Chapter 63

Inside the Huayun Pavilion, in a luxurious living room, Longchen looked at the alluring woman before him and asked, "Are you the one in charge here?"

Yao Nianqian looked at Longchen and giggled, "Am I not 'big' enough?"

As she laughed, her chest swelled, making her look even more alluring, which left Longchen's mouth dry. He had to admit, she was indeed a "big" woman.

However, Longchen was not particularly attracted to women who were just well-endowed. He preferred the kind of beauty like Meng Qi or the refined elegance of Chu Yao.

"Is there something you want to talk to me about alone?" Longchen asked indifferently.

Seeing that Longchen was not affected by her allure, Yao Nianqian felt a bit annoyed and hurt, especially since she was very confident in her charm.

Just as Yao Nianqian was about to speak, a voice came from behind.

"Nianqian, don't be silly."

Following the voice, a woman walked in. She looked to be in her early twenties, dressed very simply, but exuded a noble aura.

"Hmph, you uncultured brute. Sister, I'll leave him to you. I have work to do," Yao Nianqian said, swaying her waist as she left the room, but not before giving Longchen a glare.

"Apologies for the abrupt invitation. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Bai Ling, and it's an honor to meet you, Lord Longchen." The woman bowed slightly.

"You are too kind," Longchen returned the bow.

"Knowing that Lord Longchen's time is precious, I'll get straight to the point. The first matter is about the division of profits.

The two pills were auctioned for a total of 2.01 billion gold coins, which is an astronomical amount," Bai Ling said, sighing.

Despite their high estimation of the pills' value, they never expected such a sensation.

Moreover, Longchen played a crucial role in the auction, contributing significantly to its success.

"Here is your share," Bai Ling said, handing Longchen a crystal card.

Upon checking the card, he saw that it contained 1 billion gold coins, which filled him with joy. He would no longer have to worry about money.

Although he didn't know how Huayun Pavilion calculated the amount, he didn't care. A little more or less didn't matter.

"Thank you."

"We should be the ones to thank you. With your participation, this auction has become a historic success," Bai Ling smiled.

Longchen smiled, understanding that the main reason was the trap he had set for Ying Hou.

"Not at all. Without your support, I wouldn't have been able to vent my frustration."

Bai Ling paused, then smiled, "I think there's a misunderstanding, Lord Longchen. It wasn't our support, but rather Master Yunqi's prior instructions. If you found something you liked, we were to sell it to you, and he would pay the price."

"Master Yunqi?"

Longchen was touched. He didn't expect Master Yunqi to have made such arrangements, showing that he had been watching over him all along.

"So, this was a win-win situation. With your help, Huayun Pavilion has also profited greatly. To express our gratitude, I will give you a gift."

Bai Ling then produced a catalog and handed it to Longchen, "This is a list of all the treasures in our warehouse. You may choose one."

Longchen was intrigued. He wouldn't refuse such a good deal. After all, he had earned a lot of money for Huayun Pavilion, so it was only fair to take something in return.

Opening the catalog, he found many valuable items, even though the auction had just ended.

However, he didn't need to look at the cultivation techniques or battle skills, as there were no Earth Rank ones, only Human Rank, which he no longer needed.

He also didn't need any armor or weapons. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Corrosive Heart Grass?"

Longchen saw a name that caught his attention. It was a poisonous plant used in the creation of highly toxic potions.

The poison made from Corrosive Heart Grass, when applied to an arrow, could kill even a second-rank beast.

"That's the one," Longchen pointed to the Corrosive Heart Grass.

Bai Ling looked at it and said, "While the Corrosive Heart Grass is highly toxic, it's not very valuable. Should you consider something else?"

A single Corrosive Heart Grass was worth only a few hundred thousand gold coins. Bai Ling had hoped Longchen would choose something more valuable, as he had brought significant wealth to Huayun Pavilion. She felt a bit awkward.

"Just this one. I don't need anything else. I can use the Corrosive Heart Grass for research," Longchen smiled.

"Would you like to choose another item?" Bai Ling suggested.

"That wouldn't be right," Longchen smiled.

"No problem. I have the final say in Huayun Pavilion," Bai Ling said generously.

Longchen was also curious about what other strange items were in the catalog. As he flipped through the thick book, his heart raced.

"Night Demon Skull"

Seeing these four words, though his face remained calm, his heart was shouting: treasure.

"Is the Night Demon Skull acceptable?" Longchen asked.

"Of course," Bai Ling smiled. The Night Demon Skull was worth about a million gold coins, but it was still not a significant amount.

Shortly after, someone brought the Corrosive Heart Grass and the Night Demon Skull. The Corrosive Heart Grass was sealed in a foot-high bottle.

Despite the tight seal, a pungent smell still permeated the air, almost burning the nose and lungs.

Longchen looked at the Corrosive Heart Grass and smiled. It was quite old and highly toxic.

The Night Demon Skull, on the other hand, was a large object, almost as tall as a person, resembling a bat's skull and looking quite terrifying.

He put the Corrosive Heart Grass and the Night Demon Skull into his ring and smiled at Bai Ling, "Thank you, Miss Bai."

Bai Ling smiled, "Lord Longchen, you are too kind. The first reason for inviting you here was to express our gratitude.

The second reason is to ask if you would consider joining our Huayun Sect?"

"Huayun Sect?" Longchen was surprised.

"Exactly. Huayun Pavilion is just a part of our Huayun Sect," Bai Ling smiled.

"Are you a sect disciple, Miss Bai?" Longchen asked.

Bai Ling nodded, "I am an outer sect disciple of Huayun Sect, responsible for managing the Huayun Pavilion in Fengming Empire."

Longchen was shocked. This Bai Ling was not only the head of Huayun Pavilion but also a sect disciple.

"Given your talent and expertise in alchemy, you can soon leave this wilderness.

This is my third year in Fengming. With your help, I have finally completed my training objectives and can now advance to an inner sect disciple upon returning to the sect," Bai Ling's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Therefore, out of gratitude, I humbly invite you to join our Huayun Sect, where you can achieve the best development."

Longchen was intrigued and asked, "What do you mean by 'wilderness'?"

"Lord Longchen, the world is much larger than we can imagine. Fengming Empire is just a tiny part of it.

This place is in the wilderness, far from the cultivation world. With your talent, you should seek development in a broader world to avoid being buried here," Bai Ling smiled.

However, she did not elaborate on the broader world, clearly not intending to reveal too much.

This was the first time Longchen had heard about the outside world, even Master Yunqi had not mentioned it to him.

But seeing that Bai Ling was not willing to reveal more, Longchen, though curious, did not press further.

Longchen smiled, "Thank you for your appreciation. If I ever decide to leave Fengming and explore the outside world, I will come to you."

Longchen's words were tactful, neither agreeing nor refusing, leaving room for the future.

Bai Ling sighed, "It seems you have no plans to leave Fengming for now. However, I will soon return to the sect to report.

If you ever leave Fengming and find no suitable sect, consider Huayun Sect.

Here is my token. When the time comes, you can use this jade token to find me at Huayun Sect."

Taking the jade token from Bai Ling, Longchen put it away and said, "Thank you, Miss Bai.

To be honest, I am very tempted. I also want to see the 'vast sky' you mentioned."

Unfortunately, he had many troubles to resolve, and Bai Ling could not wait for him, as it involved her advancement from an outer sect disciple to an inner sect disciple.

Though he didn't know the difference, the excitement in Bai Ling's eyes showed how significant it was to her.

As Longchen left, the door to the side opened, and Yao Nianqian looked at the direction he had gone, puzzled, "This Longchen actually refused Sister's invitation."

"It's normal. Longchen is not as simple as you think. He is very calculating and not as he appears," Bai Ling sighed.

"What a pity. If we could recruit him, a potential alchemist could help me become a core disciple. I'll try again. I'll do whatever it takes," Yao Nianqian gritted her teeth.

"Enough. Longchen is not like the lechers you usually deal with. You'll only embarrass yourself. Let's pack up and prepare to return to the sect. This Huayun Pavilion will be the training ground for the next disciple," Bai Ling said.

Though Yao Nianqian was不服气 (unconvinced), she still respected Bai Ling's judgment, muttering, "Is Longchen even a man?"

"Achoo!"

As Longchen returned to his room, he sneezed.

"Hmph, I wonder if it's Ying Hou or Xia Changfeng cursing me, or that foolish woman."

Though he didn't know who was talking about him, he knew it wouldn't be anything good.

Calling Baobao, he instructed her not to disturb him and then closed the door tightly.

"It's time to refine the Melting Star Pill."