Three Hundred Thousand Inscribed Talismans?

The moment Ru Meng appeared, she drew every eye in the hall. She was truly breathtaking. Her soul-captivating eyes and the gentle flutter of her eyelashes tugged at the heartstrings of many present. The sultry charm radiating from her every gesture compelled numerous cultivators to circulate their primal energy just to suppress their surging blood. Gu Li and Li Guanqi, by contrast, remained completely unmoved, their gazes clear. Gu Li had no qualms about flirting with maidservants, yet he maintained a healthy wariness toward a thorny blossom like this. Down below, however, younger clan disciples attending the auction for the first time were visibly embarrassed, hanging their heads with flushed faces. Ru Meng stood gracefully on the stage, the light accentuating her proud, shapely figure to perfection. With a slender waist and generous hips, she took only a few paces toward the front of the stage, her swaying gait reminiscent of willows in a spring breeze. With a flick of her hand, a sheathed longsword radiating powerful sword intent floated before her. The image of the magnificent sword also materialized on the light screen inside Li Guanqi’s private box. Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. With his discernment, he could tell at once that this weapon was extraordinary. Meng Jiangchu spoke up in surprise. “Is that… Sword Venerable Zhicheng’s personal sword, Chanxi?” Gu Changsheng remarked with deep feeling, “So Xu Zhicheng really is dead. No wonder the Xu clan gradually faded from view. A descendant of the Xu family must have put it up for auction.” Li Guanqi had not expected Meng Jiangchu to recognize the sword's former master. The weapon appeared to be a rare spirit treasure–grade longsword. It already had the nascent form of a sword spirit and carried sword intent at the Sword Heart Realm. Whoever won the bid would not only gain a blade of exceptional caliber, but more importantly, a legacy. It was quite possible that the prior owner's comprehension of the sword dao remained sealed within. Ru Meng gave a brief introduction of the sword's origin, grade, and rarity. It aligned precisely with Li Guanqi's thoughts, though the opening price was somewhat intriguing. Raising a single finger, Ru Meng curved her lips into a slight smile and said softly, "The opening bid is ten thousand high-grade spirit stones. Esteemed guests, if this catches your fancy, you may place your bids." A low murmur rippled through the hall below, but the bidding quickly turned fervent. In the blink of an eye, the price of the sword Chanxi soared to nine and a half million high-grade spirit stones! Top-tier ancient treasures usually fetched around three million, yet this sword had spiked straight to nine and a half million. When the bid of nine and a half million was called, the entire first floor grew noticeably quiet. That sum was already beyond what most could afford. The bidder was a white-haired elder seated toward the middle-back rows on the first floor. Beside the elder stood a young man flushed with excitement. Li Guanqi smiled the moment he looked down—it was none other than Zhao Bin, who had clashed with him earlier. Ru Meng spoke in a gentle voice, "Nine and a half million going twice. If there are no further bids, Chanxi will belong to guest number two hundred and ninety." Zhao Bin’s face was bright red with tension, his palms slick with sweat. "Twelve million." A man’s cool, casual voice drifted out from one of the private boxes. Instantly, every eye turned to the center of the second floor—to the largest private box in the entire auction house! Inside the room, a sweet-looking young woman tugged at a young man’s arm, laughing merrily. "Hahaha, I knew you were the best, Brother!" Seated in a chair, the black-robed youth shook his head with a chuckle, casting an affectionate look at his sister. "All right, no more reckless spending on other things." Down below, Zhao Bin's expression turned exceedingly grim, all his earlier excitement vanished into thin air. He turned to the elder beside him and pleaded, "Ancestor, let's bid one more time, please." The elder frowned, his voice cold and flat as he sent a stern transmission: "Don't force me to beat you right here. Do you not see which box that is? The Qin Prince Pavilion!" Zhao Bin finally realized what he was looking at. His heart gave a violent shudder, and his face blanched as he stiffly glanced up toward the second floor. Standing by the window of that box was a man clad in a black brocade robe. The young man bore a handsome countenance with a smile on his face, yet a touch of wicked charm lingered at the corners of his lips. Zhao Bin hurriedly lowered his head. He naturally knew who that was! The Imperial Son of Qin Imperial City, Qin Wushang! Sensing something, Li Guanqi stood up, walked over to the window of his own box, and looked out. Qin Wushang happened to turn his head at that exact moment. Their eyes met, and the youth offered Li Guanqi a slight nod. Li Guanqi returned the gesture, yet tumultuous waves surged within his heart. *An expert! An absolute expert!* The feeling of impending peril that Li Guanqi had just experienced was overpowering. The man had to be in the Body Integration Realm as well. A single glance from him had sent a chill down Li Guanqi's spine, coldness shooting straight to the crown of his head! Gu Li walked over beside him and muttered, "Tsk, tsk. As expected of the Imperial Son of Qin Imperial City. That presence… that strength… bloody terrifying." Li Guanqi turned to ask, "You know him?" Gu Li grinned. "Imperial Son Qin Wushang of Qin Imperial City in the Ethereal Immortal Domain—who doesn't know him? Acclaimed as the Qin clan's greatest genius in ten thousand years. Entered Void Refinement at eighteen, stepped into the Body Integration Realm at twenty. Blessed with a saint-grade spiritual root and an Innate Sword Body. Word has it no one among the younger generation has ever defeated him. This is my first time seeing him in person too." Li Guanqi nodded. A strange sense of familiarity stirred within him, yet he could not recall where he might have encountered someone like him before. Across the way, Qin Wushang curled the corner of his lips and murmured softly, "He truly resembles that old acquaintance..." Because the very first auction item had surpassed ten million, the atmosphere throughout the auction house grew considerably more heated. Every subsequent lot proved an eye-opener for Li Guanqi. Incredibly rare spiritual herbs and plants that were virtually impossible to find in the outside world appeared here, along with an array of exotic treasures. "One cun of Dragon Scale Divine Wood." Ru Meng held a small barrier within her hands, inside of which was sealed a foot-long piece of emerald divine wood. It appeared to be the core of a tree, fully green and radiating dense vitality, its surface seemingly covered in fine dragon scales. The fervor in the hall reached a crescendo as everyone fixated on this segment of Dragon Scale Divine Wood. Refined into pills, such material was enough to extend a Body Integration Realm expert's lifespan by a thousand years, not to mention its miraculous healing properties. Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. Beside him, Gu Li chuckled. "You want this? What would you use it for? You've only just broken through. Oh! I get it—you want to buy it for Jiuxiao, don't you?" Li Guanqi said nothing, but that was precisely what he intended. Without a second word, Gu Li pulled off three full storage rings and handed them to Li Guanqi. "Buy it! If it's not enough, I've got more." Li Guanqi paused, startled. "What's inside? Spirit stones?" Gu Li shrugged. "Nope." "Then what?" "Uh… altogether, probably around three hundred thousand inscribed talismans. Should be worth around thirty million?" Gu Changsheng’s cheek twitched. Meng Jiangchu laughed. "This kid is just as wealthy as ever." Li Guanqi swallowed hard and couldn't help asking, "Just how many inscribed talismans do you have?" Gu Li flashed a mysterious grin. "I don't know either." From the stage, Ru Meng announced, "Dragon Scale Divine Wood, opening bid of six million high-grade spirit stones." Li Guanqi took a deep breath. "Consider it a loan. Thanks."