Chapter 65: Sixty-Five Cuts "Keep filming, the money's plentiful..."
Seven days passed quickly, and Wei Qing still hadn't woken up. Xie Changming had hit him too hard, directly severing his meridians. However, he was actually an ascended cultivator, so while his meridians were broken, they weren't completely severed; only the meridians belonging to his Nascent Soul cultivator were broken. If he could unseal his cultivation, he could naturally recover. But Lu Yaoyao couldn't recite the incantation to break the curse no matter what, so she could only ask the medical cultivators of the Yuling Sect to try their best.
At this moment, in the celestial realm, unseen by those in the lower realms, a white-robed immortal stood atop a cliff amidst a sea of clouds. In the distance, a sliver of the Heavenly Pillar was visible. For a long time, this Heavenly Pillar had been remarkably stable, but not long ago, its end suddenly trembled, as if it had suffered some severe injury.
When the Heavenly Pillar malfunctioned, many celestial beings panicked and rushed to report to the Celestial Lord. Fortunately, after a period of time, the Heavenly Pillar returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
However, at this moment, the expression of Shi Xu, one of the four celestial lords of the heavenly realm, was extremely serious.
"Have you finally made contact with Wei Qing's divine sense?" Immortal Lord Shixu asked.
"Yes, it happened shortly after the abnormality of the Pillar of Heaven appeared," a disciple reported. As he spoke, he breathed heavily, seemingly also busily absorbing the rich spiritual energy of the celestial realm.
"What is he doing?" Immortal Lord Shixu couldn't help but pinch his brow. "After arriving in the lower realm, he hid in the Misty Star Sea, making it impossible for us to contact his divine sense for a long time. There is also no news about Little Yinglong. Now even the Pillar of Heaven is having problems. I wonder what happened to Yinglong."
"But... back then, only Senior Brother Wei Qing didn't mind going to the lower realm to search for Yinglong. Xie Changming from the Demon Realm was truly despicable. He approached Yinglong with ill intentions. Two hundred years ago, he even killed one of our Celestial Lords. When he was causing havoc in the Celestial Realm, Yinglong also disappeared at the same time. Our Celestial Realm unanimously believed that he was the one who kidnapped Yinglong. But later, the Pillar of Heaven remained calm, indicating that Yinglong was not harmed. That's why we sent people to search for the little Yinglong." The disciple said to Immortal Lord Shixu. "Master, Senior Brother Wei Qing is currently unconscious. Although we can sense his consciousness, we cannot communicate with him."
“Disciple…” Immortal Lord Shixu sighed deeply, “You must know that although Wei Qing is the laziest cultivator among you, his cultivation level is the highest. If I were to perish or escape into the Misty Star Sea one day… he would be the most likely successor to me. And in the lower realm, who could possibly harm him to such an extent?”
"Besides the Celestial Realm, other forces might have sent powerful immortals. The only ones capable of injuring him to this extent are probably the Demon Emperor Shui Heng of the Demon Realm, the Demon Lord Xie Changming of the Demon Realm, and other long-absent demons and monsters from the lower realms," Shi Xu Immortal Lord analyzed haphazardly. "At the same time, Little Yinglong also encountered an accident, causing turmoil in the Pillar of Heaven. Could it be that Wei Qing was seriously injured in an accident while protecting Little Yinglong?"
Immortal Lord Shixu's analysis contradicted the truth. He thought that Xie Changming might have injured Luo Mingshu, and Wei Qing was seriously injured while protecting her. In reality, it was Wei Qing who injured Luo Mingshu, and Xie Changming severely injured him.
He sighed sadly and gave the order: "Since Wei Qing is temporarily unable to communicate, let's find another immortal who is willing to continue his mission."
At this moment, no one knew what was happening in the Heavenly Realm. Luo Mingshu, the person involved in the incident, was still counting her money, pondering how many spirit stones she would spend at this auction.
First, we must acquire the land in the Misty Star Sea that the sect leader wants. As for the Wuwang Lock that Lu Yaoyao wants, she must also obtain it and not let the system take it away.
Luo Mingshu set a budget, believing she could acquire the two items for ten million spirit stones, and then prepared to set off.
She originally wanted to take Afa with her, but Afa was unwilling to move, so Luo Mingshu went alone.
Feng Du also wanted to go to the Zishuang Sect to join in the fun, but the auction coincided with the time he was giving a lecture at the Yuling Sect, so Feng Du could only let Luo Mingshu and the others go by themselves.
As expected, Luo Mingshu encountered Lu Yaoyao at the mountain gate. Lu Yaoyao was clutching a spatial pouch in her hand, looking quite nervous.
This spatial pouch should be filled with spirit stones. The system must have provided her with a large amount of funds so that she could bid for the Wuwang Lock.
It seems that the Wuwang Lock is indeed important, but I wonder what it is used for, Luo Mingshu thought to herself.
The Yuling Sect and the Zishuang Sect are both among the four major sects in the human realm and are not far apart, so Luo Mingshu did not use her Purple Gold Cloud Boat. Instead, she turned around and rode on her tortoise.
"Senior sister, can you give me a ride?" Lu Yaoyao asked cautiously.
“No way, only handsome guys sit in my back seat,” Luo Mingshu told her.
“Sitting in the front isn’t a bad idea either.” Lu Yaoyao recalled her experience on the sand dune, where Luo Mingshu had carried many people on her tortoise.
"What the hell are you thinking?" Luo Mingshu sped past Lu Yaoyao in her Tortoise car. She didn't want to give Lu Yaoyao a ride again because the last experience was too bad.
Although she was very fast in her tortoise, Lu Yaoyao was not slow at all when she used her own flying spells, because she flew over half an hour after Luo Mingshu arrived at the Zishuang Sect's mountain gate.
Lu Yaoyao is quite capable, but she prefers to rely on the strength of others and avoids exerting her own effort if possible.
Luo Mingshu put the turtle away. At this moment, a clear female voice suddenly rang out inside the Purple Frost Sect: "Isn't this the super beautiful goddess and the fairy?"
Upon hearing the voice, it sounded somewhat familiar, but Luo Mingshu still felt it was too embarrassing to pronounce their names from the Misty Star Sea. She looked in the direction of the voice and, sure enough, saw the familiar figure. Pianozl
It was Xu Qian. She stood at the entrance of the Zishuang Sect and waved to them.
This was their first meeting outside the Misty Star Sea. Luo Mingshu glanced at Xu Qian and saw her standing in the center of a group of peers. She seemed to have a high status, which explained why she could confidently tell Luo Mingshu that he could come to her if he had any difficulties in the Misty Star Sea.
The Purple Frost Sect ranks higher than the Spirit Control Sect among the four major sects. The four major sects in the human realm, from top to bottom, are: Profound Void Sect, Purple Frost Sect, Water Mirror Sect, and Spirit Control Sect. Luo Mingshu herself doesn't care about these empty titles, but many cultivators in the human realm value this ranking highly.
Of course, not long after Xu Qian and Luo Mingshu finished greeting each other, a woman's soft laughter came from afar. Her laughter was pleasant, but it carried a hint of mockery.
"A stunningly beautiful goddess, oh fairy, what a ridiculous title! Does anyone already know what they'll be called after they ascend to heaven before they've even ascended to the human realm?" Someone chuckled softly behind Xu Qian's left.
Luo Mingshu followed the sound and saw a person dressed in red, covering her red lips with her delicate hand, her beautiful eyes staring at them with a contemptuous look.
This person's cultivation has actually reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm; their strength is quite formidable.
“It’s Fan Qing, the direct disciple of the Xuanxu Sect’s leader,” Xu Qian whispered to Luo Ming. “She’s also here to attend this auction, and she seems very interested in the land we’ve explored in the Misty Star Sea.”
"Oh, she seems to be a little sick." Luo Mingshu chuckled. Seeing that Fan Qing had already turned and left, she had no interest in chasing after her to pick a fight.
“The Xuanxu Sect has always been the top of the four major sects, and her cultivation is also very high. My Zishuang Sect is close to her side, so I’m used to seeing her like this,” Xu Qian said to Luo Mingshu. “But you, so you’re Luo Mingshu from the Yuling Sect?”
"Otherwise what?" Luo Mingshu blinked, her long eyelashes curling up, and when they fell, her eyes sparkled with a captivating light, making her look mesmerizing.
“How amazing,” Xu Qian said. “I had only heard rumors about you before, but I had never seen you in person. There is a cultivator on the spirit network in the Four Directions Water Mirror named ‘Beautiful 300-Year-Old Water Spirit Root Super Easy to Scam’ who curses people in your name everywhere on the Four Directions Water Mirror. It’s really scary. This has caused your reputation on the spirit network to be not very good.”
"Ah..." Luo Mingshu was stunned. She subconsciously said, "That '300-year-old beautiful woman with water spirit root is super easy to fool' is me."
Xu Qian was stunned when she heard this. Although she didn't often speak on the Spirit Network and Luo Mingshu had no conflicts with her on the Spirit Network, that famous troll was well-known.
Luo Mingshu is so beautiful that even though she is a woman herself, she feels her soul is being stolen away. How could such a beauty be the same person who is hated by everyone on the Spirit Network as the troll ["A beautiful woman with a 300-year-old water spirit root is so easy to fool"]?
Luo Mingshu was not ashamed at all, but rather proud. She excitedly said, "Xu Qian, didn't I also curse you on the Four Directions Water Mirror?"
Xu Qian shook her head and swallowed. Luo Mingshu was the first cultivator she had ever met who was consistent inside and out, with the same temperament both on the Spirit Network and in reality.
The auction was hosted by the Purple Frost Sect, so Xu Qian left first. Luo Mingshu waited outside the auction venue, but at the entrance, she saw Fan Qing again. She was still upset that Fan Qing had mocked her for her unpleasant code name in the Misty Star Sea at the mountain gate.
Luo Mingshu led Lu Yaoyao forward, while Fan Qing stepped back two steps, seemingly quite disgusted.
She said disdainfully, "As the lowest of the four major sects in the human realm, if it weren't for the spirit stones we've accumulated over the years, the Yuling Sect would probably have been kicked out of the four major sects long ago, right?"
Luo Mingshu: "?" You probably don't know who earned all these spirit stones.
“Standing with you guys makes me feel like the Xuanxu Sect has lost its prestige.” Fan Qing moved aside slightly, as if she were avoiding some kind of virus.
Luo Mingshu actually walked over the spot she had given up and arrived at the entrance of the auction ahead of time.
She turned her head and smiled at Fan Qing, "Your Xuanxu Sect is quite polite. Knowing I was coming, you even made way for me."
“I’m simply unwilling to walk the same path as you,” Fan Qing retorted aggressively.
"Yes, I also think the place you stood on is dirty." Luo Mingshu turned her head, pretending to speak softly, but actually raising her voice to speak to the junior disciple of the Zishuang Sect. Because of her closeness, the junior disciple's face turned red. "How many spirit stones would it cost to replace a batch of paving stones on this road for your Zishuang Sect?"
"Miss Luo, approximately 100,000 spirit stones." One dared to ask, and the other actually dared to answer.
"So little? Then let her change places from the mountain gate onwards. Report the bill to the Yuling Sect, and I'll pay. I'm familiar with the disciples of your sect, and I can't bear to see the Zishuang Sect being trampled on by trash like this." Luo Mingshu tossed a bag of spirit stones to the junior disciple and chuckled softly.
The junior disciple, bewildered, accepted the spirit stones, only to see Xu Qian frantically winking at him from inside the auction house: "Take them, don't refuse them if they're free!"
"I never expected the disciples of the Yuling Sect to be so rude." Fan Qing looked at Luo Mingshu with a sneer, "They even dared to use such vulgar words as 'trash' in public."
“I love the environment and can’t stand seeing dust on the ground. Miss Fan is so quick to put herself in that situation, and she has such a clear and rational self-awareness. It’s truly touching.” Luo Mingshu waved to Fan Qing and went inside.
That's why she didn't want to come to auctions held within the sect without special access for clients. Now, she's run into this kind of person, which is incredibly unlucky.
Many people dislike her, but she had never seen anyone as open about it as Fan Qing.
Fan Qing entered the auction hall after Luo Mingshu. She didn't expect that Luo Mingshu would have the nerve to walk past her when she tried to avoid her. She thought that Luo Mingshu was so good at spending money, she must be putting on a show now, and she probably wouldn't have any money to bid on anything later.
She brought a lot of spirit stones, just to bid on the items she wanted.
Luo Mingshu settled into her seat. To her left was Xu Qian, and not far to her right was Fan Qing, with Lu Yaoyao sitting next to her.
"I never expected that there would be someone even more peculiar than the Great Princess of the Demon Realm in this cultivation world." Luo Mingshu picked through the fruit plate in front of her and said casually, "At least the two princesses of the Demon Realm have some royal demeanor, but Fan Qing of the Xuanxu Sect really has no shame at all."
"Senior Sister Luo... I... I don't know her." Lu Yaoyao was implying that there was no character named Fan Qing in the original book they all knew.
"The cultivation world is so vast, it's not surprising to see one or two oddballs." Luo Mingshu put a raspberry from the plate into her mouth and chuckled softly. She was here to spend money today, and whatever people she encountered was just a minor interlude on her journey.
Soon after, the auction items were presented one after another. Luo Mingshu saw a beautiful crystal cup and spent tens of thousands of spirit stones to buy it. Many cultivators here did not recognize her and thought of competing with her, but they were all shocked by Luo Mingshu's bid and did not dare to compete with her afterward.
As the auction drew to a close, the item that Lu Yaoyao claimed to want was finally presented—the "Wu Wang Lock".
Luo Mingshu didn't know what the Wuwang Lock was for, but since the system instructed Lu Yaoyao to want it, she would just buy it. Once she had it, she would know how to use it.
Luo Mingshu had so much money she didn't know what to do with it. As soon as the auction for the Wuwang Lock started, she put up 200,000 spirit stones, doubling the starting price.
At this moment, the system in Lu Yaoyao's mind was urging her: "Host, I have taken out all the spirit stones I can give you. Five million spirit stones, you should be able to bid for it now, right?"
Lu Yaoyao coughed lightly, too embarrassed to tell the system just how rich Luo Mingshu was.
Before she could even make a bid, a female voice came from the right: "Five hundred thousand spirit stones."
Luo Mingshu half-lifted her eyelashes and glanced at the source of the voice; it was indeed Fan Qing.
Oh, since it's her, then she won't hold back. Does she think she's so great just because she started the price at 500,000?
Please, Ms. Fan Qing, lower your pride.
"Five million spirit stones." Luo Mingshu laid her cards on the table, no longer pretending; she was a rich woman.
This time, even the elder of the Purple Frost Sect who was presiding over the auction was stunned: "Miss Luo, are you sure? We only know that this Wuwang Lock is a magic treasure related to divine sense, and it may not be worth such a high price."
"I thought it looked pretty and golden, so I bought it for fun," Luo Mingshu said, shrugging.
“Even if this item is worth five million spirit stones, Luo Mingshu, you should at least prove that you have the ability to pay five million spirit stones, right?” Fan Qing immediately said.
Fan Qing had heard rumors that Luo Mingshu was the auction house's most prestigious client, but she guessed that Luo Mingshu's ability to spend so much money at the auction was likely on behalf of the Yu Ling Sect, as the spending power of such a large sect was naturally formidable.
What she didn't know was that Luo Mingshu always kept public and private matters separate. She wouldn't squander the public property that came from the Yuling Sect, and she would spend her own share as she pleased.
"Is this the first time a disciple of the Xuanxu Sect has participated in an auction of this caliber?" Luo Mingshu asked doubtfully. "If I dare to make a bid and am unable to pay it afterward, I will have to pay a penalty fee."
"Five million spirit stones, are you going to bid or not? If not, hurry up and finish the bidding, I have other things to do." Luo Mingshu remembered that she still had to go to the Demon Realm to see Xie Changming.
Fan Qing sat down again, raised her hand, and gently touched the ruby earrings that adorned her ears.
After a long pause, she gritted her teeth and said, "Six million."
"Six million and one spirit stone." Luo Mingshu started playing mind games again. This scene seemed familiar. In the Wind and Sand Ferry, that demon cultivator was also driven crazy by Luo Mingshu in the same way.
"This..." Before Fan Qing could raise any objection, the elder of the Zishuang Sect who was presiding over the auction spoke first, "Miss Luo, you are a senior client of the auction house, so you can naturally bid like this."
"Seven million." Fan Qing clenched her sleeves tightly; she was indeed almost... out of money and supplies.
"Nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine spirit stones." Luo Mingshu's bidding was completely arbitrary.
"Just wait until it's all over and you'll collect the penalty for breach of contract." Fan Qing sat down.
Luo Mingshu rested her chin on her hand, lowered her eyes and smiled lightly. Since the Wuwang Lock was related to the system, she naturally had to hold onto it tightly.
The auction for the Wuwang Lock ended, and Lu Yaoyao, who had originally said she was determined to get it, didn't even have time to place a bid. Instead, the system cried out in her mind: "Host, it's my fault. I can't give you that many spirit stones. Host, how about we go to Luo Mingshu's place tonight and steal some?"
Lu Yaoyao reassured him for the time being: "Go if you have the chance."
Luo Mingshu shrugged. She still had things to photograph. In fact, the area explored in the Misty Star Sea was the main attraction.
She valued the land at 200 million spirit stones. After all, she had actually been there. The "celestial realm" simulated by the Misty Star Sea was rich in spiritual energy, and every palace was filled with treasures.
The symbol of ownership of this plot of land is a small jade plaque; only by winning the bid for this jade plaque can one exchange it for land at Xing'an.
The starting price of one million spirit stones was considered fair, and many sects began to compete for it. Luo Mingshu casually raised the price.
At this moment, on Fan Qing's side, a new conversation also began deep within her consciousness.
"Host, I said I would allocate funds for you, so why did you stop filming?" The same mechanical system voice rang in Fan Qing's mind.
"Let her spend the money first. We'll invest all the funds in the auction of the Misty Star Sea plot. I have the ability to manage this land, so let her bid. It would be best if she gave up. Once it reaches an astronomical figure, we'll find a way to withdraw, making it impossible for her to pay," Fan Qing told the system.
"But host, I think your plan is pretty good. You used her junior sister Afa to try to contact her parents and coerce her junior sister Afa into doing things... But she came back too quickly and gave Afa a magic item to block bloodline sensing. This Wuwang Lock is the key item to unlock this shield. I didn't expect you to give it up so easily." The system said to Fan Qing.
"You need to understand that your current task is to eliminate the previous useless system and its host. They know too much and have no reason to exist," the system warned her.
“I don’t believe she has that much money to make her unable to pay the spirit stones for the auctioned items and pay a large amount of liquidated damages. It will be easy to get the Wuwang Lock back then.” Fan Qing explained with a furrowed brow.
She wouldn't say that she had just had her mentality ruined by Luo Mingshu, and that the reason she gave up filming was to see if Luo Mingshu had that many spirit stones; she didn't believe she had that many.
Unexpectedly, Luo Mingshu actually had it; her speculation was wrong. It seems she will have to go all out in the auction of the Misty Star Sea plot.
While Fan Qing was talking to the system, the jade pendant representing the Misty Star Sea plot had already been priced at 180 million spirit stones. This price was close to the value of the plot, and everyone was hesitant to bid.
With the system as her backing, Fan Qing immediately stood up: "Two hundred million spirit stones."
Luo Mingshu exclaimed "Oh ho!" and thought to herself, "It's that idiot again."
"Ten billion." She just didn't like Fan Qing, and now she was going to drown her in spirit stones.
"Are you sure?" Fan Qing looked at Luo Mingshu in disbelief. She hadn't expected Luo Mingshu to be so crazy.
"If you're hesitant, then don't take the picture." Luo Mingshu toyed with the Wuwang Lock that had already come into her hand.
At this moment, Fan Qing's system said to her, "Host, continue producing, I can provide it."
If Lu Yaoyao could hear the system speaking right now, she would definitely faint from anger at the system's generosity.
"Fifteen billion." With a firm backing, Fan Qing made her offer readily.
If there were any high-level cultivators who had ascended to immortality here at this moment, they would definitely be able to sense this scene. From behind Fan Qing's ruby earrings, there was a faint divine sense flying towards the Heavenly Realm. Then, energy was continuously transmitted down, slowly creating spirit stones. The Heavenly Realm was rich in spiritual energy, so creating spirit stones was not difficult.
Luo Mingshu lowered her head, and after a moment's thought, based on her estimate of the spirit stones earned within the Yuling Sect, she offered a price of fifty billion spirit stones.
At this moment, engrossed in the auction, she didn't notice several new messages appearing on her spiritual network interface, but she was too busy spending money to reply.
This is the monthly income that an elder in a large sect like theirs can generate from a single mountain. If Fan Qing were to gamble away the entire mountain's income, she wouldn't just be a disciple, but an elder.
What Luo Mingshu didn't know was that Fan Qing had the support of the Heavenly Realm.
So, Fan Qing gritted her teeth and said, "Ten billion."
Luo Mingshu continued to play along: "Two hundred billion."
The number was almost insane. Even the cultivators from the auction house quickly checked whether both parties actually had that many spirit stones in their accounts, and the fact was that they did.
All eyes in the auction house were focused on Luo Mingshu and Fan Qing.
Fan Qing heard the system's support: "Host, yes, I'll communicate with you again using my divine sense."
As long as Fan Qing wins the bid, he can notify the Heavenly Realm to produce that many spirit stones. No matter the cost, they will suppress Luo Mingshu's momentum.
"Five hundred billion." Fan Qing really dared to say that.
It's impossible for a major sect to spend so many spirit stones to let a disciple play like this. Luo Mingshu bet that Fan Qing was just acting impulsively and didn't have any spirit stones, so she simply threw the Wuwang Lock away: "Alright, this plot of land is yours. Miss Fan, remember to come find me after you exchange it, because the bulk of this plot is with me."
Fan Qing gritted her teeth. She knew that Luo Mingshu had lost the auction. She smiled contemptuously: "The so-called high-end clients of the auction house are nothing special after all."
Luo Mingshu raised an eyebrow at the auction house elder: "Go, go and collect her spirit stones."
Fan Qing completed her task and said to the system, "Alright, all 50 billion spirit stones have been deposited into my account. I'm going to pay now."
However, the system, which was just a moment ago very active, is now silent. If there were any ascended cultivators here, they would be able to sense that the communication between the system and the celestial realm has suddenly been interrupted.
The system was feigning death for a simple reason: outside the Purple Frost Gate, there was someone... no... not a person, but a demon. 『Pianozl』
Luo Mingshu's auction had dragged on for too long. She had promised to contact him after she came out, and by the time Xie Changming estimated the time, the auction should have ended, but she still hadn't come out.
After sending several messages without receiving a reply from Luo Mingshu, Xie Changming couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately cast a teleportation array in the Demon Realm, traveling millions of miles to Luo Mingshu's location.
As soon as he arrived, he sensed the unusual divine thoughts around him, so the system on Fan Qing's body dared not communicate with the Heavenly Realm. With the precedent of Lu Yaoyao, he would not be discovered by Xie Changming again.
But the problem now is... because the connection between the system and the Heavenly Realm was interrupted due to Xie Changming's appearance, not a single one of the 50 billion spirit stones that the Heavenly Realm was supposed to provide ended up in Fan Qing's account.
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