The Gathering of Shadows
There were those in the early stage, and not a few in the middle stage. However, even as Jekyeong counted their numbers and estimated their cultivation realms, he did not let his guard down completely. Had he not recently learned the hard way that a person's aura was not an absolute measure of their true strength? Even if his accuracy had only dropped from a hundred percent to ninety-nine percent, Jekyeong was not one to ignore even a single percent of uncertainty.
"So this is the Ghost Spider's Lost-Soul Puppet."
A Foundation Establishment cultivator who had just stepped off the ship frowned as he stared at the young man standing rigidly before him. He had heard of the Ghost Spider's fearsome reputation and his methods, but hearing about it and seeing it with his own eyes were two entirely different experiences. He could tell that the person before him had a beating heart and was breathing, which only made the sight all the more chilling.
He was far from the only Foundation Establishment cultivator experiencing this. Among them were those visiting Haeyeon Island for the first time and others who had been here before, but without exception, every single one of them wore a solemn expression the moment they set foot on the docks. The Haeyeon Island guides assigned to them were meant to show that the Ghost Spider was treating them with special hospitality, but they did not welcome such 'courtesy.' Though they might not admit it to themselves, they felt increasingly intimidated from the very moment they stepped onto the docks of Haeyeon Island.
"I thought they were supposed to be hardened survivors of the outside world? For people like that, they seem rather cowardly."
"Bandit Cultivators are merely despicable, greedy, and cruel. They do not possess true strength of mind," Myeong-ha replied with a chuckle. "It is their habit to oppress the weak and flee from the strong. Yet, they pride themselves on following their true nature and claim they have not defiled their Dao hearts."
"Perhaps there is truth in that. Is it not a coward's nature to be afraid?"
"Hmm?"
At Jekyeong's words, Myeong-ha's eyes widened. Soon, his face contorted as he burst into a hearty laugh.
"How true! Indeed, a coward has a coward's Dao."
Myeong-ha continued to laugh merrily for quite some time. Jekyeong reflected on whether his words had really been that amusing, but unable to understand no matter how much he thought about it, he gave up and focused on tasting the unfamiliar Spirit Wine in his cup.
"The auction will run for three days. I do not expect any trouble, and even if something does happen, I believe I can suppress most of it myself... but just in case, I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on things, Fellow Daoist."
"I shall."
He was sincere. Although the nominal master of Haeyeon Island was Myeong-ha, a significant portion of the island's revenue flowed directly into Jekyeong's pockets. The same went for this auction, so he intended to watch over it with a sense of ownership.
"It would have been wonderful if your friends had graced us with their presence as well."
"Are you still on about that?"
"I only mention it because it is a pity."
Myeong-ha knew that Jekyeong had several Great Demon friends and periodically invited them to hold small-scale auctions. He had wanted to invite those Great Demons to this Haeyeon Island auction to elevate its prestige, but Jekyeong had refused.
"I have told you time and again: I can kill them, but I cannot control them."
No matter how far the people gathering on Haeyeon Island had strayed from the common sensibilities of the human cultivation world, they were still of the Human Race. It was not difficult to predict how Great Demons, who naturally salivated at the sight of other races, would react upon seeing them.
"But you have the ability to gather them all in one place, do you not?"
"That is only because my small gatherings benefit them as well. What moves them is their own desire, not my commands. I might be able to bring them before the Human Race, but I cannot stop them from running wild."
This was half-truth and half-lie. Having reached the mid-stage of the Great Yao realm, Jekyeong was confident he could forcefully control his 'friends' if he truly wished to. But why should he? He had no desire to introduce his friends to Myeong-ha. He knew Myeong-ha had his eye on them. If not for the inherent weakness of being a half-human, half-demon, Myeong-ha would have already bypassed him to contact his friends.
That is absolutely out of the question.
Jekyeong only wished to share in Myeong-ha's fortune; he had absolutely no intention of sharing his own. As the true master of the auction, Jekyeong looked down at the hall from one of the few VIP rooms on the top floor of the six-story auction house. This auction house on Haeyeon Island was not quite as grand as the one on Seongam Island, but it was built decently enough. This was especially true regarding its atmosphere. It lacked the bustling clamor of Seongam Island, but in its place was a refined elegance born of silence. Of course, this silence would not last long. Once the auction began... a fierce war of Spirit Stones would erupt.
"Yang Siham. How dare you show your face here? Were you not afraid of being disciplined by your father?"
"Ju Sak. Seeing how you still spout nonsense, you must have already forgotten the lesson from last time. Or did your abysmal capacity for learning prevent you from grasping anything in the first place?"
The stage known as Yang-seo-ho was both narrow and vast. To the low-ability, high-number Qi Condensation cultivators, the Yang-seo-ho cultivation world felt so immense it might as well be the entire universe. However, for those at the Foundation Establishment stage, the story changed. While the Yang-seo-ho cultivation world was not small even to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they could easily leave it if they wished. Yet, they rarely did, for the simple reason that wherever cultivators gathered, things were much the same. Generally, cultivators relocated to enjoy a better cultivation environment, but what looked good to one looked good to all, meaning the better the place, the fiercer the competition. This was especially true for Foundation Establishment cultivators, who required vast resources and had a wide range of activity, making their competition even more intense. And as the events unfolding in this hall showed, such fierce competition easily forged connections—or more accurately, bitter grudges. Furthermore, those gathered here were not ordinary cultivators, but bandit cultivators who did not shrink from shedding blood.
"You have guts. Did you think the Ghost Spider would protect you?"
"Quite the opposite. I figured I would run into you if I came here. Haha. Indeed, the heavens are not blind."
Those who merely growled with words were actually the better sort. Those who silently cast cold gazes while concealing their murderous intent lowered the temperature of the hall by several degrees. The Qi Condensation cultivators on the lower floor did not even dare to breathe loudly amidst the terrifying friction of their seniors, praying only for the auction to begin quickly. Had a neat-looking middle-aged man dressed in black robes not appeared on the stage at just the right moment, many would have collapsed from mental exhaustion, caught in the crossfire of their seniors' clashing auras.
"It seems everyone who was expected has arrived."
The moment the middle-aged man stepped onto the stage, countless gazes swept over him.
Middle Foundation Establishment.
Some narrowed their eyes as they estimated his cultivation realm.
A Lost-Soul Puppet?!
Others were horrified to realize that even this middle Foundation Establishment cultivator was a living corpse whose soul had been erased. They had secretly hoped to catch a glimpse of what the mysterious Ghost Spider looked like, but they had never dreamed that a middle Foundation Establishment Lost-Soul Puppet would appear instead.
"Jang Ho!"
"Jang Ho? The Red Yang Monkey, Jang Ho?"
Those who recognized the dull-eyed middle-aged cultivator reacted in various ways. Some widened their eyes in shock, others sighed softly, and some constantly shifted their gazes, scanning the surroundings as if searching for something.
"First, I would like to express my gratitude to all the fellow Daoists who have traveled from afar."
The psychological warfare and the resulting clamor among the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the upper floors subsided instantly.
Jekyeong already knew this, but Myeong-ha's eloquence was truly superb. His skill in lifting the heavy, subdued atmosphere and smoothly guiding the auction was equal to any auctioneer Jekyeong had ever seen.
"One hundred and forty!"
"One hundred and forty-three!"
"Are you truly going to push this to the end?"
"If you want the item, just call out a price! Why do you talk so much!"
As with any auction, the early and middle stages were reserved for the Qi Condensation cultivators. Although items worthy of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's attention appeared occasionally, it was primarily a fierce battleground for the Qi Condensation stage.
"Fifteen!"
After a bidding war so intense it felt as if they were spitting blood, a top-grade Spiritual Energy tool shaped like a small bamboo tube went to a fierce-looking middle-aged man.
A top-grade spiritual tool.
Chewing on a piece of reddish meat to satisfy his idle appetite, Jekyeong fell into thought. Fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones. In his opinion, that was far too expensive for a spiritual tool. But on second thought, perhaps such a price was only possible because it was top-grade. Ultimately, 'top-grade' meant the absolute highest quality achievable at that realm, making a top-grade spiritual tool the finest weapon a Qi Condensation cultivator could wield. Since that tool was said to be for offensive use, as long as that ugly fellow knew how to use it properly, he would find few rivals at the Qi Condensation stage.
Since they cannot even use a Dharma Treasure anyway...
Jekyeong believed it would be far more beneficial to buy Alchemical Pills with those Spirit Stones, but his perspective differed from theirs. For those who could not see even an inch into the future, focusing on immediate self-preservation was far better than dedicating themselves to cultivation that might not yield results for a long time. After all, one could only cultivate if they were still alive.
"What do you think?"
"It is fascinating, Master."
Beside him, Hyeongu stood in a respectful posture. Yet, regardless of his polite stance, his eyes missed nothing of the thrilling spectacle unfolding below.
"I know they are not fools, but is that object truly worth such a price?"
Hyeongu knew that the Human Race lacked the powerful physical bodies of the Beast Race and fought primarily using spells and various tools. But even knowing this in theory, seeing that tiny bamboo tube sell for fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones left him utterly dumbfounded. Hyeongu had performed various duties while serving his master, and thanks to that, he had gained some understanding of the value of Spirit Stones. This only made him widen his eyes further as he watched the auction below.
"To those who need it, it is. To those who do not, it is not."
"I understand, Master."
Jekyeong glanced sideways at Hyeongu, whose eyes shone as if he had attained enlightenment, and silently curled the corners of his mouth. The fellow had always been clever, but lately, his Spiritual Intelligence seemed to have blossomed even further. Jekyeong suspected this change was due to Hyeongu drawing closer to the Great Yao realm.
The Great Yao realm... I wonder how it will go.
He was not particularly worried. Hyeongu possessed a Bloodline, so as long as he patiently digested his bloodline inheritance, breaking through the Great Yao barrier would not be difficult. Hyeongu knew this as well, making his breakthrough a near certainty. Therefore, what Jekyeong was contemplating was not whether Hyeongu could break through, but whether he should actively assist him. Even if it was a path Hyeongu could walk on his own, a slight push would allow him to reach the destination much faster.
Well, there should be no problem.
He did not doubt Hyeongu's loyalty. Even if the fellow harbored some slight change of heart after becoming a Great Yao, Jekyeong was confident he could suppress him instantly.
However, even if I support him... I do not know how fast he can go.
The cultivation of the Beast Race was quite slow compared to that of the Human Race. Without a supporting bloodline, breaking through was virtually impossible, and even with one, the speed of cultivation varied wildly depending on how exceptional that bloodline was. From what Jekyeong could see, Hyeongu's bloodline did not seem particularly grand. It possessed no special abilities, and his cultivation speed... was rather sluggish by Jekyeong's standards, even though Hyeongu was by no means lazy.
Considering Hyeongu's cultivation speed so far, even assuming there were no bottlenecks before he broke through the Great Yao barrier, it would likely take him at least twenty years to reach the Great Yao realm. Hyeongu might be satisfied with that turtle-paced cultivation speed, but Jekyeong was not. He could only lament the lack of cultivation pills tailored for the Beast Race.
Should I feed him some suitable spiritual herbs or beasts?
For his first Great Yao subordinate, Jekyeong was willing to invest a portion of his precious Spirit Stones. While Jekyeong spent his time lost in these various thoughts, the auction proceeded smoothly.
"Thirty low-grade Spirit Stones. Sold."
Myeong-ha's voice—or rather, the voice of the Lost-Soul Puppet he controlled—was not particularly loud. It was vastly different from typical auctioneers who raised their voices with exaggerated tones to whip up excitement. Yet, despite this somewhat dry presentation, the focus of those in the hall did not waver in the slightest. This was partly due to the sheer presence of the Lost-Soul Puppet, but also because of the quality of the items presented so far. There were no so-called 'filler' rounds in this auction. Every single item brought out so far had captivated the cultivators' attention. Those who had no need for an item refrained from bidding, but once someone called out a price, they did not back down easily.
Not bad.
Myeong-ha viewed this auction as the starting point to truly spread the fame of Haeyeon Island, and he had prepared for it with meticulous care. Securing the auction items was the most fundamental yet crucial part of any auction, and quite a few of the items currently being presented had passed through Myeong-ha's hands.