Chapter 1111: First Large-Scale Auction

Its appetite was immense; it ate two blue carp in a row before finally being satisfied.

At Wang Changsheng's prompting, the Qilin Tortoise immediately rushed towards him.

The Qilin Tortoise emitted a submissive growl, seemingly requesting something.

Wang Changsheng dotingly stroked its head, then took out a palm-sized blue lotus and fed it to the Qilin Tortoise.

Qinglian Island was vast. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan owned a thousand mu of spiritual fields and a fifty-mu lake. Most of the lake was used for cultivating water-attribute spirit herbs and feeding the Qilin Tortoise, while a smaller portion was dedicated to growing high-grade spirit herbs.

The Qilin Tortoise possessed immense potential, surpassing even that of the Black Sparrow and Earth Dragon Earthworm. Consequently, its advancement difficulty would naturally be much higher. Wang Changsheng had his clansmen procure water-attribute spiritual objects and cultivated numerous water-attribute spirit herbs specifically to feed the Qilin Tortoise.

Wang Changsheng placed great hopes on it, wishing it would grow quickly and provide him with more assistance.

The Qilin Tortoise still seemed unsatisfied, letting out a coaxing growl and looking at Wang Changsheng with eager eyes.

Wang Changsheng flipped his palm, and a cyan porcelain bottle appeared in his hand. He took out three Spirit-Feeding Pills and fed them to the Qilin Tortoise.

After consuming the three Spirit-Feeding Pills, the Qilin Tortoise, now content, scampered off into the distance and began running around the courtyard.

Wang Changsheng suddenly recalled something and released his Twin-Pupil Rat. The rat was already a third-tier high-grade beast, and its appetite was growing ever larger. Fortunately, it wasn't picky about food, unlike the Qilin Tortoise and the Soul-Devouring Golden Cicada, which became pickier the higher their rank.

The Twin-Pupil Rat climbed onto Wang Changsheng's shoulder, squatting there, its front paws twitching incessantly as it chirped.

It sniffed out the lingering medicinal scent in the air, then began begging Wang Changsheng for food.

“You little glutton,” Wang Changsheng said with a smile.

Wang Changsheng smiled and gently seized the Twin-Pupil Rat, his heart swelling with emotion.

Reflecting on the past, when his family faced financial struggles, he was sent by his father to the secular world to protect mortals. His greatest reward from that time was acquiring the Twin-Pupil Rat. All the clansmen he grew up with were gone, yet the Twin-Pupil Rat remained by his side.

Wang Changsheng stroked the Twin-Pupil Rat's head and sighed, “If only cultivation were as carefree as your life: eating, drinking, and sleeping without a worry. Come to think of it, you're a bit like Master, just not as chubby as him.”

He took out a few hundred-year-old spirit fruits, fed them to the Twin-Pupil Rat, and then returned it to its spirit beast pearl before walking towards the blue pavilion nearby.

The Qilin Tortoise continued to dart around the courtyard; it was a restless and active creature.

Vermillion Qilin Peak, a forbidden area belonging to the Ouyang family.

At the peak stood a magnificent palace, its plaque emblazoned with the grand, flowing characters: "Vermillion Qilin Hall."

Inside the hall, a majestic-faced middle-aged man and a green-robed elder in his early sixties were engaged in a game of chess.

The middle-aged man, clad in a red dharma robe, possessed a pair of tiger-like eyes that commanded respect without needing to show anger.

This was True Man Haoyue Ouyang Hongsheng, a late-Nascent Soul cultivator.

The green-robed elder was named Huangfu Rui, a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. Ouyang Hongsheng and Huangfu Rui had been friends for many years.

“Fellow Daoist Huangfu,” Ouyang Hongsheng said with a smile, flicking his finger, sending a white chess piece flying onto the board. “True Man Taihao of the Azure Lotus Immortals has arrived at our Ouyang family and is currently residing on Listening Rain Peak.”

“True Man Taihao has arrived!” Huangfu Rui said sincerely. “I shall pay him a visit in two days. Our junior was imprudent, and True Man Taihao harbors some misunderstandings about our Huangfu family. I hope Fellow Daoist Ouyang can assist us.”

Huangfu Rui spoke sincerely. Because Huangfu Rong had been too eager for quick success, Wang Qingling had taken a disliking to him, and Wang Changsheng had likely heard about it as well.

The Azure Lotus Immortals had genuinely impressive battle achievements, having killed at least six Nascent Soul stage foreign cultivators. In the cultivation world, strength commanded respect, so Huangfu Rui naturally wouldn't want to antagonize two such powerful Nascent Soul cultivators. Harmony fostered prosperity, and there were many ways to achieve one's goals.

Of course, Huangfu Rong couldn't entirely be blamed; he hadn't anticipated the immense power of Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's divine abilities.

Ouyang Hongsheng smiled meaningfully, saying, “I am willing to help, but Fellow Daoist Huangfu must also assist with that other matter. That issue affects not just our Ouyang family, but the entire cultivation world.”

By the end of his statement, his expression had turned solemn.

“Of course. Even if Fellow Daoist Ouyang were not to help, I would still assist you in resolving that matter. Who could have foreseen such a significant problem arising?”

Huangfu Rui readily agreed. From his words, it was clear the matter was very serious.

The Five Dragon Sea Region, Golden Lotus Market City.

The Azure Lotus Pagoda had a long queue stretching from its entrance, where four Foundation Establishment cultivators stood guard.

It was the day of the auction, and a large number of cultivators poured into the Azure Lotus Pagoda to participate in the bidding.

The Wang family alone couldn't host such a large-scale auction. The Ten Thousand Sword Sect took the lead, with over a dozen other forces participating. They provided items for consignment, and the Wang family collected a commission. In exchange, when these forces hosted major auctions in the future, the Wang family would also consign items, thus strengthening their cooperation.

Some valuable items appeared during the exchange, but the auction also featured many excellent goods.

The seventh floor of the Azure Lotus Pagoda served as the auction venue, where over a thousand cultivators gathered. Most were Foundation Establishment cultivators, but there was also a significant number of Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators.

Nascent Soul cultivators occupied private rooms, while Core Formation cultivators sat in the front rows.

In one of the private rooms with an open door, Wang Ruyan gazed at the bustling venue, feeling a touch of nervousness. The Wang family had never before hosted a large-scale auction, and this being the Golden Lotus Market City's inaugural major auction, its significance was profound.

The stone walls were covered in arcane runes, emanating a faint, hidden ripple of restriction.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Following a series of resonant chimes, the entrance to the Azure Lotus Pagoda was sealed.

A graceful figure descended onto the circular platform in the center of the venue; it was Wang Qiuli.

Wang Qiuli had previously managed the family's shop in Qingli Market City and was skilled in handling people. This auction was jointly presided over by Wang Qiuli and Wang Qingqing, with Wang Qiuli managing the first half and Wang Qingqing the second. There were over a thousand items up for bid.

“Welcome, esteemed seniors, to this auction. The rules are the same as any other: the highest bidder wins. If you lack sufficient spirit stones, items may be offered as collateral. We will now begin with our first auction item: ten Foundation Establishment Pills, to be auctioned individually. Each has a starting price of ten thousand spirit stones, with bids increasing by no less than five hundred.”

After a brief introduction, Wang Qiuli produced ten porcelain bottles of varying colors.

Golden Lotus Island was situated at the confluence of three sea regions, bustling with numerous merchants and travelers. Two years prior, the Wang family had already begun promoting this auction, attracting not only major powers but also many smaller factions. Many of these smaller factions, unable to refine Foundation Establishment Pills themselves, could only bid for them.

“Ten thousand!”

“Ten thousand five hundred!”

“Eleven thousand!”

Bids rang out incessantly. Competition for the Foundation Establishment Pills was fierce, with multiple smaller factions vying for them. Each pill fetched a high price due to the intense bidding, with the highest selling for sixty thousand spirit stones and the lowest for forty thousand.

After the ten Foundation Establishment Pills were successfully auctioned, the atmosphere in the hall grew lively.

Wang Qiuli then successively presented other items for auction: elixirs, talismans, formation arrays, magical artifacts, and even embryonic magical treasures were put up for bid. The final prices steadily climbed.