heads in curiosity.
yào zhī dào qí tā jǐ rén yě shì tiān shī mén xiū xiān zhě ， tā men nǎ gǎn yǔ běn mén de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo xiāng zhēng ne ？
要知道其他几人也是天尸门修仙者，他们哪敢与本门的太上长老相争呢？
They wanted to see who dared to challenge this formidable old monster openly.
hé kuàng yě zhēng bù guò ， yào xiǎo de ， xiū shì de shēn jiā yì bān dōu shì yǔ jìng jiè chéng zhèng bǐ de 。
何况也争不过，要晓得，修士的身家一般都是与境界成正比的。
Though the auction was based on the highest bid, in the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme. Lower-stage cultivators wouldn't compete with higher-stage ones unless necessary, as it brought no benefits and was an unwritten rule.
huǒ yún zūn kàn jiàn le cǐ mù ， biǎo qíng yě shì yī dāi ， méi tóu wēi wēi zhòu le qǐ lái ， tā méi xiǎng dào lián gǔ lǎo mó dū huì duì cǐ nǚ gǎn xìng qù ， hǎo zài liǎng qiān wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí yě bìng bù suàn dī 。
火云尊看见了此幕，表情也是一呆，眉头微微皱了起来，他没想到连古老魔都会对此女感兴趣，好在两千万中品晶石也并不算低。
Despite being watched by everyone, Lin Xuan remained unfazed. His composure ensured he didn't show any signs of unease.
xiàn chǎng dùn shí chén jì le xià qù ， duì yú cǐ nǚ pāi chū rú cǐ jià gé ， huǒ yún zūn zhě suī rán shuō bù shàng hěn mǎn yì ， dàn yě tán bù shàng shī wàng shén me 。
现场顿时沉寂了下去，对于此女拍出如此价格，火云尊者虽然说不上很满意，但也谈不上失望什么。
Suddenly, two piercing gazes shot his way.
mù guāng zài chǎng zhōng sǎo guò ：“ gǔ qián bèi chū jià liǎng qiān wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí ， hái yǒu méi yǒu shuí chū gèng gāo de jià gé 。”
目光在场中扫过：“古前辈出价两千万中品晶石，还有没有谁出更高的价格。”
It was the ancient demon!
yī lián wèn le liǎng biàn ， tā zhèng xiǎng què rèn pāi mài chéng gōng de shí hòu ， yī lěng lěng de shēng yīn chuán guò lái le ：“ děng yī děng ， lín mǒu chū jià sān qiān wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí 。”
一连问了两遍，他正想确认拍卖成功的时候，一冷冷的声音传过来了：“等一等，林某出价三千万中品晶石。”
Though he casually glanced over, that gaze seemed to penetrate his very soul.
cǐ huà yī chū ， suǒ yǒu de xiū shì dōu jīng dāi le ， zhèng xuán tīng dào zhè ge shēng yīn yǐ hòu ， jiāo qū què yī xià chàn dǒu ， dà xǐ de zhuǎn guò tóu ， dàn hěn kuài ， tā liǎn shàng jiù lù chū shī wàng zhī sè ， yīn wèi kàn jiàn de ， shì yī mò shēng de miàn kǒng 。
此话一出，所有的修士都惊呆了，郑璇听到这个声音以后，娇躯却一下颤抖，大喜的转过头，但很快，她脸上就露出失望之色，因为看见的，是一陌生的面孔。
The other party hadn't released any spiritual pressure, but Lin Xuan swallowed hard, feeling like a prey being stared down by a venomous snake or beast.
lín xuān yǐ shī zhǎn huàn xíng shù ， xiū wèi yě huī fù dào dòng xuán zhōng qī le ， bì jìng yī míng lí hé qī xiū shì chū nà me duō jīng shí ， tài yǐn rén huái yí ， hěn róng yì jiù chéng wéi zhòng shǐ zhī dì 。
林轩已施展换形术，修为也恢复到洞玄中期了，毕竟一名离合期修士出那么多晶石，太引人怀疑，很容易就成为众矢之的。
"Four million."
jū rán yǒu rén rú cǐ dà shǒu bǐ ， ér qiě bù pà dé zuì gǔ lǎo mó ， zài chǎng de xiū xiān zhě ， wú bù lù chū zhèn jīng zhī sè ， suí hòu jiù xún shēng zhuǎn guò le tóu 。
居然有人如此大手笔，而且不怕得罪古老魔，在场的修仙者，无不露出震惊之色，随后就循声转过了头。
The ancient demon's calm voice echoed in his ears.
tā men yě xiǎng kàn kàn jiū jìng shì hé fāng shén shèng ， gǎn yǔ fēn shén qī lǎo guài wù jiào bǎn de 。
他们也想看看究竟是何方神圣，敢与分神期老怪物叫板的。
Lin Xuan smiled. His prediction was correct; he couldn't be upset about it. While cultivators could privately use their strength to bully others, they had to maintain certain etiquette publicly, especially at the Grand Treasure Fair hosted by Tianshi Sect. As a senior elder, he couldn't afford to undermine his own sect's reputation. (To be continued)
The scene revealed a tall and slender young woman, who appeared to be around twenty years old. Her appearance was delicate and beautiful; though not breathtakingly stunning, she was certainly a first-rate beauty. Lin Xuan's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized her: "Zheng Xuan? How could she be here?"
Lin Xuan's astonishment was understandable. This young woman was Moon's beloved disciple in the mortal world. During their last encounter, an unexpected event had brought Lin Xuan back to the Heavenly Cloud Twelve Provinces, and several of Moon's disciples, including Liu Xin and Yin'er, had seen her. However, Zheng Xuan seemed to have vanished without a trace.
It was said that she had mysteriously disappeared during one of her outings.
Though Lin Xuan felt a tinge of regret, he couldn't do anything about it. The affairs in the cultivation world were unpredictable; perhaps she had met with danger and perished, or maybe she had encountered some other opportunity to greatly advance her cultivation.
Regardless of what happened to her, Lin Xuan never imagined that after hundreds of years, they would meet again under such circumstances.
Zheng Xuan had actually ascended to the Spirit Realm as well. This was indeed a cause for celebration, but it also brought about hidden dangers; she had been captured and brought here to be sold at the Grand Treasure Fair.
To be fair, Lin Xuan wasn't very familiar with Zheng Xuan as a junior disciple, but Moon and this young woman were like sisters, bonded by their shared bond. Without knowing her, there would have been no reason for him to intervene now that she was in captivity. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to face Moon again.
Regardless of the situation, Lin Xuan had to save her from this predicament.
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced as a voice echoed in his ears: "Fire Cloud Venerable, is this truly a body with the Five Yin Absolute Pulse?"
The speaker was a short and plump cultivator who looked around thirty years old. He said proudly, "It's genuine. You must know how valuable such a body can be. If it weren't for my cultivation technique conflicting with hers, I wouldn't have sold her off. It would greatly assist in breaking through the bottleneck."
"This kind of opportunity is rare and hard to come by. Fellow cultivators, don't miss out on this chance."
With Fire Cloud Venerable's words still ringing in his ears, a murmur spread among the crowd.
"Five Yin Absolute Pulse body? I didn't hear wrong?"
"The典籍say that only an infant or higher stage yin spirit can perform the传承融合ritual to reincarnate and re-cultivate. The chances of such a body are slim."
"But if it is true, it would be immensely useful for us. We should try to acquire her."
The murmurs continued as Fire Cloud Venerable brought Zheng Xuan to the Grand Treasure Fair instead of the underground auction hall, clearly with his own agenda.
Indeed, Tianshi Sect's cultivation techniques were mostly of a Yin-cold nature. Bringing in a female cultivator with the Five Yin Absolute Pulse would make her a valuable commodity.
Seeing that the Tianshi Sect's cultivators were indeed interested, Fire Cloud Venerable beamed with satisfaction: "The base price for this girl is one million middle-grade crystal stones. Fellow cultivators, feel free to bid."
"One million middle-grade crystal stones?"
Many cultivators gasped in shock; converting it into lower-grade crystals would amount to ten billion.
Although most participants at the Grand Treasure Fair were above the Separation Stage, few had witnessed such a high-priced auction before. It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over their heads, extinguishing any hopes they might have had.
The base price was one million middle-grade crystal stones. While this body would be immensely useful for breaking through the bottleneck, it wasn't something they could afford to desire.
Most people gave up, but as the auction began, several cultivators still joined in the bidding.
One million middle-grade crystal stones? In a room filled with wealthy cultivators, many had deep pockets.
"Ten million."
"One hundred and ten million."
"Two hundred million."
"Two hundred million."
The cold voice echoed, increasing the bid by eight hundred thousand middle-grade crystal stones. All the cultivators were stunned, their expressions turning to awe and bewilderment.
Not only did this person increase his bid by eight hundred thousand middle-grade crystal stones, but his identity was also significant. The ancient demon, a formidable old monster from Tianshi Sect at the Separation Stage, had joined the bidding.
Wasn't he known for his aversion to female companionship?
But considering the Five Yin Absolute Pulse body's potential in breaking through the bottleneck, it made sense that he would be interested.
With this bid, other cultivators immediately gave up. After all, they were Tianshi Sect members; how could they dare compete with their own senior elder?
Moreover, they couldn't afford to do so since a cultivator's wealth was generally proportional to their cultivation stage.
Fire Cloud Venerable was taken aback by the scene and frowned slightly. He hadn't expected even the ancient demon to be interested in this girl, but two million middle-grade crystal stones wasn't too high a price.
The room fell silent as Fire Cloud Venerable asked: "Senior Ancient has bid two million middle-grade crystal stones. Is there anyone willing to offer more?"
After repeating his question twice, he was about to confirm the auction when a cold voice interrupted: "Hold on, Lin's bid is three million middle-grade crystal stones."
"What?!"
All cultivators were stunned. Zheng Xuan trembled at the sound of this voice and turned her head in excitement, only to see disappointment as she recognized the unfamiliar face.
Lin Xuan had used the Shape-Shifting Technique and restored his cultivation stage to the late Profound Concealment Stage. A Separation Stage cultivator spending such a large sum of crystal stones would attract too much attention, making him an easy target for others.
Someone was bidding so generously without fear of offending the ancient demon. The other cultivators were shocked and turned their heads in curiosity.
They wanted to see who dared to challenge this formidable old monster openly.
Though the auction was based on the highest bid, in the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme. Lower-stage cultivators wouldn't compete with higher-stage ones unless necessary, as it brought no benefits and was an unwritten rule.
Despite being watched by everyone, Lin Xuan remained unfazed. His composure ensured he didn't show any signs of unease.
Suddenly, two piercing gazes shot his way.
It was the ancient demon!
Though he casually glanced over, that gaze seemed to penetrate his very soul.
Lili!
The other party hadn't released any spiritual pressure, but Lin Xuan swallowed hard, feeling like a prey being stared down by a venomous snake or beast.
"Four million."
The ancient demon's calm voice echoed in his ears.
Lin Xuan smiled. His prediction was correct; he couldn't be upset about it. While cultivators could privately use their strength to bully others, they had to maintain certain etiquette publicly, especially at the Grand Treasure Fair hosted by Tianshi Sect. As a senior elder, he couldn't afford to undermine his own sect's reputation. (To be continued)