The woman's beauty was breathtaking. Her brows were like distant mountains brushed in ink, her skin glowed like morning sunlight on snow, and every feature seemed sculpted to stir the heart.
Especially those amber-colored eyes, which lent her an air of mystery.
She was none other than Yun Jinyue, the young mistress of Xiangyun City.
"I heard the Lord of Xiangyun City was gravely injured at Wàn'è Valley recently. His dantian was damaged, and he fell into a coma. Now Yun Jinyue shows up in person—she must be here for the Tianyuan Heart-Nourishing Pill."
"Of course she is! The city lord's life depends on it!"
"This Shénxíng Tiānxià Auction House isn't simple either. They actually have the guts to put a Heavenly Origin Heart-Nourishing Pill up for bidding!"
"No kidding. I wonder who owns the place behind the scenes?"
The cultivators in the main hall whispered among themselves as they watched Yun Jinyue and her entourage ascend to a private room on the third floor.
"They're not even trying to hide their identity. Looks like they're determined to get that pill."
Bai Yang's heart sank. She shot a worried glance at Ye Chuxue.
Master Gu was still unconscious, and his storage ring couldn't be opened. Most of the spirit stones they had for the auction were borrowed from the sect. How could they possibly compete with someone like a city lord?
If the pill was taken by Xiangyun City, what would become of Master Gu?
Ye Chuxue had clearly thought of the same thing. Her face turned pale.
Her fingers tightened around the back of the chair, veins bulging slightly.
Her master had only been poisoned because of her. No matter the cost, she had to win that pill.
...
One by one, the major factions arrived. The private rooms upstairs gradually filled up.
Song Wanníng sat in the topmost suite, able to see every corner of the auction stage.
Steam curled from her teacup as she took a light sip. Her gaze drifted toward the quiet figure standing respectfully before her.
No, not just anyone—this was Mo Yuan.
Mo Yuan had a hideous appearance. One side of his face was covered in dark lines, intricate patterns that stretched from behind his ear to the center of his brow. They looked frightening at first glance.
Song Wanníng knew these were the result of poison—courtesy of Mo Yuan's oh-so-wonderful father. Because the poison hadn't been purged, Mo Yuan's demonic energy remained suppressed, forcing him to lie low as a lowly errand boy.
At least until he met Ye Chuxue.
Their promising little alchemist.
Song Wanníng set the teacup down and lifted her gaze slightly. "Do well at this auction. If you perform properly, I'll see to it you get a promotion and a raise."
She paused, then added lazily, "If you don't..."
"I will not disappoint you, my lady! I swear I'll handle everything flawlessly!"
Mo Yuan bowed even lower, shrinking into himself. The woman before him was a true Nascent Soul cultivator. If his identity were exposed, he would have nowhere left to hide.
"Mm. Go."
Song Wanníng dismissed him with a flick of her fingers and leaned back to rest, closing her eyes.
Everything was in place. Now all that remained was for the show to begin.
...
Under countless watchful eyes, Mo Yuan walked onto the high platform, enduring the weight of the crowd's gaze.
"Welcome, fellow cultivators, and thank you for traveling far and wide to attend today's auction at Shénxíng Tiānxià. May you all leave with treasures and joy."
He gave a brief opening speech, then moved on to the first item on the list.
"Our first item comes from the ancient Lingxi Mystic Realm..."
After he clearly explained the item's origin and function, the bidding began.
In the cultivation world, spirit stones are divided into four grades: low, middle, high, and supreme. The exchange rate between each tier is 100 to 1.
Different types of spirit stones correspond to different elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
They serve not only as currency, but also assist in cultivation and, in a pinch, can be used to replenish spiritual energy directly. Their applications are many.
The purer the stone, the more spiritual energy it contains—and the higher its value.
Supreme and high-grade spirit stones were rarely seen in public. Most cultivators hoarded them.
So for this auction, all bids were made in low-grade spirit stones.
"Congratulations to this cultivator on winning the item. Please make the exchange."
With a decisive strike of the auction hammer, Mo Yuan signaled the attending disciple to carry the item to the winning bidder.
The transaction was smooth and prompt.
The success of the first round stirred the crowd's excitement, and the following items were auctioned off one after another without a single miss.
Ye Chuxue, seated rigidly the entire time, did not relax for a moment. Even when she saw items that tempted her, she dared not spend a single extra stone.
She pressed her lips together, silently resolving to improve her alchemy skills after this. Once she became a true alchemy master, she would never have to worry about spirit stones again.
Roughly an hour later, the Heavenly Origin Heart-Nourishing Pill was finally brought onto the stage. Resting in a black jade dish, the pill glowed with a golden sheen. Its color was rich and enticing, and the fragrance filled the room.
Mo Yuan's expression shifted at once. His grip on the auction hammer tightened.
The Heavenly Origin Heart-Nourishing Pill could revive the dead and regrow flesh from bone. It might even purge the poison within him.
For years, he had lived in hiding, buried deep within the Lingxiu territories, evading the pursuit of the demon clans.
If he could remove the poison, his cultivation would return. He would finally have the strength to return to the Demon Realm and settle old debts.
But...
He didn't have the spirit stones to bid for the Heavenly Origin Heart-Nourishing Pill. Suppressing his longing, he had barely finished saying the pill's name when someone called out a price.
"One hundred thousand middle-grade spirit stones!"
The voice was firm and resolute, raising the starting bid to an outrageous height.
The crowd erupted.
"That's the young mistress of Xiangyun City!"
"Whew... no wonder. That place is rolling in wealth. Starting right off at a hundred thousand."
"People like that are monsters. Why can't I be one of them?"
"Looks like this pill won't escape Xiangyun City's grasp."
...
"One hundred and ten thousand!"
Ye Chuxue pressed the signal lamp in her private room without hesitation.
She didn't even stop to think before raising the bid—but her heart clenched afterward.
That was one hundred and ten thousand middle-grade spirit stones.
Over the years, she had explored several secret realms and collected a few valuable items. She had some savings.
But this... this was still pushing the limit.
If she hadn't borrowed from the sect, she'd be walking out of here empty-handed.
"One hundred and twenty thousand."
Yun Jinyue hadn't expected anyone to challenge her. Her eyes turned cold, a flicker of killing intent passing through them.
"Go. Find out who's in that room."
She whispered to her attendant, then turned her attention back to the pill on the stage.
This pill would be hers. No one could take it from her.
"One hundred and thirty thousand."
Ye Chuxue clenched her teeth and refused to back down.
"Two hundred thousand."
Yun Jinyue raised the bid again, her voice turning icier.
"Three hundred thousand!"
Ye Chuxue heard the chill in her rival's tone and flared up in anger. She called out the next bid in one breath, reckless with fury.
But the next second, Yun Jinyue responded.
"Four hundred thousand."
Ye Chuxue's lips tightened. Rage burned in her chest.
She muttered under her breath, "If Senior Aunt Song hadn't used that Heavenly Origin Heart-Nourishing Pill, we wouldn't be suffering like this now!"