Chapter 194: Threats

They watched as the deep, bone-visible wound on Shangguan Sheng's arm miraculously began to heal after a small amount of medicinal powder was sprinkled on it. In less than ten breaths, the wound had fully recovered, leaving no scar behind. Shangguan Sheng's face lit up with excitement. "This medicine stops bleeding on sight for external injuries. This is truly the unique effect of the Rejuvenation Pill!" he exclaimed. "The rumors are absolutely true!"

Everyone's eyes burned with desire. "This spirit pill is truly miraculous, isn't it?" someone exclaimed. "It can heal such severe external injuries instantly!" Another added, "With one of these, we wouldn't fear the sharp claws and fangs of demonic beasts!" "No wonder Vice President Chen chose it as the grand finale item. I was too short-sighted!" "This pill certainly deserves its Heaven-tier classification," they concluded.

Yet, this was not the end. Shangguan Sheng gazed at the three emerald-green spirit pills and declared excitedly, "The Rejuvenation Pill not only stops bleeding instantly but can also mend broken bones within half a day and effectively cure internal injuries. Any injury can be completely healed in a short amount of time! When facing a beast tide, having one of these is like having an extra life!"

Chen Luoyue was dumbfounded, never expecting the Rejuvenation Pill's effects to be so astonishing. Looking at the eager eyes in the audience, she took a deep breath and announced, "Thank you, Divine Physician Shangguan, for the appraisal. I won't elaborate further on its value. The auction starts now, and the bidding method is... open bidding!"

An open bidding format, with no reserve price, usually indicates an item of extraordinary value. True to form, someone immediately offered a sky-high price of 200,000. But this was merely the beginning. Every sect wished for their most elite prodigies to have a better chance of survival, so they continued to drive up the price without hesitation. In the end, the Myriad Sword Sect purchased the three Rejuvenation Pills for a staggering total of 600,000. This meant each pill sold for an exorbitant 200,000. To put it in perspective, a single dose of the Elixir of Pathways, which aids in breaking through to the Core Formation realm, only sold for 500,000 crystal stones. This demonstrated just how coveted life-saving items were when facing a beast tide.

Meanwhile, Liu Qingxian, seated on an intricately carved jade chair, suddenly dropped the teacup she was holding, and it shattered on the ground. She seemed oblivious, her face a mask of disbelief. "200,000 for one pill?" she murmured. She quickly pulled out a full bottle of Rejuvenation Pills and counted them carefully. There were ten! Didn't this mean the entire bottle was worth a staggering two million crystal stones?

"Jiang Fan, you... I... I can't accept this!" she stammered, feeling as if her hand could barely hold onto the jade bottle. "It's far too precious!"

Jiang Fan chuckled indifferently. "They're just inanimate objects," he said. "No matter how precious, how could they compare to you, Senior Sister?"

Liu Qingxian was deeply moved. This was a peerless treasure worth two million crystal stones, yet in Jiang Fan's eyes, it couldn't compare to her? A profound feeling of being valued lingered in her heart. "But how can I possibly repay you?" Liu Qingxian asked, her voice heavy as she clutched the jade bottle.

Jiang Fan smiled faintly. "Senior Sister, you've got it backward," he said. "It is I who should be repaying you. Since joining the sect, you have shown me such care and concern, and I am deeply grateful. This journey to the beast tide is fraught with danger; both you and I could perish. I give you these spirit pills as a token of my gratitude. May we both return safely."

Hearing his final words, Liu Qingxian was even more deeply touched. Indeed, how immense was this beast tide? Even the Nine Sects might not escape unscathed; not everyone might return alive. A pang of bitter emotion welled up in her heart at the thought that she or Jiang Fan might never see each other again. She bit her red lip slightly, then suddenly said, "I'll give you a gift too. Close your eyes."

"Oh?" Jiang Fan smiled, closing his eyes with anticipation. A fragrant breeze swept past, and his lips were met by two soft, moist ones. He opened his eyes to find Liu Qingxian's exquisite face incredibly close. Her rosy lips, having just touched, parted swiftly. Jiang Fan stared at Liu Qingxian blankly, his mind a complete void. Liu Qingxian's face flushed crimson, her eyes shimmering like water, overflowing with shyness. Usually quick-witted and articulate, she now stammered awkwardly. Her red lips parted several times, but she couldn't utter what was in her heart. Finally, she only managed a soft "Take care," before fleeing as if escaping.

Jiang Fan touched the lingering moisture on his lips, still feeling as though he were dreaming. It wasn't until Chen Luoyue approached, carrying crystal stones and brimming with gratitude. "Young Master Jiang," she began, "thanks to your invaluable assistance, my auction proceeds have now surpassed Su Xiangquan's. This means the battle for the chairman position between us is now truly in suspense. It's anyone's game!"

Understanding her unspoken meaning, Jiang Fan said, "If I have good items in the future, I will continue to entrust them to you for auction." Chen Luoyue was overjoyed. Winning against Su Xiangquan just once wouldn't naturally sway everyone, but if she consistently won, the chairman's position would undeniably be hers in the future. "Thank you, Young Master Jiang, thank you!" she gushed. "Oh, by the way, would you like me to help you convert your crystal stones into crystal plates? They'd be much easier to carry that way."

Jiang Fan had no objections. He previously had 630,000 and now an additional 570,000, totaling a grand sum of 1,205,000 crystal stones! Chen Luoyue converted them into one 1,000,000 crystal plate and two 100,000 crystal plates. Jiang Fan kept the remaining 5,000 crystal stones as pocket money. Even so, his pouch still felt bulky. As his cultivation advanced, he was accumulating more and more items.

Chen Luoyue also noticed this and reminded him, "Young Master Jiang, word has it that among the rewards from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion this time, there's a spatial storage artifact. Its internal space is three zhang wide and can hold many items. If you accumulate enough merit points, you might consider exchanging for it."

Jiang Fan's heart jolted. He had read about dimensional storage countless times in ancient texts but never expected it to truly exist, especially not as one of the exchangeable rewards this time! He carried too many items that couldn't be revealed, such as the purple sword on his back, the mysterious wooden box his father had left him, and the 'Taiyi Soul Art' jade slip. He often worried he might accidentally lose them. Only with a spatial storage artifact could he truly rest easy. His motivation to hunt demonic beasts had just gained another layer!

After gathering his belongings, he returned to the sect in high spirits. Unexpectedly, just as he reached the foot of the Sect Master's Peak, an outer sect disciple rushed over to report. "Senior Brother Jiang, don't return to the peak for now!" the disciple urged. "Elder Tie Bubai of the Giant Sect is threatening the Sect Master, demanding that you be handed over!"

This outer sect disciple had once received a low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill from Jiang Fan and had always been grateful, which was why he promptly delivered the news. Jiang Fan was momentarily stunned. "What's the reason?" he asked. "I haven't provoked the Giant Sect." He muttered to himself, *Could it be that Xu Ganglie's death has been discovered? No, that's impossible. Xu Ganglie died deep in the mountains, and only I and Qin Wenyuan, who fled far away, know about it. There's no way it could be exposed.* The outer sect disciple, looking indignant, replied, "It's about Sect Master Kong's nephew, Kong Wushuang! After he challenged you and was defeated, he was somehow seriously injured and hasn't woken up yet. The Giant Sect is blaming you for being too heavy-handed and wants to take you back for interrogation!"

Jiang Fan laughed in exasperation. Kong Wushuang had merely been knocked unconscious from a collision; there was no serious injury at all. If he had sustained a genuine severe injury, Kong Yuanba would have noticed it immediately and settled accounts with the Azure Cloud Sect on the spot. How could they only discover something was amiss after so much time had passed? Heaven knows how Kong Wushuang truly got injured later. They simply wanted to pin the blame on the Azure Cloud Sect. Jiang Fan snorted lightly. "An elder dares to act so presumptuously in my Azure Cloud Sect?" he scoffed. The outer sect disciple replied helplessly, "It's true that Tie Bubai is an elder, but he just successfully bid for a jade talisman containing a Nascent Soul's strike!" "How outrageous!" Jiang Fan's eyes slightly chilled. The Giant Sect was truly domineering; as soon as they acquired that Nascent Soul jade talisman, they sought to assert their dominance over the Azure Cloud Sect. And what's more, they had set their sights on him!