“Is this not Fellow Daoist Xu? I heard you were returning to Heavenly Star City, but the teleportation still isn’t available?” The woman’s voice was soft and sweet, incredibly pleasant to the ear.
Han Li, however, unconsciously furrowed his brows, inwardly sighing in resignation. It seemed most female cultivators he encountered had practiced some form of charm technique. Although this woman’s skills were far inferior to Zi Ling or Yuan Yao’s, she could still easily enchant lower-level male cultivators.
With this thought, Han Li’s gaze swept briefly over the room. The brocade-robed burly man and Xu Yun remained composed, but the other men looked uncomfortable, their eyes unconsciously lingering on the woman.
“These are newly arrived fellow Daoists. I’m just showing them around. As for returning to Heavenly Star City, it seems we won’t be leaving anytime soon. I never thought the rumors were true—it seems a real conflict is brewing over there,” Xu Yun said with clear frustration.
“Staying here isn’t so bad. If you left, I would simply lose another valued customer,” the radiant woman said, covering her apricot-colored lips with a light laugh, her bright eyes sparkling with mirth. Her mature, alluring charm had the dark-faced cultivator and others staring transfixed, while even the two female cultivators blushed.
“Madam Ming, these are guests I invited. Please give me a token,” Xu Yun addressed her by name, clearly displeased with her overt use of charm techniques.
“Hehe! Understood. These two fellow Daoists possess cultivation and mental fortitude no less than yours, Brother Xu. It seems they’ll have no trouble staying on this Strange Deeps Island.” Madam Ming chuckled lightly, her eyes briefly sweeping over Han Li and the brocade-robed man before her seductive aura vanished completely, transforming her into an ordinary-looking woman. The sudden change left the others momentarily stunned, then awkwardly aware of their earlier behavior.
*Clap! Clap!* She patted her hands twice, and a young mortal woman emerged from behind the screen.
“Take Immortal Master Xu to the auction room. The auction should have just begun,” Madam Ming said coldly to the mortal woman before tossing a jade-green token to Xu Yun.
Xu Yun caught the token without a glance and followed the mortal woman toward a side door, with Han Li and the others close behind.
As they crossed the threshold, Han Li sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy, as if they had entered some kind of restriction. His expression shifted slightly before returning to normal.
Their eyes were met with a surprising sight—the space behind the screen was far larger than expected!
A two-zhang-wide corridor divided the stone hall into two spacious rooms. The left hall was open and bright, with no obstructions aside from a few tall black stone pillars, and it was bustling with activity. Nearly twenty to thirty cultivators stood in a long line, each accompanied by a young mortal woman. Although some male cultivators eyed the scantily clad mortal women with lecherous gazes, they limited themselves to flirtatious banter, not daring to make any physical advances, as if wary of something.
At the end of the line was a small room with a door glowing with white light. Cultivators in line pressed their jade tokens against the door, and one by one, they entered.
The right hall, however, was completely obscured by a faint blue light barrier, making it impossible to see inside.
“This is called Bright Pearl Pavilion, a place dedicated to purchasing the harvests of cultivators from the outer seas and exchanging them for spirit stones. If you believe your items are valuable, they can be appraised and directly auctioned. There are several similar establishments in the city, each run by different forces backed by Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Otherwise, it would be impossible to gain a foothold in this lawless outer sea,” Xu Yun explained.
“So many Nascent Soul stage cultivators! Could it be the Four Great Trading Alliances?” The woman surnamed Liu gasped in astonishment.
“The Four Great Trading Alliances? They have no influence here. While other demon beast islands might be monopolized by them, Strange Deeps Island is the only one jointly controlled by multiple forces. Individually, these forces might not be able to compete with the Four Great Trading Alliances in the inner star seas, but united, even Star Palace dares not provoke them lightly. However, their alliance is limited to this island alone,” Xu Yun said calmly.
“From your tone, Brother Xu, does Strange Deeps Island have something special about it? How could so many forces dare to challenge the Four Great Trading Alliances?” The brocade-robed man, sharp-minded, immediately sensed something unusual.
“Hehe! Brother Yi guessed correctly. The name ‘Strange Deeps’ comes from a nearby abyss in the sea that is indeed unfathomable. High-level demon beasts rarely seen on other islands often appear there. It’s said that even demon beasts above level eight have been spotted. For the sake of these high-level demon beasts, the Nascent Soul stage experts backing these forces naturally wouldn’t allow the Four Great Trading Alliances to monopolize them again. I heard that when the abyss was first discovered, these forces fought several battles with the Four Great Trading Alliances. Eventually, Star Palace intervened to mediate. The exact terms of their agreement are unknown, but the island was handed over to these forces for joint management. The true nature of Strange Deeps Island is strictly forbidden from being leaked to the inner star seas. Violators face joint pursuit and elimination by these forces,” Xu Yun explained matter-of-factly.
Hearing this, Han Li was deeply shocked, while the brocade-robed man and the others paled.
“Level eight demon beasts? Aren’t those comparable to Nascent Soul stage cultivators? Do such creatures truly exist here?” The brocade-robed man could no longer maintain his composure.
“That’s hard to say. I’ve never seen one myself. However, level seven demon beasts have indeed been hunted here! A level seven demon core was once auctioned in this very hall for an astronomical price, ultimately purchased by a Nascent Soul stage senior,” Xu Yun said with evident envy.
“From what you’re saying, Fellow Daoist Xu, are demon beasts in the abyss easier to find compared to ordinary seas?” Han Li, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke with a slight frown.
“Demon beasts in the abyss are indeed easier to locate. However, because high-level demon beasts frequently appear there, countless cultivators have also met their end there,” Xu Yun replied, glancing at Han Li with slight surprise.
While the brocade-robed man and the others, who had never been to other demon beast islands, were still half-doubting, Han Li had already formed a general understanding of the abyss.
This was clearly a place where rewards and dangers coexisted. No wonder it was so unique!
As Han Li fell silent, the mortal woman guiding them asked respectfully, “Immortal Masters, would you prefer to go to the Appraisal Hall first or proceed directly to the Bidding Hall?”
“There’s nothing much to see in the Appraisal Hall. It’s just for identifying unknown items to exchange for spirit stones or auction. Let’s go directly to the Bidding Hall. The items there will truly broaden your horizons,” Xu Yun said, clearly very familiar with the place. Without waiting for the mortal woman to lead, he headed straight for the right hall.
As he approached the light barrier, he wordlessly swiped it with his jade token, opening a circular doorway. He then gestured for Han Li and the others to follow him inside.
By this point, the brocade-robed man and the others naturally followed without hesitation, filing in one after another.
“Aren’t you coming in?” Han Li asked, glancing at the mortal woman standing respectfully outside.
“We mortals are not permitted to enter the Bidding Hall. I will wait here for you Immortal Masters,” the mortal woman explained with a smile.
Han Li nodded and stepped through the blue light barrier, which closed seamlessly behind him.
The interior was exceedingly simple, with only wooden chairs and a several-zhang-long stone platform at the far end. An old man stood behind it, holding a glowing blue stone and speaking animatedly.
Before him, several dozen cultivators of various levels—Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, but no Core Formation experts—stood or sat.
“This Blue Light Stone is an exceptional material for crafting water-attribute magical instruments. The original owner is auctioning it starting at five hundred spirit stones. As per the rules, each bid must increase by at least thirty spirit stones. Bidding may now begin,” the old man on the platform announced loudly.
“Five hundred thirty!”
“Five hundred eighty!”
“Six hundred spirit stones!”
As soon as the old man finished speaking, many cultivators began bidding. Although it wasn’t particularly fervent, the stone was eventually sold to a young Foundation Establishment cultivator for nearly seven hundred spirit stones. The transaction was completed on the spot, and the buyer immediately collected his item.
“Next, we have an earth-attribute magical instrument…” The old man continued the auction without pause.
Naturally, Han Li had no interest in magical instruments. His gaze swept across the room until he spotted Xu Yun and the others conversing quietly in a corner. With an unchanged expression, he walked over.
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