The two of them arrived at the venue promptly, and as they stepped into the Purple Cloud Treasure Pavilion, Qiao Guiying led her straight to the topmost floor, where the Auction Hall was built.

Making their way up the floors, Qiao Guiying explained, “Our Auction Hall is divided into three floors: the lowest floor where most of the people who can’t afford to waste too much money are accommodated; then, we have the Silver-grade Rooms on the second floor which is for people with importance; then we have Gold-grade rooms on the third floor, which is reserved for people of importance - especially from the Sect. And of course, we have two rooms for ourselves permanently reserved.”

“Like Inner Sect members?” Xiao Hong inquired curiously.

“Haha, no, those people would not even bat an eye at the items we showcase here. Even during the rare Bi-decennial Auction, they seldom grace us with their presence.” Qiao Guiying just chuckled, “No, these are for the Deacons and Elders of the Outer Sect. Though, even they rarely visit. And that too only during the Bi-decennial Auction - which mainly attracts the formidable cultivators of the Soul Palace and Celestial Bridge Realm. Even Nirvana experts can only be relegated to the lowest floor.”

Qiao Guiying continued to explain more as they directly went up to the third floor.

“I can’t help but notice - these private booths… aren’t really private.” She gestured towards the open windows that would offer an unobstructed view of the proceedings inside. She also couldn’t detect fluctuations of Spiritual Energy,  “Shouldn’t they at least have some sort of cover?”

Qiao Guiying looked confused, “Why would they need it?”

Xiao Hong also felt rather confused, “What if someone bids for some very powerful item and other cultivators have ideas about it, won’t they be in danger at that time? Or if they are too weak and have too much wealth in their hands, would it not tempt others?”

Qiao Guiying just gave her a strange look. “...Sister Hong, this is the Qiao Family’s territory, and even more importantly, it's the stomping ground of the Sect. Such an act of killing and robbing would be the finest definition of courting death! It’s a one-way ticket to the Netherworld!”

Xiao Hong was surprised once again! This Xianxia World had once again made her wonder about the intricacies of the Immortal Cultivation World.

As the two of them reached the third floor where the Heaven-grade Private Rooms were, they noticed two men, one was a middle-aged, handsome-looking man with an unfathomable aura. Xiao Hong didn’t need to think twice before confirming this was a powerful cultivator far beyond Nirvana. He also looked slightly familiar but Xiao Hong couldn’t quite place it.

The other one was a young man who looked to be in his late twenties. He also gave off a powerful aura which made Xiao Hong sure that she had absolutely no chance against him in a fight. His aura was also slightly unstable which was what allowed Xiao Hong to sense his aura. The aura had a slight hint of thunder element - showing that he was likely a Wind-Thunder Disaster Expert. This meant that this young man was an 8 Disaster Expert! 

‘No wonder I feel I gave no chance against this fellow!’ Xiao Hong was wary the moment she noticed him.

The two men had also apparently noticed the two of them as they made their way towards them. 

“Eh, Father?” Qiao Guiying’s surprise was obvious from her slightly raised tone and widened eyes. “And cousin Xuan?

“How come you are here?” 

Xiao Hong felt Qiao Guiying’s tone was slightly off when she said the final sentence. It seemed to be that she might not be entirely thrilled to see one or both of them.

“Ah, cousin Guiying! I didn’t expect you to come to the Auction this time! Don’t you usually ignore it?” The young man, named Qiao Xuan looked at his cousin in surprise and greeted his cousin with enthusiasm. He then turned to Xiao Hong and his eyes immediately lit up!

“And who is this beautiful lady that accompanies you?” Qiao Xuan's eyes roamed all over Xiao Hong as he asked. His gaze gave Xiao Hong a similar feeling to Mo Tong’s. This fellow probably saw her as a piece of meat!

“This is Xiao Hong, my Junior Sister and a close friend. She is an extremely talented Grade 1 Alchemist and will become a Grade 2 Alchemist by next month!” Qiao Guiying said her tone was cold and distant. Xiao Hong keenly noted that she had used the status of a genius Alchemist to elevate Xiao Hong’s position in the conversation, while also giving her the ‘friend’ title.

And the reason was quite obvious - she wanted to tell him that this was her friend and he’d better not try to lay his hands on her.

“Oh, Junior Sister Xiao is quite talented. A Grade 2 Alchemist before adulthood; that’s not bad at all.” Qiao Xuan acted oblivious to Qiao Guiying’s implication. He politely cupped his fist and said, “I’m Qiao Xuan, Heir to the Qiao Family.”

He continued with a warm smile, “Junior Sister’s visage has truly made me re-define what the phrase ‘Immortal Fairy’ means!”

“Your words flatter me Senior Brother Qiao. With your esteemed status, you must have encountered Fairies more beautiful.” Xiao Hong also cupped her fist in the classic cultivator greeting. She could only politely greet this Young Master Qiao. She was not nearly strong enough to tell him to fuck off. 

She might have the power of a two Disaster cultivator, but that was nothing in front of an eight Disaster cultivator - one who definitely had battle strength beyond his realm. Practically any slightly talented member of the Purple Spirit Sect could casually beat up ordinary cultivators of the same realm - it wasn’t a super Sect for nothing. The old Xiao Hong was truly an outlier in this regard.

The Disaster Stage of Divine Sea Realm could roughly be divided into four smaller stages

Up to 4 Disasters, they are considered Ordinary Disaster experts. After the first Disaster - Metal Disaster, one faces the Water Disaster. With the positive interaction of ‘Metal collects Water’ a cultivator’s power increases exponentially. This continues until the fourth disaster.

After successfully overcoming the challenge of the five Elemental Disasters – Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth – a cycle of positive interaction is established, further enhancing the cultivator's prowess. They are called Elite Disaster experts.

Then the Yin Disaster and Yang Disaster form another stage which, once again, massively bolsters the cultivator’s power - they were called Great Disaster Experts.

The Wind-Thunder Disaster forms the third stage on its own. The boost in power is even greater than in the previous stages. These people were given the title of ‘True Disaster’. Given enough time, a battle between experts of this realm could flatten a mortal town. The power held by them truly underscored the significance of the adage “When Immortals fight, Mortals suffer”.

After the Life Disaster, one becomes a Nirvana Expert. They could casually off ‘True Disaster’.

“Haha! It’s not flattery at all! It's the deepest truth from the bottom of my heart!”

At this point, Qiao Guiying could not hold it any longer and directly interrupted. “It was nice to meet you Cousin, Father. I still have something I want to discuss with Junior Sister, so we’ll be taking our leave.” She knew what kind of fellow Qiao Xuan was. To say she was disgusted with him was an understatement. This scum would lay his hands on his very own cousin if he could!

So she grabbed Xiao Hong’s hand and was about to drag her away when the City Lord, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke up, “Ah, Guiying, accompany nephew for a while, I have some business to attend to.”

Although the City Lord spoke gently, his tone brooked no argument.

Qiao Guiying clenched her jaw, before releasing it. “Very well, Father.” She replied, her tone flat.

She understood what was going on. Her father wanted to use her Xiao Hong as a piece of meat to please his nephew and gain a favourable impression from him. 

As for what Xiao Hong thought? That was never even a consideration. According to the City Lord, it was the fortune of her lifetime to be a plaything of the prestigious Qiao Family’s Heir! As for Genius Alchemist and whatnot? She had to become a 3rd Grade Alchemist to have any weight in his eyes.

Then the City Lord turned his head, dismissing them with a casual, “Hmm. The Auction is starting. You youngsters go and have fun.”

He did not even look at Xiao Hong throughout the conversation. Xiao Hong just looked down in silence.

She deeply experienced the helplessness of the weak. 

She hated this feeling of being unable to hold the reins of her own fate - the fear of being unable to mould her destiny, used as a pawn and a plaything for some lecherous bastard. She knew very well the moment she transmigrated that such a fate was well within the realm of possibility - but it was only at this moment that the weight of it bore down on her with its full force.

Even with Mo Tong, she did not feel like this - she was protected by the Alchemy Hall’s Elders.

The feeling of helplessness clawed at her, a constant reminder of her insufficient power. As her frustration and resentment built up, a surge of defiance built up within her. The feeling of being shackled, unable to grasp the reins of her destiny, ignited a blazing fury within her chest.

At this moment, within the core of her being, something shifted. The simmering frustration and resentment fused, forming an unyielding resolve! 

Her state of mind underwent a metamorphosis, transforming into something sharper, something fiercer - an embodiment of the cultivator's Will! It was a determination that thrived on challenging anything that dared obstruct one’s path - be it Gods, Demons, Devils, or Ghosts. A fierce commitment to wage war against the very Heavens themselves if they dared impede their Dao.

Looking at the receding back of the City Lord, she took a deep breath and calmed down. She would remember this. Even if she did not want to hurt Qiao Guiying, she would not forgive Qiao Youran (City Lord) and would have her revenge - this matter had exceeded her maximum tolerance. Besides, she wasn’t the most broad-minded person.

As for Qiao Xuan? Heh.

“Come, let’s go!” Qiao Xuan, who didn’t know that his fate had been decided by the Junior Sister he’d set his sights on, exclaimed. “Junior Sister, Cousin, I’ve recently passed the Wind-Thunder Disaster. So as a celebration, everything the two of you buy will be on me!”

“Senior Brother doesn’t have to, I have-” Xiao Hong began. She did not want to be on the receiving of the typical routine of throwing gifts at the beauty until she laid in his or was thoroughly disgusted with him.

“Fairy Xiao, I insist!” But Qiao Xuan was like a particularly annoying sticky plaster that refused to get off.

Qiao Guiying, who had been silent till now spoke up, “Cousin, you have also come to bid on something, right? You shouldn’t hamper your own goals for us.”

“Ah, I’ve come to see if I can find some Heavenly Spirit Pills. I have more than enough money to buy them even if their price is inflated 10 times. So cousin does not need to worry about that.” Qiao Xuan explained with a smile. 

Soon, they were led into a room on the third floor of the Auction Hall by an attendant. They were brought to a rather lavish room with a massive opening that looked down at the Auction stage below. The walls were adorned with exquisite paintings and calligraphy, lending an air of refinement to the space.

In the centre of the room, three chairs were thoughtfully arranged, facing the opening in the wall.

“Perfect! Thank you, Liu Peizhi.” Qiao Xuan praised the attendant and casually tossed him a Storage Bag.

“You are generous beyond words, Young Master Qiao!” the somewhat plump attendant gushed, bowing low enough to nearly topple over, “This Liu will excuse himself. Please enjoy your time!” 

And then he left swiftly.

Qiao Xuan shamelessly walked to the seat in the middle, and gestured towards the seats next to him, “Please take a seat, ladies.”

Xiao Hong who had glanced at Qiao Guiying, could have sworn she saw a vein throbbing at her temple.

The two of them took their seats on either side of Qiao Xuan.

***

Gong!

An audible gong rang out over the somewhat noisy venue, effectively hushing the chatter. The gong signified the beginning of the Auction.

An attractive lady gracefully stepped onto the stage, walking to the centre of it. Her tight qipao had a heart-shaped cutout, showcasing her ample cleavage for all to see.

“Welcome all! Welcome to the event our Qiao Family is most proud of - the Purple Cloud Auction!” she announced. Her voice was husky and dripping with allure, one that ignited a fiery passion within most of the men present. The lady daintily placed her hand on her ample chest, “Jia Lan will be your Auctioneer for today.

“I can feel all of you are impatient from all this waiting!

After a small pause, she continued, “So, without further ado, let’s begin!”

Xiao Hong finally had an excuse to ignore the Young Master Qiao. So she concentrated on the lady.

‘Dang! Those weapons are powerful! Double D? No, those might even be E!’ she mused inwardly, ogling the lavish display of cleavage. The only bigger ones are Qiao Guiying’s - she refused to believe those were anything less than F! 

‘I thought Chinese women were supposed to be petite?! 

‘Also, I’ve never seen a mortal quite so voluptuous! It must be cultivation!’ 

Among the mortals in Xiao Hong’s memory, none could quite reach the level of powerful weaponry she had seen in the sect. Of course, she was not really qualified to evaluate all of the mortal women in the World since she was only an orphan from some backwater town far away from the Sect’s location. But that didn’t stop her from concluding that it was cultivation that caused such a difference.

‘I love cultivation!’ she exclaimed inwardly. 

As Xiao Hong was praising cultivation to high Heavens, the lady continued, “The very first item for today is the incredibly rare Desolate Ice Crystal - one of the best materials for forging an Ice-attribute Magic Tool. It can even serve as one of the main supplementary materials to forge a Magic Treasure of the same attribute!”

A young man brought a box made of Spirit Jade onto the stage. From afar, on the third floor, Xiao Hong could sense the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth. Obviously, this Jade Box had array formations placed on it.

This was necessary since a treasure like Desolate Ice Crystal, once brought out of its natural environment, would slowly lose its special properties. In the end, it would be nothing more than a glorified ice cube with a little bit of Spiritual Energy. Of course, this process would require several years to complete - but it would still lose some properties between the time it was harvested to the time it was used.

So, Array Formation Masters created the Treasure Storage Box that almost completely isolated the surrounding environment and the inside of it when the array formations on it were activated. In fact, this was one of the sources of income for Formation Masters.

Jia Lan walked up to it and placed a token on the Treasure Storage Box, deactivating the Formation. Then she proceeded to open it.

The moment it was opened a powerful sense of chilliness blasted out with the Treasure Storage Box as the centre, dropping the surrounding temperature to the point that the water in the atmosphere directly froze into snowflakes. The icy chill swept through the venue, prompting a large majority of the attendees to shiver uncontrollably in their seats for a bit before the Array Formations in the venue activated and forced the chilly qi back. 

Soon, revealed in front of them was a beautiful blueish-white crystal the size of a head. It gleamed with a delicate translucence, evoking a sense of purity. 

Yet, it radiated a powerful chilly aura, causing all the water in its surroundings to freeze into snowflakes. Mere mortals who made contact with it would freeze faster than they could say “warm” and even Qi Gathering cultivators risked a frosty demise if exposed for too long.

“The starting price is 120 low-grade Spirit Stones.” Jia Lan announced with a dramatic flourish, “Every increment must be at least 10 Spirit Stones.”

Magic Tools were artefacts used by cultivators in the realms of Divine Sea to Fusion. Anything below that was not even considered by Super Sects like Purple Spirit Sect as worthy enough to be classified.

As for Magic Treasure? They were used exclusively by cultivators of the Transformation Stage and beyond.

There were also Spirit Tools beyond them, which were rumoured to be so powerful that any holder of such a tool would be absolutely unrivalled in the World! 

Well, as long as they could power it without being sucked dry instantly.

Magic Tools by themselves were precious! This Desolate Ice Crystal could be used as the main material to forge a high-grade Magic Tool. A Magic Tool of the high grade is a powerful artefact used exclusively by Soul Palace Mighty Figures. 

Although it’s not enough to be used as a main material for peak-grade Magic Tools, it is still very precious! The majority of the people in this Auction were powerful cultivators between the Sky Spirit and the Disaster Realm. In fact, Xiao Hong firmly believed that other than Qiao Guiying’s Father - a Celestial Bridge expert, there were no Soul Palace Realm or above Cultivators in the venue.

Even he came only because his nephew wanted to, otherwise, he’d not even bother to show up. For Cultivators of their level, they were more interested in the Bi-decennial Auction.