Chapter 16: The Cultivation World Where Strength Reigns Supreme

When he learned that the clan head and Wang Rongwen were taking him to the legendary "Ghost Market Auction," Yulou was still very excited.

Ghost Market Auction — just hearing the name, it sounded extraordinary.

Having read countless web novels in his past life, Yulou was more than familiar with the auction tales of Immortal Venerable Han, Great Emperor Lin, and Divine King Wang.

Now, was it finally his turn to attend an auction?

But things didn't develop the way Yulou had hoped.

"Uncle Rongwen, don't we need to cover our faces?"

"What? Cover our faces?"

"Attending an auction like this, shouldn't we hide our identities so we aren't discovered? Hasn't our Wang Shi always valued caution above all?"

"No need. For someone at the Qi-Drawing Stage like you, covering up would be pointless anyway — you couldn't afford anything good no matter what.

Whether Qi Refining cultivators cover their faces is up to them.

As for us, we don't need to bother either. This auction was set up by the clan head and the garrison cultivator Jiang Baobian."

Oh, oh, oh — so that's how we're playing it?

So I, Wang Yu, am actually a disciple of the big house?

"The garrison cultivator is involved in this too?" Yulou asked.

He couldn't imagine how greedy Jiang Baobian was — the Qixin fees, the Ghost Market Auction, he really wanted to dip his hand into every bit of money.

"The income of Qing Xi Fang belongs to the Red Lantern Garrison. For a garrison cultivator like him who wants to get more spirit stones, there are only so many methods he can choose from.

Do you know where the Ghost Market Auction is being held?"

Wang Rongwen, leading the two ahead, asked without turning his head, expecting Yulou couldn't guess.

"Could it be… the garrison cultivator's residence?"

"Good lad, hahaha, that's right — it's the garrison cultivator's residence!"

Wang Rongwen explained.

"Smaller Ghost Market Auctions can be organized privately, but the bigger ones must be held at the garrison cultivator's residence.

No matter his style of doing things, he is still the garrison cultivator of the Red Lantern Garrison, and has the right to take a cut.

On the other hand, it's also to prevent some fool from actually selling things that shouldn't be sold."

Yulou watched the flow of people coming and going on the street and felt a touch of absurdity.

If Qing Xi Fang were viewed as a city, then the garrison cultivator of the Red Lantern Garrison would be similar to its mayor.

But now, the mayor was taking the lead in running illegal enterprises…

What was this?

An organic combination of deep exploitation of the grassroots and grassroots management?

Hard to judge — in a world where great power resided in the individual, organizational and management models were bound to differ from the modern mortal world Yulou had lived in his past life.

"What do you mean by things that shouldn't be sold?"

Wang Yuan, who was beside him, asked.

"Those prohibited from circulation by the Xian Alliance — for instance, spiritual items above the sixth grade, young offspring of Demon Kings, unverified Cultivation Methods, and so on… none of them can be circulated."

Wang Rongwen rattled off examples as if reciting his own treasures.

"Young offspring of Demon Kings? People actually sell those?"

In the cultivation novels Yulou had read, buying spirit beast eggs and young spirit beasts was very common among cultivators.

Certain protagonists would buy a young divine beast, then the divine beast's parents would come chasing after them, the protagonist would counter-kill — the opponents would keep sending people to chase them.

Those authors were quite creative — through plots like these, they could pad their word count nicely.

"You two don't know, more than ten years ago, a disciple of the Tianshe Sect bought an egg of the Western Sea great demon, the Mountain-Turning Jiao.

The Mountain-Turning Jiao slaughtered its way from the Western Sea all the way to the Tianshe Sect — what a commotion it caused. Even the True Persons of the Tianshe Sect were mobilized."

Arriving at the gate of the garrison cultivator's residence, Wang Rongwen didn't even need to speak — he breezed through with a face scan, and the junior cultivator at the gate hurriedly ushered him in.

Two youths who had never seen the world followed him into the garrison cultivator's luxurious residence.

Yulou observed the furnishings and formations within the garrison residence, and observed the auction participants who had already arrived.

But Wang Yuan still couldn't forget the story his father had told.

"Even Jin Dan True Persons were mobilized — that Mountain-Turning Jiao probably couldn't escape, right?"

"What do you know? The reason the Tianshe Sect can rank among the upper sects and become one of the 'Upper Three Sects' within the Wunanshi Sect is because they enshrine a Heavenly Serpent.

That Heavenly Serpent's cultivation was profound, and being of the same clan as the Mountain-Turning Jiao, it stepped forward and took the Mountain-Turning Jiao in as a guest elder of the Tianshe Sect."

A cultivator's sect being invaded by a Demon King — instead of resisting, they chose to recognize the demon beast as an elder.

Yulou clicked his tongue in amazement.

So this was the Cultivation World where strength reigned supreme?

Here, as long as one was strong enough, even a Demon King could become an honored guest of human cultivators.

"Just how powerful must that Mountain-Turning Jiao and Heavenly Serpent be…"

Wang Yuan was somewhat wistful.

Such demon beasts — the spiritual materials on their bodies must surely be worth a fortune!

The outer hide could bear top-grade talismans, the spirit bones could be refined into treasure artifacts, and even the flesh and blood was probably a great tonic.

"Alright, you two go sit behind the clan head. I still have things to do."

After settling the two youths in place, Wang Rongwen vanished into the crowd.

For today's gathering, Wang Shi was one of the organizers, and he still had many matters to coordinate.

——————

"Brother, look, Master is over there!"

Sitting behind the Clan Leader, Wang Yuan, participating in such a grand gathering for the first time, felt no nervousness; he looked around the crowd and suddenly spotted Red Brow.

"It's just that Senior Sister seems not to have come," Wang Yuan said with some regret.

"You can tell her about today's experiences when you return."

Wang Yulou's suggestion made Wang Yuan's eyes light up.

Hearing the two brothers chat, Wang Xianmao, sitting in front of them, also smiled at the corner of his mouth.

He thought of those days when he and Wang Xianhe had cultivated and fought together.

How wonderful.

A Qi Condensation cultivator, whose figure was completely concealed, stood in the middle of the front hall of the Guardian's Residence.

"Dong~"

He struck the gong once, then bowed to the guests from all directions.

"No more words, the exchange begins!

Please, a few Foundation Establishment seniors to start!"

Brothers, if the sky falls, the Foundation Establishment seniors are here; everyone, just spend freely.

Following the host's introduction, the Guardian cultivator Jiang Baobian slowly rose from his seat.

Only then did Wang Yulou notice him.

Although this Guardian cultivator had been sitting there before, Wang Yulou had completely failed to notice this person, even forgetting him.

You must know, before Wang Yulou arrived, he had been extremely curious about this Guardian cultivator with such a refined eating manner!

"Hiding form in stillness, Jiang Baobian's divine ability; do not be surprised."

The Clan Leader's voice came through; Wang Xianmao did not turn around but used sound transmission to explain to the two youths behind him.

The meaning of bringing them to see the world lies precisely here: to let them witness the vastness of the world, to let them see the extraordinary nature of other cultivators, so that they may be more alert when they meet them in the future.

"You do not need to answer; just watch carefully. If you feel curious about anything, blink your eyes, and I will use sound transmission to explain it to you."

Wang Yuan hurriedly widened his eyes, daring not to blink randomly again.

This was just like middle school students in a school: middle school teachers would tell middle school students that they could come and ask if they had any questions they didn't understand, but middle school students rarely took the initiative to ask—Wang Yuan was that student who was unwilling to ask the teacher.

"Everyone, I am Jiang Baobian, the Guardian cultivator of Qing Xi Fang under the Red Lantern Illumination.

You may have already heard my name, but you are not yet familiar with me.

I, this person, like making friends the most; today, the fact that you fellow Daoists could come here is a face you give me.

Grade Eight spiritual material Water Jade; the highest bidder wins.

Fellow Daoists, you may begin."

Although the distance between the two sides was very close, Wang Yulou simply could not see Jiang Baobian's face clearly.

So... is this Guardian cultivator very powerful?

However, the noise in the auction hall interrupted his reverie.

Jiang Baobian had merely sold a piece of Grade Eight Water Jade, yet all the cultivators attending the auction seemed to have boiled over.