The Auction Hosted by Lu Yuling

As the Golden Crow sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, and night falls over the entire Sword Peak, the Cultivator on the Sword Peak do not lose their enthusiasm; on the contrary, their enthusiasm only grows stronger.

At the summit of Sword Peak, a temporary platform was erected, along with many simple chairs. Using Formation, a barrier was set up to separate the inside from the outside, creating the appearance of a large hall.

There weren't many people in the hall. It wasn't that the people from Sword Peak didn't want to come, but rather that the threshold for entering the hall was too high. The entrance fee was one mid-grade Spirit Stone, which was enough to deter many people.

However, even though the entrance fee is high, a small number of people are still willing to spend the price of a mid-grade Spirit Stone to enter, because the hall is hosting a grand Auction. Every item auctioned here is an absolute gem, which has a huge impact on the competition for the Dragon Phoenix Ranking.

"What? One mid-grade Spirit Stone? That's a thousand low-grade Spirit Stone, a million Spirit Stone Coin! This price is too high!" At the entrance of the hall, two Cultivators at the Return to Simplicity Realm stood on either side. The entrance fee of a million Spirit Stone Coin caused people to exclaim in surprise.

"Sigh, the entrance fee is a mid-grade Spirit Stone. It seems that even if we get in, we won't be able to afford it." Shaking their heads, many people gave up after hearing about the entrance fee of a mid-grade Spirit Stone.

"Haha, a mid-grade Spirit Stone? This young master will pay. I hope the good stuff inside is worth my entry fee." Of course, there are also wealthy young masters who are true disciples of the Sect or direct descendants of cultivators, and they are generous with their money.

"The price of a mid-grade Spirit Stone? The organizers of this Auction are really good at making money," Zhuge Xiang, Qin Qing, and Pei Yingxiao said with some amazement as they arrived at the entrance of the Auction and heard the discussions about the entrance fee of a mid-grade Spirit Stone. "If a hundred or eighty people go in, that's over a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone. The entrance fee alone is astonishing."

Zhuge Xiang was merely expressing his feelings from the bottom of his heart, but as Zhuge Xiang finished speaking, he noticed that Pei Yingxiao and Qin Qing beside him were looking at him with strange expressions.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" Zhuge Xiang asked, somewhat puzzled, as Pei Yingxiao and Qin Qing stared at him with strange looks.

"Don't you know that this Auction is organized by your Asura Sect? Who would dare to compete with the Asura Sect for such a lucrative opportunity? The Dragon Phoenix Ranking is also hosted by the Asura Sect, and all the taxes paid by these Rogue Cultivator come here to trade are given to the Asura Sect," Pei Yingxiao asked, looking at Zhuge Xiang with surprise.

"Uh..." Pei Yingxiao's words left Zhuge Xiang speechless for a moment.

Zhuge Xiang hadn't really considered this point, but Pei Yingxiao's words made sense. Besides the Asura Sect, who else was qualified to hold the Dragon Phoenix Ranking in Yanling Commandery? Who else was qualified to control the local economy?

"Senior Brother Zhuge, please come inside." Sure enough, as Zhuge Xiang and his companions arrived at the entrance of the hall, two Cultivator standing at the door hurriedly bowed to Zhuge Xiang, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at him.

Judging from their attire, the two Cultivators were indeed Asura Sect Disciples. Zhuge Xiang asked, "Which group are you disciples from? Do I need to pay an entrance fee to enter?"

"We are disciples of the sixth group of the Blood Hall, and we are just minor figures in the Battle Hall. Senior Brother Zhuge naturally doesn't recognize us, but we will never forget his heroic figure on the Ancient Qin Battlefield. Since Senior Brother Zhuge is a disciple of our sect, how could he possibly need an entrance fee?"

The two disciples looked at Zhuge Xiang with reverence and answered carefully. When they talked about the Ancient Qin Battlefield, their eyes were full of admiration. It was clear that Zhuge Xiang's performance on the Ancient Qin Battlefield, which turned the tide single-handedly and laid the foundation for the victory of the Asura Sect, had earned him the admiration and respect of all the Inner Sect Disciple.

"Since the main disciples don't have to pay an entrance fee, then I won't stand on ceremony. What about these two?" He nodded, then pointed to Pei Yingxiao and Qin Qing beside him.

"Since they are Senior Brother Zhuge's friends, there's naturally no need for that," the two gatekeeper disciples said, shaking their heads. Now, within the Asura Sect Inner Sect, who didn't know that Zhuge Xiang's status and prestige were second only to the three Hall Masters?

"Senior Brother Zhuge, you must get a good ranking on this Dragon Phoenix Ranking!" As Zhuge Xiang entered the Auction, one of the disciples said to Zhuge Xiang, giving Zhuge Xiang a cheering gesture as he spoke.

"Do you even need to tell me? I heard that at the Sword Peak gathering a few days ago, Senior Brother Zhuge defeated Senior Brother Gu Siqi. I think Senior Brother Zhuge is definitely going to Top Three of this Dragon Phoenix Ranking."

As the disciple finished speaking, the disciple next to him rolled his eyes at him. Looking at his confident expression, anyone who didn't know better would think that he was the one who had defeated Gu Siqi.

With a smile, Zhuge Xiang didn't answer and walked directly into the Auction. Pei Yingxiao, however, looked at Zhuge Xiang with surprise and said, "I didn't expect you to be so popular in the Sect. Look at those junior brothers who admire you, it's truly enviable."

" In the Cultivation World, the strong are revered, and on the Battlefield, soldiers respect generals with outstanding abilities. There's nothing surprising about that," Zhuge Xiang said calmly, shaking his head at Pei Yingxiao's words. He didn't feel particularly proud of the Asura Sect Disciples' admiration for him.

Upon entering the hall, there were over a hundred people, including many familiar faces: Sarira Skeleton Yin Gu, Blood Rakshasa Lin Haiyan, White Bone Asura Gu Siqi, Blood Palm Butcher Qian Xiong, Meteor Blade Huo Siling, as well as Zhang Kuang and Wu Zhao. They were all there. Upon seeing Zhuge Xiang, those who knew him well would greet him warmly, while those who didn't know him well would simply nod in acknowledgment.

After looking around, Zhuge Xiang sat down next to Wu Zhao. On the day of their Clear Spring Village trip, the two had gone through thick and thin together, fighting side by side, and their friendship was very deep.

"Your cultivation has actually broken through to the final step?" Sitting next to Wu Zhao, the information fed back by the Data Eye made Zhuge Xiang slightly taken aback. Indeed, when he saw Wu Zhao again, her information clearly showed that she was at the Divine Ability Stage First Layer.

"Well, you've worked hard, and you've finally made it. You should speed things up too, or I'll leave you behind. I'll be waiting for your breakthrough so we can have a proper Duel," Wu Zhao replied, glancing at Zhuge Xiang with intense fighting spirit in his eyes.

"Alright, I'm ready anytime." Zhuge Xiang really liked Wu Zhao, whose personality was almost Zhang Kuang.

"Alright, the Auction now beginning, and the Dragon Phoenix Ranking is about to be unveiled. I think no one wants to hear any more nonsense."

Just then, a melodious, clear voice suddenly appeared on the auction platform. It was a very pleasant voice, and as the figure walked up, the entire Auction fell silent.

She was stunningly beautiful, a beauty beyond compare, with an extraordinary grace and a cool, aloof air. She was like a solitary moon in the sky, or Ice Lotus atop a snow-capped mountain, pure and proud. The woman who appeared on the Auction platform captivated everyone with her beauty.

"It's her?" Even Zhuge Xiang was slightly stunned when he saw the figure that walked out.

The stunningly beautiful woman who stepped out was none other than Lu Yuling. Even Zhuge Xiang was slightly stunned when he saw her, let alone the others.

"Alright, enough with the chit-chat. Now let me introduce the first item for auction," Lu Yuling said, glancing around at everyone and pausing briefly on Zhuge Xiang.

"Haha, little girl, is yourself the first item you mentioned for auction? If so, I'm going to buy you no matter what, hehe..."

However, at that moment, a discordant voice suddenly rang out. A burly man, about thirty years old, stood up. His face was marred by a hideous scar, resembling Centipede, and the greed in his eyes was nauseating.

Zhuge Xiang's eyes turned slightly cold, but he believed that Lu Yuling Zhuge Xiang had no intention of intervening.

"Qiao Bufan, the Blazing Saber, is a rogue Rogue Cultivator. At the age of ten, he accidentally obtained Secret Manual left behind by the Overlord Saber Sect and achieved success in his cultivation. However, at the age of fifteen, he committed an act that aroused the wrath of heaven and earth: he forcibly raped his cousin who was visiting his home, and afterwards, he slaughtered his uncle's entire family to silence them. The scar on his face was left by a mysterious swordsman three years ago when he was a bandit on the grasslands. Currently, his cultivation level Seventh Layer of Return to Simplicity Realm."

Lu Yuling did not directly answer the scarred man's question. Instead, she calmly recited all the information about the scarred man.

Lu Yuling's words caused many people in the auction hall to gasp in shock. Humiliating his own cousin? And even killing his uncle's entire family to silence them? Although Qiao Bufan, the Blazing Saber, had a notorious reputation in Yanling Commandery, no one expected that he would do such an outrageous thing.

Lu Yuling spoke of Qiao Bufan's information with great familiarity, and with each sentence Lu Yuling uttered, Qiao Bufan's expression grew increasingly grim, until finally, he erupted in fury, yelling, "You bitch, shut your mouth! What nonsense are you spouting?"

A crimson Horse-Slaying Saber appeared in his hand. Like a tiger descending a mountain, Qiao Bufan and pounced towards Lu Yuling. His scorching Qi Energy seemed to ignite even the air itself.

"You're courting death..." Zhuge Xiang and Zhang Kuang said softly at the same time, looking at Qiao Bufan's information.

Indeed, he was courting death. As if to prove Zhuge Xiang and Zhang Kuang's words, Lu Yuling looked at Qiao Bufan was rushing over without making any move. However, two silver eyeliners suddenly appeared on his eyelids. Then, Qiao Bufan seemed to be hit hard and flew backward with a scream, and a layer of Ice Shards condensed on his body.

The Ice Eye —when this Secret Manual was given to Zhuge Xiang, Lu Yuling naturally learned this Skill as well. It integrates attacks into the gaze; who can dodge such a physical attack? (To be continued...)