Chapter 736: Yuanxu

**Chapter 739: Yuanxu**

At Luoxia Mountain, Yi Qingwu's delicate hand struck down, leveling a crimson peak. The mountain wind howled, disheveling the vines and trees, causing the grasses to wither, and the leaves to turn yellow and decay, creating a desolate autumn scene.

Her divine bones and jade-like figure, with a slender waist like a beautiful serpent, were graceful and elegant. Her dark hair was so lustrous it could reflect a person's image. At this moment, her face was flushed with a rosy glow, her eyes rippled like water, captivating and enchanting, capable of overturning all beings. Every frown and smile eclipsed the beauty of all other women in the world.

"Hmph." Her white robes were whiter than snow. With a gentle sweep of her soft sleeve, she smoothed out the creases in her snowy clothes. Her beautiful hair fluttered, and her bright, oval face featured eyes like black gemstones, filled with spiritual energy and a hint of playful anger. She flew away like a celestial maiden treading on waves.

Ye Fan remained composed, treading on the tangled vines and walking over the fallen, withered leaves. Step by step, he ascended the broken peak towards the sky, a faint smile playing on his lips as he flew into the distance.

Yuanxu is a very special place, perennially filled with a gentle, misty spiritual energy. It's not particularly dense, but it's exceptionally pure, making it suitable for cultivating various medicinal herbs.

Some say that in ancient times, there was a medicinal garden here, where various ancient medicine kings grew, exhaling auspicious energy and gathering all the spiritual essence of the world. Others claim it was a medicinal field forcibly extracted by divine beings from the legendary Penglai Immortal Island in the Eastern Sea, which is why a trace of immortal energy still permeates it. Still others believe it was originally a dwelling place for deities, capable of accumulating celestial and terrestrial energy, but it was unfortunately destroyed in primordial times, becoming the ruin known as Yuanxu.

Located in the central part of Shenzhou, passing cultivators would often travel through this area. Initially, people exchanged spirit medicines here, and over time, it became a renowned location. Nowadays, ancient medicines, rare materials, scriptures, and various other items related to cultivation are traded here, giving it a great reputation. Even people from other continents come here, drawn by its fame.

Ye Fan descended, having arranged to meet Yan Yixi and Li Tian here to capture Yin Tiande's boy attendant.

It was rumored that precious ancient medicine kings would be exhibited and auctioned off at Yuanxu to the highest bidder, attracting significant attention from many cultivators recently.

Yin Tiande, the master of the Eight Scenery Palace, inherited everything from the Taiqing Holy Realm. In recent years, he has frequently refined elixirs. Some say that every time he opens his furnace, auspicious energy surges skyward, and his elixirs are so precious they can revive the dead and regrow flesh on bones. The treasure elixirs he refined are of great benefit to cultivation. When Lu Ya and the Daoist Sanque encountered bottlenecks, they both used his spirit elixirs to overcome their tribulations. Therefore, he has a great demand for various medicinal plants. To refine the legendary Nine-Turn Spirit Elixir, he specially dispatched a boy attendant to constantly procure ingredients from outside.

Green bamboos grew irregularly, looking so vibrant they seemed to drip with moisture. Threads and wisps of mist emanated throughout Yuanxu, indeed carrying a pure vital essence. There were three low hills, unremarkable in their divine splendor, yet they exuded a sense of natural simplicity. Ancient vines, small bridges, abundant bamboos, and clear springs all contributed to a serene and harmonious atmosphere.

However, upon closer approach, that peaceful tranquility lessened, as there were truly many people. Cultivators were everywhere, with stalls set up in every nook and cranny, by small bridges, and beside spring ponds, selling flying swords, spirit talismans, elixirs, Taoist scriptures, and more, all at considerable prices.

Ye Fan was surprised; this place was indeed extraordinary. On a small grass mat, he saw a weapon that turned out to be a damaged Divine King's Weapon, sold by a rather rustic old man. On another stall, a broken purple conch contained a Sea God Pearl, its light obscured so that an unknowing person wouldn't even notice it. Nearby, a bundle of bamboo slips lay on a piece of linen cloth. The opening text, exposed to view, expounded on profound and subtle principles.

Ye Fan was immediately captivated. This place was truly exceptional; some very powerful recluses were here, appearing inconspicuous, but the items they sold were extraordinary. However, these valuable items were not easily traded. He inquired about prices and learned that they could only be exchanged for specific items; nothing else was accepted. The sellers only wanted what they needed.

"They don't show off their treasures, only preparing them for those who truly recognize their value. This is the nature of masters, and they also fear disturbance," Ye Fan nodded. Of course, not everything was such precious material. He, with his sufficiently powerful cultivation, simply discerned the extraordinary nature of a few individuals. Stalls were everywhere, and there were also many fake or low-quality goods; it was a mixed bag, so to speak.

Ye Fan walked with his hands clasped behind his back, crossing stone arch bridges, climbing low hills, and entering bamboo groves. He explored most of the area and was greatly surprised to find many truly valuable materials. There were even people exchanging complete Divine King's Weapons, drawing a large number of masters who crowded the area, making it impossible to pass through.

Furthermore, what truly shocked him was that an immortal treasure was about to be auctioned. Someone had dug up a piece of Phoenix Blood Red Gold, an inch long and two fingers wide, from beneath an ancient mountain range in Shenzhou. Bursts of phoenix cries emanated as an ancient living fossil figure unleashed his full Dao power. The inch-long divine gold immediately soared, emitting a sky full of crimson light, with phoenixes flying and dancing, engulfing the entire Yuanxu and astonishing everyone.

"It's definitely Phoenix Blood Red Gold, absolutely genuine! It's been countless years since such an immortal material, exclusively for Great Emperors, has been seen. Although it's small, it's enough to forge a supreme Saint Weapon. It's truly priceless, and who knows who will acquire it." Everyone was stunned. Just seeing this item made the trip worthwhile. It truly broadened people's horizons, as such an item only appeared in legends. "They're even willing to sell something like this..." Many gasped in astonishment, filled with exclamations.

Soon after, Ye Fan met Yan Yixi and Li Tian, both of whom stated they had not yet found Yin Tiande's boy attendant.

"That fellow is a snake demon," Li Tian said. "Although he looks harmless and young, he's actually been cultivating for 1,800 years. If only we had a demon-reflecting mirror, we'd probably find him quickly."

"Uncle Pervert, let me out! My master has arrived," Tongtong cried out from within a magical artifact, pouting.

"You unpopular little thing," Li Tian retorted, "first recite the general principles of the Human Desire Dao for me. You'll thank me in eighteen years." Li Tian found it amusing to force a crying child, who insisted he didn't want to be a pervert, to learn these scriptures. He truly wanted to take him as a disciple. Ye Fan turned a blind eye, feeling that more experiences in youth would be beneficial for future growth, provided, of course, that his character didn't change for the worse. He believed everything was currently under control.

"Here he comes, over there," Yan Yixi said, looking ahead and focusing on a fair-skinned, red-lipped youth. He wasn't tall, appearing to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. He wore a white python robe, Tengshe boots, and had his dark hair bound with a purple-gold crown. He walked with his hands clasped behind his back, an arrogant and conceited youth.

"As expected of someone from the Eight Scenery Palace. He's just a small boy attendant, yet he possesses the strength of a sect master." However, upon closer thought, they were relieved. This was actually a snake demon who had cultivated for many years, so his Dao practice was naturally extremely high. He only became an attendant after being subdued by Yin Tiande.

"Wait a moment, don't act yet," Li Tian said. "This snake demon boy is very wealthy; he controls the Eight Scenery Palace's finances. By the looks of it, he's going to bid for that Phoenix Blood Red Gold on behalf of Yin Tiande. This is a huge fat sheep; we'll fleece him later!"

In Yuanxu, threads of white mist drifted. Most cultivators simply set up stalls; there were no grand palaces. It resembled a market, yet it contained countless treasures. The only special feature was a tall platform, built from white jade stone, located at the center of Yuanxu. It was only used when exceptionally precious items or priceless divine artifacts were to be auctioned.

The snake demon boy stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back, head held high, his purple-gold crown gleaming. He looked very keen and determined to win. Ye Fan and the others also moved forward. On the platform, someone was conducting the auction. It didn't take long for the price to skyrocket. Someone took out seven or eight fist-sized pieces of divine source, spending money like dirt.

"That's a major figure from the Human King Hall, so extravagant! This is just the opening bid; who knows how high the price will be when it closes."

"Did the Human King Hall succeed in exchanging ancient divine scriptures with the Ancient Longevity Temple? Countless rumors have circulated in recent years." Ye Fan's heart stirred. He too longed for that single-page ancient divine scripture and wanted to know what was happening, but years had passed without a result. It could only be said that both sides were too cautious, fearing deception from the other.

"The people from Sea God Island are here! Look what they've brought! Heavens, Dust-Dispelling Pearls, Fire-Repelling Pearls, Water-Repelling Pearls... a whole pile of Sea God Pearls!" People exclaimed in awe; this pile of pearls was too dazzling and brilliant, almost competing with the Phoenix Blood Red Gold in splendor, illuminating the world with immense radiance.

"Damn it, these are all rich lords. Plundering one family would provide endless wealth for a lifetime," Li Tian cursed, then fixated on the Great Emperor's sacred artifact. He said, "This piece of Phoenix Blood Red Gold is enough to forge a bracelet. If offered, no woman would remain unmoved; even primordial maidens would melt."

"Uncle Pervert, I despise you! Let me out," Tongtong cried, pouting.

"Tear-bag, go memorize your scriptures," Li Tian said, putting away the jade pendant-shaped magical artifact, giving him no more chance to speak.

Just then, major powers like the Ziwei Divine Dynasty and Guanghan Palace also made their moves, starting to bid, and the competition became even fiercer. "Phoenix Blood Red Gold, a tiny piece is rarely seen in thousands of generations. To see it here today, we must buy it and give it to the clan king. With his fortune-making level magical power, he will surely be able to refine it into a magnificent artifact."

Just then, several tall figures approached, all with golden hair draped over their shoulders, their eyes shooting electric rays. They were very imposing and powerful, masters from the Golden Crow clan. They all exuded boundless might, striding forward. Those not participating in the auction immediately moved aside, unwilling to provoke them, as the Golden Crow clan was too powerful, with few daring to offend them.

Ye Fan did not evade, standing there somewhat abruptly, which caused several Golden Crow clansmen to frown. One stepped forward and asked, "Are you here to auction a divine item?"

"No, I'm not," Ye Fan replied.

"Then move aside. We are here to bid," the Tenth Golden Crow Prince imperiously declared. He had always been arrogant in the world for many years, especially as the youngest, even more so than all his elder brothers.

"If you want to bid, you may. This place is vast; is there no room for me to stand?" Ye Fan retorted.

"After a 'Ye' appeared, does everyone in the world think my Golden Crow clan is easy to bully?" the Tenth Golden Crow Prince said, his expression turning cold. He extended his hand to push forward, using immense strength, enough to crush a person into paste.

"This place is unowned, and anyone can stand here. Yet you claim this amounts to challenging your Golden Crow clan. One can imagine how overbearing you were in the past," Ye Fan said, raising his hand to block the attack.

"Little Ten, retreat quickly!" an elder of the Golden Crow clan shouted. He opened his Heavenly Eye, saw Ye Fan's true face, and was utterly terrified.

*Bang!*

The Tenth Golden Crow Prince's outstretched arm instantly deformed, then softened like noodles. He flew backward as if he had crashed into a large mountain.

"You... who are you?"

"He is Ye Fan!" the other Golden Crow clansmen shouted. The Eldest Prince, the Second Prince, and another elder stepped forward together.

Yuanxu immediately trembled, and everyone looked over. Ye Fan's reputation was too great, and today he had finally made his formal appearance on land.

"Are you sure Lu Ya will appear and you're going to eliminate him here today?" Li Tian secretly transmitted.

"Yes, the information I received should be correct. With these few here now, it's even better. If they face trouble, Lu Ya, who isn't far away, will surely rush over. At that time, with two Saint Weapons unleashed, he'll have no escape, and we can seize the Dark-Winged Flowing Gold Halberd!" Ye Fan replied.

"It must be Yi Qingwu's information, right? You two, still claiming nothing's going on, yet she's sending people and even sacred orders..." Li Tian cursed.