Jade Bird

Lu Xuan gave a helpless chuckle.

He knew perfectly well that the two girls minded him staring at the girl with a fox tail and a partially awakened martial soul, but he had no interest in her whatsoever.

It wasn't that he disliked furries. This one simply wasn't particularly pretty.

Now, if Ye Lingling or Dugu Yan grew cat ears, a rabbit tail, dragon horns, or something like that, it would be a different story.

"I was just browsing to see if there was anything worth buying." Lu Xuan spoke leisurely, a glint flashing through his eyes. "And I actually found something quite nice."

"What a coincidence." Beside him, Ye Renxin smiled at his words and said warmly, "Your master has also spotted a rather fine treasure."

Master and disciple met each other's eyes and exchanged a knowing smile. It seemed their trip to Suotuo City's auction had indeed been worthwhile.

As they chatted, everyone noticed that Ye Qingxian remained deeply unsettled. Her brows were drawn tight, and she looked utterly distracted.

Even though she forced herself to remain composed, she could not conceal the anxiety and worry in her eyes.

Noticing this, Lu Xuan gently reassured her. "Aunt Ye, there's no need to worry. Uncle Zhao is powerful and meticulous. He'll definitely return safely this time. Nothing will go wrong."

Ye Qingxian managed a faint, feeble smile at his words and slowly nodded. "Of course I trust your Uncle Zhao."

Despite what she said, the unease in her heart had not diminished in the slightest and continued to linger.

Everyone browsed the auction catalog as they waited quietly.

Before long, the lights in the hall downstairs brightened, and the noisy chatter gradually subsided. Suotuo City's grand decennial auction, long in preparation, officially began.

A clear peal of bells rang out from the stage throughout the auction hall, and the clamor instantly died away.

From the crowded, formerly noisy seats on the first floor to the tiered gallery seating and even the secluded VIP boxes around the hall, everyone stopped chatting and turned their attention to the central auction stage.

The warm golden spotlights slowly converged, settling precisely on the center of the stage. A graceful figure stepped lightly into view.

The woman who appeared was a stunningly beautiful auctioneer who looked to be in her twenties.

A well-tailored gown patterned in dark gold accentuated her slender figure and elegant bearing. Her long black hair was loosely pinned up, with a few stray locks falling beside her cheeks, adding a touch of gentle charm.

Her eyes were bright and lively, and a perfectly measured smile played on her lips. Neither gaudy nor vulgar, she possessed a calm presence that commanded the entire room.

She raised a hand in a gentle downward gesture. Amplified by soul power, her clear, melodious voice reached every corner of the hall, each word steady and pleasing to the ear.

"Welcome, esteemed Soul Masters and honored guests who have traveled from afar. Hello, everyone. I am Yaya, your auctioneer for this event." After introducing herself, Yaya continued, "After ten years, Suotuo City's premier auction officially opens today. We have gathered rare wonders and peerless treasures from far and wide, with soul tools, weapons, and armor of every kind. We have also prepared priceless finale items and treasures from hidden collections for our honored guests. Without further ado, let today's bidding begin!"

With an elegant gesture, Yaya indicated the display stand to one side, a poised, professional smile in her eyes. In an instant, the atmosphere throughout the auction house came alive.

Inside the private box, Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan found their attention drawn to the auctioneer outside.

Their focus, however, seemed to be on the auctioneer's figure and clothing rather than the auction items.

Weren't they cumbersome, being that big?

Wasn't she cold, wearing so little?

The two girls did not really understand the auctioneering profession and merely huddled together to gripe.

Meanwhile, the first auction item had already been brought out.

Two well-trained attendants carried a sealed, transparent jade case onto the stage with steady steps, solemnly placing the first lot in the center of the display stand.

The slightly restless auction hall instantly fell quiet, every gaze converging on it.

Inside the jade case, a layer of specially made spiritual velvet designed to nourish spiritual treasures cushioned a Thousand-Year Ginseng of exceptional quality.

The entire ginseng had a soft amber hue, with a thick, plump root and dense, slender rootlets. Every strand was intact, without the slightest break or damage, and the roots curled and spread in natural contours.

The leaves at its crown were fresh, vivid green and brimming with vitality. Even through the sealed jade case, one could faintly sense the rich aura of life emanating from it.

Nourished by the sun and moon for a thousand years, this ginseng had long since concentrated pure spiritual energy within itself. Unlike ordinary medicinal herbs, its medicinal properties were gentle and rich, without a trace of harshness.

A soft, luminous glow could be seen flowing faintly within the ginseng. It was a genuine thousand-year spiritual herb, nothing like the inferior, artificially cultivated products sold on the market with falsified ages.

With a smile in her eyes, Yaya introduced it in a clear, confident voice. "Our first lot today: wild thousand-year ginseng!"

"This ginseng has absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and grown naturally for a thousand years, giving it exceptional medicinal potency. For Soul Masters, it can strengthen your constitution, replenish your vitality, nourish your meridians, rapidly restore depleted soul power, and heal hidden injuries left by cultivation. For ordinary martial artists and common people, it is a priceless treasure that prolongs life and strengthens the body. Those suffering from serious injuries, physical weakness, stalled cultivation, or frail foundations can all benefit greatly from taking it!"

"Thousand-year spiritual ginseng is exceedingly rare, a treasure one can only encounter by chance. Whether for your own cultivation or to keep in reserve, it is an excellent choice. The opening bid is three thousand Gold Soul Coins, with each increase no lower than five hundred Gold Soul Coins. Honored guests, you may begin bidding!"

As soon as she finished, bids rang out one after another throughout the hall. Disciples from various sects and representatives of prominent clans rushed to compete, instantly heating up the opening atmosphere.

"Five thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

"Seven thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

"Eight thousand!"

The bidders outside drove up the price of the Thousand-Year Ginseng, but Lu Xuan and the others paid it no mind.

It might have been a treasure to other Soul Masters, but it was nothing special to the Ye Family, who had practiced medicine for generations, or the Dugu clan, who possessed the [Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well].

In fact, Lu Xuan's own Storage Soul Tool contained seven or eight medicinal herbs of even better quality than this ginseng.

The bidding downstairs continued for a quarter of an hour before the Thousand-Year Ginseng was finally purchased for twenty-five thousand Gold Soul Coins by Yu Dagang, the young clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The fierce competition over the first lot energized the entire auction.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?" Listening to the voices below, Lu Xuan already knew that the bidder was the older brother of Grandmaster Gangzi and the father of Yu Tianheng.

Still, with today's auction being such a grand event, it was only natural for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to send someone.

Once the first lot was concluded, a Soul Ancestor carried the second one onto the stage.

Resting quietly in the center of a wooden tray was an enormous, exquisitely translucent Jade Bird standing over a meter and a half tall.

The entire bird seemed to have been carved from a single piece of smooth, warm green jade. Its texture was lustrous and fine, without the slightest discoloration or flaw. A soft glow played across it under the stage lights, its translucence like congealed cream.

The Jade Bird's head and neck were slightly raised, its wings partly spread and drawn inward. Its tail feathers overlapped in distinct layers, and even the delicate patterns of its plumage had been carved in vivid detail, as though it might flap its wings, leave the tray, and soar through the air at any moment.