Chapter 8: The Auction of the Century & The Dragon's Heir.
Noon. The Golden Dragon Pavilion.
The atmosphere in the street was thick enough to ignite.
Across the marble steps of the Pavilion, the Blood Sect and the Liu Clan had erected a gaudy, massive stage.
Young Master Xue, the Blood Sect heir, sat upon a throne draped in white-tiger pelt, swirling a cup of spirit wine with a sneer that didn't reach his eyes.
"Look at those bronze doors," Xue mocked, pointing his cup toward the silent Golden Dragon Pavilion.
"It's past noon, and the Su family is still hiding in the dark. Without alchemists, an auction house is just a hollow shell waiting to be crushed."
Liu Cheng, standing nearby with his bandaged stump still throbbing, laughed hoarsely. "That trash Jiang Yi likely fled the city under the cover of night.
Ruoyan is stubborn, but she cannot conjure pills out of thin air."
Liu Cheng stepped to the edge of the stage, shouting to the gathering crowd of mercenaries and rogue cultivators.
"People of Mist Cloud City! Why wait for a dead house? The Su family is finished! Come to the Blood Sect stage! We have High-Grade pills—Buy two, get one free!"
The crowd wavered. Loyalty was fine, but in a world where strength was life, people followed the pills.
Just as the first few cultivators began to turn away from the Pavilion—
BOOM!
The heavy bronze doors of the Golden Dragon Pavilion swung open with such force that the stone walls trembled.
"Welcome!" Steward Liu stepped into the sunlight, his voice amplified by Qi.
He looked like a man who had just seen the face of a god. "The Golden Dragon Auction is officially open! Today's debut: The Legend of the Perfect Pill!
"Perfect Pill?
Is she selling legends now?" Xue's sneer deepened, but curiosity won out.
Within minutes, the massive auction hall was packed to the rafters.
Inside the Auction Hall.
The lights dimmed, and a heavy hush fell over the thousand-strong crowd.
Su Ruoyan stepped onto the stage. She wore a deep purple dress that draped over her curves like liquid shadow, her "Queen of Gold" aura radiating a cold, regal authority that demanded silence.
"I know the rumors," Ruoyan's voice rang out, clear and sharp. "Rumors that our shelves are bare. That we have been abandoned."
She looked directly at the VIP box where Young Master Xue sat. "It is true. Our old alchemists left. And I thank them for it."
The crowd murmured in confusion. Thank them?
"Because they were mediocrity holding us back," Ruoyan smiled, a lethal, beautiful expression. "Today, my husband—Master Jiang Yi—has personally refined a batch of medicine that will rewrite the history of this city.
Compared to these, every other pill on the market is... garbage."
"Your husband? The live-in trash?"
Young Master Xue's laughter erupted from the balcony. "Ruoyan, have you finally lost your mind? Are you selling poison refined by a cripple?"
The hall erupted in mockery. Ruoyan didn't flinch. She simply clapped her hands.
"Bring it out."
A maid presented a silver tray covered in red velvet. Ruoyan whipped the cloth away.
Whoosh.
It wasn't a sound, but a tactile wave of energy. A beam of faint red light shot upward as a dense, intoxicating medicinal fragrance exploded through the hall.
It didn't just smell good; it felt like a jolt of pure life. The laughter died instantly. Young Master Xue's smirk froze.
On the tray sat ten ruby-red pills, glowing with an internal, rhythmic light.
"Perfect Spirit Gathering Pills,"
Ruoyan announced. "100% Purity. Zero Impurities.
One pill is equal to ten days of bitter cultivation, with no toxins left in the Dantian."
"Impossible!"
Elder Mo of the City Lord's Estate bolted from his seat. "100% Purity is a myth of the ancient era! Let me see!"
He rushed the stage, his nose twitching. He touched one, and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"It's real! Just the scent... my bottleneck is loosening! This is a Divine Pill!"
The hall went into a frenzy.
"500 Spirit Stones!
"1,000! I'll kill anyone who outbids me!"
"2,000!"...
The price skyrocketed.
Young Master Xue sat paralyzed, clutching a "High-Grade" pill from his own sect.
Compared to the glowing rubies on stage, his pill looked like a ball of dried mud.
"How..." Xue gritted his teeth until they bled. "How did that trash do this?!"
Backstage.
Jiang Yi watched the madness through a gap in the curtain, a cold smirk on his lips.
[System Notification: Face-Slapping Successful!]
[Reward: 1,000 System Points.]
Ruoyan walked off-stage, her face glowing with triumph.
But the moment she crossed the curtain, she stumbled."
Jiang Yi caught her instantly, his brow furrowing as he felt her skin—it was clammy.
"I'm fine," she whispered, leaning into his chest. "Just... dizzy.
The excitement was too much."
Jiang Yi didn't buy it.
He placed his fingers on her wrist, checking her pulse with his refined Divine Sense.
His eyes widened. Beneath her steady, rhythmic pulse, there was a second, tiny, incredibly vibrant beat.
It was resonating with the golden Qi of his Primal Chaos Yang Body.
[System Diagnosis: Conception Successful.]
[Target Su Ruoyan is Pregnant.]
[Fetus Potential: S-Rank (Primordial Dragon Bloodline Detected).]
"Ruoyan..." Jiang Yi's voice was uncharacteristically thick with emotion. "You're pregnant. We've conceived a Dragon heir."
Ruoyan froze, her hands flying to her stomach. "Truly? But... it's only been a few days..."
"My seed is the Primal Chaos," Jiang Yi grinned, lifting her up and spinning her around.
"We've created an heir!"
Ruoyan laughed, tears of joy spilling over.
But then, her expression clouded with the pragmatism of a wife.
"Husband... the doctor once said my constitution is delicate. With a child this powerful growing inside me, I cannot... I cannot endure your Dual Cultivation for the first few months.
You have the Primal Chaos Yang Body; if you don't vent that energy, it will burn you from the inside out."
"I can wait, Ruoyan.
Your health is—"
"No," Ruoyan interrupted, her eyes regaining their sharp "Queen of Gold" luster.
"You are a Dragon, Jiang Yi. You cannot be caged by my limitations.
If I cannot serve you... I will find a woman who can."
She looked toward the VIP box where the City Lord's family sat, specifically at the silver-haired beauty staring at the stage with cold, longing eyes.
"Zi Ling," Ruoyan whispered. "She has the Ice Spirit Body.
She is a frozen glacier. You are a sun. You are the only man in this city who won't be killed by her chill."
"Ruoyan, are you serious?"
"I've already arranged the meeting," Ruoyan smiled mischievously, pushing him toward the side exit.
"She helped us bid up the prices today just to get a glimpse of the 'Master Alchemist.' Go, Husband. Bring a sister home for the sake of the family—and for your own sanity."
Jiang Yi looked at his pregnant wife, then at the Iceberg Goddess in the balcony.
[System Mission: The Second Conquest.]
[Target: Zi Ling (Iceberg Goddess).]
[Objective: Melt the Glacier. Integrate the Ice Spirit.]
Jiang Yi straightened his collar, a wicked, predatory grin spreading across his face.
"Since my wife is so generous... I suppose it would be rude to refuse.
[author]
Daily Update 8/30!
We are officially one week into the daily upload streak! A huge welcome to all the new readers joining us.
Question of the Day: Jiang Yi is getting stronger fast, but he needs to make a choice. What do you think he should focus on next: stabilizing his Cultivation Base or hunting for the next Harem Member? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
If you are enjoying the daily speed, please Add to Library hit that button hard. It helps the story grow and motivates me to keep writing!
See you tomorrow for Chapter 9!
[/author]
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