yì lùn hái méi yǒu jié shù ， nà wèi fǎ zhèn fēng zhǔ yǐ jīng zhuǎn guò le tóu lú ， cǐ nǚ róng mào hái bú cuò ， jiù shì gěi rén de gǎn jué tài lěng le 。
议论还没有结束，那位法阵峰主已经转过了头颅，此女容貌还不错，就是给人的感觉太冷了。
The discussion had not yet concluded when the head of the Array Peak turned his head. The woman's appearance was decent, but she gave off a cold vibe.
lín xuān kàn le tā yī yǎn ， yě gǎn jué bèi hòu hán qì sì shè ， cǐ nǚ xiū liàn de gōng fǎ ， hái zhēn shì yǒu gòu guǐ yì de 。
林轩看了她一眼，也感觉背后寒气四射，此女修炼的功法，还真是有够诡异的。
Lin Xuan glanced at her and felt an icy chill emanating from behind him. This woman’s cultivation technique truly was rather peculiar.
qí mù guāng zài lín yù jiāo de miàn róng shàng sǎo guò ， yuán běn jiù hěn xiá cháng de měi mù wēi wēi mī qǐ lái le 。
其目光在林玉jiāo的面容上扫过，原本就很狭长的美目微微眯起来了。
His gaze swept over Lin Yujiao’s face, causing her already narrow eyes to narrow even more slightly.
guò le piàn kè ， cái huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le ， shēng yīn yī jiù shì nà yàng de bīng lěng cì gǔ ：“ yuán lái lín shī mèi yě duì zhè bīng cán xīn jiǎ yǒu xìng qù ， nà zuò jiě jiě de jiù bù yǔ nǐ xiāng zhēng le 。”
过了片刻，才缓缓的开口了，声音依旧是那样的冰冷刺骨：“原来林师妹也对这冰蚕心甲有兴趣，那做姐姐的就不与你相争了。”
After a moment, he slowly spoke with his voice still as cold as ice: "So it turns out that Senior Sister also has interest in the Ice Silkworm Heart Armor. Then I won't contest with you."
cǐ huà yī chū ， jiǔ chéng jiǔ de dòng xuán qī xiū shì dōu chēng mù jié shé ， lí hóng xiù jū rán rèn shí zhè shén mì de yā tou ， ér qiě táng táng fǎ zhèn fēng zhǔ ， jū rán xuǎn zé le tuì ràng yī tú 。
此话一出，九成九的洞玄期修士都瞠目结舌，黎红袖居然认识这神秘的丫头，而且堂堂法阵峰主，居然选择了退让一途。
This statement left most of the Cosmology Realm cultivators dumbfounded. Li Hongxu actually knew this mysterious girl, and the head of Array Peak had chosen to yield.
cǐ shì wěi shǐ yǒu xiē jīng shì hài sú 。
此事委始有些惊世骇俗。
The matter was indeed somewhat shocking.
“ wēng ” de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， nà xiē jiā huo yòu qiè qiè sī yǔ de yì lùn qǐ lái le 。
“嗡”的声音传入耳朵，那些家伙又窃窃sī语的议论起来了。
A buzzing sound entered his ears as those present began whispering again.
“ jì rán méi yǒu rén zhēng duó ， nà zhè jiàn bǎo wù jiù guī lín shī mèi suǒ yǒu 。”
“既然没有人争夺，那这件宝物就归林师妹所有。”
"Since no one is contesting for it, this treasure belongs to Senior Sister Lin."
mǎ liǎn lǎo zhě de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， sì hū yě rèn shí cǐ nǚ ， ér qiě duì tā hán yǒu jǐ fēn jì dàn zhī yì 。
马脸老者的声音传入耳朵，似乎也认识此女，而且对她含有几分忌惮之意。
The voice of Elder Ma with a square face sounded in his ears. It seemed he also recognized the woman and harbored some apprehension towards her.
“ yǒu yì si ！”
“有意思！”
"Interesting!"
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū dàn dàn de xiào róng ， kàn lái zhè wèi yǔ zì jǐ tóng xìng de nǚ zǐ hái zhēn yǒu jǐ fēn bù jiǎn dān de 。
林轩嘴角边lù出淡淡的笑容，看来这位与自己同姓的女子还真有几分不简单的。
A faint smile appeared on Lin Xuan’s lips. This woman with the same surname as him truly had some non-trivial abilities.
“ shī mèi zhēn zǒu liǎo de ， yī chū shǒu jiù jì jīng sì zuò ， yú xiōng zài zhè lǐ gōng xǐ le 。”
“师妹真走了得，一出手就技惊四座，愚兄在这里恭喜了。”
"Sister, you’ve truly done well. Your first move has already stunned everyone. My brother congratulates you."
“ shī xiōng miù zàn le ， yǔ nín de hào yuè zhī huī xiāng bǐ ， xiǎo mèi zhǐ shì nà xiǎo xiǎo de yíng huǒ chóng ér yǐ 。”
“师兄谬赞了，与您的皓月之辉相比，小妹只是那小小的萤火虫而已。”
"My brother flatters me. Compared to your Moonlight Radiance, I am but a tiny firefly."
lín xuān xiào ér bù yǔ ， xiàn zài dāng rán bú huì xiāng xìn tā shì shén me líng shòu fēng dì zǐ ， líng shòu fēng de dòng xuán qī xiū shì dōu zài nà biān zuò zhe ， kě kàn tā men de shén sè， què méi yǒu yí gè ， rèn shí cǐ nǚ de 。
林轩笑而不语，现在当然不会相信她是什么灵兽峰弟子，灵兽峰的洞玄期修士都在那边坐着，可看他们的神sè，却没有一个，认识此女的。
Lin Xuan smiled without speaking. He certainly wouldn’t believe that she was a disciple of Spirit Beast Peak now. The cultivators at Spirit Beast Peak were sitting there, and none of them seemed to recognize this woman.
bù guò zhè lín xuān zì rán bú huì shuō pò ， bù guǎn cǐ nǚ shēn fèn rú hé ， yǔ zì jǐ yòu yǒu shén me guān xì ne ？
不过这林轩自然不会说破，不管此女身份如何，与自己又有什么关系呢？
But Lin Xuan naturally didn’t reveal the truth. No matter what her identity was, it had nothing to do with him.
dà diǎn yī jiù zài jǔ xíng zhe ， ná chū lái de dōng xī ， yě yī jiàn bǐ yī jiàn zhēn xī ， xiū shì men de zhēng duó ，jī liè yǐ jí 。
大典依旧在举行着，拿出来的东西，也一件比一件珍稀，修士们的争夺，jī烈以极。
The grand ceremony continued as the items presented became increasingly rare and precious. The competition among the cultivators was intense.
kě xī yì zhí méi yǒu chū xiàn lín xuān kàn zhòng zhī wù ， bù guò méi yǒu guān xì ， tā de mù biāo běn lái jiù shì zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， xiǎng lái zhè dōng xī yīng gāi shì zuò wéi yā zhòu de bǎo bèi le 。
可惜一直没有出现林轩看中之物，不过没有关系，他的目标本来就是紫心地火，想来这东西应该是作为压轴的宝贝了。
Unfortunately, no item that caught his eye appeared yet. But that was fine; his goal was Purple Heart Earth Fire, which he believed would be the final treasure.
xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， lín xuān yì diǎn yě bù jí ， zěn me shuō ， yě shì huó le shàng qiān nián de xiū xiān zhě ， zhè diǎn nài xīn nà kěn dìng shì yǒu de 。
心中如此想着，林轩一点也不急，怎么说，也是活了上千年的修仙者，这点耐心那肯定是有的。
With this thought in mind, Lin Xuan remained unperturbed. As a thousand-year-old cultivator, he certainly had patience.
shí jiān màn màn tuī yí ， suī rán zài shān fù shēn chù ， bù zhī dào jù tǐ shí chén rú hé ， dàn rú guǒ méi yǒu liào cuò ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tài yáng yīng gāi yǐ jīng là xià le shān pō 。
时间慢慢推移，虽然在山腹深处，不知道具体时辰如何，但如果没有料错，此时此刻，太阳应该已经落下了山坡。
Time slowly passed. Although they were deep within the mountain, it was impossible to determine the exact time. If his guess was correct, the sun should have already set by now.
duì huàn dà diǎn jiàn jiàn de jiē jìn wěi shēng le 。
兑换大典渐渐的接近尾声了。
The grand ceremony was gradually coming to an end, but no one left. Instead, their attention became even more focused, as if they were waiting for something.
rán ér bìng méi yǒu xiū shì lí qù ， shén qíng fǎn ér yuè fā de guān zhù yǐ jí ， yǐn yǐn de ， sì hū zài qī dài zhe shén me dōng xī 。
然而并没有修士离去，神情反而越发的关注以极，隐隐的，似乎在期待着什么东西。
This state of mind naturally caught Lin Xuan’s eye, but he remained silent. Finally, the last auctioned treasure was sold. The elder cleared his throat and did not present any further treasures. Instead, he bowed to those below and spoke.
zhè děng shén sè， zì rán luò zài lín xuān de yǎn lǐ ， bù guò ， tā yě bù dòng shēng sè， zhōng yú ， zuì hòu yī jiàn pāi mài de bǎo wù yě tuō shǒu le ， lǎo zhě yī shēng qīng ké ， zài yě méi yǒu ná chū shén me bǎo wù ， ér shì chōng zhe xià miàn yī bào quán de kāi kǒu le 。
这等神sè，自然落在林轩的眼里，不过，他也不动声sè，终于，最后一件拍卖的宝物也脱手了，老者一声清咳，再也没有拿出什么宝物，而是冲着下面一抱拳的开口了。
"Many friends have probably guessed it; this final treasure is Purple Heart Earth Fire. Although most of you are aware of its value, according to tradition, I must mention…."
“ xiāng xìn bù shǎo dào yǒu yě cāi dào le ， zhè zuì hòu yī jiàn yā zhòu de bǎo bèi jiù shì zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， cǐ huǒ de zhēn guì ， suī rán dà bù fèn dào yǒu dōu xiǎo de ， dàn àn zhào guī jǔ ， lǎo fū hái shì yào tí yī jù ……”
“相信不少道友也猜到了，这最后一件压轴的宝贝就是紫心地火，此火的珍贵，虽然大部分道友都晓得，但按照规矩，老夫还是要提一句……”
"Elder Ma, please continue."
“ mǎ xiōng qǐng shuō 。”
“马兄请说。”
The cultivators below had no objections, their faces showing excitement instead.
xià miàn de xiū shì bìng wú yì yì ， yí gè gè ， fǎn ér dōu lù chū 〖 xīng 〗 fèn de biǎo qíng lái le 。
下面的修士并无异议，一个个，反而都lù出〖兴〗奋的表情来了。
Clearly, this was what they were eagerly awaiting.
xiǎn rán ， zhè què rán shì tā men qī dài yǐ jiǔ de 。
显然，这确然是他们期待已久的。
"Purple Heart Earth Fire is a top-grade fire from the earth vein. Legend has it that its strength surpasses even the infant fires of Spirit Separation Realm cultivators and may be even stronger. However, such treasures are not common. For our sect, although we have an advantageous position, Purple Heart Earth Fire only appears for more than a month every three hundred years to refine various treasures and artifacts, making it extremely precious. There are only two rooms available. In three days, Purple Heart Earth Fire will erupt. Now is the time to determine itsbelong to."
“ zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， nǎi dì mài zhī huǒ zhōng de jí pǐn ， chuán shuō tā de qiáng dù ， bǐ qǐ fēn shén qī xiū shì de yīng huǒ dōu bù xùn sè， shèn zhì gèng shèng yī chóu ， bù guò zhè zhǒng bǎo wù ， kě bú shì cháng yǒu ， jiù ná běn mén lái shuō ， suī rán suǒ chù de wèi zhì dé tiān dú hòu ， dàn yě měi sān bǎi nián ， zǐ xīn dì huǒ cái huì chū xiàn yuè yú ， kě yǐ yòng lái cuì liàn gè zhǒng bǎo wù shén qì ， zhēn guì yǐ jí ， ér zhè yàng de fáng jiān ， zhǐ yǒu liǎng gè ， zài guò sān tiān ， zǐ xīn dì huǒ jiù yào pēn fā le ， rú jīn xū yào dìng xià tā de guī shǔ 。”
“紫心地火，乃地脉之火中的极品，传说它的强度，比起分神期修士的婴火都不逊sè，甚至更胜一筹，不过这种宝物，可不是常有，就拿本门来说，虽然所处的位置得天独厚，但也每三百年，紫心地火才会出现月余，可以用来淬炼各种宝物神器，珍贵以极，而这样的房间，只有两个，再过三天，紫心地火就要喷发了，如今需要定下它的归属。”
"However, this situation differs slightly from previous ones. A month ago, Senior Dragon sent word that a treasure needed to be refined using Purple Heart Earth Fire. Therefore, there’s now only one remaining room…."
“ ér zhè cì de qíng kuàng yǔ yǐ wǎng huán lüè yǒu bù tóng ， yí yuè qián ， lóng shī shū chuán lái xiāo xī ， jì liàn yī jiàn bǎo wù ， xū yào yòng dào zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， gù ér ， shèng xià de fáng jiān ， jiù zhǐ shèng xià yí gè ……”
“而这次的情况与以往还略有不同，一月前，龙师叔传来消息，祭炼一件宝物，需要用到紫心地火，故而，剩下的房间，就只剩下一个……”
Elder Ma's words left the cultivators exchanging glances, but no one showed any surprise or dissatisfaction.
mǎ liǎn lǎo zhě cǐ huà yī chū ， xià miàn de xiū shì miàn miàn xiāng qù ， dàn bìng méi yǒu shuí yīn cǐ lù chū yì wài huò shì bù mǎn zhī sè。
马脸老者此话一出，下面的修士面面相觑，但并没有谁因此lù出意外或是不满之sè。
Purple Heart Earth Fire was indeed extremely precious, and these Cosmology Realm cultivators were fighting for it with all their might. But Spirit Separation Realm cultivators were different; as a senior elder of the sect, he had the right to requisition such valuable resources without needing to compete against junior disciples using sect contribution points.
zǐ xīn dì huǒ gù rán zhēn guì yǐ jí ， tā men zhè xiē dòng xuán qī xiū shì dōu yào dǎ pò le tóu de zhēng qiǎng ， dàn fēn shén qī xiū shì zì yòu bù tóng ， zuò wéi běn mén de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， jí shǐ zhè yàng zhēn guì de zī yuán ， tā yě yǒu quán zhēng yòng ， ér bù xū yào yǔ yī qún hòu bèi dì zǐ ， yòng shén me zōng mén gòng xiàn zhí qù huàn 。
紫心地火固然珍贵以极，他们这些洞玄期修士都要打破了头的争抢，但分神期修士自又不同，作为本门的太上长老，即使这样珍贵的资源，他也有权征用，而不需要与一群后辈弟子，用什么宗门贡献值去换。
Don’t complain about unfairness; in the cultivation world, survival of the fittest applies. If you have the ability, you can advance to Spirit Separation Realm.
bú yào bào yuàn bù gōng píng ， xiū xiān jiè ruò ròu qiáng shí ， yǒu běn shì ， nǐ yě jìn jiē dào fēn shén qī 。
不要抱怨不公平，修仙界弱肉强食，有本事，你也进阶到分神期。
Who wouldn’t comply if Senior Dragon needed it? Even HeavenlyXuan (Note: "璇" is often used as a surname or a character in names, and can also mean "jade disk" or "spinning top" in certain contexts) Sword Venerable would never dare complain.
lóng shī shū yào yòng ， shuí gǎn bù cóng ， biàn shì tiān xuán jiàn zūn ， yě jué bù gǎn bào yuàn bàn jù 。
龙师叔要用，谁敢不从，便是天璇剑尊，也绝不敢抱怨半句。
However, with only one slot left for using Purple Heart Earth Fire, the cultivators present who coveted this treasure felt a bit tense.
zhǐ shì ， rú cǐ yī lái ， shǐ yòng zǐ xīn dì huǒ de míng é ， jiù jǐn shèng xià le qū qū yí gè ， zài chǎng de xiū xiān zhě ， fán shì duì zhè jiàn bǎo wù huái yǒu jì yú de ， xīn zhōng dōu bù yóu de yǒu nà me yì diǎn jǐn zhāng le 。
只是，如此一来，使用紫心地火的名额，就仅剩下了区区一个，在场的修仙者，凡是对这件宝物怀有觊觎的，心中都不由得有那么一点紧张了。
"The final treasure is Purple Heart Earth Fire. There’s no minimum bid, and there are no restrictions on how much to increase by. In short… the highest bidder wins. Now, let's begin."
“ zuì hòu yī jiàn yā zhòu de bǎo wù ， zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， méi yǒu dǐ jià ， jiā jià de fú dù ， zhè lǐ yě bù zuò xiàn zhì ， zǒng zhī …… jià gāo zhě dé ， hǎo ， xiàn zài kě yǐ kāi shǐ le 。”
“最后一件压轴的宝物，紫心地火，没有底价，加价的幅度，这里也不做限制，总之……价高者得，好，现在可以开始了。”
The elder’s voice sounded faintly in their ears.
lǎo zhě de shēng yīn ， dàn dàn de chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
老者的声音，淡淡的传入耳朵。
The cultivators present fell into silence upon hearing this.
zài chǎng de xiū xiān zhě tīng le ， yí gè gè zé xiàn rù le chén mò 。
在场的修仙者听了，一个个则陷入了沉默。
No minimum bid meant anyone could join the bidding. However, as Cosmology Realm cultivators, they knew their limits and wouldn’t rashly call out a price; it would be sheer folly.
méi yǒu dǐ jià ， huàn jù huà shuō ， shéi dōu kě yǐ jiā rù zhēng duó ， rán ér zuò wéi dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， zì zhī zhī míng hái shì yǒu de ， mào mào rán jiào jià ， gēn běn jiù shì zì qǔ qí rǔ 。
没有底价，换句话说，谁都可以加入争夺，然而作为洞玄期修仙者，自知之明还是有的，冒冒然叫价，根本就是自取其辱。
Many people were eager to obtain Purple Heart Earth Fire in the room, but with the current situation, no one dared to speak up.
zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， zài chǎng de ， hěn duō rén dōu zhì zài bì děi ， rán ér rú jīn zhè zhǒng qíng xíng ， què fǎn ér méi yǒu rén kāi kǒu le 。
紫心地火，在场的，很多人都志在必得，然而如今这种情形，却反而没有人开口了。
Silence persisted for nearly half an hour before a hoarse voice broke through: "Since all of you are being so modest, let this old man make the first bid. No matter what price is offered for Purple Heart Earth Fire, it cannot be too low; otherwise, it would appear that I am stingy. Haha, after working hard for centuries and earning 15 million sect contribution points, this time, I will put them all in."
ān jìng ， zú zú guò le xiǎo bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， cái yǒu yī sī yǎ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ zhū wèi shī xiōng dì dōu rú cǐ qiān ràng ， nà jiù ràng lǎo fū lái pāo zhuān yǐn yù rú hé ， zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， chū jià wú lùn rú hé ， yě bù néng dī ， fǒu zé huì xiǎn de gǔ mǒu xiǎo qì ， hēi hēi ， xīn kǔ le jǐ bǎi nián ， zhuàn qǔ le yī qiān wǔ bǎi wàn zōng mén gòng xiàn diǎn ， zhè yī huí ， gǔ mǒu jiù quán bù ná chū lái 。”
安静，足足过了小半盏茶的功夫，才有一嘶哑的声音传入耳朵：“诸位师兄弟都如此谦让，那就让老夫来抛砖引玉如何，紫心地火，出价无论如何，也不能低，否则会显得古某小气，嘿嘿，辛苦了几百年，赚取了一千五百万宗门贡献点，这一回，古某就全部拿出来。”
"It’s Senior Gu from the Artifact Peak."
“ shì shén qì fēng de gǔ shī xiōng 。”
“是神器峰的古师兄。”
"A 15 million sect contribution is a huge gesture."
“ yī qiān wǔ bǎi wàn zōng mén gòng xiàn ， hǎo dà de dà shǒu bǐ 。”
“一千五百万宗门贡献，好大的大手笔。”
"Indeed, but taking Purple Heart Earth Fire still isn’t possible."
“ dà shǒu bǐ shì méi cuò ， bù guò xiǎng yào ná xià zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， yī jiù shì bù kě néng de 。”
“大手笔是没错，不过想要拿下紫心地火，依旧是不可能的。”
"Hmm, didn’t you hear Senior Gu say that it was just to break the ice?"
“ hēi ， nǐ méi yǒu tīng rén jiā gǔ shī xiōng shuō ， zhè bù guò shì pāo zhuān yǐn yù me ……”
“嘿，你没有听人家古师兄说，这不过是抛砖引玉么……”
...
……
……
Various voices filled their ears. Since someone had broken the silence, others followed suit and bid as well; otherwise, winning the right to use Purple Heart Earth Fire with a mere 10-20 million sect contribution points would be laughable.
gè zhǒng gè yàng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， jì rán yǒu rén dài tóu ， jiāng chén mò dǎ pò ， qí tā rén yě dōu zhēng xiāng xiào fǎng de chū jià le ， fǒu zé ， bù guò qū qū qiān yú wàn zōng mén gòng xiàn ， jiù duó de zǐ xīn dì huǒ de shǐ yòng quán ， nà bú shì xiào huà me ？
各种各样的声音传入耳朵，既然有人带头，将沉默打破，其他人也都争相效仿的出价了，否则，不过区区千余万宗门贡献，就夺得紫心地火的使用权，那不是笑话么？
"16 million!"
“ yī qiān liù bǎi wàn ！”
“一千六百万！”
"17 million!"
“ yī qiān qī bǎi wàn ！”
“一千七百万！”
"18 million!"
“ yī qiān bā bǎi wàn ！”
“一千八百万！”
"20 million!"
“ liǎng qiān wàn ！”
“两千万！”
...
……
……
It was no wonder this was the final treasure. The price had already surpassed the previous record in just a few breaths and continued to rise.
bù kuì shì yā zhòu de bǎo wù ， duǎn duǎn jǐ xī de gōng fu ， jià gé jiù yǐ jīng dǎ pò le gāng cái de jì lù ， ér qiě hái zài bù tíng de pān shēng zhe 。
不愧是压轴的宝物，短短几息的功夫，价格就已经打破了刚才的记录，而且还在不停的攀升着。
At this point, most of those bidding were late-stage Cosmology Realm cultivators; mid- and early-stage cultivators had given up on competing as they knew that the contribution points earned generally correlated with their strength.
cǐ shí chū jià de ， dà duō shì dòng xuán hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， zhōng qī yǔ chū qī de xiū shì ， yǐ jīng fàng qì le zhēng duó ， bì jìng ， jiù yì bān de qíng kuàng lái shuō ， néng gòu zhuàn qǔ de zōng mén gòng xiàn ， yǔ shí lì ， shì chéng zhèng bǐ de 。
此时出价的，大多是洞玄后期的修仙者，中期与初期的修士，已经放弃了争夺，毕竟，就一般的情况来说，能够赚取的宗门贡献，与实力，是呈正比的。
Lin Xuan remained silent, not joining the bidding. It was still too early for the highest price, so there was no point in competing now. He would wait a bit longer.
The discussion had not yet concluded when the head of the Array Peak turned his head. The woman's appearance was decent, but she gave off a cold vibe.
Lin Xuan glanced at her and felt an icy chill emanating from behind him. This woman’s cultivation technique truly was rather peculiar.
His gaze swept over Lin Yujiao’s face, causing her already narrow eyes to narrow even more slightly.
After a moment, he slowly spoke with his voice still as cold as ice: "So it turns out that Senior Sister also has interest in the Ice Silkworm Heart Armor. Then I won't contest with you."
This statement left most of the Cosmology Realm cultivators dumbfounded. Li Hongxu actually knew this mysterious girl, and the head of Array Peak had chosen to yield.
The matter was indeed somewhat shocking.
A buzzing sound entered his ears as those present began whispering again.
"Since no one is contesting for it, this treasure belongs to Senior Sister Lin."
The voice of Elder Ma with a square face sounded in his ears. It seemed he also recognized the woman and harbored some apprehension towards her.
"Interesting!"
A faint smile appeared on Lin Xuan’s lips. This woman with the same surname as him truly had some non-trivial abilities.
"Sister, you’ve truly done well. Your first move has already stunned everyone. My brother congratulates you."
"My brother flatters me. Compared to your Moonlight Radiance, I am but a tiny firefly."
Lin Xuan smiled without speaking. He certainly wouldn’t believe that she was a disciple of Spirit Beast Peak now. The cultivators at Spirit Beast Peak were sitting there, and none of them seemed to recognize this woman.
But Lin Xuan naturally didn’t reveal the truth. No matter what her identity was, it had nothing to do with him.
The grand ceremony continued as the items presented became increasingly rare and precious. The competition among the cultivators was intense.
Unfortunately, no item that caught his eye appeared yet. But that was fine; his goal was Purple Heart Earth Fire, which he believed would be the final treasure.
With this thought in mind, Lin Xuan remained unperturbed. As a thousand-year-old cultivator, he certainly had patience.
Time slowly passed. Although they were deep within the mountain, it was impossible to determine the exact time. If his guess was correct, the sun should have already set by now.
The grand ceremony was gradually coming to an end, but no one left. Instead, their attention became even more focused, as if they were waiting for something.
This state of mind naturally caught Lin Xuan’s eye, but he remained silent. Finally, the last auctioned treasure was sold. The elder cleared his throat and did not present any further treasures. Instead, he bowed to those below and spoke.
"Many friends have probably guessed it; this final treasure is Purple Heart Earth Fire. Although most of you are aware of its value, according to tradition, I must mention…."
"Elder Ma, please continue."
The cultivators below had no objections, their faces showing excitement instead.
Clearly, this was what they were eagerly awaiting.
"Purple Heart Earth Fire is a top-grade fire from the earth vein. Legend has it that its strength surpasses even the infant fires of Spirit Separation Realm cultivators and may be even stronger. However, such treasures are not common. For our sect, although we have an advantageous position, Purple Heart Earth Fire only appears for more than a month every three hundred years to refine various treasures and artifacts, making it extremely precious. There are only two rooms available. In three days, Purple Heart Earth Fire will erupt. Now is the time to determine itsbelong to."
"However, this situation differs slightly from previous ones. A month ago, Senior Dragon sent word that a treasure needed to be refined using Purple Heart Earth Fire. Therefore, there’s now only one remaining room…."
Elder Ma's words left the cultivators exchanging glances, but no one showed any surprise or dissatisfaction.
Purple Heart Earth Fire was indeed extremely precious, and these Cosmology Realm cultivators were fighting for it with all their might. But Spirit Separation Realm cultivators were different; as a senior elder of the sect, he had the right to requisition such valuable resources without needing to compete against junior disciples using sect contribution points.
Don’t complain about unfairness; in the cultivation world, survival of the fittest applies. If you have the ability, you can advance to Spirit Separation Realm.
Who wouldn’t comply if Senior Dragon needed it? Even HeavenlyXuan (Note: "璇" is often used as a surname or a character in names, and can also mean "jade disk" or "spinning top" in certain contexts) Sword Venerable would never dare complain.
However, with only one slot left for using Purple Heart Earth Fire, the cultivators present who coveted this treasure felt a bit tense.
"The final treasure is Purple Heart Earth Fire. There’s no minimum bid, and there are no restrictions on how much to increase by. In short… the highest bidder wins. Now, let's begin."
The elder’s voice sounded faintly in their ears.
The cultivators present fell into silence upon hearing this.
No minimum bid meant anyone could join the bidding. However, as Cosmology Realm cultivators, they knew their limits and wouldn’t rashly call out a price; it would be sheer folly.
Many people were eager to obtain Purple Heart Earth Fire in the room, but with the current situation, no one dared to speak up.
Silence persisted for nearly half an hour before a hoarse voice broke through: "Since all of you are being so modest, let this old man make the first bid. No matter what price is offered for Purple Heart Earth Fire, it cannot be too low; otherwise, it would appear that I am stingy. Haha, after working hard for centuries and earning 15 million sect contribution points, this time, I will put them all in."
"It’s Senior Gu from the Artifact Peak."
"A 15 million sect contribution is a huge gesture."
"Indeed, but taking Purple Heart Earth Fire still isn’t possible."
"Hmm, didn’t you hear Senior Gu say that it was just to break the ice?"
...
Various voices filled their ears. Since someone had broken the silence, others followed suit and bid as well; otherwise, winning the right to use Purple Heart Earth Fire with a mere 10-20 million sect contribution points would be laughable.
"16 million!"
"17 million!"
"18 million!"
"20 million!"
...
It was no wonder this was the final treasure. The price had already surpassed the previous record in just a few breaths and continued to rise.
At this point, most of those bidding were late-stage Cosmology Realm cultivators; mid- and early-stage cultivators had given up on competing as they knew that the contribution points earned generally correlated with their strength.
Lin Xuan remained silent, not joining the bidding. It was still too early for the highest price, so there was no point in competing now. He would wait a bit longer.