I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Only after this was done did the feeling of being crushed by several great mountains ease slightly for Chen Ronghua, but it did not disappear completely.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Chen Ronghua left five thousand Spirit Stones. Then, under everyone’s stunned gaze, he clutched his severed arm with his other hand and scrambled out of the auction house.

As they watched Chen Ronghua’s retreating figure, the auction house fell utterly silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

Even after Yu Changsheng retracted his aura and Divine Thought, the silence lingered. No one dared to speak, every person trapped in a state of profound shock and terror.

The suffocating sensation, like drowning in an instant, still hung over their hearts like a massive shadow.

Thus, despite Chen Ronghua scrambling away in a pathetic and terrified state, not a single person dared to laugh.

A Golden Core! In a tiny, insignificant place like this, such a being was like a god. Even within the entire Wanxiang Sect, they were superiors who commanded respect, let alone in this humble Marketplace.

Only when the terrifying pressure had slowly dissipated did Yu Dahai unhurriedly gather the Spirit Stones Chen Ronghua had left. With undisguisable pride on his face, he received a Divine Thought transmission from Yu Changsheng, then smiled and slowly addressed the crowd.

"That was just a minor interruption. Please, pay it no mind."

"Oh, and I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify the stance of our Odd Demon Pavilion. We, of course, welcome all our guests with open arms. We will continue to improve our services and strive to provide all you honored patrons with the best possible experience."

"However, if you harbor ill intentions, then don’t blame the Odd Demon Pavilion for being ruthless. Here, it doesn’t matter who you are or what your status is. Everyone is treated equally and justly."

"Now, let the auction resume. Please place your bids."

Yu Dahai might have sounded calm, but in reality, he was utterly astonished.

He had originally assumed Yu Changsheng’s Cultivation was, at most, at the Foundation Establishment level. But upon hearing the crowd’s whispers, disbelief gave way to a surge of excitement and exhilaration.

Even though he knew in his heart that Yu Changsheng couldn’t possibly be at the Golden Core realm, it didn’t matter. As long as everyone else believed it, that was enough.

After all, no one would dare cause trouble at the risk of offending a Golden Core Ancestor.

After a period of silence, someone finally ventured a bid. Following that display of might, those who had been hesitant—who had wanted to bid but were too afraid—now cast their worries aside and joined in.

Meanwhile, those harboring ulterior motives all faded into the background, not daring to make a single untoward move and obediently following the proceedings.

Perhaps it was thanks to the backing of a "Golden Core Ancestor," but the auction for the Three-legged Sunbird became even more heated than the last. In the end, the price settled at a staggering five thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.

"Five thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, for the third and final time! Congratulations to this fellow cultivator on winning the auction for the Three-legged Sunbird!"

Yu Dahai brought down the gavel, finalizing the transaction.

The winning bidder was a middle-aged Cultivator of average Cultivation. Though the price clearly pained him, he couldn’t help but smile after securing his prize.

In the shadows, quite a few eyes lingered on the Cultivator, and some recognized him.

"That’s Wu Yinglong, a local Loose Cultivator. No backing. He used to be a servant disciple for the Wanxiang Sect years ago. Who knows what kind of fortuitous encounter he must’ve had to be able to afford over five thousand Spirit Stones..."

Despite their thoughts, they only appraised him from the shadows. Remembering the earlier incident, they quickly looked away. Outwardly, at least, no one dared to make a move.

Wu Yinglong, for his part, was cautious. After paying for and receiving his prize, he didn’t linger. He used a Daoist Skill to mask his aura and slipped quietly out the back exit.

But in a crowd, there are always one or two such people. Their gazes flickered toward Wu Yinglong’s empty seat. After a moment, they leaned over, gestured to an attendant, and whispered a few words. Unnoticed by the others, the attendant then quietly vanished from the auction hall.

’No backing, low Cultivation, and carrying a fortune... a fat sheep like that...’

’They don’t dare make a move inside the auction house for now, but outside... well, as long as we don’t get our own hands dirty, it should be fine...’

Backstage, the moment Yu Changsheng retracted his Divine Thought, he immediately swallowed several Elixirs and began to meditate. His aura was chaotic and his face was pale; the overexertion had clearly been severe.

’Even though the outburst was brief, my Divine Sense really did reach the Golden Core level. But my Cultivation and my body simply can’t sustain it. I can’t maintain that kind of power for long.’

Gradually, Yu Changsheng’s breathing evened out, and some color returned to his face. When he detected the subtle machinations of a few people in the crowd, a cold smile touched his lips.

’It seems my little display wasn’t a strong enough deterrent. Very well. I’ll just use this opportunity to make you all behave for good.’

With that thought, Yu Changsheng slowly closed his eyes and resumed his meditation.

Onstage, the auction continued. The final item, the grand finale Spirit Beast, was brought out. Yu Dahai introduced it with a grave expression.

"I won’t waste your time with pleasantries. This is another rare, mutated Spirit Beast: the Nine-colored Chicken King! It may possess a trace of the Nine-Colored Phoenix bloodline, which means there is a chance it could undergo atavistic transformation."

"Its Cultivation may be low, but its Comprehension is astounding. With dedicated training, its potential is limitless! For those of you who are interested, you must act fast. This is the last Odd Demon of the auction!"

"The starting bid is one thousand Spirit Stones!"

Immediately, many people showed their interest. Intrigued by its peculiarity, they began raising their paddles and driving up the price.

"Hey, look at that. This chicken’s actually pretty interesting. Good-looking, too."

"It’s really quite something. Judging by its age, it’s probably only a couple of years old. The potential for growth is definitely there!"

"The Odd Demons from the Odd Demon Pavilion really are top-notch."

......

Amid the chatter, the price climbed higher and higher, eventually reaching five thousand nine hundred Spirit Stones—even more than the previous beast.

At this price, it was already far beyond what most of the attendees could afford.

Yu Dahai figured this was the peak price and was just about to bring down the gavel when...

"I bid six thousand Spirit Stones!"

The voice startled everyone, and all heads turned to see who had spoken.

The bidder, who had slowly raised his placard, had a pained look on his face, though his struggling gaze eventually settled into one of determination. He wore the clean, tidy uniform of a Beast Taming Peak Outer Disciple, and his hair was parted neatly down the middle, framing his face with symmetrical bangs that gave him a striking appearance.

"Isn’t that Miao Wenlun? So he’s here, too."

"That makes sense. As a Beast Master, he’s famous for his love of studying peculiar Spirit Beasts. Of course he wouldn’t miss out on an oddity like this."

Once they recognized him, no one else placed a bid. Six thousand Spirit Stones was an extremely high price, after all—one that most Qi Refining Cultivators simply couldn’t afford.

The cost was clearly painful for Miao Wenlun, but he felt he would regret it for the rest of his life if he let this opportunity pass. Fortunately, between his savings from over the years and the prize money from his last competition, he could just barely scrape together six thousand Spirit Stones.

As for why he was willing to spend so extravagantly?

It was simply because...

He felt that he and this chicken were bound by fate!