Translation: Aerial Rain Translation (aerialrain.com) by koffeam

Meng Qi felt the other party’s cold eyes swept across her face.

“Ha-” The man seemed to chuckle lightly. His laughter was the same as his gaze: proud and cold. Like the white snow on a tall mountain, it was devoid of warmth and looking down on the world.

Without waiting for her reaction, the white-robed man quickly turned away. In one step, he walked into the courtyard, which still was some distance away. The next moment, his whole figure disappeared from Meng Qi’s eyes.

“Xiao Qi?” Xue Jinwen waved her hand, “Why are you staring so blankly?”

Meng Qi returned to her sense. A white robe, a peerlessly handsome side face, and black hair tied by a white jade headdress. If she was right, that person was…

“Still being dazed?” Xue Jinwen chuckled, not surprised at all. “The one right now is Su Junmo. When female cultivators see him for the first time, many also had the same reaction as you now.”

“Su Junmo?” Meng Qi walked towards Xue Jinwen, repeating the name softly. She wasn’t being dazed by the man’s handsome face but was surprised to see him in Beyond The Heaven.

“He is also famous in Beyond The Heaven,” Xue Jinwen told Meng Qi while they stepped into the courtyard. The main gate didn’t look different than Xue Jinwen’s own courtyard. But after taking a step in, Meng Qi finally knew what a real ‘difference between heaven and earth’ was.

As soon as they entered the gate, they arrived inside a small room. The room only had walls on the three sides, with a lattice screen covered the front side. Through the screen gaps, they could see a high platform in the middle of open space. The platform should be carved of a gigantic blue stone, surrounded by green mountain scenery. On the mountain wall, Meng Qi faintly saw many similar rooms. However, she couldn’t see whether those rooms were occupied or not.

Looking up above, she could only see a white mist and cloud. Xue Jinwen guessed her thoughts and said, “Upper section are the rooms for invited guests with special identities.”

“I see.” Meng Qi nodded.

“Profound auction house has a total of 999 rooms of different sizes on the surrounding mountain walls.” Xue Jinwen sat down on one of the chairs: “Rooms like ours are the smallest, and also at the lowest position. Going higher, the rooms gradually become larger. At the mountain top, there are complete courtyards.”

Xue Jinwen continued: “After the auction starts, you can directly make your bid through your nameplate. The staff in charge will constantly update the latest and highest bids. After the auction ended, no one knows who bought what items, except for the staff who handle the entire process. Of course…” She raised her lips and smiled vaguely, twisting her hair with one finger. “Some people are willing to shout their price directly. Cultivators who can enter this place, generally aren’t nameless nobody in Three Thousand World. So, it is easy to identify them.”

Meng Qi nodded, half-confused. She was incredibly talented in medical skill, but quite ignorant in other things. She could faintly sense that Xue Jinwen’s explanation just now wasn’t simply to let her know the auction rules. However, Meng Qi couldn’t figure out where the problem was.

“Sit.” Xue Jinwen said. The woman lifted the teapot on the table and pouring a cup of tea for Meng Qi. With the tea fragrance filling the room, Xue Jinwen also looked up to the mountain wall blocked by cloud and mist. “After the auction starts, you will understand what I mean,” she said.

“Ah, right.” Xue Jinwen turned at Meng Qi. “Your Beiming pill is the first lot.”

“Um.” Meng Qi nodded. Xue Jinwen had already told her this. Several minutes before the auction time began, Meng Qi turned her eyes to the lattice screen. She could not even hear the movement from the room next door, let alone comprehend how many people were currently waiting in this huge auction house.

Also, that Su Junmo just now…

Meng Qi’s eyelids drooped slightly, her long eyelashes blocked the light into her eyes. She knew that man. In the past, Lu Qingran had a mysterious but powerful suitor. That man was very handsome, with peerless talent, and naturally very powerful. He was also extremely generous. At that time, Lu Qingran was already a third-rank medical cultivator. Many of the ingredients she needed for refining medicine were provided by that man. His each and every action was full of confidence and unrestraint, different from other men Lu Qingran knew.

At that time, who was the closest to her…

Meng Qi wandered her mind. Lu Qingran had too many suitors and admirers. Although Meng Qi remembered that at that time, this senior sister also had another male cultivator next to her, they were being so close like glue, Meng Qi couldn’t recall who that man was. But anyway, once this mysterious suitor appeared, Lu Qingran could not resist his powerful offensive. One night, when Meng Qi went out to gather herbs, she saw Lu Qingran and the other party dating under the moonlight. It was romantic and sweet.

That mysterious and powerful suitor was Su Junmo. Later, by chance, Meng Qi found out that he was a demon cultivator. Moreover, his identity was one of demon noble among the celestial demon. His demonic form was a beautiful white fox with five tails. Even when he was seriously injured and could only lay on the ground with blood staining his soft white fur, it did not seem to damage the fox’s beauty even the slightest.

Um…Meng Qi turned her head slightly, her mind still wandering. However, Su Junmo’s fluffiness was still not as good as Xiao Qi’s. Moreover, an adult white fox, such a big five-tailed fox, was obviously less cute than little Xiao Qi. Although the fox was still beautiful, his cuteness was practically non-existent.

“Xiao Qi?”

“Ah?” Meng Qi returned to reality. She remembered that the timing of Su Junmo’s appearance should be two or three years later. At that time, Meng Qi had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and her medical cultivation was at the edge of the third rank’s peak.

Meng Qi narrowed her eyes. She didn’t expect to see Su Junmo much earlier inside Beyond The Heaven.

“The auction is about to start.” Xue Jinwen reminded her.

“Okay.” Meng Qi nodded. She calmed her mind and stopped thinking about Su Junmo.

At the same time, at the peak of the tall mountain surrounding the Profound auction house. A large courtyard occupied a large area of the mountain wall surrounded by clouds and mist. This place was at the highest part of the auction house and hosted two courtyards in total.

This courtyard was totally different from the small room occupied by Meng Qi and Xue Jinwen. It was vast and even had a flower garden. There was also an elegant pond inside the garden, and from time to time, brightly colored koi fish leaped out of the water. Many exotic flowers and plants were planted in there, filling the courtyard with a faint fragrance. It was so refreshing and comfortable.

Outside the door, Su Junmo was standing respectfully. His posture was full of reverent. The coldness and pride that Meng Qi saw just now had disappeared from his handsome face.

“Lord,” Su Junmo called. His clear voice was somewhat trembling, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Since your disappearance, we are all looking for you. The clans are now resuming their fight. After nine years, it is going to be the election for the next Demon Monarch. Many idiots thought they had the chance to take advantage of your disappearance and started gathering forces, eager to move…”

“I know.” A man’s lazy and indifferent voice suddenly interrupted Su Junmo’s words, “Let them fight.”

A sound of footsteps came from the room, and not long after, a man in a white robe slowly walked out. Su Junmo didn’t dare to raise his head. He kept his gaze on the floor and respectfully standing beside the man. Su Junmo had followed the Lord for a long time and was able to discern some of his habits. He knew that when the Lord looked lazier and indifferent, he was actually angry.

“About the clan…”

“The auction is about to start.” The white robe man raised his hand and stopped Su Junmo’s words.

“Yes.” Su Junmo felt a little strange, but still closed his mouth obediently. Profound auction house held three auctions per month. Although it sometimes still had rare and precious treasures, it wasn’t that many. Su Junmo couldn’t comprehend why his Lord graced his presence here. After Su Junmo received the summon, he hurriedly came over. Otherwise, this Profound Auction House was really not worth his time.

“I don’t know which lot is taking your interest, my Lord?” Su Junmo asked respectfully. His mind quickly flashed through the list of auctioned items. However, nothing seemed to be special. Perhaps the most prominent was the first lot, which was said to be the second realm Beiming pill. Su Junmo was a little surprised when he saw today’s auction list. Not to mention the Profound Auction House, for a long time, Beyond The Heaven hadn’t handled such a low-level medicine.

The white-robed man didn’t answer, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes. He raised his eyebrows subtly. Su Junmo’s question seemed to remind him of something, and a faint smile flashed through his star-like eyes. The lazy expression on his face disappeared, and the corners of his lips rose slightly.

In terms of appearance, Su Junmo could be regarded to be very handsome, even more than Fentian Palace’s young master. But in front of this white-robed man, he still looked bland in comparison. What’s more, the other party was still…

The white-robed man waved his sleeves, and the clouds slowly disappeared. On the high platform made from bluestone, a middle-aged cultivator was already standing in the center.

The auction was about to begin, and Meng Qi’s attention also focused on the middle-aged cultivator on the stage. She looked relaxed, as if she didn’t feel nervous at all. Instead, Xue Jinwen glanced at the man in charge of the auction before turning to Meng Qi.

“Xiao Qi.” She called the name Meng Qi used for her nameplate. “Are you not nervous?”

“Fortunately.” Meng Qi shook her head before looked up again. Since some time ago, she had a strange feeling. According to Xue Jinwen, cultivators who participated in the auction should not be able to see people in other rooms. But she always felt as if someone was looking at her. And that gaze came from above, as if that person was secretly examining her with some interest.

Was it just her imagination? Meng Qi slowly withdrew her gaze.

“Sister Xue.” Meng Qi turned around and asked Xue Jinwen, “Is that Fellow Daoist Su Junmo also here?”

“Yes.” Xue Jin Wen nodded, “Su Junmo is very famous in Beyond The Heaven.” She said: “Don’t look at his youthful appearance. That man is already at the first realm of Spirit Severing Stage.”

Meng Qi nodded. She glanced at Xue Jinwen, feeling a bit strange. It was not surprising for her to know that Su Junmo was at the Spirit Severing stage. Meng Qi even saw the man’s five tails.

However… Did Xue Jinwen has no idea Su Junmo is a white fox, a demon cultivator?

“He once had a banquet in Beyond The Heaven Restaurant. The aroma from the banquet can be smelled all over the Beyond The Heaven City. All people here have a keen spiritual sense. However, no one could guess what kind of precious ingredients are being used in the dish.” Xue Jinwen told Meng Qi. Even third Miss Xue, who came from a great sect of the Western Realm, inevitably blushed and moved her gaze when mentioning Su Junmo. But who would have thought that this extraordinarily handsome and powerful demon noble would fall under Lu Qingran’s skirt?

Heaven’s favored daughter was indeed couldn’t be underestimated.

“Some people say…” Xue Jinwen lowered her voice, “He knows the owner here.”

“Oh?” Meng Qi raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“But these are all rumors, and no one knows the truth.” Xue Jinwen smiled and patted her hair. “There are always many rumors about Beyond The Heaven’s owner, and we all already used to it.”

Right after Xue Jinwen finished her sentence, a clear voice sounded from the stage. The middle-aged cultivator standing in the center opened his mouth to shout: “The auction begins.”