Auction Begins (Please Follow-up)

The next morning, dappled shadows from the tall bamboo grove fell across the courtyard!

Several Spirit Beasts that had once been listless and sickly began letting out joyful roars.

In Ye Jingcheng's courtyard, seeing Ye Jingcheng rise, the Jade Ring Rat flapped its enormous ears and climbed onto him! Ye Jingcheng patted the Jade Ring Rat's round, bulging belly.

"Stop growing that belly all the time. Grow those ears instead!" Ye Jingcheng put the Jade Ring Rat into the Spirit Beast Bag, then put away the Crimson Flame Fox, which was dozing on the table beside them.

The Crimson Flame Fox still seemed somewhat lazy. Under Ye Jingcheng's touch, it let out soft chirps.

Ye Jingcheng sent in some more Treasure Light and fed it another Spirit Feeding Pill.

"Your aura is nearly at the First Rank Late Stage, isn't it?" Feeling the Crimson Flame Fox's spiritual power, Ye Jingcheng was delighted! As expected of a Monster Beast that could grow to the Second Order Late Stage! When he had first raised the Crimson Flame Fox, it had likely only just reached the First-Order Grade-Middle.

After the Crimson Flame Fox slowly gnawed down the Spirit Feeding Pill, Ye Jingcheng placed it into the Spirit Beast Bag as well! Today was the day of the auction!

He now had exactly two hundred and seventy Spirit Stones in his Storage Bag.

When he stepped out of the courtyard, Ye Xinghe, Ye Xingyu, and Ye Jingli were already fully prepared.

Because they had to watch over the shop, Ye Jingyun, Ye Jinghao, and Ye Xinghong remained behind.

The Ye Family's Spirit Beast business had improved considerably lately. With too few people, they would be hard-pressed to keep up.

"At this auction, bid for anything you want yourselves. The family may not be able to help you much!" Before leaving, Ye Xinghe reminded the three of them once more.

After saying that, the four headed toward a massive hall at the very center of the shops.

The hall stood beside Heaven One Pavilion. In terms of grandeur, it was only slightly inferior to the latter. Many flying dragons and Exotic Beasts were carved upon its upper levels, each with a precious pearl clasped in its mouth.

At this moment, numerous cultivators of every sort were making their way inside.

"Ye Xinghe, you must have prepared quite a few Spirit Stones today!" In the distance, a middle-aged man wearing green satin robes, a small mustache beneath his nose, and a crown securing his hair walked over with a grin.

This man was Li Mutian, the Li Family's manager in Taihang Market.

"No need for Daoist Li to concern himself with that. Rather, how many Spirit Stones has Daoist Li prepared? Would you like me to lend you some spirit pills to sell in exchange for a few Spirit Stones?" Ye Xinghe shot back mockingly.

After exchanging a few more barbs, they entered the hall one after another.

The hall was exceptionally spacious, with enough seats for over a thousand people! There were also second and third floors.

However, the private rooms on the second floor were reserved for Purple Mansion Families or Purple Mansion Cultivators!

Foundation Establishment Families like the Ye Family could only sit in the compartments behind the regular seats.

At this time, quite a few cultivators were already in the compartments, and the Four Great Families of Taihang Market had all taken their seats.

"Xingyu, take the two of them and sit down first. I'll be right back!" Ye Xinghe glanced at Ye Xingyu, patted him on the shoulder, and headed toward the backstage area of the Auction Hall.

The Ye Family held a certain share in the auction and needed to submit some auction items, as well as make a few arrangements.

Of course, Ye Xinghe also wanted to investigate whether the Blood Heart Pill was real.

Ye Xingyu nodded at this and led the other two to their seats.

As Ye Jingcheng sat down, he saw several members of the Li Family staring their way, their eyes filled with contempt.

"Don't mind them. When our Ye Family was running rampant through Taihang, their Li Family was still scampering about calling us Immortal Masters!" Ye Xingyu said softly after glancing over.

The Ye Family had been a Foundation Establishment Family for a very long time, while the Li Family had only risen to prominence in the last one or two hundred years after producing a genius who joined the Taiyi Sect.

Of course, no matter how quietly Ye Xinghe spoke, it was still perfectly audible to cultivators! Li Mutian's mustache bristled at once, while the two younger cultivators stood and glared toward the Ye Family!

Yet the three Ye Family members acted as though they had seen nothing. If the Li Family dared make a move in this market, they would truly admire them!

"No need to perform such a grand standing salute!" Ye Xinghe returned from afar, his face full of smiles.

The two cultivators still wanted to flare their brows and widen their eyes, but one glare from Ye Xinghe made them immediately shrink back.

Li Mutian spoke as well. "I hope your Ye Family is not merely sharp-tongued!"

After saying that, he fell silent and looked toward the round platform in the Auction Hall.

Ye Xinghe looked toward the private rooms above. Only after seeing that there were no cultivators inside as he had expected did he let out a sigh of relief.

At the same time, though, he was somewhat puzzled. Li Mutian would not normally provoke him at an auction.

His provocation today likely concealed no small scheme.

After all, angering an opponent at an auction would only make one pay a higher price for the item one wanted, or let the other party forcibly snatch away the item one intended to buy.

That Blood Heart Pill... Ye Xinghe began thinking even more deeply.

"Thank you all for coming to the Taihang Market auction. This little lady is Luo Xiang, the auctioneer for this auction!"

"The auction rules are the same as before: the highest bidder wins. If you lack Spirit Stones, you may use treasures as collateral, or have them auctioned on the spot!"

Luo Xiang wore a green dress. As she spoke slowly, her curves seemed ready to burst forth, and before any treasure had even appeared, many cultivators were already breathing heavily!

Especially the Rogue Cultivators.

"Jingcheng, she doesn't look like much of a little lady at all!" Even Ye Jingli muttered beside Ye Jingcheng.

"Alright, no more nonsense, or the seniors and fellow Daoists will blame this little lady!"

"The first auction item is a First-Order Grade-High Five Sons Rings Dharma Artifact, a set-type Dharma Artifact. When all five rings strike together, even top-grade Dharma Artifacts may not be able to withstand them. The starting bid is eight hundred Spirit Stones, and each increase must be no less than ten Spirit Stones!"

Luo Xiang took out five Silver Rings. Beneath the spiritual light, the Silver Rings instantly erupted with blazing silver radiance.

Seeing this, Ye Jingcheng could not help but smile bitterly. For this one high-grade Dharma Artifact, his Spirit Stones were not even enough to meet the starting price!

"Eight hundred fifty!"

"Nine hundred!"

Once the Five Sons Rings Dharma Artifact appeared, the Rogue Cultivators were the ones bidding most fiercely. This kind of set-type Dharma Artifact was powerful, yet cheaper than a top-grade Dharma Artifact!

Surprisingly, none of the Four Great Families placed a bid.

Before long, the Five Sons Rings sold for one thousand three hundred Spirit Stones.

The Auction Hall became much livelier as well. In such a setting, such enormous figures stirred cultivators even more!

"Next is a First-Order Grade-High spirit fruit, the Heaven Leaf Fruit, the main ingredient for refining the Heaven Leaf Pill. The starting bid is one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, and each increase must be no less than five Spirit Stones!"

After the first auction item, the second was far less impressive.

However, upon hearing this, Ye Jingcheng grew somewhat excited instead. The Heaven Leaf Fruit was worth roughly the same as the Red Dragon Fruit he wanted.

The Heaven Leaf Fruit ultimately sold for two hundred and thirty.

Sure enough, after two more First-Order Grade-Middle defensive Dharma Artifacts were auctioned off, Luo Xiang took a red tray from the side.

The golden silk cloth atop the tray was lifted away, revealing an almost transparent white-jade box! Within the jade box was a brilliantly red spirit fruit—the Red Dragon Fruit Ye Jingcheng had been longing for.

"A First-Order Grade-High Red Dragon Fruit. It is highly useful in refining many spirit pills, and even if consumed by fellow Daoists cultivating Fire Attribute techniques or by Spirit Beasts, its effects are excellent. The starting bid is one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, and each increase must be no less than five Spirit Stones!"

There will be another chapter at eleven-thirty tonight. That chapter is especially important, so everyone must read it promptly. Please, please!