Chapter 537

Chapter 537: Grand Auction

Upon hearing this, Fang Lie immediately nodded to show he understood. Then, he began meditating to pass the time.

A few days later, Fang Lie estimated those people had likely left, so he packed up and set off home again.

Several days later, Fang Lie stepped out from the Mo Sect’s teleportation array and saw the area was no longer bustling with activity.

He found a disciple guarding the site and asked. From the disciple’s words, Fang Lie learned he had narrowly escaped disaster!

It turned out days earlier, the Mo Sect had suddenly become overrun. Thunder Tribulation Immortals gathered in groups, while over a thousand Fire Tribulation Immortals came visiting.

By tradition, guests of certain ranks required equal-ranked hosts. With so many experts arriving, the Mo Sect’s Elders were overwhelmed.

Except those in closed-door training, every Elder above the Fire Tribulation stage was mobilized. Regardless of hospitality skills, all had to attend guests to preserve the Mo Sect’s face.

But guests vastly outnumbered Elders. Each high-ranking Elder hosted over ten visitors. Guest residences overflowed until the four great family clans lent their private estates.

Guests demanded lavish treatment—exotic delicacies, spiritual wine, and spirit fruits flowed endlessly. Servants had to meet strict standards to avoid disrespect.

The Mo Sect descended into chaos. Inner gate disciples couldn’t keep up, forcing tens of thousands of outer disciples into service. Cooks, maids, and specialists were urgently dispatched from afar.

The Mo Sect bled resources: spiritual wine, spirit fruits, and banquet items totaling over a million small spirit pearls.

Spirit pearls were manageable, but the sheer quantity strained supplies. Normally sustaining a dozen Thunder Tribulation Immortals and a hundred Fire Tribulation Immortals, demand now surged tenfold.

The hospitality Elder nearly broke. He begged Mo Qianxun, who issued a Sect Leader decree to seize stockpiles from great family clans and rushed purchases, barely averting crisis.

Thanks to the Mo Sect’s deep reserves, they pulled off flawless hospitality despite the chaos, impressing even skeptical observers.

When the visitors’ true purpose emerged, Mo Qianxun appeared calm but later raged for days!

Naturally, Fang Lie became the target. His scheme to redirect trouble had wrecked his future father-in-law!

Even junior visitors had powerful backgrounds. Refusing one meant angering their faction. A Semi-Immortal like Mo Qianxun couldn’t risk offending so many forces.

Yet accepting all requests was impossible. Flooding the market would crash prices, slashing profits despite Fang Lie’s output.

The Mo Sect aimed to monopolize both wealth and influence. If everyone got easy access, their leverage vanished.

Fang Lie’s move threw plans into disarray. Mo Qianxun faced impossible choices: refuse and make enemies, or agree and lose profits.

Here, Mo Qianxun proved himself an Old Fox. Even cornered, he devised a solution: auctioning jade tokens for Fang Lie’s services!

Mo Qianxun claimed Fang Lie’s refining took days per batch, draining his Magic for mere drops—a lie to inflate value. Skeptics had no choice but to accept.

He then declared Fang Lie could only manage five clients monthly, each receiving ten Spirit Liquid drops.

With over a thousand petitioners and the Mo Sect’s own needs, this fell far short.

Mo Qianxun proposed monthly auctions for five slots, reserving two for the Mo Sect, leaving three for bidders.

Since hosting monthly visits was impractical, they auctioned three years’ worth at once—ninety jade tokens!

Each token specified a month and year for Fang Lie’s services.

Ninety tokens seemed ample, but with a thousand seekers, only one in ten would succeed.

Moreover, don’t think Fire Tribulation Immortals didn’t dare bid. Though their status seemed lower, they had masters and entire sects backing them. When competing with seniors, they held their ground completely.

This special auction began with intense clashes from the start. The first dozen jade tokens were for slots three years later since the auction went in reverse order. Yet even these sold for sky-high prices equivalent to Seventh-rank mid-grade treasures.

Tokens for two-year slots caused fiercer competition since everyone could wait that long. Bidders ended up paying seventh-rank top-grade treasures plus extra small spirit pearls.

The final three tokens became rarest prizes. Impatient cultivators desperate for breakthroughs paid Eighth-rank Treasure prices!

When Fang Lie heard this, his eyes nearly bulged out. After risking his life stealing from Ten-Thousand Gu Sect, he’d only gotten few Eighth-rank Treasures – most returned! Yet Mo Qianxun obtained three just sitting home! Fang Lie couldn’t help admiring his cunning.

With troubles gone and profits secured, Fang Lie stopped avoiding Mo Qianxun. He immediately went to claim his auction share.

As Mo Sect’s son-in-law and honored guest, seeing the Family Head proved simple. One word summoned an escort.

Soon Fang Lie found Mo Qianxun admiring lotus flowers in a pavilion.

"Disciple greets the Sect Leader!" Fang Lie performed exaggerated bow with clasped fists.

"You brat!" Mo Qianxun wore unprecedented bitter expression, teeth gritted. "Dare scheme behind my back? After all my help, where’s your conscience?"

"Wronged, Sect Leader!" Fang Lie protested. "You forbade selling Spirit Liquid! I refused experts’ pleas but redirected them to you! With your wisdom and cunning, I knew you’d handle it! See? I was right!"

"Cunning?" Mo Qianxun rolled eyes, laughing angrily. "Call that praise?"

"Of course!" Fang Lie grinned. "Sect Leader, you got three Eighth-rank Treasures! My rightful earnings – don’t keep them!"

"Those belong to Buddhist or Demonic Path sects – useless to us!" Mo Qianxun retorted. "Still want them?"

"Ah…" Fang Lie realized he’d underestimated rivals. Though priceless, none boosted Mo Sect’s strength.

"These scoundrels!" Fang Lie sighed. "I’ll donate them to sect. Give me one usable Eighth-rank Treasure! Mo Sect’s Honorary Elder without one is shameful!"

Mo Qianxun rolled eyes. "Honorary Elder’s no big title. Many Elders lack Eighth-rank Treasures – even some Fire Tribulation Immortals! You’re mere Qi Sea stage!"

"I’m different!" Fang Lie argued. "Competing in Celestial Platform Competition! Other sects’ Core Inner Gate Disciples all have Eighth-rank Treasures for Protectiveness! Losing’s fine, but disgracing Mo Sect? Even you’d lose face!"

"You have Eighth-rank life-bound treasure!"

"That’s for cultivation, not combat!" Fang Lie shouted. "Useleless in real fights!"

"Fine, you win." Mo Qianxun sighed. "Forget auction gains. I’ll give suitable Eighth-rank Treasure."

"Great!" Fang Lie suddenly frowned. "Wait…you agreed too fast. Something’s fishy."

"Nonsense!" Mo Qianxun said sternly.

Though putting on righteous air, Fang Lie spotted guilty flicker in his eyes. Convinced of trickery, Fang Lie stopped pressing and pondered what he’d missed.