Chapter 1481: Emperor Xiong

In a secluded courtyard, a ruddy-faced old man in a green robe and a plump, graceful young woman in a blue skirt were sitting in a stone pavilion.

The old man in the green robe was Huangfu Xiong, an early Nascent Soul cultivator. Golden Eagle Market was holding a large-scale auction, and Huangfu Xiong had received a tip that Dragon Transformation Grass, possibly over a thousand years old, might be for sale. Dragon Transformation Grass is a relatively rare spiritual herb used to refine body-strengthening elixirs; when consumed by flood dragons below the fourth-tier, it can increase their chances of advancement.

The young woman in the blue skirt was Huangfu Zhen, also an early Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Third Brother, is the news true?" Huangfu Zhen asked with a frown. Over the years, the Huangfu family had been collecting materials to help flood dragons advance to the fourth-tier, and they had cultivated two top-grade third-tier ice-attribute flood dragons. Their purpose for attending this large-scale auction at Golden Eagle Market was to bid for Dragon Transformation Grass, hoping to cultivate one of their third-tier flood dragons to the fourth-tier.

Huangfu Xiong nodded and said, "It's true. I've inquired with Madam Li, and it's absolutely correct. Truth be told, it's thanks to Zhou Sihong. His destruction of several Nascent Soul cultivators caused some forces to decline, allowing the Dragon Transformation Grass to circulate. We've brought two Nascent Soul formation spiritual items this time; we should be able to acquire the Dragon Transformation Grass."

Zhou Sihong had caused chaos in the South Sea for decades, killing multiple Nascent Soul cultivators. This disrupted the balance of power in some sea regions, and consequently, several treasures circulated, with Dragon Transformation Grass being one of them.

Since Dragon Transformation Grass can increase the chances of a third-tier flood dragon advancing to the fourth-tier, it's naturally not measured in spirit stones but traded through bartering, with the highest bidder winning.

Just then, Huangfu Xiong seemed to sense something. He took out a green communication disk and imbued it with a spell. A humble male voice suddenly resonated: "Senior Huangfu, I have already notified the proprietors of several shops. If there's any fourth-tier flood dragon essence blood, inner core, or other materials, we will definitely acquire them at a high price."

"I understand," Huangfu Xiong replied. "Many Nascent Soul cultivators have arrived at Golden Eagle Market recently. Pay close attention to information regarding this. If you handle this well, you will certainly be rewarded."

Huangfu Xiong instructed in a deep voice. He had subdued many Core Formation rogue cultivators and had them gather news and intelligence. Given his status, a small reward was enough to get many rogue cultivators to work for him, a testament to the power of reputation.

Fourth-tier flood dragon essence blood is an excellent material for refining body-tempering elixirs and can also be used to feed flood dragons.

"Yes, Senior Huangfu."

Half a month quickly passed.

Early on this particular day, a long queue formed at the entrance of a magnificent, gilded palace. Above the palace gate hung a lacquered golden plaque, on which the three silver characters "Ju Bao Gong" (Treasure Gathering Palace) shimmered with spiritual light.

Today was the day the auction was being held, and many cultivators were queuing to enter the auction hall.

A private room on the third floor of a teahouse near Ju Bao Lou (Treasure Gathering Tower).

Ye Haitang stood by the window. The window was half-open, revealing a crack through which she could see the entrance of Ju Bao Gong.

A dark light gleamed in her eyes, indicating the use of her Netherworld Eyes.

She spotted dozens of cultivators who were not using their true appearances, but none of them were Huang Yuxu.

Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, and Fairy Ziyue sat nearby, their expressions grim.

Wang Ruyan had previously found a lead, but further investigation yielded no useful clues.

They had placed their hopes on this auction. If Huang Yuxu was active in the Myriad Ghost Sea, he would likely know about the Golden Eagle Market's auction and would surely attend, as cultivation resources needed by Nascent Soul cultivators are hard to come by and are usually acquired through auctions or exchange events.

"Husband, you and Fairy Ziyue should go to the auction," Wang Ruyan said considerately. "Haitang and I will keep watch here. If we spot Huang Yuxu, I will definitely notify you." She intended to bring Fairy Ziyue and Wang Changsheng together.

Wang Changsheng nodded and said, "Please be diligent. If you find Huang Yuxu's whereabouts, do not alert him."

He and Fairy Ziyue left the private room and headed towards Ju Bao Gong.

Not long after, Wang Changsheng and Fairy Ziyue appeared in a spacious and brightly lit hall. The hall's ceiling was inlaid with numerous white crystals, emitting a soft white glow that illuminated the entire hall.

In the center of the hall was a circular platform ten zhang in diameter, with a green jade table and chair on it. Surrounding the platform were hundreds of green jade chairs, most of which were already occupied.

Wang Changsheng and Fairy Ziyue sat in the middle. They were not using their true appearances and had concealed their cultivation auras, appearing to be only at the Core Formation stage.

Cultivators continued to enter, including men, women, young, and old. Some wore black cloaks that could block divine sense probes.

Half an hour later, accompanied by a loud bell chime, two streaks of light flew onto the circular stone platform. They were a man and a woman, both Core Formation cultivators. One of them was Wang Mengyang.

Wang Mengyang had cultivated to the eighth layer of the Core Formation stage. After centuries of effort, his position had steadily risen. Thanks to his family's help, Wang Mengyang was fully responsible for procuring cultivation resources for the Wang family and transporting them back to the Eastern Desolate Lands, resulting in his status soaring and granting him more authority.

The young woman in the red dress beside him was Su Rou, Wang Mengyang's dual cultivation partner, a seventh-layer Core Formation cultivator. The couple often procured cultivation resources and auctioned goods together.

"Welcome, esteemed seniors, to this auction. The highest bidder wins. Let us now begin the bidding," Wang Mengyang announced briefly. He then took out three blue shimmering talismans. The talismans exuded strong spiritual energy, clearly indicating they were third-tier talismans.

"A set of Three Talents Demon Imprisonment Talismans, crafted by Fellow Daoist Chen of Green Lotus Island. It can trap two top-grade third-tier demonic beasts and can easily hold three to five Core Formation cultivators for half an hour. The starting price is 100,000 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 10,000."

In her leisure time, Wang Ruyan would instruct Chen Xudong in the art of talisman crafting, and his skill was second only to hers.

Thanks to the influence of their set of puppet beasts, the Wang family's goods sold very well.

As soon as this set of Three Talents Demon Imprisonment Talismans appeared, it immediately triggered fierce bidding among the cultivators. It was ultimately sold for a high price of 350,000 to a slightly hunchbacked old man in a golden robe.

"Two bottles of third-tier Fire Yang Pills," Wang Mengyang announced. "Fellow Daoists cultivating fire-attribute cultivation techniques should not miss this. The starting price is 100,000 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 10,000."

Wang Mengyang then brought out one auction item after another: talismans, elixirs, formations, puppet beasts, and more. Each item fetched a high price, and the third-tier puppet beasts sold by the Wang family were particularly popular.

Ever since the news of True Lord Taihao defeating Zhou Sihong spread throughout the South Sea, the sales of the Wang family's puppet beasts had increased by more than fivefold. Some smaller forces were willing to pay hefty prices to acquire the Wang family's puppet beasts as a trump card.

Some unscrupulous merchants, to promote their goods, falsely claimed their items originated from Green Lotus Island. For this, the Wang family severely punished several individuals. All goods sold by the Wang family bore the Green Lotus mark; anyone daring to counterfeit them would be severely punished without leniency. Other major forces also had similar marks to prevent unscrupulous merchants from counterfeiting and tarnishing their reputation.