Chapter 249: Auction (End-of-Month Request for Monthly Tickets)

Several days later.

Inside the Ice Snow Palace.

A small gathering of Golden Core cultivators was underway.

Fang Xing sat lazily in the main seat, flanked by the Meng sisters, looking like a man who had won life itself with warmth and softness in his arms.

He glanced at the other dozen or so Golden Core cultivators and said casually, "Thank you all for coming. I've organized this small gathering because I still have two slots for the Linlang Linlang Fudi—I ask each of you to submit your bid. The highest bidder wins."

Following Feng Shangren's style, Fang Xing had summoned a group of shady acquaintances to hold this Golden Core gathering, with the side purpose of auctioning off two slots.

His gaze shifted, sweeping over several of Feng Shangren's cronies, then settling on two female Golden Core cultivators.

One, dressed as a Daoist nun, had a face as cold as frost—it was none other than "Autumn Water Sword" Song Song Ningjing!

The other, said to be a close friend of the Meng sisters, was "Butterfly Petal Lady," a beginner Golden Core cultivator with a round, childlike face, yet a voluptuous figure clad in a dazzling, colorful robe that accentuated every curve, her chest nearly bursting forth.

Seeing Fang Xing's gaze, she smiled sweetly, yet seemed shy.

"Contrast cuteness… I like it…"

Fang Xing's heart stirred as he watched the Golden Core cultivators ponder deeply, then finally write their bids and place them on the tray.

Meng Meng Xingyu rose gracefully and brought the tray to Fang Xing.

Fang Xing scanned the first slip with his spiritual sense and saw the number "300,000 low-grade spirit stones"—he silently sneered: "I'm always fair. Don't think just because you're friends with Feng Shangren, I'll go easy on you…"

He turned to the second slip: it read "Three Hei Tian Pills"—a pill that greatly aids Golden Core mid-stage cultivators in increasing their spiritual energy, originating from the Banruo Sect.

That was interesting. Fang Xing remained expressionless as he turned to the next sealed bid: the offer was a low-grade treasure, "Jade Dragon Flag."

…

"Hm?"

Suddenly, he looked at Song Song Ningjing's bid, his expression turning strange: "A detailed map of the Linlang Linlang Fudi, including several previously explored resource points… and the location of a cave that produces 'Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk,' surrounded by countless 'Crystal Elemental Light' seals—entering it quickly requires either certain secret techniques or lost treasures…"

"Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk" is the upgraded version of "Thousand-Year Stone Milk"—a single drop can restore half a Nascent Soul True Immortal's spiritual energy.

Not to mention, if applied to a Golden Core cultivator, it would produce the same cultivation-advancing effect as Foundation Establishment—though it would be far too extravagant.

Fang Xing had to admit, he was tempted.

"But… little sister, you've misjudged me."

He smiled faintly in his mind.

The "Crystal Elemental Light" seals were infamous in the cultivation world—beneath the Nascent Soul realm, they were nearly impossible to breach.

Unless one had mastered certain special secret techniques or possessed specific ancient treasures.

Few Golden Core cultivators met these conditions.

Thus, Song Song Ningjing, holding one such secret technique, could guarantee she wouldn't be left out.

Unfortunately…

"I'm a Nascent Soul True Immortal—I could shatter these Crystal Elemental Light seals with a casual strike."

"Wait, don't get too confident—if even my Ten-Thousand-Methods Nascent Soul can't get in, that'll be embarrassing."

"Still, this map of the Linlang Fudi's secrets isn't bad."

The Linlang Linlang Fudi was, after all, the top-tier dungeon of Great Jing—not to mention, the top-tier opportunity.

Over countless years, countless factions had explored it.

Some factions discovered unique regenerative resource points and added their own exclusive seals outside the main barriers, ensuring endless harvests.

Others kept exploring the Linlang Fudi, mapping it with ever-greater precision.

These were all foundations of power!

And Fang Xing truly lacked this.

He nodded and picked up the final pink jade slip from Butterfly Petal Lady.

"Huh? There are detailed maps of several major spirit herb gardens… these gardens are heavily sealed—step wrong and you'll get lost… the Northern Region herb garden's map is the most detailed."

Aside from that, there was a pile of spirit stones and rare treasures, overwhelming the other bids—but held little appeal for Fang Xing.

But the final line was intriguing again.

"I am willing to offer my Yin Yuan to assist the Daoist in his cultivation…"

Fang Xing traced the smooth, delicate surface of the pink jade slip, his lips moving as he haggled with each Golden Core cultivator present, confirming final bids.

He finally looked at Butterfly Petal Lady and smiled, sending a spiritual whisper: "If Madam has no objections, I can grant you one slot—but first, you must pay a deposit."

Butterfly Petal Lady's cheeks flushed crimson, as if deeply embarrassed, and she nodded gently: "Agreed!"

"Sigh… I've paid too much just for the herb garden locations."

Fang Xing sighed inwardly.

He cleared his throat and announced: "The two slots for this session have been assigned—to Song Song Ningjing and Butterfly Petal Lady!"

At this, most cultivators wore strange expressions.

Some scoffed outright: "Of course it's you… Feng Shangren!"

Several Golden Core cultivators who had once been close to Feng Shangren and had hoped for a slot muttered curses in their hearts: "Selected four women—this is beyond disgraceful; you'll die on a woman's lap someday…"

"Wait!"

At that moment, a childish voice rang out.

Outside the Ice Snow Palace, a large hole tore through the ice crystal seal, and a short figure stepped inside.

He had two upward-pointing topknots and a cheerful grin: "Feng Daoist, I haven't made my bid yet."

"It's the Heartless Child!"

The Meng sisters, who had risen, sat back down: "No wonder he broke through the Ice Snow Palace's seals so easily…"

He was a late-stage Golden Core master, unpredictable and temperamental—the Meng family couldn't afford to offend him.

"Heartless Child?"

Fang Xing was surprised: "Aren't you with the Free Cultivators Alliance?"

At this, the Heartless Child's face flickered with embarrassment; he waved his small hand carelessly: "That 'Tian Chen Old Man' was jealous and wouldn't let little old me become Alliance leader—I got tired of hanging around them…"

At these words, all present Golden Core cultivators understood.

This "Heartless Child" had almost certainly been tricked by "Tian Chen Zi"!

First lured by the Free Cultivators Alliance, then kicked out right before entering the Linlang Fudi.

Now, it was nearly impossible to find a slot holder with an opening.

Even if he tried to seize one, those who held slots naturally formed small groups of five, often with powerful backings—he couldn't easily overpower them.

"Looks like this kid has terrible connections… or is suspected of dubious origins and is being ostracized?"

"And if I were a regular Golden Core cultivator, I wouldn't want to team up with Heartless Child either—who'd outcompete him for good finds? Unless he joined one of the orthodox or demonic sects… teaming up with the Ten Disciples of Orthodox or Demonic would surely keep him in line."

"This… Heartless Child, I've already assigned both slots—they're full."

Fang Xing sighed: "I always keep my word!"

This was a clear refusal.

Even Meng Meng Xingyu couldn't help glancing at Fang Xing again.

"Didn't expect this old rascal to have such principles?"

"No—maybe he fears Heartless Child joining us and undermining his control?"

Heartless Child's expression darkened instantly: "Daoist, won't you at least hear my bid?"

In his small hand, a semi-transparent jade vial appeared, containing a single blood-red pill.

On the pill's surface, a twisted, writhing face seemed to writhe in agony…

Merely seeing that blood-red pill, many Golden Core cultivators felt as if they stood before a mountain of corpses and seas of blood.

"Is that… the Soul-Seizing Breakthrough Pill?"

One Golden Core cultivator licked his dry lips: "Rumored to aid Golden Core cultivators in breaking through bottlenecks—if taken by a peak beginner Golden Core, it grants a fifty percent chance to reach mid-stage; if taken by a peak mid-stage Golden Core, a twenty percent chance to reach late-stage!"

"But it's a demonic pill—if the breakthrough fails, the essence and blood recoil, causing severe cultivation regression…"

Still, every cultivator's eyes burned with hunger.

For cultivators, realm was everything!

Everything else was expendable!

Seeing this, Meng Meng Xingtong and Meng Meng Xingyu exchanged glances and sighed—they knew if they were in Feng Shangren's place, they'd never refuse this.

Butterfly Petal Lady glanced at the icy-faced Song Song Ningjing, her eyes flickering with disappointment.

She likely knew her offer barely passed—if they were to swap candidates, she'd be the first to be replaced!

"Sorry. I always keep my word."

Fang Xing smiled faintly and refused outright.

Even if Heartless Child had offered a Linlang Fudi map, he might have considered it.

This Soul-Seizing Breakthrough Pill carried such dire consequences—he had the nerve to even present it?

Was he cursing himself to hit a bottleneck in the Golden Core realm?

"Hm?"

Heartless Child's expression turned grim: "Fine, Feng Shangren… I heard you were slippery, but now I see you've got a spine."

"Heartless Child, this is the Alliance of Families and Sects—there are several late-stage Golden Core cultivators here."

Meng Meng Xingtong took a deep breath and stood beside Fang Xing.

Seeing this, Meng Meng Xingyu quickly pulled Butterfly Petal Lady along.

Song Song Ningjing gripped her Autumn Water Sword, clearly taking a stance.

Though all three were beginner Golden Core cultivators, Song Song Ningjing was a sword cultivator with terrifying killing power—equivalent to an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core.

Add to that Feng Shangren, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, and even if Wu Xin Tongzi were a late-stage Golden Core grand master, he could not easily overcome them in a short while.

Once the battle's fluctuations spread, the Golden Core cultivators in the surrounding palaces would surely come to investigate.

"Good, very good…"

Wu Xin Tongzi sneered: "Enough… this Soul-Breaking Pill clearly has no connection with you… I'll find another Lord."

He turned and left, his words still echoing through the Ice Palace: "The Linlang Linlang Fudi is fraught with peril, Friend Feng—be careful not to perish within. The cultivation world would lose much amusement if such a hard-boned cultivator as you were to vanish. Hah…"

…

After Wu Xin Tongzi disrupted things, all Golden Core cultivators except those with vested interests—Die Rui Lady and Song Song Ningjing—fled without exception.

They embodied perfectly the saying: "Cultivators' hearts are cold and indifferent."

"Alas… now that we've offended Wu Xin Tongzi, we must be extremely cautious within the Linlang Linlang Fudi. He uses the Soul-Breaking Pill as bait—he will surely achieve his goal eventually… Why not travel together? I possess a Five-Wheel Battle Array diagram. Though it's optimal when formed by five Golden Core cultivators of the Five Elements, five Golden Core cultivators suffice—it can hold out for a long time even against late-stage Golden Core cultivators…"

Meng Meng Xingyu gritted her teeth and revealed her family's deepest asset.

This was one of the Meng family's ancestral treasures.

"Battle array technique?"

Fang Xing nodded: "We'll discuss that later—I'll take the deposit first…"

"Deposit?"

Song Song Ningjing looked puzzled.

"None of your business…"

Fang Xing had no interest in this plain-looking Daoist nun; he left with Die Rui Lady, leaving the three early-stage Golden Core female cultivators staring at each other in the palace.

"This man is nothing but a lustful beast!"

Meng Meng Xingyu muttered angrily.

Even Song Song Ningjing began to doubt whether cooperating with Feng Shangren to retrieve the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk was wise.

…

Blue Star.

Fang Xing's true body toyed with a Linlang Token.

This token was the one held by Feng Shangren; his cultivation avatar didn't need two, so it was naturally sent here.

"When the time comes, if I can't teleport directly to my cultivation avatar's side in the Linlang Linlang Fudi, I'll need this…"

For safety's sake, Fang Xing planned to keep things simple.

He intended only to leave the Ten-Thousand-Methods Ghost Infant on Blue Star before teleporting into the Linlang Fudi.

That way, his cultivation avatar would be a pure early-stage Golden Core cultivator of Golden Core quality—certainly meeting the Linlang Fudi's requirements.

Then, he himself would teleport over with the Ten-Thousand-Methods Ghost Infant, instantly restoring his Nascent Soul combat power—wouldn't that count as exploiting a bug?

"If even this doesn't work, I'll probably have to act myself."

"Even if my Golden Finger can't teleport me into the Linlang Fudi, I can still enter using the Linlang Token…"

Fang Xing's true body wore a serious expression.

The Linlang Linlang Fudi offered a prime opportunity for looting, especially the spirit herb gardens—those were the very foundation for his Golden Core avatar's rapid advancement!

Unfortunately, other cultivators' avatars lacked such means and could only prioritize a few items.

But he possessed the Avatar Technique—he would pursue both paths simultaneously.

"In the Linlang Linlang Fudi, the top combat tier is unquestionably the Five Disciples of the Righteous Path, plus the Five Demonic Heroes—ten peak Golden Core cultivators."

"Hmm, the demonic side should thank me—the Five Disciples paired with Five Heroes was perfect; they insisted on Six Heroes, and naturally suffered backlash—one died…"

"My cultivation avatar is only early-stage Golden Core. Without the Ten-Thousand-Methods Ghost Infant, even with Sword Intent and Golden Core quality, he could at best fight cultivators like Wu Xin Tongzi—true Golden Core late-stage—but he'd be outmatched by half-step Golden Core or the Five Disciples. How could he possibly seize the Divine Nascent Soul Fruit?"

The opportunity to condense a Nascent Soul within the Linlang Linlang Fudi would be fiercely contested; the Divine Nascent Soul Fruit was the best—and the most fiercely contested.

Those who moved would be at least late-stage Golden Core cultivators!

Without the Ten-Thousand-Methods Ghost Infant, his cultivation avatar wouldn't stand a chance.

"For the final safeguard, I must act myself!"

"Alright, from my last battle with Huo Huo Moqing, I know I'm just a hair short… Let's level up first."

In the underground training chamber, Fang Xing's seated body suddenly rose, his blood qi surging like coiling dragons.

The surrounding temperature rose steadily, as if a colossal furnace had ignited.

Twelve Gang veins, each connecting to a demonic acupoint, surfaced across his body—everywhere!

"Seventy-two demonic acupoints, twelve Gang veins—all perfected…"

"It's time… to break through the Jin Gang Realm!"