Chapter 428: Chapter 428: Testing the Medicine on the Spot
Everyone turned to look. Who would dare to openly offend the empire’s royal family?
However, Box Two was right next to Box One, a clear indication of its occupants’ extraordinary and terrifying influence.
After all, at the Sky Empire’s Heaven-Reaching Pavilion, Box One was always reserved for the royal family. The boxes after Number Two were assigned based on status and other such distinctions.
To stand out among so many powerful factions and occupy Box Two was something no ordinary imperial power could achieve.
They had to be at least on the level of the ten top factions.
"I heard a Supreme Elder from the Profound Mystery Sect is currently in our Imperial Capital. Could it be him?" someone suddenly wondered aloud.
"Not him. The Profound Mystery Sect’s Supreme Elder, Crazy Battle, should be in Box Three."
"If the Profound Mystery Sect is in Box Three, then Box Two must be...?"
A single thought popped into everyone’s mind.
But it was just a guess; they couldn’t be sure.
Ye Xuan was also stunned. He hadn’t expected the auction for the Pill of Eternal Youth to still be going on.
"Two hundred fifty thousand!"
From Box One, that pleasant, lazy voice sounded again, but this time it was tinged with displeasure and anger.
"Two hundred fifty-five thousand!"
The mocking voice from Box Two immediately followed.
"Inspector Wu, this is my Sky Empire. Don’t you think your actions are a bit out of line?"
A stern, elderly voice suddenly rang out coldly from Box One.
"Heh heh, Peng Tributor, an auction is all about the highest bidder winning. Don’t you think what you’re saying is a bit naive? Just because Princess Consort Yin has her eye on it, does that mean I am not allowed to bid?"
The voice from Box Two was slightly disdainful, filled with playful mockery.
’Inspector Wu?’
’Princess Consort Yin?’
Everyone instantly understood.
It really was the Nine Yang Sect!
On the Dream Realm Plain today, the only factions with a higher status than the Profound Mystery Sect were the Nine Yang Sect and Gale Light Academy.
Of those, only the Nine Yang Sect had the position of Inspector. And every person who held that title was a Martial King Level expert.
Among the ten great factions, the Nine Yang Sect was closer to the Qingfeng Empire, while the Sky Empire had a good relationship with the Profound Sound Valley.
That Princess Consort Yin was said to have come from the Profound Sound Valley. Among the several princess consorts, she held the highest status and possessed immense influence within the empire.
Furthermore, it was rumored that the relationship between the Nine Yang Sect and the Profound Sound Valley was not exactly harmonious.
"Two hundred sixty thousand!"
Princess Consort Yin’s voice grew even colder.
"Two hundred sixty-five thousand!"
Inspector Wu of the Nine Yang Sect refused to yield an inch.
"Two hundred eighty thousand!"
Princess Consort Yin was determined to win, raising the bid by another fifteen thousand in one go. As the royal family’s most esteemed princess consort and a former genius of the Profound Sound Valley, she had deep pockets.
「Meanwhile.」
Inside Celestial Level Box One.
On the royal family’s side, the numerous experts were at the end of their patience.
"Your Highness, Princess Consort Yin, that Wu Junfeng is utterly shameless. He’s deliberately trying to sabotage our purchase."
"Peng Tributor is right. Once the auction is over, we have to teach him a lesson."
The experts accompanying Princess Consort Yin gritted their teeth, suppressing their anger.
"Don’t act rashly. That Wu Junfeng holds an extraordinary position among the Nine Yang Sect’s Inspectors. Making a move against him would have major repercussions. Besides, this is the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s auction house."
In the center of the group stood a stunningly beautiful woman in palace attire. Her phoenix eyes were icy cold.
"Two hundred eighty-five thousand!"
"Three hundred thousand!"
Finally, a sensational price sent another wave of shock through the auction hall.
The price of three hundred thousand was now the highest in this auction, shaking everyone to their core.
A cold glint flashed in Princess Consort Yin’s eyes. ’If that Wu Junfeng bids again, then so be it. He can have this Pill of Eternal Youth.’
This time, however, Wu Junfeng did not continue to raise the price. Instead, he laughed heartily and said, "Princess Consort Yin is truly magnanimous with her wealth. I am impressed. I’ll let you have this Pill of Eternal Youth."
Princess Consort Yin’s lazy, pleasant voice replied, "Inspector Wu, you are too kind. This Princess does not like it when others ’let’ me have things. If you like it, feel free to keep bidding. This Princess can afford to spend a little more."
"Heh heh, Princess Consort Yin jests."
Wu Junfeng gave a faint smile, apparently not wanting to push things too far.
In the end, the Pill of Eternal Youth was sold for a price of three hundred thousand, setting a new record for today’s annual Heaven-Reaching Pavilion auction.
The crowd erupted.
The entire hall was in an uproar.
A price like this had never been seen before in any previous auction.
"Congratulations, Your Highness."
In Box One, the experts were all smiles.
"Three hundred thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones. It’s a bit pricey, but if it truly has the effects described, it will be worth it. I just can’t wait to find out."
A look of anticipation appeared on Princess Consort Yin’s face.
"Haha, to think that ten Pills of Eternal Youth could fetch such a price."
In Box Twenty-One, Ye Xuan burst out laughing, his smile blooming across his face.
Normally, getting more than thirty to fifty thousand for ten Pills of Eternal Youth would be considered a great profit. Now, the price was ten times that amount. Even Ye Xuan hadn’t anticipated this at the beginning.
Beside him, however, Luo Min spoke with a worried expression, "Young Master Ye, this Pill of Eternal Youth seems quite similar to the pill our Profound Pill Pavilion is about to launch. Could there be some sort of conspiracy here?"
Luo Min knew that the flagship product for Ye Xuan’s soon-to-open Profound Pill Pavilion was a youth-preserving pill.
"Haha, Patriarch Luo, you’re overthinking it. I was actually the one who put the Pill of Eternal Youth up for auction. It’s the top-tier, enhanced version of the youth-preserving pill we’re about to release."
Ye Xuan laughed and revealed his secret.
The moment these words left his mouth, Luo Min and Luo Cheng were stunned speechless, completely dumbfounded.
’Young Master Ye was the one who put this pill up for auction?’
’My god.’
’Doesn’t that mean Young Master Ye just made three hundred thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones?’
They had to understand, the Luo family had diligently managed their assets for several hundred years and had only amassed a fortune of a little over a hundred thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones.
Backstage at the auction house, the appraising elder, Xu Wei, was also pleasantly surprised.
When he first received the Pill of Eternal Youth, he knew it was extraordinary and thus placed it among the finale items. But he never imagined it would fetch such a high price.
"Alright, let us proceed with the next item."
On the auction stage, the green-robed elder, beaming with joy, tried to continue the auction.
"Wait!"
Just then, a booming voice came from Box One. It was Peng Tributor. He announced loudly, "Princess Consort Yin wishes to test the effects of the Pill of Eternal Youth. We request the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion to bring the pill up now."
The moment he spoke, the entire audience was stunned.
The normal procedure for the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion was to handle the exchange of items after the auction was completely over. Could it be that Princess Consort Yin’s action meant she didn’t trust the Pavilion? Or did she have doubts about the Pill of Eternal Youth’s efficacy?
It was understandable, when one thought about it. The effects of the Pill of Eternal Youth had been hyped up to an almost heaven-defying degree—able to restore anyone to the prime of their youth and preserve their appearance indefinitely.
And yet, its rank was only the Peak of Fifth Grade. Could such a pill truly exist in this world?
The auctioneer on the stage froze, his expression stiffening. He frowned and said, "Esteemed guest, this seems to be... somewhat against the rules, doesn’t it?"
The rules of the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion were ironclad. Never before had a situation occurred where a pill was tested on the spot.
"Auctioneer, please don’t take offense. This Princess does not doubt your Heaven-Reaching Pavilion. I am simply far too eager to see the Pill of Eternal Youth. I hope you can make an exception."
Princess Consort Yin’s voice, lazy and maturely charming, drifted out.
At that moment, the backstage of the auction house was in chaos.
"What is this Princess Consort Yin playing at?"
"She is the head of the Sky Empire’s consorts. By doing this, where does that leave our Heaven-Reaching Pavilion?"
The managers all looked displeased.
If it were an ordinary customer, they would have been thrown out long ago. But Princess Consort Yin’s status was extraordinary, putting the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion in a difficult position.
"Send the Pill of Eternal Youth over."
Just then, Elder Xu Wei spoke calmly.
"Elder... but..." The managers looked confused.
Xu Wei waved his hand. "Do as I say. However, Princess Consort Yin must also agree to one condition from our Heaven-Reaching Pavilion..."
Soon, Xu Wei’s orders were relayed.
「On the auction stage.」
The green-robed elder received the orders from his superiors backstage, and the deep frown on his face quickly vanished.
"Princess Consort Yin, given that the Pill of Eternal Youth is quite special and has never appeared on the market before, our Heaven-Reaching Pavilion can agree to Your Highness’s request. However, if the Pill of Eternal Youth does indeed have its claimed effects, we also ask that Your Highness demonstrate them for everyone."
The green-robed elder announced in a loud voice.
"What? Make Princess Consort Yin demonstrate it?"
"Does he mean he wants the Princess Consort to show her face in front of everyone?"
"The Heaven-Reaching Pavilion, how audacious!"
The Martial Artists in the audience were dumbfounded and stared in disbelief.
"How dare you!"
In Box One, Peng Tributor erupted in fury.
But before he could speak again, he was cut off by Princess Consort Yin. Her lazy, yet slightly majestic voice, drifted out calmly, "Fine. If this Pill of Eternal Youth is truly that miraculous, then why wouldn’t I agree?"
"Heh heh, it is said that in her youth, Princess Consort Yin was the number one genius of the Profound Sound Valley. Seeing you today, you are truly magnanimous." The auctioneer seamlessly flattered her.
Soon, the ten Pills of Eternal Youth were delivered to Box One.
"Your Highness, allow this old servant to test it first..."
Peng Tributor stepped forward, his eyes vigilant, preparing to test the pill himself.
"That won’t be necessary." Princess Consort Yin waved her hand. She had a considerable knowledge of pharmacology, and the moment the ten pills arrived, she sensed they were extraordinary. They held an inexplicable attraction for her.
Without hesitation, she consumed one of the pills.
Princess Consort Yin was already approaching forty this year. Although she was powerful and skilled in preserving her appearance, the years had still left a few faint traces on her face.
While her charm remained, she was no longer young. Her youthful beauty was long gone, replaced by a mature allure.
However, the moment the first Pill of Eternal Youth entered her stomach...
A unique warm current began to silently circulate through her body.
A look of astonishment instantly appeared on Princess Consort Yin’s face.
Her body, at this moment, began to flush with heat, as if some kind of vitality was reawakening within her.
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