"I understand," Chu Lingwei thought. If those Grandmasters had come here, they wouldn't have appeared before her.
"Eldest Senior Brother, tell me quietly, are there any other disciples from our Spirit Cultivation Academy here?" Chu Lingwei walked over to her Eldest Senior Brother, wondering if they had any other helpers if a fight were to break out.
"Why are you suddenly concerned about these matters?" Leng Xingzhi guessed his junior sister's thoughts at a glance. "Even if a fight were to break out, they probably wouldn't get involved."
Disappointment flickered in Chu Lingwei's eyes. They were disciples of the Spirit Cultivation Academy, would these people really stand by and do nothing?
"Let's go, we're going in."
Leng Xingzhi only brought Chu Lingwei with him, and they followed the attendant of the auction to a room sealed with a high-level barrier.
Chu Lingwei walked to the window and could see the entire auction venue at a glance.
Most auction venues were similar. This one had private rooms and a main hall. The only difference was that the area where the auction items were displayed was protected by over a dozen barriers, all to prevent some Grandmasters from coveting the treasures and trying to snatch them.
"Are there no catalogs to introduce the auction items here?"
Chu Lingwei looked around but couldn't find anything that introduced the auction items for this event.
"All auction items in Song City are not announced in advance," Leng Xingzhi said as he sat down on a chair, placing the spiritual tea he usually drank on the table and sipping it slowly.
"Eldest Senior Brother, if you hadn't known about my situation, would you have come here at all?" Chu Lingwei quickly walked up to her Eldest Senior Brother. If the shopkeeper here hadn't told him about her, he probably wouldn't have appeared in Song City at all.
"Yes, I'm not interested in any of their auction items," Leng Xingzhi said with a smile, looking up at his junior sister. "In the future, if you encounter such a situation again, tell Eldest Senior Brother immediately. You should know that some things cannot be resolved by yourself."
Chu Lingwei had felt quite touched when she first heard her Eldest Senior Brother's words, but her expression became unnatural when she heard the latter part. "I didn't know I would end up on the same boat as the young master of the Meng family. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken the ride."
"You should always conceal your appearance," Leng Xingzhi said, gently tapping Chu Lingwei's forehead. He didn't know what to say about her going out without concealing her appearance.
"Ah, I forgot."
When they came out of the underground dark river, they were immediately sent out to sea. Chu Lingwei had not encountered any cultivators and had been struggling with aquatic spirit beasts, so she had forgotten about concealing her appearance.
"Remember next time."
Chu Lingwei nodded. Having suffered such a great loss this time, she would certainly remember.
She returned to the window and looked at the crowded hall. However, everyone there was either a Supreme realm or a Grandmaster realm cultivator, all hiding their identities. Chu Lingwei didn't recognize anyone.
Half an hour later.
The atmosphere in all the private rooms became solemn. Chu Lingwei immediately stood up. It seemed the auction was about to begin.
Chu Lingwei brought the Illusionary Cat to the window and saw a person holding a golden staff slowly walking to the front.
"Welcome, fellow Daoists, to our Song City Auction."
It was her.
This person had not concealed her appearance at all. Chu Lingwei recognized her at once as the woman who had asked her to leave Song City Tower.
"Her name is Meng Wanying. She is the biological sister of the head of the Meng family."
Leng Xingzhi did not stand up but knew who was below.
"No wonder." So she was Meng Qinghe's aunt, no wonder she could easily let her leave Song City Tower.
"Now, our auction officially begins."
Meng Wanying bowed gracefully to all the cultivators present and, with a wave of her hand, the first auction item was brought in.
The first auction item was pushed in, covered with a large black cloth. A barrier was also placed over it, preventing anyone from seeing what was inside.
Chu Lingwei stared intently at the black cloth, wondering what it could be.
The black cloth was opened, and a woman with the head of a human and the body of a fish appeared before everyone.
A mermaid.
Seeing the person in the cage was Chu Lingwei's first thought. She looked exactly like the mermaids on modern television.
The only difference was that this woman was also a cultivator, and a Supreme realm cultivator at that.
"This is the first exhibit we will be auctioning today, a Jiaoren (Mermaid)."
Meng Wanying's voice sounded again. Her eyes swept across the cultivators, and she read the excitement in their eyes, smiling faintly.
"This is quite interesting."
At some point, Leng Xingzhi came to Chu Lingwei's side, his eyes fixed on the mermaid.
Hearing her Eldest Senior Brother's words, Chu Lingwei's face darkened, and a surge of inexplicable anger welled up within her. "Eldest Senior Brother, are you taken by this mermaid?"
Leng Xingzhi was slightly stunned by his junior sister's address, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips.
"Does Junior Sister think she's beautiful?"
"No," Chu Lingwei glanced at the mermaid's face. She was stunningly beautiful, but at this moment, her face was filled with fear and despair. Anyone who looked into her eyes would be chilled by the coldness within them.
Leng Xingzhi smiled faintly.
"Everyone must be aware of this Jiaoren's cultivation. She is of the ice-water spiritual脉, and has always lived in the deep sea. Her spiritual脉 is even purer, making her an excellent dual cultivation partner."
Meng Wanying's words entered Chu Lingwei's ears one by one, making her heart tremble.
Supreme realm Grandmasters were actually being offered for dual cultivation. The dual cultivation they spoke of was likely the practice of Yin harvesting and Yang replenishment, where the Jiaoren's cultivation would be entirely transferred to another person.
Supreme realm cultivation, whether it was a Supreme realm or a Grandmaster realm cultivator, they all desired it.
"Ten thousand top-grade spirit stones."
Meng Wanying did not waste time and directly announced the reserve price.
Jiaoren rarely cultivated to this level. Using them for Yin harvesting and Yang replenishment was better than using female cultivators. Such high cultivation made all the cultivators present envious.
"One hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones."
"Two hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones."
"One hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones."
"..."
"These people are insane." Chu Lingwei finally understood how wealthy these people were, spending so much money just to buy a dual cultivation partner.
"Junior Sister, do you like the mermaid below?"
Leng Xingzhi smiled, looking at the mermaid below. His junior sister's cultivation was too low, and she needed someone loyal to protect her.
"Does Eldest Senior Brother like her?" Chu Lingwei felt a pang in her heart upon hearing her Eldest Senior Brother's words. Did Eldest Senior Brother also want this mermaid below?
"Junior Sister, do you like her?" Leng Xingzhi asked again.