novelraw Chapter 28 – Auction! The first beauty, as beautiful as jade!
Chapter 28 – Auction! The first beauty, as beautiful as jade!
Inside the inn.
Ye Bufan furrowed his brows, his expression shifting between light and dark.
He truly had no idea about this news regarding the Little Sword Immortal's younger brother, but now he fully understood what the elder who issued the mission was trying to do.
They intended to kidnap his brother and extort the Little Sword Immortal!
As a Golden Core elder, he feared nothing.
But the six of them were likely to be hunted down by the Little Sword Immortal to the ends of the earth!
"No wonder so few people know about his brother. The Little Sword Immortal must have been guarding against this very situation."
"It's not worth it for such a troublesome mission, but if I back out now..."
Backing out before the battle even began would ruin his reputation in the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Moreover, he never intended to complete the task assigned by his master. If he fled early from this mission as well, his master would likely be displeased with him.
Who knows what a Elemental Infant True Lord might do to a disciple like him if they were to lose their temper?
"Forget it, I'll just go through the motions when the time comes."
Ye Bufan remained steady.
Even though with his current strength he wasn't afraid of the Little Sword Immortal, he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Once the mission was completed, he would immediately return to the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Having made up his mind, Ye Bufan began to wander around Liuyun City, disguising himself in various forms to sell off the stolen goods he had obtained from Li Kui.
These were pills that enhanced the cultivation level of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Since they weren't potent enough for him, Ye Bufan preferred to exchange them for spirit stones to buy Core Formation materials.
These pills were quite valuable.
They were a popular choice among Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Especially with the Sealed Demon Ruins about to open, everyone wanted to enhance their strength to seize great opportunities inside, causing the value of talismans and pills to double.
Ye Bufan sold a few bottles of pills for thirty thousand spirit stones.
About a thousand spirit stones per pill.
"Nowadays, Second-Stage and Third-Stage Talismans are even more expensive, with top-tier Second-Stage ones going for twelve hundred spirit stones, and Third-Stage ones reaching as high as six thousand!"
Ye Bufan stared longingly at the talismans in the Thousand Treasures Pavilion's display case.
These were life-saving items.
If he were a talisman master, he would be making a fortune right now.
"Unfortunately, after searching for so long, I still haven't found a secret technique to increase the success rate of drawing talismans."
Ye Bufan felt helpless. To become a Second-Stage talisman master required talent and decades of experience in drawing talismans.
But if he had a secret technique...
He could become a Second-Stage talisman master in a short time!
"Secret techniques are even harder to find than Core Formation materials. Forget it, for now, I'll focus on that 'Pure Heaven Water.' Forty thousand spirit stones should be enough."
Ye Bufan left the shop, glanced at the gradually darkening sky, and headed back to the inn.
This "Pure Heaven Water" came from the Great Snow Mountain beyond the border, extremely yin and cold, taking a thousand years to nurture. It had the effect of purifying the Golden Core during Core Formation, with a chance to enhance it by one turn.
Even a single turn was enough to drive the prodigies mad.
It represented the hope of forming a Elemental Infant in the future.
Of course, there was also a great risk. The extreme cold of Pure Heaven Water could freeze the Golden Core to death if not handled carefully, leading to failure and death during Core Formation.
If not for this risk...
Ye Bufan wouldn't dare say that forty thousand spirit stones would be enough to acquire it.
As soon as he returned to the inn, Ye Bufan informed Mo Hong of Xu Zhengyi's whereabouts.
Since he had marked Xu Zhengyi, he could sense all of his movements.
"This guy arrived in Liuyun City a few days ago and is acting so high-profile, not hiding his identity at all."
Mo Hong was a bit surprised.
Wu Feng, who had just returned, said, "If he didn't hide his identity, it would probably take Junior Brother Ye ten days to half a month to track him down."
Their tone was teasing, with a hint of jealousy.
Because they saw Liu Keqing cozying up to him, showing concern and care.
Such treatment wasn't even enjoyed by the core disciples of the sect.
"If you have the skills, go find out for yourself!"
Liu Keqing rolled her eyes and couldn't help but retort.
Wu Feng's targeting behavior really annoyed her.
"Alright, let's work together and think about how to capture Xu Zhengyi and bring him back to the demon sect!"
"As for him not hiding his identity, if you were a righteous path guy, you wouldn't need to hide either."
The thin man glanced at Wu Feng and said calmly.
Hearing this, Wu Feng reluctantly fell silent.
They had been involved in numerous murders of the righteous path's five great sects, making them notorious figures. If they showed themselves openly, they would be targeted.
"When he is alone, we'll find an opportunity to act."
"I heard Xu Zhengyi is fond of women. Junior Sister Liu's charm technique is exceptional, let him lower his guard, then the Wu Feng brothers can strike first. The two of you can suppress him, and with me personally overseeing, it won't take more than ten breaths to capture him!"
Mo Hong confidently said. Xu Zhengyi, at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, wasn't considered strong, and they could easily take him down.
Then he paused and looked at Ye Bufan.
"As for Junior Brother Ye... keep watch to prevent support from Shangqing Palace from arriving."
This arrangement meant Ye Bufan had the easiest task, essentially just playing a minor role.
But Mo Hong had no choice; he couldn't involve the first disciple of the patriarch in their battle, could he?
The gap between the sixth and first levels of Foundation Establishment was too vast. A casual spell from the former could easily take the latter's life.
"Even if he dies, I need to extract his value, and he can't die by my hand."
Mo Hong thought to himself.
Wu Feng, standing nearby, was somewhat dissatisfied, but due to Mo Hong's presence, he didn't dare say anything.
"The tracking from now on is up to Junior Brother Ye. As soon as there's an opportunity, inform us immediately."
Mo Hong said with a smile.
Ye Bufan nodded, and then the group dispersed.
Since they wanted him to track, he naturally set the kidnapping date for after the auction.
As for Xu Zhengyi's identity as the Little Sword Immortal's brother...
Mo Hong and the Wu Feng brothers weren't good people, so once the matter was resolved...
He planned to impersonate the Little Sword Immortal and stab these guys with a sword.
In the following days...
Ye Bufan spent his time either searching for Core Formation materials or looking for talisman-drawing secret techniques, with the remaining time spent tracking Xu Zhengyi.
In recent days, more and more high-level cultivators gathered in Liuyun City. Disciples from the righteous path's five great sects, as well as the other two major demonic forces, the Hehuan Sect and the Myriad Beast Valley, had arrived.
Ye Bufan even spotted some familiar faces.
Chu Zixue and Shangguan Qingyao.
Fortunately, Ye Bufan's Creature Creation Technique was excellent at altering his aura, so he wasn't detected.
Ye Bufan then noticed that for several consecutive days, Xu Zhengyi was just wandering around Liuyun City.
Either trying to get close to the beautiful female cultivators of one of the five great sects, the Snow Spirit Sect, or searching for special top-tier magical instruments in various crafting shops.
His movements were so clear.
So clear that Ye Bufan sensed something was amiss.
But he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong.
"Was this guy always this arrogant?"
Ye Bufan stared at Xu Zhengyi, who was chatting and laughing with the female cultivators of the Snow Spirit Sect not far away, his brows furrowed.
He quietly retreated and visited Old Xiao's general store.
There, he learned... Xu Zhengyi had always been this arrogant in Shangqing Palace, doing everything in a high-profile manner.
"I've been overly cautious."
Ye Bufan shook his head.
Finally.
Five days later, the auction began.
Since it was hosted by the Liuyun City Lord's Mansion, the event was of high caliber, and Ye Bufan had to pay fifty spirit stones to enter.
He had just sat down when a commotion arose around him.
"The number one beauty of the righteous and demonic paths is here!"
"Wow, this auction actually attracted her?!"
Excited voices came from nearby.
Ye Bufan turned his head and a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.
The newcomer was a young woman in her late teens, dressed in a blue and white long dress, with a graceful figure, three thousand strands of black hair cascading over her shoulders, delicate brows, a jade-like nose, and lips like cherries.
Her aura was like that of a celestial maiden descending to the mortal world, untouched by dust.
Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but her aura was also terrifyingly powerful, even stronger than Chu Zixue and Shangguan Qingyao.
"This is... no way? Is this the woman my master wants me to sleep with?!"
Seeing the woman, Ye Bufan's face turned green.
When the little Lolita instructed him, there was a portrait among the top-tier talismans she gave him, just telling him to find the person in the portrait when he arrived in Liuyun City.
She didn't say who it was!
This woman was the number one beauty of the righteous path and also the most terrifyingly talented woman Zhao Kingdom had seen in a thousand years.
The Saintess of the Snow Spirit Sect—Yan Ruyu!