Chapter 429: Chapter 429: The Curtain Falls
"Princess Consort Yin, you... your face..."
Peng Tributor and the others all let out cries of disbelief.
The subtle crow’s feet were gone. Her slightly loose skin had become firm and full of elasticity. Her once voluptuously mature face had become youthful and radiant in a matter of breaths.
It was a beauty that refreshed the heart and soul.
At the same time, a vigorous vitality coursed through Princess Consort Yin’s body.
Facing the mirror, Princess Consort Yin herself was stunned.
No woman is immune to the charms of beauty, and no woman is without fear of the passage of time.
But in that moment, all the youth she had lost over the past decade and more had returned.
Moreover, an extraordinary aura now flowed from her.
If the former Princess Consort Yin was like a ripe peach, full of mature charm... then the current Princess Consort Yin was like a beautiful lilac, a blend of beauty, grace, and maturity, all mixed together to create an intoxicating loveliness.
’This Pill of Eternal Youth... it’s actually real...’
Although Princess Consort Yin knew that, given the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s reputation, they would never be deceptive about the items up for auction.
But when her lost youth truly returned...
Princess Consort Yin choked up.
A hot tear slid from the corner of her eye.
It was a tear of pure, blissful happiness.
In the auction hall.
At this moment, the entire hall was silent. Everyone stared expectantly toward private room number one.
Everyone was curious. What happened to Princess Consort Yin after taking the Pill of Eternal Youth?
Did the Pill of Eternal Youth truly have the effects the auctioneer claimed?
Even more people, however, were simply curious about Princess Consort Yin herself.
In the Sky Empire, Princess Consort Yin was a legend, her life steeped in myth.
However, very few of those present had ever seen her in person.
Now that they finally had a chance to glimpse her true appearance, nearly everyone held their breath.
"Prepare the carriage! We are returning to the palace!"
Amidst the silent anticipation of the crowd, a loud cry suddenly rang out from private room number one.
Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, a stunningly beautiful figure gracefully emerged from the private room.
Several powerhouses with astonishing auras flanked her on both sides.
Her gait was graceful, like that of an otherworldly fairy.
Her disposition was cool and aloof, like the stars in the heavens.
Her every frown and smile seemed to hold a magical power, enough to topple nations.
Just by standing there, she captured everyone’s attention, making it impossible for them to look away.
It was as if she were a black hole, absorbing everything around her.
At that moment, almost everyone stopped breathing.
It was a beauty so stunning, it was suffocating.
The entire venue remained deathly silent until Princess Consort Yin’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
A long while later, someone—it’s unclear who—was the first to snap out of it, triggering a sky-shattering uproar.
"Is that the legendary Princess Consort Yin?"
"She’s just too beautiful."
"So beautiful. How can such a beautiful person exist in this world?"
"Heavens, I feel like my heart is about to stop."
Countless Martial Artists, excited beyond measure, began talking to each other in a frenzy.
No words could describe what they were feeling.
Even those who had seen Princess Consort Yin before were completely stunned.
Was that really Princess Consort Yin just now?
Endlessly youthful, yet full of mature charm—the fusion of two completely different qualities delivered a powerful blow to the senses.
The previous Princess Consort Yin was beautiful, but in a way that was still conceivable. The current Princess Consort Yin was so beautiful it was hard to believe she was real.
At that moment, everyone who hadn’t bought the Pill of Eternal Youth was filled with regret. If they had known it was so miraculous, they would have bought it even if it meant bankrupting their families.
But now, they had lost that chance forever.
Many female Martial Artists, in particular, looked lost and forlorn, as if, in that single moment, they had lost the most precious thing in their lives.
’If only I had been the one to buy the Pill of Eternal Youth.’
Even beautiful young women in the prime of their youth like Dongfang Zisi, Zhou Qingwei, and Murong Yunxiao felt an inexplicable sourness in their hearts.
This was especially true for Dongfang Zisi.
In terms of looks, she might be on par with Princess Consort Yin, but she did not yet possess the mature allure, unique charm, and aura that the princess consort did.
Of course, she had her own unique, refreshing quality that Princess Consort Yin couldn’t match either.
"Alright, let us begin the next part of the auction."
Even the green-robed auctioneer had been lost in shock, only snapping out of it after a long moment.
But when his words fell, there was barely any response.
Clearly, the countless people below the stage were still caught up in the stunning spectacle, unable to extricate themselves.
It took another quarter of an hour before the crowd finally began to return to their senses from their dazed state.
Thanks to the appearance of the Pill of Eternal Youth, the subsequent auction became even more heated.
Various finale-worthy items appeared one after another: exquisite weapons, rare materials, and high-grade Pills all came forth.
The whole process set one auction record after another.
Later on, even Tier Seven Lord Level materials began to appear from time to time, much to Ye Xuan’s pleasant surprise.
He immediately made frequent bids, spending one hundred seventy thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones to win two Tier Seven items.
One was a Tier Seven Spirit Medicine, an extremely rare item on the Celestial Profound Continent, which Ye Xuan won for one hundred thousand. The other was a Tier Seven Nightmare Beast Soul Crystal, which he acquired for seventy thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones.
Ye Xuan planned to use this Tier Seven Nightmare Beast Soul Crystal to cultivate his Divine Spirit Gaze.
His Divine Spirit Gaze was currently only at the First Layer, but with the Nightmare Beast’s Soul Crystal, he could advance it further to the Second Layer.
The First Layer of Divine Spirit Gaze had given Ye Xuan’s vision and observational skills an extraordinary boost.
Once it reached the Second Layer, it would upgrade into the Eye of Illusory Prohibition. At that point, the Divine Spirit Gaze could combine with Soul Power to form a unique mental Illusion Realm, trapping opponents within illusions of his own making.
Its power would increase by several times, at the very least.
And the Nightmare Beast was the one among all Profound Beasts most skilled at illusion-based attacks.
Therefore, the Nightmare Beast’s Soul Crystal was one of the best items for cultivating the Second Layer’s Eye of Illusory Prohibition.
Luo Min and Luo Cheng watched Ye Xuan’s bidding, dumbfounded.
To show his loyalty, Luo Min had previously prepared three hundred million Profound Coins and twenty thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones for Ye Xuan, thinking it would be enough. Now, seeing that the money he’d prepared wasn’t even enough to cover the loose change from Ye Xuan’s bidding, he felt a huge blow to his pride.
The final, ultimate item of the annual auction was a Tier Seven Lord Level Profound Soldier.
It was a Fire Attribute battle blade that triggered a frantic bidding war among several major powers.
In the end, the battle blade was won by the Yuan family for a price of two hundred fifty thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones.
A Fire Attribute battle blade would have been the most needed item for the Qin family, who cultivated Fire Element Cultivation Techniques. Unfortunately, they had exhausted all their funds in the previous auctions and could only watch with despair as the Yuan family won the Fire Element blade, wanting to cry but having no tears left.
Qin Feng, the Patriarch of the Qin family, was so frustrated he nearly spat blood.
If he had obtained this Fire Element battle blade, his personal strength would have more than doubled.
But because of Ye Xuan’s interference, the Qin family ended up with nothing to show for their efforts at this auction.
Finally, under the reluctant gazes of the crowd, the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s grand annual auction came to a close.
Some were happy, some were sad; everyone wore a different expression.
But for the ordinary Martial Artists, it was an incredible thrill. They had seen many annual auctions, but this year’s was by far the most exciting.
Putting aside everything else, the Pill of Eternal Youth alone, which had set a record of three hundred thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones, was enough to be talked about madly by countless people.
Princess Consort Yin’s peerless beauty had also driven the crowd wild.
Everyone also lamented how such a heaven-defying, youth-preserving Pill could be so rare and expensive.
If a similar, lower-end Pill were to appear, it would undoubtedly drive countless people into a frenzy.
The auction of the Pill of Eternal Youth had instantly unlocked the desire for youth-preserving Pills among the Martial Artists of the Sky Empire.
Furthermore, the Qin family being screwed over twice had become a running joke among the countless citizens of the Sky Empire.
If you were to ask who the biggest winner of this auction was, it’s likely no one could give a definitive answer.
But if you asked who was the most unlucky, even an idiot would know it was the Qin family.
"Kid, I never realized you were such a tycoon."
As soon as the auction ended, Master Lu Li saw Ye Xuan backstage and said with a laugh.
Spending one hundred seventy thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones on two Tier Seven materials was something even the average great family might not be able to do.
"When it comes to being a tycoon, who could possibly compare to you?"
Ye Xuan curled his lip disdainfully.
Although Master Lu Li hadn’t bid much during the auction, as the number one Artifact Refining Master in the empire, no one would underestimate his wealth. It was an amount that could absolutely crush any of the great families.
Master Lu Li gave a speechless smile. "Relax, I’m not going to ask to borrow money from you."
"I am relaxed. Because even if you asked, I wouldn’t lend you any."
Ye Xuan’s reply left Lu Li speechless once again.
When the people nearby heard their exchange, they all revealed looks of astonishment.
It was said that the young man from the Luo family had an extraordinary relationship with Master Lu Li. Back when Xuan Ye was injured, Master Lu Li had even paid him a personal visit.
Although many had heard the rumors, they had been quite skeptical.
Now, seeing the two of them talk, everyone finally understood that the rumors were not false.
Just the way they spoke to each other was something no ordinary person could do.
Even the Patriarchs of the empire’s four great families wouldn’t dare joke with Master Lu Li like that.
"Young Master Ye."
As Ye Xuan was brushing past the Yuan family’s Patriarch, the Patriarch, Yuan Fei, suddenly sent him a voice transmission while giving him a subtle glance.
"There are too many eyes and ears here. Patriarch Yuan, please pick a quiet place. And when the time comes, bring the injured Supreme Elder of the Yuan family."
Ye Xuan knew what Yuan Fei meant and replied via voice transmission.
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