Steward Jiang extended the highest courtesies, offering the rare Spirit Tea to the guests, which they naturally could not refuse. Ye Qin raised the Jade Rhinoceros Horn Cup and took a small sip. A potent surge of spiritual energy instantly flooded his limbs and bones. Soon, his entire body warmed slightly, and his internal Dharmic power surged forth in an inexhaustible torrent, feeling extraordinarily abundant.

Ye Qin couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly fine tea!" He rarely drank Spirit Tea and couldn't judge its flavor profile with precision, but this tea restored his Dharmic power with astonishing speed and immense force, undoubtedly marking it as a top-tier, ninth-grade Spirit Tea. It was in no way inferior to the ninth-grade Spirit Wine, "Crimson Mist Elixir," that he brewed himself.

Huangfu Bing'er gently pushed her cup aside, lifting her veil halfway, and took a delicate sip. Her beautiful eyes sparkled; she was clearly quite pleased with the tea’s taste.

Bai Xiu'er picked up a cup, glanced back and forth between Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er with a puzzled expression, and then downed the contents in one go. She wondered internally why she felt nothing at all from the tea leaves. For her, drinking a supreme ninth-grade Spirit Tea felt no different than utterly wasting a heavenly treasure.

Shen Bao carefully lifted a jade cup, drained it completely, licked his lips, and smacked them, clearly wanting more. He sighed internally, "Coming with Martial Uncle Ye to this auction is truly a huge gain; I actually get to taste the supreme ninth-grade Spirit Tea reserved for Nascent Soul Ancestors! Among Foundation Establishment cultivators, this places me at the very pinnacle; few can compare to me!" He wasn't tasting the tea so much as savoring the incomparably noble experience.

Yan Xuan turned the jade cup idly in her hands, her mind entirely preoccupied with the impending auction for the Golden Core Pill. She paid no mind to savoring the tea; even after drinking it, she couldn't recall the taste. Since the Spirit Tea was done, it was time to discuss serious matters.

Ye Qin set down his Jade Rhinoceros Horn Cup and smiled, "Steward Jiang, I have a gourd full of ninth-grade Spirit Pills here that I wish to auction. I would trouble your Pavilion's Spirit Pill Appraisers to assess their quality and set an auction price." In his right palm appeared a thumb-sized, golden ninth-grade Spirit Pill.

Ye Qin had no Spirit Stones on him. If he wanted to purchase anything at this auction, he would have to sell some of the high-grade Spirit Pills he had refined over decades to improve his alchemy skills, converting them into Spirit Stones to participate in the bidding. "Ninth-grade Spirit Pills?" Steward Jiang exclaimed in surprise, accepting the large pill from which spiritual energy was visibly overflowing.

Ninth-grade Spirit Pills—these were elixirs only consumable by late-stage Golden Core cultivators. He himself was only mid-stage Golden Core and, at most, could handle eighth-grade pills; he had never consumed a ninth-grade elixir.

However, just by sensing the spiritual power contained within the pill, Steward Jiang could tell its quality must be excellent. Only the most qualified Grandmaster Alchemists could accurately determine its grade and set an appropriate auction value.

"Elder Ye, please wait a moment; I shall take this pill to request an appraisal from the Grandmaster Alchemist within the Pavilion!"

Steward Jiang left the luxurious private box to have the Tian Dao Pavilion's Grandmaster Alchemist examine the Spirit Pill.

The Auction Hall of the Tian Dao Pavilion.

A group of several dozen richly dressed male and female Golden Core cultivators entered the hall, surrounding a peerlessly beautiful woman as if she were the moon amidst stars.

Merely observing that all the Golden Core cultivators were wearing the uniform of the Shang Tang Palace immediately identified them as cultivators from that sect. The men were heroic, and the women were lovely; surveying their surroundings, they exuded considerable prestige.

Only the peerlessly beautiful woman at the center wore attire distinctly different from the others—she wore the robes of a cultivator from the Niu Nu Er Immortal Palace.

A middle-aged man among the Shang Tang Palace cultivators spotted Steward Jiang leading five Golden Core cultivators into a luxury box from a distance. He soon watched Steward Jiang emerge from the box.

The middle-aged man frowned in confusion, immediately called out to Steward Jiang, and asked with surprise, "Steward Jiang, can Golden Core cultivators even reserve luxury boxes? Arrange one for us as well."

Steward Jiang stopped when he heard someone call him, recognizing the group as Golden Core cultivators from the Shang Tang Palace. He knew the middle-aged man; they had done business several years prior.

"Ah, Daoist Du Ran. It's been several years; your cultivation has progressed quite a bit. Congratulations! I can arrange seating and bidding tokens for you in the main hall, but reserving a luxury box, Daoist Du, that is quite impossible; it violates the rules of our Trading Pavilion!"

Steward Jiang’s gaze swept quickly over the group of dozens of cultivators, pausing slightly in shock at the breathtaking beauty of the woman among them. He shook his head with sincere regret.

"Why is that impossible? Weren't those Golden Core cultivators ahead of us just entering a luxury box? How can he... is he more esteemed than all of us combined?" The middle-aged man named Du Ran glared, clearly displeased. "Those Golden Core cultivators you mentioned are led by Elder Ye of the Zi Jian Palace."

Steward Jiang did not grow angry, chuckling amiably, and said slowly, "Daoist Du, you must know that the Tian Dao Pavilion has extremely strict regulations; luxury boxes are reserved only for Nascent Soul Ancestors. Although Elder Ye is not a Nascent Soul Ancestor, as an Elder of an Immortal Palace, he is received according to the standard of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, a half-grade concession. Elder Ye is permitted to reserve a luxury box. Since none of you are Nascent Soul cultivators, nor do you possess the high status of Palace Masters or Elders, you cannot reserve one."

"Zi Jian Palace, Elder Ye!?" "It's actually him?" "Qing Liang, didn't he have a previous grievance with this man?" "What a coincidence, running into that Ye brat here!"

The Golden Core cultivators from the Shang Tang Palace appeared startled, some even showing signs of anger.

Especially one strikingly handsome and imposing young man among them, whose face turned ashen, clenching his fists tightly in sheer humiliation. He was none other than Du Qingliang, a Golden Core cultivator from the Shang Tang Palace who had been utterly defeated by Ye Qin in full view of the crowd previously.

In just thirty years, he had advanced from the second stage of the Golden Core realm to the fourth stage. This rate of progress was considerable and uncommon among the Shang Tang Palace's Golden Core cultivators.

"Yes, that is Elder Ye, and he has the standing to reserve a luxury box. Unless the Shang Tang Palace Master, an Elder, or a Nascent Soul Ancestor visits personally, I can offer no assistance. If you have no further needs, I must excuse myself; I have urgent business," Steward Jiang said with a plastered-on smile before departing.

He had heard the tale from thirty years ago when Ancestor Hong Mo brought his disciples to cause trouble at the Zi Jian Palace, and Du Qingliang challenged Elder Ye Qin, resulting in a massive embarrassment. He had no desire to be caught in the middle of the enmity between the Zi Jian Palace and the Shang Tang Palace cultivators, so he hastily left to assess the quality of the ninth-grade Spirit Pill for Ye Qin.

The remaining group of Shang Tang Palace Golden Core cultivators exchanged frustrated glances, each one seething with anger they couldn't vent.

More than ten of them had personally witnessed the incident thirty years prior and still vividly remembered the duel where they lost all face and felt utterly disgraced.

They didn't blame Du Qingliang for his incompetence; rather, they resented Ye Qin for being so merciless, defeating them with a single sword strike without showing any mercy. This had resulted in the Shang Tang Palace cultivators being unable to hold their heads up whenever they encountered a Zi Jian Palace cultivator over the ensuing decades.

"That Ye brat has been sealed away in seclusion for thirty years; we never found a chance to defeat him and reclaim our honor. Now that we've run into him, we can't just let this go! We must challenge him and retrieve the dignity we lost." "Fighting is forbidden within the Tian Dao Pavilion. How are we supposed to challenge him?"

"Since Ye is here for the auction, we’ll compete with him on wealth and crush him financially. This is the perfect opportunity to publicly humiliate him! Let all the cultivators know that we Shang Tang Palace cultivators are not pushovers. Anyone who provokes us will face the consequences!"

"But..." "He has held the lucrative position of handling the Zi Jian Palace’s 'War Command' for thirty years now. The wealth accumulated over these three decades is likely immense. Can we truly compete with his riches?" A Shang Tang Palace cultivator hesitated.

"What are you afraid of? Even if he became a Zi Jian Palace Elder and greedily amassed wealth, could he possibly exceed the combined wealth of our group of thirty to forty Golden Core cultivators from Shang Tang? The wealth earned by thirty or forty Golden Core cultivators over thirty years, combined, is enough to bury him!"

"Precisely. That’s what we’ll do. That Ye fellow is in luxury box number nine, holding auction paddle number nine. Later, whenever he bids on something he wants, we’ll counter with a higher bid and snatch it away, thoroughly humiliating him and releasing this pent-up rage."

These male and female Golden Core cultivators of the Shang Tang Palace quickly devised a strategy. Finally, the group looked toward Du Qingliang, as he was the one who had suffered the devastating blow last time. "Qing Liang, what do you think?"

Du Qingliang’s expression shifted. He clenched his fists and pondered for a long time before finally loosening them, calming down, and shaking his head. "Forget it. Revenge is not something to rush. I appreciate the sentiment of all my brothers here. Today, we are at the Tian Dao Pavilion to acquire some high-grade magical artifacts and treasures for our imminent perilous training expedition in the Blood Sea. We are not here to feud, and it’s not worth draining our massive resources to fight that Ye fellow to mutual destruction. If we jeopardize the Blood Sea training, Ancestor Hong Mo will likely punish us again. My personal punishment is minor, but implicating everyone else is serious. We will deal with revenge another day."

The thought of Ancestor Hong Mo’s stern punishment chilled the hearts of the Shang Tang Palace Golden Core cultivators. Furthermore, the Blood Sea was exceptionally dangerous; without several decent magical artifacts, survival would be difficult. Considering this, they all sobered up and ceased their insistence.

The peerlessly beautiful woman from the Niu Nu Er Immortal Palace standing among the cultivators smiled faintly. "Brother Qing Liang, for the sake of the bigger picture, such forbearance earns my admiration. However, others who do not know of Brother Qing Liang’s immense restraint will assume the Golden Core cultivators of the Shang Tang Palace are afraid of a mere Golden Core Elder from the Zi Jian Palace. That would be extremely detrimental to the reputation of the Shang Tang Palace."

The Shang Tang Palace Golden Core cultivators felt profoundly awkward upon hearing this. Even with their superior tolerance, enduring the cold ridicule and taunts from cultivators of other Immortal Palaces was unbearable.

"Oh my, isn't this Brother Du? I thought I just saw Young Elder Ye go in. What, Brother Du plans to swallow his pride and let bygones be bygones? After being severely punished by Ancestor Hong Mo and forced into ten years of solitary reflection for that disastrous challenge, your courage seems to have diminished."

In the auction hall, a man with a refined appearance and a hint of wicked amusement playing on his lips fanned himself with a magical fan, speaking in a strangely affected manner as he led a group of Golden Core cultivators toward Du Qingliang and the Shang Tang Palace cultivators. "Wan Luo Palace, Young Palace Master Wang Shiwei!" The Shang Tang Palace Golden Core cultivators immediately tensed up, growing wary.

When the nearly one hundred Golden Core cultivators from the Shang Tang Palace and the Wan Luo Palace converged, their gazes nearly sparked fire, filled with hostility. Even passing cultivators quickly made way, sensing the tension. Had this not been the Tian Dao Pavilion’s territory, some violent clashes might have erupted.

"This is none of your business! I will settle this score myself," Du Qingliang said coldly.

The relationship between the Shang Tang Palace and the Wan Luo Palace was hardly amicable, so there was no need for polite language.

"Brother Du certainly has courage, enduring insults from an enemy who humiliated you previously. If it were me, I would have taken revenge on the spot. If you intend to use this auction to embarrass Young Elder Ye, my Wan Luo Palace cultivators certainly won't interfere," Wang Shiwei said, smiling particularly sinisterly before snapping his fan shut. "If Brother Du is short on Spirit Stones, I can lend you a large sum to assist you. Regardless, that Ye fellow has been too high-profile recently, even surpassing the direct disciples of the Four Great Immortal Palaces of the Northern Islands. It’s time to put him in his place. Solitary Spirit Fairy, you are the peerlessly beautiful and talented Golden Core cultivator from the Niu Nu Er Immortal Palace, the Young Palace Master of Niu Nu Er Palace, immensely wealthy. Won't you also contribute a sum of Spirit Stones to aid Brother Qingliang?" He suddenly asked the beautiful woman among the Shang Tang Palace cultivators with a teasing air.

"Of course. In the Northern Islands, the direct descendants of our Bai Fu, Zi Jian, Shang Tang, Wan Luo, and Niu Nu Er Immortal Palaces have always held dominion. Since when did a rogue cultivator rise to stand above us and flaunt his authority! I will also contribute Spirit Stones to aid Brother Qing Liang, so that Young Elder Ye understands clearly that the Northern Islands are the domain of our Immortal Palace direct disciples, and he had better behave himself and stop being so presumptuous!" Meng Ling smiled faintly.

"Since that is the case, then I thank Brother Wan and Fairy Meng Ling!" Du Qingliang weighed the situation repeatedly in his mind, finally agreeing with a deep voice, his expression fluctuating. He knew Wang Shiwei was provoking him into a confrontation with Elder Ye of the Zi Jian Palace, deepening the feud, but he felt compelled to proceed.

If the more than one hundred Golden Core cultivators from the Shang Tang, Wan Luo, and Niu Nu Er Immortal Palaces pooled their Spirit Stones to slap a Golden Core Elder from the Zi Jian Palace in the face, they were certain of victory. Even if they incurred a significant loss in Spirit Stones, the cultivators from the Wan Luo and Niu Nu Er Palaces would cover a portion of the expense. If they could reclaim the honor of the Shang Tang Palace this time, Ancestor Hong Mo would likely be delighted and might spare him punishment. If he missed this opportunity, he didn't know when the next chance for revenge might arrive—perhaps in decades or even centuries. Enduring decades or centuries more of humiliation was simply unbearable for him.

"Good, Brother Qing Liang is indeed forthright. Fairy Meng Ling, I bid you farewell. We shall see how you deal with that 'Young Elder Ye' later. Haha! Interesting, very interesting!" Wang Shiwei bowed with a smile to Meng Ling, fanned himself, and led the group of Wan Luo Palace Golden Core cultivators swaggeringly into the main hall of the auction house.

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