Earth Grade Beast Egg

In the VIP seating area.

Faced with the hostility and fury of so many elderly cultivators, Mu Renlong and Mu Maode felt immense pressure.

Even Mu Renlong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, felt somewhat restless.

Those aged cultivators had considerable seniority and connections. A few could barely be counted as his elders, and many of their descendants were outstanding talents.

The Mu Family's upper ranks also felt wronged. They had completely taken the blame and drawn hatred on Lan Chang'an's behalf.

Those elderly cultivators did not believe that a young man like Lan Chang'an would purchase Longevity Pills at any cost.

With that kind of wealth, wouldn't buying a Breakthrough Pill be far more worthwhile?

It had to be the Mu Family leadership's instruction!

"Four hundred sixty," a white-haired old man said through gritted teeth.

"Five hundred!"

Lan Chang'an remained calm and composed, as though the bid had nothing to do with him.

Mu Xiuyun's starry eyes shifted. Recalling how readily Lan Chang'an had agreed to attend the auction with them that night, she could not help but smile.

Lan Chang'an had clearly anticipated that competing for the Longevity Pills would bring pressure from a pack of old-timers.

Fortunately, Lan Chang'an had a cultivation force backing him.

If he had been a rogue cultivator with no background, he would have had to weigh his options carefully.

"Mu Renlong, you're ruthless!"

Faced with Lan Chang'an's forceful bid, the elderly cultivators present finally gave up competing.

There were still two Longevity Pills left anyway.

There was no need to go head-to-head with a hotheaded young man backed by a Foundation Establishment Family.

They even suspected that Lan Chang'an might be a plant hired by the seller of the Longevity Pills.

"Five hundred Spirit Stones. Does any fellow cultivator offer more? This sacred medicine that extends one's life is something one may encounter but cannot seek..."

The Feather Robe Old Man swept his gaze around the venue, his tone impassioned.

"Five hundred Spirit Stones, going once... five hundred Spirit Stones, going three times!"

"The first Longevity Pill goes to the guest in VIP Booth Number Seven."

The Feather Robe Old Man looked toward the VIP booth occupied by the Mu Family, his gaze lingering on Lan Chang'an for a moment.

The first Longevity Pill had actually been won by a young man, taking every faction present by surprise.

"That kid seems to be the Turtle Talisman Master from the Marketplace?"

"The Turtle Talisman Master? I heard that fellow cherishes his life greatly. No wonder he fought those elderly men for a Longevity Pill."

"Such behavior is truly despicable!"

At the auction, some cultivators recognized Lan Chang'an. Some looked down on him, while others were sour with envy.

After all, Lan Chang'an could produce such a large sum of Spirit Stones to buy a Longevity Pill. His wealth exceeded that of most Qi Refining cultivators.

"The second Longevity Pill starts at two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones as well. Everyone, be sure to seize this opportunity..."

On the auction stage, bidding began for the second Longevity Pill.

Lan Chang'an felt somewhat tempted. One Longevity Pill might not be enough to test his conjecture regarding the Evergreen Art.

However, it would not be appropriate for him to compete for a second one.

"Lan Chang'an, the effects of Longevity Pills cannot stack. Leave those elderly men a way to live."

Mu Renlong's eyelid twitched slightly as he spoke.

If Lan Chang'an competed again, even the Mu Family's upper ranks would struggle to withstand the pressure.

Though Lan Chang'an's actions had drawn hatred toward the Mu Family leadership, it was only natural for a family to shield its younger generation from wind and rain.

Thus, they did not blame Lan Chang'an.

The reason a family possessed cohesion was naturally because it stood united.

Lan Chang'an was not the only younger member of the Mu Family attending this auction.

After Lan Chang'an, the second and third Longevity Pills were sold in succession for high prices exceeding five hundred fifty Spirit Stones.

Looking at it this way, Lan Chang'an had gained a slight bargain by forcefully securing the first pill.

In truth, some of the old cultivators present might not have been unable to bid even higher if they emptied their lifelong savings.

It was merely a question of whether it was worth it.

It was like Earth in Lan Chang'an's Previous Life. Many elderly people who were critically ill and on the brink of death could barely sustain themselves for a few more years if they squandered their entire fortunes, sold their homes, and sold their cars.

For those in the Cultivation World whose lifespan had reached its limit, their bodily functions and mana were already declining. Even if they extended their lives by another ten years, they could not possibly break through to a higher realm.

Rather than pay such a tremendous price, it would be better to nurture several more Qi Refining cultivators.

"Senior, this is the Longevity Pill you bid for."

Under the escort of law enforcement cultivators, a beautiful Maidservant delivered the First-Order Longevity Pill to the Mu Family's VIP booth.

Lan Chang'an accepted the Longevity Pill, inspected it, and paid five hundred Spirit Stones.

The auction actually charged a handling fee, but it was borne by the seller.

Lan Chang'an put away the Longevity Pill without taking it immediately. This was not the right setting to verify the Evergreen Art.

The auction proceeded in an orderly fashion.

The subsequent auction items included cultivation techniques and secret arts, inheritances of the hundred cultivation arts, exquisite Talismans, High-Grade Magic Items, and more.

They dazzled the eyes, and wave after wave of excitement rose without end.

During this time, the Mu Family's upper ranks bid for a High-Grade Magic Item.

Mu Xiuyun herself also bid for a Youth Preserving Pill. Under her father's gaze, her face flushed faintly.

A Youth Preserving Pill could greatly slow the aging of one's appearance, though its effect was somewhat inferior to that of a Second-Order Youth Preservation Pill.

Lan Chang'an could understand that.

Mu Xiuyun was actually about the same age as him. Due to her higher cultivation and skill at preserving her appearance, she looked to be in her early twenties, with jade-like skin that was luminous and radiant.

She was at the stage when a woman was at her most charming and full of grace.

The auction lasted an entire day, with an intermission in the middle.

"Distinguished guests, next is the Beast Taming Zhou Family's special spirit beast auction. A total of ten spirit beasts and young beasts with excellent bloodlines will be auctioned."

As the auction entered its second half, the Feather Robe Old Man raised a hand to welcome a pure and pretty girl in a yellow dress onto the stage.

"This is Zhou Qingxuan, the Zhou Family's talented Beast Tamer. The two of us will jointly host the following auction."

The Feather Robe Old Man introduced her.

The girl in yellow had exquisite features, eyes like dots of lacquer, and a peerless clarity and purity.

She was precisely Zhou Qingxuan, with whom Lan Chang'an had dealt before.

"Qingxuan is only assisting with the auction, introducing and answering questions about the spirit beasts."

Zhou Qingxuan gave an elegant curtsy. She was poised and gracious, utterly unlike the playful, spirited girl she had once been.

Lan Chang'an sighed inwardly. As expected of the Zhou Family's talented granddaughter, after three or four years apart, Zhou Qingxuan—whose cultivation had once matched his—had now reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

That the Zhou Family allowed her to take the stage at this auction showed how highly they valued her.

"The first spirit beast auctioned by the Beast Taming Zhou Family is the Black Blood Spirit Steed. It possesses a Middle Grade Bloodline. This horse carries a rare mutated bloodline, with endurance and speed far surpassing ordinary Spirit Steed Horses. It can leap across cliffs three to five zhang wide and adapt to all kinds of terrain..."

While the Feather Robe Old Man gave his introduction, Zhou Qingxuan opened a Spirit Pet Bag and released an unusually robust Spirit Steed Horse, black with blood-colored spots.

The moment the Black Blood Spirit Steed appeared, it let out a violent, ill-tempered neigh. Yet with a touch of Zhou Qingxuan's slender finger, it immediately became exceptionally docile.

Zhou Qingxuan had come onstage not only to assist with the auction, but also to soothe the spirit beasts.

Spirit beasts differed from ordinary demonic creatures and exotic beasts in that they had been tamed or bred in captivity.

They were more attuned to human nature, but also lost a measure of their ferocity.

"The Black Blood Spirit Steed has an excellent bloodline and is suitable for breeding a family's Spirit Steed Horses. Starting bid: eighty Spirit Stones..."

"The White Spirit Fox possesses a High Grade Bloodline and considerable intelligence. It excels at mental seduction, has snow-white fur, and is suitable for female cultivators to raise..."

With Zhou Qingxuan's assistance, spirit beast after spirit beast was brought onto the stage for bidding.

Besides spirit beasts, there were also young spirit beasts, including spirit beast eggs.

Some cultivators, out of consideration for loyalty, preferred to raise young spirit beasts from infancy.

Of course, this was limited to spirit beasts with high-grade bloodlines and relatively rapid growth.

"The next auction item is somewhat special. It is an unhatched Mystic Water Turtle egg, possessing an Earth Grade Bloodline!"

The Feather Robe Old Man spoke eloquently, building up the atmosphere.

"Everyone should have heard that in the Cultivation World of the neighboring country, there is a third-order Mystic Water Turtle. Its strength rivals that of a Core Formation True Person. It has lived for over a thousand years and has always guarded its sect."

At this time, Zhou Qingxuan took out a dark gray egg and placed it on a Maidservant's tray.

"A Mystic Water Turtle with an Earth Grade Bloodline!"

Many cultivators had their eyes opened wide, clicking their tongues in amazement.

For a spirit beast's bloodline to reach Earth Grade was no trivial matter.

It was equivalent to a cultivator possessing an Earth Spiritual Root.

Even in cultivation sects, Earth Spiritual Root aptitude was relatively rare.

Every Earth Spiritual Root was cultivated as a seedling for Golden Core Realm.

"Mystic Water Turtle, hehe..."

Some knowledgeable cultivators revealed dismissive smiles.

"It is true that the Mystic Water Turtle has an Earth Grade Bloodline, but it grows slowly. It takes over two hundred years to advance to the second order, and five or six hundred years to advance to the third order."

Mu Maode smiled.

Five or six hundred years was equivalent to the long lifetime of a Core Formation True Person.

Ordinary Foundation Establishment Families often could not even last five or six hundred years.

Even the Beast Taming Zhou Family's resident Pseudo-Core True Person, with a lifespan of over three hundred years, could not wait until the day a Mystic Water Turtle grew to the third order.

That did not even account for the resources invested during the Mystic Water Turtle's growth.

"The Mystic Water Turtle has one advantage: its lifespan is long, three times that of cultivators at the same realm. That does suit me."

Lan Chang'an mused inwardly.

"Miss Zhou, the life aura of this Mystic Water Turtle egg seems somewhat weak?"

A Foundation Establishment cultivator swept his divine sense over the gray egg on the tray and spoke with a slight frown.

"To be frank with everyone, this turtle egg may have been stored for too long, or perhaps affected by an external force. The vitality it contains is somewhat weaker than that of ordinary beast eggs."

Zhou Qingxuan's voice was crisp as she answered honestly.

Its vitality was weak?

Some cultivators who had been interested immediately lost much of their enthusiasm.

If the life force within the eggshell was weak, then after hatching, it might be a sickly creature with an innately frail constitution, weaker than others of the same rank.

If not for that, the Beast Taming Zhou Family would not have readily sold this Earth Grade Spirit Beast Egg.

"The Mystic Water Turtle egg starts at two hundred forty Spirit Stones. This turtle enjoys a long life and has a gentle, loyal temperament, making it suitable for cultivation as a clan-protecting spirit beast..."