"What, 500,000 Gold Coins?" The commoners on the periphery gasped, instantly abuzz. How many years of their income did that amount to? No, how many generations could that sum sustain?
Thousands of citizens collectively bulged their eyes, struggling to digest the shock of the 500,000 Gold Coins. Five hundred thousand, a bottle for 500,000 Gold Coins...
While the nobility below wiped their sweat, they stared enviously at the Spirit Gathering Liquid on the stage, coveting it. For them, 500,000 Gold Coins was an enormous sum compared to the 10,000 or 20,000 they were used to spending. But this was a Fourth-grade Mid-level Medicinal Liquid we're talking about, Fourth-grade! How rare was that across the entire Mainland?
"Miss Leng, may we purchase them now?" Situ Ba deliberately emphasized the word "Leng" heavily, asking with barely contained eagerness.
Ouyang Feng's face paled instantly. This was deliberate, fully aware of his tense relationship with Zhiyan, to stress this point at such a crucial moment.
"Yes, Miss Leng, shall I pay you first?" Xiahou Kong followed suit, not wanting to be outdone, as if fearful that the medicine would be snatched away.
"There's no hurry now. Each of you is a Grandmaster-level Expert whom everyone admires. Yanyan has always been interested in cultivation. Although she has created Fourth-grade Spirit Gathering Liquid, she has never witnessed its effects. If you were to purchase it, would you be willing to consume it on the spot in front of everyone, to allow us the pleasure of observing and understanding how Grandmaster-level Experts enhance their Cultivation Base?"
With a gentle smile, Zhiyan spoke calmly, her delicate and tender face glowing with anticipation. Her clear eyes, clean and pure like water, made it hard for anyone to refuse.
The entire venue erupted in excitement. To witness a Grandmaster-level Expert's enhancement in person? No sooner had the suggestion been made, the crowd below became restless. Eyes widened, breaths grew heavy, and faces showed a mixture of surprise, excitement, expectation, and disbelief. Was this a joke? Despite the vastness of the Youming Continent, Grandmaster-level Experts were few, and to have one publicly display their Cultivation Base...
A joke, right?
People both hoped and doubted it could be true, ultimately resigned to watching with wide eyes, waiting for the three Family Heads to respond.
"What, isn't even this small request too much to ask? It seems my master was right after all; people are indeed selfish. The stronger they are, the more demanding. No, the more powerful they are, the more vain. Since you don't trust my Medicinal Liquid, I'll sell it to those who do trust me." Zhiyan initially muttered to herself, a trace of sadness flashing through her dark pupils. Then, her demeanor shifted, her voice rising as she looked at Situ Ba and the others with a cold tone.
Situ Ba and the others stiffened. Master? What did she just say—she had a master? No, that wasn't the point. Not to sell to them if they didn't trust her?
Good heavens, they hadn't expressed anything of the sort. Who said they weren't willing? They were, in fact, very eager.
"Miss Yanyan, I believe there's been a misunderstanding. I am very willing to take the Spirit Gathering Liquid here and now. If I may, I'll go first." Xiahou Kong was the first to stand from his seat, and without waiting for Ouyang Feng and the others to react, he leaped onto the platform.
"Ha-ha, how could Situ Ba miss such an attempt?! Miss Yanyan, I trust you completely." As soon as Xiahou Kong took his place, Situ Ba followed, his face wearing a humble, ingratiating smile. Ouyang Feng clenched his fist tightly, his grim eyes filled with barely controlled anger.
"The two Family Heads are truly extraordinary. Here is the Spirit Gathering Liquid, Yanyan awaits your grand performance." As Zhiyan spoke, she handed over the Spirit Gathering Liquid. Situ Ba and Xiahou Kong both paid and moved to the center of the stage to sit down.
Looking up, the Spirit Gathering Liquid slid down their throats, and both bodies shuddered as a captivating light shot from their eyes. The scene quieted down once again, and everyone held their breath, anxiously awaiting the upcoming spectacle. The prospect of Grandmaster-level experts advancing—the Situ Family and the Xiahou Family were two of Jincheng's three great clans, witnessing such a rare event once in a century—was something no one wanted to miss even a sliver of.
With a breath out, Ouyang Feng exhaled heavily twice, his gaze locked onto Zhiyan. "I am willing to take it on the spot!"
His voice boomed, laced with the arrogance of someone superior, and Ouyang Feng spoke through gritted teeth.
There was a stir—The Ouyang Family Head was joining in!
The most thrilled of all were the onlookers. All the nobility combined with the surrounding commoners were exceedingly excited, awaiting the events to unfold with bated breath.
With a slight furrow of his brow, Ouyang Peng looked at Zhiyan onstage, a pang of tenderness flashing through his heart. She was strong, but there was an indescribable loneliness in her. If possible, he would rather stand on that stage himself than let her face the limelight alone.
His gaze shifted to Ouyang Feng, and a hint of disappointment crossed his gentle face. Ouyang Feng had always been arrogant, an arrogance that was off-putting. Well, after today, he would have nothing to do with that family anymore.
"Oh, the Ouyang Family Head also wants to take it?" Zhiyan's voice rose, feigning surprise, "But I only have one bottle of Spirit Gathering Liquid left, hmm, how about I sell it to you for one million Gold Coins?" Zhiyan bit her index finger, looking at Ouyang Feng indecisively, her clear eyes covered with a layer of bewilderment, like a lost child.
"Pfft..." Pin Yiyun had just taken a sip of his tea and ended up spitting it out upon hearing her words, coughing violently. What, one million Gold Coins?
Gasps filled the air as the crowd stared in shock at Zhiyan, who was still naming her price, clicking their tongues in disbelief. Had they heard wrong? Wasn't it just five hundred thousand Gold Coins before? How did it suddenly double to one million in such a short time? Oh, this was a blatant robbery!
The outer circle collapsed in an instant, many with red eyes, unable to process what was happening. They had likely never experienced something as thrilling as this day. Had anyone ever seen a child demanding one million Gold Coins? Oh, this kid was here to shatter their spirits...
"Fine then, forget I mentioned it. One million Gold Coins might be a bit much; I'll keep it for myself." Zhiyan narrowed her eyes, speaking gently and kindly as if to let him down easy.
"Hmph, one million Gold Coins, I, Ouyang Feng, can afford that." As he spoke, a shining Purple Crystal Stone flew through the air, hovering steadily in front of Zhiyan.
"Very well, Family Head Ouyang truly is wealthy. Here's the Spirit Gathering Liquid; Miss Yanyan is waiting to see your impressive display." Zhiyan winked and with a flick of her wrist, she hurled the Spirit Gathering Liquid bottle directly at Ouyang Feng's face, causing the crowd to gasp and break out into a cold sweat. Impressive, the girl was truly bold, daring to disrespect the Ouyang Family Head in front of so many people. Did she not know the meaning of death?
Ouyang Feng's eyes narrowed, a cold gleam flashing across them, as he caught the medicinal bottle with ease. With a swift move, he joined Situ Ba and the others.
Three people, three different auras, and tens of thousands in the audience doing the same thing—lifting their heads, fixating their gaze, staring intently. The stage fell silent momentarily, but in no time at all, the atmosphere changed. Spiritual Energy began to radiate from the three of them, with distortions appearing in the air around them. It was almost time; everyone simultaneously thought the same thing—It was close. They were about to witness the rise of Grandmaster-level experts.