Chapter 539: Thousand-Year Spirit Lotus |
With a loud bang, Ning Qi didn't waste any words and directly punched the guy, sending him flying.
Thankfully, there were protective restrictions in this private room.
The room wasn't smashed to pieces.
Looking over again, the person from before was already knocked out cold.
"Kid, you're looking for death."
Seeing this, the young man from earlier immediately flew into a rage. "Do you know who we are?"
"Who you are, does it have anything to do with me?"
Ning Qi gave the person before him a disdainful look and continued, "Get out, or I'll make you die."
"You just wait."
He had already sensed a powerful aura from Ning Qi and clearly understood that the few of them were no match for him at all.
They could only retreat indignantly.
"Young Master, apologies for causing you trouble."
The shop assistant from earlier came over, hurriedly apologizing to Ning Qi.
"No need to be polite, this has nothing to do with you!"
Ning Qi waved his hand dismissively, then continued, "Your auction is about to start, right?"
"Yes, it's starting very soon. Look, people are already preparing down below!"
The shop assistant nodded, pointing downwards.
Sure enough, people could be seen tidying up down there.
Many had already quieted down.
"Good!"
"Bring up some spirit wine and spirit dishes!"
Ning Qi nodded, then directly sat down.
"Yes, sir!"
The shop assistant acknowledged the order and hastily retreated.
"Master, those bastards from earlier might very well come back!"
Pill Spirit looked behind them, a grave expression appearing on his face.
"The strongest person in this city is only at the early True Immortal stage."
"What's there to be afraid of?"
"Let them come as they please."
Ning Qi gave a scornful laugh, then shifted his attention downwards.
At this moment, the auction hall was packed to capacity.
Some people were even standing at the sides.
This showed just how lively this auction was.
"Everyone, our auction will now begin!"
"Let's not waste words. Our first auction item today is a set of armor."
"It's something brought back from the outside world!"
At this moment, the auctioneer stepped forward, announcing the first item to the crowd.
"From the outside world?"
"Then it must have been brought back by the Myriad Swords Sect, right? I heard they just returned a few days ago."
"Not necessarily. Weren't there several sects that went out?"
"Stop arguing, let's see what's going on!"
...
Immediately, people began discussing.
"Master, I think it really does look a bit like something from that Continent Fragment space."
Pill Spirit's attention was also focused on the armor before him.
"Everyone, its starting price is five hundred thousand spirit stones."
At this point, the auctioneer spoke again.
"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Six hundred and fifty thousand."
...
Immediately after, people began bidding.
However, Ning Qi had no interest in this. Instead, he crossed his legs and said, "Then let's wait and see if there's anything useful."
"Third Uncle, it's him."
Right at this moment, footsteps of several people came from the doorway.
There was also a familiar voice; clearly, it was that young man from earlier, bringing people with him.
Ning Qi turned his head to look and saw several people standing at the entrance.
Among them was a burly middle-aged man.
Judging by his aura, he was quite strong, already at the Half-Step True Immortal stage.
He was just one step away from that final breakthrough.
"Master, a powerful one has come."
Pill Spirit also sensed something was off.
"Oh? Not bad, there's also a Pill Spirit."
Having reached the middle-aged man's level of strength, one could already see Pill Spirit.
"Pill Spirit?"
"Third Uncle, what's a Pill Spirit?"
The young man still didn't know and was somewhat curious.
"If you've come to apologize, then kneel down and make amends."
"If not, get out and wait first. We'll talk after I finish attending the auction."
Ning Qi merely glanced at them and then continued, "Right now, I'm in a good mood and don't feel like starting a massacre."
"Oh? You sound quite arrogant from your tone."
"You're just a rogue cultivator. Who gave you the courage to act wild in our city!"
Hearing Ning Qi's words, the middle-aged man not only didn't leave.
Instead, after walking in, he asked with a face full of disdain.
"If you want to seek death, I can grant it to you anytime."
Ning Qi still hadn't unleashed his own power. He just gave the man an indifferent look. "You're just a Half-Step True Immortal trash. Who gave you the courage to sit beside me?"
"You!"
"You..."
Having his strength seen through by Ning Qi with a single glance, the middle-aged man couldn't even speak coherently.
"Within two months, you'll be able to open the Immortal Gate."
"Don't do anything stupid."
Ning Qi glanced at him, having already seen through his strength.
He even guessed when he could break through.
"Third Uncle, don't listen to his nonsense!"
Seeing this, the young man hurriedly came over to say.
"Scoundrel, get lost!"
The middle-aged man angrily scolded, then shifted his gaze back to Ning Qi. "Senior, apologies for the earlier disturbance. We'll take our leave now."
"Take care."
Ning Qi just waved his hand, paying them no further mind.
"Third Uncle!"
Seeing the middle-aged man stand up, the young man still wanted to say something.
However, he was met with a look from the middle-aged man. "Let's go!"
In the end, the young man just followed the middle-aged man and left.
From beginning to end, he didn't understand what was going on.
Clearly, his Third Uncle was a top-tier expert in this area, yet he could be intimidated by a young man.
After everyone had left, Pill Spirit curled his lip. "So annoying."
"Don't mind them, let's continue watching the excitement."
Ning Qi, however, didn't care and continued looking ahead.
At this moment, the people below had already started auctioning a new round of treasures.
However, Ning Qi just took one look and felt it was rather uninteresting.
"Everyone, the next item is a spiritual medicine."
"Similarly obtained from the outside world!"
"It's a snow lotus."
"It's said that possessing it allows one to refine top-grade pills!"
At this point, the auctioneer began the auction again.
"What snow lotus?"
"Bring it out for everyone to see!"
...
It immediately attracted the attention of many.
Hearing there was a spiritual medicine, Pill Spirit immediately became interested too.
He leaned forward to check out the situation.
"Bring it up!"
The auctioneer gave an order to the shop assistant.
Subsequently, a shop assistant brought out a snow lotus.
He then opened the brocade box containing the snow lotus.
The entire snow lotus was crystal clear throughout, not at all like something grown from a plant.
It looked more like it had condensed the essence of heaven and earth, gathering and nurturing it into form.
Pill Spirit only needed one glance before stating with great certainty, "Such shallow knowledge. This isn't any snow lotus."
"This is a Thousand-Year Spirit Lotus."
"Although it was indeed nurtured in snowy mountains, what it absorbs is the essence of the sun and moon."
"It has nothing to do with the ice attribute. It's just that its growth environment gave it some ice properties."
"Using this can purify the human body."
"If one is eroded by Limitless Evil Energy, it can be purified!"
Looking at the Thousand-Year Spirit Lotus below, Pill Spirit couldn't help but reveal a hopeful expression. "If I could devour it, I could become even stronger!"
"Do you want it?"
Hearing this, Ning Qi couldn't help but smile and ask.
"Of course, this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity."
"Master, can you help me get it?"
Pill Spirit nodded vigorously, looking at Ning Qi with pleading eyes.
"Why wouldn't that be possible?"
Ning Qi looked downwards and continued, "Let him wait for the bidding to start. I'll help you get it."
"Thank you, Master!"
Hearing Ning Qi say this, Pill Spirit gratefully kowtowed repeatedly.
"Cut that out!"
"In the future, just cause me less trouble, that's all."
Ning Qi shot him an exasperated glare, then looked downwards again.
"This snow lotus has a starting price of five million spirit stones."
"They are top-grade spirit stones! Those who need it can start raising the bid!"
The auctioneer waited for the discussion to die down before speaking.
"Six million!"
"Six and a half million."
"Eight million!"
...
The people below began bidding one after another.
Each and every one wore an expression of absolute determination.
None willing to yield.
"Fifteen million!"
Just as everyone was arguing till they were red in the face, Ning Qi spoke up.
"Who?"
"Which bastard is bidding so recklessly?!"
"Doubling it directly, is he here to cause trouble?!"
...
After he made his bid, many people looked towards his direction.
Their eyes were filled with anger.
If not for the protective restrictions, they would have long since charged up to settle accounts with him.
"Twenty million!"
After Ning Qi made his bid, before everyone could even react.
From another private box, someone had already continued raising the price.
"Five million!"
At this point, Ning Qi quoted another price.
The people below, hearing this, were amused by him.
"The other party already bid twenty million, and you're still bidding five million."
"This kid is definitely here to cause trouble on purpose."
"Aren't you going to deal with him?"
...
Many began to mock him.
Some even started clamoring for the auction house to take care of Ning Qi.
"I said five million spirit marrow, not spirit stones."
Just as everyone began discussing, Ning Qi added another sentence. "If you're not convinced, keep going. Bidding with spirit stones is too much of a waste of time."
"What, spirit marrow?"
"There isn't much in the entire Lower Realm, right? He's actually using precious spirit marrow for the transaction?"
"This kid is crazy."
"He's definitely here to cause trouble."
...
This time, the discussion grew even louder.
Everyone was waiting to see the spectacle.
"Since you don't believe it, then I'll show you!"
"Auctioneer, catch."
Ning Qi couldn't be bothered to argue with them. He directly threw a storage bag from his side down below.
"Whoosh!"
The auctioneer caught it in one hand, his divine sense probing inside.
His face immediately revealed a look of shock.
"How is it?"
"What is it?"
"Spirit marrow?"
The onlookers all asked him what he had detected.
Each face was filled with curiosity.
"Inside here... is ten million spirit marrow."
The auctioneer swallowed hard and said with difficulty.
"Right, if you're not convinced, keep raising the bid against me. If you don't, then it's five million spirit marrow."
"Also, for the extra, I'll see if there are any good items later. If there are, I'll auction them together!"
Ning Qi, from his private room, said to the crowd, "Don't be so cowardly. If you want to raise against me, then be quick about it."
After his provocation, no one continued to raise the bid against him.
Spirit marrow was a very rare existence here.
Ten thousand spirit marrow was equivalent to fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones.
This was the most basic exchange rate.
However, the value lay in the fact that spirit marrow was extremely rare. Right now, even if it were ten thousand for a hundred thousand, it would be a situation where there's demand but no supply.
Some people would offer a hundred and fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones to exchange, but still couldn't get it.
It wasn't that they offered too little, but that there simply wasn't any.
This stuff was all controlled by major families and sects; ordinary people couldn't even dream of touching it.
"Five million, sold!"
The auctioneer also knew that others couldn't afford to bid anymore.
This rich young master had given far too much; it already far exceeded the value of this snow lotus.
"Master, actually, if it were at the Immortal Gate, forget five million spirit marrow, even if you added ten times more, you couldn't exchange for a single leaf of this Thousand-Year Spirit Lotus."
"It's only in this poor place that no one recognizes its value!"
Pill Spirit, by Ning Qi's side, said with a smile, "However, you offering spirit marrow really is a bit too much. Aren't you afraid these people will cause trouble for us?"
"This place is secluded. Who would know I'm here?"
Ning Qi gave a scornful laugh, then said to the people below, "Payment upon delivery."
"Send the snow lotus up to me."
"Alright, sending it over right away!"
The auctioneer acknowledged and gave the shop assistant a look.
The shop assistant hurriedly closed the brocade box, then hastily left.
Clearly, he was coming over to deliver the snow lotus to Ning Qi.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the shop assistant finally arrived upstairs.
After entering, he hurriedly walked over.
"Young Master, your snow lotus."
The shop assistant stepped forward, respectfully placing both the snow lotus and the brocade box on Ning Qi's table.
"Good!"
Ning Qi just nodded. "You may leave."
"Yes!"
The shop assistant accepted the order and hastily retreated.
Ning Qi took a look, then pointed at the snow lotus. "Alright, take it and devour it!"
"Thank you, Master!"
Pill Spirit was extremely excited and rushed forward immediately.
Opening his large mouth, he swallowed the Thousand-Year Spirit Lotus whole in one gulp.
The Thousand-Year Spirit Lotus churned violently in his stomach for a while, finally shrinking at a visible rate.
In just a few breaths, it completely disappeared.
And now, the Pill Spirit before him was lying on Ning Qi's shoulder.
"So full!"
He even let out a burp.
Overall, his body looked even more crystal clear than before.
It felt a bit like the Thousand-Year Spirit Lotus had possessed him.
"That's it?"
"You didn't even get stronger, did you?"
Looking at the Pill Spirit before him, Ning Qi showed a regretful expression. "Such a good thing, all fed to a dog!"
"Master, you can't say that. Me getting stronger is also beneficial for you!"
"The spiritual energy and life force I emit in the future can help you bring people back from the dead!"
Puckering his lips, Pill Spirit continued, "Now that I'm following you, during your battles, I can already help replenish your stamina and your consumption of Immortal-Demonic Power!"
"Oh? That impressive?"
Hearing this, Ning Qi couldn't help but examine Pill Spirit curiously. "It seems my spirit marrow was very well spent!"
"Of course it was!"
Pill Spirit said proudly, "I am a tens-of-thousands-of-years-old Pill Spirit, my value is very high!"
"Everyone, our next auction item is also from the outside world!"
While the two were chatting, the auctioneer below spoke up again.