Chapter 148: The Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit

Master Huodeng was one of the rare Tier 3 alchemists in the South Sea region, holding a status even higher than that of the top-ranking elders of the Overarching Cloud Sect.

Because of his immense influence across the South Sea region, news of the artifact and treasure exchange gathering spread in all directions almost as soon as it was announced.

The spiritual herb exchange gathering held a strong appeal for Shen Lian as well.

There were only a handful of pills that could truly assist Foundation Establishment cultivators in advancing to the Core Formation stage. Among them was the Tier 3 superior Moon Radiance Perfection Pill, which helped ninth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivators refine their essence, Qi, and spirit, accelerating their path toward complete perfection. Then there was the Starfall Secret Pill, hailed as the lesser Golden Elixir. Beyond these was the genuine Golden Elixir itself, a pill extremely rare even within the South Sea region—so much so that the Overarching Cloud Sect could acquire at most one or two every century.

Paradoxically, neither the Starfall Secret Pill nor the Golden Elixir held much appeal for Shen Lian. What he truly coveted was the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, the primary ingredient for refining the Moon Radiance Perfection Pill, which would greatly benefit his upcoming path as a body cultivator.

He wondered if the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid would appear at this spiritual herb exchange, personally presided over by a Tier 3 alchemist.

It was precisely because of the news regarding this exchange that Shen Lian decided to stay a while longer in Nanya Immortal City. Once the event concluded, he planned to head toward the Thousand Pillars Mountain Range to search for the Earth Dragon Root.

"It would be even better if I could pick up a few other spiritual items along the way."

Sitting cross-legged on the second floor with these thoughts in mind, Shen Lian heard the commotion down on the street. Without needing to push open the window, he knew it was Manager Liu from the Sundry Store arguing with the wife of Old Huang from the rice shop opposite.

Ever since the news of the exchange gathering broke, Manager Liu had abandoned all thoughts of searching for Foundation Establishment pill herbs. He only wondered if the Liu family had harvested anything during the past half-month.

One should not underestimate this half-month; if the family managed to seize the speculative opportunity, they were bound to reap massive gains.

Over the following month, cultivators coming and going through Nanya Immortal City became even more numerous than usual. Families and independent cultivators who received the wind from nearby areas flocked to the immortal city in a continuous stream, and even Core Formation true immortals arrived.

From the second floor of the pill shop, Shen Lian looked up at a streak of light flashing across the void.

Upon entering the city, that figure had been intercepted and immediately guided toward the tallest building in the northern part of the immortal city—a Core Formation true immortal.

This was the fourth visiting Core Formation cultivator in the past month. The pulling power of a Tier 3 grandmaster alchemist was evident.

Following the appearance of Core Formation true immortals, an even greater number of Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived. Much like Cape Immortal City, a massive marketplace had spontaneously formed upon the sea surface outside Nanya Immortal City, clustered around throngs of treasure ships. Some merchant vessels wandering nearby simply sailed right up to the coastal waters outside the city and anchored permanently.

In response to the surge of passing cultivators, Nanya Immortal City took countermeasures, stepping up patrols both inside and outside the city. Led by cultivators at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment and above, more than twenty patrol squads were formed.

On the sea, treasure ships stood stern to stern, accompanied by smaller canvas-covered skiffs darting back and forth.

One such skiff slowly pulled alongside a massive treasure ship, and Shen Lian leaped agilely onto the deck.

The deck of the treasure ship was crowded with cultivators setting up stalls, as well as others browsing the wares.

"How much for this Sea Spirit Sprite?"

Gazing at a jellyfish-like demonic entity, Shen Lian asked in a calm voice.

He had been inquiring about this creature ever since the inner sea of the Myriad Star Seas, and he hadn't expected to finally encounter one here. Unfortunately, it was only a Tier 1 specimen.

The cultivator selling the Sea Spirit Sprite was at the second layer of Foundation Establishment. Sensing Shen Lian's aura, his spirits instantly lifted.

"Senior has a discerning eye! Although this Sea Spirit Sprite is only a—"

"Name your price in spirit stones." Shen Lian frowned, sounding dissatisfied.

"Two thousand low-grade spirit stones."

"Do you have a Tier 2 one?" Shen Lian's heart stirred as he inquired.

"Heh... Yes."

Instead of speaking aloud, the cultivator transmitted his voice directly: "However, the price is steeper, and we'll have to wait until nightfall."

"Why?"

The cultivator smiled craftily and remained silent.

"What tier is its grade?" Shen Lian asked again, eyeing the evasive cultivator before him.

Given his current capabilities, if the Sea Spirit Sprite's strength was too low, it would be of virtually no use to him. The toxic gas nurtured within this demon's core needed to be potent enough to withstand at least one-third of his divine sense for it to be worth collecting.

"Would Senior dare to take a Tier 3 one?"

Shen Lian cast another glance at the man, turned around, and leaped down from the treasure ship. What nonsense was this fellow spouting?

Due to the sheer number of surrounding treasure ships and the massive marketplace they had formed, Nanya Immortal City had issued a strict decree prohibiting flight across the area. Even without this order, Shen Lian had no intention of soaring over the heads of so many cultivators; who knew which of those treasure ships might conceal some ancient, hidden monster?

"Senior, there is an auction tonight," the previous cultivator called out once more as Shen Lian prepared to leave.

"Where?"

"Ten thousand miles out at sea."

"The entry fee is five thousand low-grade spirit stones."

"Once paid, the spirit stones are non-refundable."

"How much commission does a referral get you?"

"Five hundred stones."

Faced with Shen Lian's curiosity, the cultivator made no attempt to hide it.

"Senior can go take a look. Five thousand spirit stones is definitely not a loss."

Having traveled far and wide for many years, this was the first time Shen Lian had ever encountered an auction that charged an entry fee. Five thousand spirit stones—just how many Joy Pills would he have to sell to make that back?

"Senior, you might want to take a look at this first."

The cultivator produced a jade slip. "However, Senior can only view it here on my treasure ship, and you must return it immediately afterward."

Shen Lian stepped back onto the treasure ship, took the jade slip, and swept his gaze over it.

The slip recorded seven or eight rare spiritual items, and the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid he desired was among them. The remaining items were equally hard-to-find treasures, including even a Tier 3 magical artifact.

Truly, things found without effort were often the sweetest.

"How about it, Senior? Five thousand spirit stones for the entry fee isn't a bad deal, is it?"

Retrieving the jade slip, the cultivator wore a beaming smile. "Senior need not worry about me taking the spirit stones and running off. With Core Formation true immortals currently residing in Nanya Immortal City, no one dares to cause trouble here. I'm merely an errand runner; when the time comes, someone will naturally guide Senior to the auction site."

...

As evening fell, a treasure ship flying a small black pennant drifted near the edge of the offshore marketplace outside the city.

Shen Lian materialized aboard this vessel. Five thousand spirit stones wasn't too bad; at least it included transportation.

However, at that moment, his entire body was draped in an oversized, pitch-black cloak. This cloak was capable of blocking the prying gaze of divine sense up to one thousand two hundred and twenty feet away. Don't ask why the measurement was so precise—he had tested it personally. Once donned, any divine sense weaker than twelve hundred feet could not pierce through the cloak to inspect him.

Right, the cloak was rented. The deposit was five thousand spirit stones, and if he ruined it, he had to pay fifty thousand in compensation.

At that moment, there were thirty-seven other Foundation Establishment cultivators aboard the ship, all similarly shrouded in oversized cloaks from head to toe, as the vessel sailed toward the deep sea.

Everyone had donned their cloaks before boarding. Theoretically speaking, none of the thirty-odd individuals knew the appearance or cultivation realm of the others.

Of course, Shen Lian was the exception. Among the thirty-eight cloaked figures, ten were female cultivators, three were at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, and four possessed rather unfortunate facial features. Furthermore, two individuals had faint wisps of demonic Qi lingering around their bodies.

"Fellow daoists, we still have some time. Everyone is welcome to enter the private chambers to rest temporarily."

A masked cultivator appeared at the very top of the pavilion structure. Following his words, slim figures of female cultivators—each with a cultivation base above the seventh layer of Qi Condensation—along with a few male attendants, filed out from the cabins.

"Senior, please follow me."

A soft, sweet voice chimed in Shen Lian's ear as a slender female cultivator bowed deeply, momentarily revealing a pair of generous curves.

Inside the private guest suite, a banquet of both meat and vegetarian dishes had already been prepared, and a rich spiritual Qi emanated from the steaming broths. The female attendant who led Shen Lian into the room couldn't help but swallow hard.

Such spiritual delicacies meant little to Foundation Establishment cultivators, but to a Qi Condensation cultivator, taking even a single bite was no different from consuming an elixir.

"Senior, this servant may stay and tend to Senior during the meal." The female cultivator bit her thin lower lip, speaking with a blush on her face.

Glancing at her, Shen Lian did not chase her away. Having emerged from the desolate wastes, he understood the hardships of bottom-tier cultivators all too well.

"Come, eat with me."

"Thank you, Senior. This humble servant is called Qiuyue."

Qiuyue took dainty steps toward the table. As a maid on the treasure ship, she would never dare overstep her boundaries without the guest's explicit permission.

Approaching the table, and without waiting for Shen Lian to speak, Qiuyue displayed remarkable initiative by unfastening several knots on both the upper and lower sections of her dress.

"Old man here cultivates the Vajra Indestructible Body."

As these words left his mouth, Qiuyue froze, a look of utter perplexity crossing her features. Should she continue untying those knots, or tie them back up?

"Eat. The old man can't finish all this anyway."

Shen Lian picked up his chopsticks, sampled a piece of prepared spiritual fish, slightly lifted the drooping black veil of his cloak, and guided it into his mouth. At least, from Qiuyue's perspective, Shen Lian had partaken.

At that exact moment, Shen Lian sensed a strand of divine sense sweeping down from the higher levels, inspecting his chamber—and, no doubt, the other rooms as well.

The thirty-odd Foundation Establishment daoists weren't all like him; among them were male and female cultivators with formidable recreational stamina. Some were already surfing the waves, while others stroked the abs of sturdy male attendants in reverse currents.

Even so, everyone kept their indulgences brief, well aware that the upcoming auction was the primary event.

The strength of the inquisitive divine sense probing from above wasn't overwhelmingly powerful—roughly two thousand feet or so, nine times out of ten belonging to a Pseudo-Core Formation true immortal.

"Senior, the treasure ship hosting the auction is still some distance away. This servant can help massage your muscles to ease your tension."

After finishing the spiritual feast, Qiuyue rose once more, her complexion somewhat flushed.

"No need. Head outside."

"Understood, this servant will keep watch right outside the door."

...

As the door of the private suite clicked shut, Shen Lian, still shrouded beneath his cloak, furrowed his brows slightly.

He couldn't shake the feeling that this treasure ship was strange, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what was amiss.

Through his divine sense perception, apart from the array formations guarding the uppermost pavilion, every other section of the entire vessel appeared entirely ordinary.

Gently probing outward with a thread of divine sense, Shen Lian quickly recognized the nature of the array deployed atop the pavilion. Furthermore, the array wasn't operating at full capacity; it was dialed down to its most power-saving state.

...

Outside the door of the topmost pavilion on the treasure ship.

The masked cultivator from earlier walked up to the entrance and waited quietly for a moment. Before long, restrictive talismans on the door lit up, and it slowly swung open. Only then did the man step inside with cautious steps.

Inside the pavilion, an array of four copper walls designed to isolate auras hummed quietly. At the very center, atop an ornate wooden couch, sat a woman dressed in black robes.

At first glance, she appeared to be in her early thirties, her captivating eyes swimming with a peach-blossom pink hue, naturally emanating an intense, bewitching charm.

"Grand Steward."

Approaching, the masked cultivator did not dare to raise his head, bowing respectfully.

"These are the blending fluids gathered from the attendants."

With a wave of her hand, five small vials flew out and landed before the female cultivator.

"Hum."

The stoppers of the five vials popped off, releasing a heavy, decadent, and salty musk that caused the black-robed female cultivator to wrinkle her nose in disgust. Frowning as she stared at the phials before her, she casually flicked her wrist, sending a dusting of powder swirling into each vessel.

Moments later, the liquids within the vials began to emit a faint spiritual radiance—some shimmering with black and gold, others glowing with cyan and gold.

"Going out and still thinking about coupling and tumbling—truly a bunch of worthless trash."

Sensing the dim spiritual lights, the female cultivator let out a cold snort.

Seeing that the test was complete, the masked cultivator efficiently incinerated the vials to ash using spiritual flames, taking care to cast a cleansing spell over the room in the process.

Watching the female cultivator close her eyes once more, the masked cultivator tiptoed out of the pavilion chamber.

Back inside his suite, Shen Lian first wore a strange expression, which quickly tightened into vigilance.

The methods of cultivators truly surpassed imagination; who would have thought one could test spiritual roots in such a manner?

This served as a timely reminder for him: whether seeking momentary pleasure or handling other affairs in the future, he must take utmost care not to leave behind any traces.

Who in their right mind would inspect a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual roots using such a base and covert method?

Could they be searching for high-grade Five-Elements spiritual roots?

...

Late into the night, the group finally arrived at the treasure ship hosting the auction.

Beneath the night sky, a five-hundred-foot-long, streamlined treasure ship blazed with brilliant illumination. Several other vessels flying small black pennants were moored alongside this massive craft, and the cloaked cultivators filed off toward the flagship.

"Sea Clan."

The moment he stepped onto the massive treasure ship, Shen Lian sensed that a cultivator beneath a wide cloak close by possessed a forehead bearing faint scales.

One had to remember that, on the surface, human cultivators and the Sea Clan were hostile factions.

He hadn't expected the sellers behind this auction to have connections stretching so far into the wild.

"Senior."

At that instant, a wave of heat washed over him, and a seductive, bewitching whisper poured directly into Shen Lian's ear as a soft mass pressed against his arm.

"Senior, I am your guide. My name is Yu Xiaoshan."

This female cultivator possessed a cultivation base at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation and had practiced a profound seduction technique, radiating seductive charm with every word she uttered.

Having made his earlier discovery, Shen Lian naturally remained on high alert.

It was certain that this auction was mixed up with some rather peculiar dealings. Wiping out every single person present was likely impossible, but making a few individuals quietly vanish would undoubtedly be a simple matter.

"Lead the way, then."

Guided by Yu Xiaoshan, Shen Lian stepped into the interior of the grand treasure ship.

The vessel was evidently custom-built. Its interior featured multi-tiered corridors spanning five levels vertically, while the center opened up into an immensely spacious high platform, surrounded by lanterns and supported by jade pillars.

Facing the central platform from the corridors were individual private boxes, offering a clear view of the stage below from every angle.

Under Yu Xiaoshan's guidance, Shen Lian was led into a private box situated along the third-tier corridor.

"Senior, I am an outer sect disciple of the Yi Palace under the Holy Spirit Shrine. Having refined bone-devouring seduction arts for decades, I am fully capable of bringing Senior endless joy."

Upon entering the private room, Yu Xiaoshan dropped all pretense, slithering toward Shen Lian like a water snake, eager to attach herself to his body.