Recruitment (Following the story really matters)

Auctioneer Moonlight's cool voice echoed in the main hall, "--Four thousand eight hundred catties of Essence Liquid! Daoist Xuanfeng has bid four thousand eight hundred catties of Essence Liquid! Are there any fellow Daoists who would like to raise the bid?" Her gaze swept over the private rooms on the second floor; only these distinguished guests could afford to offer more Essence Liquid.

Although the "Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings" is only Heaven Rank magic treasure, everyone knows that winged magic treasures are hard to find. Four thousand eight hundred catties of Essence Liquid for the first time—"

She deliberately dragged out her voice, giving the bidders time to think.

The room was somewhat quiet. Four thousand eight hundred catties of Essence Liquid was already a high price for a Heaven Rank magic weapon.

The previous contenders, the Primordial Spirit Daoist and the Two-Clawed Yinglong Guard, have all given up, since this Essence Liquid could buy a slightly inferior high-grade Heaven Rank magic weapon.

This already exceeds what they possess in terms of the Essence Liquid.

Of course, these people's net worth is definitely greater than that of Essence Liquid, but net worth is not liquid capital. If they want more Essence Liquid, they can only sell their main battle magic weapon, which is not worth it for a winged magic weapon.

Just as Moonlight was about to shout "The second time" --

"Five thousand catties of Essence Liquid."

Ji An's calm voice resonated clearly throughout the auction hall.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating towering waves.

The ordinary seating area below, which had gradually quieted down due to the high prices, suddenly erupted into a huge discussion as hundreds of eyes turned towards the private room where Ji An was located.

Five thousand catties?!

"Heavens! Who is this senior Primordial Spirit cultivator?"

"This price—it's more than enough to buy a Heaven Rank magic weapon!"

"Which private room is it? Take a look!"

Unless specifically designed to be shielded, the interior of a private room can be seen through.

Therefore, the figure of the young man in the silver-gold robe still caught the eye of many sharp-eyed cultivators.

"Huh? That elegant room—it seems that Huling Adept personally led us in. I remember he was Wanxiang Adept."

"The Wanxiang Adept? How is that possible! The one who can sit in the elegant room of the Worry-Free Grotto this time, and even offered five thousand catties of Essence Liquid to buy Heaven Rank Magic Treasure?"

"Wait—the young man in the silver-gold robe— the Myriad Phenomena Godfiend— " A well-informed Myriad Manifestations Wanxiang Adept gasped sharply, exclaiming in a low voice, "Could it be—that Ji An?!"

"Ji An? Who?" someone immediately asked.

"Who else could it be! It's the one who, in the past six months, slaughtered so many Myriad Phenomena demons in the Prison Mountain Great Marsh that they were terrified. It's said that even the Primordial Spirit Demon King couldn't do anything about him, and he just became a Two-Clawed Yinglong Guard!" The voice of the person in the know was filled with barely suppressed awe.

"Hiss—it's him?!" A cultivator next to him, who had clearly also heard the rumors, added, "Legend that he cultivates the 'Crimsonbright Nine Heavens Diagram,' and at the Violet Palace Realm, he was capable of slaying Wanxiang Adept. Now, at the Myriad Phenomena Godfiend level, his combat power is comparable to a Nascent Primordial Spirit!"

"That's him! No doubt about it! I've seen his information." Another person added, "I heard he rejected Young Master Beishan Hu's offer six months ago, which caused quite a stir at the time. Young Master Beishan Hu is here today too, in that elegant room across the street!"

"It's him? The Wanxiang Adept has become Two-Clawed Yinglong Guard? My god, what a monstrous talent this is!"

"I heard that this person hasn't even joined a sect yet, and to have such strength at such a young age, he must be some kind of immortal reincarnation."

"No wonder he could sit there and have Huling Adept personally accompany him—five thousand catties of Essence Liquid is probably nothing to someone like him. I heard he hunted down countless Demon Kings in the Prison Mountain Great Marsh."

"Tsk tsk, this Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings is like adding wings to a tiger in his hands. He could probably move freely even against Primordial Spirit Daoist!"

With the explanation from the cultivators present, almost all the Wanxiang Adept and Violet Palace Cultivators present also learned about the origin of the silver-and-gold-robed youth sitting in the elegant room—a newly promoted Two-Clawed Yinglong Guard, a peerless genius whose late-stage Myriad Phenomena combat power was comparable to Ji An of Primordial Spirit Daoist!

Inside the elegant room, Ji An naturally heard all the discussions below.

He seemed oblivious to the astonishment surrounding his identity and achievements, his expression remaining unchanged.

His gaze remained calmly fixed on the pair of dark golden wings on the display stand.

To him, these discussions were far less important than the magical artifact before him that could greatly enhance his combat power.

Meanwhile, in the elegant room opposite, where Northmont Fox was.

"Ji! An!" Northmont Fox practically gritted his teeth.

Looking at Ji An's nonchalant demeanor and listening to the exclamations of admiration for Ji An and the slight criticisms of him from below, a surge of anger rushed to his head, making his face appear somewhat distorted.

Five thousand catties of Essence Liquid! This number pierced his heart like a needle. Although he was a noble young master of a marquis's mansion, the amount of Essence Liquid he could use was far less than that!

This made him feel even more humiliated and resentful at being completely outshone.

Aside from Beishan Baiwei, Ji An was the first person he wanted to kill. (Of course, there were others before, but they were all dead.)

Sitting in the main seat, Northmont Yin glanced at his son's distorted face and shook his head. It seemed that it was better to practice with a lower-ranking character. This son was useless; he wasn't even as good as that kid from Northmont Blacktiger's family.

At the very least, that kid won't see a genius as a target of jealousy.

A glint of surprise flashed in the auctioneer Moonlight's beautiful eyes.

She clearly recognized Ji An's identity immediately. Worry-Free Grotto naturally had detailed information about this Yinglong Guard whose rise to power was terrifying.

A bright smile bloomed on her face, "Five thousand catties of Essence Liquid! The distinguished guest in the private room has offered five thousand catties of Essence Liquid!"

Her gaze swept across the entire room, especially towards the location of the Daoist Xuanfeng. Seeing that he showed no further intention of bidding, she then announced, "Five thousand catties of Essence Liquid, for the first time!"

"Five thousand catties of Essence Liquid, second time!"

"Five thousand catties of Essence Liquid —the third time!"

Clang!

"Sold! Congratulations to Young Ji An Tianji An for winning the Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings!"

Inside the elegant room, the Huling smiled and said, "Congratulations, Ji An, on acquiring this precious treasure. It's like adding wings to a tiger."

Ji An nodded, without saying anything more.

Soon, a waiter entered the elegant room and handed Ji An the Mustard Stone containing the "Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings".

This is the Worry-Free Grotto. Considering that Ji An has not yet Qi Refining, it was delivered using Mustard Stones.

Ji An nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

With a thought, an Essence Liquid token inscribed with five thousand appeared in his hand, bearing the mark of Heavenly Treasure Mountain, a payment credential recognized throughout the Great Xia Dynasty.

"This token is equivalent to five thousand catties of Essence Liquid." Ji An handed the Essence Liquid token to the attendant.

The waiter took the Essence Liquid token with both hands, slapped it down, and Ji An had almost used up his Essence Liquid.

He picked up the spirit tea and took a sip, then continued watching the auction below, looking for anything he wanted.

However, the subsequent treasures were also rare, and one even became a supernatural power that attracted fierce competition among several Primordial Spirit Daoist.

However, this failed to pique Ji An's interest further.

"Thunder God Eye," "Blood God Body," and "Law of Heaven and Earth" are enough for Ji An's needs.

He also knew the principle that you can't bite off more than you can chew.

He occasionally glanced at the bidding below, but most of the time he silently deduced in his mind how to use the newly acquired "Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings" and his own "Windwing Evasion" supernatural power.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the lively bidding.

Finally, Yuehua Adept, cold voice resounded throughout the hall. "Distinguished guests, all twenty treasures prepared by my Worry-Free Grotto today have been auctioned off!"

A murmur of regret rippled through the hall.

Most of the treasures were actually bought by the Primordial Spirit Daoist; these Wanxiang Adept didn't buy many of them.

Many people were still eager for more, but many more were preparing to leave.

Just then, Yuehua Adept changed the subject. "However, according to the tradition of my Worry-Free Grotto, the Treasure Auction is not over yet. Next, it will be time for all the distinguished guests to display their treasures for everyone to compete for."

As Yuehua Adept's cool voice fell, the previously quiet atmosphere in the hall became lively again.

This is the part that many cultivators look forward to the most – free trade, where unexpected treasures often appear.

Soon, more than a dozen treasures were delivered to Yuehua Adept by the attendant.

With practiced ease, she took the item and announced loudly, "What I'm selling now is Senior Xuanfeng's treasure: three Azure Luan True Feathers, taken from an Azure Phoenix Demon King at the Primordial Spirit Realm. They can be used to refine flying magical artifacts."

At the Treasure Auction in Worry-Free Grotto, if guests bring their own treasures to bid, the lowest price is zero, and whatever amount is sold in the end belongs to the guest.

Elegant interior.

Ji An glanced at it but made no move.

If he hadn't acquired the Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings, he probably would have bought it, but now he has no interest whatsoever.

"Eight hundred catties of Essence Liquid."

"One thousand jin."

"One thousand one hundred catties." One by one, the cultivators began to place their bids.

Soon, the price was finally settled at 1,100 Essence Liquid.

However, judging from Daoist Xuanfeng's expression, he was clearly not satisfied with the price.

However, there's nothing we can do. Although Worry-Free Grotto doesn't want a single drop of Essence Liquid, if you dare to take it back, that would be a provocation against Worry-Free Grotto.

Soon, one treasure after another was bought. These treasures generally belonged to the Wanxiang Adept, with only two or three belonging to the Primordial Spirit Daoist.

Ji An also made another move, purchasing a set of the Violet Palace level Dao Soldiers Armor, which could be used by nine people to fight against Wanxiang Adept.

Soon, Moonlight took the last jade bottle from a waiter.

Inside the jade bottle was a ball of deep purple Thunder Light that kept leaping and surging, with occasional flashes of silvery lightning.

"The next treasure comes from Daoist Leiyun," Moonlight's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "The Five Elements have their essence, Thunder naturally has its Thunder Essence. However, the essence of the Five Elements is easy to obtain, while the Thunder Essence is rare. I believe everyone knows its value. So, let's begin."

Her words caused an uproar in the room!

Unexpectedly, someone would actually put up Thunder Essence for auction. Thunder Essence is extremely difficult to obtain even for Primordial Spirit Daoists.

"Two thousand five hundred catties of Essence Liquid." Ji An's calm voice rang out, instantly plunging the entire auction hall into a deathly silence.

It's him again!

All eyes were on the 2,500 jin of Essence Liquid! Adding to the 5,000 jin he had spent on the "Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings" and the 500 Essence Liquid he had spent on the Dao Soldiers, this young Two-Clawed Yinglong Guard had already spent a whopping 8,000 jin of Essence Liquid today!

What an astonishing fortune this is!

How many Demon Kings have lost their lives behind this?

"Two thousand five hundred catties of Essence Liquid! Ji An has offered two thousand five hundred catties of Essence Liquid!" Moonlight's voice was excited. "Any fellow Daoists willing to raise the price?"

The entire room fell silent.

This move stunned everyone.

"Two thousand five hundred catties of Essence Liquid."

"Deal made! Congratulations, Ji An."

The waiter quickly brought over the jade bottle.

The deep purple Thunder Light flickered inside the bottle, and even through the barrier, Ji An could feel the power of Thunder contained within.

"That's right, my wish has come true."

After Ji An reached the Wanxiang Adept, he had not cultivated the Thunder God Eye because he lacked the Thunder Essence. Although Heavenly Treasure Mountain had it, it would take half a year to obtain. Now, he could buy it at this auction, which was just right for Ji An.

The auction ended quickly. During the auction, Ji An had spent almost all of his Essence Liquid and even sold many magical treasures.

The door to the elegant room opened, Huling Adept escorted Ji An to the door with a smile, "Ji An, that's all for now. I look forward to seeing you again next time."

"Thank you for your trouble." Ji An nodded slightly and was about to leave.

However, the moment he stepped out of the private room, almost simultaneously, several figures appeared like ghosts in front of the room, subtly blocking his path.

Their auras were either as deep as an abyss or as fiery as fire, and their gazes were all focused on Ji An, filled with undisguised fervor.

These were representatives of forces who already knew of his identity as the "Two-Clawed Yinglong Guard," and it seemed they had been waiting for a long time.

"Ji An, please wait!"

"Ji An, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Young master's extraordinary talent is truly admirable!"

Greetings rose and fell; clearly, with the auction over, it was the perfect opportunity for these forces to recruit this newly emerged prodigy.

Ji An paused slightly, calmly scanning the crowd before him.

He anticipated recruitment efforts, but he didn't expect them to be so urgent, forming a "siege" directly in the corridor.

He quietly spread his Divine Consciousness and gained a general understanding of the cultivation level of everyone around him.

His Divine Sense at the Primordial Spirit level allowed him to see through the depths of these people's abilities.

A black figure swooped down from the window of an elegant room like a roc, landing steadily on the other side of Ji An.

The newcomer was a stern-faced man in black, with sharp eyes and a powerful aura; he was clearly a Primordial Spirit Daoist.

He looked at Ji An and solemnly said, "Ji An, I am Mo Li, representing the Mysterious Yin Sect. Although our sect is not one of the top eight, it possesses a profound and deep foundation. If you are willing to join our sect—"

Before he could finish speaking, a deep, steady voice abruptly interrupted him, "Mo Li, step back."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Northmont Yin walking slowly towards them, followed by Northmont Fox with a gloomy expression.

Northmont Yin was dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, the black dragon pattern on the hem of the robe gleaming. His eyes were like lightning as he looked at the group of people who came to recruit Ji An. Under his gaze, everyone stopped what they were about to say.

Northmont Yin was a being comparable to their immortal ancestor, and his status far surpassed that of the latter.