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Xunuo felt a strange sensation at the thought of leaving Cloud City. When departing from Three Star City, Xunuo had only intended to distance himself from it, heading to the Purple Sun Fiery Valley, but he knew he was about to embark on another journey of escape.
Ever since offending these two Cultivation Sects, especially the Crimson Flower Sect, Xunuo seemed to have never found peace. Even after reaching what he considered the distant Three Star City, he had not managed to shake off this trouble. After completing this transaction, he planned to undertake a long journey. Thus, at this moment, Xunuo had few reservations.
That night, on the second floor of Dongjiang Inn, Xunuo sat across from Dong Daihui. With a smile, Xunuo looked at Dong Daihui and asked, "What is the black market? Where is it located?"
Dong Daihui poured a cup of tea for Xunuo before explaining the origins of the black market. The Cloud City was dominated by the Three Major Merchant Alliances, which controlled the public trading of Cultivation resources. Although Cultivation Resources were generally abundant in Cloud City, the Three Major Merchant Alliances hindered each other, making it difficult for different Cultivation materials to appear simultaneously at the same trading venue, thus giving rise to the Underground Trading Market.
In this Underground Trading Market, there were no restrictions from the Three Major Merchant Alliances; various Cultivation Resources could be exchanged freely. Similarly, this underground market also had experienced professional Cultivators who evaluated various items and set prices for reference during exchanges. What Dong Daihui introduced to Xunuo was an Underground Auction held within Cloud City. Compared to the underground trading market, this auction was smaller in scale but dealt with much higher-end goods.
Xunuo expressed skepticism, saying, "Cloud City is under the control of the Three Major Merchant Alliances; how can this black market operate here without interference from the Merchant Alliance Group?"
Dong Daihui replied with a smile, "It's true that Cloud City is controlled by the Three Major Merchant Alliances, but the Merchant Alliance Group does not dare encroach upon the interests of the Cultivation Sects. The underground transactions held in Cloud City are backed by these Cultivation Sects. Loose Cultivators and even Cultivation Families would not dare to engage in such acts that defy the Merchant Alliance Group. This is their unspoken agreement; otherwise, how could I dare introduce a friend here? However..." At this point, Dong Daihui's expression turned serious. "Because this Underground Auction has ties to a Cultivation Sect, some illicit items cannot be sold here either. If by chance an item belonging to a fallen disciple of that Cultivation Sect were brought out, there have been precedents where individuals were killed on the spot." With that, Dong Daihui fixed his gaze directly on Xunuo.
Xunuo waved his hand dismissively and said, "This Turtle Spirit Pill I possess was obtained through an array crafted by an Alchemist; it is definitely not stolen goods. You need not worry."
Dong Daihui smiled and said, "Then there's no problem. However, this auction will charge a commission of ten to twenty percent; you should be mentally prepared for that."
Xunuo nodded slightly; he naturally understood this rule regarding auctions but was puzzled as to why they did not set a fixed commission rate but rather one with considerable flexibility between ten and twenty percent. However, when Xunuo remarked, "Since you are introducing me to participate in the auction, I will naturally give you some benefits," he realized the purpose behind this flexible commission.
Dong Daihui chuckled and said, "As long as you participate in the auction through my introduction, there’s no need for you to give me anything extra."
Xunuo's eyes shifted as he asked in frustration, "What percentage do you get from the commission?"
Dong Daihui waved his hand and said, "I can't say, it's a secret. Besides, we'll only know after the transaction."
The Underground Auction was not actually underground; it was held in an elegant private room on the third floor of this inn. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary guest room, but inside it was a connected pair of rooms—one for receiving guests and the other for resting. In the living room, a Middle-Aged Beauty with a faint smile welcomed Xunuo and his companion into the room. She turned to Dong Daihui and asked, "Have you explained the rules to this friend?"
Dong Daihui nodded.
The Middle-Aged Beauty then faced Xunuo and said, "Put on a Mask and go inside; someone will guide you. The auction is about to begin."
Following her point direction, Xunuo saw a basket by the table filled with various Masks scattered inside. He nodded, feeling that this was more reliable.
However, as Xunuo rummaged through the basket, he found that the Masks were either grotesque faces of women or pig heads. With a sigh of frustration, he picked up a pig head Mask and put it on. Dong Daihui did not come over to choose a Mask; instead, he clasped his hands together and said to Xunuo, "I can't stay here for long; I must take my leave." With that, he turned and exited the room without another word from the Middle-Aged Beauty.
Seeing that the Middle-Aged Beauty also seemed uninterested in him now, Xunuo had no choice but to lift the curtain and step into the inner room. The moment he entered, he felt a wave of disorientation wash over him. Almost instinctively, his Thunderproof Armored Shell and Blue Shield spells activated as he reached for his storage bag when a teasing voice called out, "Pighead Three."
At that moment, Xunuo's vision cleared as he found himself in a vast hall filled with over a hundred Cultivators scattered throughout. The teasing remark elicited sparse laughter from the crowd. Xunuo cautiously scanned his surroundings and noticed that everyone was wearing various Masks—dragon heads, tiger faces, phoenix beaks, beautiful women—each one more imposing than his own pig head Mask.
Just then, a Female Cultivator who was clearly not wearing a Mask approached him and bowed respectfully before leading him to a seat. Only then did Xunuo feel slightly reassured enough to lower his defensive posture and quietly observe his environment.
At the front of the hall stood a massive table with an open space around it; this was likely where the auction items would be displayed. The seats below were arranged irregularly; some had tables set with refreshments in front of them. Those seated there were all Foundation Stage Cultivators. As a Foundation Stage Practitioner himself, Xunuo could only sit quietly. He counted briefly and was shocked to find that Foundation Stage Cultivators made up more than half of those present. He couldn't help but be cautious and guard his Sea of Consciousness, daring not to release even a hint of his power.
At that moment, Xunuo noticed that the Female Cultivator who had led him to his seat had not left yet; she looked at him with curiosity. This Female Cultivator appeared to be at the seventh or eighth level of Foundation Stage. Seeing Xunuo looking at her, she spoke softly, "If you have items you wish to auction off, you need to register in advance to determine the auction order."
Xunuo thought for a moment before asking, "What if I only want to exchange items instead of selling them?"
The Female Cultivator replied, "During breaks in the auction, there will be opportunities for free exchanges. At that time, you can take the stage and propose what you wish to exchange. If your exchange is successful, both parties will share the commission. Items that are not exchanged can still participate in the next round of auctions."
Xunuo nodded and said, "Then I will wait for the free exchange. If it doesn't work out, I won't auction it. Thank you, Fairy." The Female Cultivator listened and said nothing more, giving a graceful bow before retreating.
Xunuo then closed his eyes and sat still, seemingly entering a meditative state. A few more Cultivators wearing ugly Masks entered, and from behind a large table appeared a golden-clad Cultivator who introduced himself simply by his surname, Jin, before loudly announcing the start of the auction.
This Golden-Clan Cultivator was nearing sixty but was at the peak of Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage. Facing the participants of the auction, he exuded an overwhelming aura of magical power. Even Xunuo, sitting at a distance, felt his own magical energy becoming sluggish, while those Foundation Stage Practitioners sitting closer turned red in the face.
The first item up for auction was a five-hundred-year-old White Ling Grass. This type of Thousand Years herb was only used in pills for mid to high-level Foundation Establishment Cultivators and was particularly helpful for breaking through Bottlenecks. Xunuo had no ability to refine such an herb and found it useless to him, so he simply watched quietly. However, this five-hundred-year-old White Ling Grass ignited the enthusiasm of the Foundation Stage Cultivators below, who bid fervently as if on adrenaline, driving the price up to fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and continuing to raise it. Ultimately, the White Ling Grass sold for eighty-eight Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, which seemed slightly lower than prices at the Cloud City auction.
The second item was a low-grade Flying Sword Artifact. Xunuo could tell at a glance that this Flying Sword was not top quality—more like upper mid-grade. Nevertheless, it sold for twenty-three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. The subsequent items varied widely, covering nearly all categories in the Cultivation world, and the bidding Cultivators seemed quite affluent; two artifacts fetched prices that surprised Xunuo. He began to regard the participating Cultivators with newfound respect.
After observing for a moment, Xunuo noticed that the items being auctioned were quite high-end. Even those suitable for Foundation Stage Practitioners far exceeded what ordinary Loose Cultivators could afford. However, perhaps due to the selective nature of the items being auctioned, there were relatively few left after more than ten items had been sold. The Golden-Clan Cultivator then announced that it was time for free exchanges.
Before Xunuo could react as a novice, two figures rushed to the front of the table simultaneously. One Cultivator tossed something onto the table with a flourish and laughed like a duck, saying, "Friend, you were a step too slow." The other Cultivator, wearing a tiger-head Mask, snorted coldly and retreated in frustration.
Xunuo had considered going up early to exchange items so that what he wanted wouldn't be traded away and his chances of success would increase. But upon seeing that both of those who rushed ahead were Foundation Establishment Stage practitioners—and those eager to act were also High-Level Practitioners—he realized that none dared to compete with them. After some thought, he understood that Foundation Stage Practitioners likely had nothing better to offer in exchange and were probably wary of provoking these High-Level Practitioners; they didn't want to risk their lives over it.
The Quacking Voice Practitioner wore an imposing Bearded Man Mask; however, his harsh voice detracted from his appearance significantly. Yet none of the Zhu Xiu present dared to mock him because he was a peak Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Cultivator—comparable to the Golden-Clan Cultivator hosting the auction.
After cackling for a while, this Quacking Voice Practitioner began unwrapping layers of cloth covering something on the table, revealing a nest-like object with an egg about the size of a fist in its center. Xunuo looked on in confusion but clearly heard someone gasp in surprise.
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