“One hundred and ten thousand!”
Another bid rang out, a crisp female voice.
The hall erupted in commotion.
Everyone thought the price had already reached its peak, but unexpectedly, a wealthy lady stepped in and raised it by another ten thousand without hesitation.
Although the Xiao Family resided in Mist City, they were still a top-tier aristocratic clan in the Zhusheng Dynasty, wealthy beyond measure.
Aside from the royal family, few could match their financial might.
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, but all they could see was a slender figure cloaked in a cape, sparking curiosity about her identity.
Who could she be?
Xiao Xinran frowned as well.
This price was already close to her limit.
Who was still raising the stakes?
“Why does that voice sound so familiar…”
The red-robed girl’s pupils shrank.
Suddenly, she spotted a little yellow chick bouncing atop the other’s head.
She’d seen that little creature before, even held it in her hands, stroked its feathers, and praised its cuteness.
It was that woman’s pet!
Xiao Xinran gritted her teeth and shouted angrily, “Ji Shiyu, do you have to fight me for everything!?”
The cloaked figure shrank back, flustered, as if caught off guard.
Why had she been exposed?
Wasn’t it Xiao Xinran who was fighting her this time?
The red-robed girl, furious, swept her hand—an arc of fiery spiritual energy slashed across the hall.
The other hurriedly drew her sword to block it, but the blast blew her hood away.
The mysterious girl stood tall, skin as pale as snow, rare golden hair coiled at the back of her head, her bearing valiant and spirited, brimming with vitality.
Golden hair, starry eyes—a foreign beauty from the summit of the stars!
All the elements were there!
Whoa, the next contender was even more impressive.
The onlookers dragged their benches closer, eagerly crowding the front row.
As the saying goes, enemies always cross paths.
Judging by the victim’s words, was this the infamous third party who’d stolen Miss Xiao’s love?
At that moment, a flash of violet entered the scene.
“Fighting and causing trouble is forbidden in Shanhai Pavilion. Since it’s your first offense, this is just a verbal warning. Next time, it won’t be so simple, yō!”
The purple-clad girl appeared out of nowhere, floating in midair, her sweet smile tinged with icy coldness.
Her cultivation was unfathomable.
“Forgive us, Miss You! My daughter was ignorant!”
Xiao Wang hurriedly pulled Xiao Xinran along to apologize, deeply respectful.
A mere city lord like him dared not offend Shanhai Pavilion.
Even the Zhusheng Dynasty’s emperor wouldn’t dare.
The Shanhai Pavilion’s poster girl was known simply as You, petite, exquisitely pretty, always chirping “YOYOYO,” and also called Youyou.
Youyou was gentle, considerate, and understanding—the dream lover of countless players, the most popular NPC outside the protagonist group.
But if you angered her, you were finished!
No one knew the true strength of the Pavilion’s poster girl, for every player who caused trouble met the same end—instant death, no matter the stage of the game.
Victory and defeat are the way of the martial world. Hero, please try again—reload your save!
Yunliu had never tried, nor would he dare.
He was also a devoted fan of the poster girl.
Whenever he was in trouble, seeking help from Youyou never failed—far more reliable than that gold-devouring, delicate protagonist team.
The little girl looked young and seemed to hold a low position, yet she appeared everywhere throughout the game.
No matter which map Ji Shiyu visited, she’d always see Youyou greeting her warmly, and every poster girl looked exactly the same.
Who knew how many twins she had at home…
Unfortunately, Youyou couldn’t be romanced in the game.
There was no chance to add her to the harem.
On the other side, the bizarre love rivalry continued as expected. Enemies meeting, eyes blazing with hostility—Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran were at it again.
“One hundred and twenty thousand!”
“+1!”
…
Now, only the voices of two beautiful girls echoed in the arena, locked in a fierce bidding war.
No one else dared interrupt.
No matter how much Ji Shiyu raised her bid, Xiao Xinran always added just one more Spirit Stone.
“One hundred and fifty thousand!”
“+1!”
Xiao Xinran’s chest heaved, breath ragged.
It was always like this, no matter where, she was determined to outdo her.
That green-tea vixen was doing it on purpose!
Despite her frustration, Ji Shiyu was also getting anxious.
Her purse was bleeding dry, and she was far beyond her budget.
Enough is enough!
Do you really think I have no temper?
Neither side would yield.
Sparks flew in their gazes, the air thick with gunpowder.
Xiao Wang broke out in a cold sweat, wanting to advise his daughter to give up, but Xiao Xinran angrily shook him off.
It wasn’t that the family couldn’t afford it, but was it really worth it to spend so much on a single Foundation Establishment Pill?
In the blink of an eye, the price for the Heaven-grade Foundation Establishment Pill soared to two hundred thousand.
The Shanhai Pavilion manager and poster girl were all smiles, secretly calculating their commission.
The audience was left in awe, marveling at the ruthlessness of these rich ladies.
Suddenly, that legendary “good-for-nothing” became the envy of all.
What an unexpected windfall!
Just thinking about all that money entering his pocket, Yunliu grinned and cheered for the main heroine.
He knew exactly how much starting capital Ji Shiyu had, he’d try to drain the little yellow-haired one’s treasury dry, leaving her penniless as she left the beginner’s village.
“Add! One!”
Xiao Xinran’s face was icy cold.
With every bid, Father Xiao’s face grew a shade paler.
“Two hundred and ten thousand!!”
The yellow-haired duo were seeing red, raising another ten thousand.
Two hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones—enough to drain the savings of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.
The crowd gasped.
The last time such a price was heard, it was for a peerless magic weapon.
Go on, raise it again!
If needed, I’ll just sell my protective treasures!
Facing Ji Shiyu’s provocative gaze, Xiao Xinran finally fell silent.
She sat down calmly and yawned.
“Two hundred and ten thousand, first call… Two hundred and ten thousand, second call!”
The staff, stunned for a moment, finally remembered to start the countdown.
Xiao Xinran curled her lips, let out a cold laugh, and even stuck out her tongue, making a face at Ji Shiyu.
It was just a Foundation Establishment Pill—her true aim was never the elixir.
Wouldn’t it be better to use that fortune to buy a top-grade spirit sword or supreme technique?
His precious daughter finally settled down. Xiao Wang breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his sweat, thankful to have escaped disaster.
“SOLD! Congratulations to this young lady for winning the Heaven-grade Foundation Establishment Pill!”
As the manager’s gavel fell, Ji Shiyu clenched her fists.
She’d paid double the price for nothing, unable to feel any joy.
She could only force a smile and swallow her frustration.
The auction ended in a dazzling spectacle.
In the end, the “mistress” had outplayed the “main wife.”
Only now did everyone realize—the original partner wasn’t lacking, it was just that the rival’s firepower was overwhelming.
The spectators left satisfied.
Even if they hadn’t gained a thing, just witnessing the dramatic showdown between two stunning beauties was enough to savor for a whole year.
The only regret was that the mysterious alchemist never appeared.
The Heaven-grade Foundation Establishment Pill was precious, but they were even more curious about the egg-laying hen.
The yellow-haired girl collected her prize, paid in full, and left in a daze—her soul seemed to leave her body, eyes blank and vacant.
She patted her purse.
After factoring in the money wasted on the Jade God Oil, she barely had enough left for tuition!
She’d originally planned to use those savings until she reached Golden Core, then return home for more pocket money…
“What a disaster!”
As soon as she stepped outside, Ji Shiyu squatted by the road and wailed, drawing strange looks from passersby.
What should she do now?
As the dignified High Heaven Star Maiden, exiled and studying overseas, did she really have to find a job in East Pole Province to support herself?