Chapter 114 Dongzhou Haige, Auction Storm

The life-or-death test of the Southern Wilds' Demon Realm was like the fiercest furnace, forging the bond between Ye Li and Qin Yixuan into an unbreakable ironclad force. Though unspoken, the feelings born in despair, confirmed in the flames of blood and fire, were deeply etched into their souls. A single glance, a touch of a fingertip, could convey a thousand words.

The two men recuperated for several days in a secluded valley on the edge of the Demon Realm. With the help of elixirs obtained from the Demon Realm and the mutual nourishment of their spiritual energy, their injuries gradually stabilized. Qin Yixuan's hidden injuries, caused by forcefully invoking her divine essence, were also alleviated significantly by Ye Li's careful guidance and nurturing of her extremely cold spiritual energy, but they were not completely eliminated. Ye Li took this to heart, and finding a permanent cure became her next priority.

After leaving the Southern Wilds, they, guided by the latest intelligence from Sun Xiaohou and the increasingly clear pull within Qin Yixuan, decided to head east, towards the vast waters of Dongzhou. Dongzhou isn't a single continent, but rather a sprawling network of islands. The largest factions are the "Star Palace," dominating the East China Sea and renowned for its weapon refining and commerce, and the mysterious "Sea God Pavilion," skilled in water control. Commerce flourishes there, and rare treasures are readily available. Perhaps they'll find the rare medicine needed to treat Qin Yixuan's hidden injuries, or perhaps even information about the fragments of the Samsara Mirror.

After a series of twists and turns aboard a cross-domain teleportation array, they arrived at the largest trading hub in the East Continent Sea—the massive city of Tianshu Haige, suspended aloft above the vast waves. Built and controlled by the Xinggong, this city is constructed entirely of a rare "floating crystal stone." Below is the surging azure sea, above is the mist-shrouded celestial pavilions. Countless spirit boats, flying shuttles, and even massive ships crisscross the city, its prosperity far surpassing any city in the Northern and Central Regions.

The air was filled with the salty, damp scent of the sea, and the peculiar aroma of a mixture of spiritual materials, elixirs, and sea beast materials. The streets were bustling with people. Besides the usual human cultivators, one could also see many sea creatures with scales and gills behind their ears, and even some overseas cultivators whose transformations were incomplete, retaining some of the characteristics of demonic beasts. The bizarre sight was a real eye-opener for Ye Li and Qin Yixuan.

The Youge team, led by Sun Xiaohou, had already established a base here and immediately delivered crucial intelligence: three days later, Tianshu Haige would host a top-tier auction, held once every ten years. Co-hosted by Xinggong and Poseidon Pavilion, many rare treasures would appear, including a rare and precious item called "Ten Thousand Years Sea Soul Essence," known for its miraculous properties in nourishing the soul and repairing hidden damage to the essence! Furthermore, the auction list included an ancient fragment of unknown origin, said to point to an overseas relic, and its aura was somewhat similar to that of the fragments of the Samsara Mirror!

This news cheered up Ye Li. Whether it was the "Ten Thousand Years Ocean Soul Essence" or the fragmented map, she was determined to get it!

The auction required a strict entry fee of one million high-grade spirit stones. This was an astronomical sum for the average Yuandan realm cultivator, but for Ye Li and Qin Yixuan, who possessed some of the resources of the Xuanyun Sect and the Bishui Pavilion, and had also gained much through their travels, it was nothing. Ye Li even quietly cashed in some unused rare materials from the Bingpo Xuan Palace and other travels through the Youge, amassing sufficient funds.

Three days later, the auction took place in the "Star Hall," atop the Tianshu Sea Pavilion. The hall's dome simulated the celestial sphere, its radiant light flowing through it. The seating below, arranged in a circular pattern, exuded elegance and luxury. Those who could enter were either representatives of prominent factions in the Dongzhou Sea Region and beyond, or wealthy independent cultivators.

Ye Li and Qin Yixuan chose a relatively inconspicuous seat at the back, restrained their breath, and waited for the auction to begin. They could sense several obscure and powerful auras hidden in the hall, clearly the masters of the Xing Palace and the Sea God Pavilion were guarding against any disturbance.

The auction began, and treasures were presented one after another on the podium, sparking a frenzy of bidding. There were powerful ancient treasures, elixirs that could extend life for centuries, rare deep-sea minerals, and even fragments of lost ancient martial arts manuals... The scene was heated, and the prices kept hitting new highs.

Ye Li and Qin Yixuan did not act rashly, as they had a clear goal.

Finally, the auctioneer brought out a cold jade box. The moment the lid was opened, a cool and pure breath that penetrated the soul spread out, invigorating all the cultivators present.

"Next up, the Ten Thousand Years Ocean Soul Essence! This item was formed from the ocean's essence, condensed over a thousand years ago by chance, at the bottom of the sea. It has incredible effects on nourishing the soul and repairing hidden injuries to the essence! Starting price: 500,000 high-grade spirit stones!"

As soon as the words fell, bidding began to swirl. Soul-related treasures were already rare, let alone such a top-tier item as the Ten Thousand Year Old Sea Soul Marrow! Many old monsters nearing the end of their lives or suffering from hidden injuries, as well as representatives from major sects, joined the scramble.

The price quickly climbed to 800,000, 1 million...

Ye Li remained silent until the price reached 1.2 million and the bidding began to fade. Then she slowly raised her placard and said in a cold voice, "1.5 million."

A one-time price increase of 300,000! This move immediately attracted considerable attention. Many people looked curiously at the woman in black sitting in the back row, her face obscured by the shadow of her cloak.

"One million and six hundred thousand!" A sinister voice came from a private room. It belonged to the elder of the "Ghost Island", an evil sect overseas famous for controlling ghosts.

"One million and eight hundred thousand." Ye Li's tone remained unchanged.

"Two million!" The elder of Ghost Island seemed determined to win.

Ye Li frowned slightly. The price was already a bit high, but she would never give up. "Two million and two hundred thousand."

The whole audience was in a state of uproar. Such a high price for a single herbal ingredient showed how urgent their need was.

There was silence in the Ghost Island box for a moment, and ultimately no further bids were made. The elder snorted coldly, clearly taking note of Ye Li.

The Ten Thousand Years Sea Soul Essence successfully fell into Ye Li's hands. She felt the grateful gaze from Qin Yixuan beside her and gently shook her hand, indicating that it was no need to be polite.

The auction continued. After a few more items, the auctioneer took out a dark, old-looking fragment of a painting with irregular edges, made of neither gold nor jade.

"This map is of unknown origin. Made of a special material, it's impervious to water and fire. The patterns engraved on it resemble some kind of ancient map, but it's severely damaged. According to our Star Palace Master's appraisal, it's extremely ancient and may point to an undiscovered secret realm or ruins overseas. Starting price: 300,000 high-grade spirit stones!"

Not many people were interested in this fragment of a painting whose purpose was unknown and whose authenticity was difficult to determine, and only a few people made bids.

Ye Li's heart moved, and the fragments of the Samsara Mirror in his sea of ​​consciousness gave him a clear throbbing feeling! This fragmented picture was definitely related to the Samsara Mirror!

"Five hundred thousand." She bid again.

This price was already very high for a fragment of a painting, and several bidders had given up.

However, just as the auctioneer was about to drop the hammer, a voice filled with pride rang out from a luxurious box at the front: "One million! This fragment of the map has my heart!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome yet somewhat arrogant young man in a gorgeous brocade robe, lazily reclining on a soft couch, surrounded by several beautiful maids. A jade pendant engraved with waves and a trident hung around his waist, revealing his identity: Ao Qing, the young master of the Sea God Pavilion!

In the East Continent waters, few people dare to fight for the things that the young master of the Sea God Pavilion has set his eyes on.

The auctioneer also looked embarrassed and looked in Ye Li's direction.

Ye Li's eyes turned slightly cold. So what if he was the Young Master of the Sea God Pavilion? She would never give up the clue to the Samsara Mirror!

"One million and one hundred thousand." She raised the price calmly.

"Hmm?" Young Master Ao Qing obviously didn't expect that someone would dare to compete with him. He glanced at Ye Li with a hint of displeasure and scrutiny, "One million and a half million!" He directly added four hundred thousand, demonstrating his financial strength and determination to win.

"Two million." Ye Li did not give in.

Wow! The whole audience erupted in laughter again! A tattered painting fetched a whopping two million? And it seemed like the two bidders were at loggerheads!

Young Master Ao Qing's expression darkened, feeling his pride challenged. "Two and a half million! Woman, you'd better think carefully about the consequences of competing with me, the Sea God Pavilion!"

This is already a naked threat!

Qin Yixuan frowned and whispered to Ye Li: "Ye Li, how about..."

Ye Li shook his head, gave her a reassuring look, and then said loudly: "The highest bidder wins at the auction. Could it be that the Sea God Pavilion wants to break the rules? Three million!"

She directly quoted a price that made everyone gasp! At the same time, she also pointed out the rules, giving Ao Qing a trick!

Young Master Ao Qing's face was livid with rage. Three million high-grade spirit stones was a considerable sum, even for him. It seemed a bit unfair to pay for a fragment of an unknown map. More importantly, in front of so many people, if he pressed for a higher price, he would appear petty. He glared at Ye Li, snorted coldly, and fell silent.

In the end, Ye Li bought this mysterious fragment of the map at a sky-high price of three million high-grade spirit stones.

After two consecutive bids—one to splurge on a beloved woman, the other to challenge the Young Master of the Sea God Pavilion—Ye Li (despite never revealing her true identity) instantly became the focus of the entire auction hall. Everyone was curious about the origins of this wealthy, courageous, and insightful woman in black.

After the auction ended, Ye Li and Qin Yixuan calmly completed the handover procedures under the gazes of countless people, received the Ten Thousand Years Sea Soul Essence and the ancient fragment of the map, and then quickly left the Star Hall.

They knew trouble might soon be brewing. Whether it was the resentment of Ghost Island or the displeasure of the Young Master of the Sea God Pavilion, their journey through the East Continent waters would not be peaceful.

But Ye Li didn't care. Having obtained the key medicine to treat Qin Yixuan's hidden injuries and crucial clues to the Samsara Mirror, this little turmoil was nothing. The next priority was to find a safe place to heal Qin Yixuan and to study the secrets hidden in the fragmented map. The situation in the Dongzhou Sea seemed to be quietly stirring with the arrival of these two uninvited guests.