Chapter 202: Return

With such a treasure before him, Lu Ye truly couldn't bring himself to refuse. He took the wooden box from Li Baxian, then turned and handed it to Hua Ci. Cupping his fists, he said, "Seniors, your kindness towards us is deeply appreciated and will be remembered. Thank you all."

Li Baxian smiled and said, "Since you've already obtained a Spirit Respite Fruit, you won't be getting any benefits from the subsequent auction."

"It's only fair."

Lu Ye had no reason to covet the auction proceeds; the value of one Spirit Respite Fruit was more than enough. To desire more would be asking for too much.

Li Baxian then looked around and said, "I will be presiding over this auction. Does anyone have any objections?"

Who could possibly object? Among those present, some might have been older than Li Baxian, but the older ones weren't as strong as him, and the younger ones certainly weren't. He was tenth on the Spirit Stream Ranking, and last time, he fought Yan Xing, who was second, to a mutual defeat. Among those present, only Feng Yuechan could compete with him.

But everyone knew about Feng Yuechan's feelings for Li Baxian; how could she undermine him?

Furthermore, this was already something agreed upon beforehand, and everyone applauded in approval.

Li Baxian then took charge and began to preside, announcing, "The bidding for the first Spirit Respite Fruit begins now. Those interested, please make your bids!"

Feng Yuechan immediately called out with a smile, "Danxin Sect bids ten thousand top-grade spirit stones."

Her voice had barely faded when another voice drowned it out: "Tianyuan Sect bids thirteen thousand."

"Qingxu Palace bids ten thousand top-grade spirit stones, plus ten catties of Azure Sky Divine Iron!"

The scene instantly became extremely heated. The bidders were primarily major sects from the core region, possessing deep foundations and substantial resources that inner and outer region sects could not compare to.

A sect's foundation is not something that can be accumulated in one or two generations; it requires the continuous efforts of generations. None of the current first-, second-, and third-grade major sects in Kyushu reached their status without building it step by step. No one is born powerful.

The bids were generally based on top-grade spirit stones, with some also including rare natural treasures. Lu Ye had never even heard of the names of many of these treasures.

As for top-grade spirit stones, he hadn't seen them either. All the spirit stones he had obtained so far were low-grade. It was said that above low-grade were mid-grade, and above mid-grade were top-grade; there was also an even more special kind: supreme-grade spirit stones.

The bidding proceeded in this intense yet peaceful atmosphere. After round after round of increasing bids, the first Spirit Respite Fruit was acquired by a major sect from Wuzhou. After Li Baxian announced the result, the sect's guardian cupped his fists in all directions and said, "Thank you for conceding!"

He flew up with a beaming smile, carefully searched, picked a Spirit Respite Fruit, and sealed it in a container.

He had no further business after that.

One Spirit Respite Fruit after another was settled. The auction lasted for a full hour. By the time it came to the last few Spirit Respite Fruits, Lu Ye distinctly felt that the guardians were increasing their bids with greater intensity.

In the end, the eight individuals who obtained Spirit Respite Fruits were beaming with joy. Those who didn't get one weren't overly dejected, because no one knew whether spending such a high price for a Spirit Respite Fruit would ultimately be a profit or a loss.

The only one that profited was the Crimson Blood Sect.

The guardians represented their respective sects, and the bids made here naturally couldn't be settled immediately. They would first need to return to the Spirit Stream Battlefield and Kyushu to report to their sects. Afterward, sect representatives would gather the bid items and distribute them.

This matter would naturally be handled by the Haotian Alliance, who had capable individuals specifically for such affairs. The auction proceeds would be shared not only among the sects represented by the guardians present but also among those who had died in battle. It could be said that all sects participating in this Spirit Stream Guardian Battle would receive some benefits; however, after being equally divided, the benefits wouldn't be substantial.

"Junior Brother," Li Baxian instructed from amidst the crowd, "after you take the Spirit Respite Fruit back, give it to Second Senior Sister. She will process the pulp."

"I understand."

Li Baxian patted his shoulder. "You're growing very quickly," he said, "but you must calm your mind and take time to consolidate your achievements."

"Yes."

Rumbling sounds emanated from all directions. The entire continent was shaking as this massive landmass began to decompose back into individual chess islands. The Spirit Stream Guardian Battle was over.

Lu Ye distinctly felt the surrounding scenery begin to twist and blur, as if it were overlapping with another space.

"Fourth Senior Brother, Senior Sister Feng, take care!" Lu Ye said, cupping his fists.

Hua Ci stood beside him and gracefully bowed to the two.

"Take care!" Li Baxian nodded.

Farewells echoed from all directions. Lu Ye turned his head and gently waved, seeing Lan Yudie, Gao Tai, and the Lu Yushan siblings.

The spatial distortion and overlap became more severe. After Lu Ye and Hua Ci experienced a momentary blur, they were already standing inside the Heavenly Mystery Hall of the Crimson Blood Sect's outpost. The surrounding hustle and bustle had vanished.

Hua Ci had a mechanical wolf beside her, its body laden with storage bags.

They turned to look at each other and smiled.

The Spirit Stream Guardian Battle lasted for a month. This period had been remarkably colorful and was destined to become an unforgettable experience for them both.

"You two, you're finally back."

A voice rang out from outside the hall. Lu Ye turned his head and saw Chen Yu.

Lu Ye instructed Hua Ci, "You go back to the main sect first and report our safe return to the Sect Master and Second Senior Sister. I'll be there shortly."

"Okay," Hua Ci replied, then used the Heavenly Mystery Pillar to return to the main sect, her figure vanishing.

Lu Ye strode out. Once outside the hall, he plopped down on the steps and relaxed his body and mind. "If you're waiting for someone, just go inside and wait," he said. "Why are you always skulking around out here?"

The outpost was always the safest place. During the Spirit Stream Guardian Battle, Lu Ye had kept his mind taut, and only now could he completely relax.

Chen Yu hastily said, "We are already incredibly grateful that the Crimson Blood Sect allows us rogue cultivators to stay at the outpost. How could we casually step into a vital sect area like the Heavenly Mystery Hall?"

The rogue cultivators were all quite good; or rather, under Chen Yu's management, they were very self-disciplined. Even though the outpost had been uninhabited for decades, no rogue cultivator ever tried to occupy it like a squatter.

"What is it?" Lu Ye asked casually, stretching his neck. After several interactions, they weren't strangers; Lu Ye had even previously entrusted Chen Yu to buy spirit pills with spirit stones.

Chen Yu smiled and said, "I heard that the Crimson Blood Sect is going to recruit disciples?"

Lu Ye glanced at him. "You're well-informed," he said.

Second Senior Sister had indeed mentioned before that it was fine the Crimson Blood Sect hadn't recruited disciples in the past, as she and the Sect Master had been waiting for the sect to be delisted. But now that they had Lu Ye, Hua Ci, and others, an opening had been made, so they might as well widen it. As a guardian, Lu Ye was qualified to recruit disciples in the Spirit Stream Battlefield. Of course, those recruited this way would only be nominal disciples and would require a period of assessment before becoming official disciples.

In addition, Shui Yuan had also said that many rogue cultivators wanted to join the Crimson Blood Sect, and that Lu Ye should absorb as many as possible. This was related to the future development of the sect, ensuring he would have available helpers if the sect encountered any issues.

Previously, because he was participating in the Spirit Stream Guardian Battle, Lu Ye hadn't had the mind to deal with these matters. He hadn't expected that before he even began, the news had already spread.

It was likely news leaked by Kong Niu or Ruan Lingyu, with the latter being more probable as the little girl liked to run off to the market.

"Is this true?" Chen Yu asked, a surprised expression on his face.

"What? You want to join the Crimson Blood Sect?" Lu Ye asked, looking at him in surprise.

"I do have that thought," Chen Yu replied, "I just don't know if I'll have the opportunity."

"With your cultivation at the seventh level," Lu Ye said, "if you truly wanted to join a sect, it shouldn't be difficult. Why do you specifically want to join the Crimson Blood Sect?"

Chen Yu gave a wry smile. "Major sects actually prefer to train people from scratch," he explained. "This way, the sense of belonging and recognition for the sect is higher. Someone like me, even if I were to join another sect, wouldn't receive much attention. Which sect still lacks a seventh-level cultivator?"

That was true. Even outer sects, including ninth-grade ones, had many cultivators at the seventh and eighth levels. It's just that they weren't usually seen because they had all gone to the inner regions for training.

Someone like Chen Yu would actually be qualified to be a guardian for a ninth-grade sect, but which sect would trust him enough to employ him?

Lu Ye couldn't help but think of Dong Shuye.

That guy used to be the guardian of the Nine Star Sect. Later, he defected to another force, only to become a personal bodyguard for a profligate young master of that force. How tragic.

"I settled here when I was at the second level of cultivation," Chen Yu began. "Now I'm at the seventh level. After all this time, I've developed feelings for this place. It's not just me; many rogue cultivators who settled here feel the same way. We rogue cultivators belong to no sect, with no backing, but by gathering here for warmth, we've formed a cohesive force, mutually dependent. Even if the Crimson Blood Sect has never paid attention, we've all received its protection."

With Little Grey guarding the outpost, which Ten Thousand Demon Ridge sect would dare to provoke them?

"So I was thinking," Chen Yu continued with sincere emotion, "if the Crimson Blood Sect truly opens its doors wide and recruits many disciples, could you please consider us rogue cultivators first? Our talents might be inferior to others, but we have a stronger sense of belonging and recognition for the Crimson Blood Sect. It's just that all this time, we haven't dared to claim ourselves as Crimson Blood Sect disciples."

"Is this just your personal thought?"

Chen Yu shook his head. "It's not just me," he said. "Many others think this way. They entrusted me to ask for clarification."

Lu Ye rested one hand on his chin and the other on his knee, his expression relaxed. Tapping his knee lightly with his fingers, he said, "Then do you know that the Crimson Blood Sect is not an ordinary ninth-grade sect? If you truly bear its mark, you will surely encounter more dangers than others in the future. I presume you've also heard about what happened to me last time on Golden Light Peak."

Chen Yu said, "Where is there no risk on the path of cultivation? Currently, we indeed bear no sect's mark, but if we encounter strong cultivators from the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, would they let us off? We naturally heard about Fellow Daoist Yi Ye's heroic feat on Golden Light Peak and greatly admire it. We rogue cultivators don't have your great abilities, but if we are fortunate enough to join the Crimson Blood Sect, we too would defend the sect's prestige to the death!"