Feng Mian, a being with an eagle's head and a human body, walked step by step to the edge of the side room and looked down at the composed old man in the lobby.
Many cultivators cast sideways glances, some worriedly at Elder Xuan Po, others with schadenfreude at Feng Mian.
A being with the bloodline of a demon king, who disdained humans and acted with extreme arrogance and high-handedness.
Yet, he had encountered someone who was as tough as old leather, unfazed even by several falls in cultivation realm.
Everyone knew that this matter would not end so simply.
"One hundred and thirty spirit coins!"
As expected, after a deep glance, Feng Mian continued to bid with fierce hostility.
In the silence, dozens, even hundreds, of eyes converged, falling upon this demon and Elder Xuan Po.
"One hundred and thirty... spirit coins!"
In the lobby, Elder Xuan Po said lazily while drinking his tea.
As soon as his voice fell, Feng Mian's expression darkened, and his eyes, besides the ferocity, churned with intense killing intent.
If not for the large number of human cultivators present, even a Golden Core grand cultivator wouldn't be able to restrain him. Otherwise, he would have already lashed out in anger, killing the old man who was deliberately bidding against him!
However, after careful consideration, Feng Mian could only continue to bid, unable to truly ignore the rules of the place.
Although the Golden Core grand cultivators of Vast Ocean Tower favored the demon race, certain rules had to be followed. Otherwise, not only him, but even that Wind-Tearing Demon King, if they disregarded the rules, would invite trouble.
In just a moment, the price of this magical artifact was driven up to one hundred and eighty-one spirit coins by the two, with no intention of stopping.
"Elder Xuan Po is really taking a risk by doing this!"
Ji Yuan couldn't help but say in a low voice.
No matter how you looked at it, the other party possessed the bloodline of a demon king, held a high status in the Wind-Tearing Demon Realm, and was accompanied by peak third-realm demon cultivators. His skills would certainly not be few.
While Elder Xuan Po was once a Golden Core grand cultivator, he had shattered his Golden Core once again and fallen from that realm.
Although he maintained the cultivation of the late third realm, it was impossible to say that there were no hidden injuries accumulated within him.
If the two sides truly clashed, coupled with the bias of a Golden Core grand cultivator, Elder Xuan Po would likely have difficulty leaving Lingyang Prefecture safely, or even the territory of Luoxia Commandery.
"Two hundred and fifty!"
In the side room, Feng Mian's face was ashen as he said in a deep voice.
Although this magical artifact was of excellent quality and very suitable for him, two hundred and fifty spirit coins were still far too high.
At normal prices, this artifact should have been around one hundred and fifty spirit coins, but now it was a full hundred more!
However, Feng Mian, despite knowing that the other party was deliberately driving up the price to disgust him and make him unhappy, could only brace himself and continue.
After all, at least at this trading fair, he represented the face of the demon race and the majesty of the Wind-Tearing Demon Realm. He could not retreat half a step in the face of any provocation.
"Two hundred and five!"
Elder Xuan Po clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I've fallen so many times in my realm, and my savings are almost depleted. Now I can't even afford one hundred spirit coins... I'll pass."
What seemed like a mumbled self-talk was amplified by the elder's mana, easily reaching the ears of the many cultivators present.
The entire trading fair suddenly fell silent. Even the female cultivator hosting on the high platform didn't know what to say for a moment.
No one knew who it was, but laughter suddenly erupted from all directions, making it impossible to discern who was laughing wildly.
Under the influence of this laughter, most cultivators wore smiles, and when they looked at the side room where the demon race was, their eyes revealed mockery.
"Elder Xuan Po truly is a formidable character!"
Jiang He suppressed the urge to clap and praised, speaking in a low voice.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded. Spending an extra hundred or so spirit coins, while not crippling for these distinguished individuals, was still not a small sum.
The most crucial point was that the dignity of the demon race, which Feng Mian had been maintaining, was rendered illusory by Elder Xuan Po's few words, becoming a laughingstock in the eyes of everyone present.
The pride of the demon race, with an ashen face, let out a cold snort, his brows radiating killing intent as if it had taken substance.
He didn't say anything more, turned back to his seat, his eyes churning with killing intent and demonic energy, having already decided to kill Elder Xuan Po no matter what after this matter was over!
After a small commotion, the trading fair continued, and several more precious items were displayed before the multitude of gazes.
"A man who dared to fall in his cultivation realm for the sake of hundreds of mortals, risking the collapse of his Golden Core, just to uproot a demon clan and kill three great demons of the same realm and five hundred demons."
Ji Yuan's eyes flickered as he said, "It's only bad luck for this possessor of a demon king's bloodline to have encountered Elder Xuan Po!"
However, he was also a little curious. Given how things had escalated, why hadn't the Golden Core grand cultivator presiding over Vast Ocean Tower made any further statements?
Although bound by rules, even such a person couldn't interfere with the bidding at the trading fair, he could have used his status to intimidate them. Otherwise, wouldn't he worry about others following suit?
"Perhaps Vast Ocean Tower is not monolithic."
As if sensing his thoughts, Qian Ni Chang, sitting opposite him, couldn't help but speak.
Ji Yuan pondered this, and immediately his mind flashed with various intelligence about Vast Ocean Tower.
Unlike Ming Xin Xuan, this force was not managed by two or three principals but was entirely subordinate to a single family, with power being highly concentrated.
But this was only how it appeared to outsiders.
Within this family, there were still dissenting voices, the strongest among them being the family head's lineage and the eldest son's lineage, each having a Golden Core grand cultivator as a patron.
He just didn't know which lineage of Vast Ocean Tower the grand cultivator who favored the demon race belonged to.
As Ji Yuan pondered inwardly, he occasionally bid during the subsequent trading fair, acquiring several relatively valuable spiritual items, just enough to gather the materials for forging Zhao Yue Bai's natal flying sword.
After this, he completely assumed a spectator's role, no longer bidding for any spiritual item.
On the other hand, Qian Ni Chang, as the trading fair entered its middle to later stages, frequently bid and competed with others. The items she coveted ranged from magical artifacts and treasures to rare spiritual herbs and ores.
"The disaster relief in Qianyu City has now completely concluded, and the imperial court has taken over."
Seeing the confusion in Ji Yuan's eyes, Qian Ni Chang said pointedly.
Upon hearing this, he immediately understood. It was likely that the disaster relief had allowed her to accumulate enough merit, and she could now begin preparations for a breakthrough.
He had also heard about the cultivation technique Qian Ni Chang practiced. It was a branch from the lineage of the Buddhist guardian Arhats, and each time she broke through a major or minor realm, she needed to accumulate immense merit.
Upon the completion of the technique, vast amounts of merit would coalesce into a golden body, radiating immense thunderous power with every movement, capable of deterring and eradicating all sorts of demons, ghosts, and heretical ways in the world.
However, although this technique directly led to the Golden Core realm and possessed infinite power when cultivated to a very profound level, the amount of merit required for each breakthrough was simply terrifying.
Moreover, once one began cultivating it, unless the technique was fully mastered, one could not switch to or cultivate other techniques simultaneously.
Ji Yuan did not know how to comment on this. After a sigh, he continued to watch the cultivators bidding and competing for the precious items presented by Vast Ocean Tower.
The trading fair had now entered its later stages, and each spiritual item presented to the crowd had been bid up to at least one hundred and fifty spirit coins.
Several precious magical treasures, as well as a bottle of pills that could enhance cultivation, were even bid up to prices exceeding eight hundred spirit coins!
As the bidding amounts neared one thousand, the emotions of many cultivators were stirred, and the trading fair had finally entered its most critical moment.
As servant girls descended from the high platform, and even the hosting female cultivator retreated, the previously fervent trading fair fell into silence.
Under the expectant gaze of all, an old man walked onto the high platform. His appearance was ordinary, yet he exuded a chilling aura.
"They've brought out a Golden Core grand cultivator to host!"
Ji Yuan's eyes flickered, both surprised by this and impressed by Vast Ocean Tower's resources.
A grand cultivator who had formed a Golden Core was already a top expert in a commandery, and even in a prefecture, held a very high status.
And in the nine prefectures and thirty-six commanderies of the Great Yu Dynasty, not every commandery could produce a Golden Core grand cultivator!
Generally speaking, a Golden Core grand cultivator was, at the very least, an ancestor of a sect. Even within the imperial court, they were beings of transcendent status. Yet, now he had personally appeared to host a trading fair?
Not only Ji Yuan, but all the cultivators present, even the young demons, marveled at Vast Ocean Tower's display.
"Next, we have the highlight of today's trading fair."
The old man chuckled, lacking the sternness of most grand cultivators, instead appearing somewhat amiable.
As he spoke, five second-realm martial artists carried wooden trays onto the high platform, each accompanied by a second-realm cultivator.
With such a grand scene, all the cultivators in the trading fair couldn't help but anticipate it.
"First item, the Golden Sun Dividing Light Axe!"
The old man turned, lifted the red cloth, and placed his hand into the wooden tray, from which he then took out a long-handled battle axe.
A dense golden light immediately erupted, and a vast, scorching solar aura swept across the entire venue!
Dozens, even hundreds, of cultivators were momentarily distracted by the spiritual pressure emanating from this treasure, and then their eyes lit up with fervent desire.
"This treasure is forged from dozens of fire-attribute spiritual materials and contains eighteen layers of innate restrictions. The starting price is nine hundred spirit coins!"
The old man smiled slightly and infused a wisp of mana into the battle axe.
With a slight flick of his wrist, a sharp edge descended from the axe blade, cleaving into the void.
"One thousand spirit coins!"
A burly demon immediately shouted.
The first to bid was Wan Hu, a native of the Scarlet Flame Demon Realm with a demon king's bloodline.
This demon's appearance was indistinguishable from a human's, the only difference being his furry hands, with black stripes on the yellow fur.
"One thousand one hundred!"
From another side room, someone immediately bid a higher price.
As soon as the man and the demon finished speaking, several others successively bid. In just a few breaths, the price of the Golden Sun Dividing Light Axe was driven up to one thousand eight hundred spirit coins!
As the price continued to rise, besides being utterly shocked, many cultivators realized that the real trading fair had begun!
Everything before was merely an 'appetizer'; this was the true 'lavish feast'.
"A magical treasure containing eighteen layers of innate restrictions, if fully activated, would at least be comparable to a mid to late-stage Golden Core grand cultivator."
Ji Yuan murmured to himself, his eyes filled with shock.
The restrictions in magical artifacts and treasures were divided into innate and acquired, with a significant difference between them.
Acquired restrictions were mostly inscribed by the smith, theoretically being slightly weaker, and it was difficult for them to achieve a state of seamless integration.
Innate restrictions, on the other hand, arose during the forging process from the resonance and evolution of various spiritual materials, as if bestowed by heaven and earth. Their power was generally much greater than acquired restrictions.
A magical treasure containing eighteen layers of innate restrictions, as long as there was sufficient mana or spiritual energy to support it, would be equivalent to the attack of a mid to late-stage Golden Core grand cultivator, capable of easily shattering mountains and rivers.
Ultimately, this Golden Sun Dividing Light Axe was acquired by Wan Hu from the Scarlet Flame Demon Realm, who bid the exorbitant price of two thousand six hundred spirit coins!
If these spirit coins were converted to gold, without considering premiums, it would amount to two hundred and sixty thousand taels, which is twenty-six million taels of silver!
This was already equivalent to the total tax revenue of nearly six years for the five commanderies of Lingyang Prefecture!