Xiao Fei paid a sum of spirit stones and entered the Black Flood Dragon City auction.
Behind him followed a dutiful Nascent Soul bodyguard and a flying fish with a considerable talent for escaping.
The auction hall was already crowded with all sorts of seafood, and many flying beasts and running beasts had also joined in.
These demonic beasts generally lacked any decorum, and the scene was noisy with various trinkets causing disturbances.
In a corner, a white fox and a green wolf were actually fighting, seemingly engaged in some activities related to procreation. They gave no thought to discretion whatsoever.
Among the demon race, there were no moral codes like propriety or shame. The many demons in the auction hall were accustomed to such scenes.
Some busybodies even cheered on the green wolf in its efforts and offered technical guidance.
Xiao Fei shook his head and sighed, finding the world of demons even more chaotic than the rogue cultivators of Eagle Mountain Kingdom.
He could only follow suit. Although he couldn't participate, it wasn't appropriate to break up a couple. The three of them found an empty seat and waited for the auction to begin.
However, shortly after they sat down, a large octopus swam into the hall.
After its eyes swept across the hall, the large octopus also swam to a seat beside Xiao Fei and his companions.
Xiao Fei immediately recognized the identity of the large octopus, but he wasn't sure if it had seen through his disguise.
He could only pretend to be calm, suppressing his nervousness.
Just then, the large octopus turned around, extended a tentacle, and nudged the flying fish, causing it to flip onto its back.
"Whose carp are you?"
The flying fish was startled but quickly calmed itself and replied, "I am from the Golden Thread Carp family of the East Sea."
"So, you're from the Golden Thread Carp family. I was acquainted with your clan's Golden Light Ancestor. How has he been recently?"
Zhang Luo chuckled, appearing quite amiable.
"Esteemed ancestor, you might have misremembered. Our Golden Thread Carp clan does not have a Golden Light Ancestor."
"Hahaha... Perhaps I have misremembered."
Xiao Fei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the flying fish hadn't thoroughly researched the Golden Thread Carp clan before impersonating one, they would have been fooled by this large octopus today.
At this point, Zhang Luo turned his gaze to Huang Feifei, who was glaring at him.
"Fellow Daoist, this Golden Thread Carp should be your attendant. Would you be willing to sell it to me?"
"I'm sorry, I'm not selling!"
Huang Feifei's reply was firm and decisive.
"Alas! Fellow Daoist, don't be so quick to refuse. Everything has a price. As long as you name it, we can discuss the matter!"
Zhang Luo put on a sincere expression and placed a jade box in front of Huang Feifei, opening it.
Inside the jade box were ten third-tier pills.
Nine of these ten pills were of medium grade, and the remaining one was of high grade.
Zhang Luo's face showed a hint of pride. In the world of East Sea demons, these ten pills were rare items that couldn't be bought even with spirit stones.
"Wow! They're medium and high-grade pills!"
At this moment, a large black toad from an adjacent seat looked on with envy.
"Fellow Daoist, do you need a toad? I'll sell you my own daughter."
The large octopus ignored the toad offering its daughter for glory and snapped the lid shut with a proud expression.
"Well? Have you considered it, Fellow Daoist?"
Unfortunately, as a cultivator of the Pill Heart Sect, Huang Feifei was unmoved by a mere ten pills.
Moreover, she often followed Xiao Fei, a genius alchemist, and had seen quite a few medium and high-grade pills.
As for Xiao Fei, he had consumed his own high-grade pills, which were undoubtedly more numerous than what the large octopus had seen.
"Not really. As I said, this fish is not for sale!"
"Very well, I wish you well!"
The large octopus uttered a slightly threatening remark and then fell silent.
In truth, he only had a slight suspicion and couldn't fully confirm the identity of the golden carp before him, so he could only let it go for now.
At this moment, the auction had begun.
Two snake demons, one green and one white, slithered onto the auction stage with alluring movements.
"Good evening, fellow Daoists!"
"I am Xiao Qing!"
"I am Xiao Bai!"
"We are the Green and White Twin Beauties!"
After the two auctioneers introduced themselves with great charm, they immediately captured the attention of the entire hall.
Even the wolf and fox, who were studying racial reproduction, stopped their research and looked towards the auction stage.
These two snake demons seemed to have cultivated some form of charm technique. Even a normal female cultivator like Huang Feifei widened her eyes and gazed at the two snake demons on stage.
Xiao Fei patted Huang Feifei's shoulder, and she quickly regained her senses.
In fact, this charm technique wasn't particularly powerful. One could break free with a little effort using their divine sense, but many people willingly succumbed to it.
"Fellow Daoists, we will now begin the auction of the first treasure of this event."
The two snake demons then produced a red fruit, no larger than a human thumb, similar in shape to a jujube, emitting an alluring fruity aroma.
"It's actually a Sacred Luo Fruit!"
Upon seeing this spirit fruit, many demons exclaimed in surprise.
The Sacred Luo Fruit was a spirit fruit that grew only in the depths of the East Sea. Its seedling required five hundred years to sprout, and after fruiting, it needed another thousand years to mature.
This fruit was a sacred healing medicine, a fourth-tier spirit medicine, capable of reviving the dead and regenerating bones.
Even with the East Sea's abundant resources, spirit medicines of this caliber were rare. As soon as bidding began, all the demonic beasts in the hall actively participated.
The bidding at the Black Flood Dragon City auction surprisingly used third-tier pills as currency.
"I bid 100 pills!"
"I bid 120 pills!"
"..."
"I bid 230 pills!"
When Huang Feifei called out 230 third-tier pills, there were very few demonic beasts still bidding.
Among the East Sea demons, third-tier and above pills were quite rare, while raw materials like spirit herbs were relatively cheap.
However, this price was still quite affordable for Xiao Fei.
"250 pills!"
This voice came from beside Xiao Fei; it was the large octopus.
It was unclear if it genuinely needed the Sacred Luo Fruit or if it was just clashing with Huang Feifei, but it competed fiercely with Xiao Fei and Huang Feifei, refusing to yield an inch.
Xiao Fei didn't pay much attention to the octopus's hostility. If the bidding were in spirit stones, he would indeed be no match for these sea demons.
But now, bidding with third-tier pills was merely an opportunity for Xiao Fei to clear inventory.
Therefore, Xiao Fei had no intention of backing down and directly transmitted a message to Huang Feifei, telling her to secure the Sacred Luo Fruit with all her might, without worrying about the cost.
With Xiao Fei's instruction, Huang Feifei directly increased the bid, without any psychological burden.
"260 pills!"
"270 pills!"
...
"380 pills!"
When the large octopus announced this price, it was gritting its teeth; this was its limit.
Huang Feifei, however, calmly placed a bid of 400 pills.
At this point, no one else in the hall dared to bid.
400 third-tier pills was a price far beyond the reach of individual cultivators, unless it was a major power.
But major powers would find it too uneconomical and wouldn't bid so high.
Xiao Fei successfully acquired the first auctioned item by using his slow-moving inventory of pills.