Translator: AnubisTL
A message related to the yin-yang spirit liquid?
Upon hearing the telepathic message, Li Qing frowned, pondered for a moment, and then responded personally:
"That depends on the nature of the message. I can't just hand over the Soul Return Grass for any trivial information, can I?"
The telepathic message quickly returned:
"No, I guarantee the place I discovered definitely contains yin-yang spirit liquid!"
"Moreover, any core formation realm cultivator could retrieve the liquid without much danger, though it might take some time."
"If I weren't in such a hurry to attend this auction, I would have claimed the yin-yang spirit liquid myself."
Li Qing recognized the voice as belonging to True Lord Wood Dragon, the one who had bid on the main trunk of the heavenly spirit tree earlier!
No wonder he's so desperate for the Soul Return Grass! He's that mad spirit plant cultivator who's obsessed with growing spirit herbs!
True Lord Wood Dragon's penchant for collecting and cultivating rare spirit herbs was no secret; many cultivators were aware of it.
"Empty words carry no weight. How can I verify your claims?" Li Qing replied cautiously, refusing to be swayed by the other's words.
True Lord Wood Dragon grew impatient:
"There's no mistake! The intertwining yin-yang qi there is undoubtedly a sign of yin-yang spirit liquid."
"If you don't believe me, I'll take you there after the auction."
"How about you show me the yin-yang spirit liquid first, then I'll give you the Soul Return Grass?"
Having said this much, Li Qing had no choice but to agree.
The other party's sincerity was evident, and he seemed trustworthy.
Li Qing's demeanor gradually became more respectful. "Very well! I'll trouble you to guide me there afterward, Senior!"
True Lord Wood Dragon snorted coldly. "Hmph, you brat! So you do know I'm a senior on the path of cultivation!"
"Your attitude is truly infuriating. But fine, fine, for the sake of the Soul Return Grass, I won't hold it against you."
It was clear that True Lord Wood Dragon truly valued the Soul Return Grass.
Li Qing wasn't particularly surprised by this. Although cultivators pursued immortality, they didn't completely shed their human nature.
It was perfectly normal for cultivators to have their own hobbies. After all, in their long lives, they needed more than just cultivation to keep things interesting.
Some enjoyed raising spirit beasts, while others were obsessed with rare spirit herbs.
True Lord Wood Dragon clearly belonged to the latter category.
With the deal settled, Li Qing breathed a small sigh of relief. If this was true, he had now gathered nearly all the spiritual objects he needed for his core formation.
He wasn't overly concerned about True Lord Wood Dragon's intentions. With the Heavenly Thunder Pearl and Shen Ningbing's successful core formation, he could hold his own even against a seasoned core formation cultivator.
Of course, maintaining vigilance was still essential.
The auction continued, with rare spiritual objects being presented one after another. These included treasures from the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty, as well as prized items offered by both the righteous and demonic paths.
The atmosphere of the auction surged like waves, with many cultivators gaining invaluable insights.
"Heh heh heh, very well! Now for the final centerpiece of the auction!" True Lord Qingwei announced with a smile. His aged, benevolent voice sent a thrill through the crowd.
Many speculated: after so many extraordinary spiritual objects had already been revealed, what could possibly serve as the grand finale of this auction extravaganza?
Without further suspense, True Lord Qingwei immediately unveiled the centerpiece:
"The final centerpiece of this grand auction is... dragon marrow!"
Dragon marrow!
The words echoed through the hall, clear and unmistakable to every ear.
Crack!
From a private room, the sound of a teacup shattering echoed as a core formation realm True Lord's breathing quickened.
"Dragon marrow! I can't believe the rumors were true—dragon marrow has actually appeared here!"
Immediately, gasps of astonishment erupted from several other private rooms:
"Has the sun risen in the west? The righteous and demonic paths are auctioning off such a heaven-defying treasure?!"
"Unbelievable! Have the core formation True Lords of both paths discovered an elixir of immortality? Why would they part with such a priceless artifact?"
Every cultivator present, including the many foundation establishment realm rogue cultivators, fully understood the immeasurable value of dragon marrow.
Not only could it extend lifespan, but it also amplified the mana and cultivation of core formation realm True Lords.
Such a treasure was so rare that even if one possessed an abundance, they would never consider auctioning it off.
True Lord Wood Dragon, who had just communicated with Li Qing telepathically, remained stunned for a long moment before lamenting with anguish:
"A miscalculation! I never imagined dragon marrow would appear at the auction. If I'd known, I wouldn't have wasted my resources on that section of the heavenly spirit tree's trunk!"
Of course, some rejoiced while others despaired. True Lord Guangyuan, who had obtained advance information through his connections, stroked his beard in his private room and declared confidently:
"Brother Qingwei, hurry up and announce the conditions for bidding on this dragon marrow!"
True Lord Qingwei shook his head helplessly. "Heh, everyone, please be patient. The conditions for acquiring this dragon marrow are rather unique. Allow me to explain in detail."
"After thorough investigation, we have finally uncovered the truth about who the last heroic ruler of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty sent away on his deathbed!"
"You might find this hard to believe, but Wang Chengdao's final act was to send away a Demon Fox—specifically, a Demon Fox who had consumed a Transformation Fruit and prematurely gained human form!"
This revelation sent shockwaves through the assembled cultivators. How could Wang Chengdao have sacrificed his life to protect a Demon Cultivator?
"Wang Chengdao sent away a Demon Fox who had transformed into human form? He didn't even have time to arrange for his own children's safety! How is this possible?!"
True Lord Qingwei shook his head. "The details remain unclear, but it's highly likely that the Demon Cultivator was pregnant with Wang Chengdao's bloodline."
"There is only one condition for obtaining this dragon marrow: find that Demon Fox, dead or alive. Whether righteous or demonic, both paths are willing to offer this dragon marrow as a reward!"
After all this, it turned out the dragon marrow was being used as a bounty.
Immediately, many who coveted the dragon marrow furrowed their brows in contemplation.
The Great Wilderness Domain was vast, making the task of finding a Demon Fox within its borders akin to searching for a needle in the sea.
Moreover, the Demon Fox had consumed a Transformation Fruit and assumed human form, suggesting formidable strength—likely at least a third-tier demonic beast.
Noticing the cultivators' waning enthusiasm, True Lord Qingwei declared solemnly, "Esteemed cultivators, our formation masters have calculated the approximate destination of the teleportation array: the eastern region of the Great Wilderness Domain."
"Furthermore, a pregnant Demon beast's strength diminishes significantly!"
"Regardless of who succeeds in hunting down the Demon Fox, the Taiyi Sect guarantees, on its sect's honor, to provide a portion of dragon marrow!"
Finally, some core formation true lords nearing the end of their lifespans showed signs of interest.
"Very well," True Lord Guangyuan replied. "With a general location established, the search should be considerably easier. I accept this bounty!"
His lifespan was indeed dwindling. Having reached his cultivation realm, he had undoubtedly consumed numerous life-extending elixirs like Earth Yellow Essence, rendering ordinary longevity-enhancing substances ineffective.
Only a heaven-defying spiritual object like dragon marrow could grant him a further extension of his lifespan.
If they could achieve a breakthrough in the process, all the better.
Such was the allure of dragon marrow for core formation realm true lords!
Gradually, four or five core formation realm true lords agreed to the proposal, and even True Lord Wood Dragon showed considerable interest.
Li Qing, who had observed the entire exchange, shook his head.
"It seems the ultimate goal of both the righteous and demonic paths is to use this auction to lure rogue cultivators into searching for the Demon Fox."
"Their plan is quite clever. They're mobilizing so many rogue cultivators with just a single portion of dragon marrow, all to eliminate the lingering threat of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty."
However, neither Li Qing nor Shen Ningbing had any intention of participating in the Demon Fox hunt.
Shen Ningbing had only recently achieved core formation and possessed ample lifespan. With a long path ahead, she had no desire to involve herself.
Li Qing had even less reason to join the hunt. He hadn't yet reached core formation, and in terms of lifespan, he outlived every core formation realm cultivator present.
With this, the grand auction jointly hosted by the righteous and demonic paths finally came to a close.
The events of this day were sure to ignite a storm that would rapidly sweep across the entire Great Wilderness Domain!
(End of the Chapter)
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