Chu Yunfei smiled and leaned back against the window.
Shen Qianyue stood aside, staring expressionlessly at the auction stage, pretending not to have heard their conversation.
However, he had already become more wary of Qin Hao.
When the Cangyun Sect proposed marriage to the royal family, Qin Hao was extremely enthusiastic. Now that he has met Ling Xueyao again, he may not be able to easily let go of his feelings.
Once Chu Yunfei's identity as the imperial son-in-law is exposed, a conflict between the two is inevitable.
Inside the next private room.
Qin Hao was unaware that the two were talking about him.
Although Ling Xueyao's response was indifferent, he did not feel neglected.
In his memory, Ling Xueyao had always been like this.
During the Seven Sects Grand Competition three years ago, she didn't even respond to the other Holy Sons' attempts to curry favor.
The fact that he's now willing to acknowledge his identity is already a sign of respect.
Qin Hao raised his hand, indicating that Chen Xuanhai did not need to continue making offers.
Then, he turned to the next private room, his voice becoming more eager.
"Since the princess intends to purchase the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill, I naturally should not take what she desires."
"This elixir is useful to me, but it is not indispensable."
"I withdraw from the auction today, as a small token of my appreciation to the princess upon our reunion."
These words were spoken with great decorum.
He preserved the dignity of the Holy Son of the Cangyun Sect and disguised his voluntary withdrawal as a favor.
Chen Xuanhai glanced at Qin Hao but did not stop him.
The Cangyun Sect originally supported Qin Hao's pursuit of Ling Xueyao.
The Great Qian Imperial Family has ruled the Eastern Continent for ten thousand years, and its foundation remains intact.
Ling Xueyao is Ling Zhantian's most beloved daughter, so if this marriage can be arranged, it will only benefit the Cangyun Sect.
Moreover, the price of the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill has risen to 1.8 million mid-grade spirit stones.
Exiting now wouldn't be a loss.
Ling Xueyao's face remained completely expressionless.
Whether Qin Hao withdraws or not is his own decision.
As for the so-called sentiment, she did not accept this favor.
Seeing that Han Kui and Qin Hao had both left, Su Mei raised the auction gavel again.
"One million eight hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones, for the first time."
No one submitted a bid in the venue.
"One million eight hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones, for the second time."
Ling Xueyao's fingers, which were pressing on the edge of the table, gradually loosened.
The Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill is almost within reach.
Once he gets the pills, Ling Zhantian will be able to wake up quickly.
However, just as the auction gavel was about to fall for the third time, a chilling voice suddenly came from the most secluded corner of the hall.
"The title of royal princess is indeed very useful."
"Simply revealing his identity scared off a lot of useless trash."
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Unfortunately, others fear your Great Qian Imperial Family, but I have no such concerns."
The speaker slowly raised his head.
He wore a large black robe, the hood covering his entire face, revealing only a small patch of his pale chin.
A bone-chilling cold spread outwards.
The expressions of the martial artists sitting nearby changed slightly, and they subconsciously moved their seats to distance themselves from him.
The man in black robes extended a withered hand and held up two fingers towards the auction stage.
I'll offer two million mid-grade spirit stones.
The smile on Qin Hao's face vanished instantly.
Han Kui also turned his head sharply, his cold gaze locking onto the corner of the hall.
He was just forced to withdraw.
The black-robed man's insult, calling him a piece of trash, clearly included him in the insult as well.
Ling Xueyao clenched her fist again after she had just let go.
Chu Yunfei stared at the man in black robes, a scrutinizing look in his eyes.
This person has been sitting in the corner of the hall since the auction began.
I have not participated in any auction items.
He did not release even the slightest trace of cultivation aura.
He only spoke up when no one else made a bid.
Even more strangely, although the other party was sitting in the hall, which was brightly lit all around, no one could see his face clearly.
Even the Divine Sea Realm expert who was secretly overseeing things in the Pill Pavilion seemed to have completely ignored him.
Xiaoxiao Dragon's voice suddenly rang out in Chu Yunfei's mind.
"You brat, watch out!"
"This person's aura is off; it's very strange."
"His cultivation level is probably even higher than Shen Qianyue's!"
Chu Yunfei's eyes darkened slightly, but his face showed no sign of anything unusual.
He turned his head to the side and lowered his voice to remind Ling Xueyao.
"This person's cultivation level is higher than Elder Shen's, and his aura is also suspicious. His purpose in participating in the auction is probably not simple."
Ling Xueyao tightened her grip on the sword.
At the same time, Shen Qianyue also looked towards the corner of the hall.
The other party was clearly sitting there, but when his divine sense swept over him, he could only perceive a cloud of cold mist.
The black-robed man's exact cultivation level, the strength of his qi and blood, and even his true physical form were all impossible to determine.
Shen Qianyue's expression gradually became serious.
"I can't see through him."
In short, Chu Yunfei's judgment has been proven.
Although Shen Qianyue's foundation was damaged and his cultivation level dropped to the Divine Sea Realm Sixth Layer, his vision and perception remained.
The person he couldn't judge at all must have at least reached the Late Divine Sea Realm.
What's more troublesome is that the man in black robes, knowing Ling Xueyao's identity, still dared to publicly mock the royal family.
The other party either has a very strong background or simply doesn't care about offending the royal family.
Ling Xueyao gazed at the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill on the auction stage, her eyes quickly regaining their resolve.
"No matter who he is, I will not give up this elixir."
She raised her hand and channeled her spiritual energy into the bidding array.
"Two million two hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones."
The price quote was relayed throughout the venue.
The murmurs that had just subsided immediately fell even lower.
Everyone could tell that Ling Xueyao had no intention of backing down.
Seating on the second floor.
Han Kui stared at the corner of the hall, his eyes narrowed into slits.
He had already concluded that Ling Xueyao's struggle for the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill and Returning Origin Pill was most likely related to Ling Zhantian.
Now that a mysterious man in black robes has suddenly appeared, deliberately pushing up prices, things have become even more intriguing.
This person may know the true purpose of the elixir.
In fact, he was testing Ling Xueyao's bottom line.
If Ling Xueyao continues to raise the price, it will be tantamount to personally proving that this pill is extremely important to the royal family.
Inside another private room on the third floor.
Qin Hao was already standing by the window.
He withdrew from the auction just now because he wanted to leave a good impression on Ling Xueyao.
Unexpectedly, the man in black robes suddenly intervened and even called him a good-for-nothing.
When has Qin Hao, given his status, ever suffered such humiliation?
"Those who hide their true intentions and dare to spout nonsense in the imperial city."
Qin Hao's voice turned cold.
"If you truly desire the elixir, then bid according to the rules. If you are merely trying to provoke and drive up the price, I'm afraid you won't be leaving this place."
A corner of the lobby.
The man in black robes slowly turned his head.
From deep within the hood, two points of cold light rose, passing through layers of arrays, and fell upon the private room where Qin Hao was located.
"The Holy Son of the Cangyun Sect?"
His hoarse voice carried a hint of sarcasm.
"To please a woman, he voluntarily withdrew from the auction, even presenting his concession as a gesture of goodwill."
He chuckled softly.
"Such skill truly deserves the title of Holy Son."
Qin Hao's face darkened completely.
Chen Xuanhai stepped forward and stood in front of the window.
"Holy Son, this person's identity is unknown, and his cultivation level is also undetermined. A conflict with him now could easily affect the upcoming sect competition."
Qin Hao gripped the jade cup tightly in his hand.
With a crack, fine cracks appeared on the cup.
He had intended to display his magnanimity in front of Ling Xueyao, but the man in black robes exposed his true intentions in front of everyone.
This kind of mockery is much harsher than calling someone a piece of trash.
But Chen Xuanhai is right.
A person who dares to openly provoke the royal family in the Imperial City's Pill Pavilion is no ordinary Rogue Cultivator.
Qin Hao forcibly suppressed his anger and spoke coldly:
"I hope you can still be this tough after the auction ends."
The man in black ignored him.
He looked back at the private room where Ling Xueyao was, his thin fingers tapping lightly twice on the armrest of the chair.
"Two and a half million mid-grade spirit stones."
An additional 300,000 yuan was added in one go.
A collective gasp filled the hall.
The normal price of the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill is around one million mid-grade spirit stones.
Given the scarcity of these elixirs, a price doubling is understandable.
Two and a half million is far beyond the value of a mid-grade sixth-rank elixir.
What's even stranger is that the man in the black robe spoke without any hesitation.
The extra hundreds of thousands of spirit stones seemed insignificant.
On the auction stage.
Su Mei's smile faded slightly.
The higher the price, the more fees Pill Pavilion will extract.
But this auction is no longer just a battle for spirit stones.
One side is the Princess of the Great Qian Dynasty.
On the other side is a mysterious and powerful figure whose identity, cultivation level, and origin are all unknown.
Regardless of who wins the elixir, conflict may arise again after the auction ends.
Su Mei looked at the shadows on the side of the venue.
The powerful figures stationed at the Pill Pavilion immediately understood.
A wisp of pressure from the Late Divine Sea Realm quietly spread out, locking the entire venue.
No one dared to make any rash moves.
Inside the private room.
Ling Xueyao did not immediately raise the price.
She probed her storage ring with her divine sense and quickly took stock of the spirit stones she could mobilize.
The royal family has a profound heritage.
However, Ling Zhantian has been in a coma for many years, and now the royal treasury is controlled by the eldest prince.
If she wants to access a large amount of resources from the treasury, she cannot bypass the eldest prince.
Time waits for no one.
She only had about three million mid-grade spirit stones on her person that she could immediately take out.
If the man in black continues to raise the price, the final price could very well reach four million, or even higher.
Ling Xueyao looked at Chu Yunfei.
Is there a substitute for the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill?
Chu Yunfei shook his head.
"There's more than one type of sixth-grade pill for repairing the soul, but there's only one known sixth-grade alchemist in the Eastern Continent. Even if the royal family could gather all the necessary ingredients and ask him to refine it, who knows how long it would take."
His gaze fell on the pale gold pills in the jade box.
"Your father's soul has been severely damaged. Although the poison has been removed, the essence of his soul is still weakening. It shouldn't be a big problem if we wait for ten days or half a month, but if we have to wait a month, no one can guarantee the outcome."
The last trace of hesitation in Ling Xueyao's heart completely vanished.
If you don't have enough spirit stones, use other resources to make up for it.
She would never forgive herself if her father missed this opportunity.
Shen Qianyue saw through her decision and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please make your offer. I still have some savings on me; if I don't have enough spirit stones, I can use them first."
Ling Xueyao gently shook her head.
" Elder Shen has used up most of the Emperor's resources over the years. What's left is what you need for cultivation and healing."
"This amount of spirit stones must not be touched."
She looked up at the corner of the hall.
The cool, clear voice traveled through the array of the private room and throughout the entire venue.
Three million mid-grade spirit stones!