The entire city of Jiyang was steeped in an atmosphere of revelry throughout the night, fueled by the preceding day’s Grand Competition of the Alchemists, which had ignited the spirits and excitement of all the Spirit Masters present. Even as the deep night settled, the hotels, restaurants, and inns in the city remained brightly lit, their sounds of laughter and cheer echoing incessantly until dawn.

The next morning, nearly every Spirit Master who had traveled to Jiyang City for the "Thousand Spirits Elixir Fair" thronged outside the gates of Lingbao Pavilion, awaiting the opening of the estate grounds. Among these Spirit Masters were those seeking to procure rare elixirs, and equally, those hoping to sell treasured herbs or spiritual medicines for a handsome price.

At this Thousand Spirits Elixir Fair, whether one represented an aristocratic clan, a minor family, or operated independently, anyone possessing elixirs or medicinal herbs was free to sell them and set their own prices. Lingbao Pavilion, acting as the organizer, levied no commission and refrained from interfering with any transaction.

Time slowly crawled forward until, amidst the collective anticipation of the crowd, the clear, resonant chime of a bell finally sounded, and the great gates on both sides of the estate creaked open. The impatient Spirit Masters swarmed into the two courtyards in a veritable tide. The right-hand courtyard had already been set up with stalls belonging to Lingbao Pavilion and the major clans, displaying a vast and varied assortment of spiritual medicines and herbs for browsing and purchase. In the left-hand courtyard, hundreds of low tables were neatly arranged, where those looking to offload their stock hurried to find a suitable spot to lay out their herbs and elixirs.

Before long, both courtyards buzzed with boisterous activity…

…

At that very moment, in a smaller hall tucked away behind Lingbao Pavilion, several hundred people had gathered. These were envoys representing various aristocratic clans, major sects, and small-to-medium families from the Dacheng Empire, all assembled in Jiyang City to attend the Thousand Spirits Elixir Fair, and crucially, this most significant of internal auctions.

At every Thousand Spirits Elixir Fair, the truly rare, precious, and priceless items were never displayed in the outer grounds; they were reserved for this auction. The items sold in the outer courtyards were generally more common spiritual herbs and medicines, whereas anything admitted to this auction commenced with a minimum bid exceeding two hundred thousand gold coins.

This small hall had been specifically constructed by Lingbao Pavilion to host the auction. It was circular in design, featuring a small dais in the center, with tiered seating arranged in concentric circles around the stage, rising higher the further out one sat. From the platform, no matter what item was being auctioned, everything below could be seen with perfect clarity.

When the bell rang and the estate gates opened, Nie Kong entered this hall alongside Nie Xingyun and Lian Tianxin. Joining the trio today was the Seventh Elder of the Nie family, Nie Xinghai, who managed their finances, along with several attendants. Other families and sects had also dispatched their key representatives.

With just a sweep of his gaze, Nie Kong spotted numerous familiar faces: the referees from the recent Elixir Grand Competition, Mu Xiaoling, Qu Xinyi, and Yu Qingguan. Even the Fourth Prince, Cheng Zixuan, occupied a seat in the front row nearest the auction stage, though the little loli, Gu Qi, was nowhere in sight.

As Nie Xingyun and his party settled into their front-row seats, Nie Kong happened to catch sight of another familiar figure: Bai Yuqing, with whom he had shared life-and-death peril in the Realm of Illusions. She was trailing slightly behind a middle-aged man, her usually tender, pretty face set with the customary expression of icy composure.

Though the Bai family was a vassal to the Nie family, their strength was not insignificant, so their presence at this auction was expected. Thinking back, Nie Kong hadn't seen this fierce girl, who often referred to herself as "Old Madam," since he had committed suicide in the Illusion Realm. He wondered how far her cultivation had progressed.

The moment Nie Kong noticed her, Bai Yuqing saw him too. Two cold gazes fixed directly upon him. Her expressionless face gave the slightest nod.

"Brother Xingyun," said Que Yu, turning to Nie Xingyun with a smile. "What treasures has your Nie family put up for auction this time?" Following an unwritten custom, each of the Five Great Aristocratic Clans was expected to present at least one distinctive spiritual herb or elixir for bidding at the Thousand Spirits Elixir Fair auction.

"Haha, Brother Que, secrecy, secrecy! You’ll know soon enough," Nie Xingyun replied with a cunning grin, stroking his beard, a hint of smugness coloring his face.

"..." Que Yu was rendered speechless.

Just then, Mu Zisi entered with Mu Xiaoling following close behind. Upon seeing Nie Xingyun and his group, Mu Zisi’s face, which was already drawn longer than a donkey's, instantly darkened. Mu Xiaoling beside him also held a severely tense expression, utterly devoid of any hint of a smile.

Nie Xingyun chuckled, patted an empty seat beside him, and deliberately called out in a loud voice, "Old Man Mu, come, come, right here! Sit here, haha!"

Seeing that many eyes in the vicinity had been drawn to them, Mu Zisi’s expression soured further, as if he had been smeared with soot. He walked up to Nie Kong, shaking his mustachioed chin, and glared, snapping, "Get up, child! Go play somewhere else! Don't stand here getting in the way."

Nie Kong rose, feeling somewhat bewildered, as Mu Zisi promptly occupied his seat. With a helpless sigh, Nie Kong shot Mu Xiaoling a look, then walked toward an empty seat about ten meters away. Only once she followed did he quietly whisper, "Little Sister Xiaoling, did your grandfather go mad from alchemy last night?"

"It’s you who went mad!"

Mu Xiaoling rolled her eyes at Nie Kong, snapping back crossly, "It’s all because of you! When you won first place in the Grand Competition yesterday, your master was insufferably smug. He specifically came to 'Lingbao Pavilion' and ridiculed my grandfather for quite some time. Before leaving, not only did he collect your prize, but your two masters ganged up and blackmailed every single one of the 'Golden Jade Gourd Seeds' my grandfather had painstakingly collected. It’s why I haven't dared to smile properly since yesterday; my face feels stiff." As she spoke, the little girl vigorously rubbed her tender, pale cheeks.

"Golden Jade Gourd Seeds? Are these what you mean?"

Nie Kong reached into his robes, summoning a small cloth pouch from his pet inventory. Opening it, he saw it filled entirely with thumb-sized gourds, shining golden and almost transparent.

When he returned last night, Nie Xingyun had brought him the competition reward: a stalk of 'Mystic Star Blue Moon Hook.' That herb could be used to refine the fifth-grade elixir, 'Mystic Star Pill,' which boosted cultivation levels. Due to its rarity, it fetched a price of several million gold coins. Along with it came this pouch. Nie Kong hadn't opened it but hadn't expected it to contain 'Golden Jade Gourd Seeds,' the primary ingredient for refining the fifth-grade elixir, the 'Golden Jade Gourd.'

Nie Kong counted them: there were five grains in total. Each one was worth nearly a million gold coins, totaling five million—nearly the value of the 'Mystic Star Blue Moon Hook' itself. Nie Kong clicked his tongue inwardly; when dealing with his master, Lingbao Pavilion had truly bled heavily this time.

No wonder Mu Zisi looked so grim! His first words were harsh; he must have suffered a beating at the hands of Nie Kong’s master and was taking it out on his apprentice. However, Nie Kong was curious how Nie Xingyun and Lian Tianxin had managed to extort those five incredibly precious 'Golden Jade Gourd Seeds.'

"Of course! Why else would Grandpa be so depressed?"

"..."

As they spoke, the two sat down. Just as Nie Kong was about to press for more details, the clamor inside the hall abruptly vanished. He looked up to see Mo Xingtu ascending the central dais in the hall with a gentle smile. Following behind him were dozens of young men, each cradling a box of varying size...