The bidding continued as Chu Lingwei looked at the black lotus, noticing it withered faster.
"Fifty million top-grade spirit stones..."
The cultivators in the hall had stopped bidding, gasping at the voices from above. So many top-grade spirit stones could sustain a major sect for decades. How wealthy were these Dominator realm powerhouses?
Chu Lingwei also gasped, realizing how much they were willing to spend to live eternally. She turned and saw Shui Yi standing respectfully in the corner. Shui Yi knew her status the moment she was bound to Chu Lingwei. With a flicker of her eyes, Chu Lingwei's ring shifted, and Shui Yi vanished from the private room.
"Mao Mao, set up a barrier so no one can detect what's happening here," she instructed. Her senior brother had not opened his eyes, and it was crucial no one discovered this. The phantom cat nodded vigorously and began reinforcing their private room with barriers.
Chu Lingwei approached her senior brother, observing his pale complexion and the black lotus below. Her suspicion was confirmed. With a sigh, Chu Lingwei retrieved a magical artifact from her spatial dimension and handed it to him, hoping it would help.
"Wei Wei, how could you give that to Senior Brother?" Mao Mao exclaimed, shocked. "Do you know this artifact is more powerful than all the others in your dimension?"
"I know, which is why I'm giving it to Senior Brother," Chu Lingwei replied. She wouldn't have given it if she didn't. Mao Mao fell silent, looking at the unconscious senior brother. He was already so powerful; with this artifact, who knew what he would become. Wei Wei was too naive, not thinking of herself at all.
"Ninety million top-grade spirit stones once."
"Ninety million top-grade spirit stones twice."
"Ninety million top-grade spirit stones thrice."
"Sold."
The sound of the transaction above struck Chu Lingwei heavily. She quickly went to the window, watching the black lotus turn white, signifying the imminent dissipation of its poison. At that moment, the venue's barrier rippled, and a figure streaked towards the black lotus.
"My item, I'm taking it," a muffled voice echoed throughout the hall, and the black lotus vanished with it. Immediately, the entire venue began to shake violently, as if on a ship.
"This is bad, Wei Wei, we need to leave quickly! Someone destroyed the barrier here, and this place will explode soon!" Mao Mao urged anxiously. With her senior brother still unconscious, they couldn't escape on their own.
"Don't panic. No matter what happens, we will get out safely." Chu Lingwei walked towards her senior brother, her body swaying precariously, narrowly avoiding being struck by spiritual energy several times. The Dominator realm powerhouses outside were undoubtedly fighting over the black lotus, its ownership uncertain.
"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, wake up quickly!" Chu Lingwei finally reached her senior brother and gently patted his face. If he didn't wake up now, she would have to put him into the ring she had been given and take him out that way.
Her senior brother slowly opened his eyes, saw the ceiling collapsing, and pulled Chu Lingwei into his embrace, dodging. "Let's leave here quickly." Chu Lingwei breathed a sigh of relief seeing him awake.
"Let's go." Leng Xingzhi cast a defensive enchantment and, taking Chu Lingwei and Mao Mao, they rapidly exited the auction house. A moment after they stood outside, the venue exploded with a deafening roar, destroying everything within.
"What about the cultivators who didn't escape?" Chu Lingwei saw no one else emerge. They must have been destroyed by the venue's barriers and the spiritual energy.
"They won't be coming out," Mao Mao transmitted to Chu Lingwei. "The auction house had countless high-level barriers. When the spiritual energy from those Dominator realm powerhouses broke them, the barriers compressed, and those inside... definitely..."
"Senior Brother, are we going back now?" Chu Lingwei stood beside Leng Xingzhi, sensing countless eyes scrutinizing them, a sensation that made her deeply uncomfortable.
"Yes, we'll go back first." Leng Xingzhi calmly summoned his spiritual sword, pulled Chu Lingwei's hand, and they flew back to the inn.
"Pfft." As they entered the backyard, Leng Xingzhi spat out a mouthful of blood. Chu Lingwei quickly supported him. "Senior Brother, let's go back to the room first."
She helped Leng Xingzhi into her room, and Mao Mao smartly set up a barrier, then took out a spirit energy condensed pearl for her senior brother.
"Thank you, Wei Wei."
"Senior Brother, your injuries are severe." Even after taking the spirit energy condensed pearl, his injuries did not recover immediately. Chu Lingwei took out a ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng gifted by Uncle-Master Li Chen from her spatial dimension. "Take this; it should help."
Leng Xingzhi looked at the item his junior sister produced without surprise. After consuming the ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng, he began healing in Chu Lingwei's room. Chu Lingwei sat by his side, only relaxing when she saw his injuries slowly healing.
"Wei Wei, Senior Brother..." Mao Mao hesitated.
"Mao Mao, you are not to mention this to anyone," Chu Lingwei interrupted. The fact that Leng Xingzhi could destroy the black lotus in front of all the Dominator realm powerhouses was already terrifying. If it were known to outsiders, it could be a disaster for her senior brother. Mao Mao immediately shut his mouth. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Chu Lingwei looked at her senior brother healing and couldn't help but ponder. The direct disciple of the Spiritual Academy's Dean, the young master of the Leng family – besides these two identities, he must have others, right? What could they be?
"Fairy Chu." Hearing the innkeeper's voice from outside her room, Chu Lingwei's heart tightened. She instructed Mao Mao, "Protect Senior Brother here. Do not leave his side."
She walked out of the room to find the innkeeper respectfully standing at the door. "May I ask what the innkeeper needs?"
"Fairy Chu, Young Master Meng has been waiting outside for a long time..." The innkeeper knew as soon as their young master returned and dared not disturb him. Meng Qinghe had waited outside for a considerable time. Worried about disturbing his young master's healing, he came to fetch Chu Lingwei.
"He..." Chu Lingwei's eyes widened in surprise. Meng Qinghe had not appeared since the last incident, and now he showed up at such a crucial moment.
"Yes, Young Master Meng has been waiting for a long time."
"I'll go see." Chu Lingwei glanced back at her room and followed the innkeeper to the front hall.