redvbooks Chapter 159: Deacon of the Human Emperor Palace
Chapter 159: Deacon of the Human Emperor Palace
Chapter 159: Human Emperor Hall Executive
Li Lan discovered many cultivators with rather strange behaviors on the first floor of Fengyue Brothel.
Although their Realm was only Qi Refining Stage, their every move revealed a confidence far exceeding their current cultivation.
The gaze of these people
never rested on the auction stage from beginning to end,
as if they didn't care about the Foundation Establishment Pill at all.
Their hawk-like eyes, on the contrary, were scanning around,
as if searching for something.
When looking at other cultivators of the same Qi Refining Stage beside them,
their eyes were filled with indifference, disdain, and contempt.
Li Lan had seen the emotions in these eyes countless times before.
It was the arrogance that high-Realm powerhouses would unconsciously display when facing low-level cultivators.
Evidently,
all these cultivators had hidden their Realm.
With his keen observation,
Li Lan guessed that most of these people were Early-stage Foundation Establishment powerhouses.
After reaching this conclusion,
his heart couldn't help but sink slightly.
The highlight of this auction was the Foundation Establishment Pill.
It was not an exaggeration to say that it was specifically for Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
For cultivators above the Foundation Establishment Stage, it held no attraction whatsoever.
These Foundation Establishment Stage fellows were clearly not here for the auction.
So what were they here for?
Something abnormal must be afoot.
Is this not going to be a major event?
All sorts of bad conjectures echoed in Li Lan's mind.
However,
these chaotic thoughts only appeared for a moment,
and then were suddenly expelled from his mind.
This Jiuhua County City is the territory of the Human Emperor Hall, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is the safest place in the entire county.
Any form of fighting is prohibited in this city, and violators will be severely punished.
It is expected that no one would dare to cause trouble here,
and even if there were,
if the sky falls, there are Foundation Establishment Stage powerhouses to bear it, and it's not his turn to worry needlessly.
What's more,
Li Lan currently possessed various elemental escape Spells.
As long as he didn't encounter a specialized Restriction Formation, even a well-known Foundation Establishment powerhouse might not be able to keep him.
Thinking of this,
although Li Lan's heart became a bit more cautious and vigilant,
he wasn't overly panicked.
Besides these Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators hidden among the low-level cultivators, there were also faint figures flickering behind the paper windows of the private rooms on the fourth floor of Fengyue Brothel.
A pale-faced, beardless man in a blue robe with eyebrows like silkworms sat on a grand armchair, his index finger tapping rhythmically on the table, seemingly deep in thought.
In front of him,
a young man dressed in a brocade black robe stood submissively with his head bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Upon closer inspection, it was not difficult to notice that
a delicate Jade Slip of unknown material was hanging from the young man's waist,
with the three large characters 'Human Emperor Hall' carved on it.
If the cultivators outside were to see this scene, their jaws would surely drop.
This Human Emperor Hall Executive, who usually flaunted his power in Jiuhua County City,
actually had such a docile side,
how could one not be surprised?
After an unknown period of time,
the blue-robed man with eyebrows like silkworms slowly spoke,
his voice sounding neither male nor female, truly bizarre.
"Are you sure that little loach will appear here?"
Guan Ming did not dare to neglect, and immediately bowed respectfully, saying:
"Reporting to Xiao Executive, your subordinate has investigated and confirmed that the identity of the one consigning this Foundation Establishment Pill is unknown, and their whereabouts are erratic. It is most likely that Yao Beast."
"Most likely?"
Xiao Executive's brow furrowed upon hearing this, and his voice suddenly turned cold.
"You mean, you went to all this trouble to invite me, the Executive, just for this 'most likely' or 'possibly'?"
Guan Ming suddenly felt an invisible pressure,
like a great mountain, falling upon his shoulders.
Fine beads of sweat instantly seeped from his forehead. After gritting his teeth, he cupped his fists and said in a deep voice:
"Please give your subordinate some more time, Xiao Executive. Six hours—no, three hours later,
your subordinate will surely prove it to Xiao Executive. If my information is incorrect, your subordinate is willing to compensate for the loss of your valuable time, Executive."
After Xiao Executive heard this,
his expression softened slightly,
and he waved his hand, signaling that the other party could proceed.
Guan Ming then felt as if he had received a great pardon, and turned to leave the private room.
When no one else was around,
Xiao Executive's face revealed an undisguised look of greed.
"The little loach that the main hall has been searching for so long without success, unexpectedly ran to Jiuhua County.
Truly, heaven helps me!
If I can quietly conceal it from the main hall and secretly capture this little loach alive, my future Cultivation path will be unobstructed."
The auction finally began under the operation of the Qian Business Association.
However,
before the main attraction, the Foundation Establishment Pill,
the Qian Business Association first arranged some Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, and other items as appetizers.
Although the value of these things could not compare to the Foundation Establishment Pill,
they could more or less provide help to Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
"Fourth-grade High Grade Magical Artifact, Buddha Relic. This item was meticulously refined by our business association, expending a great deal of manpower and material resources, collecting numerous rare Materials,
and personally crafted by a Level 5 Artifact Refiner Great Master.
When this treasure is unleashed, it possesses both the sharpness of a Sharp Weapon and the might of a blunt weapon, truly a superior work that combines the strengths of various schools. Fellow Daoists, if you fancy it, do not hesitate, lest it be snatched away by others.
The starting bid is three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and it can be traded with equivalent Cultivation resources. The auction now begins!"
Originally, the Qi Refining Stage cultivators below the stage were dissatisfied with the Qian Business Association's teasing tactics,
but upon hearing that a grand fifth-grade Magical Artifact had a starting bid of only three hundred Spirit Stones,
that sliver of dissatisfaction instantly vanished without a trace.
The cultivators temporarily cast the Foundation Establishment Pill aside,
and joined the bidding for the relic,
with shouts of bids rising and falling, quickly exceeding the item's original value.
Ultimately,
the item was acquired by a cultivator whose appearance was obscured and whose figure was hidden.
As time passed,
the emotions of all the cultivators were ignited,
and the atmosphere of the auction became increasingly fervent.
"The next item for auction is a lipid ink refined from a third-grade Yao Beast, the Iron-Spined Shark.
According to an expert's appraisal, talismans and Formations drawn with this type of spiritual ink will have varying degrees of power amplification.
Artifact Refiners who need it, do not miss out."
"The next item for auction is a low-grade water-attribute Spell, Heavenly River Severance. As is well known, water-attribute Spells generally have limited destructive power.
However, this Heavenly River Severance is a rare water-attribute Spell specializing in the Dao of killing,
making it an excellent choice for self-defense or deterring others.
Cultivators who Cultivate water-attribute Cultivation Techniques are truly blessed.
The Qian Business Association truly lives up to its reputation as a long-established Family. They are completely clear on what cultivators at each stage of Qi Refining need most.
The items brought out for this auction
were all things that Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators would look down upon, Qi Refining Stage cultivators couldn't afford, and only those at the Cultivation Base of Qi Refining Late Stage and Great Perfection Realm would find suitable.
Many with unsteady Heart-Nature originally came for the Foundation Establishment Pill.
However, they were dazzled by the numerous practical auction items,
and ultimately had to give up on bidding for the Foundation Establishment Pill,
spending their Spirit Stones on other Cultivation resources instead.
During this time,
Li Lan also broadened his horizons.
Among the many auction items,
there were quite a few Cultivation resources that greatly tempted him.
For example, the lipid ink, and some special Spirit Medicine and Materials.
If he could bid for them,
his Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers, Divine Brush Creates Dragon, Earthbound Thousand Machine Diagram, and many other Spells and Formations,
might all be able to advance to a higher level.
However, after pondering for a moment,
Li Lan ultimately chose not to make a move.
It was still unclear why those Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators were hiding in the dark,
and they might even have intentions of killing and plundering.
For the sake of caution,
it was best to respond to changes with no change.
Anyway, Cultivation resources like Spiritual Plant and spiritual ink were not as scarce as Foundation Establishment Pill.
He could completely obtain them later through Qian Zibin.
Thinking this way,
Li Lan's heart immediately settled down.
Of course,
not all auction items were equally sought after.
Aside from some Cultivation resources that most cultivators could use,
this Qian Business Association even dared to sell items belonging to Demonic Path cultivators.
"The next item for auction is the Metal-attribute Spell, Human Chrysalis Technique!
Using this Spell allows one to instantly move their body a zhang away, truly an essential item for self-preservation.
The starting bid is two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
As Ming Ji's voice fell,
the scene was silent.
Many knowledgeable cultivators clearly recognized it,
that this was a Demonic Path Evil Cultivator technique,
but not a single person spoke out.
Li Lan observed this scene,
his face expressionless, but his heart became even more aware of the reality of the Cultivation World.
He had clearly seen earlier that
there were Human Emperor Hall Executives in black robes entering and exiting the private rooms on the fourth floor of Fengyue Brothel.
This indicated that the Human Emperor Hall was aware of the items being auctioned by the Qian Business Association this time.
This already explained the problem.
In this Cultivation World where the strong prey on the weak,
the distinction between good and evil did not seem so clear, but rather quite blurred.
Whether something was a monster or a demon was all up to the Human Emperor Hall's whim.
Although many cultivators were interested in this Spell, being outwardly righteous, they naturally wouldn't show it openly.
As expected, the Human Chrysalis Technique went unsold.
Those interested cultivators' eyes darted around non-stop,
and it was unclear what schemes they were hatching in their minds.
The Ming Ji in charge of the auction was long accustomed to this,
still maintaining a benevolent smile on her face, and then began to introduce the next item.
She gently stroked her Storage Pouch with one hand and took out a black Jade Slip from it.
"The next item for auction is a Relic Immortal Cave Restriction token.
Holding this item can activate the Restriction of a designated Immortal Cave, and all resources within the Immortal Cave can be taken.
The starting bid is three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
At this moment,
a rather interested cultivator inquired:
"May I ask where this Relic Immortal Cave is? And what good things are inside?"
Ming Ji shook her head, her red lips slightly parted, uttering two words: "Unknown."
"Unknown? What use is this token if I don't know the location?"
That cultivator was quite indignant, feeling somewhat played.
After all,
if one only had the key to the door but couldn't find the door,
this token was practically no different from a broken stone,
let alone three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, it wouldn't even be worth three hundred taels of low-grade spirit sand.
The Ming Ji obviously understood this point,
she was not at all annoyed, and smilingly took out another light green Jade Slip.
"The successful bidder of this item will receive a complimentary copy of 'Dragon Seeking Qi Observing Technique'.
This Spell can trace origins and roughly perceive the direction of the source within fifty li, having miraculous effects in searching for Immortal Cave relics."
Upon hearing this, Li Lan's eyebrows raised slightly, and he became interested.
He also had a similar Jade Slip on him.
It was found in Wang An's Storage Pouch from the Wang family. At that time, he didn't understand its mystery, so he didn't pay attention to it.
Now Li Lan finally understood,
this item was originally Wang An's Immortal Cave Restriction token,
and it was very likely left behind by him during his lifetime.
According to Li Lan's deduction,
after these Demonic Path cultivators used the 《Rebirth Technique》,
they would most likely hide some unnecessary items that were too conspicuous to carry on them in a Restricted Immortal Cave in advance.
When their Cultivation Realm reached a certain level, they would then use this token to retrieve and use the items within.