The Eastern Pearl Tower was now somewhat quiet. Those who had been interested in Tongwei's remains earlier mostly sighed after some consideration.
The Lingxi Sect held considerable renown in the martial world, and its sect master was a formidable figure on the Earth Ranking, with a notably high position.
As for why Qiao Ziyu had risen above the sect master's many descendants to become the heir, the reason lay in his unique physique.
Possessing the innate "Shengwei Physique," obtaining these remains might allow him to unravel the secrets of the Tongwei Physique and restore its former glory. Naturally, he was determined to secure it.
For others, the remains might be useless—why risk making an enemy of the Lingxi Sect?
Seeing no objections, Qiao Ziyu clasped his hands again. "Then I thank you all for your generosity."
"Young Sect Master, this seems a bit against the rules, doesn’t it?" Qian Bufan's expression darkened.
"This item is simply too important to me. I acted hastily—please forgive me, Elder." Qiao Ziyu grinned, his tone surprisingly polite.
"Rest assured, I always abide by reason. Everything will follow the Eastern Pearl Tower’s rules."
"Then proceed, Young Sect Master." Qian Bufan turned away with a cold expression, flicking his sleeves.
"No need to see me off. My thanks to the Qingyuan Sect for this treasure... hahaha!"
Qiao Ziyu laughed as he approached the counter.
Had this item been auctioned at the Eastern Pearl Tower, the price would have been astronomical.
Even now, it wasn’t cheap—two hundred spirit crystals, an amount that could be converted into an unimaginable sum of gold.
But he could haggle!
With three thousand people helping, he might even get Li Mo to pay him out of pocket.
"Let me try my luck first."
"Of course. Here’s your throwing knife."
Qiao Ziyu was the first to receive a knife from Lan Tian. He narrowed his eyes, but the shifting patterns of light offered no discernible pattern.
No surprise—the Eastern Pearl Tower had deep roots and surely took measures to prevent cheating.
In that case, it all came down to luck. But...
He had a way to temporarily improve his fortune!
Whoosh—
The knife shot out like a black thread, as if guided by fate itself. Qiao Ziyu had cast a hex on himself.
The backlash was severe—his luck would plummet for some time afterward.
Snap!
"Hit! It hit!"
"Hit what?"
"Hmm? Not a discount... looks like... a pearl? What does a pearl mean?"
Qiao Ziyu frowned at Lan Tian.
Lan Tian thought for a moment, recalling Li Mo’s instructions, and widened her eyes.
"Your luck is incredible!"
"Oh? What’s special about this pearl?"
Qiao Ziyu relaxed—this seemed even better than a discount.
Naturally, after resorting to self-hexing...
"This isn’t a pearl—it’s a Dragon Pearl! Collect seven, and you’ll get the item for free, plus half its value in cash!"
"Hahaha! Perfect, perfect!" Qiao Ziyu roared with laughter.
He’d gotten a Dragon Pearl on his first try—how hard could the grand prize be?
The process went smoothly after that. Lingxi Sect disciples lined up to take their turns.
"Young Sect Master, I got a Dragon Pearl too!"
"Young Sect Master, me too!"
...
Seven people stepped forward, but then—
"Young Sect Master, I... uh, this pearl looks different?"
The disciple held it up. Qiao Ziyu followed his gaze.
Instead of gold, this one was silver.
"What’s this supposed to mean?" Qiao Ziyu scowled.
Lan Tian blinked. "That’s a Flood Dragon Pearl! Collect nine, and you can exchange for one Dragon Pearl. Wow, you’re so lucky—I’ve never seen anyone with eight Dragon Pearls before!"
Of course not. The rules were made today, and her shift had just started.
"Fine. Keep going."
Qiao Ziyu remained composed. With so many helpers, he wasn’t worried.
...
"Lan Tian’s acting is flawless—who knew she was such a natural trickster?"
Li Mo removed his Veil of Formless Glass, watching from the second floor.
"The girl’s got sharp instincts. She’s a good fit for this job."
Elder Qian nodded, then shook his head.
"But you’re the real mastermind here. Selling a leftover pig knuckle bone for two hundred spirit crystals—even if it doesn’t break them, it’s still a hefty loss..."
"From your tone, the Lingxi Sect must be wealthy?"
"Not compared to you, but as a sect qualified to govern a province, they’ve got at least a thousand spirit crystals."
"I see."
Li Mo manipulated the Mirage Spirit Pearl while observing the scene below.
Elder Qian recognized the look—Li’s brilliant mind was at work again. Despite his usual carefree demeanor, the boy had deep affection for the sect...
As they spoke, Qiao Ziyu below had gone from Dragon Pearls to Clam Pearls, then Fish Pearls, Shrimp Pearls... His calm demeanor had vanished, replaced by the frenzy of a man consumed by the hunt.
Qiao Ziyu’s patience wore thin. He nearly lost his temper—
"Hmm?"
Several shareholders nearby stood up, their expressions unfriendly.
Qiao Ziyu abandoned thoughts of "physical negotiation."
"How many more? When does this end?"
"Your friends’ luck is just getting worse! Someone earlier collected nine Dragon Pearls right away—it’s not our fault."
"Then tell me—what kind of shrimp has pearls? There’s got to be some logic!"
"Sorry, but the final interpretation of this event belongs to our establishment~"
Lan Tian’s sweetly oblivious tone left Qiao Ziyu fuming.
But he couldn’t argue—others had genuinely collected nine Dragon Pearls.
Accusing them of cheating required proof.
Three thousand people sounded like a lot.
But as night fell, only one remained. Qiao Ziyu could afford two hundred spirit crystals, but by now, he was panting like a gambler on a losing streak.
"Young Sect Master... I got..."
"Mine! It’s all mine!"
"Oh... it’s a Pearl, Young Sect Master."
Qiao Ziyu: "?"
The crowd murmured, marveling at his abysmal luck. Had he committed some heinous act to deserve this?
Lan Tian yawned. "After all that, the price is still two hundred spirit crystals."
"......"
Qiao Ziyu clenched his fists under the crowd’s scrutiny. "After all this effort, can’t you lower it even a little?"
"Little brother... you’re not broke, are you?"
"Fine! Take it! Just take it!"
Gritting his teeth, Qiao Ziyu finally handed over two hundred spirit crystals.
With the jade box in hand, he stormed off, seething with resentment.
As everyone knows, when in a foul mood, one craves comfort food.
So his first act upon returning to the inn was to order a feast—roast meat, pig knuckles, and more.
"Unbelievable! This is beyond insulting!"
Qiao Ziyu viciously bit into a knuckle.
"Young Sect Master, calm down. We just hit a rough patch."
"Though it cost you a sum, obtaining that mystical Tongwei Relic Bone will make your future prospects boundless—how could a mere two hundred spirit crystals ever compare?"
The old man reassured him, tossing the gnawed pig's trotter to the dogs outside.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
Heart] Chen Yi traversed the cultivation world for eight hundred years, charging his way to the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Just as he was outwitting his 81st Heavenly Tribulation to ascend to immortality, he was suddenly pulled into a chat group called the "Multiverse Transmigrators Support Group." To his surprise, the group was filled with nothing but fresh-faced newbies who had just transmigrated. [Help! I transmigrated into a disgraced concubine in the cold palace, and the tyrant emperor is about to execute me!] [I ended up as a cannon-fodder villain, and the protagonist is still chasing me—WTF!] [I woke up as the protagonist’s father, but I’m about to be sacrificed in a ritual! What do I do? Urgent!!!] Chen Yi stared at the chaotic flood of desperate pleas in the group and fell into deep thought. "Seriously? You drag me into a newbie transmigrator chat group… only after I’m one step away from becoming an immortal?"
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
