Chapter 313: Complete Sensation Throughout the Venue!

If the existence of Half-City was in itself a taboo within the Morning Star Sea, then within Half-City, there existed a taboo among taboos.

The demoness Ning Bi.

Rumor had it that this was a name she had chosen for herself, while her true name was akin to a curse; once uttered, it would invoke a catastrophic disaster, such that not even the cultivators of Half-City wished to speak it, causing it to ultimately vanish into the long river of time.

Some rumored that she was the progeny of a human and a fiend, while others claimed that the missing half of Half-City—the half no one dared to rebuild—had been destroyed by her very hands.

Of course, the era was too remote to verify, and there was even evidence proving she had appeared in Half-City many years after that great catastrophe; regardless, nothing could alter the fact that the inhabitants of Half-City feared a fiend.

Fiends were distinct from the demon race; the demon race referred to a unique lineage capable of shifting forms at will, born with higher intelligence and even the innate ability to shapely transform, having nearly broken away from the realm of ignorant and witless beasts.

If framed by Fang Qi's understanding, it could be likened to the evolutionary process of humanity transitioning from apes into humans; though their strength might not see a grand surge, the growth in their intellect was plain for all to see.

Fiends, however, were legends born of the vile abnormalities bred between heaven and earth—monstrosities spawned and nurtured by nature itself! Such monsters were born with a comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth, and they itself even represented a certain law, incomparably fierce and utterly beyond the resistance of ordinary cultivators.

Every single time a fiend emerged into the world, it would inevitably incite a storm of blood and slaughter throughout the entire cultivation world.

Thus, an existence suspected to be the offspring of a fiend was naturally a taboo that the entire cultivation world of the Morning Star Sea was loath to mention.

...

Ning Bi felt that this was the most intriguing auction she had ever hosted since her time at the Hidden Heaven Pavilion.

Virtual treasures, never before heard of, could actually command prices as high as tens of thousands of spirit crystals; it had to be said that even across the entire world throughout all of history, this was a sight any cultivator would only witness once in their lifetime.

This auction could practically be said to have utterly redefined the definition of a treasure in the hearts of all cultivators.

With the precedent of those prior items fetching astronomical prices, her own assessment of these bizarre goods gradually grew clearer.

And at this moment, the entire auction venue had already erupted into an absolute uproar.

"How could a True Lake Realm demon beast be slain in a single strike by a Spirit River Realm demon beast?!"

"Could it be that this Iron-Feathered Eagle was in a weakened state from the very start?"

"How is that possible?! Even in a weakened state, do you take the Iron-Feathered Eagle's iron feathers for a joke? With iron feathers protecting its body, how could it be battered into this state by a Witch Vulture?!"

The seating area of the Haoran Sect.

"Master..." Several female disciples looked toward the gray-robed cultivator, their faces painted with expressions of utter disbelief, "Just what is going on here?"

At the seating area of the Yimu Dao Palace, several disciples clad in black-and-white Daoist robes were already pale with shock: "Master... this...? Can you discern exactly what is happening?"

At this very moment, the Feng Family, the various factions of the inner city, and even some incredibly powerful rogue cultivators who had come to attend the auction all wore expressions of deep contemplation.

"This Witch Vulture appears to only be at the Spirit River Realm, yet the aura permeating its entire body has grown increasingly dominant. Not only are its strength and speed comprehensively enhanced, but its method of combat seems closer to the legendary primordial beasts of ancient times! It is simply not something an ordinary demon beast can compare to!" Master Xi Chi also fell into deep thought, "Could it be that what is to be auctioned next... is a method to breed primordial beasts from ordinary demon beasts?"

Her thought was precisely what was on everyone else's minds as well.

"The Light of Seduction." Before Ning Bi, the phantom projection of yet another small yellow book materialized.

"Giggle, giggle..." Upon reading the introduction of this spell, she suddenly laughed so hard that her body trembled like a flower swaying in the wind, and even within those emerald-green eyes of hers, a rippling wave of brilliant light gleamed, "Even I cannot help but admire the human who created this sort of spell. To think it was reverse-engineered from the fiendish light used by fiends to seduce humans, a Light of Seduction that seduces demon beasts to fight for oneself. It truly is too amusing!"

"What?!"

Hearing her introduction, every cultivator felt as though their brains had sustained a heavy blow, buzzing wildly as those words continuously echoed in their ears.

As everyone knew, seduction was synonymous with fiends, capable of causing humans to fall into boundless darkness; it was like a right bestowed upon fiends by heaven itself. Yet, if what Ning Bi said was true, then it would no longer be the exclusive privilege of fiends.

"However..." Someone quickly noticed a discrepancy, and a rogue cultivator clad in an auburn robe with an extremely powerful cultivation asked, "Is that Witch Vulture the result of being seduced by the Light of Seduction? But why has it become even stronger than a True Lake Realm Iron-Feathered Eagle?!"

This man was known as Daoist Chi Yi, who had inherited the legacy of an ancient ruin; his cultivation was likely above that of any cultivator present, nearly reaching the peak of the Divine Sea Realm. With his strength, he would receive exceptionally high hospitality even within the inner city of Half-City.

"Have you all ever heard of the rumors where fiends bestow power upon humans?" Ning Bi laughed coquettishly, "It is quite possible that the Light of Seduction possesses this kind of power as well, you know."

The moment these words were spoken, the entire venue nearly fell into absolute chaos.

"Is this... true?!" a cultivator asked with a trembling voice.

The cultivator from the Feng Family had bloodshot eyes: "This spell, our Feng Family must seize it at all costs!"

That rogue cultivator named Daoist Chi Yi also found his breathing turning somewhat hurried.

Not just them, but even the major powers outside of Half-City felt their breathing quicken in unison.

"Then, does this spell have any side effects?" Master Xi Chi only now appeared slightly more composed as she spoke up to ask.

"Of course there are!" Ning Bi did not hesitate to point out its drawbacks, "The more powerful the subordinate, the harder it is to control, you see. Therefore, to prevent the seduced demon beast from rebelling, please do not go into secluded meditation at whim. Because such a demon beast might very well be even more dominant than you yourself. Once left unattended for a long time and a rebellion is triggered, the demon beast will devour its master, and when that time comes, I am afraid no one will escape death!"

Everyone: "..."

Watching this Spirit River Realm demon beast kill a first-stage True Lake Realm in a single blow, if it truly rebelled, one wouldn't even need to think to know the master's fate!

Of course, it was not as if there was no solution; one could simply find an unpopulated place to release the demon beast into the wild, and upon leaving, quietly wait for its rebellion to occur.

A rebelled demon beast would not harbor an excessive amount of hatred toward its master, crossing thousands of miles just to hunt them down.

Except, in doing so, all prior efforts would essentially be rendered entirely in vain.

Master Xi Chi appeared rather satisfied with this outcome; such a powerful spell could not possibly be devoid of any drawbacks.

Yet such a drawback was clearly within the acceptable threshold of all the cultivators; thus, it did not diminish the desire of the crowd to purchase it by much, but rather made them feel it was entirely reasonable.

Almost every cultivator was already rubbing their hands in anticipation; today, even if they did not purchase a single other item, they absolutely had to secure this Light of Seduction!

"The starting bid is fifty thousand, with each increment no less than five thousand!" Ning Bi spoke, "Now, please place your bids."