16-25

B2 - Chapter 16: Mentor Lan

"Young Master, what was Elder Yu going to reveal if you didn't pass the written test?"

William's eye twitched in irritation, not in the mood to be reminded of that. Nor did he ever intend to answer that question. He would take the name 'Fury of the Five Heavenly Dragons' to the grave.

"Not the time, Sister Lingxi," William scowled.

"There's nothing else to do other than talk," Mei Lingxi countered, and she was right.

Apparently, they wouldn't be allowed to leave the Teleportation Hall until his assigned mentor arrived to receive them. The core formation realm cultivators guarding the hall refused to say anything else, which led them to this predicament.

It wasn't the welcome to the Inner Court that William had been expecting. The only good thing was that Ren Bo wouldn't find out about it after, something he was thankful about after his impromptu failed bragging. It would make him want to avoid the kid for years from the embarrassment.

"Alright then, let's talk about Prince Yuan."

Mei Lingxi's expression, normally in some combination of teasing and happiness, turned frighteningly blank.

"I'm afraid that's the one thing I can't speak of, Young Master."

William winced at his stupidity. There was no teasing tone in her voice this time, not even a hint.

"Sorry… the contract?" It had only been mentioned once, and after he found that it worked like an employment contract instead of anything resembling servitude, he had promptly forgotten about it.

Mei Lingxi nodded, "Yes, I'm barred from speaking of my time working for Prince Yuan."

"So, like a non-disclosure agreement," William said to himself.

"It's exactly that," Mei Lingxi replied with surprise, "Have you been researching contracts, Young Master?"

"Er, yes," William chuckled awkwardly, "Just a little."

He hadn't really, but this might be one of the things that Sophia had brought over from Earth, though it seemed that an NDA in this world seemed to have much harsher penalties than a lawsuit or a fine.

"Forget I ever mentioned that, Sister Lingxi. Would it be fine if I ask about your past, other than the prince?" William asked cautiously.

"My past?" Mei Lingxi's expression relaxed almost immediately, "Go ahead, Young Master. I'm an open book."

"Did you really skip the entrance tests for the major sects?" William asked bluntly, remembering what the Grand Elder mentioned in the teahouse. It had been hard for him to forget that, especially since he remembered Mei Lingxi talking about how jealous she was about him being a member of the Jade Healing Sect.

"… Not exactly," she replied with an awkward look. "When the Grand Elder said I never attended the entrance tests, he was correct, but it wasn't on purpose."

He already knew what was about to be said... or thought he did.

"The first one I traveled to was the Jade Healing Sect. It made the most sense because it was so close to my home in Qingyun City. Plus, it is highly regarded in the Empire. When I was halfway to the testing site, my horse suddenly decided that it would be best to try and eat every grass stalk it could see."

Mei Lingxi must have seen the incredulous look on his face because she laughed. "That's the same look I had. I later learned that my cousin had given the horse some pills that gave it endless hunger. It literally ate itself to death… on grass."

"… I see," William said hesitantly, "You didn't try to get there some other way?"

"I was a mortal," Mei Lingxi said as if that explained everything. "I gave up and went back home. Later, I learned that bandits raided the group I was traveling with, so it was a boon in the end."

He stared at her. It was all he could do. He expected something like this, but hearing it was difficult to fathom. "Did something like this happen when you tried to join the other sects?"

"It did," Mei Lingxi shifted uneasily. "I felt like I should have fought harder to get to the testing sites, but I have a different view in life. If a sect was meant for me, I would have gotten to their testing site smoothly. I never did, so I simply gave up."

That repeated in William's mind.

I simply gave up.

She said that so easily. So if something doesn't go her way, her instinct is to abandon course and do something else. That… was concerning.

He didn't have many requirements with the people he wanted around him, but the flakey behavior Mei Lingxi admitted to was a huge concern. Wouldn't that mean she could leave whenever she felt this no longer fit her?

"That's an interesting way to lead your life, Sister Lingxi," William was proud that he didn't show his sudden doubts. "How did you end up in Xuanjing City after all that?"

"I ran away from home," Mei Lingxi shrugged. "My cousin tried to give me the same pills she gave my horse, so I decided that was that."

This time, he didn't bother to hide his thoughts. He stared at her like she had a few screws loose in her head, to which she rolled her eyes.

"I knew what she was trying to do, Young Master. I just couldn't be bothered dealing with the jealous pig that happened to be my cousin. I had bigger plans for my future than marrying the magistrate's son and becoming a wealthy housewife, lording over some weak mortals. She can have that life. I am meant for greater things."

William stared at Mei Lingxi for a different reason this time. She may be flaky, but she was terrifying in her own way.

"Have you contacted your family since then?"

"Why would I?" Mei Lingo asked, confused such a question was directed at her.

The definition of flightiness, but ruthlessly decisive in her own way. So perhaps it wasn't the issue of her abandoning him whenever it benefitted her that should worry him, but stabbing him in the back when it best suited her.

William needed to have a talk with Elder Yu and take a close look at the contract. After Zheng Tao, he was out of trust. If Mei Lingxi turned out to be steadfastly loyal toward him, then this can just be a practice to keep exercising caution.

"You have had an interesting path, Sister Lingxi," William smiled, "The Grand Elder was right when he said your decisions were fascinating."

Mei Lingxi shrugged, "That wasn't what the Grand Elder meant, but close enough, Young Master."

The talk about the Grand Master reminded him of the teahouse. He wanted to bring up her promise of treating him to another cup of tea, mainly to lighten the atmosphere from talking about her past. However, soft murmurs stopped all of that.

The core formation guards posted outside never spoke with each other, so they were talking to someone who just arrived. William couldn't hear anything clearly, but he was trying to see if the new voice was feminine, which would confirm his suspicion that Lan Yin was his mentor.

"Young Master, didn't you say Sentinel Lan would be your mentor?"

"No, but I said I strongly suspected it," William replied, still trying to eavesdrop on the conversation outside.

"You're right, but it's still not the person you were thinking of."

He turned to Mei Lingxi, who had a full-blown smirk on her face. That didn't bode well for him.

The door to the Teleportation Hall opened.

"I apologize for making you wait, Junior Wei."

William turned back to the entrance to meet dark green eyes. Oh. It was Lan Yang.

B2 - Chapter 17: Mentor Lan's Mistake

Honestly, he had completely forgotten about him, which was understandable.

William had only seen Lan Yang a few times, most of which were spent silently while traveling to the Garden. After that, he disappeared, leaving him with Lan Yin for company.

"I guess you were right in the end, Young Master. Sentinel Lan is your mentor."

Lan Yang's easy smile didn't falter as he raised an eyebrow at Mei Lingxi. "Ah, Junior Wei assumed my sister would be his mentor?"

She gave him a slight shrug in reply, allowing William to finally get over his surprise. Not only at Lan Yang's appearance but also at what the system showed him.

[Name: Lan Yang | Level: 199]

He glanced at Lan Yang's sleeves, seeing one with two filled gold circles and the other blank. The older cultivator wasn't an alchemist or a healer… obviously.

He vaguely remembered that Lan Yang was supposed to meet him in Xuanjing City after he had gotten the attention of Prince Yuan, but that had been canceled due to something about protecting some shipments for the sect.

"Good to meet you again, Senior Lan," William said with a small wave.

"So you remember me?" Lan Yang's smile grew slightly, "I hope you have forgiven me for how I acted when we met before."

That helped to ease some of the worries that he had. Mainly of Lang Yang being as difficult and standoffish as before, no matter how he was smiling currently. He was the same when Elder Huang was around, and once he wasn't, the smiles dropped.

"I barely remember that since it was so long ago, so it isn't a problem. Besides, I'm sure you were busy then, Senior Lan."

"Not really," Lan Yang chuckled, "At that time, you were a mortal. A favored mortal, but still, just a mortal. It wasn't worth the effort."

William's eye twitched in irritation. He was trying to make the greeting pleasant by being friendly. He knew that this was likely why Lan Yang didn't bother to speak to him more than necessary. After all, Lan Yin, his sister, did precisely the same.

Only when he joined the Jade Healing Sect did she change her tune, willing to speak without sounding dismissive. Obviously, he had assumed that Lan Yin's brother felt the same way.

Still, it wasn't necessary to say that out loud.

"I offended you," Lan Yang had the gall to sound surprised.

"May I, Young Master?" Mei Lingxi interjected, placing a hand on his shoulder. He wasn't sure what she was asking permission for, but he didn't want her to speak for him, if that was her intention.

"It's fine," William shook his head and turned to Lan Yang, "Senior Lan, my time as a cultivator is measured in months. I don't like hearing how little everyone thinks of mortals."

Lan Yang laughed. "I see that my sister was telling the truth."

"Hmm," Mei Lingxi agreed, to his displeasure, "If she was talking about the Young Master having a bleeding heart, then yes, she was."

"She was telling me of how some mortal almost swindled Junior Wei," Lan Yang chuckled, "Not to worry, this feeling will pass in time, just like it did for all of us."

"Right," William broke into their little session of patting each other on the back, "I doubt it'll change, Senior Lan. You were sent here to guide me?"

It was abrupt, but he was done with the conversation. He was mostly done with Lan Yang, too, but he needed the cultivator to show him around the Inner Court.

"Yin'er is going to murder me," Lan Yang mumbled, the smile finally off his face, "Junior Wei, let's start over and pretend none of that happened. I want us to get along, and before you say anything, do you really want my sister to be disappointed when she returns?"

William blinked in surprise. "You're going to use Senior Sister Yin against me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Lan Yang asked earnestly, "Yin'er will nag me to death if you hate me for a reason as silly as mortals—"

Mei Lingxi cleared her throat.

"Right, anyway, we started off terribly," Lan Yang nodded firmly before leaving the Teleportation Hall.

"… What?" William wasn't sure what was happening.

"I'm not sure," Mei Lingxi whispered and seemed to be on the same boat, "Was his sister equally as strange?"

"No?" Lan Yin could be a little intense, but he couldn't think of anything to this extent.

"Ah! You must be Junior Wei! I'm Lan Yang, your mentor. You can call me Senior Yang."

William stared at Lan Yang, who reentered the Teleportation Hall as if it was the first time. "Really?"

"Of course!" Lan Yang smiled brightly as he moved toward him, "I look forward to showing you around the Inner Court." He patted his shoulder firmly before turning to Mei Lingxi, pulling out a familiar purple pass, "You are Attendant Mei, correct? Elder Yu told me about you, but I'm afraid I'll need to be alone with Junior Wei today. How about you enjoy the entertainment district? My gift to you."

Before William could try to grasp the sudden change in mood, Mei Lingxi was looking to him for permission. She didn't even try to hide the desire to be allowed to leave him with Lan Yang. He knew what she was trying to do, return to the teahouse on Lan Yang's dime.

That reminded him of the cost of the tea. A smile formed on his lips.

"Go ahead, Sister Lingxi," William said brightly, "Have some fun for me too."

"Yes, Young Master!" Mei Lingxi had snatched the pass from Lan Yang and was already heading to the exit.

He was a little jealous that she would get to enjoy the tea without him, but when he saw Lan Yang's suspicious expression, he decided it was worth it. It was petty revenge, but revenge all the same.

"Hm, I suppose I'll regret that," Lan Yang commented before shrugging, "No matter. Let's go, Junior Wei. I have something exciting to show you."

He saw that Mei Lingxi hadn't been stopped by the guards when she left. The arrival of Lan Yang or the pass she held had been enough.

They left the Teleportation Hall soon after. Lan Yang turned to the guards and nodded his head slightly. "I'm sorry for the trouble, seniors."

The most significant reaction was a grunt. Not very talkative, these guards.

They were going in the opposite direction of the entertainment district and the dwelling area. This would be something new. William forgot some of his dissatisfaction with Lan Yang as he eyed his surroundings.

A surprising number of disciples were walking in the same direction, all dressed in their sect robes, but some in the center of large groups wearing rather expensive-looking spirit artifacts in the form of rings, outer cloaks, jewelry, and ornate swords that were sheathed.

Unlike Xuanjing City, where there were clear lines that separated the wealthy from the poor, the quality of the buildings never really dipped. Which made sense. This was in the Inner Court of the Jade Healing Sect. Not a mortal city.

"Where are we going, Senior Yang?"

"Hoh? Finally willing to speak with me?" Lan Yang smiled.

"It would be childish of me to hold a grudge when you didn't do anything wrong," William replied, mainly because Mei Lingxi's spending made him consider them even.

"Interesting," Lan Yang raised an eyebrow, "very mature of you, Junior Wei. Then, it's only fair for me to apologize for being insensitive."

"Thank you, Senior Yang," William smiled, still thinking of Mei Lingxi sipping on tea.

"Good! As for where we're going," Lan Yang pointed to a towering building in the distance, "To the auction house! The annual auction starts today!"

William matched Lan Yang's increased speed as he glanced at the disciples wearing the expensive spirit artifacts.

They must be the high rollers in the auction. All of a sudden, his excitement was raised to another level. He wanted to see if this was as ridiculous as it often was in cultivation novels.

B2 - Chapter 18: Entering the Auction House

They walked past a long line that seemed to keep growing every time William glanced back. Of course, Lan Yang had some super special pass to skip it.

He looked at his mentor's basic status and wondered what would happen if he used [Observe] on him.

It would also solve his question about how old Lan Yin was. William remembered how he assumed she was hundreds of years old… for some reason, which was very unlikely once he found Mei Lingxi's age.

The way they interacted implied that they were of similar ages.

Since the system would warn him before using [Observe] if Lan Yang might detect it, he decided that it was of no harm if he gave it a try.

[Use Observe? | Cost: 100 Spiritual Energy]

[Warning | Factoring Luck, there is a 50% chance of the target sensing Observe]

That was interesting. This was really different when compared to Mei Lingxi. With her, it was almost a surety that she would discover [Observe] being used. It was a coin flip with Lan Yang.

William could only assume that Mei Lingxi's Luck was far greater than Lan Yang's.

"Senior Yang, do you mind if I used a technique on you?" He almost walked into the older cultivator's back from the quick stop.

"What technique?" Lan Yang asked as he looked over his shoulder with narrowed eyes.

"Er, I'm not sure," William didn't know how to describe [Observe] but figured it wasn't necessary when namedropping was possible, "The Grand Elder said it was similar to a divination technique?"

"You know the Grand Elder?" Lan Yang lowered his voice, but it was apparent he was shocked.

William blinked when he moved a little too close to his face. "Yes?"

"No wonder you were given permission to enter the red floor," Lan Yang muttered.

It was William's turn to narrow his eyes. So it wasn't Lan Yang having some special pass like he assumed.

"Senior Yang, are you using me to gain benefits in the auction house?"

"I wouldn't say that," he immediately denied, "You are too, Junior Wei!"

"Really?" William addressed his impoverished state, "I have no sect points. I won't be able to bid on anything."

"Not everything is about material benefits," Lan Yang said sagely, "Sometimes, it's the experience that matters."

He stared at Lan Yang, wondering if he was supposed to fall for that.

"Junior Wei, I am your mentor. Trust me," Lan Yang said earnestly.

"… Right," William wondered if he would have said that if he knew the last mentor, or rather, tutor, tried to get him killed. Still, he could get something out of this. "Will you take me to the Jade Cauldron Peak?"

Finding an alchemist willing to help out a newbie might be difficult, but with Lan Yang beside him, he might have better luck.

"That's—" Lan Yang cut himself off, "Sure, Junior Wei. It'll detract from the planned path, but I can fit it in."

William sensed that he had just allowed himself to be taken advantage of. Of course, it annoyed him briefly, but he quickly let it go. Their initial meeting didn't go as either had planned, and there was no reason to have that continue for something as minor as this.

Lan Yang could use his presence to skip the long line, and William might be able to use his presence to get himself an alchemist. Besides, he had no idea why he was given the ability to skip the line in the first place, so he might as well use it to his advantage.

"Sounds like a deal, Senior Yang," William nodded in agreement as they walked to the large, grandiose entrance of the auction house. He soon realized that Lan Yang had ignored his request to use [Observe], but it was too late to ask again.

They had reached the entrance.

The two guards on either side were at least in the nascent soul realm. Both had a similar basic status.

[Name: ? | Level: ?]

The real question was why it was necessary for two cultivators stronger than most Elders he had seen to act like simple guards. What threat were they protecting against when the auction house was in the center of the sect's territory?

"Elders," Lan Yang bowed, "We're heading to the red floor."

"Hm?" The guard closest to them, who was apparently also an elder, raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware you have access to that floor, Disciple Yang."

"Not me, Elder," Lan Yang stepped aside to reveal William fully. There was a flash of… something in the Elder's expression before it disappeared.

"A new entrant?" The look on his face was skeptical.

"Junior Wei has the permission," Lan Yang smiled.

"Hm, very well. Disciple Wei, show me your pass."

He pulled out the purple jade card Elder Yu had given him.

"Interesting," the Elder smirked, "You may enter, Disciple Wei."

"Thank you, Elder! Let's go, Junior Wei!" Lan Yang said with barely hidden excitement.

"Not you. The only one who may enter is Disciple Wei. If he chooses to give you one of the two spaces he is allowed for guests, that is his prerogative."

It seemed to William that the Elder and Lan Yang knew each other well.

"Senior Yang can be one of my guests, Elder," He had no intention of playing around, not when he was still brand new in the Inner Court.

"Excuse me! Does that mean you will have an unused spot?"

They turned in unison to stare at the one who spoke. A boy that looked a little older than him and one that seemed very out of place.

[Name: Xu Feng | Level: 109]

In a place where William had come to assume that green sect robes were the height of fashion, Xu Feng was in pristine white with a blue sash around his middle. Next, he noticed a blue scabbard, a plain hilt implying that it wasn't just for show and contained a sword.

"A disciple from the Heavenly Sword Sect? What do you need from my junior?" Lan Yang frowned.

William blinked, not aware that members of other sects could be present in the Inner Court. It suddenly made sense why the robes were of a different color… and the sword being present.

It also made sense why nascent soul realm cultivators were acting like guards. Maybe there were equally strong cultivators from other sects.

"Nothing harmful, Senior," Xu Feng bowed slightly, "I only wish to offer a price for the spot."

William didn't miss the sudden attention from the onlookers, who had been content to talk among themselves until the mention of the spot being sold. Most were disciples from the sect waiting in line to enter, and some were like Xu Feng, sticking out with different colored robes and demeanors.

He ignored all of them.

"Is this allowed?" William asked, turning to face Lan Yang and the Elder.

"You may do as you wish," the Elder shrugged.

Then he would sell it. There was no reason to act like he was above accepting currency, especially since he was shockingly poor.

"What's your offer?" William asked Xu Feng.

"I can spare two spirit stones for the spot."

He didn't know if that was a fair price, and he had no idea how someone who looked barely older than him could have spirit stones to spare. Then again, Ren Bo existed.

With the way the disciples who monitored them hadn't lost their interest, he leaned toward the idea that this was lower than it was worth. Still, he glanced at Lan Yang and the Elder to see if they had anything to say.

They didn't. It looked like they couldn't be bothered to care about this exchange. The Elder, William could understand, but Lan Yang was his 'mentor.' So much for that.

"Done," William nodded, noting some of the onlookers dropping their shoulders. If they wanted it, they should have spoken up. He wasn't about to look like a money grubber in front of a Nascent Soul Realm Elder, even if he really wanted to start a bidding war for the spot.

Xu Feng didn't waste time and immediately took out two beautiful stones that were perfectly spherical, clear of any internal defects, and had a drop from pure Qi essence glowing in the center.

He realized that this was the first time he had seen Spirit Stones. Luckily, he had the sense not to gape at them like a moron and quickly stored them in his ring.

"Good, you're finished," Lan Yang commented, "We should head in before they remove the headlining items from the stage."

William nodded before bowing toward the Elder and walked inside with Xu Feng following behind silently.

B2 - Chapter 19: Feeling Rich

He expected the interior to be stunning. After all, this was the Jade Healing Sect. Every building on the sect's territory seemed to have a requirement to be an architectural masterpiece.

The exterior might look like an extravagant, three-level pagoda that used Jade Trees as building material. Still, like with most things he had come to learn about the designs in the Tianxia Empire, the interior was familiar, even if it was beyond anything he had personally seen in his old world.

He gazed in awe at the walls of pure marble adorned with paintings of mysterious spiritual artifacts and sculptures of powerful cultivators. William idly wondered if these were the revered ancestors of the sect.

The lavishness of the place continued everywhere he looked.

The floors were draped with exquisite carpets that had intricate patterns resembling formations, the kind that could manipulate the flow of energy to focus on protection. The high ceiling was illuminated by a colossal chandelier that sparkled with crystal lights, casting a bright glow over the room. The furniture was made of soft leather that seemed to beckon him to touch it, implying that it was the skin of a rare and valuable spirit beast.

And this was only the lobby of the auction house.

Yes, this resembled the highest luxury in his old world, and it seemed Sophia introduced the same taste here. With his dwelling also having the 'Tianxia-design,' he expected this to repeat across the Empire.

"Welcome to the one thousand seventy-second annual auction! May I see your pass?"

[Name: Ning Lu | Level: 99]

William narrowed his eyes in thought. This was the first time he saw someone in the qi gathering realm in the Inner Court. He eyed the man's uniform before glancing around the lobby at the others who wore the same thing.

With the system no longer showing the basic status of everyone within Willam's sight for his own sanity, he hadn't noticed the strange similarity all the auction house staffers shared. They were all at level ninety-nine, just like the managers of the Garden.

However, there was a difference. The managers of the Garden were old, almost at the end of their lifespan, and the staffers in the auction hall seemed to be in their early twenties.

"Junior Wei, this is you."

"Ah, right," William brought out the purple jade pass again and handed it to the staffer.

Unlike the Elder who checked the pass outside the auction hall, the staffer had to do more than simply touch the pass to see the access it allowed. He pressed it against a blank slate that glowed a dim red.

"The Red Floor," Ning Lu smiled, "Would you like me to lead you there now, or do you prefer to wait for a later time?"

William looked at Lan Yang.

"Let's get settled first. We still have some time."

Ning Lu nodded, "Very well, please follow me."

They followed the staffer out of the lobby, revealing an enormous hall with rows of plush seating facing a stage. There were three items placed on separate podiums, resting on soft red cushions and highlighted by something that resembled spotlights, though he saw no evidence of any such thing on the ceiling.

Speaking of the ceiling, it was even higher than the lobby, likely reaching the height of the building itself. And it was covered by a stunning mural that seemed to show the creation of the Jade Healing Sect. Of course, as spectacular as the mural was, it was not as simple as it looked at first glance.

Just like the carpets in the lobby, William could see tiny formations melded with the mural naturally.

He shuddered, wondering how powerful these formations could be and their purpose.

"When are we allowed to take a closer look at the artifacts on the stage?"'

Lan Yang's question brought William's attention away from the hall, but not before noticing Xu Feng had the same look of awe as him. It made him happy that he wasn't alone in feeling that way.

"The viewing period will be open in thirty-two minutes, Senior," Ning Lu answered, "It will last for one hour before they are taken back to the holding area."

"Perfect," Lan Yang smiled, "Do you know how many will be eligible for the viewing?"

"We expect to have a filled house for the duration of the auction."

Lan Yang sighed, "I expected that, but I hoped otherwise."

"I do apologize for the bad news, Senior," Ning Lu commiserated with him, the permanent smile on his face dimming slightly.

William wondered if tipping was expected, and if it was, it made sense why Ning Lu basically ignored Xu Feng. He imagined that the staffer wanted to speak to him with the constant glances he was given, but Lan Yang commanded far too much of his attention.

He might have the pass that allowed them into the Red Floor, something he still wasn't sure what it meant, but Lan Yang was at the peak of the foundation establishment realm, as his sleeve displayed. Since Ning Lu had likely worked here for some time, perhaps someone like Lan Yang was commonly more wealthy than someone with a pass who had access to the Red Floor.

More wealth equaled more tips… probably. William had no idea. He was just distracting himself from Xu Feng's stare. He had no idea why the kid was suddenly interested in looking at him.

"Through here, honored guests," Ning Yu commented as he held an ornate red door open.

They had been led into a hallway that led away from the main hall. All the hallway contained were numerous red doors.

"Would you like me to give you a tour of the facilities available in this room?" Ning Yu asked when they entered a room with the same opulent decorations as the lobby, with seating furniture of the same kind. William noticed that the door was colored green on the inside after it was closed.

"They'll need an explanation," Lan Yang said, waving his hand at them, "It's their first time here… I think. You, sword boy, am I right?"

William wanted to gape at the casual disrespect toward Xu Feng, though the kid didn't seem to take offense.

"Yes, Senior," Xu Feng bowed politely.

"Yes, they'll need an explanation," Lan Yang repeated.

"Not a problem, Senior," Ning Lu nodded before looking at William, "This is your personal room. Only you and your invited guests have access to it. Once the auction starts, even the staff are barred except for delivering any item you have won. We know you will need time to yourself in the next several days, and we strive to give you the space necessary."

"A few days?" William interrupted, "What do you mean by that?"

"The shortest annual auction lasted two days, honored guest, with the longest lasting seven," Ning Lu explained patiently.

It took everything William had to not stare at Lan Yang. He wasn't angry, not at all. Instead, he was excited at what he would see pass through that stage. However, he almost felt sorry for Lan Yang.

Mei Lingxi was given permission to enjoy herself on Lan Yang's tab. William assumed it meant a few hours, not several days. Lan Yang might be a pauper by the time they left the auction house, and it would have nothing to do with the auction itself.

He wished Mei Lingxi well.

"There are three Qi Refining rooms available for use. Please be aware that this will have an additional cost that will have to be paid before leaving the auction house. Each minute will be five sect points or five Qi Stones."

William made sure to catch the expressions of Lan Yang and Xu Feng. The former seemed disinterested, which was understandable, and the latter had pure excitement on his face. He concluded that this might be a good deal.

Still, the price seemed outrageous. The two Spirit Stones he had acquired from Xu Feng would give him less than seven hours in the Qi Refining room.

"During the auction, if you desire to be involved in the bidding, you must exit through that door and take an available seat," Ning Lu continued to explain and pointed at a door opposite the one they entered through.

"Thank you," Lan Yang said after Ning Lu finished, "Remind us about the viewing period if I haven't left the room in time."

"Yes, Senior," Ning Lu bowed, "Don't hesitate to look for me if you have any questions, honored guests."

With that, he promptly exited. William guessed he was wrong about the tip.

B2 - Chapter 20: Planning

"Sword boy, you're free to explore by yourself. I need to speak to my junior alone," Lan Yang said immediately.

"I will be spending the time in the Qi Refining room, Senior," Xu Feng bowed.

"That's fine, but give my junior a Spirit Stone before you do. I don't want him to be stuck with the cost if you can't pay."

Xu Feng didn't argue and silently took out a Spirit Stone and handed it to William, who stored it in his ring while muttering thanks. Lan Yang had a point in requiring payment upfront, especially since he would be stuck with the cost. Still, it felt strange when he seemed to almost be hostile toward the kid for no reason.

Lan Yang waited until Xu Feng closed the door behind him to speak. "What do you think?"

"About?"

"All of this," Lan Yang motioned at the room, "The auction house, the room, everything."

"I feel out of place," William admitted, "I'll enjoy the auction, but it feels almost like torture to only be able to look from afar. I don't have the funds to bid on anything."

"The bidding is for me," Lan Yang grinned before glancing at the room Xu Feng entered, "Let's talk outside."

He followed Lan Yang with a frown, thinking of what to do while he was stuck here. It wasn't a lie when he said he would enjoy the auction, but that wouldn't last for how many ever days it would last.

What he should do was obvious, but the Qi Refining room was too costly to use for extended periods.

Lan Yang opened the door to reveal the empty seating area. Unlike the many rows he had seen before the stage, the seats were arranged in groups of three, each with a small table and a crystal lamp.

To the side, there was a bar stocked full of drinks. That got his interest.

"What do they serve here, Senior Yang?" He asked, ignoring everything else. Even that they were now on the second floor, and there was a direct view down to the stage.

If a walk through a door could take him from the Inner Court to the Outer Court, it was no surprise that it took him to a different floor. Even his dwelling in the Outer Court had the same feature.

"We'll get to that," Lan Yang waved him off, "Elder Yu is going to cover all your costs."

"… What?" William asked blankly, "Elder Yu didn't mention this yesterday."

"She informed me of your increased access recently, the reason I was late actually," Lan Yang paused, "Again, I'm sorry about that. But it was worth it, no?"

He nodded slowly, remembering how Lan Yang was surprised that he knew the Grand Elder and assumed that was where the help came from. It implied that Elder Yu didn't have the authority to do this directly. However, the Grand Elder had already announced that William would have to work to get benefits just like any other disciple, so he doubted there was any help from him.

William found it far more likely that Elder Yu convinced someone who could give him this access. He noted to ask her the next time they met.

"Keep in mind that this only applies to you. The sword boy will need to pay for his access like normal."

He supposed that Lan Yang brought him out here mainly to avoid the chance of Xu Feng overhearing. It also let him ask something that he couldn't ignore.

"Senior Yang, do you have something against Xu Feng?" William saw the slightest change in expression when he said the kid's name. "He hasn't really caused any trouble. He's actually too agreeable, really."

"So is everyone else from that sect," Lan Yang muttered and sighed before shaking his head, "It's a personal issue I have with the Heavenly Sword Sect. Ignore me when I act like that, Junior Wei."

He wanted to push, but unlike the laidback demeanor Lan Yang usually possessed, the look he was getting warned him not to. So he just nodded slightly.

"Glad we have that settled," Lan Yang said when there was no more talk about Xu Feng, "You have advanced in your cultivation with a speed that is honestly concerning. Elder Yu told me that your pathways are perfect, but your Qi fundamentals are still a little lacking compared to what it could be."

"Lacking?" William repeated.

"You survived a secret realm," Lan Yang said thoughtfully, "Which means you have advanced in a stressful situation. The best thing you can do right now is get used to the Qi in your body before advancing any further."

He already planned on doing that, but he didn't think they thought of the same issue. Yes, he had some problems with his Qi, but it had nothing to do with his body being unfamiliar with it. The system took care of that. He needed to familiarize himself with the more practical side of it.

Which meant working on activating his martial skills with a shorter time delay.

Still, Lan Yang wasn't technically wrong.

"I was wondering how to ration my time in the Qi Refining room," William smiled, "I'll give my thanks to Elder Yu the next time I see her."

"And what about me?" Lan Yang asked, narrowing his eyes, "I was the one that thought to bring you here, Junior Wei."

"… Thanks?" He said, not sure if he was being serious. "In my defense, you only thought of this when Elder Yu said she would cover the expenses of the Qi Refining room."

"Elder Yu only said she would cover anything to help stabilize your cultivation," Lan Yang corrected. "I thought of making use of the auction house myself."

William stared at him silently… again. This confirmed that Lan Yang was far less mature than his sister. The older cultivator sought praise from someone far younger and weaker than him.

Still, he gave him credit, though sarcastically. "You're right, Senior Yang," he nodded solemnly, "Thank you for all this."

"I told you I would be a good mentor," Lan Yang preened, "Use the Qi Refining room well. You will be hard-pressed to find any better in the sect unless you are admitted to the Sentinel Peak."

His ears perked up. There was a peak reserved just for sentinels? He wanted to know more.

Lan Yang's smile froze and was replaced with a frown before he quickly moved closer to the silver railing. "It already started?"

William joined him and saw people approaching the stage, most in robes not colored green. They were likely from other sects.

"I'm going to head down," Lan Yang announced, "Do you want to come with me or stay back?"

Even if he didn't want to know more about the Sentinel Peak, he was still interested in the items displayed on the stage. Just because he couldn't afford them didn't mean he didn't want to know more about what drew so many people to the auction house.

Besides, this would help him with the treasures he received in the Shard. He doubted the ones on the stage were of the same quality since his treasures were meant for Spirit Severing Realm cultivators. Still, it would give him some idea of how good it could be.

"I'll accompany you, Senior Yang."

"Very well," Lan Yang said briskly, "Let's go!" He disappeared, slamming the door into their reserved room open, making him blink in surprise.

William didn't think it was this urgent.

B2 - Chapter 21: Visitors From the Capital

By the time William caught up to Lan Yang, a heated conversation was being exchanged between him and Ning Lu… well, at least from his mentor's side.

He did not intend to interject, so he decided to enjoy the show.

"I was told the Gold Floor would be empty for this auction," Lan Yang said as calmly as he could, which wasn't saying much. It came out like a furious hiss.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Senior," Ning Lu said apologetically, "I'm not sure where you heard this from, but I did say that we expected the auction house to be filled for the entirety of the duration."

Lan Yang somehow looked more frustrated than before. "I didn't think you meant the Gold Floor," this time, the hiss was unmistakable, "Those are never filled."

When Ning Lu gave a helpless shrug, it reminded William of the poor retail workers who were yelled at by customers as if they had any control over anything important. Of course, it could be a different story here, but going by the low cultivation the staffer possessed, that was very unlikely.

As for Lan Yang's anger, William didn't have much to go by other than this Gold Floor being an issue. Likely because they had more privileges than those on the Red Floor.

He didn't think Lan Yang cared too much about people being able to look at the items on the stage a few minutes earlier. He would bet it was due to the funds behind the people staying on the Gold Floor.

"Let them in."

That wasn't said loudly, but the voice carried.

[Name: Rong Yun | Level: ?]

William eyed the man walking toward them with a smile with surprise. He wasn't able to put him in a neat box as was usually possible with most cultivators. In fact, Rong Yun had an appearance that wouldn't look out of place on a mortal baker.

He had an astonishingly plain face and a sturdy build. Rather tanned skin that was a sight William didn't even know he missed. Seeing so many cultivators with pale, or 'jade,' skin everywhere must have tired him subconsciously. To top it all off, this Rong Yun had a genuinely friendly smile and a gentle demeanor that contrasted his experience with most cultivators outside the Jade Healing Sect.

"My prince," Ning Lu bowed deeply.

It snapped into place in William's head. The Rong family and the Imperial family were one and the same. Not making the connection immediately might have seemed foolish since he had just been tested on that. However, he had been around Princess Jin long enough to assume their imperial title would be included in their basic status.

Now that he was proven wrong, the memory of a near-forgotten conversation came to the front of his mind. Princess Jin had mentioned she would be able to take on her full name once she was accepted into the main branch of the imperial family.

William stiffened. This Rong Yun was from the main branch.

When Ning Lu stood from his bow, he hesitantly said, "My Prince, everyone from the Gold Floor must agree."

"Oh, I see," Rong Yun nodded understandingly before facing the small group on the stage, "Would any of you mind if I invited these two?"

The people on the stage glanced at them before giving various sounds of indifference.

"There you go," Rong Yun smiled at them.

"That satisfies the rules, my prince," Ning Yu bowed again before addressing them, "Honored guests, you are free to approach the stage."

Lan Yang gave him a short nod before giving the prince a smile. "Thank you for the help, my prince."

"No thanks necessary," Rong Yun looked straight at William, "I should be the one saying that to Junior Wei. This is the least I could do."

"Me?" William pointed at himself, wondering how he got this imperial's attention. And now that he knew he had it, what was the best way to hide for the duration of the auction if necessary.

"Who else?" Rong Yun chuckled, "The Lord Protector told me of you. As I said, this is the least I could do for someone that saved my sister."

He ignored Lan Yang's confused glance. It was hard to care when he was filled with confusion, too. As far as he knew, Princess Jin only had one sibling, Prince Yuan, not whoever this Rong Yun was.

"… My Prince, are you talking about Princess Jin?" William still asked because he could be wrong. After all, maybe the imperial family had some odd rules that severed relationships if the status was too far apart.

"Who else?" Rong Yun asked as if it was obvious, "I needed to personally thank the one that helped such a treasure return to my family."

At this point, he wasn't sure if Rong Yun was being sarcastic or not. The prince still had the same friendly smile, the same amenable demeanor, and was saying all the right words, but there was one thing sounding off a siren in his mind.

Rong Yun was an Imperial Prince. Of the Empire that Sophia showed a distaste towards. Of the Empire that Lord Paddlington hated gleefully.

William would need more than just a friendly smile to truly believe anything that a person with the family name Rong told him.

"It was only what I should have done, my prince," he said with a dip of his head, "Princess Jin saved my life far too many times in the Shard. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I couldn't keep her safe."

"Hah!" Rong Yu laughed, "Junior, if everyone your age was so responsible, the world would be far better."

William gave him a strained smile. He technically wasn't as young as the prince assumed, but if Rong Yun was far older than he looked, neither his mental nor physical age would make much difference.

"Junior Wei is a little serious, but he knows how to relax, my prince," Lan Yang joined in, "In fact, he dragged me to the auction house so he could see what all the excitement was about."

His smile became even more strained when Lan Yang looked at him as if asking for backup. Luckily, he was just as eager for the small talk to stop.

"I wanted to do something fun after my... trip," William shrugged. "If you could take a look at an auction that happens once a year after that, you'd do the same, Senior Yang."

"Hm, maybe you can do more than just look," Rong Yun smiled before turning to Lan Yang, "And apologies, Junior Wei called you Yang?"

"Lan Yang, my prince."

"Lan Yang, then. Come, see what the auction has to offer," Rong Yun motioned them to follow him.

William trailed them, amused at how Rong Yun acted like this was his territory. He looked away from the two conversing and studied the others onstage.

They all had robes that were far different from the green that Jade Healing Sect members loved so much. Some did wear green robes, but they were of a different shade. It must have tricked his eyes when he saw them from the second floor into thinking they were from his sect.

More importantly, everyone he could see had the same basic status.

[Name: ? | Level: ?]

That didn't make much sense to William. Lan Yang clearly expected to be the winning bid for whatever item he had his eyes on. If nascent soul cultivators were commonplace, that confidence wouldn't have existed. Something about this auction was obviously out of the norm this year.

"Ah, Junior Wei!" Rong Yun called as soon as they stepped on the stage, "Let me introduce you to a friend of mine with a name similar to yours!"

William's eyebrows were raised in surprise. The man that came over didn't need an instruction. The basic status already did so.

[Name: Wei Ming | Level: ?]

The only one other than Rong Yun with a name revealed in their basic status.

"This is Wei Ming of Qingyun City's Wei Clan!" Rong Yun clapped his hand on the man's back with a grin.

B2 - Chapter 22: Wei Clan

"Er, hello," William said after a moment. He had a flashback of speaking to Elder Huang in the Jade Healing Clinic.

It was in their first conversation, but he remembered it clearly since it was related to the name Daoist Chen gave him. Elder Huang said two things about the Wei Clan.

They were wastrels, and they were obscenely wealthy. Well, the latter was more implied, but the point still stood. It was not a kind description.

William agreed with Elder Huang, even if it was only from the appearance of Wei Ming.

If anyone fits the stereotype of a 'Young Master,' the arrogant, handsome, wealthy cultivator from a large clan, it was Wei Ming.

His robes looked more like black silk robes made for lounging around than cultivation robes. His expression was lazy to the extreme, as if he couldn't care less about anything around him. To add that little bit of extra charm, there was a faint scar on the right side of his face, barely a line, starting just above his brow and ending under his eye.

If William didn't know any better, he would assume this was the man he had to defeat to rise to the heavens, but this wasn't a cultivation novel. This was his life.

Wei Ming was just a member of a ridiculously affluent clan and also happened to be dangerously attractive. Nothing else, and certainly not some stepping stone.

"Brother Ming, what do you think?" Rong Yun prodded.

"Didn't you tell me we would meet him after the auction?" Wei Ming asked with an annoyed scowl before sighing, "Never mind, let me see." He narrowed his eyes after studying him and said, "Closer than I would have thought, but I still say no, Brother Yun."

"My prince," Lan Yang moved slightly to cover him with his body. It made William add some points to the 'mentor' status. "Did you expect something from Junior Wei?"

"Ah, don't misunderstand me, Lan Yang," Rong Yun immediately reassured, "I have no ill intentions. When I heard of Junior Wei's name, I thought of the Wei Clan. You know as well as I that someone like this junior coming from a completely mortal background is unlikely."

"Really?" Lan Yang relaxed as he looked at him, "Hm, I see a resemblance."

"See, Brother Ming!" Rong Yun's belief was rejuvenated by Lan Yang.

"Fine, let me take a closer look," Wei Ming rolled his eyes and… sauntered to him. That was the best way to describe the walk.

William frowned, tensing in discomfort when his personal space was invaded. This happened a little too much here.

"… There are some similarities," Wei Ming accepted grudgingly after he stared at William's face closely. "This junior is certainly pretty enough to be part of my clan."

The scowl that appeared on his face before he could stamp it down made the man chuckle.

"And the attitude is there too," Wei Ming pulled away and looked at Rong Yun, "But I still say that's all it is. Similarities. I would know if anyone in the clan lost a child."

Rong Yun sighed, looking more disappointed than he should have. "I was hoping you were a lost child of the Wei Clan, Junior. It would ease the debt we owe you for your help."

Debt?

"Wait, does this mean Princess Jin passed the heavenly tribulation?" William blurted out. It just clicked in his mind that Rong Yun acted too thankful toward him. Far too much if Princess Jin's life was still at risk.

"Yes," Rong Yun confirmed with a brilliant smile, "Rong Jin is recuperating at the moment, but the danger has passed."

"That's… good," William felt a tension that he didn't even know existed disappear. Of course, he noted that she was referred to as Rong Jin, meaning she has got her wish of being accepted into the main branch. However, that took a backseat to his relief.

As sad as it might be to admit, Princess Jin was one that he could call a friend… or friendly acquaintance. The other option was Ren Bo, and he didn't wish that for himself.

"I'll let her know you asked after her," Rong Yun chuckled, "Back to the matter of repaying you. Maybe there is something that will interest you in the auction. It won't end our debt, but it can be a good start."

The last thing William wanted was to accept anything from the Imperial Family, no matter how string-free the offered gift seemed. He still didn't know anything about karma, and until he did, he wanted to avoid accepting anything significant.

Even his greed was keeping itself absent, knowing this wasn't the time to do anything stupid. The only concern he had now was Lan Yang.

William was starting to believe that Lan Yang was becoming a decent mentor, the useless act of being ready to defend him from Rong Jun helping greatly. Still, he was well aware that Lan Yang wanted something in the auction, and with Rong Jun's offer, it could be possible that he would try to pressure him into asking for help.

"That won't be necessary, my prince," Lan Yang proved him wrong almost instantly, but still, he sounded as if he regretted the words leaving his mouth, "It's my duty as his mentor to ensure Junior Wei has what he needs."

"So be it," Rong Yun accepted the soft denial graciously, "The offer is there if needed."

"As I said, my prince, I don't need any reward for helping Princess Jin," William reiterated. Both to let Rong Yun know he didn't intend to accept anything and to remind himself that he didn't intend to accept anything.

Now, that resolve just had to last when the auction started. Wealth had never been on his mind in this world, a strange thing when even he was aware of how quickly he was to risk his life for some benefits. Then again, he never needed wealth for his cultivation.

William supposed that was a good thing. He wasn't greedy for everything, just for whatever could help his cultivation. The problem was that he was sure there would be something in the auction that would convince him to make stupid choices.

He would spend all the time in the Qi Refining room to avoid the temptation.

"Well, that almost confirms that he isn't from my Wei Clan," Wei Ming chuckled.

"… Regrettably, I would have to agree with you, Brother Ming," Rong Yun nodded, "If anyone from the Wei Clan acted like that, they might be checked for a heart demon."

Heart demon was not a term William recognized from his time in this world, but he did read about them in his novels. It represented a manifestation of one's innermost fears, doubts, or desires that could hinder cultivation.

… Being humble apparently meant something so extreme for members of the Wei Clan.

"True," Wei Ming smirked, "If you gave me the same offer, I would test the limits of what you were willing to spend in this auction, then try to take more if I could."

William almost felt the need to clap at the casual shamelessness.

Rong Yun, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes. "That's the reason I never would give you that offer."

"Your Highness, we need to leave soon. There will soon be a larger crowd than we are comfortable with."

The man who had spoken was one of the several nascent soul realm cultivators conspicuously keeping their space from them.

It didn't take long for William to have an idea as to why. After another glance at the others on the stage, he concluded that these were likely bodyguards… until he remembered that Rong Yun said he was Princess Jin's brother.

They were from the branch family, and Rong Jun was 'only' in the core formation realm at most. It made no sense to have this type of protection around him. As for Wei Ming, that made even less sense when the nascent soul realm cultivator respectfully addressed Rong Jun first.

William was already wary, but now he would carefully watch each word spoken in Rong Jun's presence. The whole thing made zero sense.

"A few minutes?" Rong Jun repeated, "Then it's best to stop wasting time. Lan Yang, Junior Wei, let's see if any of these three treasures interest you."

Lan Yang was practically pulled to stay beside Rong Yun, leaving William staring at their backs.

Oh, and Wei Ming was standing beside him. At least it was quiet, other than Lan Yang telling the prince he was a mentor and what he had planned for after the auction.

That was alright. William could tell it was vague enough, with mentions of Elder Yu inserted into the conversation plenty of times.

"You know, I might be wrong."

William took a moment to reply, mostly because he didn't expect Wei Ming to speak. "What?"

"About you being part of the Wei Clan," Wei Ming repeated, "I might be wrong. If you visit Qingyun City, you can find out with certainty."

"… Thank you, Senior," William couldn't even act like he was enthused about that prospect.

"You don't intend to ever try," Wei Ming commented the obvious, "That might be for the best. You will get access to riches, but such things are never without hidden costs."

William nodded in agreement, but something stood out to him. Wei Ming spoke as if it was a given that it would be confirmed that he was from the Wei Clan, a complete change from his past comments.

There was no Qi technique to keep that sentence private, at least not one like the one Princess Jin used. It was likely everyone had heard what Wei Ming said, with the only possible exception being Lan Yang.

"I really do appreciate it, Senior Wei," William repeated a statement that said nothing.

"Ah, Junior Wei!" Rong Yun called him over. Such convenient timing. "Look at this treasure. It will be of great help to you!"

B2 - Chapter 23: Top Treasures

Even if the timing was suspiciously obvious, he was happy to join Rong Yun and Lan Yang. The less talk about visiting a powerful cultivation clan, the better.

As if William was stupid enough to start competing with the members for resources. Being the outsider with no relationships, he would be targeted immediately.

… On second thought, he might actually be stupid enough if a good enough bait was dangled in front of him.

"What do you think, Junior Wei? Lan Yang doesn't seem too interested in it."

William could see why. It was a cauldron, an impressive one, but still a cauldron. Lan Yang was a sentinel, not an alchemist. He leaned forward slightly to read the placard on the podium.

Five Dragons Cauldron

A replica of the legendary Nine Dragons Cauldron. While it cannot handle Light, Dark, Time, or Space, it can nearly match the legendary cauldron in the other elements. The five dragon heads carved on this cauldron's surface each represent a different element: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and Lightning.

"I'm with Senior Yang. It would be wasted in our hands." He had no idea if this was impressive, but Rong Yun's expression certainly made it seem so.

"Hmm, I'll have to try and win this one," Rong Yun commented, "It's not often the Jade Healing Sect would be willing to part with one of these."

William absorbed that information silently. No wonder Lan Yang wasn't interested in the cauldron. If the sect had several of these, it was likely possible to buy from the catalog at a far lesser price than what it would sell for at the auction. That was if he wanted to buy one in the first place.

"I won't fight with you on that, Brother Yun. As long as you leave this to me," Wei Ming's voice was further than expected. He was no longer behind them but near the next podium, staring intently at the large egg placed on it.

"You willingly give up on a treasure?" Rong Yun said incredulously before abandoning the cauldron to check what had interested Wei Ming so much.

"Senior Yang," William said when they were left alone, not that they had any privacy. Though, the suspected guards tried their best to make themselves seem invisible. "Is that what you wanted?"

"No," Lan Yang sounded miserable, "But it's already lost. I know it."

All he could do was give him an apologetic look. The poor guy was likely getting fleeced by Mei Lingxi. On top of that, he was getting the item he wanted stolen by true Young Masters who appeared in the sect because of him.

Lan Yang could have lessened the bleeding of wealth if he had let Mei Lingxi take up the other guest spot in the auction, but for some reason, he didn't want that to happen… or he didn't know two people could be allowed in, which was unlikely.

"So you wanted the last one?" William asked as he peered at the mentioned item. It just looked like a pair of bracelets. "… Senior Lan, is this for a girl?"

"That isn't important," Lan Yang grumbled, sounding even more miserable. He might as well hold up a sign saying that he was definitely buying it for a girl.

William glanced at the prince and the Wei Clan member, seeing that they were ignoring everything in favor of arguing amongst themselves. He didn't care much about the egg, even though it would be nice to have a pet of some sort, but to have that desire, he would need wealth.

He didn't have that, so he didn't care.

It would be more interesting to see what Lan Yang wanted so badly.

"Wait!"

William ignored Lan Yang and went straight to the podium with the bracelets.

Soul Binding Bracelet

Bind the souls of two willing partners, allowing both to travel the path of cultivation together. Share in fortunes and misfortunes, bear each other's burdens, and lend your strengths to each other in dire times. Perfect for dual cultivation.

His jaw dropped. This was the first time he had seen anything about dual cultivation. Of course, he hadn't exactly been looking for it, but he hadn't expected it to appear as a headliner item at an auction in his sect.

Dual cultivation, as he understood it, had a terrible reputation. It generally ended with one partner becoming a parasite, ruining the other. This bracelet implied it was more like a marriage, except with far more benefits.

"Really, Junior Wei?" Lan Yang hissed when he reached his side, "Now I'm definitely not going to have a chance."

William actually felt terrible. If whatever relationship Lan Yang had was this serious, it was the equivalent of missing the chance to buy the perfect engagement ring.

"I'm sorry, Senior—" he was cut off.

"Oh, Junior Wei!" Rong Yun practically teleported beside him, "This is what interests you?" He read the placard and frowned, "I recommend that you stay away from such artifacts at your age. You should be sure your partner's potential can match your own to avoid tragedy."

It was nice that William had his assumption about one partner turning into a parasite immediately confirmed. Still, it was odd to pretend that Rong Jun hadn't heard his conversation with Lan Yang. Nor did he know why the prince was acting oblivious.

"It's not for me, my prince."

"Ah, then it's for Lan Yang," Rong Jun nodded, "Who is the lucky woman?"

"Nobody of consequence, my prince," Lan Yang replied stiffly.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I bid for this trinket, would you?" Wei Ming suddenly interjected, appearing next to Rong Jun.

At this point, this was simply bullying. William had already felt bad enough that Lan Yang couldn't propose… or whatever the equivalent was called when it ended with literally melding souls. Wei Ming needling him was going too far.

So. This was a genuine Young Master.

"Brother Ming, Lan Yang isn't used to your personality. He will think you are being serious."

William noticed a flash of something appear on Wei Ming's face before it was wiped away. "Well, that's boring. I wouldn't want something like this, Yang. You can have at it."

"Well, this worked out perfectly. There are no conflicts between us with the items we want!" Rong Jun paused, "Well, with these items. The others are up for grabs."

"My prince. It's time." The same nascent soul realm cultivator stepped forward to remind Rong Jun it was time to leave.

"Hm," Rong Jun frowned, "If we don't meet again during the auction, I'll see you both after it."

Wei Ming stared at William before walking away from the stage beside the prince, the guards following closely behind.

"… What the hell was that, Junior Wei?" Lan Yang asked, sounding just as confused as he was.

"I think you just won those bracelets," William commented, "as long as you can win it from the others."

"That's true... but why?"

He didn't know the answer to that. He had a feeling that Wei Ming had actually wanted to buy the bracelets, but Rong Yun had put a stop to it. The most obvious guess was that it was a small favor to him, with Lan Yang benefiting by proxy, but he couldn't be sure.

William shook his head in frustration. He didn't want to deal with the whirlwind that was Rong Yun and Wei Ming at the moment. Some time to absorb what happened would greatly help get more clarity, and there was a perfect way to do that in their reserved room.

He wanted to cultivate and distance himself from all the annoyances. The joy of knowing Princess Jin successfully passed her tribulation had been killed far too quickly.

"Senior Yang, I'm returning to the room. Could you let me know when the auction starts?"

Lan Yang was staring longingly at the bracelets but was paying enough attention to nod.

William let him be and moved to leave the stage, glancing at the placard for the egg as he passed by.

Spirit Beast Egg

The Jade Healing Sect guarantees that the spirit beast inside the egg is not from a low-class species. The size signifies that it is at the edge that separates the eggs of a mid-tier and high-tier spirit beast. The sect estimates an even chance of hatching either type from this egg.

He stopped to stare at the egg, his desire to own it spiking momentarily before he ruthlessly crushed it. He ripped his eyes away and sped up his walk back to the room.

The temptation has already started. Luckily, Rong Yun wasn't here for him to do something stupid.

B2 - Chapter 24: Qi Refining Room

It wasn't until the door closed behind him that William realized that Lan Yang might not have a way to enter the room since he had the only pass.

He didn't let it concern him too long. One of the staffers could probably allow him inside.

Xu Feng had still locked himself inside the Qi Refining room, and he had the right idea. William would do the same.

He entered the room beside the one Xu Feng occupied and frowned in disappointment. At first glance, it didn't match his expectations with how much it cost to use. It was a barren room without a hint of Qi that existed in the refining rooms he had visited in the past.

William sighed as he closed the door. At least he would be able to practice his martial skills.

The door shut behind him, and the room immediately darkened.

"Choose your mode: Cultivation or Martial Skills Practice."

The blank, genderless voice made him flinch in surprise. It took everything in him to not activate [Force Multiplier] in a panic. The only reason he didn't was that his Qi wasn't ready to activate that skill.

"Cultivation," William said unsurely after calming down.

The change was instant. Darkness was replaced with a soft light, and thick Qi filled the room, making him feel something familiar. A prickling sensation on his skin.

It was reminiscent of what William experienced when he cultivated in the Shard. Of course, it was to a lesser extent, but it still lifted his hopes. The density of Qi in his surroundings was so great that his body was warning him that he was close to the limit of what he could safely handle.

William carefully moved to the center of the room, ensuring the prickling sensation wouldn't suddenly change to something dangerous. It really brought him back to the lake in the oasis.

When he sat crosslegged on the stone floor, he hoped that cultivation would be just as similar.

His senses turned inward for the first time in weeks. Like always, it was hard not to admire that pure Qi flowing calmly in his pathways. However, his hope and expectation of massive experience gain ended quickly.

The original intention before he felt the denseness of the Qi in the room was to add some points to his Spirit attribute. William still intended to wait and speak to Elder Yu about the Heaven-Tier Martial Skills before making any significant investments into his attributes, but after he had seen the cost to use [Detailed Observe] on Mei Lingxi, he figured it wouldn't hurt to increase his Spirit a little.

Even if it was only enough to use [Detailed Observe] on Mei Lingxi. Of all his attributes, excluding Luck, assigning points to Spirit was something he wasn't concerned about.

He was a cultivator, and having a higher Spirit attribute could only help.

A slight smile subconsciously formed on his lips when he sensed the first 'pulse.' The odd effect on his cultivation was caused by the existence of the system. Where the density of his Qi grew to the limit before it was converted to an experience point.

In the oasis, this 'pulse' happened so quickly that it almost seemed like his spiritual pathways shined brightly with an uninterrupted glow. That was not the case here.

The smile on William's lips fell.

The pulse was still quick, there was no doubt about that, but nowhere close to what he had experienced in the Shard. He didn't give up immediately.

Even though it had been too long since he started cultivating, patience was something he was learning, at least in these types of situations.

William fell into a trance as he kept circulating his Qi for an unknown amount of time. Shutting his mind off after the encounter with Rong Yun and Wei Ming was precisely what he needed.

It was as hypnotizing as before, watching his Qi rush through his spiritual pathways under his command. There was little doubt his state would have lasted longer if it wasn't for the slight change he sensed with his Qi.

Something that let him know instinctively that he had greater control over his Qi. It had happened a few times before, resulting in far quicker activation of his martial skills.

Of course, those were only the basic skills he had picked from the Outer Sect's library. Now, it could involve [Force Multiplier].

William's excitement broke instantly, bringing him out of the trance. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the blue text, but he ignored it for now.

He started the activation process of [Force Multiplier], eager to see how much it had reduced. A second later, he found himself sorely disappointed.

Nothing had changed.

"Well, that was a waste," William said to himself as he finally turned his attention to the system alert.

[Cultivate in a Qi-dense environment for 3 hours and 37 minutes: +337 XP]

The Qi Refining room gave a hundred experience points for every hour he cultivated. That was… ridiculously good.

Again, not close to the Shard, but enough that he wanted to find out if he could permanently reside here. At this rate, he could level up approximately every week.

The cost to use the room was extremely high, each day requiring seven Spirit Stones and two hundred Qi Stones, but the benefit it offered made it well worth the price.

However, William didn't have the luxury to shut off his mind and simply cultivate at this time. He had to work under the assumption that he would only have the opportunity to use this room while the auction was running.

He would need to switch to the martial skills practice mode and see how much it would help him. If the benefits were on par with cultivation mode, then the choice would be obvious.

Improving his martial skills would be exponentially more helpful than leveling up once in his limited time in the room.

Before that, there was one thing he wanted to do before he switched the mode. Raise his Spirit attribute.

William's attempt of [Detailed Observe] on Mei Lingxi informed him that he needed six hundred Spiritual Energy to use the skill.

Spiritual Energy: 550/550 (20% per Hour)

He wasn't too far off. All he had to do was raise his Spirit by ten, but there was also this to consider.

Upgrade Requirements (2):

1. Spirit: 130

2. Eligible for Level 130

He was still some ways off before having to think about the next minor realm, but he might as well add ten more points since a hundred and thirty was the minimum required.

[+20 Spirit]

[Modified | Spiritual Energy]

[Spiritual Energy Capacity | 550 —> 650]

William closed his eyes and calmly directed the newly added Qi to his Stomach Meridian. He didn't bother to test his Lung and Heart Meridians when they pulsed threateningly as the Qi passed by. The result would be a scattering of the new Qi.

He waited for the Stomach Meridian to absorb all the available Qi, having done this too many times already.

That was his mistake.

It seemed like the Stomach Meridian barely sipped on the available Qi before it reacted violently.

The dense fog of Qi that filled the meridian collapsed rapidly into a familiar speck of light, but one that was larger than what the other meridians contained. As was common after this, adding more Qi was impossible.

William tensed as the speck of light pulsed strongly, scattering the remaining Qi away, but thankfully, he was expecting that. He quickly brought it back under his control before it could cause any damage.

It was necessary to choose another meridian. There were only two left, so he quickly made up his mind.

The closest one was the Liver Meridian.

He directed the remaining Qi into the empty meridian, warily observing if there would be any other surprises. Luckily, there wasn't.

By the time everything was absorbed, a thin wisp of Qi had spread in the liver meridian.

William waited some more, wanting to be doubly sure nothing would go wrong until he felt comfortable to pull his attention away. He slowly opened his eyes, wondering about what had just happened.

As shameful as it was to admit it, he didn't spare much thought about why those specks of light appeared in his meridian after a certain amount of Qi was added to it. The cultivation manual, Horizon's Seeker, didn't say much other than it was expected.

William knew that the manual he was given was at the human-Tier, the lowest tier for martial skills and cultivation techniques. However, Lan Yin also said an earth-Tier manual was available once he mastered Horizon's Seeker at the human-Tier.

The thing was, the manual he received didn't specify how it could be mastered. But he was starting to think that the specks of light were the answer.

Perhaps he needed all five of his meridians in the same state.

B2 - Chapter 25: Specks of Light

William combed through his memories, studying the times when the change occurred in his meridians.

Each speck of light was slightly larger than the previous one, leading him to make a guess he felt would be proven correct. What he gathered already pointed in that direction.

While the Lung Meridian seemed to skip the stage where the Qi was a fog in varying stages of denseness, he wrote that off as a consequence of changing his cultivation technique to Horizon's Seeker. Even if it wasn't, it seemed like an anomaly compared to the following three meridians.

The Heart, Stomach, and Liver Meridians all acted in a similar manner. They all had a predictable path. A thin wisp of Qi spread throughout the meridian before it slowly changed to a thick fog, then came the speck once it reached a certain point.

More importantly, he could pinpoint the range his Spirit attribute was at when the meridians rejected additional Qi.

The Lung Meridian did this when his Spirit was in the high twenties. The Heart Meridian around sixty.

As for the most recent one, the Stomach Meridian, couldn't be much more than a hundred and ten Spirit. The rejection occurred with barely any of the new Qi absorbed.

William thought about it carefully. The Spirit needed for each following rejection increased drastically, or at least it seemed that way with what he had just recalled.

There was far too little data to draw any patterns from, but if it continued, he guessed that the Liver Meridian would reject any additional Qi when his Spirit was around two hundred.

The only way to test this out was to assign his unused points.

Points: 303

William had plenty to spare, but he would need to use a quarter of it just to see if he was correct.

… This was not the move.

He had to keep repeating that to himself since it seemed there were no other benefits to be had, even if he was proven correct.

But on the other hand, this was the Spirit attribute. How much could it set him back if it turned out to be a suboptimal idea?

In the worst case, he would be able to recover the seventy points that would be spent in seven levels. A benefit of the Foundation Establishment Realm is that each level-up gave him ten stat points instead of the five he had become used to.

William needed to find out.

[+40 Spirit]

[Modified | Spiritual Energy]

[Spiritual Energy Capacity | 650 —> 850]

He closed his eyes, cautiously guiding the newly added Qi into the Liver Meridian. Everything was absorbed without issue. As expected, the thinly spread wisp of Qi in the meridian thickened into a transparent fog.

It wasn't enough.

He added more, far less than before, to ensure he wouldn't miss the crossing point.

[+20 Spirit]

[Modified | Spiritual Energy]

[Spiritual Energy Capacity | 850 —> 950]

The same thing happened. The Qi inside the meridian became more dense but still showed no sign of forming the speck of light.

Again.

[+10 Spirit]

[Modified | Spiritual Energy]

[Spiritual Energy Capacity | 950 —> 1000]

There was still no rejection. His Spirit had already reached two hundred. He had to think if his assumption was way off.

William decided to try one more time before letting it go.

[+10 Spirit]

[Modified | Spiritual Energy]

[Spiritual Energy Capacity | 1000 —> 1050]

Even though the past several tries had been uneventful, his guard was still up. The Liver Meridian absorbed all of the Qi just as easily as before, making him think for the briefest of moments that he would need to give up.

The appearance of a dim light in the center of the fog of Qi was sudden, and before he could process it, all of the Qi in the meridian started to collapse rapidly toward the center.

Soon, the only thing left was the speck of light in the center of a mostly empty Liver Meridian.

It seemed that William had found his exact number. To test it, he added one point to Spirit.

[+1 Spirit]

[Modified | Spiritual Energy]

[Spiritual Energy Capacity | 1050 —> 1055]

The speck of light in the Liver Meridian pulsed in warning as he directed the minuscule amount of Qi to pass by. He proceeded to lead it to the Kidney Meridian, the last one which had been untouched till now.

William opened his eyes and exhaled slowly before a chuckle escaped him. That gave him the Spirit he needed to add to repeat the process in the Kidney Meridian.

Working backward, he calculated the Spirit required to 'fill' the Lung Meridian. It was twenty-five.

The Heart Meridian needed ten more than that, totaling thirty-five.

Twenty more for the Stomach Meridian, totaling fifty-five.

This continued with each subsequent meridian. A geometric progression that quickly made the Spirit required reach to unreasonable numbers. He supposed he should be happy there were only five major meridians to worry about.

Still, it was massive.

Three hundred and eighty-five. That was what his Spirit attribute needed to be to fill the Kidney Meridian.

He could do it right now, but that would require depleting nearly eighty percent of his unused points. Unthinkable, but that was alright. Time was on his side.

If he really was in such a rush, it might be possible to hunt those subhumans who thought they could walk the demonic path without issue. Taking out a group of that trash would be more than enough.

William blinked, realizing his heart was beating faster than it should. Simply thinking of those walking meat sacks of experience points made him furious.

He shook his head to rid his mind of them. As he mentioned to Elder Yu, it would be doing himself a disservice to spare a thought to the likes of them… when they weren't in range for an easy kill, of course.

"Cultivation is a waste," William said out loud to get himself back on track. "I need to practice my martial skills."

"Would you like to exit cultivation mode?"

That was a convenient side effect of talking to himself.

"Yes."

The Qi Refining room transformed. His surroundings were suddenly depleted of the thick Qi, the soft light changing into something much brighter and lit up the dull, grey room.

It allowed William to see the arrays carved into the walls before they started to glow a brilliant blue.

[External force is affecting the user's mind]

That was a familiar alert.

The dull room disappeared from his vision and was replaced with endless grassland. Similar to the Qi Refining room in Xuanjing City.

"State the desired level of your opponents."

William kept his mouth shut. He couldn't say he wasn't surprised by a disembodied voice speaking to him, but it wasn't the oddest thing he had seen so far in this world.

As for what the voice told him, that would greatly depend on which skill he would be practicing. He wanted to focus on [Force Multiplier], but that seemed counterproductive since he already had that hundred percent next to it… not that he knew what it stood for.

He pulled up that submenu to confirm it for the first time in a while.

Martial Skills (4):

1. Force Multiplier (100%)

2. Thunderous Palm (90%)

3. Thunderous Kick (90%)

4. Earth-Shaking Stomp (70%)

William stared blankly, wondering when the compatibility his weaker skills had increased in percentage. The last time he had seen them, they were below fifty percent.

It certainly wasn't from practice unless it counted the killing spree he went on with the mobs in the Shard.

At the very least, it made his decision easy. He wanted to see if there were any changes to his basic martial skills.

But there was something William wanted to try before it slipped his mind again.

"What does the percentage next to the martial skills mean?" He asked out loud.

"Query not applicable. State the desired level of your opponents."

Whatever controlled the room answered him instead of the system. As was expected. There was a reason he often forgot to ask the system something.

It was a waste of effort.

"Give me an opponent in Early Stage Foundation Establishment Realm."

"Accepted."

A humanoid opponent appeared around a hundred feet away. He could have chosen something higher for a better match, but that was for later.

William wanted an easy fight to test out his weaker martial skills.