Sacrifice and Salvation (I)

The great hall of Lakestone Keep was packed. It was never meant to hold so many people yet at least five hundred disciples, core disciples, and seniors were squeezed into it until they were shoulder to shoulder with no room to move. It didn't matter because none of them were moving until they won a Glacier Palace woman!

The auction got underway to cheers and applause and the first woman, a one star, was brought out onto the stage.

Shi Fuyao stood in front of the crowd of men, visibly shaking and absolutely terrified. She had cried for days with her sisters and she no longer had any tears left. She had held onto the faint hope that the sect master would come save them. But her optimism was finally crushed as she stared at the sea of horny men.

She had been forced to clean herself up and put on makeup. Her dress was no longer the classic Glacier Place white robe but a red dress that was tight and revealing. She could feel each pair of eyes undressing her and it was like every inch of her flesh was being assaulted.

Shi Fuyao was one star many reasons. She was forty-four and visibly past her prime. She was not in great shape and her chubby parts wiggled when she walked. Her cultivation was bad for her age, only at the 10th Level of the Mind Focusing Realm. She never found a chance to breakthrough and she had long since given up.

An interesting effect of the Eternal Winter Sutra was that it improved a woman's constitution as well as their complexion even with a little bit of cultivation. If she had never cultivated, almost no man would take a second look at her. But with the secret art, she was ten times more attractive. Her icy aura and pure yin were irresistible to the weaker disciples of Divine Blazing Mountain and the first bid soon came in.

"One hundred!" An energic young disciple at the Mind Focusing Realm yelled out.

The core disciples and seniors glanced at the junior in disdain but others were similarly interested. To the lowly disciples, Shi Fuyao was mature and desirable and better than any peasant girl.

"One hundred and five!" A competitor soon emerged.

"One hundred and ten!" The first man countered.

"One hundred and fifteen!" The other shot back.

Their enthusiasm soon brought more people into the action. There was a limited number of women and everyone here was determined. The final price was two hundred and fifty and the winner was the first bidder. Some of his peers respected his tenacity while others ridiculed his taste in women. But all of them were taken aback by the final price.

In a private room, the elders were observing and managing the auction. Their conversation was lively as they discussed the first woman.

"Hahaha, this kid is quite smart." Second Elder Fen Rong said.

First Elder Fen Wei smiled slightly, "Indeed, he did not hesitate to empty all of his points while others were still uncertain. They might think they'll be able to obtain a better woman but that can't be guaranteed. The price will only go up from here."

The other nodded in agreement. They continued to observe as the second woman was brought up to the stage.

This one was fresh faced and young but her cultivation was at the 1st Level of the Mind Focusing Realm. She had barely begun to cultivate the Eternal Winter Sutra and she wasn't very useful as a cauldron. However, her innocent aura and nubile body stirred the hearts of many and her final price was even higher at two hundred and sixty.

The men in the hall became fully alert after the second woman was led off the stage. Some of the core disciples even started considering lowering their standards just so they could get a woman.

The competition for the third woman was even stronger. The next one was even more so, and so on and so forth. The auction soon gave the elders what they wanted as the prices were jacked up higher and higher and the great hall was completely filled with fervor and desperation.

---

While the auction was going on, Murong Aiyin's treatment was still continuing deep beneath the lake. A group of fifty male disciples would come and switch out the previous group every day. It was mid-morning and a fresh batch had just gone into the secret chamber.

The Glacier Palace elders were all meditating in their room when Grand Elder Bai Qianying suddenly called out to them.

"Elders, awaken… I have an important announcement." Her raspy voice was filled with a rare bit of happiness.

The elders opened their eyes and listened intently. Something was finally happening!

"You all should know… I am one of master's first disciples… that she accepted after becoming an immortal." Bai Qianying said slowly, "I have been with master for a hundred and ten years… long years… All my senior sisters have already gone."

She gave a wheezing cough before continuing, "Master confides in me certain things… that none of you know about, not even Long Yifei… Since all of you are here, it means you support master. And I appreciate that… I appreciate all of you. Therefore, I will reveal some things to you as it affects the future of Glacier Palace!"

Her voice grew in strength as she talked and she became filled with energy.

"Glacier Palace has existed for over a thousand years. Divine Blazing Mountain has existed for the same amount of time. Why is that? Why do we have to suffer and watch as our sisters and disciples are taken by those men year after year? Every sect master of Glacier Palace has tried and failed to answer this question… but our master has finally found the answer!"

The others looked at Bai Qianying in astonishment.

"Yes! Yes!" Bai Qianying cried out, "The ancestor of the sect left an unfathomable stone tablet. It was passed down from each sect master to the next. None were able to unlock its secrets no matter how hard they tried. But master, dear benevolent master… she made the ultimate sacrifice for the sect. But her sacrifice allowed her to unlock it and find salvation. The secrets she discovered within… it is the salvation of Glacier Palace! Our salvation!"

Bai Qianying stood up suddenly.

"Grand Elder!" "Grand Elder!" Several women were alarmed by Bai Qianying's condition.

Bai Qianying didn't care and waved to them, "Come, come with me. We will go meet master and you will all know the truth!"

The elders were mystified and obediently followed. They soon arrived at the secret chamber and the doors once again opened by itself. They looked inside to see fifty men sitting around in a several circles with their master in the center.

"Go in, go in!" Bai Qianying urged and pushed them in.

When everyone was inside and the door was shut once again, the elders suddenly felt a shimmering spiritual aura wash over them. It was their master's Frozen Phantasm! The icy illusion dissolved in front of their eyes and the real scene that took its place left them completely dumfounded.