“Where is this? Who am I?” the Ancient Demoness asked coldly.
Her voice was icy, yet irresistibly enchanting.
It carried both supreme pride and a mesmerising magnetism. Merely hearing her speak was enough to make people lose themselves.
The Demon King gazed at her incomparably beautiful, seductive face with fascination.
The look in his eyes did not come from lust between a man and a woman. Instead, it came from a much deeper and nobler emotion.
According to the ancient secret technique, he had finally succeeded.
He had finally recreated an Ancient Demon.
Her eyes, her cloven hooves, her unique beauty and charm, even the wings upon her back, were unlike anything else in the entire Barbarian Wilderness.
Of course, descendants of demons still included winged races and flying warriors.
However, their wings had long since become more like those of birds or bats. They no longer resembled the wings of true demons.
True demon wings were far more beautiful and majestic, existing somewhere between flesh and pure energy, just like the pair behind her.
“You are my daughter, Princess Diyan,” the Demon King said.
One of the shamans beside him trembled slightly.
The Demon King had once had a daughter named Diyan, but she had died young during a great catastrophe. It had remained the greatest sorrow of his life.
Of course, Diyan here was merely her given name, not a family name.
Among the royal families of the Barbarian Wilderness, only one person possessed a surname.
The King.
Once someone became King, they no longer had a personal name. They alone inherited the royal surname.
In the Demon Tuo Empire of the Northern Wilderness, however, Di was the imperial surname. Every member of the royal family bore it, such as Emperor Demon Tuo, Prince Di Sha, Princess Di Naxue, and so on.
Then the Demon King suddenly realised something was wrong.
The Ancient Demoness was not displaying the earth-shattering cultivation he had expected.
That should have been impossible.
To make her unimaginably powerful, he had built the Hall of Darkness, summoned the Dark Lightning, slaughtered thousands of people, sacrificed more than a hundred Great Demon Warriors, and finally pierced his own heart to offer his own demon blood.
The bloodline energy of thousands of demon warriors had all been concentrated into a single person.
Why, then, did she not feel powerful?
“Diyan, strike me with your palm,” the Demon King ordered.
The Ancient Demoness struck without hesitation.
There was no energy behind the attack.
Only pure physical strength.
Barely six thousand pounds of force.
The Demon King felt a chill spread through his entire body.
“Impossible… This shouldn’t be happening. She should have become incomparably powerful. Why is her cultivation actually lower than it was before the transformation?”
For an Ancient Demon, six thousand pounds of strength was practically nothing.
It was merely the raw physical power of a body with no cultivation whatsoever.
The Demon King had paid such an unimaginable price to recreate an overwhelmingly powerful Ancient Demoness.
Instead, her cultivation was even lower than before.
The blow struck him like lightning from a clear sky.
A moment later, he calmed himself and closed his eyes to sense her aura.
Almost immediately, he detected an immensely powerful energy.
It radiated from the depths of the Ancient Demoness’s bloodline.
Then why…
Why was her cultivation so weak?
“Your Majesty,” an elderly shaman said, “perhaps we were only missing one final step.”
“In truth, we never fully completed the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony. The Barbarian Wilderness is no longer what it was in ancient times. We can no longer summon Dark Lightning of sufficient power. In the end, the Ancient Demoness only took shape largely because you sacrificed your purest demon blood. We completed the reconstruction, but not the Nirvana.”
The reconstruction had fully recreated the Ancient Demon’s body and bloodline.
However, body and bloodline had never reached the final stage of Nirvana.
They had not completely fused into one.
The Demon King frowned.
“But this was already the finest place we could find, the place with the densest concentration of energy.”
“But it still wasn’t enough,” the elderly shaman replied. “After all, true demons have been extinct for tens of thousands of years. In the end… we still fell just short. We only completed ninety-nine per cent.”
The Demon King looked at the Ancient Demoness.
Her face was breathtakingly beautiful.
Her eyes were both irresistibly enchanting and as innocent as those of a newborn child.
The elderly shaman continued,
“All of her tremendous power is now sealed within her Ancient Demon bloodline. It requires an immensely powerful external force to awaken it and allow her body to complete its final Nirvana.”
The Demon King’s eyes narrowed.
“Nirvana Blood?”
“Yes,” the elderly shaman replied. “The Ancient Nirvana Blood. Most people believe it changes a person’s bloodline talent. That isn’t true. It merely awakens the full potential that already exists within the bloodline.”
The Demon King immediately gave an order.
“Search the entire world. No matter the cost, you must find the Nirvana Blood.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Dozens of shamans answered in unison.
They rose to their feet, left the crumbling Hall of Darkness, mounted their flying beasts, and departed in every direction.
The Demon King continued staring at the Ancient Demoness.
After a long silence, he sighed.
“Diyan… Even if… you can never complete your final Nirvana… I’ll accept it. I’ll simply pretend… my daughter has come back to life.”
The Ancient Demoness seemed not to hear him at all.
She spread her wings and flew out of the Hall of Darkness, circling high above the mountain.
She looked down upon everything below.
Her gaze seemed to look down on the entire world itself.
…
Rakshasa City, Heaven and Earth Pavilion.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Heaven and Earth Pavilion’s monthly grand auction officially began.
Carrying one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins, Lingling entered the auction hall.
He had only one objective.
The Ghost King’s Eye.
He was almost the first to arrive.
Over the next fifteen minutes, guests gradually entered one after another.
Only at an auction like this did the true status of the Rakshasa Clan become obvious.
Anyone qualified to attend the Heaven and Earth Pavilion’s grand auction was undoubtedly someone of great importance.
Lingling noticed that every single guest belonged to the Rakshasa Clan.
Naturally, he recognised none of them.
Nor did they greet one another.
Everyone entered silently and took their seats with cold indifference.
To Lingling’s embarrassment, most of those arriving were women.
The auction was once again hosted by the white-haired beauty who managed the pavilion.
After entering, she announced,
“Today, the Heaven and Earth Pavilion is honoured by the presence of the Eighteenth Consort of the Young Barbarian King. Please rise to welcome Her Highness.”
Immediately, every distinguished guest stood.
Several barbarian warriors entered and guarded every entrance, their cold eyes sweeping across everyone present.
Then four maids escorted a magnificently dressed woman into the hall.
Lingling desperately suppressed his shock, yet his eyes still trembled.
The woman who entered was Nini’an.
Constantine’s daughter.
Nini’an.
“We pay our respects to the Eighteenth Consort.”
Every guest respectfully knelt on one knee.
Only now did Lingling truly understand.
Nini’an had risen to unimaginable heights.
Even as merely the Young Barbarian King’s eighteenth concubine, her status was now beyond compare.
Yet he could not understand why she had been chosen.
In terms of family background, she was only the daughter of a tribal chief.
In terms of beauty, she was inferior to Second Madam Sisi, and even to Gou Fu’s wife, Ali.
To be blunt, among the women attending the auction alone, Lingling could already see at least four or five whose beauty surpassed Nini’an’s.
Could it really have been because Constantine had provided a dowry worth one hundred and thirty thousand gold coins?
Before arriving in Rakshasa City, Lingling might have believed that.
But after seeing the city’s wealth, he dismissed the idea entirely.
The Rakshasa King possessed wealth beyond measure.
Constantine’s one hundred and thirty thousand gold coins would have meant absolutely nothing to him.
Whether in status or appearance, Nini’an simply was not qualified to marry the Young Barbarian King.
Not even as his eighteenth concubine.
What Nini’an excelled at most was scheming and putting on appearances.
After entering, she merely glanced around, nodded slightly without greeting anyone, and took her seat.
Lingling noticed that she probably was not especially favoured by the Young Barbarian King.
At the very least, she had come alone.
The Young Barbarian King had not accompanied her.
He wondered which treasure had brought her here today.
He had no concern about being recognised.
That was impossible.
The Transformation Pill had not only changed him into a Rakshasa, it had also allowed him to conceal his aura completely with spiritual power.
If Nini’an possessed cultivation strong enough to see through that disguise, she would never have needed to marry someone as his eighteenth concubine.
…
Without any unnecessary ceremony, the pavilion manager immediately announced,
“The auction will now begin.”
“The first treasure is a Platinum Dagger.”
A female warrior displayed the dagger before everyone, demonstrating both its elegance and terrifying sharpness.
It truly was extraordinary.
Its blade was so white it appeared almost transparent.
It was incredibly light, weighing only a few ounces.
Its sharpness could truly cut through iron as though it were mud.
A maid with no cultivation effortlessly sliced through a heavy sword weighing over a hundred pounds.
She then pierced a thick suit of armour just as easily.
“The starting price for this Platinum Dagger is eight thousand gold coins. Bidding begins now.”
“Eleven thousand!”
“Twelve thousand!”
“Thirteen thousand!”
Just as the manager had predicted, although Platinum Daggers were not especially rare, they were among the easiest treasures to sell.
Their broad appeal naturally drove bidding higher.
“Fourteen thousand!”
A richly dressed young Rakshasa noble made the offer.
The price had already risen more than twenty per cent above market value.
No one bid again.
The Platinum Dagger was sold to the young Rakshasa warrior.
Judging from the banner emblem engraved on his sword, Lingling guessed he belonged to the family of a Banner Lord.
No chief’s family would willingly spend fourteen thousand gold coins on a dagger.
After all, it was only a dagger, not a sword.
Its practical use in battle was limited.
“Sold! Fourteen thousand gold coins.”
The manager struck the auction hammer.
Lingling’s Platinum Dagger had served perfectly as the opening item, selling at an excellent price.
“The second treasure…”
She paused briefly.
“…is a Flowing Years Pill.”
The entire hall erupted.
For countless women, the Flowing Years Pill was the stuff of dreams.
Taking it would instantly make someone twenty years younger.
The price, however, was ten years of life.
It sounded miraculous.
It also sounded terrifying.
If forced to choose, ninety per cent of women would probably refuse to take it.
Yet that did nothing to lessen their fascination with it.
“As everyone knows,” the manager continued, “no one has been able to refine a Flowing Years Pill for over two hundred years. Every remaining pill is irreplaceable. Its value speaks for itself.”
She hardly needed to say more.
Every woman present already understood exactly how precious it was.
“The starting price is thirty thousand gold coins. Each increase may not exceed ten per cent. Bidding begins.”
Silence.
No one spoke.
Although only three days had passed, the Heaven and Earth Pavilion had already spread news of the Flowing Years Pill throughout the city.
Almost every noble Rakshasa woman knew it would be auctioned today.
Half a minute passed.
Still no bids.
Lingling’s heart sank slightly.
It reminded him of certain Japanese shops.
Young women would discover a beautiful figurine, become overwhelmed with excitement, repeatedly exclaim how adorable and exquisite it was, making it seem as though they would gladly pay triple the price.
Yet after admiring it one by one…
They simply walked away.
Not one of them bought it.
Not even at a discount.
The Flowing Years Pill was exactly that sort of treasure.
Its appearance caused an enormous sensation.
It attracted countless admirers.
Yet the number of people truly willing to purchase it was astonishingly small.
The manager smiled.
“If no one bids, I shall declare it unsold and auction it again next month.”
At that moment, someone raised a hand.
“Thirty thousand.”
The woman was wrapped entirely in a black cloak.
Her face could not be seen.
Only the graceful outline of her figure was visible.
Judging by her voice, however, she was no longer young.
She deliberately made her bid sound casual.
As though she were merely thinking,
“Since it’s so cheap and no one wants it, I may as well buy it.”
She acted as if she had little interest.
Yet Lingling could clearly sense her quickened heartbeat beneath her controlled breathing.
She desperately wanted the Flowing Years Pill.
She simply feared revealing that desire and attracting competition.
She had even waited until the very last moment before bidding.
Unfortunately for her…
She was not the only one with that idea.
“Thirty-three thousand.”
Another woman raised her hand.
She was remarkably young.
And breathtakingly beautiful.
She too belonged to the Rakshasa Clan.
Like Dina, she had removed her tail, making the curves of her waist and hips exceptionally alluring.
The moment she spoke, everyone’s eyes turned towards her.
And remained there.
She was truly beautiful.
Far more beautiful than Nini’an.
In Lingling’s opinion, her beauty rivalled Gui Qinshao and Yan Nai’er.
Of course, Nai’er was still the most adorable woman in the world.
To Lingling, she would always be the most beautiful.
Among the countless beauties filling the auction hall, this elegantly dressed woman unquestionably ranked first.
Whether in beauty or figure, she completely overshadowed Nini’an.
The bidding between the two women immediately became fierce.
Unlike the slow opening auction, their offers followed one another almost instantly.
“Thirty-six thousand!”
“Forty thousand!”
“Fifty thousand!”
“Eighty thousand!”
The entire auction reached a fever pitch long before its conclusion.
The Flowing Years Pill had sparked a frenzy.
Even though only two women were competing.
Seeing her rival reach eighty thousand gold coins, the older woman nearly collapsed.
She stood and pleaded,
“Little sister, you’re still young. My youth has already faded. I desperately need this Flowing Years Pill. Otherwise… I’ll lose everything. I may even die. Please let me have it.”
Then she raised her offer.
“Ninety thousand gold coins.”
The stunning young woman stood and returned the courtesy with a sorrowful smile.
“Little sister… you’ve mistaken me. I may actually be older than you.”
Everyone stared in astonishment.
She continued,
“I’ve already taken a Flowing Years Pill once before. The day I lose my youth and beauty… is the day I die.”
Then she announced,
“One hundred and thirty thousand gold coins.”
After speaking, she added,
“That’s everything I own. I cannot pay even one coin more. If anyone offers a higher price, I’ll leave immediately. When the effects of the Flowing Years Pill finally wear off… I’ll drink poison and end my life.”
The older woman looked at her for a long time before sighing sadly.
“We are both unfortunate women. I wish you twenty more years of happiness. As for me… I’ll take my leave.”
With unsteady steps, she walked away.
Just like that, Lingling’s second treasure, the Flowing Years Pill, sold for the astonishing price of one hundred and thirty thousand gold coins.
It was a tremendous fortune.
The pavilion manager sighed softly before looking towards Lingling.
“Now we move to the third treasure.”
“The Brilliant Star Tear.”
At last…
It was the item Lingling had come for.
The Ghost King’s Eye.