Incomplete Breath Concealment Art in Hand!

"Three hundred and ten Spirit Stones."

"I bid three hundred and twenty."

"Three hundred and thirty."

Li Guangao looked at the Spirit Nurturing Pill, his eyes filled with longing, yet he could do nothing about it.

Li Qingyuan said softly, "Grandpa Clan Leader, why don't you bid as well?"

"Our Li Family badly needs a Late Qi Condensation expert to hold the fort."

The Second Elder nodded. "Yes, Clan Brother. I'll lend you all the Spirit Stones I have on me."

Li Dingzhou said, "Clan Leader, although Dingzhou does not have many Spirit Stones, I can still offer my meager strength."

Li Guangao opened his mouth, but it turned into a sigh. "These past few years, in order to raise Qingyuan and the Family Immortal Seedlings, we can barely scrape together three hundred Spirit Stones."

"After all, the tribute Spirit Stones for the Liu Family cannot be shorted."

Li Guangao said, "Forget it."

"The bidding price has already exceeded three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones. We can't afford to call any higher."

"This old man will wait a little longer. Perhaps after some time, some Low-Grade Quality Spirit Nurturing Pills will make their way into the Market."

Li Qingyuan wanted to speak, but stopped himself.

The source of the Spirit Stones could not be revealed.

The Mysterious Feminine Space had to remain secret.

Very soon, the auction result was announced.

Wang Lingyu flashed a dazzling smile. This fair-skinned, plump middle-aged beauty was indeed devastatingly lethal. She smiled and said, "Three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, sold!"

"Congratulations, Zhang Family Head."

Upon hearing that name, Li Guangao looked over. After seeing the man, he said, "It seems he participated in this auction solely for the Spirit Nurturing Pill."

"He has staked all the Zhang Family's savings on a gamble to break through to Qi Condensation Level 7."

The Second Elder said, "So it was this old fellow who bought the Spirit Nurturing Pill."

Throughout the auction hall, aside from the eight private rooms on the highest floor, whose occupants' faces could not be seen,

all other seats were open-air, and the faces of the several hundred people were clearly visible.

Wang Lingyu said, "Fellow Daoists, the next item is the grand finale of this year's auction."

"Please take a look!"

This time, Wang Lingyu personally waved her hand and lifted the silk cloth, revealing the item's true form.

Within a transparent spherical artifact the size of a basketball, a dark-red, long-bodied living creature rolled and spun back and forth, wisps of spiritual pressure emanating from its surface.

"This is?" Li Guangao was startled. "A Blood-Devouring Centipede larva?"

The next moment, gasps of astonishment rose one after another throughout the auction.

"It is actually the larva of a second-tier Great Demon, the Blood-Devouring Centipede."

"Once this Blood-Devouring Centipede reaches adulthood and devours enough other Spirit Beasts, it will surely advance into a second-tier Great Demon, with battle prowess comparable to a Foundation Establishment Venerable."

"The Wang Clan actually has the means to obtain a Blood-Devouring Centipede larva?"

"..."

Within one of the eight private rooms, a Purple-robed Young Lady raised her teacup, blew gently across it, and took a calm sip. "This larva is congenitally deficient. It is even weaker than an ordinary Blood-Devouring Centipede larva. It will probably be impossible for it to grow into the second tier."

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking,

Wang Lingyu said, "Fellow Daoists, this Blood-Devouring Centipede larva is congenitally deficient. When our Wang Clan Hunting Team discovered it, it nearly perished in the jaws of a beast."

"It is almost impossible for it to grow into a second-tier Great Demon."

"However, if it is properly fed, it may still advance to the Qi Condensation Ninth Layer or Qi Condensation Tenth Layer in the future. Having a Late Qi Condensation demonic beast to guard one's home and courtyard would not be bad either."

Screech~ Screech~

At that moment, the Blood-Devouring Centipede larva in the spherical artifact container let out a piercing shriek. Tiny cracks appeared across the spherical container from the vibration, and everyone's eardrums ached.

Li Qingyuan covered his ears. "As expected of a Spirit Beast capable of becoming a second-tier Great Demon. It is so tiny, yet its cry is this piercing."

"This is?" In the private room, the Purple-robed Young Lady, who had been drinking tea, froze. Surprise surfaced on her exquisite face beneath her veil.

"Did I hear that sound wrongly?"

The Purple-robed Young Lady pondered briefly, then instructed, "Xiao Lan, bid for this demonic beast larva."

Though the maid Xiao Lan did not understand, she still nodded. "Yes, Miss."

Soon, the bidding began.

Although the Blood-Devouring Centipede was congenitally deficient and could not advance into a second-tier Great Demon, Wang Lingyu was right: if properly nurtured, it stood an excellent chance of becoming a First-Tier Late Stage Demonic Beast in the future.

A clan-guarding demonic beast at the Qi Condensation Ninth Layer, or even Qi Condensation Tenth Layer, was highly tempting.

However, only Late Qi Condensation Rogue Cultivators, cultivators from Second-rate Qi Condensation Families, and the owners of various shops in Qu Mountain Marketplace were qualified to bid on a grand-finale item like the Blood-Devouring Centipede larva.

A weak Third-rate Qi Condensation Family like the Li Clan was not even qualified to bid.

In the end, the Purple-robed Young Lady acquired the Blood-Devouring Centipede larva for five hundred Spirit Stones.

The moment she received the Blood-Devouring Centipede larva, the young lady examined it closely for a moment. Then her beautiful eyes lit up in delight. "No mistake, no mistake. There is an extra tiny three-colored pattern between its brows."

"Come, Xiao Lan. Return to the Spirit Talisman Building first and quickly notify my Second Uncle."

Mistress and maid hurried away.

Wang Lingyu said loudly, "Once again, thank you all for attending the Qu Mountain Auction. I hereby announce that this auction has concluded successfully. Fellow Daoists, take care on your way out."

The several hundred cultivators dispersed one after another.

Li Dingzhou said regretfully, "The cultivation art Yuan'er needs was not auctioned."

The Second Elder said, "Cultivation arts are special. I fear they will be difficult to find."

The Clan Leader said, "No matter. We still have one more trade meeting."

"A trade meeting?" Li Qingyuan was taken aback.

The Clan Leader smiled. "Come with me."

Before long, two or three dozen cultivators had gathered in a secluded Small Courtyard.

Li Qingyuan also saw the Zhang Family Clan Leader who had successfully purchased the Spirit Nurturing Pill.

Very soon, Li Qingyuan understood.

This was a private trade meeting exclusive to several Qi Condensation Families.

Two Second-rate Qi Condensation Families and three Third-rate Qi Condensation Families—five families in total—were conducting private trades.

Soon, the trading began.

According to the rules, the Third-rate Qi Condensation Families went first.

Li Guangao said, "This old man has a set of Masterwork Quality talisman paper. Six kinds of First-grade Low-rank Talisman Paper and three kinds of Tier 1 Mid-grade Talisman Paper, all of them masterwork."

Everyone was slightly startled. "All masterwork quality?"

Li Guangao took them out. When everyone looked, they were indeed all Masterwork Quality.

"I wonder, which of you family heads has a cultivation art capable of concealing one's aura and presence?" Li Guangao said. "This old man is willing to offer this set of masterwork talisman paper, along with one hundred Spirit Stones, in exchange."

"A cultivation art to conceal one's aura and presence?" One family head spoke up. "What a coincidence, Old Brother Li. I happen to have a Breath Concealment Art here."

Li Guangao's face lit up. "Really?"

That family head said, "Unfortunately, it is only an incomplete copy."

"This incomplete Breath Concealment Art can only suppress and conceal cultivation below the Qi Condensation Sixth Layer. Moreover, its concealment ability is weak; it cannot even block the Spiritual Sense of a Qi Condensation Level 7 cultivator."

"Ah, if only it were the complete version." The family head said, "With the complete Breath Concealment Art, even the Spiritual Sense of a Qi Condensation Tenth Layer expert would be unable to spy through it, so long as it was below Foundation Establishment Divine Sense."

The old family head asked, "Old Brother Li, do you still want to trade?"

"This..." Li Guangao hesitated.

Standing behind Li Guangao, Li Qingyuan said softly, "Grandpa Clan Leader, trade for it."

Li Guangao thought for a moment, then said, "Brother Zhao, this incomplete cultivation art is tasteless to eat yet a pity to discard. This old brother will trade a set of masterwork talisman paper for it. How about it?"

The Zhao Family Head said, "No. Add another fifty Spirit Stones."

"Ten at most."

"Thirty."

"No, twenty at most. Twenty, and if not, forget the trade." Li Guangao wore an indifferent expression.

The Zhao Family Head thought for a moment, then said, "Fine, let's trade."

The two old men completed the transaction.

After that, the trading continued.

They each brought out spirit plants, spirit ores, Spirit Beast materials, cultivation arts, medicinal pills... trading among themselves for the things they needed.

Naturally, some exchanges failed as well, when no one needed what they had brought.

An hour later, the private trade between the families ended, and they departed separately.

Li Guangao stepped forward, and the proud old man snorted coldly. "This old man has not seen Luo'er for several years. I wish to speak with Luo'er along the way and see you off while I am at it."

Zhang Xuantong snorted coldly. "We do not need you to see us off. We can leave on our own."

Zhang Yuanluo, a young man in his twenties, sighed helplessly and advised, "Grandfather, Great-uncle is acting out of kindness. Why must you refuse?"

Li Guangao said coldly, "Zhang Xuantong, I can go wherever I please. Is that any of your business? Come, Luo'er. Great-uncle will see you home."

Zhang Xuantong and Li Guangao exchanged a look, then each gave a cold snort.

Li Qingyuan thought to himself, That's right. The Spirit Nurturing Pill is worth three or four hundred Spirit Stones, and it can help a Qi Condensation Sixth Layer Perfected cultivator break through to Late Qi Condensation. Wealth stirs the heart. Once they leave Qu Mountain Marketplace, there is always the risk of being targeted by Bandit Cultivators.

It seemed the relationship between Grandfather Zhang and Grandpa Clan Leader was not as simple as it appeared.

Grandpa Clan Leader was worried about them.