283: I really have no idea.

The infringement notification popped up again. The second review just passed last week. The auditing is truly a left-brain, right-brain struggle... If these infringement notifications keep popping up every day, I really can't continue writing. It will most likely be taken down... If I write another book, will anyone still read it? qaq

I haven't thought about what to write yet... — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

A trace of unconcealed disappointment appeared on her beautiful Face.

How could this subtle change in her expression escape Lin Feng's Divine Sense?

He glanced at the inner armor; it was indeed good. For the current Xu Qianyu, it was a rare treasure.

Just as he was about to speak, a slightly frivolous male voice suddenly came from a private room diagonally opposite.

"Two million one hundred thousand! This Jade Cicada Robe, this Young Master wants it. It's perfectly suited for Fairy Yu."

Hearing this voice, Xu Qianyu's expression instantly turned cold, and a hint of disgust flashed in her beautiful eyes.

"Gongsun Jie..." She squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

The Gongsun Family, another major Family in Tianyuan City, had always been at odds with the Xu Family, constantly vying with them. This Gongsun Jie was even more notoriously a profligate son, always acting arrogant and overbearing, relying on the favor of his Void Refining Stage Old Ancestor.

"Oh? You know him?" Lin Feng asked with interest.

"Just a disgusting fellow," Xu Qianyu said coldly.

Lin Feng smiled and didn't ask any more questions.

The private room where Gongsun Jie was located seemed to not have its Restriction drawn, and his smug voice clearly carried out: "It's just an inner armor, Fairy Yu doesn't need to worry about it. As long as you nod, what's so difficult for this Young Master to bid for it for you?"

It seemed he was trying to curry favor with a certain female Cultivator with this treasure.

For a time, no one in the arena bid. After all, the inner armor's attributes were special and not suitable for everyone, and two million one hundred thousand Spirit Stones was already not a low price.

The auctioneer looked around and was about to bring down the hammer.

"Three million."

A calm and lazy voice leisurely emerged from the private room where Lin Feng was, not loud, but clearly overpowering all the noise in the venue.

The entire auction hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze, in unison, looked towards Lin Feng's top-floor private room.

An increase of nine hundred thousand in one go? Where did this wealthy customer come from?

Xu Qianyu suddenly turned her head, her beautiful eyes wide, looking at Lin Feng in disbelief: "Captain, you..."

"Sit down." Lin Feng calmly uttered two words, his eyes still half-closed, as if the earth-shattering bid just now wasn't shouted by him.

"You!"

Gongsun Jie's voice immediately carried anger. He didn't expect a meddler to appear halfway through, and one who gave him so little Face.

"Who is Your Excellency? This Jade Cicada Robe, this Young Master is determined to get it!" he shouted coldly, bringing up his identity, "I am from the Gongsun Family of Tianyuan City..."

"Five million."

Lin Feng had no interest in listening to him announce his Family name and directly called out an exorbitant price that made all the Cultivators in the hall gasp.

Five million Spirit Stones!

To buy an inner armor of High Grade Spirit Treasure level?

He must be crazy!

This price was enough to buy a decent High Grade Spirit Treasure Magical Artifact!

"..."

In Gongsun Jie's private room, there was a deathly silence.

He was so choked by this number that he couldn't say a word for a long time, his Face turning a purplish-red. Five million Spirit Stones, even for him, would be a huge blow. It was simply not worth it to curry favor with a female Cultivator.

More importantly, the other party's completely dismissive and crushing attitude made him feel like a clown.

"Good! Very good! Your Excellency has guts!"

Finally, Gongsun Jie squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth and dared not make another sound.

The auctioneer's Face was flushed with excitement, and the wooden gavel in his hand fell heavily.

"Five million once! Five million twice! Five million thrice! Sold!"

Soon, a graceful maid, holding a jade box, respectfully arrived outside the private room door.

Lin Feng casually threw out a Storage Pouch. The maid swept it with her Divine Sense, and the respectful expression on her Face intensified. She offered the jade box with both hands, bowed, and retreated.

Lin Feng didn't even look at the jade box and directly pushed it in front of Xu Qianyu.

"Take it."

"Captain! This is absolutely not allowed!" Xu Qianyu hurriedly stood up, waving her hands repeatedly, "This is too precious! I... I cannot accept it!"

Five million Spirit Stones, this was almost half of her Xu Family's liquid assets. How could she dare to accept such a heavy gift?

Lin Feng finally opened his eyes, sized her up, and a playful arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"It's just an inner armor."

His voice was calm, but what he said instantly made Xu Qianyu blush.

"Your Qianlan Ice Flame has improved quite a bit. You just need this item to protect yourself, lest next time... your clothes get burned off again."

Boom!

Xu Qianyu's mind instantly went blank. The image of her naked in the Immortal Cave that day, allowing him to "nourish" her, uncontrollably surged into her mind.

Her cheeks "whooshed" red, so red that blood could drip from them, and even her earlobes turned pink.

Embarrassed and anxious, she snatched the jade box, hugged it tightly to her chest, buried her head low, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Tha... thank you, Captain Qinglian!"

Lin Feng found her appearance amusing.

Five million Spirit Stones, for him, was not even a drop in the ocean. In the System backpack, any item among the spoils he had plundered from those unfortunate Void Refining Stage Cultivators was more valuable than this inner armor.

Not to mention the treasures scattered within the giant's corpse; if brought out, they could probably buy the entire Baoyuan Chamber of Commerce.

The reason he acted was, firstly, he didn't want to see Xu Qianyu disappointed, and secondly, Gongsun Jie's voice annoyed him a bit.

It was just a casual act.

The subsequent auction became dull again.

All sorts of rare treasures, Spirit Pills, and miraculous medicines caused round after round of bidding below, but Lin Feng remained uninterested.

The atmosphere in the private room was somewhat strange. Xu Qianyu held the priceless jade box, her head lowered, not knowing what she was thinking, but her quietly reddened cheeks never faded.

Occasionally, she would secretly look up, quickly glancing at the lazy man beside her, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Gratitude, awe, and a hint of... something unusual that even she herself hadn't noticed.

After an unknown period, the atmosphere in the hall below suddenly changed.

The originally somewhat noisy hall gradually quieted down, and an invisible Spiritual Pressure began to permeate.

Even the Void Refining Stage Old Ancestors who had been silent in the top private rooms all cast solemn Divine Thoughts.

The finale treasure was about to appear.

The Void Refining Stage Middle Stage Cultivator presiding over the auction personally walked onto the high platform. His expression was solemn, and he cupped his hands to the four directions.

"Fellow Daoists, you've waited a long time!"

"Next, is the final and most precious item of this auction!"

As his voice fell, two Soul Transformation Stage Late Stage guards carried a purple-gold treasure chest, heavily sealed with Restrictions, and walked heavily onto the stage step by step.

Just the Spiritual Pressure emanating from the treasure chest made many Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators present feel their hearts pound.

Lin Feng's half-closed eyes finally opened completely, and a sharp glint flashed through them.

It's here.

The auctioneer took a deep breath, formed hand Seals, and struck various imprints onto the purple-gold treasure chest.

As the Restrictions were peeled away layer by layer, a terrifying aura, vast, ancient, as if from the Chaos and primordial times, surged forth!

All the Cultivators present, regardless of their cultivation level, at this moment felt that their Bloodline, magical power, and even Divine Soul were subjected to an absolute suppression originating from the very level of life!

The treasure chest opened.

Ten pitch-black, palm-sized scales, covered with profound patterns, floated silently in mid-air.

They seemed not to be solid entities, but rather condensed from the purest darkness and void. Just one look at them made one's mind waver, as if they would be sucked into them.

"Scales of a True Spirit Ink Qilin!"

The auctioneer's voice carried a hint of trembling and fanaticism.

"Legend has it that they were obtained from the body of an ancient True Spirit that had fallen. They contain the Origin power of the Qilin. Whether used for refining Magic Treasures or for secluded cultivation and comprehension, they are a supreme treasure rarely seen in ten thousand years!"

"This auction features a total of ten scales, sold as a package, no individual sales!"

His voice was like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves throughout the entire hall.

Everyone's breathing became heavy.

"Starting price!" The auctioneer looked around the hall, shouting word by word.

"Forty million Spirit Stones! Each bid must not be less than one million!"

"Now, begin!"

The entire auction hall was deathly silent.

Forty million Spirit Stones!

This figure was like a towering mountain, pressing down on everyone's hearts, making ninety-nine percent of the Cultivators not even dare to speak.

"Forty-one million."

Finally, from a top-floor private room, an old and hoarse voice broke the silence.

"Forty-three million."

From another direction, a cold female voice followed closely.

Without exception, all the bidders were those Void Refining Old Ancestors in the top-floor private rooms.

For them, these ink kirin scales represented a hope that could either allow them to refine important Magic Treasures or help them advance further on their cultivation path.

The price was slowly but steadily climbing.

Each increase in bid represented the determination of a powerful force.

"Fifty million."

In the private room where Gongsun Jie was, a majestic male voice rang out, clearly indicating that an elder from the Gongsun Family had made a move.

"Hmph, Old Ancestor Gongsun, you're also interested in this item?"

"Fifty-two million!"

"Fifty-five million!"

The atmosphere instantly became heated, with several Void Refining Old Ancestors refusing to give way. The price was quickly pushed to the sky-high sum of sixty million Spirit Stones.

This was already a figure that would make any Void Refining Cultivator's heart ache.

Just then, Lin Feng's lazy voice finally sounded.

"Seventy million."

There was no hint of emotion, as calm as if he were stating an insignificant number.

But these two words, like a Nine Heavens thunderclap, boomed throughout the entire venue!

"Hiss!"

The entire hall was filled with gasps of cold air.

A one-time bid increase of ten million?

Crazy! This person was truly crazy!

The Divine Thought of all the Void Refining Old Ancestors in the private rooms instantly surged like a tide towards Lin Feng's room, but it was easily blocked by a resilient and powerful Restriction, making it impossible to peek in the slightest.

"It's this person again!"

"Who exactly is he?!"

Inside the Gongsun Family's private room, that majestic voice carried a hint of shock and anger.

"Your Excellency, you are putting us too lightly! Seventy-one million!"

"Eighty million."

Lin Feng didn't even bother to waste words with him, responding with another number that made everyone's scalp tingle.

Overbearing.

Arrogant.

Unreasonable.

This was the only impression everyone present had of Lin Feng at this moment.

He wasn't bidding; he was using Spirit Stones to nakedly tell everyone that he was determined to have this item.

"You!"

That Void Refining Old Ancestor from the Gongsun Family let out a muffled grunt of anger, his Divine Thought fluctuating violently, clearly overcome with fury.

But in the end, he didn't speak again.

Eighty million Spirit Stones had already exceeded his limit of endurance. To spend the entire Family's accumulation of several centuries for ten scales was not worth it.

The auctioneer trembled with excitement, looking around the hall and shouting, "Eighty million! Is there any Fellow Daoist who will bid higher?"

The hall was silent.

Everyone was stunned by this exorbitant price.

"Since no one is bidding..." The auctioneer raised his gavel.

"Eighty-one million."

Just then, a clear, melodious, yet undeniably majestic female voice came from the topmost, and most central, private room.

This private room had remained silent since the beginning of the auction.

But the moment she spoke now, it sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"It's the Heavenly Moon Palace Mistress!"

"She actually came too!"

The Heavenly Moon Palace was one of the giants among the Loose Cultivators in Tianyuan City. Its Palace Mistress was said to be a top-tier existence in the Late Stage of Void Refining, only a step away from the Body Integration Stage.

Xu Qianyu's expression also changed. She nervously looked at Lin Feng.

This was one of the true power holders of Tianyuan City. Competing with her was akin to snatching food from a tiger's mouth.

Lin Feng finally fully opened his eyes. He glanced in the direction of that private room, his gaze still as unperturbed as before.

The corner of his mouth curved slightly, and he uttered three words.

"Ninety million."

The moment these three words fell, the entire auction house went silent.

The private room where the Heavenly Moon Palace Mistress was, fell silent.

The private room where the Gongsun Family was, fell silent.

All the Void Refining Old Ancestors who had been bidding earlier, all fell silent.

Ninety million Spirit Stones!

What kind of concept was that?

This was enough to buy several top-tier Spirit Treasures and arm a terrifying army composed of Soul Transformation Cultivators.

Now, it was only for ten scales.

What was even more terrifying was that the person who called out this price had remained calm and unconcerned throughout.

As if this number, to him, was still nothing.

"Good, very good."

After a long while, the clear voice from the Heavenly Moon Palace Mistress's private room finally came out, without a hint of emotion.

"These ink kirin scales belong to Fellow Daoist."

She gave up.

The auctioneer's gavel almost slipped from his hand.

He used all his strength, his voice hoarse as he shouted, "Ninety million once! Ninety million twice! Ninety million thrice!"

"Clang!"

The gavel fell, sealing the deal.

"Sold!"

Even after the maid delivered the heavy purple-gold treasure chest to the door, and Lin Feng casually threw out a Storage Pouch, which the maid respectfully verified before retreating, Xu Qianyu was still in a daze, as if in a dream.

Ninety million Spirit Stones.

She felt her understanding of things had been completely overturned, again and again, today.

Lin Feng opened the treasure chest. Ten dark scales floated quietly within. The oppressive feeling originating from deep within the Bloodline washed over them, causing Xu Qianyu's magical power to stagnate.

He nodded in satisfaction, casually closed the treasure chest, and put it into his Storage Ring.

After doing all this, he looked at Xu Qianyu, who was still standing there blankly.

He flicked his finger, and a neatly folded, shimmering palace dress appeared before Xu Qianyu.

"Put it on."

Xu Qianyu snapped out of it, looking at the obviously High Grade dress, then at the robe she was wearing, her cheeks flushing.

She subconsciously asked in a low voice, "Here?"

Although the private room was spacious, he was sitting right opposite her. As a woman, how could she change clothes in front of him?

Lin Feng smiled at her words.

He leaned back on the jade chair, changed to a more comfortable position, and said leisurely, "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to."

"Right now, there are quite a few Void Refining Old Ancestors' Divine Thoughts outside, staring at our private room like flies, wishing they could burn a hole through this Restriction."

"This 'Illusion Cloud Garment' is a good Magical Artifact. It has the effect of isolating Divine Thought and changing one's appearance."

Hearing the words "Void Refining Old Ancestors" and "staring," Xu Qianyu's body instantly stiffened.

She had no doubt that once she and Lin Feng stepped out of this private room, they would immediately become the focus of countless gazes.

If her identity were recognized, not only she, but even the entire Xu Family, would likely Face enormous trouble.

Thinking of this, the young girl's sense of shame was ultimately suppressed by her vigilance against danger.

She bit her lip, her cheeks so red they looked like they might drip blood.

She turned her back, swiftly unbuttoning the loose green robe she was wearing.

As the robe slipped, that stunningly perfect physique, hidden for so long beneath armor and clothing, was briefly exposed to the air again.

Although Lin Feng didn't turn around, Xu Qianyu could still feel that invisible gaze, as if it had penetrated space, landing on her smooth back, causing fine goosebumps to appear all over her body.

She dared not delay, hastily picking up the "Illusion Cloud Garment" and putting it on.

The garment felt cool and smooth against her skin, as if weightless, automatically conforming to her figure and perfectly outlining her tall and proud physique.

After putting it on, with a thought, the style and color of the dress instantly changed, and along with it, her appearance and aura became much more ordinary, turning her into an inconspicuous female Cultivator.

She let out a sigh of relief, turned around, and found Lin Feng looking at her with interest.

"Not bad," he commented.

Xu Qianyu's cheeks flushed again, and she could only bury her head low, not daring to meet his gaze.