The atmosphere here was subtly shifting, yet the banquet was far from lacking discerning individuals. Yu Ci sensed that many had already cast their gaze in his direction. More so, after Gan Shi Zhen willingly upped the ante, Elder Fan was more than willing to agree. However, Yu Ci remained silent, leaving Elder Fan with no choice but to watch in anticipation. Such a situation inevitably aroused suspicion.

Yu Ci was not heartless. Seeing Elder Fan in such a state, he knew that his son's offer might be more advantageous than the one on the table. His determination was not as firm as before. However, the pressure from He Qing behind him was something he could not accept, no matter what!

Aside from He Qing, among the elders of the Lichen Sect he had met, the most domineering was Xie Yan, who had forced him to feed the Fish-Dragon using the "Soul Feeding Method" at their first meeting. But that was for the sake of Old Daoist Yu Zhou's life. What could He Qing be compared to?

His stubbornness flared up, and although he did not cause a scene, he resisted in silence, not even giving face to Gan Shi Zhen. Just when the situation was about to become completely deadlocked, the oppressive aura from He Qing suddenly disappeared.

Just as he was puzzled, Yu Ci heard He Qing's words in his ear, her tone surprisingly calm: "I know you're doing this for your senior brother. However, this Xuan Cang Ring is of great use to the Sect... If you can acquire this Xuan Cang Ring, it would be a great merit to the Sect. Your name could be recorded on the Merit Monument, and I could help you with the upcoming Life-Prolonging Treasure in the name of the Sect."

Yu Ci was slightly shocked. When he looked over, he saw that He Qing's eyes were cold, but when they met his, she subtly nodded.

He Qing had actually backed down first and even proposed a condition that he could not refuse!

By this time, his silence had lasted too long. Yu Ci could feel more and more people looking in his direction. The question was not whether he could withstand the pressure, but how much longer the trembling Elder Fan could hold on.

Finally, he smiled, "With Master Gan assisting you, I won't be a villain in vain."

Seeing the ecstatic expression on Elder Fan's face, Yu Ci also relaxed. He had been fairly confident about the Life-Prolonging Treasure, and now with He Qing's promise, he was almost certain to secure it. As for whether he had offended this Immortal Elder because of this, it was not within his consideration for the time being.

However, at this moment, Bi Chao and Shen Wan had not yet spoken.

Seeing Yu Ci's gaze shift towards her, the female merchant shook her head, and said decisively, "We won't compete at this price."

Bi Chao smiled and nodded, expressing his agreement.

Although the Xuan Cang Ring was precious, it was not unique. Compared to it, the relationship between the three parties was certainly more important. Since Elder Fan had shown such an obvious preference towards Yu Ci, the other two parties agreed with Yu Ci's statement that there was no need to be unnecessarily villainous.

Just as everyone was about to rejoice, a Lone Cultivator, upset at the premature end of a potentially thrilling bidding war, complained, "The Random Heart Pavilion didn't even bid, how can they have a chance to...ugh!"

His words were cut off as several pairs of sharp eyes focused on him. Despite being at the Golden Elixir Stage, he couldn't withstand the pressure. He choked on his words, cold sweat trickling down his back, unable to utter another word.

Shen Wan, familiar with handling such situations, didn't mind. She simply said lightly, "This Daoist friend may not have seen Immortal Yu's spirit bird. I saw it yesterday on Cinnabar Cliff. I believe that I can't summon a bird of such quality in a short time, so naturally, I gave up."

Regardless of whether her reason was convincing, the big-mouthed Lone Cultivator couldn't utter half a sentence. Despite his Golden Elixir Cultivation Level, he was oppressed to such a miserable state. It would be strange if there wasn't a powerful figure with an absolute advantage exerting pressure!

In the entire floor, there was only one person with such a Cultivation Level who might take action.

Yu Ci turned to look at He Qing, gaining a deeper understanding of this serious and stern female cultivator.

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At this moment, someone at the table followed up on Shen Wan's statement, "Manager Shen, could you elaborate on the special features of the spirit bird?"

The speaker was Shi Song. He seemed to be probing, but his scarred face bore a calm expression, making it clear that he bore no ill will.

Shen Wan nodded at him and said, "This creature has the head of a cat and the beak of a hawk. Its body is large but agile, and it's fiercely aggressive. It belongs to the Sky Rift Valley Variant Species. It can only be found deep in the valley, thousands of miles from the cliff. Just for this, the price won't be less than Five Thousand Ruyi Money. Not to mention, its original abilities are already remarkable. After being nurtured by Immortal Yu using the Soul Feeding Method, its strength can now compete with the Initial Stage of Nature-Connecting. It seems to be gradually developing the nature of living beings, which is truly extraordinary. If I were to estimate, this bird should be priced above eight thousand."

After a pause, Shen Wan added, "Plus the 'Heavenly Revelation Pill' from the Four Clarity Sect, which is clearly priced at four thousand in our pavilion. Adding it all up, Immortal Yu's starting price already exceeds the value of the Xuan Cang Ring. If the price were to be raised further, it would only inflate the price unnecessarily, which is not the way of a merchant."

Upon her words, the tense atmosphere at the banquet had significantly lightened, narrowly avoiding a complete breakdown. Yet, the loud-mouthed Lone Cultivator could no longer bear the embarrassment. He found an excuse and left the table.

As for Elder Fan and Yu Ci, they were escorted ahead to wait at the Cinnabar Cliff. After the banquet, the "scoundrel" would be handed over to him. As for the two "Apocalyptic Pills", they were given to him first by Gan Shi Zhen.

Once Elder Fan had left with a thousand thanks, the Treasure Exchange Banquet resumed. Perhaps the appearance of the Xuan Cang Ring had diverted people's attention, or the prices had gradually increased, the last five treasures had two that no one was interested in, leading to a small lull in the proceedings.

There was also an interlude: Monk Zheng Yan, who had revealed the true identity of the Xuan Cang Ring, was about to leave the floor, but was stopped by He Qing. She asked him to stay upstairs. As for the reason, He Qing simply said:

"Clear eyes, clear heart, only a thin layer of paper separates you from the Sheridan Bead, it's truly admirable!"

This one sentence changed everyone's perception of Monk Zheng Yan.

Zheng Yan, who had been quick-witted before, now appeared very steady. After thanking He Qing, he sat behind his own master and did not utter another word.

According to the seating arrangement, Yu Ci's first target was the Pure Water Sect. Ever since he learned about the private affairs between the Pure Water Sect and the Xuan Yin Sect, every time Monk Yi Xin was present, Yu Ci would naturally or unnaturally cast his attention there. But perhaps because he had something on his mind today, or because Monk Yi Xin was too gloomy - he had only made a move once in the previous treasure exchange and did not succeed, so much so that Yu Ci almost forgot about him!

Seeing the master and disciple sitting together at this moment, Yu Ci had an indescribable strange feeling.

In his confusion, Bao De nudged his shoulder, "Junior Brother Yu, Immortal He is calling you."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ci turned his head and saw He Qing signaling with her eyes. Yu Ci was slightly startled, but quickly understood. He stood up and walked behind He Qing, about to ask, when he heard He Qing say, "Bring me your Sword Ball."

In fact, to see the Sword Ball, Bao De and Gan Shi Zhen could have passed it on, there was no need to specifically call someone over. Perhaps it was due to the previous issue with the Xuan Cang Ring, there was still some dissatisfaction. Yu Ci didn't mind, he took out the Sword Ball he got from Yan Daoist and handed it to He Qing.

He Qing picked up the tiny sword, no longer than an inch, between her fingers, examined it closely, and nodded, "Indeed, it's a Sword Ball, just like the Frost Extreme Sword Ball we saw earlier. It's not yet fully refined, and can't be rolled into a ball, but it's still usable without any hindrance. Its quality is not inferior to the previous one."

Having said that, she didn't return the Sword Ball, but handed it back to Gan Shi Zhen. The delicate female cultivator first flashed a shallow smile at Yu Ci before accepting the Sword Ball and observing it closely.

Yu Ci could only wait. Suddenly, He Qing changed the subject, "You will eventually have to get used to the identity of a Sect disciple."

"Eh?" His confusion was evident at her abrupt statement.

He Qing didn't turn around, her tone casual, "You've been wandering on your own since you were young, there's a bit of wildness in you, which is not a bad thing. But now that you are a Sect disciple, you need to be aware of your loyalty to the Sect. Of course, this awareness doesn't come from nowhere, it comes from the Sect loving and protecting you, constantly benefiting you. Over time, you will understand the benefits of the Sect and gradually foster this idea, which is akin to gratitude and remembering one's roots. In the end, it's a transaction, it depends on your virtue, whether the deal is fair... Do you understand?"

Yu Ci knew this was derived from the matter of the Xuan Cang Ring. Since He Qing had already made a promise, he didn't want to dwell on it any further. However, he didn't expect He Qing, with her status, to say such things.

He felt that there was no vague emotion in her words, but a solid grounding at every step. Very frank, and very realistic. At that moment, he finally had a complete impression of He Qing.

Hmm, are all the people from the "Empirical Department" like this?

And why did He Qing, with her character, suddenly mention this?

Yu Ci was puzzled. As he was pondering, He Qing spoke again, her voice considerably lower, "You seem to have a deep understanding of the situation in Cliff City... What do you think of Monk Yi Xin?"

Startled, Yu Ci looked up. He Qing didn't turn around, and her solemn face didn't reveal any information.

However, Yu Ci could feel that her words were pointed.

...