The Jiushan auction house resembled a double-story theater, with a square courtyard in the middle.
At one end of the courtyard stood a wooden platform with a small table on it, bearing a clock with a small golden hammer tilting next to it - the tools used by the host to announce the auction items.
Beneath the platform, dozens of rows of chairs were neatly arranged, where cultivators below the Golden Core level would sit.
As for the second floor, it housed several private boxes. Should any Nascent Soul or higher-ranked cultivators come, they would be guided there - a tradition at Xuanwei Realm’s auctions, which in a way, was a relief for the low-level disciples...
Zheng Fa and Master Pang stood in a box directly opposite the platform, watching as the seats on the ground floor gradually filled up and only after seeing Cheng Kong and Tongming walk into their boxes did they smilingly say to Master Pang, "Uncle Master, your whispers and rumors have truly had a remarkable effect."
The rumors among the disciples had all been spread by Master Pang.
He laughed a little, not without some pride on his face, and said, "It’s just a matter of doing some investigation to see who interacts more with disciples of the Hundred Immortals Alliance. Isn’t that exactly what my ’Void Spirit Eye’ is for?"
Zheng Fa nodded slightly.
The cultivators of the Hundred Immortals Alliance entering Jiushan Realm naturally meant that the realm wouldn’t slacken its security - not to mention that the laboratories on University Island were top secret.
In truth, Jiushan Realm had always been loose on the outside but tight on the inside, and Master Pang’s lineage was constantly keen on monitoring these cultivators.
Identifying a few individuals who were chummy with the disciples of the Hundred Immortals Alliance wasn’t difficult.
"They come; it is actually not my credit."
Zheng Fa turned around and saw a sincere expression on Master Pang’s face: "Those Divinity Transformations or Nascent Souls, how could they be convinced by a few rumors? It’s just that our Jiushan Sect has produced fourteen Golden Cores within a fortnight, and half of them are of superior quality... Whether they believe it or not, they have to."
Zheng Fa nodded lightly.
Rumors were just talk, but facts were irrefutable.
"They no longer need Core Formation, but what about their disciples? Their juniors? To them, what is an outer elixir worth?" Master Pang, watching the Nascent Souls entering one by one, smiled even more joyously, his tone carrying some pride: "And besides, did our Jiushan Sect ever utter a lie?"
"The secrets of the ’Golden Elixir Project’ are contained within that outer elixir."
"It’s up to them to comprehend it."
Zheng Fa became interested and asked, "What do you think, Uncle Master? Do they have the ability to catch a glimpse of the secrets of the ’Golden Elixir Project’?"
Master Pang glanced at him as if he thought the question foolish, "Look at that ’Golden Core Project,’ do you think I’ve learned it?"
Zheng Fa silently agreed, the ’Golden Core Project’ seemed simple, but it integrated vast knowledge, and even he wouldn’t claim to fully understand it.
Not to mention, the knowledge systems of cultivators outside the Jiushan Realm were different.
While they spoke, the hall filled up with people, and Fairy Yuan walked out from backstage onto the platform with a friendly and generous smile on her face.
She bowed to the boxes above and then to the cultivators below, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen..."
Watching Fairy Yuan on the stage, who usually seemed a bit silly, now exuding a special sense of trust among the crowd, Master Pang laughed and sighed, "You truly are making the best use of everyone’s talents... How did you think of her?"
Zheng Fa also watched the stage and laughed, watching Fairy Yuan freely conducting the auction, "She asked for the task," Zheng Fa explained to Master Pang, "She said she’s been through quite the trial by fire in the news, and she’s not the same as she used to be."
Probably what they call seeing someone in a new light after three days apart.
And indeed, Fairy Yuan up there really did have that semblance of a person... or rather, a bird.
Hearing this, Master Pang genuinely pondered for a moment and suddenly laughed, "That’s quite accurate. Fairy Yuan used to oversee the workshop, and we all knew she wasn’t cut out for it... When Nephew Zhang handed over that position to her, it was more of a trust in her innocent heart."
"It turns out she really has quite the gift in this regard."
"Not just me, but even your master thought this girl was a bit dim-witted, only hoping she wouldn’t get into trouble. It’s unexpected that she also has such good fortune."
Zheng Fa also agreed with Master Pang’s opinion, as Fairy Yuan was chiefly given the role in the workshop because she loved to eat but showed little craving for Spirit Stones.
The rest was wishful thinking.
"Fairy Yuan has never been this happy."
Master Pang suddenly sighed.
Looking at Fairy Yuan who seemed a bit unfamiliar yet increasingly confident on stage, Zheng Fa also smiled gently - Fairy Yuan was always cheerful, her simple nature meant she could forget many worries as long as she had something to eat, and she had always been a source of joy.
But finding her natural talent, showing her intelligence, and being loved by everyone was another kind of happiness.
After the auction, Tongming Master, holding a Dragon Tiger Outer Pill in his hand, frowned and said, "That so-called ’Golden Elixir Project,’ could it be a ruse the Jiushan Sect deliberately put out there to attract us to bid on this outer elixir?"
His expression was slightly irritated.
Jiushan Sect had sold fifteen outer elixirs in one go, but the buyers were more than fifteen.
The price was naturally a bit artificially high.
"Of course, the rumors were intentional," Cheng Kong Master glanced at him and laughed, "otherwise, how could details of such a top-secret matter be talked about everywhere?"
Tongming Master nodded, and that was something he had also considered.