The Auction Street

"Lei Dong, what is the meaning of that expression on your face?"

"Senior Sister Ding, forgive your junior brother for speaking bluntly. You are a core disciple of the Yinsha Sect, one of the Yinsha Twin Geniuses. In the eyes of those hypocrites, you are a demoness of the evil sect. What is this about wearing a rainbow feather dress? Those clothes are fake and absolutely do not look good."

Ding Wanyan did not get angry; instead, she found it amusing. Looking at him, she said:
"Then what should I..."

Before Ding Wanyan could finish, she suddenly noticed Lei Dong focusing on a distant stall. Following his gaze, she saw that unlike the surrounding stall owners, this owner was not shouting to invite customers, yet a crowd had gathered around.

The stall owner appeared to be in her early twenties, petite and beautiful. What caught the eye most was her attire, which accentuated her stunning figure. Her brow arched, and her eyes swept over the crowd. A slight frown from her made everyone dazed, unable to control themselves. The crowd surrounding her consisted almost entirely of men. Teased and scolded by her with a pout, they willingly pulled out their storage bags to purchase her items, looking utterly enchanted.

"Junior Brother Lei!"

Ding Wanyan's smile stiffened slightly, and her Yinsha Qi could not help but diffuse outward, causing the surrounding temperature to suddenly drop.

"Senior Sister, look at that woman. Something seems off about her."

Lei Dong seemed oblivious to her reaction, merely frowning. "She seems to be using a Charm Art."

Ding Wanyan paused and looked closely. It was indeed so. In her heart, she felt a pang of guilt toward Lei Dong; she had seemingly misunderstood him just now. But what was wrong with her? Seeing him stare at that beautiful woman had made her feel highly uncomfortable. After observing for a moment, she frowned and said:
"She seems to be a female disciple of the Yinyang Hehuan Sect. How bold of her to dress like that in the Yinsha Sect's Market Square."

By instinct, she felt an extreme aversion to the woman's attire.

"Alright, Senior Sister, let's go help Junior Brother Zuo look for a flying artifact first."

"Mm."

After casting a glance at the woman, Ding Wanyan turned and walked with Lei Dong to find a stall selling flying artifacts. Unfortunately, after browsing ten stalls in a row, almost all of them sold low-grade flying artifacts. Even if there was a mid-grade one, it was not for sale.

With Ding Wanyan and Lei Dong's current high standards, mid-grade artifacts were no longer worth their attention. After searching for a long time, they could not find anything satisfactory. On the other hand, Zuo Chao kept declining, saying any usable flying artifact would do.

They probably would not find anything at these stalls, but the three of them had at least broadened their horizons. The Market Square still had good things, but they were all in the official shops.

Passing through these stalls, they arrived directly at a magnificently decorated shop. The artifacts inside belonged to the industries of the Yinsha Sect itself. Even the young shop assistant was at the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Stage.

Upon seeing their jade pendants, the assistant hurriedly bowed respectfully and said:
"So it is Senior Sister Ding and the two Senior Brothers from the Wangui Abyss. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner."

Although Lei Dong and Zuo Chao were direct disciples, their reputation was not as grand as Ding Wanyan's. Hence, they were referred to as the two Senior Brothers.

They did not beat around the bush and directly stated their purpose. After a moment of thought, the assistant said solemnly:
"High-grade flying artifacts are rare items and are seldom displayed directly on the shelves. Usually, they are handed over to the auction house to be won by the highest bidder. Today, due to the major event of the sect, an auction targeting Qi Refining Stage disciples happens to be taking place. If Senior Sister and Senior Brothers are interested, I can lead you there. With your status, you are fully qualified to enter."

Lei Dong and the others had never witnessed an auction before. After some thought, they agreed.

Soon, the three of them were led into a massive cave abode on the mountainside. It was also magnificently decorated, though it did not lack the bizarre style unique to the Yinsha Sect.

The auction was held in a grand hall. Although there was still some time before the auction began, more than half of the seats were already occupied. Most of those seated were Qi Refining Stage cultivators, and their levels were by no means low. Upon seeing Lei Dong and the others enter, they could not help but scan them several times. But when they saw Ding Wanyan, a commotion broke out. Many whispered among themselves, discussing her. They spoke of Ding Wanyan's cultivation, her status, and her artifacts. Even those who did not know her were quietly informed of her background.

As one of the most popular candidates to win the championship, Ding Wanyan naturally attracted a great deal of attention. Ignoring them, she found a table. The three of them sat down as if no one else was around, sipping the tea brought by the maidservants.

Lei Dong also scanned the ages of the crowd. Most of them were likely disciples from the previous two intakes, with the oldest probably being around forty. However, those who dared to appear here were mostly at the eleventh or twelfth layer of the Qi Refining Stage. Due to their aptitude or other reasons, they had been unable to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage despite cultivating for thirty years. Therefore, they wanted to seize this opportunity to try their luck and see if they could find any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to break through their cultivation.

Seeing their experienced yet somewhat weathered faces, Lei Dong felt a deep emotion. To persist in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage like this, their aptitude was definitely above average. Otherwise, they would have long since learned a trade and entered the sect's industries. The reason he felt so moved was that thanks to the heaven-defying Soul-Devouring Pagoda, his resource accumulation was several times faster. Otherwise, he would be no different from them, struggling bitterly for thirty years. If another ten years passed and their bodily functions began to decline, even if they wanted to establish their foundation, it would be absolutely impossible.

This left Lei Dong both startled and fortunate.

This was also one of the most important reasons why direct disciples like Ding Wanyan could not afford to distract themselves with miscellaneous studies like alchemy or artifact refining. As for Lei Dong, with his aptitude, he was practically snatching his destiny from heaven, and he could afford to waste no time.

Lei Dong and Zuo Chao chatted slowly, with Ding Wanyan occasionally chiming in. Time passed quickly. Before long, the hall was packed. Quite a few direct disciples of other Ancestors had also come to replenish their supplies before the battle began.