Chapter 168: Can Prolong Life

After everything was settled, Cang Li and Yuan Yao were about to leave the appraisal room when a ghost-faced youth happened to brush past them.

Yuan Yao seemed to sense something and lifted her gaze toward the ghost-faced youth.

The youth also looked over.

Their gazes briefly met in midair, then immediately separated.

【Target person Xie Yan, Awakening Value reaches -79.】

Yuan Yao pretended not to know Xie Yan.

At this moment, Cang Li also noticed Xie Yan, and he immediately recalled the white-clad youth wearing a ghost-faced mask whom he had encountered in the Wuduan Mijing.

The ghost-faced youth turned his back, the curled hair hanging at his shoulders blazing like a fiery red iris, the tips slightly swaying.

Cang Li's eyes narrowed slightly, confirming that this person was indeed the one he had met in the Wuduan Mijing before!

After the door closed and the ghost-faced youth's silhouette was completely cut off, Cang Li lightly tapped Yuan Yao's arm with his elbow and asked in a low voice.

"Isn't he your enemy?"

Yuan Yao, expressionless: "No."

"If not, why did you kick his butt back then?" Cang Li knew his little junior sister's personality well; she would never kick someone for no reason unless that person had provoked her.

Only when she was very displeased would she act so rudely.

"I guess so."

Cang Li said: "You deny it one moment, then admit it the next, Yuan Yao—are you trying to deceive even your Third Senior Brother?"

Yuan Yao thought for a moment: "I'm not enemies with him, nor friends. Not strangers, not acquaintances either—I'm not really sure what this relationship is."

Cang Li fell into thought, then asked solemnly: "Did he hit you?"

Yuan Yao lifted her head, met her Third Senior Brother's gaze, and feigned calm: "No, he just scolded me."

If the Third Senior Brother learned that Xie Yan had hit her, then the Eldest Senior Brother and the others would also find out, including the Master.

By then, she couldn't be sure what they might do.

That guy Xie Yan is no pushover either.

If the senior brothers and sisters were to act against Xie Yan, they'd likely end up both losing.

If the Master took action, Xie Yan would very likely die.

Xie Yan is an irreplaceable target, so he cannot die for now.

"Don't worry, I've already gotten my revenge." Yuan Yao smiled smugly.

Cang Li glanced at her, half-believing, half-doubting.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true! I beat him half to death, then made him confess to me—back then he bawled his heart out..." Yuan Yao said, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a white figure standing not far away.

When she looked over, she happened to meet a pair of mocking, cold eyes.

Yuan Yao's heart clenched, she gave a dry laugh, then immediately grabbed Cang Li's arm and urged urgently: "Second Senior Sister is calling us back—hurry up!"

Having said that, without waiting for Cang Li to react, she pulled him along and hurried toward the direction of the second-floor private booth.

Meanwhile, the ghost-faced youth left behind silently watched their retreating backs, especially when he saw Yuan Yao gripping Cang Li's arm, his eyes deepening with an irrepressible hint of chill.

At that moment, the appraisal room's door opened again, and a white-haired old man hurried out.

When he saw that the ghost-faced youth hadn't left yet, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Yan Xiaoyou, good thing you didn't go—you forgot to take the contract."

Xie Yan took the contract.

The white-haired old man asked respectfully: "Yan Xiaoyou, do you need me to personally guide you to the second-floor private booth?"

"No need." The youth's voice was clear and cold.

The ghost-faced youth headed toward the second-floor private booth.

There were still two quarters of an hour until the auction began.

Now, all the seats in the auction hall were filled with people.

Many could only stand.

When Yuan Yao and Cang Li returned to the booth, they found Second Senior Sister gambling again with Yao Lingling and a few others.

Meanwhile, Lu Xiangxiang was nowhere to be seen.

"Eldest Senior Brother, where's the Seventh Junior Sister?!" Yuan Yao's eyes flickered.

Song Yan said: "She just said she wanted to go out for some fresh air, so she went out."

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao guessed a little and realized that Lu Xiangxiang's willingness to come along this time must be for her own purpose.

As for what Lu Xiangxiang's purpose is, that remains unknown.

Time passed bit by bit.

The auction had officially begun, yet Lu Xiangxiang still hadn't returned.

Yuan Yao watched the auction scene outside the window while lost in thought.

On the central platform in the hall, a black-haired old man lifted the red cloth, pointed to the object beneath, and said: "This bundle of Immortal Rope is a high-grade magical artifact, forged by the master artificer Wang Yuan; it can be used by cultivators below the Spirit Transformation Realm. The opening bid is eight thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, with each raise at least one hundred."

As soon as he said that, someone immediately placed a bid.

"Eight thousand two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Eight thousand five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Nine thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

Bidding calls rose and fell.

Yuan Yao had never seen such an auction scene before, and couldn't help finding it novel.

As the bids climbed higher, but once the price surpassed ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, the number of bidders sharply dropped.

Finally, this high-grade magical artifact, the Immortal Rope, was won by a female cultivator in a certain third-floor private booth at a price of eleven thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Immediately after, the black-haired old man on the round platform smiled and clapped his hands.

The attendant then brought another item forward, presenting it before everyone.

"This is a segment of Stellar Net Mystic Vine, usable as alchemy material. Stellar Net Mystic Vine grows beside volcanic vents and is extremely rare. The starting bid is three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

Yuan Yao's gaze fell on that small segment of Stellar Net Mystic Vine; it had dried up, looking similar to an ordinary vine, except that its surface bore a pattern resembling a five-pointed star, with distinct veins.

Many people had already placed bids.

Meanwhile, Cang Li was also staring at the Stellar Net Mystic Vine, asking, "Do you know why this Stellar Net Mystic Vine is so expensive?"

Yuan Yao shook her head.

Cang Li said, "Not only is it extremely rare, but it can also be used as an ingredient for the Life-Continuing Pill that can revive the dead and restore flesh to white bones. Moreover, it is an indispensable ingredient."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao looked somewhat shocked.

"Can it really extend life?"

Cang Li smiled and said, "As long as there is still a breath left, whether it's a severed limb or having one's flesh gouged out, life can be continued."

Yuan Yao's eyes fixed intently on the Stellar Net Mystic Vine.

At this point, the bidding had already surpassed eight thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

"Ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!" Yuan Yao picked up the bright yellow placard, extended it out the window, and shouted.

Cang Li was startled.

The others in the private room were also startled by her bid.

"What do you want this for?" Cang Li hurriedly pulled her back.

"To refine pills for you." Yuan Yao blinked.

"I don't even have the formula for the Life-Continuing Pill now, and besides, it requires two other crucial ingredients that I also lack. How are you expecting me to make pills?" Cang Li sighed helplessly.

Yuan Yao, however, said unconcernedly, "First gather it; later, when we find those two crucial ingredients and the formula for the Life-Continuing Pill, we can refine it."

Just then——

A familiar voice came through.

"Twenty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Yuan Yao froze for a moment, recognizing the voice's owner as… Xie Yan?!