Chapter 608 - 249: Tingtao Sea Auction (3)
Chapter 608: Chapter 249: Tingtao Sea Auction (3)
The chances were slim, but what if?
’My luck has been pretty good lately. Maybe I can find an unwanted Ancient Divine Artifact at one of the stalls.’
Tinglang Island had a large square reserved in its center specifically for visiting cultivators to set up stalls.
Of course, setting up a stall required a fee. Regardless of what was being sold, the daily stall fee was one thousand Spirit Stones.
Furthermore, each stall was only ten feet long and six feet wide. Anyone who wanted more space had to pay extra Spirit Stones.
Even so, all the stalls in the square were rented out well in advance, and it was packed with various small vendors and a tide of Loose Cultivators.
For the next three days, Xiao Chen left early every morning.
He’d head to the square and examine the stalls one by one, determined to find an overlooked treasure.
Unfortunately, after three straight days of searching, all he had to show for it was seeing through a bunch of swindlers selling fakes. He hadn’t seen so much as a shadow of a Divine Artifact.
Still, Xiao Chen’s efforts weren’t entirely fruitless.
Over the past few days, he’d overheard a lot of gossip in the square. After filtering out the most absurd rumors, he’d managed to get a general understanding of the power dynamics among the various factions in the Tingtao Sea.
First and foremost was the Cloud Sea Sword Pavilion, the undisputed hegemon of the region.
Beneath it were the Hu, Jiang, and Mo Three Great Clans, and the Feiye Commerce Association.
Tracing their lineages back, all Three Great Clans had intricate ties to the Cloud Sea Sword Pavilion.
Only the Feiye Commerce Association, with its own Nascent Soul True Monarch, managed to remain relatively independent while still cooperating with the Sword Pavilion.
Further down the hierarchy were smaller families, most of which only had one or two Golden Core Cultivators and lacked any Nascent Soul-level backing.
In other words, any faction below that level posed almost no threat to Xiao Chen.
It was also worth noting that since the sudden emergence of Di Lang True Monarch...
In the last two years, many disciples from the Cloud Sea Sword Pavilion had ventured to the borders of the neighboring South Marsh Sea.
Among them were a number of older Golden Core Disciples who had simply settled down, started families, and established new branches of their clan there.
Thus, over the three days, Xiao Chen had heard of several incidents of Magical Combat, most of which ended in victory for the Sword Pavilion disciples.
However, with the sudden appearance of Chongzhen Temple this year, the situation seemed to have become more delicate.
Typically, two major powers would be best served by dividing their territory along natural borders.
However, based on the rumors Xiao Chen had heard over the past few days, the Cloud Sea Sword Pavilion seemed to have no intention of reining in its disciples.
Silence implies consent. Therefore, some Loose Cultivators were boldly predicting that a war between the two Major Sects was imminent. They claimed the price of Defensive Spiritual Artifacts would inevitably skyrocket, so everyone should hurry up and buy the Fire-refined Yellow Sand they were selling before it was too late.
...
「The eighteenth of the third month.」
The sky was just beginning to lighten, but Tinglang Island was already bustling with activity.
Throngs of cultivators had left early, rushing to the auction hall to snag a good seat near the front.
Some had even been waiting outside the hall for two days, standing right at the edge of the area tolerated by the patrolling guards.
SHIMMER!
As the Array’s light screen retracted, Xiao Chen stepped out.
He immediately saw that the surrounding streets were filled with other cultivators who were also heading out.
Some had already donned Conical Hats or veils before leaving home, completely obscuring their faces.
Others, completely unconcerned, showed their faces openly.
He observed that along the way, nearly thirty percent of the cultivators had their faces covered.
’Given the circumstances, the Tribulation Cultivators in the Tingtao Sea must be quite rampant. Otherwise, people wouldn’t be this cautious.’
Xiao Chen, however, had no reason to be afraid.
’If any Golden Core Cultivators dared to cause trouble for me, they’d be the ones to suffer for it.’
’And if I ran into a sufficiently shameless Nascent Soul True Monarch, an extra veil wouldn’t do any good. My only option would be to flee.’
"Welcome, honored Senior!"
Today, a number of young, beautiful female Foundation Establishment cultivators had been added to the staff at the auction hall’s entrance.
Upon seeing someone present a Token, they would immediately approach and guide them directly to the second floor, allowing them to bypass the queue.
"This is Suite B-24. Please, come in, Senior!"
The female cultivator leading the way stood at the door, her eyes fixed on Xiao Chen as she gave him a seductive look. "Does Senior require someone to stay and attend to your needs?"
"I would be willing..."
Before she could finish, Xiao Chen waved her off. "That won’t be necessary. Close the door on your way out."
’He could see it clearly—a seductive glint swirled in her eyes. She had likely cultivated some form of Charm Technique.’
’Her offer to ’attend’ to him was just an excuse. She was clearly after his body.’
’She wanted to steal his Primordial Yang to nourish her own cultivation.’
Upon hearing his words, a flicker of regret appeared in the female cultivator’s eyes. ’Such a young Golden Core True Man would surely be much better than those old geezers.’ But she didn’t dare to overstep, and obediently withdrew.
The private suite was furnished with tea and Spirit Fruits, two sets of tables and chairs, and a large bed.
Whether sitting or lying down, one had a clear view of the open seating on the floor below and the semicircular, elevated stage in the very center.
Xiao Chen, completely at ease, picked up a Spirit Fruit to sample while he waited for the auction to begin.
GONG!
After some time, just as he was picking up the last Spirit Fruit, the resounding clang of a gong suddenly echoed from below.
Xiao Chen looked down and saw that a handsome, white-robed young man with sharp brows and bright, star-like eyes had appeared on the central stage.
He stood with his hands behind his back, surveying his surroundings.
Any cultivator who met his gaze couldn’t help but feel a piercing chill in their heart.
"It’s Di Lang True Monarch!"
"I can’t believe it. He looks even younger than he does in the portraits."
"Well, of course! He’s only sixty this year. In cultivator terms, that’s equivalent to a six-year-old child. That’s more effective than any Beauty Pill."