Li Guanqi glanced to his side and sent a quiet voice transmission: "Father-in-law, are you well-acquainted with the Gu clan?"
Meng Jiangchu nodded and answered softly, "He is the son of an old friend. Furthermore, the Gu clan... their strength is immense. Rumor has it their ancestor is currently in secluded cultivation, pushing toward the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
"Besides, you might want to spend more time around this kid. He's quite an eccentric."
Li Guanqi nodded in silence. He wasn't entirely sure what Meng Jiangchu meant by "eccentric," but he guessed it was likely tied to how Gu Li drew talismans without pause.
Ever since they had met, Gu Li's hands had barely ceased moving. In just this short span, he had already inscribed over a hundred talismans.
One had to realize that these were all rank-seven talismans; producing them was more lucrative than mining a spirit stone vein.
As Li Guanqi walked through the city, he was also awed beyond measure by the sheer majesty of Qin Imperial City.
The one-foot-square white jade tiles beneath their feet were paved entirely out of mid-grade spirit stones!
Li Guanqi even spotted cultivators clad in the armor of city guards actively replacing tiles in the pavement...
"Whew, they really are rolling in wealth."
The broad thoroughfare measured a full eight zhang across. The buildings flanking both sides were at least three stories tall, while the loftier ones rose a dozen or even twenty stories high.
The carved balustrades and intricate ornaments on these structures were opulent to the extreme, proving that Qin Imperial City possessed a heritage far beyond anything in the outside world.
Every shop along the avenue was stocked with countless fine goods; spirit tools and ancient treasures were openly arrayed on shelves for patrons to inspect and choose from.
It was just that the listed prices were enough to make anyone's mouth twitch—the goods here were noticeably more expensive than those outside.
Even so, the items found here could rarely be obtained anywhere in the mortal domains.
Gu Li walked beside Li Guanqi, staring intently at him. Li Guanqi turned his head and gave a faint smile.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Gu Li grinned and gave a casual shrug. "Nothing much. I just feel you're even more amusing than that sworn brother of mine.
"Mmm... how should I put it? Your temperament suits my taste much better, hahaha!"
Watching Gu Li chuckle foolishly to himself, the corners of Li Guanqi's lips curved slightly.
It had to be said that beneath this youth's seemingly harmless exterior lay an exceedingly haughty soul and an explosive temper.
Those resounding slaps earlier had caught not only Zhao Bin and his companions off guard, but even Li Guanqi had not anticipated them...
Li Guanqi suddenly found himself missing the big yellow dog back in Fulong Village.
There were not many people in Qin Imperial City; its foot traffic could not even compare to an ordinary mortal city.
Yet every person walking the streets possessed a formidable aura, and there were many cultivators draped in black robes to mask their identities.
Li Guanqi carefully reined in his presence. In a place like this, it was always best to err on the side of caution.
To Li Guanqi's surprise, however, Meng Jiangchu truly did possess connections, just as he had claimed.
Along the way, numerous cultivators and shopkeepers took the initiative to greet him with great warmth.
Then again, it made sense. Meng Jiangchu was the Six Domains' preeminent weapon refiner; who could say how many ancient treasures and dharma artifacts across the Ethereal Immortal Domain had come from his forge?
The group made their way past shops dazzling with wares, and the crowd gradually thickened.
By then, Li Guanqi had spotted quite a few Void Refining Realm and Soul Formation Realm cultivators. These appeared to be native cultivators of the Ethereal Immortal Domain.
Or perhaps they were scions of clans that had cultivated roots here for generations.
Their auras were exceptionally solid, their foundations so firm that even Li Guanqi was somewhat astonished.
Moreover, the quality of their spiritual roots proved remarkably pure; even those possessing an ordinary heavenly spiritual root showed a distinctly pristine nature.
Li Guanqi could not help but marvel at how blessed these clan juniors were by heaven.
He began to wonder whether there was any notable difference between these native disciples of the Ethereal Immortal Domain and those of the Ancient Clans.
Lost in thought, the trio arrived before the entrance of an auction house before he realized it.
Looking up at the nineteen-story structure, Li Guanqi felt quite shaken.
Spanning more than three hundred zhang from side to side, the colossal auction house radiated a faint aura of pressure. Within his senses, numerous ripples of pocket domains resonated inside.
In other words, the interior space of the auction house was bound to be immense.
Meng Jiangchu said softly, "Let's go. The auction is about to begin; we should head in."
The moment the three stepped up to the entrance, a breathtakingly beautiful maidservant glided gracefully toward them.
She bowed respectfully to Meng Jiangchu and said in a gentle voice, "Honored Five Yang Ghost Emperor, your private room has been arranged. Shall I show you there now?"
As for Li Guanqi and Gu Li, the woman did not even ask their identities.
This was a customary courtesy extended by the auction house to esteemed guests.
Meng Jiangchu gave a slight nod, whereupon the maidservant bowed low and led the three inward.
Li Guanqi glanced curiously at Gu Li. "Aren't you heading back?"
Gu Li shrugged and chuckled, "What would I go back for? Whatever my clan buys has nothing to do with me anyway. If there's something I want, I'll just buy it myself.
"Heh-heh, I'd rather hang around with you a bit longer."
Seeing the grin on Gu Li's face, Li Guanqi could not shake the feeling that this kid had an ulterior motive.
Even so, he rather liked Gu Li's character, so he did not dwell on it.
He merely found it curious that Li Congxin had managed to befriend someone like Gu Li.
After winding through several corridors, the trio arrived before a gate of light. Seven more identical gates flanked it along the wall.
The maidservant clasped her hands gracefully before her and bowed deeply. "Distinguished guests, your private box lies beyond. Should you require anything, simply send a voice transmission."
Meng Jiangchu's expression remained tranquil as he gave a slight nod and stepped through the light screen, clearly no stranger to the establishment.
Li Guanqi followed right behind him. Gu Li glanced back at the maidservant, reached into his robes, pulled out a talisman, and slipped it to her.
As his hand brushed against her collar, the woman's cheeks flushed faintly. Her eyes softened like a pool of spring water, and she offered a wordless, pursed-lip curtsy.
Gu Li burst out laughing and strode through the light screen.
Passing through the barrier, Li Guanqi discovered that the interior was an independent pocket domain. The private box measured a full fifty zhang across, appointed with tables, chairs, and couches.
An entire wall of the chamber was formed by a formation light screen projecting the scene within the auction hall.
The hall below spanned a hundred zhang and was packed nearly to capacity. A subtle yet palpable pressure drifted through the expanse, keeping the entire gathering eerily quiet.
Li Guanqi noticed that the private boxes hovered above the seats below, though theirs appeared to be among the smallest.
Compared to the larger boxes, this one seemed somewhat modest, yet none of them paid it any mind.
Gu Li leaned against the light screen, tapped on it, and curled his lip. "Tsk. After all that, my old man only gets to sit down below."
Li Guanqi followed his gaze and saw a man clad in dark gold robes seated squarely in the middle of the hall.
The man's long hair was bound up, his facial features sharp and defined, his gaze profound, and the pressure radiating from him was similarly not to be taken lightly.
Chapter 829