Chapter 1413: Not Qualified

"Chi Jin Xianlian," Ye Chen murmured, recognizing it. This was a main ingredient for refining the Ba Wen Chi Jin Dan. Even if not used for alchemy, it was a heaven-defying herb that could supplement lifespan. With proper application, it could extend life by five hundred years without issue.

"I should have brought Grandpa to bid," Xiao Jiuxian said, fiercely scratching her little head.

"Has Dong Huang Gu Cheng gone mad this time? First the Qi Hai Jiaolong Jia, now this Chi Jin Xianlian, they're auctioning off everything," Ye Chen sighed. "All top-tier treasures."

"You don't know about that?" Xiao Jiuxian explained. "After today's auction, Dong Huang Gu Cheng is going to seal itself off. For a long time afterward, they won't hold any more auctions."

"Why seal off?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, looking at the little girl Xiao Jiuxian with curiosity.

"Who knows?" Xiao Jiuxian said lazily, lying down on the table. "A hundred years ago, Kunlun Xu, Jiu Huang Tian, Da Luo Zhu Tian, Shen Dian, and Da Xia Huang Chao all sealed themselves away and vanished completely. They probably entered some spatial realm. Dong Huang Gu Cheng is likely doing the same. And there are many other major sects following suit, who knows why."

"Could it be related to the return of Da Chu?" Ye Chen pondered, then turned back to Xiao Jiuxian. "Do you know the origins of Dong Huang Gu Cheng?"

"No idea," Xiao Jiuxian replied. "Its origins are mysterious. It never produced a great emperor, but it does have an imperial weapon. Even Grandpa doesn't know which great emperor that weapon belongs to."

"If Long Ye were here, he'd probably know," Ye Chen said, stroking his chin. "When it comes to ultimate imperial weapons, there's nothing he doesn't know. Tai Xu Long Di didn't study them for nothing."

"I bid three million."

"Three million five hundred thousand."

"I'll raise you five hundred thousand, four million."

While Ye Chen and Xiao Jiuxian were talking, the entire auction hall erupted in excitement, buzzing with energy.

In no time, the price of the Chi Jin Xianlian had soared to four million and was still climbing rapidly. Each bid was instantly overshadowed by the next.

The bidders were mostly elderly figures, many of whom were nearing the end of their lifespans. For them, herbs that could extend life were priceless treasures.

Ye Chen valued the Chi Jin Xianlian but had no intention of bidding. Pills and herbs for extending life were useless to him, so why compete with those whose time was running out? Those seniors needed it far more than he did.

The bidding grew fiercer, with the older cultivators turning red-faced and stubborn, even risking their fortunes. Wealth was just a worldly possession, you couldn't take it with you when you died, but lifespan was everything.

The auction for the Chi Jin Xianlian was even more intense than expected. Batch after batch of bidders dropped out, only for new ones to jump in. Even the ancient nine clans got involved, showing immense resolve.

However, there was only one Chi Jin Xianlian, so only one person could win it. Many were destined to watch from the sidelines.

After a quarter of an hour, the shouts in the auction hall finally died down. The Chi Jin Xianlian had found its owner, it was taken by the Shen Clan divine son, at an unimaginably high price in source stones.

You could see it in their faces, the elderly bidders suddenly looked much older in that moment. They had fought hard but lost, even after exhausting their resources.

The Shen Clan was no ordinary force, it was one of the ancient nine clans, had produced a great emperor, and its foundations were unfathomably deep. If they wanted the Chi Jin Xianlian, everyone else was just background noise.

Ye Chen glanced up toward the Shen Clan's private room. The divine son was lounging in his chair, just like at the Yao Chi grand event, smirking with mockery and amusement as he looked down at the people below.

The white-haired elder hosting the auction put away the Chi Jin Xianlian and then produced another item: a divine lamp, a genuine great saint weapon. As soon as it appeared, it drew attention from all sides.

"Another great treasure, but we're broke," Xiao Jiuxian said, lying on the table and puffing out her cheeks.

"Do you know the people in that private room?" Ye Chen asked, pointing toward the room where Hong Chen Xue was.

"Have you heard of Dan Zun Qiye?"

"The supreme master of alchemy, of course."

"She's Dan Zun's disciple, the goddess of Dan Zun Hall. Her name is Bi Yao."

"Dan Zun's disciple?" Ye Chen paused, his expression turning strange. He never imagined that in this life, Hong Chen Xue had become an alchemist, and Dan Zun's student at that.

Speaking of Dan Zun, there was quite a connection to Da Chu. The Tian Ji Dan came from Dan Zun's hand, and Ye Chen had once seen a soul imprint through half of one, Dan Zun had white hair.

"What a surprise," Ye Chen sighed, staring again at the room where Hong Chen Xue was. Only then did he notice she carried a true flame, a kind of red fire.

"That's Honglian Yehuo," Xiao Jiuxian said casually, perhaps knowing Ye Chen was looking at Hong Chen Xue. "That fire isn't something to mess with. Dan Zun took her as a student because of it. She's been born with it since birth."

"I wonder how Honglian Yehuo compares to Emperor Zun's Jiu Wu Xianyan," Ye Chen said.

"The two are quite evenly matched," Xiao Jiuxian replied, grabbing a spirit fruit and popping it into her mouth. "Honglian Yehuo has ties to great emperors too. You've probably heard of the Honglian Empress, she was the first female emperor among the 130 emperors of Xuanhuang, born with karmic fire. Back in ancient times, a sea of blood-red flames burned through the eight desolate regions, incinerating all the gods. Her legendary prowess surpassed even that of Donghua Empress."

"What a formidable ancestor, time to get acquainted," Ye Chen said, standing up and slipping away quickly. Getting acquainted was just an excuse, his real goal was to unseal something before continuing his journey.

He made his way to the second-floor corridor and precisely located the small private room where Hong Chen Xue was.

Like the time with Biyou, there were two guards at the door, but instead of black-and-white old women, there were two black-and-white old men.

"Seniors, this junior wishes to see your goddess," Ye Chen said, bowing respectfully with a humble tone.

"You?" The two old men glanced at Ye Chen and, seeing he was only at the quasi-saint level, closed their eyes as if dozing off. "You don't have the qualification to see our goddess."

"I know your goddess," Ye Chen said hastily. "Please inform her first."

"Don't cause a scene."

"I—"

"Step aside, I'll handle this." Ye Chen had barely spoken when someone pulled him aside. It was Xiao Jiuxian, who had followed him up without him noticing.

"Don't you two know me?" Xiao Jiuxian stepped forward, her eyes curving into crescents with a smile.

"The granddaughter of Jiuxiao Senior, how could we not recognize you?" The two old men stroked their beards and smiled, their attitudes toward Xiao Jiuxian clearly more welcoming than toward Ye Chen.

"I miss Sister Bi Yao," Xiao Jiuxian said with a giggle. "I just want to chat with her."

"Of course," the white-robed elder said, waving his hand to open the light barrier. "Go in, but don't cause any trouble."

"Thank you, Grandpa!" Xiao Jiuxian said sweetly, then grabbed Ye Chen and started to head inside, only to be stopped by the black-robed elder. "You can go in, but he can't."

"If you say that, I'll get Grandpa to come beat you up," Xiao Jiuxian said, her smile turning into a threat.

"Don't make things difficult for us," the black-robed elder said calmly, glancing at Ye Chen. "As I said, not just anyone can see our goddess."

"Hey!" Xiao Jiuxian rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to yank out their beards.

"Ge Lao, it's just an old friend catching up, don't block the way," came Hong Chen Xue's gentle voice from inside the room.

With the goddess's order, the two old men didn't dare object and stepped aside.

Xiao Jiuxian pouted and glared at them, then pulled Ye Chen into the room, acting completely at ease. Once inside, she picked up the wine jug on the jade table.

Hong Chen Xue smiled and turned her gaze to Ye Chen, a hint of surprise in her eyes. Wasn't this the masked young man who had locked eyes with her earlier? There was a strong sense of familiarity.

"This one is Chen Ye, paying respects to the immortal," Ye Chen said with a slight smile, bowing in greeting. His smile carried a touch of weariness and sorrow, as if it told a whole story.

"Chen Ye," Hong Chen Xue murmured, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "Have we met before?"

"Of course, a very long time ago, from a distant place, as close friends," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"Close friends?" Hong Chen Xue's beautiful eyes flashed with confusion, but she couldn't recall anything.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist Chen Ye, from which sect do you hail?" asked the red-haired young man standing nearby, still lightly fanning himself as he looked at Ye Chen with interest. His thin lips curved into a playful smile, and his slender eyes gleamed with mockery.

"No sect, no school, just a wandering cultivator," Ye Chen shrugged, subtly glancing at the red-haired young man's dantian, where he spotted a silver flame, a remarkable true fire. Clearly, this guy was also an alchemist, likely a fellow disciple of Hong Chen Xue.

"Since you're not from any prestigious sect, how could you be Sister Bi Yao's friend?" The red-haired young man smirked, adopting a superior attitude, his chin lifting high.

"Senior brother, that's going too far," Hong Chen Xue said disapprovingly before Ye Chen could respond.

"Junior sister, the world is full of dangers. I'm only thinking of your safety, don't be deceived by petty schemers," the red-haired young man said with a faint smile. "There are so many unscrupulous people out there."

"Enough." Hong Chen Xue said coldly. "If you don't want to listen, go elsewhere and amuse yourself."

"You—" The red-haired young man's face flushed with anger, his eyes flashing coldly. As Dan Zun's direct disciple and the divine son of Dan Zun Hall, when had he ever been spoken to like this? And by a mere quasi-saint? How could he swallow such humiliation?

"Is that so? If you don't want to listen, feel free to take a walk," Xiao Jiuxian chimed in, glancing at the red-haired young man with clear annoyance. If they were outside, she'd have dragged him out for a beating by now.

"Good, very good." The red-haired young man snorted coldly, snapped his fan shut, and stormed out, not forgetting to shoot Ye Chen a venomous glare as he left.

"Causing trouble again," Ye Chen muttered, rubbing his brow. He couldn't understand why every divine son he met seemed to have it out for him.

"Now it's peaceful," Xiao Jiuxian said, letting out a wine burp before continuing to guzzle.

"Are we really friends? I don't remember you at all," Hong Chen Xue said, frowning at Ye Chen.

"You will," Ye Chen said with a faint smile, waving his hand to summon a barrier that completely isolated the outside world. Then, he extended a brilliant immortal light, which in an instant entered Hong Chen Xue's forehead.