Chapter 224: Basic Operations, Seriously
Translator: 549690339
“Saint Heir, considering the face of the Elixir Sect, please let Wang Gang off the hook. Wang Gang promises never to appear in Central Province again from now on!”
Wang Gang was in a panic. On ordinary days, he would not fear the strength of Zhen Qiankun. In terms of cultivation level, he was even stronger than his opponent.
But now was different. He was controlled by Li Xiaobai and could do nothing but kneel honestly on the spot. It would be as easy as flipping his hand for Zhen Qiankun to kill him.
“Saint Heir, what are you saying? This is my great uncle, a senior Elder of the Elixir Sect!”
Zhong Lingxiu screamed from the sidelines. She had not expected such a scene. The direction of the plot was just not right!
Wasn’t it supposed to be cutting down Li Xiaobai? How come now they were the ones kneeling, and Zhen Qiankun even wanted to kill an Elixir Sect Elder? Weren’t the Three Sects supposed to be united against a common enemy? She couldn’t understand these moves at all!
“I have already given the Elixir Sect enough face; otherwise, today would not have seen just one person dead, understand?”
“If you do something wrong, you have to pay the price. No one can be an exception, not even if you are an expert of the Elixir Sect.”
Zhen Qiankun said indifferently.
“Saint Heir…”
Wang Gang’s eyes were filled with incredible fear. He wanted to say more, but Zhen Qiankun did not give him another chance.
With a flick of his wrist, a long spear pierced directly through his brow, instantly stirring his brain along with the Primordial Spirit in his sea of consciousness to dust, leaving behind a headless corpse kneeling on the ground in a posture of utmost worship.
“Ah!”
Zhong Lingxiu let out a mad scream. She couldn’t accept this reality; although she was spoiled on ordinary days, she knew her great uncle genuinely cared for her—in the entire sect, only he indulged her every wish.
Now, to have him be killed in front of her, and by one of the Three Sects’ Holy Sons no less, with death brushing past her, she felt an intense panic.
“Xiu’er, if we really want to investigate, you are the instigator of this matter, but I will give the Elixir Sect face and not kill you. Go back, and from now on, don’t wander off.”
Zhen Qiankun sighed and spoke slowly. In fact, he wanted to slaughter this woman, but as she was the daughter of the Elixir Sect Master, it was not convenient to take action in public. He would have to find another opportunity in the future.
“Thank you, Saint Heir. Xiu’er will go back now and will not leave the sect from now on!”
Li Xiaobai sheathed his sword, and Zhong Lingxiu regained her ability to move. With tears streaking her face, she ran down the mountain without looking back.
Seeing the panic-stricken appearance of Zhong Lingxiu, Immortal Xi Yao felt somewhat sympathetic, but she knew that compared to the Dao heart of the Saint Heir, the life and death of Elder Wang were truly insignificant.
Zhen Qiankun looked at the limp headless body on the ground, his gaze flickering with thoughtful light. After Li Xiaobai sheathed his sword, the body had collapsed completely. Could it be that this Sword Imprisonment technique was also effective against corpses?
If that was the case, how high a grade must that cultivation technique be?
“There was a small incident that startled everyone. You all go back first and have a good rest. We’ll meet again at the grand competition of the Three Sects.” Artifact God, seeing the oppressive atmosphere, opened his mouth to speak.
“That sounds good. We shall take our leave first!”
“Saint Heir, we shall meet again in a few days!”
“We’ll meet at the grand competition of the Three Sects!”
The cultivators hurriedly got up to leave; they couldn’t wait to be gone from this place even for a moment longer. The grisly demise of Wang Gang was still vivid in their minds. Today, the Dao heart of the Saint Heir of Array Formation Sect might well have been damaged, and they feared his wrath and couldn’t escape fast enough.
One by one, they got up, clasped their fists, bowed, and hurried away.
“Hahaha, Young Master Li is indeed a talented young man. With a single move, he defeated Wang Gang, truly worthy of the name Demon Sword.”
Tian Ba laughed heartily, extremely satisfied with Li Xiaobai.
Such strength was considered quite exceptional even in the frontier regions.
“`
“Tian Ba, you flatter me, it was all just regular operations.”
Li Xiaobai clasped his fist in greeting, speaking cheerfully.
“We still have tasks to attend to, so we’ll take our leave now. See you in a month!” said Tian Ba.
“No problem, see you in a month!”
Li Xiaobai clasped his hands together, turned, and departed as well.
He still had quite a bit of maneuvering to do on his side. The primary purpose of this trip to Central Province was to maximize the profits from the batch of items at the Treasure Pavilion.
This, of course, would involve the hype created by the Immortal Spirit Daily.
About half an hour later, Li Xiaobai returned to Tianfeng City.
In the private room of the Treasure Pavilion, Li Xiaobai took out an issue of Immortal Spirit Daily, placed a Spirit Stone on the Formation, and summoned Elder Tianji.
“Yo, Young Master Li, it’s been a few days, I’ve missed you. Do you have big news?”
Seeing Li Xiaobai, Elder Tianji reinvigorated. Ever since the ad for Su Mei’er’s Inner Armor was published, he had been eagerly awaiting Li Xiaobai’s follow-up. This was a golden opportunity for a big sale.
“Hehe, of course, it’s big news. This time, I’m going to reveal the second star item of the Treasure Pavilion.”
Li Xiaobai said with a light smile.
“No problem, here’s the pen, write whatever you want, and you’ll be on the front page of tomorrow’s headlines!”
Elder Tianji stated bluntly. What Li Xiaobai composed was even more sensational than his own writing and more profitable.
“Thank you very much.”
Li Xiaobai pondered for a moment and then began to write the articles expansively.
“The second wondrous treasure of the Treasure Pavilion makes an appearance, it’s actually a collaboration piece with Xi Yao, the number one beauty of the Immortal Spirit Continent!”
“Shocking! What magic does the piano hold that made Immortal Xi Yao do such a thing!”
“The daughter of the Elixir Sect’s Sect Master has a wicked disposition, savagely killing the guardian of Wendao Peak, and causing a huge commotion at the forum, blatantly disrespecting the saintly figures of the Three Sects’ Holy Sons and Saintesses. Could this be instigated by the Elixir Sect?”
“Famous cultivating genius Li Xiaobai says: “Protecting the country is everyone’s responsibility. For the prosperity of the Immortal Spirit Continent, I, Li Xiaobai, will exhaust my efforts until death!””
The purpose of releasing these reports was clear—to hype prices. Naming the piano after Xi Yao wasn’t just a spur of the moment idea.
Xi Yao had a high reputation on the Immortal Spirit Continent. Now that a piano named after Xi Yao had emerged, if another piano appeared inside the Treasure Pavilion, it would surely set off a mad scramble among the cultivators.
Rarity brings value, and who knows, Xi Yao herself might even step in to bid personally when the time comes.
As for that Zhong Lingxiu, she was a troublemaker, harboring full hatred toward him. He would first stir up the relationship between the Three Sects a bit, to temporarily keep this woman too busy to consider how to deal with him.
She was the daughter of the Elixir Sect Master and held a revered position. This time she managed to bring a Transcendance Tribulation Stage cultivator, next time she might even bring a Mahayana Realm expert.
It would be better not to have too much contact for the time being. Once he finished up these next few days, he would go to the Western Desert to look for Liáowàng. Then, even if she wanted to kill him, she would be out of luck.
Elder Tianji’s eyes shone with a dazzling light. These few articles gave him a vision of the Immortal Spirit Daily reaching a new sales peak.
This Li Xiaobai, he was really born for this business!
“Young Master Li, such talent!”
“Basics, don’t forget them.”
“`
Chapter 225 The Auction Begins
Translator: 549690339
After spending a few days in Tianfeng City without incident, Zhong Lingxiu did not come to trouble him again, presumably because she was entangled with something else.
However, in these days, Li Xiaobai did see a few inconspicuous pieces of news in the Immortal Spirit Daily.
“A mysterious prodigy emerges in the Eastern Sea, a cultivator at the Divinity Transformation Stage who boldly challenges Transcendance Tribulation Stage powerhouses—overcoming gaps in cultivation levels as if it were as simple as eating and drinking!”
“A cultivator from Southern Ming forcibly destroys an entire sect, sacrificing it in a blood ritual spanning thousands of miles—coercively breaking through with supreme demonic power!”
“A poisonous woman appears in the Devil Cloud Cave of Central Province, defeating the Cave Master with a single move!”
These pieces of information, which should have made the front-page headlines, were regulated to a small section by Elder Tianji since the Immortal Spirit Daily’s recent editions were almost entirely dominated by his own news.
For him, as long as it helped to drive the daily sales of the Immortal Spirit Daily, what information was published didn’t really matter.
But Li Xiaobai sensed something unusual from these reports; the mysterious prodigies all had distinct characteristics, bearing a strong resemblance to his own senior brothers and sisters.
Since parting ways with the Holy Demon Sect, he had not heard any news from them. Knowing their usual cautious habits, they would certainly be in disguise while outside.
Only he, their familiar junior brother, could sense the familiar aura from them.
It seems that during this period, his senior brothers and sisters had also been busy cultivating, dispersed in various places far and wide. It was just unknown whether any of them had come to Central Province.
With the auction about to begin, Li Xiaobai set aside these considerations for now. He took Ji Wuqing with him and headed toward the auction hall.
The news about the auction had been released early in the day, especially after the Immortal Spirit Daily’s promotion. Just by revealing two of the Treasure Pavilion’s most treasured items, it hooked the curiosity of the cultivators.
Su Mei’er’s Inner Armor, Immortal Xi Yao’s signature piano—even without considering whether there were other treasures at the auction, these two items alone were enough to drive people mad.
The auction was divided into two levels. The first floor was for ordinary bidders, and the second floor was for VIPs who had to spend a hundred thousand top-grade Spirit Stones to gain admission. The second floor consisted of fully enclosed private rooms; outsiders could not see the inside, which were mostly used for the confidentiality needs of the privileged.
In the past, the second floor would seat no more than ten people, all being high-ranking members of major families and powers, afraid of being recognized during the bidding.
But today was different; the second floor had been filled to capacity. Even then, there weren’t enough rooms upstairs, with cultivators expressing their willingness to pay more. As long as they could sit upstairs, even if the price doubled, it wasn’t a problem.
In a rush, Gu Ling hastily constructed temporary third-floor private rooms to accommodate the cultivators.
The key culprit behind this situation was naturally Su Mei’er’s Inner Armor.
The masters of the Cultivation World, who all had high statuses, couldn’t possibly bid for such items publicly; hence, they preferred to participate from the upper floor’s rooms. This way, even if they won the bid, their identities wouldn’t be exposed.
When Li Xiaobai arrived, the second and third floors were already full.
He couldn’t help but feel contempt in his heart; these hypocritical noblemen, upon hearing about Su Mei’er’s Inner Armor, acted in such a way, despite usually priding themselves as righteous cultivators.
However, the more people who bid, the better his own profits would be.
He casually found a corner to sit down. Today, he was just a spectator and didn’t dare to compete for a spot with those wealthy patrons, as they were his own Gods of Wealth and should be respected.
As more and more cultivators continued to arrive, looking for an empty room upstairs, Li Xiaobai spotted Xi Yao and the Two Sects’ Holy Sons in the crowd. He had not expected that the Treasure Pavilion’s energy was great enough to attract even the Saint Heir and the saintess of the Three Sects.
What he didn’t know, however, was that Xi Yao had already taken note of him.
Originally, Li Xiaobai had gifted her a piano, which made Xi Yao extremely happy. Subconsciously she regarded it as a unique treasure, believing it to be the only one in the world and even named it after herself.
She felt as if she had formed some profound connection with the piano.
However, when she saw the Immortal Spirit Daily, she suddenly realized that something was amiss. The Treasure Pavilion was also auctioning off a piano, and it was even touted as a piano co-branded with Immortal Xi Yao.
In that instant, she understood that she had been duped. The gift of the piano wasn’t meant to please her or any nonsense about it being fate for ‘the instrument to find its master.’
The other party simply wanted to use her fame to jack up the piano’s price in order to sell it at a high cost!
She had to admit, her economical master really had some tricks up his sleeve!
“Alright, fellow practitioners, your presence here today makes the Treasure Pavilion shine. I am Gu Ling, and to be honest, our auction has been held for many years, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a packed scene,”
“For this auction, I believe both sides will be extremely satisfied!”
Gu Ling said with a smile, secretly admiring Li Xiaobai in his heart. That kid’s brain was really clever, just taking out two items that couldn’t even be counted as Magic Treasures, and yet they made the Treasure Pavilion’s popularity soar to an all-time high.
After this auction is over, no matter the outcome, the Treasure Pavilion’s history must acknowledge his contribution!
“Gu Ling, stop beating around the bush. We’ve heard enough of the formalities. Let’s get started, shall we? This time, I have enough Spirit Stones!”
Someone on the second floor spoke up. His voice was deep and full of confidence, clearly someone with deep pockets.
Li Xiaobai silently nodded to himself; everyone who came this time was an economic powerhouse, and they didn’t disappoint him.
“Hehe, indeed, I’ve spoken too much. Well then, I declare the auction officially started. The rest of the time, I shall hand it over to the person in charge of the auction, Miss Yun Ya!”
With a slight smile, Gu Ling signaled for the host to take the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today’s auction will be conducted by Miss Yun Ya. Without further ado, please welcome the first auction item.”
Yun Ya smiled, bowed to the audience, and her explosive figure caused the male cultivators to gulp.
She clapped her hands, and a servant holding a huge tray entered the venue. Li Xiaobai squinted his eyes; the first auction item, to keep the topic hot, was a name he had personally chosen for Gu Ling.
“Military Green Double-Breasted Coat with Copper Buttons!”
“This coat is made from the fur of the Tianzhu Mouse, capable of withstanding extreme cold, making it an unparalleled choice for those venturing into frigid, dangerous areas!”
On the tray lay a quiet army green coat, an item of clothing made from the fur of a Demonic Beast, designed to keep out the severe cold.
“Starting bid, one hundred high-grade Spirit Stones!”
After the introduction, Yun Ya announced the price.
A hush fell over the room, not because they didn’t want to buy, but because they were stunned. They found themselves unable to comprehend the name of the coat.
What was military green?
What was a double-breasted coat with copper buttons?
Isn’t this simply a coat made from the fur of the Tianzhu Mouse for cold protection?
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