After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 6

Zhongyu Continent, Luofu Town.

Gu Congxing and Zhong Ming strolled casually down the street. The cries of street vendors never ceased, and disciples from various sects wove through the crowd. Everywhere one looked, there was a scene of bustling peace and harmony.

Zhong Ming looked around excitedly, his attention quickly captured by a tall tower standing ahead.

“Senior Brother, what is that?”

“The Qianfang Tower. It is exactly our destination.”

Qianfang Tower the venue for the Qianfang Auction. Although Luofu Town was a distance from the Qingxuan Sword Sect, the town was protected by a sect called the “Luofu Manor.” Luofu Manor had once been merely a mid-sized sect, but after the current Sect Master took office, he utilized the town’s convenient transportation to expand trade routes. He even established ties with “Qianyan Hall,” an intelligence agency claimed to know all world affairs, to attract individuals with rare treasures to this annual auction. In less than ten years, the auction’s scale had grown immensely, occasionally featuring treasures unseen in a century, making it a grand event for the five continents.

Zhong Ming’s steps were light. He stopped at a small stall selling candied hawthorns.

“Boss, two sticks of candied hawthorns,” Zhong Ming said, handing over some silver.

“Coming right up!” The boss caught a glimpse of the two and a flash of amazement crossed his eyes. He offered a warm, eager smile.

Taking the crystal-clear candied hawthorns, Zhong Ming offered one to Gu Congxing’s lips with a beaming smile. Gu Congxing intended to reach out and take it himself, but Zhong Ming stepped back mischievously, staring at him expectantly.

Helpless, Gu Congxing had no choice but to take a bite. It was sweet, sour, and surprisingly delicious.

Seeing the hint of pleasant surprise on his face, Zhong Ming finally handed the stick to Gu Congxing as if his scheme had succeeded, then began eating his own. En, sharing delicious food with Senior Brother makes it twice as tasty.

“Senior Brother, I saw many cultivators wearing sect uniforms just now. Are they all here for the auction?”

“Likely so. Luofu Town doesn’t usually have this many foreign disciples.”

Although it was a town in the cultivation world, not all residents were born with spiritual roots. Usually, Luofu Town was populated by mortals and rogue cultivators, alongside the cultivators of Luofu Manor.

As they chatted, Gu Congxing’s footsteps suddenly halted. His sharp gaze swept toward a narrow side alley. Zhong Ming also stopped, lowering his voice: “What is it, Senior Brother?”

“I thought I sensed a trace of demonic energy just now.” Gu Congxing released his spiritual power to investigate, his brow gradually furrowing. “It’s gone… was it an illusion?”

After a moment’s thought, he withdrew his spiritual power but pulled Zhong Ming a little closer. “There may be complications at this auction. Junior Brother, don’t wander too far from me.”

“Yes!” Zhong Ming flashed a smile and pressed tightly against Gu Congxing’s side.

Gu Congxing and Zhong Ming arrived at their private auction booth. A handsome young page served them spiritual fruits and fine wine, then lowered a pearlescent beaded curtain before them. The curtain was imbued with spiritual energy; those inside could see out without obstruction, but those outside could not peer in.

The interior of Qianfang Tower was dim, save for the large platform in the center which glowed with a pale blue light. The walls of the tower were lined with spectator seating. Lower-level rooms had no curtains, while the highest floor consisted of exquisitely decorated private booths. It was said that “murder for treasure” occasionally occurred after auctions, so the tower used this layout to protect buyers.

Gu Congxing tapped the table rhythmically, discreetly releasing his spiritual energy. He did not sense the previous demonic aura.

“Senior Brother, is this auction legitimate?” Hearing Zhong Ming’s question, Gu Congxing couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It’s my first time here as well, but it was founded by a righteous sect; they shouldn’t lose their sense of propriety.”

“Hmm… keeping it so mysterious that you can’t even see people’s faces feels a bit strange.”

Gu Congxing was about to explain when a seductive, moving voice rose from below.

“Honored guests, thank you for waiting. This humble one, Lian Ji, apologizes for the delay~”

The crowd fell silent, their eyes falling on the icy blue platform. A silhouette in red moved gracefully to the center. Her dark hair flowed loose, her skin was as white as snow, and her affectionate eyes were full of shimmering light. A soft, charming smile graced her vermilion lips.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to Lian Ji. She swept her gaze across the room and looked toward the top-tier booths, happening to meet Gu Congxing’s gaze. Gu Congxing was surprised; though he knew she couldn’t see him, for a moment he had the illusion of making eye contact. Furthermore… this woman’s cultivation was above his own. She appeared to be at least a Golden Core cultivator.

Cultivator ranks were divided into: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Projection, Spirit Severing, Great Transcendence, and Tribulation Ascension. In the past century, no one in the cultivation world had ascended. Those at the Great Transcendence stage were sect ancestors waiting for the opportunity to ascend. Those at Spirit Severing were famous powerhouses, such as his Master, the Zhuoguang Sword Venerable. For a first-rate sect like the Qingxuan Sword Sect, one usually had to be at the Soul Projection stage to be an elder, but for a mid-sized sect like Luofu Manor, a Golden Core cultivator could be an elder.

Does Luofu Manor value this auction so much that even the mistress of ceremonies has the cultivation of an elder?

Gu Congxing stared at Lian Ji as his thoughts raced, completely failing to notice that Zhong Ming’s smile had vanished, replaced by a dark, brooding gaze.

“Senior Brother, these spiritual fruits taste good. Why don’t you try some?” Zhong Ming let out a soft breath, returning his expression to normal.

“Oh, thank you.” Gu Congxing took the fruit and withdrew his gaze.

At this time, Lian Ji began introducing the exhibits. Her voice, full of warmth and sweetness, caused many cultivators to become light-headed and spend money lavishly. The atmosphere was electric. The auction was indeed a collection of wonders: various miraculous pills, spiritual artifacts, and treasures appeared one after another, though none particularly interested Gu Congxing.

“The next item is a very interesting treasure from the mysterious Tianqi Gate!”

At these words, a murmur of conversation rippled through the hall.

“Senior Brother, what is the Tianqi Gate?” Zhong Ming was full of confusion.

“Tianqi Gate is a large sect on Mount Kunlun. Though they are few in number, they are guarded by a Great Transcendence ancestor. They possess many secret scriptures and treasures; their strength is extraordinary.” Gu Congxing paused, then added: “Two hundred years ago, friction between disciples of the Qingxuan Sword Sect, the Qianyang School, and the Tianlin School nearly escalated into a full-scale war. Tianqi Gate, unwilling to see the peace of the cultivation world shattered, mediated between the three.”

“Ultimately, each first-rate family sent one person to join two from Tianqi Gate, forming a nine-person Judiciary to jointly judge the matter and prevent the war. Since then, if there are disputes between sects, they go to Tianqi Gate to be judged by the ‘Nine Precepts’ representatives.”

Zhong Ming remarked: “It sounds like a mortal court, and those nine became the judges.”

Gu Congxing nodded: “Correct. However, the people of Tianqi Gate dislike appearing in public and rarely participate in major events. Some call them the ‘Uncrowned Kings’ outside of the One Sect, Two Schools, and Four Clans, though they are unwilling to accept the title.”

“It sounds like they hate conflict and prefer to keep a low profile. They’re probably annoyed at being treated like the cultivation world’s courthouse after stepping in once,” Zhong Ming joked. Gu Congxing smiled but said nothing.

On the platform, Lian Ji waited for the discussion to die down, then held up a storage box and unveiled the cloth.

“The secret scripture: He-Xu Great Wilderness Record! Honored guests who love collecting books, do not miss this one-and-only original manuscript! Starting price: five hundred spirit stones~”

The cultivators around the platform were unimpressed; some even sighed in disappointment. It was just a book even if it contained history, what use was it? They had hoped for a secret technique from Tianqi Gate.

Gu Congxing leaned forward to look closely, confirming this was the mission required by the System. After a few people made sporadic bids, the price reached eight hundred and twenty spirit stones with no further interest. Gu Congxing spoke calmly: “One thousand spirit stones.”

Zhong Ming looked at him in surprise. The previous bidders clearly viewed Gu Congxing as a “sucker” and stopped bidding, while Lian Ji beamed.

“One thousand spirit stones once, one thousand twice…” Lian Ji struck her gavel. “One thousand spirit stones three times! Congratulations to the guest in Booth Six for obtaining the He-Xu Great Wilderness Record!”

Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission!] [Mission rewards verifying…] [Ding! Host’s current Salvation Level: 10%. Mission points: 70!

As expected, side mission rewards were much lower than main missions. The Salvation Level only rose by 1% was it because he hadn’t directly interacted with a target character? Regardless, Gu Congxing wasn’t discouraged; the mission was simple, and the rewards were earned without effort.

“So Senior Brother likes ancient texts?” Zhong Ming asked curiously.

“…En, I have some interest.” Since he couldn’t mention the System, Gu Congxing gave a casual reply and took the book from the box delivered by the page.

It was indeed an original ancient text; the pages were yellowed and brittle, and if not for the protective spiritual energy, it likely would have crumbled upon touch. Gu Congxing flipped through it; it was about the history of the cultivation world, nothing special.

…Wait.

His hand stopped on a certain page. This book actually contained a detailed account of the creation myth. Previous versions of the myth only briefly mentioned five divine beasts, but this volume specifically named them: Phoenix, Kaiming, Tiangou, Gu, and Fuzhu.

Gu Congxing read the description of the battle between the five beasts. For some reason, he felt the myth was far more vivid and attractive than he had imagined. Seeing him so focused, Zhong Ming leaned in closer to watch with him, their breaths melding in the silence.

When he reached the last page, describing how the five beasts were punished by the Heavens, losing a thousand years of cultivation and being banished, Gu Congxing felt a sense of melancholy. He closed the book to meditate, failing to notice that Zhong Ming was also frowning in deep thought.

Right, he had intended to buy some equipment for Zhong Ming at this auction, but had forgotten due to the demonic aura and the mission.

“Junior Brother, if there is anything you want, tell me. I will buy it for you.”

Zhong Ming’s eyes darted as if he had snapped back to reality, then he slowly shook his head. “I have my own monthly stipend of spirit stones; you don’t need to spend more on me, Senior Brother.”

For some reason, he seemed a bit unhappy. Gu Congxing was about to ask why when a commotion broke out below. Lian Ji let out a cheer. It was time for the final “grand finale” exhibit.

“Everyone! It is finally time for the exciting grand finale treasure!” Lian Ji raised her arms, speaking with excitement. “Guess what this year’s treasure is? A Heaven-tier artifact? A top-grade pill? A mysterious technique?”

“No! None of those!” Lian Ji giggled and waved her hand for a giant cage to be pushed onto the stage. Everyone leaned forward, their eyes like torches.

“This round’s grand finale treasure is an ancient beast cub! The Chi!”

The curtain was whisked away, revealing a bloodied beast silhouette within the massive dark-iron cage. The crowd fell silent for a heartbeat, then erupted into deafening shouts! People even overturned tables and chairs in the uproar!

An ancient beast, Chi!

Gu Congxing had been sitting calmly as usual, but as he glanced into the cage, his pupils shrank and he stood up abruptly.

Why! Why was it here?!

Si Junjian’s companion beast, Tiaotiao?!