Chapter 52 What If I Refuse?
Inside the Medicine Hall, Lan Liqing calmly walked down the stairs with her usual nonchalant expression.
When the disciples saw her, their face radiated brightly.
"Master! You are finally out of your room!"
One of her disciples ran up to her and handed her a jade slip. "Master, the Patriarch visited yesterday, but he quickly left when we told him that you were in closed cultivation. He also left behind this jade slip for you before leaving," said the disciple as she handed Lan Liqing the jade slip.
"The Patriarch?" Lan Liqing wondered what he wanted from her.
"Thank you, I will head to the Yin Yang Pavilion to see the Patriarch now." Lan Liqing suddenly stopped by the exit and turned to ask: "By the way, have you heard anything about Su Yang as of lately?"
The disciples shook their heads.
"Su Yang left the sect for a mission a week ago and we haven't heard anything about him since then."
"He left the sect?" Lan Liqing has been cultivating alone in her room ever since Su Yang plucked her flower, so it wasn't weird that she didn't know about it.
After leaving the Medicine Hall, Lan Liqing went directly to the Yin Yang Pavilion, where the current Patriarch and Matriarch lived.
Unlike normal sects, the Profound Blossom Sect had two sect masters instead of one – one male and one female. This way, if any of the males or females had a problem with each other, they would have their own representative without being afraid of being treated unjustly simply because of their gender.
"Disciple Lan greets the Patriarch." Lan Liqing bowed to the handsome middle-aged man with long black hair, who was calmly sat on his bed before her.
While she was a sect elder, she was also considered a disciple of the sect, and under the sect master's presence, all elders are still disciples.
"Relax." The Patriarch casually waved his hand and continued: "Do you know why I called you here?" he asked.
"No, this disciple doesn't know."
"It has been over 25 years since you joined the Profound Blossom Sect as a disciple, all the way back when I was a mere elder, and as far as I am aware… you are the only elder within the sect that has yet to truly experience dual cultivation…" The Patriarch then sighed.
"You were an excellent disciple with a bright future when you first joined and everybody was charmed by your appearances, but because of your stubbornness that refused to dual cultivate, your talents never really sprouted. Although the sect does not force the disciples to dual cultivate against their will, you are now over 40 years old, yet you are still a pure maiden… Tell me, Disciple Lan… for what reason did you join the Profound Blossom Sect when you do not wish to dual cultivate?" he continued with an expression of pity.
When Lan Liqing was still in her prime years, she was one of the most promising disciples within the Profound Blossom Sect with superior looks and great talent that captivated countless disciples. Her charm was so great that it had even caught the attention of a few core disciples.
However, despite so many people courting her, Lan Liqing coldly refused to cultivate with anyone, even the core disciples, which had caused the previous sect masters endless headaches.
"The previous Sect Masters may have allowed you to do whatever you wanted because of their kindness, but I am not as lenient as them. Disciple Lan, you are a disciple of the Profound Blossom Sect, so you have an obligation to follow its teachings and dual cultivate."
Lan Liqing, who had been standing there silently, finally opened her mouth and said: "What if I refuse?"
"Then you will either be forced to cultivate or forced to leave the sect," said the Patriarch in a cold tone. "But it would be a waste to throw you away after spending so much resource on you, especially when you still have your Yin Essence…"
"The sect rules forbids forced dual cultivation, even if it is ordered by the Patriarch," Lan Liqing calmly replied without revealing the fact that her Yin Essence was already stolen by a mere disciple, as she has been through many similar situations.
"You are right, but being a disciple of my Profound Blossom Sect, you are obligated to serve me, as that is one of the many privileges being the sect master," said the Patriarch, his narrowed gaze filled with lust as he scanned Lan Liqing's refined figure.
Lan Liqing frowned at his words. He was right. As long as she was a disciple of the Profound Blossom Sect, she was obligated to serve the sect master if demanded.
"However, out of respect for the previous sect master who doted you as if you were his own grandchild, I will give you one last chance – you have until the end of the month to find yourself a partner among the current elders before I call you to my room again, and it will not end with just a few words like today. Do not force my hands, Disciple Lan."
Lan Liqing left the Yin Yang Pavilion immediately after the Patriarch's last words. When she returned to the Medicine Hall, her complexion was pale, causing the disciples there to look at her with worry.
"Master! Are you alright? You look awful!"
"I am fine… I just need to rest in my room for a bit…"
The disciples there silently watched as Lan Liqing slowly walked upstairs, looking as though she was in despair.
"What happened to her? Did she get scolded at by the Patriarch?"
"Probably…"
Lan Liqing was a disciple at this Profound Blossom Sect only because of the previous patriarch, who brought her in and raised her as his own after he saved her moments before being kidnapped by bandits that had brutally killed her parents.
If she wasn't attached to this Profound Blossom Sect that she saw as her home, she would've long left the place when the previous patriarch died.
Insider her room, Lan Liqing silently sat on her bed, her muddled gaze staring at a small piece of cloth in her hands that was stained by a few blood spots. "Su Yang…" she mumbled, feeling perplexed by the situation.
Chapter 53 Burning Lotus Auction House
After conning the Divine Sword Sect the Extreme Yin Flower by acting like someone that worked for Lady Xie, Su Yang continued to travel the Thunder Valley hunting Lightning Cats for their monster core. And because of a profound technique he'd learned in his previous life, he was able to easily distinguish those with monster cores from those that don't.
Su Yang casually sliced the Lightning Cat's forehead with the tip of his sword and removed the pebble-sized monster core that was inside, and he threw it into his pockets that were already filled with monster cores.
"I really need a storage ring. All this weight on my body feels weird and uncomfortable," mumbled Su Yang, who was used to having all his valuables in storage rings.
Storage rings are magical rings with a space of its own inside, like a pocket dimension, that allows its owners to store things within, making it easier for them to walk around while carrying things that would normally require effort. Cultivators would normally store their all treasures within their storage rings, as they are easily accessible when needed and are always safe by their side.
"All-Seeing Celestial Eyes!" Su Yang's eyes suddenly flickered with a profound light that quickly disappeared.
"So this was the last one that had a monster core, huh…"
Su Yang gently patted his bulging pockets that contained more than a dozen monster cores; it felt as though he was carrying many rocks in both sides of his pockets, making it quite uncomfortable for him, as it would rub on his legs whenever he moved.
"Although I made this trip from pure coincidences, I managed to obtain quite a decent amount of wealth. An Extreme Yin Flower and a bunch of monster cores of the Yin-Lightning element… all that would benefit females but harm males..." Su Yang sighed.
In this world, there exists a version of either Yin or Yang in almost everything—even in elements such as fire, water, wind, and earth—hence why there are Yin-Lightning elements and Yang-Lightning elements.
After clearing out the Thunder Valley, Su Yang did not wait for another second to leave the place, as he did not wish to stay there any longer.
When he walked out from the Thunder Valley, the people camping outside that recognized him from a few hours back stared at him with wide eyes. Not only did he return with all his limbs attached, he even managed to come out unscathed!
As Su Yang walked away, he glanced at those few individuals that were loudly sneering at him before and showed them a slight smile alongside an expression filled with mockery, causing the veins in their head to bulge like roots.
They wanted to pounce at him at that moment, but because they were all heavily injured while Su Yang was in a perfect condition, none of them dared to approach him.
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After leaving the Thunder Valley, Su Yang traveled back to the Swift Feather City.
And although it had taken him nearly a week to travel to the Thunder Valley from the Swift Feather City, he was able to return to the Swift Feather City within the same day he left the Thunder Valley because he decided to run at full speed instead of walking at a strolling pace like he did last time.
Once he reached the main gates, the guards allowed him inside without any trouble once they saw the elegant white robes on him that identified him as a disciple of the Profound Blossom Sect.
"Please enjoy your stay, Young Master!" They bowed to him as he entered.
And unlike his first visit, Su Yang walked a straight line through the middle of the city without stopping his legs, as he had no reason to linger around in this place.
However, when he reached the center of the city, he suddenly stopped his steps to look at a massive group of people trying to enter the large red building in front of them. They were all dressed in wealthy attires with expensive accessories all around their body, looking as though they were on their way to some party for nobles.
There was also a few individuals within that group that looked like disciples of certain sects, but they were in the minority and was barely noticeable.
"What is that place?" Su Yang stopped a random pedestrian and asked.
"The Burning Lotus Auction House? It's an elite auction house that opens only once a year; it's for those who are wealthy and are looking to buy or sell rare treasures," said the pedestrian.
"An auction house, huh…" Su Yang looked at his bulging pockets and nodded, looking as though he had decided on something.
"Thank you," he said before approaching the crowd.
Once he reached the crowd, Su Yang focused his ears to listen to the people around him talking.
"Noble Chen, what are you trying to buy from the auction house this year?"
"Are you looking to fight me again this year? If so, then you can screw off!"
"Hahaha… don't be like that, Noble Chen. If it wasn't for my son who really needed that 70-year-old ginseng, I wouldn't have fought you for it."
"Hmph! Because of you, my son nearly destroyed the house out of anger because he wasn't able to breakthrough without that 70-year-old ginseng!"
…
"I have heard rumors that the Burning Lotus Auction House might be auctioning a few of their famous handmade pills this year—the Burning Lotus Pill!"
"That profound pill that increases the chance of someone entering the Profound Spirit Realm by 90%?"
"Really? If they are really selling Burning Lotus Pills this year, then I must get my hands on one! My son who is at the peak of the Elementary Spirit Realm will finally reach the Profound Spirit Realm if he had its assistance!"
…
"I can't wait to see Madam Wang again…"
"Are you here to look at girls or treasures?"
"Aren't they the same thing?"
…
"Eh? Noble Chen, you are also here for the low-grade storage ring?"
"What? Don't tell me that you are also here for that?"
"Well..."
"Hahaha! Good! Today will be a good day for revenge!"
Upon hearing that this place would be auctioning a storage ring, Su Yang decided to stay around to see if he could earn enough from the monster cores to buy it.
Chapter 54 Madam Wang
After standing around for some time outside while people slowly entered the Burning Lotus Auction House, it was finally Su Yang's turn to head inside.
When he approached the door, a beautiful young lady wearing a red cheongsam stopped him and asked: "Excuse me, are you selling or buying today?"
"I would like to sell a few Elementary-grade and Profound-grade Lightning Cat monster cores," he replied while patting his pockets.
The young lady's eyes widened with astonishment when she saw how he was carrying so many monster cores in his pockets as though they were candies, making her wonder why he'd carry them like that and how many were in his pockets.
"H-How many monster cores are you trying to sell today?" she asked him with a stiff smile.
"I have 36 of them," replied Su Yang in an indifferent voice.
"36 of them?!?!" The young lady nearly fell on her buttcheeks when she heard the amount of monster cores he was carrying. How did he manage to obtain so many of them? Despite their over 100 years of business, not even their Burning Lotus Auction House has ever sold so many monster cores at once before.
"E-Esteemed guest, please wait a moment!" said the young lady in a hurried voice. She then beckoned one of the assistants inside the building to go to her.
"Bring this esteemed guest to the guest room and notify Madam Wang of his presence. Tell her that he has three dozens of Lightning Cat monster cores that he'd like us to sell for him." The young lady whispered directly in the assistant's ear, who was also a pretty young lady wearing similar clothing.
Since Madam Wang would only meet with guests that have extremely rare and valuable items to sell, or when they have a profound background, the assistant instantly became alert of Su Yang's presence.
The assistant glanced at Su Yang's handsome face and blushed. Such a good-looking young man, he must surely be someone with an exalted background.
"Please follow me, esteemed guest." The assistant gracefully beckoned him to enter.
When the other guests saw how the servants from the Burning Lotus Auction House treated Su Yang with such respect, they all intensively looked at him, looking as though they were trying to engrave his face into their memories.
After Su Yang entered the building, he was led to a large room with expensive furniture.
"Esteemed guest, please wait a moment while I call for Madam Wang," said the assistant before walking away in a fast pace.
While the assistant went to call for this Madam Wang, Su Yang retrieved the 36 monster cores from his pockets and laid them on the table made from exquisite wood in front of him, all in an orderly fashion and separated by their grades and quality.
Monster cores are graded by the cultivation base of its owner before death. When a beast at the Elementary Spirit Realm dies, it would normally leave behind an Elementary-grade monster core, whilst a Profound Spirit Realm beast would leave behind a Profound-grade monster core. However, not all beasts drop monster cores with grades similar to their cultivation base, as there are times they would leave behind monster cores with a lower grade than their actual cultivation base.
Monster cores are also graded by its size, so small-sized monster core are considered inferior in quality while the larger ones are of superior quality, such as inferior Elementary-grade monster cores and superior Elementary-grade monster cores. There are also higher qualities than superior, but those are usually only available from profound beasts above the Heavenly Spirit Realm.
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A few minutes after Su Yang finished organizing the monster cores, the door to the room slowly opened, and an extremely beautiful woman wearing a revealing black cheongsam entered the room.
Su Yang glanced at the woman who'd just entered. She had short black hair with a small red lotus hair accessory in her hair. Her eyes were sharp and clear, and her naturally seductive figure was undoubtedly alluring enough to halt the steps of any man in the streets that looked at her.
When this beautiful woman saw the amount of monster cores laid out on the table, her eyes flickered with an excited light. However, when she noticed Su Yang and his robes, her eyebrows unconsciously raised itself, and a glint of delight flickered in her eyes.
"To be honest, when I heard that someone wanted to sell Lightning Cat monster cores at our Burning Lotus Auction House, I did not expect that someone to be a mere Outer Court disciple from the infamous Profound Blossom Sect," she sat down in front of Su Yang and said to him in a calm voice.
"This many Lightning Cat monster cores… did you personally slay them, or did you obtain them from another source?" Madam Wang continued to speak as she picked up one of the monster cores to play with it without giving Su Yang any space in her view.
Seeing Madam Wang's arrogant demeanor and lack of manners, Su Yang smiled and said: "I like doing business with honest people like you, as it makes the transaction much more straightforward and less complicated. So? What is the share like for doing business in your Burning Lotus Auction House?"
Madam Wang's eyes widened with surprise when Su Yang outright ignored her questions while asking his own. Who does this brat think he is talking to? Does he even know where he is?
"Is this how you speak to your seniors?" She stared at him with a frown.
"Don't even bother trying to use your status to take advantage of me, surnamed Wang." Su Yang suddenly leaned forward with a serious expression on his face, his sharp gaze staring directly into Madam Wang's eyes. "If you are trying to act your age by looking at me as a mere junior, then I will also act my actual age... "
"...W-Who are you? How dare you speak to me in such a tone! Do you know who I am? I am a Sect Elder from the Burning Lotus—" When Madam Wang, a cultivator at the peak of the True Spirit Realm, sensed the overwhelming aura emitted by Su Yang that gave her the feeling that she was in the presence of an experienced senior, her heart skipped a beat.
"Even if you are the Sect Master of my Sect — if you talk to me in a distasteful tone, I will make you change that tone." Su Yang rudely interrupted her in a calm voice, which sounded more oppressive than being loud.
Although Su Yang has the appearance of a young man, he was still mentally older than anybody living in this world. He was an existence who was revered no matter where he traveled. Even if nobody in this world was aware of his exalted existence, he would not allow anyone to disrespect him in such a fashion.
"Now let's put a halt to this silliness so we can start doing business, how does that sound?" he said with a smile.
Chapter 55 Offer
Madam Wang sat there with a dazed expression, her trembling gaze filled with disbelief and bewilderment as she stared at Su Yang, who was calmly sitting there with a slight smile on his face.
She was a Sect Elder of one of the few prestigious sects within this Eastern Continent, the Burning Lotus Palace, yet a mere junior from the indecent Profound Blossom Sect actually dared to speak to her with such arrogance and disrespect? She had never faced such a situation before, hence her perplexion.
However, as much as she wanted to flip the table and slap Su Yang in the face, there was something in her that silently told her to calm down and not act so recklessly, so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to recollect herself.
She didn't want to admit defeat, much less to a junior, but the three dozens of monster cores on the table greatly helped her calm down.
While they were only Elementary-grade and Profound-grade monster cores, they are still considered very valuable resources, as they are always in high demand and could never seem to satisfy the never-ending flow of orders.
"Customers who wish to sell at our Burning Lotus Sect will receive 70% of the total amount for the item sold while the Burning Lotus Auction House takes the remaining 30%. If it doesn't sell, then you will pay us 10 gold coins for using our service," said Madam Wang with an annoyed voice.
"I want 80%." Su Yang said immediately after.
Madam Wang instantly frowned at his words. "Are you purposefully trying to anger me? Don't forget your standing here as the customer. This is not a negotiation. You either take it or leave it."
"Of course, this is not a negotiation. This is my offer, you either take it or leave it."
"Get out—before I assault a guest inside this place for the first time ever since I became the manager here," said Madam Wang with clenched fists, her gaze narrowed in a threatening way.
However, Su Yang remained sitting there, and he said: "Are you sure about that? You won't be seeing any more Lightning Cat monster cores being sold for a least a few more years after these."
Madam Wang's frown immediately deepened. What did he mean by that? Although Lightning Cat monster cores are indeed rare and hard to come by, they are not as rare as Su Yang made them sound.
"You seem confused... Are you aware of the situation at the Thunder Valley?" Su Yang suddenly asked.
"The Thunder Valley?" Madam Wang recalled how there has been an abnormally large amount of Lightning Cats appearing within the Thunder Valley for the past week; it was to the point where there was only Lightning Cats and nothing else, almost as though everything else that had lived there had suddenly vanished or driven away.
"Because of the subjugation happening there even as we are currently speaking, the Lightning Cats' population there will evidently plummet. They might even get hunted to the point of extinction. What do you think will happen once that happens?"
"..." Madam Wang eye's widened upon realizing where Su Yang was trying to get at.
However, before she could even open her mouth to speak, Su Yang continued: "The monster cores you see on the table are the only Lightning Cat monster cores left—there are no more within the Thunder Valley—so I want to sell them at three times its original price."
"Hmph. How can you be so sure about that?"
"Whether I am right or not, you will know in a few months. So here is my offer… You can help me sell these monster cores now and jump in joy later, or you can force me out that door today and regret your decision within a few months time. Either way, even if I don't sell them here today, I will still have many other uses for these monster cores."
Madam Wang became silent. She was pondering his offer.
"If what he says about the Lightning Cats is true and I let him leave now, then we will lose out on a potentially massive profit. However, if we help him sell his monster cores for three times its original price without any solid proof regarding his claims, then it will upset the guests and our Burning Lotus Auction House will definitely lower in reputation—"
"—No… We can just tell the guests that the seller insisted on selling it three times the original price no matter what. Even if it doesn't sell, we will not lose anything because we didn't spend any resources on it, even profiting from it…"
After thinking to herself the situation, Madam Wang finally decided to help Su Yang sell his monster cores. If it sells, then even if they have to lose 10% of their normal shares, they would still profit because the monster cores would be sold at least three times its original price.
"I will let you know right now that I do not like you and that my decision was made purely thinking for my Burning Lotus Auction House. Business is business, so I will help you sell your monster cores."
Su Yang nodded with a smile and said: "Good… now let's move onto my second offer…"
"Huh?" Madam Wang looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face, looking as though she couldn't understand his words just now. She wondered what else did he has to offer.
"I happened to hear that your Burning Lotus Auction House has the recipe for this pill that increases the chance of someone entering the Profound Spirit Realm by 90%? My second offer is this… I have a method to make that pathetic 90% into 100%, and I am willing to sell it to you."
"You can what?!" Madam Wang directly cried out loud from the shock of hearing his abrupt offer. Even though it was only a mere 10%, the difference between 90% and 100% is incomparable because one guaranteed success and the other didn't! Hell, forget about 90%. Even if it was turning 99% into 100%, she would still be as shocked!
Chapter 56 I Want You
"You… you are an expert in the Dao of Alchemy—an Alchemist?" Madam Wang asked Su Yang, her voice sounding dazed and her face still expressing strong disbelief.
Alchemists or Alchemy Masters are cultivators in the cultivation world with a profession in medicines and creating pills. They are all highly respected and valued people in the cultivation world because of their ability to create pills that could significantly assist others whether it'd be their health or cultivation.
However, not everybody can become an Alchemist as they wish. Just like cultivation, one must be born with the talent to become an Alchemist, as they are required to memorize the countless numbers of plants and medicines that exist in this world. It is said that only one in 100,000 people are born with the capabilities to become an Alchemist, hence their rarity in this world.
Additionally, most Alchemists in this world are at an old age because they had to spend the majority of their life studying the Dao of Alchemy just to become a full-fledged Alchemist. So for Su Yang, who was still so young, to be an Alchemist was something almost unbelievable in Madam Wang's eyes.
"No, I am not an Alchemist." Su Yang immediately denied her suspicions, and he continued: "But I happen to know a thing or two about the Dao of Alchemy, as I used to have a friend who was decent in that field."
"If you're not an Alchemist, then what the hell could you possibly know about the profound Dao of Alchemy?" Madam Wang frowned. She was someone who deeply revered all Alchemists, as she was an Alchemy apprentice herself, someone who'd just started her path to becoming an Alchemy Master. So when Su Yang, someone who was not even an Alchemist, claimed that he knew a thing or two about the Dao of Alchemy, it had greatly annoyed her.
In her eyes, he was not any different than someone claiming to know about sewing when he'd never sewed before.
"Whether I know anything or not, why don't you see for yourself? Do you have one of those Burning Lotus Pills on you right now?" he suddenly said.
"What are you going to do?" she asked with a doubtful expression.
"I have never seen this Burning Lotus Pill ever in my life before, but I will be able to guess its recipe if you give me a minute with it."
"What a joke. If you can tell a pill's recipe just by looking at the pill, then I'd be willing to kiss your feet and call you my master." Madam Wang sneered at his ridiculous claims.
"Then why don't we have a bet on whether or not I can do it? If I cannot guess the pill's recipe, then I will give you all of these Lightning Cats monster cores for free. However, if I win…"
A profound light flickered within Madam Wang's eyes half-way through Su Yang's sentence, and she quickly interrupted him. "If you win, then you can do whatever you want with my body." She said to him with a seductive look.
"..." Su Yang lifted an eyebrow at her offer, and he said a second later: "Why would I want your body?"
His words instantly dumbfounded Madam Wang, who was extremely confident in her charming figure and beautiful appearance. How could he refuse her offer that was a dream of countless men out there? Could he even be considered a man at this point?
After hearing Su Yang's direct rejection, Madam Wang awkwardly cleared her throat.
"Then what do you want?" she asked with a slightly blushing face, feeling embarrassed about what had just happened.
"I want you." Su Yang said in a nonchalant voice, dumbfounding her once again.
"What did you just say?" Madam Wang couldn't help but feel that he was truly trying to make a fool out of her by now. Where did he get the courage to ask for her after refusing her just seconds ago?
"I want you—your status as a Sect Elder for the Burning Lotus Palace, to be precise. I will clearly win this bet, as that's the only reason I'd even bother making this wager in the first place. Did you really think that I'd be stupid enough to make an expensive bet that I wasn't confident in? Or did that not come across your mind at all? How laughable…" Su Yang chuckled.
Madam Wang's jaw dropped slightly from shock. She'd only realized that after Su Yang mentioned it. Because he had used so many monster cores as his wager, it had caught her off guard and made her mind muddled for a moment.
After the realization, her body began feeling hotter than before, almost as if the room's temperature skyrocketed. Just thinking about how she'd almost gave away her body for free made her entire body sweaty.
"Why are you doing this me? Do I really look that easy to make fun of? You may be a customer here, but force and my hands and I will kill you!" Madam Wang gritted her teeth in anger, and her eyes narrowed at Su Yang, her urge to beat him up resurfacing and stronger than ever.
Ever since the beginning, nothing had made sense to her. She felt as though she was being thrown around by Su Yang at the back of his palms— that she was just his plaything.
Seeing her cultivation base at the peak of the True Spirit Realm leaking out of her, Su Yang casually shrugged. "You are an honest woman, so I did not bother coating my words with you. I did not intend on making fun of you, I promise."
Hearing his words and seeing his sincere face, Madam Wang slowly calmed down.
"Continue," she said a moment later.
"Before I continue, allow me to show you my credibility. The Burning Lotus Pill, you have one, right?" he said.
Madam Wang turned silent again.
And a minute later, she stood up and walked to the back of the room, where she retrieved a small glass bottle inside one of the drawers. Inside this glass bottle, there rested one red-colored medicine pill in the shape and size of a perfectly small, round pebble.
"This is the Burning Lotus Pill. Make any funny movements and I'll instantly kill you." Madam Wang placed the glass bottle on the table right beside the monster cores.
Su Yang casually picked up the bottle and inspected the pill inside.
"I will open it to smell it." Su Yang smiled when Madam Wang frowned at his words. "Don't worry, it will only take a second and the pill's quality will remain the same," he said to her as a reassurance, since these glass bottles were made to keep the pills inside fresh or else they'd degrade, just like jade boxes.
After saying that, Su Yang barely pulled the cap off the glass bottle and gave it a quick sniff, before closing it immediately. He then placed the glass bottle back on the table and closed his eyes with a pondering expression.
"This pill was made only recently… precisely 5 days ago. The ingredients used to create this pill was…" Su Yang, still with his eyes closed, began naming a dozen different names for herbs and other things, causing Madam Wang to stare at him with her delicious-looking mouth and beautiful eyes wide open.
Chapter 57 Profound Advancement Pill
"This Burning Lotus Pill is almost the exact same as the Profound Advancement Pill, except it has a few ingredients missing, hence it's inferior quality and pathetic 90% chance of success…" Su Yang thought to himself as he was naming the recipe to Madam Wang.
The Profound Advancement Pill was a common pill in his previous life in all four great worlds that had the exact same effect as the Burning Lotus Pill, but instead of 90% of success, they were all known to be effective 100% of the time.
However, the way Madam Wang treated the Burning Lotus Pill was as if it were some sort of valuable treasure. This made Su Yang wonder what had happened to the Profound Advancement Pill, or if it still existed in this world.
"He... He really managed to guess the recipe just by smelling the scent of the pill…?" Madam Wang mumbled to herself with a dazed voice, seemingly in a state of great shock.
Forget about her limited knowledge, even the Alchemy Masters in her Burning Lotus Palace would not be able to do what Su Yang just did— not to mention that she has never heard of anybody in the history of Alchemy that had managed to achieve similar feats.
"How about it? Did I guess correctly?" Despite knowing that he was right, Su Yang still asked her with a cheeky smile.
"I… I…" Madam Wang was so shocked that she couldn't even open her mouth to speak properly, so she decided to nod her head instead.
After taking a long moment to calm herself down, she asked with a serious expression: "How'd you do it? Only a selected few from the Burning Lotus Palace could possibly know the recipe for the Burning Lotus Pill, so the chances of you already knowing prior to coming here is right beside zero."
"I told you that I had a friend who was decent in the Dao of Alchemy, right? After being beside that person for many years, even if you don't like Alchemy, you'll still learn a thing or two about it…" Su Yang said with a smile that carried a feeling of affection.
When Madam Wang saw his expression, her heart began throbbing faster. What could he be thinking about that would cause him to make such an expression? Who was this friend of his? Her interests were piqued, but she didn't open her mouth to ask, as that would be an awkward thing to do when they've only met today, not to mention the unpleasant first impression they had of each other.
"Now that I've shown you a little of what I can do, let us continue our business. The reason the Burning Lotus Pill has a 90% success rate and not a 100% success rate is simple; it is missing a few key ingredients." Su Yang continued: "This is my second offer— I will give you the missing ingredients, but you will not share it with anybody— not even to those within your Sect. Additionally, you will become mine. But I don't want your body, only your assistance in a few things along with your undivided loyalty."
Su Yang believed that making her the sole holder of the recipe would greatly boost her ego and loyalty towards him if she accepted his offer, hence why he did not want her to spread the recipe. And in all honesty, he couldn't care less about a mere pill that was only useful for those at the Elementary Spirit Realm.
"Also, judging from the faint smell of medicine and herbs in your scent, I can tell that you are studying the Dao of Alchemy. If I am pleased with your assistance, then I might even share with you a thing or two about the Dao of Alchemy, which will guarantee you great success as an Alchemy Master."
"..."
Madam Wang silently stared at Su Yang with wide eyes as he spoke. She didn't know what to think about the situation, nor how to react. This is her first time listening to someone who didn't even look half her age talk to her in such a way.
After a moment of silence, Madam Wang suddenly stood up. "Unbelievable! You are a really absurd existence! I have never seen or heard of a person like you until today! Do you really think I will agree with your ridiculous offer just because you were able to sniff out the Burning Lotus Pill's recipe?!" she said with a loud voice, causing the air in the room to tremble.
"A pity…" Su Yang shook his head and also stood up.
"If you do not accept my offer, then you can forget about it and just help me sell my monster cores—"
"Wait a moment! Who said anything about refusing your offer?" Madam Wang then cleared her throat and continued with a blushing face: "What kind of assistance do you want from me?"
Despite her annoyance with Su Yang, she was able to see the profit of shaking hands with him. The Burning Lotus Pill was already considered a top-tier pill in the cultivation world with its 90% success chance, so what kind of reaction would the world receive if Su Yang really had the recipe for a 100% success rate pill? It would surely shock the world to its core!
"..."
It was now Su Yang's turn to be dumbfounded by her words, as he did not expect her to say such a thing right after sounding offended by his offer.
"It's simple, really. In return for fame and repsect, I just want you to supply me with resources and create a few pills for me using the recipes I will be giving you later." He said a few seconds later.
Madam Wang closed her eyes to think. When she opened her eyes again, uncertainty flashed within.
"It's a captivating offer, really. However, unfortunately for both of us, I am only an Alchemy apprentice, so concocting the Burning Lotus Pill is simply impossible for me, let alone whatever you want me to make. And if you don't mind me asking, why did you choose me to assist you despite our unpleasant encounter? If you really need someone to help you concoct your pills, then there are many other better choices out there." she said to him in a dispirited tone, clearly unhappy about her status as an Alchemy apprentice.
"And you are clearly more educated than me in the Dao of Alchemy, so why don't you do it yourself?"
Hearing her question, Su Yang smiled. "Because I have more important things to do. And I am not someone to hold grudges, especially not against a beautiful woman such as yourself. I chose you simply because I can see talent in you."
"What? I am talented?" Madam Wang blushed after being called beautiful by Su Yang, which she found quite baffling, as she was long adapted to people complimenting her appearance. Furthermore, she would normally not act so bashful in front of others, yet why is she doing that exact thing right now, much less in front of such a young man? It was as if there was something about Su Yang that made her react differently.
"Others may be unaware, even you may be unaware, but I can see talent in you when it comes to the Dao of Alchemy." He said to her with a mysterious smile, and deep within his gaze flickered a profound light.
Chapter 58 A Gift from the Heavens
"As long as you cultivate the technique I give you, you will surely become one of the best Alchemy Masters in this Eastern Continent if not the very best in this world." Su Yang continued.
"You plan on giving me a technique? What kind of technique is it?" she asked with extreme curiosity.
"It's a technique that will help you understand the Dao of Alchemy faster and better; it will aid you in becoming an Alchemy Master within months if not weeks. So, what about my offer? Are you willing to accept it?"
Madam Wang rubbed her temples and began pondering extensively. Everything Su Yang offered her sounded too good to be true, yet something about it gave her a feeling that it was all real.
"Just to be clear, if I accept your offer, you will help me become an Alchemy Master, and in return, I will give you resources and help you make pills?"
"That's the gist of it, yes." Su Yang calmly nodded, confirming her thoughts.
"..."
After a moment of dead silence, Madam Wang released a long sigh.
"To think there'd be a day I would lower myself to the point where I have to rely on a youngster to help me achieve my dreams in becoming an Alchemy Master…" She stared at Su Yang in the eyes and continued: "I, Wang Shuren, accept your offer!"
Su Yang laughed at her words. "Youngster? Despite my appearance, I am actually older than you, believe it or not. As a cultivator yourself, you should know very well that one's appearance can be very deceiving in our world."
Wang Shuren looked at him with wide eyes without feeling too shocked, as she had a feeling that he was actually older than he looked due to his demeanor, but without confirmation, she didn't dare to believe it at first.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door to the room.
"Madam Wang, the auction is about to begin," said one of the servants from behind the door.
"I will be there in a moment!" Wang Shuren loudly replied.
"We can continue this after the auction." Su Yang said a moment later.
Wang Shuren nodded at his suggestion, and she stored all the monster cores that were on the table inside a large leather pouch. "I will bring this to where the rest of things are being auctioned today first."
After cleaning the table, Wang Shuren led Su Yang out of the room, where she proceeded to direct a beautiful lady to bring Su Yang to one of the VIP guest rooms and to serve him for the day.
The VIP guest room was a single large square room with a few furniture along with a luxurious chair seated a few steps behind the large glass wall that showcased the entire view of the auction room, where the auction will be taken place.
When taken to this room, the beautiful lady appointed to him said: "Esteemed Guest, if you see something you wish to make an offer on, just say it out loud and your voice will be broadcasted into the auction room for everybody to hear. Additionally, your privacy when inside this room is a top priority, so your voice will be disguised and the glass wall can only be seen through from your end."
"How thoughtful." Su Yang smiled.
"If Esteemed Guest requires any assistance at any time during the auction, you can call for me, as I will be standing here by the door until the end of the auction."
"Any kind of service is fine?" Su Yang said with an enchanting and seductive smile, dumbfounding the beautiful lady for a good second.
"Yes… anything is fine as long as it is with the Esteemed Guest…" she said a moment later, her face quickly reddening.
Naturally, the Burning Lotus Auction House did not provide 'that' kind of service— not even to its esteemed guests. But seeing how handsome and noble Su Yang was, the young lady willingly lied about her services, as she could only see benefits from this situation.
After all, what kind of servant wouldn't want to create a close connect with an Esteemed Guest as handsome as Su Yang to earn a few favors? Even if he wasn't an Esteemed Guest, the young lady was positive that she would still willingly 'serve' him.
After a moment of silence, Su Yang suddenly laughed out loud: "Hahaha! I am joking with you…"
It was a habit of his to tease others, especially young maidens.
Hearing that it was only a joke, the young lady felt her face flushing from embarrassment, yet there was also a hint of disappointment in her heart, as she was expecting this year's auction to be a bit different and more exciting.
"Hm? Don't tell me you actually looked forward to serving some stranger you've just only met? Even though you are a pure maiden?" Su Yang decided to poke at her more after seeing her reactions.
The young lady showed surprise when Su Yang called her a virgin. "How did you know that I am still pure?" she asked.
"A gift from the heavens, I suppose." Su Yang said with a slight smile, before taking a seat in the luxurious chair.
From his view, there was at least a hundred people already seated in their seats, all whom are waiting for the auction to start. There was also a large stage in the auction room, where a few servants were setting the stage up.
"Umm… Esteemed Guest…" The young lady suddenly mumbled from behind him. "Although Esteemed Guest may be joking… I am very serious about my services…"
"..." Su Yang slowly turned around to look at her, who had a reddened face, looking like she'd just ate something spicy.
Chapter 59 Behind the Glass Wall
The young lady stood behind Su Yang with her hands clasped tightly together, looking like a nervous child waiting to be scolded. But despite her embarrassment, her eyes did not waver, and she continued to stare at his face with a firm expression on her reddened face. In her twenty years of life, this is her first time acting so bold.
"What is your name?" Su Yang suddenly asked her.
"Zhang Xiu Ying, Burning Lotus Palace's Outer Court disciple," she replied.
"You are a disciple of the Sect that owns this place?" Su Yang was pleasantly surprised to learn of this information.
"Un. Almost everyone working here today is from the Burning Lotus Palace, with most of us being Outer Court disciples. It is an annual thing and disciples get selected randomly for the task."
"Was your Sect Elder, Madam Wang, also randomly selected to come here today?"
"No. Elder Wang is a permanent personnel here, so she will appear here every year."
Su Yang nodded. "Thank you for the information. As for your services, I do not need them, nor will I request for them from you."
The moment Zhang Xiu Ying heard this, her heart somewhat plummeted. To think that even after throwing away all of her shame and pride, she was still turned away, not to mention this was also her first time doing the courting.
However, as tears began to appear in Zhang Xiu Ying's eyes, Su Yang continued to speak: "Though, if you still wish to serve me, I will not stop you," he said in a calm voice.
"Huh?" Zhang Xiu Ying seemed dazed for a second, as her mind could not comprehend his words fast enough for any reaction.
Su Yang did not say anything else and continued to watch the people from the glass wall from above.
The room quickly became quiet.
After a few more moments of silence, Zhang Xiu Ying suddenly moved. She slowly walked to stand in front of Su Yang, blocking his view.
"Please excuse me, Esteemed Guest."
Her figure slowly lowered until she was kneeling before Su Yang— right in front of his crotch area.
She moved her hands toward the robe sash around Su Yang's waist and proceeded to untie it.
While Zhang Xiu Ying undressed the lower part of his robes, Su Yang remained unmoving, his gaze still at the auction room beyond the glass wall, looking as though he wasn't even aware of Zhang Xiu Ying's movements.
When Zhang Xiu Ying lowered his pants enough, her eyes widened from shock by the sight of his sleeping brother.
"This… this is what a man's nether region looks like?" she said to herself inside her head as her trembling hands slowly approached the sleeping dragon.
Upon feeling the warmth from Su Yang's penis, Zhang Xiu Ying began caressing it, as she didn't know what else to do.
"But why isn't it erect? Is he not feeling any excitement from this kind of situation?"
After thinking for a while, she decided to put it in her mouth.
The moment Su Yang's unawakened beast entered Zhang Xiu Ying's mouth and felt the tenderness of her tongue, it began growing in size.
"So-So big!"
The sudden growth startled Zhang Xiu Ying, who's small mouth was barely big enough to fit Su Yang's awakened dragon. However, despite the awkward feeling of having a man's penis in her mouth for the first time in her life, her body began feeling aroused.
"Mmm…" Zhang Xiu Ying began to slowly move her head back and forth a few seconds later, creating faint vulgar noises in the background.
It was at this moment the lights in the auction room dimmed, and Wang Shuren appeared on the stage, stunning the crowd with her bewitching beauty.
"Welcome to the Burning Lotus Auction House's 156th opening! Normally, one of the auction house's servants would be doing the auction after my welcoming speech, but I have decided to change it up for this year by being the one to stand on the stage today," she said with a bright smile on her face, causing the audience to scream from excitement.
As the crowd roared loudly, Wang Shuren glanced at the VIP guest room that was slightly above them.
"As always, we have many exciting and valuable things to be auctioned off today. But before we start, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Esteemed Guest who is currently residing within that room right there." Wang Shuren casually guided the audiences' gazes towards the VIP room, where Su Yang was getting his sword cleaned by Zhang Xiu Ying.
Luckily for the two, the glass wall was blacked out and looked like a room without any lights to the audience, so they weren't able to see the spectacular scene currently happening inside. But if they knew that they were actually looking at a man feeding creamed soup to a woman with his extra large straw, then they would surely be shocked out of their minds. As for Wang Shuren, she might even go crazy.
But fortunately for both parties, that was not the case.
Meanwhile, inside the VIP room, Zhang Xiu Ying's movements suddenly froze with cold sweat all over her body when she heard Wang Shuren's unexpected shout-out. And upon feeling many gazes looking at her direction, her heart nearly exploded from anxiety in addition to her guilt.
However, a few moments later, when she finally remembered how they couldn't see what she was doing, she began moving her head again and continued sucking Su Yang's personal straw as if nothing happened, slowly becoming more addicted to the sweet taste in her mouth.
Chapter 60 Spiritual Treasure
After giving the welcoming speech, Wang Shuren proceeded to signal a servant to come on the stage with a steel sword in her hands.
The servant then placed the sword on the stand that was in the middle of the stage.
The sword looked like any more steel sword, however, unlike normal swords, there was faint Profound Qi that surrounded the blade.
"I welcome you the first item for today— a Spiritual Treasure— the Spirit Sword!" Wang Shuren said with enthusiasm behind her voice.
Besides normal weapons, there are weapons with Profound Qi embedded into them, giving them tyrannical and unrivaled powers that normal weapons could never hope to compete with, and these kinds of weapons are called Spiritual Treasures.
Spiritual Treasures are only available to cultivators with a sufficient cultivation base, as it requires an enormous amount of Profound Qi just to control it. However, once a cultivator has the ability to wield a Spiritual Treasure, they can even split mountains and seas with a single strike.
The Spirit Sword being showcased was such a Spiritual Treasure, but it was only a Spiritual Treasure at the lowest grade— the Spirit-grade.
"It's really a Spiritual Treasure! The rumors were true!"
The crowd instantly became hyped, as this was the first time most of these people have ever seen a Spiritual Treasure in person.
"The starting bid for this Spirit Sword will be 75 Spirit Stones!"
Spirit Stones are similar to monster cores and are capable of assisting cultivators in their cultivation. Though, cultivators also use them as a currency in the cultivation world, especially when it came to buying expensive items that would require an enormous amount of gold.
"80 Spirit Stones!"
"82 Spirit Stones!"
"85 Spirit Stones!"
Instantly, the crowd began shouting their offer one after another.
After a few minutes of fierce fighting with offers, the Spirit Sword was sold to a wealthy-looking young man, who looked to be a disciple for some Sect, for 137 Spirit Stones.
Although that amount didn't seem much, it should be worth mentioning that someone from a common background would normally not be able to afford a single Spirit Stone even if they worked for ten years straight.
In this world, one gold coin would be able to feed a normal family of four for many years, yet a single one of these Spirit Stone would cost at least 10 gold coins.
This showed the difference between cultivators and mortals and the world they live in, and, that even if you have the ability to become a cultivator, you may not be able to sustain yourself afterward for long.
The requirement to become a cultivator and grow as one would require a large amount of resource and wealth, or else they would never truly grow, hence why all cultivators would join Sects, as they are wealthy and powerful organizations that have the ability to provide them with such resources.
However, it should be obvious that one would still be required to work relentlessly for these resources— unless they are some kind of super genius that would unconditionally receive the Sect's assistance even if they refuse the help.
Inside the VIP room, Su Yang barely reacted to the Spirit Sword. It was not even worthy enough to be in his sights, let alone worth his attention.
Instead of paying attention to the auction, he was more focused on the young lady who was still earnestly sucking his divine rod, seemingly bewitched by some sort of spell that made her continuously thrust her head.
"Are you done yet?" Su Yang suddenly said.
"I know this may be your first time doing this but you really suck at it…" he sighed and continued: "If you continue like this, then I will have no choice but to stop you, as it's beginning to hurt from your techniques…"
Hearing his heartfelt complaints, Zhang Xiu Ying instantly stopped her movements.
"I… I apologize to the Esteemed Guest for my lack of skills, even causing the Esteemed Guest pain when I am supposed to do the opposite…" she said to him with a stiff expression after removing her wet lips from his crotch area.
"Please allow me a chance to redeem myself, Esteemed Guest..." Zhang Xiu Ying said with her head lowered, her voice sounding passionate.
This caused Su Yang to raise his eyebrows. Why was she exerting so much effort just to pleasure him? What could she possibly want from him? Surely, she couldn't be crazy enough to do all this just to obtain his attention, right?
"Go on…" Su Yang said after a moment a silence.
Upon hearing his approval, Zhang Xiu Ying instantly raised her head and smiled brightly.
"Yes!"
Zhang Xiu Ying slowly stood up and began undressing in front of Su Yang, who watched without uttering a single sound.
From the top to bottom, Zhang Xiu Ying uncovered her private parts for Su Yang to feast his eyes on.
Her hairless figure was slim and well-balanced with her breasts being neither big nor small, and her pink buds were popping and solid. She had glossy white skin that reflected light despite being inside a room with dimmed lights that was nearly dark.
Although her body was not as mature and as well-portioned as Lan Liqing's body, it still had a charm of its own and would easily excite any men with enough karma and blessing to see such an elegant sight.
A few moments later, when Zhang Xiu Ying finished undressing, she slowly closed her distance to Su Yang.
"Esteemed Guest, please excuse me in advance for blocking your view of the auction…"
When Zhang Xiu Ying was close enough to feel Su Yang's calm breath, her bottom lips were already directly on top of his stiff rod.
Time seemed to have stopped for Zhang Xiu Ying at this moment, as she was preparing herself to give away her purity to Su Yang, someone she'd just met today and without a proper relationship— if there was even any at all.
"Regret is a bitter feeling, and you might have to live the rest of your life with this feeling if you continue any further." Su Yang suddenly said to her, giving her one last chance to change her mind.
"It is better to willingly give my first to someone as handsome and charming as you than to unwillingly lose it to that bastard, Wang Ming!" she said with a bitter smile and glistening eyes, and she slowly lowered her body until her bottom lips touched the tip of Su Yang's penis.
"Wang Ming?" Su Yang raised an eyebrow at her words.
Chapter 61 The Struggles of the Weak
Zhang Xiu Ying bit down on her bottom lip as an intense feeling of pain appeared in her nether region; it felt as though she was pierced by a sharp sword.
She looked down at her stomach where there was a slight bulge, and a wave of inexplicable emotions surged through her mind. Although she knew that she would one day lose her virginity, she had never imagined that it would be lost this way— to some random esteemed guest within the Burning Lotus Auction House.
"You really are a foolish woman…"
Su Yang sighed inwardly upon seeing the tears that had been resisting to fall in Zhang Xiu Ying's eyes finally fall down her face.
"This Wang Ming is an Inner Court disciple at the Burning Lotus Palace, and he is in the process of becoming a core disciple. He is a genius with no equal within the Inner Court, and he is the cousin of Elder Wang, but he is also an individual whose heart is rotten to its core. There are many rumors of Wang Ming abusing his status to force Outer Court disciples to serve him in bed…" Zhang Xiu Ying explained her situation to Su Yang without needing him to ask, almost as if she knew that he would eventually ask.
"And prior to coming to this Burning Lotus Auction House, under the guise of needing to speak to me of private matters, he requested that I visit his living quarters alone when I return." Zhang Xiu Ying trembled upon recalling the wicked smile this Wang Ming had when he spoke to her; at that moment it felt like she was standing before a bandit with a prestigious status.
"I have a few friends within the Outer Court that have already fallen victim to this Wang Ming's vicious hands, and knowing that he would soon become a core disciple, an undeniable existence within the Sect, I would not be able to escape from him…"
Su Yang silently listened to her story that was very common within the cultivation world, where those without status or power are always under the pressure of someone stronger.
Incidents of someone of a higher status or rank pressuring those with a lower status to do unethical deeds are a common occurrence not just in this world but also in his previous life in all four worlds. Though, it also happens in the mortal world, where there are noble ranks and social classes.
Su Yang understood very well the cruelty of this world, even experiencing the feeling of powerlessness himself a few times while being pressured by those who used to stand above him.
"I would go to the Sect Elders, but I already know the outcome of such meaningless actions…" Zhang Xiu Ying closed her eyes and tightly embraced Su Yang with her face directly on his chest. "I am just an ordinary Outer Court disciple whilst Wang Ming is a genius with a bright future ahead of him. They will most certainly rather allow him to perform a few immoral acts than to cause a commotion for someone like me, who has no noteworthy background, not to mention that he is also the cousin of Elder Wang…"
After crying silently on Su Yang's chest for a few minutes, Zhang Xiu Ying slowly released her embrace on him and smiled. "I apologize to the Esteemed Guest for the unsightly display, and I greatly appreciate the Esteemed Guest for listening to my boring story. Please, allow me to serve you to the best of my abilities…"
Zhang Xiu Ying, who was sitting on Su Yang's laps, began to move her hips slowly.
"Mmm…" She covered her mouth with one hand to prevent herself from filling the room with her moans while the other held onto Su Yang to support her balance.
Although it was extremely painful at first, she quickly familiarized herself with the feeling, soon finding only pleasure within that pain.
Her body was heated, and her stomach felt like it was burning, but she continued moving her body, looking like she was doing squats.
At this moment, the only thing that could be heard by Zhang Xiu Ying was the sound of her muffled breathing mixed in with moaning, and the vulgar noises coming from her soaking wet cave— with the rowdiness from the auction room completely removed from her perceptions.
While Zhang Xiu Ying enjoyed herself, Su Yang silently recalled all the injustice he had experienced in the earlier years of his past life. As someone from a common background, he knew very well the sorrow and suffering those without power or status had to endure from those who did.
Su Yang gazed at the dazed face of Zhang Xiu Ying, who seemed to be lost in pleasure, and then he looked at Wang Shuren who was still on the stage, seemingly pondering about something.
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By this time, the auction had already sold a few items, and there were three dozen monster cores currently displayed on the stage.
When the guests saw how many monster cores were together in one place, their eyes bulged with surprise.
"There are so many monster cores! How many is that?!"
Wang Shuren smiled upon seeing the crowd's surprise. "These are all Yin-Lightning monster cores from the Lightning Cats that have recently been running rampage at the Thunder Valley, and they were all obtained by a single powerful individual! There are 36 of them to be auctioned today!"
"Someone managed to obtain 36 monster cores alone?!"
"Whoever is auctioning this must have killed at least a thousand Lightning Cats!" The crowd was shocked after the exact number of monster cores was revealed.
The chances of obtaining a monster core were one in a hundred, so for there to be 36 monster cores of the same beast, someone would've needed to slay thousands of Lightning Cats— at least that was what the guests believed, and they could not imagine the massacre that must have happened at the Thunder Valley for there to be so many monster cores in one place.
Chapter 62 A Wealthy Gues
"There are 28 Elementary-grade and 8 Profound-grade monster cores here, but before I start the auction, I have to mention that the seller had personally stated that the starting price for the Elementary-grade would be at 15 Spirit Stones whilst the Profound-grade would be 30 Spirit Stones!"
Normally, an Elementary-grade monster core is worth anywhere from 5 to 10 Spirit Stones depending on its quality, and a Profound-grade monster core is worth twice as much.
When the crowd heard the outrageous price of 30 Spirit Stones for one monster core, the auction room overflowed with complaints.
"30 Spirit Stones for a mere Profound-grade monster core?! There is a limit even to robbery!"
"One of these monster core is almost a fourth of what I paid for my Spirit Sword?!"
Wang Shuren could only smile bitterly at the complaints, but such reactions were expected from the crowd and considered natural, as she also complained about tripling the price.
"I understand your frustrations, but hear me out."
Almost as though her voice carried traces of magic, Wang Shuren's gentle voice instantly calmed the entire room.
"Due to the constant hunting at the Thunder Valley for the past few days, nearly all of the Lightning Cats there have been massacred, so there will surely be a scarcity for Lightning Cat monster cores for at least a few years, hence their increased price."
When the guests realized the reason for the absurd price, their eyes radiated with a certain light. The majority of the people there were rich people, so when there was a chance to make money, they were all able to sense it.
"Now that I have explained the reason for their price, let's start with the Elementary-grade monster cores, shall we? The first one will be an inferior quality monster core with the starting price at 15 Spirit Stones!"
"16 Spirit Stones!"
"17 Spirit Stones!"
"18 Spirit Stones!"
The crowd began offering their price one after another.
"30 Spirit Stones!"
Suddenly, someone almost doubled the previous offer, surprising many people there. Was there an idiot within this auction room? Why would anyone pay so much for one monster core, when there are still so many monster cores left?
When the people there turned to look at the person who had called out the offer, their eyes widened with surprise upon seeing that the individual was actually a striking beauty.
However, when the crowd noticed her unique white robes, their expressions instantly stiffened with some even frowning.
"Aiya! Of course, someone as beautiful as her would be a disciple of that despicable Profound Blossom Sect!"
"Fuck! Why do they have all the beauties and handsome ones?! This isn't fair!"
The crowd began complaining inwardly but for a different reason.
After the female disciple from the Profound Blossom Sect won the first bid for the monster core, the second one instantly started.
"20 Spirit Stones!"
The female disciple was the first to announce her offer, dumbfounding many people there.
"21 Spirit—"
"25 Spirit Stone!"
Without even allowing the 2nd offer to finish, the female disciple offered an even higher price.
Her actions caused the auction room to turn silent, as everybody there wondered why she was being so domineering over a few monster cores.
Wang Shuren smiled slightly when she saw the situation. Su Yang was also from the Profound Blossom Sect, so the possibility of them having a connection with each other was relatively high.
"Then onto the third monster core…"
"20 Spirit Stones!"
The same female disciple was the first to offer again.
Her actions now shocked the crowd. Just how many monster cores does she plan on buying today? Could she be trying to buy all of the monster cores so she could control their value?
A few came to the conclusion that she was trying to hog all of the monster cores so she could sell them at an even higher price later on, so they also began to bid.
"21 Spirit Stones!"
"30 Spirit Stones!"
"31 Spirit Stones!"
"35 Spirit Stones!"
"Holy shit! Just how rich is this girl? How could she possibly afford to spend so much on these monster cores?"
The auction continued, and within the span of several minutes, over half of the monster cores were sold. However, unlike the female disciple from the Profound Blossom Sect, no one there was willing to spend recklessly on monster cores, hence she won every single bid, spending over 400 Spirit Stones for 18 Elementary-grade monster cores!
Additionally, the way this female disciple tossed around her wealth caused everybody there to sweat profusely. Just who was this female disciple from the Profound Blossom Sect, and how could she have so much wealth to spend?
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Meanwhile, Su Yang suddenly stood up from his seat, taking along with him a startled Zhang Xiu Ying, whose body was still connected to him.
He carried Zhang Xiu Ying in his arms— with his hands on her soft buttocks— and he approached the glass wall, where he laid her back against it.
"For your courage and boldness, I shall answer your plea."
"My plea?" Zhang Xiu Ying looked at him with a confused expression. Since when did she request him for anything?
Su Yang suddenly began moving his hips for the first time since they connected bodies, his violent dragon fiercely thrusting into Zhang Xiu Ying's tight hole.
His sudden actions caused an incomprehensible feeling of pleasure to overwhelm Zhang Xiu Ying's body, causing her to moan loudly.
"E-Esteemed Guest! W-Wait—" Zhang Xiu Ying felt not only pleasure but also fear at this moment. Her back was tightly pushing against the glass wall, and that gave her an insecure feeling. Although it was near impossible, what if the impossible happens and the glass wall shatters? What if because her body was directly against the glass wall, the view of her naked back and round buttocks would suddenly be revealed to everybody within the auction room?
All these insecurities and unnecessary worries began appearing in Zhang Xiu Ying's head, but a profound pleasure that continuously surged through her body kept her mind occupied and helped her throw away all those thoughts, enabling her to focus on the feeling of Su Yang's soft skin and the warmth of his body.
This unprecedented pleasure that Zhang Xiu Ying was feeling lasted for a few more minutes before Su Yang inevitably pulled his penis out of her body.
And the instant his thing unplugged itself, a large amount of liquid shot out like an erupting volcano, covering Zhang Xiu Ying's body with white, sticky substances.
After ejaculating, Su Yang gently laid Zhang Xiu Ying's twitching body on his seat. However, before he could leave her side, she grabbed him by his hand and said: "Esteemed Guest… please allow me to clean you up…"
"..."
Su Yang said nothing and allowed Zhang Xiu Ying to clean his penis with her mouth.
Chapter 63 Storage Ring
"Now that we are done with the Elementary-grade monster cores, let's begin with the Profound-grade monster cores! The starting bid for the first one will be 30 Spirit Stones!"
"40 Spirit Stones!"
Once again, the female disciple started the bid, increasing the price by 10 Spirit Stones.
"She still has the wealth to buy more monster cores?!"
By now, the guests there nearly gave up on trying to outbid this female disciple. Although they are all wealthy people, there was a difference between rich cultivators and rich mortals, as the cost of their resources was just too vast.
Soon, the bidding for the second Profound-grade monster core began, and unsurprisingly, the female disciple managed to outbid everyone there without any troubles.
The third Profound-grade monster core was next, but once again, it was also quickly snatched by the female disciple.
The fourth, the fifth… all the way to the last Profound-grade monster core, this female disciple bid on them without fail.
At the end of all this, the female disciple ended up spending over 800 Spirit Stones for all 36 Yin-Lightning monster cores; it was an unimaginable amount of wealth by most people there.
After the end of the monster cores auction, the female disciple walked up to the stage in graceful steps that emitted a feeling of proudness to collect her monster cores. When she held the monster cores in her hand, a slight smile appeared on her beautiful face.
When the people there saw her smile, their hearts began throbbing faster and harder.
Although they were aware of the fact that she belonged to the Profound Blossom Sect and was most definitely a slut, they couldn't help but admire her beauty.
After the female disciple received the monster cores and went back to her seat, the auction resumed.
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A couple more items later, Wang Shuren revealed to the crowd a small steel ring.
"This is a Spirit-grade Storage Ring; it has the ability to store many items within and retrieve them at will. Not only is it a great addition for those who wish to travel without the need to carry luggage, but it also has enough room to fit two large beds inside! The starting bid will be 75 Spirit Stones!"
"80 Spirit Stones!"
One of the guests shouted.
"81 Spirit Stones!"
Another shouted.
"82 Spirit Stones!"
"83 Spirit Stones!"
"84 Spirit Stones!"
The auction became heated with the appearance of the storage ring, as it was also considered a Spiritual Treasure, just like the Spirit Sword.
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed in the room.
"100 Spirit Stones."
When the deep voice resounded, Wang Shuren looked at VIP room, her face expressing surprise.
"He's finally decided to buy something? And here I thought he was only here to sell his monster cores!" she thought herself.
After Su Yang offered 100 Spirit Stones for the storage ring, the place suddenly became quiet.
However, the stillness lasted only for a few seconds until a familiar-sounding voice resounded, breaking the silence.
"125 Spirit Stones!"
When the people looked to the sound of the voice, they saw that it was the female disciple from the Profound Blossom Sect.
"She's finally set her eyes on something again! It's over, she's already won this…"
The people sighed after seeing the female disciple start bidding again.
"150 Spirit Stones…" Su Yang's disguised voice resounded a second after the previous offer.
"175 Spirit Stones!" The female disciple glared at the glass wall to the VIP room and offered.
"..."
A few seconds passed after the female disciple's offer, yet Su Yang did not make a counteroffer.
Some more seconds passed, and right when the female disciple became confident that it was her victory, Su Yang's disguised voice resounded once again.
"250 Spirit Stones."
"!!!"
The crowd nearly cried out loud when they heard the new offer. A Spirit-grade storage ring would cost at most 100 Spirit Stones, so the previous offer of 175 Spirit Stones was already considered an exaggerated amount, yet this individual was willing to add another 75 Spirit Stones? To dare throw so much money, no wonder why this individual was in the VIP room!
When the female disciple heard Su Yang's new offer, she bit her lips out of frustration. Because she had already spent the majority of her wealth on the monster cores, she was unable to outbid this new offer!
"Is there anyone else who'd like to try to surpass the Esteemed Guest's offer?" Wang Shuren asked everyone there after waiting for a few moments without any new offers.
The auction room turned dead silent. Nobody there was able to beat Su Yang's offer. Hell, even if someone there had the wealth to outbid Su Yang, that individual wouldn't be stupid enough to pay such an overwhelming amount for a mere storage ring.
"Then this storage ring will be sold to the Esteemed Guest for 250 Spirit Stones! Congratulations!" Wang Shuren announced with a bright smile.
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Inside the VIP room, after he won the bid for the storage ring, Su Yang stood up from his seat and approached the door.
"Esteemed Guest?" Zhang Xiu Ying, who is now fully dressed and elegant-looking again, called for him when she noticed his actions.
"I have gotten what I came here for— there is no longer any need for me to be here."
"I understand…" Zhang Xiu Ying nodded and began leading him back to the room where he first met Wang Shuren.
Upon arriving at the room, Su Yang sat down on the couch and closed his eyes to cultivate the tiny amount of Yin Essence he'd obtained from Zhang Xiu Ying. Although the amount was meager and was barely able to help his cultivation base, it was still better than nothing.
"After meeting her, I have finally reopened my eyes and was able to see my own foolishness… I am no longer the revered Immortal I once was, but a mere Profound Spirit Realm cultivator— a level considered less than an ant in my previous world… I really need to step up my efforts in cultivating.." he silently sighed to himself.
Chapter 64 Zhang Xiu Ying
Inside the VIP room, Zhang Xiu Ying silently stood beside Su Yang as he cultivated. Her gaze was fixated on him, seemingly in deep thoughts.
Although she didn't hold any emotions towards him in the beginning, her heart was showing clear affection for him at this moment. Though she was also aware that her love would never be realized, as she could tell that their embrace held no meanings and was mostly due to her imposing herself on him.
Time passed quickly with an hour of time disappearing within the blink of an eye. However, for Zhang Xiu Ying, who was constantly thinking about Su Yang and their little embrace, it felt like many hours had passed.
The door to the room suddenly opened, and Wang Shuren walked inside with a bright smile while saying in a loud voice: "Congratulations, Esteemed Guest. You have managed to sell all of your monster cores for a grand total of 1,082 Spirit Stones!"
"..."
Su Yang slowly opened his eyes to look at Wang Shuren, but his gaze was not filled with joy— something she had expected. Instead, his gaze was filled with a slight sense of anger.
When Wang Shuren noticed his serious gaze, her bright smile instantly disappeared from her face, and she turned to look at Zhang Xiu Ying and said a single word—
"Leave."
"Yes, Madam Wang—"
"No, she will stay." Su Yang interrupted them with a clear and domineering voice, causing the both of them to look at him with surprise.
He continued: "Sit down, Wang Shuren. I have an important matter I'd like to speak to you about."
"Does this matter require the presence of a lowly servant?" Wang Shuren asked with a frown.
Su Yang did not answer her and only continued to look at her with a serious expression.
Wang Shuren glanced at Zhang Xiu Ying with an unpleasant gaze and wondered what happened while she was away before sitting down.
"So? What happened? Did she do something that had offended you?" she asked the moment she sat down.
"..."
Su Yang did not answer her question and instead mentioned a single name.
"Wang Ming."
Hearing the name of her cousin coming from his mouth, Wang Shuren's eyes widened from shock. How'd he learn of that name and what did he have to do with this weird situation?
Realizing what he was trying to achieve by making her stay, Zhang Xiu Ying also stared at Su Yang with wide eyes.
"Esteemed Guest! There's no need to—" she hastily tried to speak before getting cut off by Wang Shuren.
"Shut up! We are talking here! Since when did you obtain the privilege to join in on our conversation?!"
Just Zhang Xiu Ying's presence being in this room was already more than enough to annoy her, let alone jumping into their conversation with a status as a mere servant.
"What does my cousin, Wang Ming, have to do with this?" Wang Shuren asked Su Yang after scolding Zhang Xiu Ying.
"I have recently learned of a few unsettling rumors about your cousin, Wang Ming, and getting straight to the point— I find his very existence very unpleasant…" Su Yang said with a calm yet cold voice, sending chills all over Wang Shuren's body.
Wang Shuren finally understood the situation when he mentioned about these rumors of her cousin, Wang Ming, as he was a known troublemaker within his Sect.
"Y-Y-You want to kill him over a few rumors?" she asked him with an anxious expression on her face.
"I have tried many times to change his character, but even if he is my cousin, I cannot do much if he doesn't listen, not to mention that the top figures within Sect are also protecting him!"
Su Yang, still with a nonchalant expression, said: "No, I will not kill him, but if he— from this point forward— so much as touch even a strand of hair on her hair— or anyone for that matter— I will not only pay him a visit, but I will also hold you accountable."
When he mentioned 'her', his gaze was on Zhang Xiu Ying, who was standing beside him with her head lowered in distress.
"You…" Wang Shuren looked at Zhang Xiu Ying with wide eyes and an opened mouth.
"I do not care how you will deal with him, but if you tell me again that you, a Sect Elder, cannot even control your cousin from your own Sect, how can I trust you to deal with my personal problems?"
Wang Shuren silently cursed at Wang Ming in her heart at this moment. To think that because of his unsightly actions within the Sect that she'd lose the chance to become an Alchemy Master, she will have to force him to listen to her even if it kills him!
After taking a moment to calm herself, Wang Shuren took a deep breath and nodded: "I understand. I will take care of Wang Ming the moment I return to the Sect."
"I hope my decision to trust you today does not bite back…"
Su Yang then turned to look at Zhang Xiu Ying, who was profoundly dazed from watching the situation. "You do not have to worry about this frog called Wang Ming trying to pressure you anymore. If he continues to bother you, I'm sure that your honorable Sect Elder here will quickly and efficiently deal with it, correct?" he said as his gaze casually glanced at Wang Shuren, who obediently nodded to confirm his words.
Seeing this, tears began falling from Zhang Xiu Ying's face. To think that he'd go through the effort to help her, who was feeling helpless and desperate all this time, she didn't how to react or what she could do to repay him, as her embrace was only a selfish act that was acted upon desperation.
"Thank you… thank you…"
The only thing she could do at this moment was to speak her heart, which ended up causing her tears to fall even faster.
"..."
Wang Shuren's jaw dropped. Although she understood the situation, she was still puzzled as to how it came to this point.
Chapter 65 Who Did It?
A few moments later, when Zhang Xiu Ying finally calmed down, Su Yang returned to doing business with Wang Shuren.
"I have already deducted the Burning Lotus Auction House's 10% share along with the 250 Spirit Stone you spent on the storage ring, leaving you with a total of 724 Spirit Stones," said Wang Shuren as she handed Su Yang the silver ring in her hands.
Upon accepting the storage ring, Su Yang took a peek inside the silver ring, and within his mind appeared a clear and realistic scenery of a square room with hundreds of shining azure-colored rocks piled in a corner.
Using his spiritual sense only available to cultivators, Su Yang accurately counted all of the Spirit Stones in an instant.
"Very well… Now, onto our agreement, I shall part to you a technique that will allow you to become an Alchemy Master. Give me your forehead."
Wang Shuren leaned forward while Su Yang copied. The instant their foreheads touched, a faint golden light glowed between their forehead that emitted a profound feeling.
"T-This is—"
Upon seeing the technique in her head, Wang Shuren nearly shouted out loud from shock.
"This is an Immortal-grade technique!" Though, she still screamed inside her heart.
When she heard that Su Yang was going to give her a technique, she was expecting anything but a peerless technique at the divine Immortal-grade! Yet, inside her head right now, there was exactly an Immortal-grade technique!
Furthermore, not only the Immortal-grade technique, but he also gave her the complete recipe for the Profound Advancement Pill along with a few other recipes.
After Su Yang finished transferring the technique to her, Wang Shuren stared at the empty space in front of her with a dumbfounded expression, looking like a frozen statue.
A few moments later, when she finally returned to her senses, Wang Shuren stood up and walked beside Su Yang just to bend her knees to kowtow to him.
"Disciple Wang greets Master!" she said loudly.
Her actions bewildered Zhang Xiu Ying, who has never witnessed a Sect Elder kowtow before, much less a Sect Elder at her own Sect.
"When did I become your Master?" Su Yang asked with his brows raised.
The act of passing down a technique to another individual is also considered an act of acceptance between masters and disciples, hence why Wang Shuren decided to accept Su Yang as her Master when he parted her a technique that she considered as peerless and priceless.
"Get up, I did not give that to you so you can become my disciple." Su Yang quickly reminded her, who was clearly still affected by the shock of seeing an Immortal-grade technique. Hell, even the pill recipes alone were almost enough to send her into a coma, let alone an Immortal-grade technique that would create great chaos within the world if they found out.
Wang Shuren smiled bitterly when Su Yang rejected her. Because of his extensive knowledge regarding Alchemy, she really desired to become his disciple. But alas, if he does not want to accept her, then there was really nothing she could do.
"Don't forget about our agreement, Wang Shuren, and most importantly— do not disappoint me!"
"Yes… uh…" Wang Shuren suddenly realized that she has yet to hear his name after all this time. "What's Esteemed Guest's name, again?" she asked in an embarrassed manner.
"Su Yang," he replied.
"Su Yang…" Both Wang Shuren and Zhang Xiu Ying simultaneously mumbled his name.
"My business here is done, if you need to find me, come to the Profound Blossom Sect. However, if it's not urgent, I will make you learn that I do not like to be bothered by small things."
"I understand," said Wang Shuren.
After she said that, Su Yang turned to face Zhang Xiu Ying, who was looking at him like he was a dazzling hero. He then retrieved a large handful of Spirit Stones from his storage ring and approached her.
"Esteemed Guest?!" Zhang Xiu Ying cried out when he suddenly shoved a handful of Spirit Stones into her embrace.
Su Yang smiled and moved his lips to beside her ears and whispered: "While this is as far as our relationship can go, there will always be a bond between us. And although your 'services' were laughable, you deserve praises for the way you carried yourself. Take these Spirit Stones and cultivate yourself properly, and if you ever need anything, as long as I am in this world, you can seek me for assistance."
The dried up tears in Zhang Xiu Ying's eyes began to form once again. "Thank you…" she said while trying her best not to hiccup from her tears.
Su Yang then embraced her gently and kissed her forehead, shocking Wang Shuren, who have been wondering their relationship since the beginning.
"This slick woman! No wonder why I sensed a mature aura from her body— something that wasn't there prior to today!" Wang Shuren silently cursed Zhang Xiu Ying for her actions, yet she felt some jealousy towards her since Zhang Xiu Ying was able to do what she couldn't despite having a lower status and a less captivating appearance overall.
If anything, Zhang Xiu Ying was actually closer to Su Yang than herself, who had received an Immortal-grade technique from him!
After Su Yang was finished with the Burning Lotus Auction House, he continued to travel back to the Profound Blossom Sect.
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Meanwhile, at the center of the Thunder Valley, the Thunder Core, a female with long silver hair hovered many meters above the ground without the assistance of a flying sword or anything of that sorts. Her silver eyes were staring intensively at the small hole in the ground right below her, looking surprised by the view of the empty hole.
This small hole was where the Extreme Yin Flower used to be— before Su Yang plucked it.
"Who did it? Who in this lower world could possibly have the knowledge and ability to harvest the Extreme Yin Flower that I'd planted?" she pondered to herself, feeling more surprised by the find than anything else.