Chapter 139: Longyuan

Longyuan City was even larger than Su Yun had imagined.

The city walls towered into the clouds, constructed entirely of cyan-black boulders, their surfaces carved with Formation runes.

There were no guards at the city gate, only a pale golden light curtain hanging down from the top of the wall, enveloping the entire city.

Runes flowed across the light curtain, emitting the aura of the Soul Transformation Stage.

Su Yun stopped at the city gate and looked up at the light curtain.

Valley Master Su Yao walked to his side and whispered, "This is the protective Formation of Longyuan; it is said to be able to withstand a full-strength strike from a Late Huashen Stage Cultivator.

As long as those entering the city have no malicious intent, they can simply pass through."

Su Yun reached out to touch the light curtain, which trembled slightly but did not block him, and he stepped inside.

The inside of the city was even livelier than the outside.

The streets were very wide, allowing eight carriages to travel abreast.

Shops lined both sides, with heavy pavilions—the tallest being seven or eight stories high—featuring flying eaves and hanging banners of various colors.

Medicinal Pill shops, Magical Artifact pavilions, Talisman shops, Spiritual Plant workshops, and even shops specializing in selling Spirit Beast cubs were all next to each other.

The streets were crowded with people; Cultivators and Mortals mingled, wearing all kinds of clothing and speaking with various accents.

Su Yun walked a distance and discovered that the Nascent Soul Stage was not rare here; just on this street, he had already seen more than a dozen.

Bai Shuang followed behind him and whispered, "Longyuan City is divided into an inner and outer city.

The outer city is a common trading area, while the inner city is where the auction house and the headquarters of major forces are located.

A spiritual item of the level of nine-turn dragon saliva can only be found in the auction house in the inner city."

Su Yun nodded and led the four of them through the outer city, walking toward the inner city.

A city wall separated the inner city from the outer city; it was lower than that of the outer city, but the Formation runes were more dense.

Several guards stood at the city gate, wearing uniform silver armor, all possessing the aura of the Peak Golden Core Stage.

The captain leading them was a female Cultivator at the Early Nascent Soul Stage, with a cold expression and sharp eyes.

Seeing Su Yun and his group, she raised her hand to stop them.

"Entering the inner city requires a fee of one hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones per person."

Su Yun did not waste words; he directly took out five hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones and handed them over.

The female Cultivator took the Spirit Stones, glanced at them, and stepped aside.

The inner city was much quieter than the outer city.

The streets were wider, the buildings were more imposing, and there were far fewer pedestrians.

Most of the Cultivators encountered on the road were at the Nascent Soul Stage, and occasionally one could see a few old men with deep auras—Valley Master Su Yao said those were old monsters at the Soul Transformation Stage.

Su Yun took a few extra looks but did not speak.

Bai Shuang pointed to a tall pavilion and said that it was the largest auction house in Longyuan, called the Tianji Pavilion.

It held auctions on the first and fifteenth of every month; today was the twelfth, so there were still three days left.

Su Yun asked if there was any other way to buy the nine-turn dragon saliva, but Bai Shuang shook her head.

Valley Master Su Yao chimed in, saying that nine-turn dragon saliva was a rare spiritual item and was generally not sold in ordinary shops.

Even if it were, the price would be much higher than at an auction house.

Su Yun thought for a moment and decided to wait three days.

The five of them found an inn to stay in across from the Tianji Pavilion.

The inn was not large but very clean; the owner was a middle-aged woman at the Mid Nascent Soul Stage, with a welcoming smile.

Su Yun requested three rooms: one for himself and Valley Master Su Yao, one for Fairy Jianyun and Zi Wuji, and one for Bai Shuang alone.

After settling in, Su Yun took the four of them out for a stroll on the streets.

The market in the outer city was very large, divided into several areas: a Spiritual Plant area, a Medicinal Pill area, a Magical Artifact area, a Talisman area, and areas specializing in selling Yao Beast Materials and Ore.

Valley Master Su Yao stopped in front of a stall selling Spiritual Plants, picked up a crimson herb, and asked the stall owner the price.

The stall owner was a thin, withered old man at the Peak Golden Core Stage, who held up three fingers and said three hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Valley Master Su Yao frowned and said it was too expensive, noting that this Dragon Blood Grass sold for at most one hundred in the Central Region.

The old man chuckled and said that this was the Western Region, not the Central Region.

Su Yun did not haggle and paid the Spirit Stones directly.

Valley Master Su Yao put away the Dragon Blood Grass, saying that another supplementary ingredient for the Soul Transformation Stage Pill had been collected.

The five of them wandered around the market for the whole afternoon; Valley Master Su Yao bought more than a dozen more Spirit Medicines, spending over two thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Fairy Jianyun took a fancy to a short sword in a Magical Artifact shop, saying it was for her Disciple, and Zi Wuji helped her negotiate the price, getting it two hundred cheaper.

Bai Shuang bought nothing, just followed behind Su Yun, watching quietly.

It was already dark when they returned to the inn.

Su Yun sat by the window, looking at the lights of the Tianji Pavilion opposite.

The pavilion was very tall, and a huge spiritual lamp was lit on the top floor, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.

People were coming and going downstairs, all of them well-dressed Cultivators.

Valley Master Su Yao walked to his side and whispered, "Master, the starting price for the nine-turn dragon saliva is usually fifty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, but the competition is fierce, and the final transaction price is often over one hundred thousand.

The Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills we brought should be enough."

Su Yun nodded. "As long as it is enough."

On the evening of the third day, the auction at the Tianji Pavilion began.

Su Yun led the four of them into the Tianji Pavilion.

The first floor was a large hall with hundreds of chairs, already filled with people.

The second floor consisted of private rooms, which required advance booking.

Su Yun had not made a reservation, but when the shopkeeper heard he was from the Central Region, he specially arranged one for him.

The private room was not large but was decorated exquisitely, with tea and snacks on the table, as well as a crystal screen that could show the live situation of the auction stage.

Su Yun sat down in a chair and looked at the auction stage through the crystal screen.

A middle-aged man stood on the stage, with a refined appearance and a deep aura, at the Peak Nascent Soul Stage.

He was currently introducing the first auction item, a Flying Sword for use by Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, with a starting price of five thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Someone below immediately raised a paddle, and the price rose all the way to eight thousand.

Su Yun had no interest and closed his eyes to rest.

The auction went on for half an hour; the previous items were all things like Magical Artifacts and Medicinal Pills, with transaction prices ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands.

Valley Master Su Yao did take a fancy to a few Spirit Medicines and spent three thousand Spirit Stones to buy them.

Finally, the auctioneer cleared his throat, his voice rising a few notches.

"The next auction item is one that I believe many Fellow Daoists have come here for.

A specialty of Longyuan in the Western Region: one drop of nine-turn dragon saliva."

He lifted the red cloth on the tray, revealing a jade bottle the size of a palm.

The jade bottle was warm and moist, containing half a bottle of golden liquid that was thick and shone with an amber luster under the lights.

The auctioneer said, "nine-turn dragon saliva is one of the main ingredients for refining the Soul Transformation Stage Pill, and it can also be taken directly, having the effect of cleansing the meridians and marrow, and prolonging life.

The starting price is fifty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Each increment must be no less than one thousand."

As soon as his voice fell, someone below immediately raised a paddle.

"Fifty-five thousand."

A voice came from another private room on the second floor.

"Sixty thousand."

Someone else raised a paddle.

"Seventy thousand."

The price soared all the way, quickly reaching ninety thousand.

Su Yun was not in a hurry to bid.

He waited, and when the price reached ninety-five thousand, it became quiet below.

No one raised a paddle again.

The auctioneer looked around, about to drop the gavel.

Su Yun spoke.

"One hundred thousand."

The whole venue went quiet.

An old voice came from the second floor.

"One hundred and five thousand."

Su Yun said indifferently, "One hundred and ten thousand."

The old voice was silent for a moment and did not bid again.

The auctioneer shouted three times and dropped the gavel.

"The nine-turn dragon saliva is won by the Fellow Daoist in the third-floor private room."

Su Yun stood up and walked out of the private room.

The shopkeeper was already waiting at the door, smiling as he accepted the Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills.

He checked them once and nodded, saying, "Fifty thousand in Spirit Stones, sixty thousand in discounted value for the Medicinal Pills, totaling one hundred and ten thousand.

Fellow Daoist, this is your nine-turn dragon saliva."

Su Yun took the jade bottle and stored it in his Storage Ring.

He turned and walked out of the Tianji Pavilion.

Outside, the moonlight was just right.

The thing he came to the Western Region for was now in his hands.