Chapter 140: The Fairy of the Hundred Flowers Sect

Chapter 140: The Fairy of the Hundred Flowers Sect

Under cover of night, Gu Mo's pseudo-Core avatar appeared silently. It then received a complete batch of Tier 3 Solar Essence from the main body and began refining it.

Soon, a wisp of Golden Core power began to form within the pseudo-Core avatar. Gu Mo carefully guided this strand of Golden Core energy toward the pseudo-core located in the avatar's dantian.

Surprisingly, the pseudo-core didn't resist the introduction of Golden Core energy in the slightest. Since both originated from the same source, there was no conflict. After absorbing that single strand of energy, a golden streak actually appeared on the previously silver pseudo-core.

Gu Mo's eyes lit up at the sight. The pseudo-core was actually capable of absorbing Golden Core energy! If he could eventually infuse the entire pseudo-core with Golden Core power and transform its color to pure gold, wouldn't that mean the pseudo-core could evolve into a true Golden Core?

Although this was only a theory and success was uncertain, it was undoubtedly worth attempting.

Of course, now wasn't the time to try. Evolving the pseudo-core into a true Golden Core would require a tremendous amount of Solar Essence. Gu Mo's Tier 3 Solar Essence had to be prioritized for upgrading his spiritual plants.

Besides, the grand auction was about to begin, and the pseudo-Core avatar needed to attend. Now was certainly not the time to attempt a breakthrough—if a pseudo-Core cultivator suddenly emitted the aura of a Golden Core, it would draw far too much attention.

In fact, if the pseudo-core truly could evolve into a Golden Core in the future, Gu Mo planned to give the avatar a new identity altogether. He couldn't let anyone know the avatar had advanced to the Golden Core stage.

Taking with him all of Gu Mo's spirit stones, the pseudo-Core avatar departed the Lu family's spirit fields and returned to the main city of the Immortal City, quietly awaiting the opening of the grand auction.

Eventually, the much-anticipated auction arrived. On this day, the city's population reached its peak. Even Golden Core cultivators—seldom seen on ordinary days—made occasional appearances.

Each time one appeared, the Immortal City dispatched a special envoy to greet them. In contrast, pseudo-Core and external Core cultivators—despite being at a similar level—received no such courtesy.

After all, Golden Core cultivators held the potential to advance to the Nascent Soul stage, while external and pseudo-Cores were considered dead ends. Theoretically, even certain exceptionally talented peak Foundation Establishment cultivators were regarded more favorably than them.

"Buzz—!"

As the crowd made their way in an orderly fashion toward the auction hall, a powerful wave of pressure suddenly descended from the sky, causing everyone to momentarily halt in their tracks.

"A Nascent Soul True Lord has arrived!"

Someone quickly realized what was happening. The grand auction of the Immortal City always drew the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators, so no one was truly surprised. Many had come specifically to witness such figures with their own eyes.

Cultivators at this level were rarely seen under normal circumstances. It was only during the city's grand auctions that one had a chance to glimpse these elusive "dragon-like" beings.

A Nascent Soul expert releasing their aura upon arrival was a deliberate move—to avoid misunderstandings. Likewise, upon sensing the arrival of such a figure, the Immortal City would initiate a grand welcoming ceremony.

Sure enough, from within the city, another wave of Nascent Soul aura responded in kind.

"Welcome, Fellow Daoist Meng."

High above the city, a youthful-looking man cupped his hands respectfully toward an elder flying rapidly in his direction.

That young man was none other than the Lord of the Immortal City. Despite his youthful appearance, his years were long beyond measure—so long, in fact, that even the newly arrived Nascent Soul elder had not yet reached the Nascent Soul stage when the City Lord had already become one.

This newly arrived Nascent Soul expert was none other than the Nascent Soul Patriarch of the Lingxiao Sect. It was thanks to winning a Nascent Soul Condensation Pill at a past grand auction that he had successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul stage.

That fortuitous event made him a regular attendee of the Immortal City's grand auction.

Since the two were acquainted, they exchanged brief pleasantries before the elder proceeded directly into a specially prepared private chamber within the auction hall.

Though that guest had been seated, the Immortal City Lord didn't leave. Clearly, more Nascent Soul experts were expected.

Sure enough, another wave of Nascent Soul aura approached.

This one, however, felt entirely unfamiliar. In this cultivation realm, the major sects' Nascent Soul elders were generally well-known—some even had entire biographies dedicated to them.

"Welcome, Fellow Daoist of the Fenghua Sect!"

Just as the crowd began speculating who the newcomer might be, the Immortal City Lord announced the sect's name.

"Fenghua Sect?!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Mo—still within the city—felt an instinctual urge to flee. But he quickly suppressed the thought. This was the Immortal City, crowded with cultivators from all directions. Even a Nascent Soul expert would struggle to find him in such a dense crowd.

With Gu Mo's perfected aura-concealing technique, unless a Nascent Soul cultivator got up close and personally investigated him, there was little chance of being discovered. And even if the worst did happen, the most he would lose was a pseudo-Core avatar.

Moreover, the Fenghua Sect wouldn't dare act openly within the Immortal City. Gu Mo had no reason to panic. Still, if things went south, escape was always an option. It would be foolish to rely entirely on the city's protection.

The Immortal City wouldn't risk offending a major Nascent Soul sect for the sake of an unknown cultivator. At most, they'd simply expel him to avoid trouble.

As Gu Mo's mind raced through these thoughts, the Fenghua Sect's Nascent Soul elder was welcomed into the auction hall. And yet, the Immortal City Lord still remained outside—clearly awaiting more arrivals.

As expected, yet another wave of Nascent Soul aura descended.

"Hmm? Where's that fragrance coming from?"

While waiting, someone suddenly sniffed the air. At some point, a faint, elegant fragrance had drifted into the noses of everyone present.

"Welcome to the Fairy of the Hundred Flowers Sect!"

Just as people were wondering about the source of the aroma, the voice of the Immortal City Lord rang out once again, announcing the arrival of another distinguished guest. It was tradition in the Immortal City to publicly declare the names of powerful individuals attending the auction, as the higher the status of the attendees, the more prestigious the auction would become.

"The Hundred Flowers Sect is here too?"

Inside the auction hall, the Nascent Soul elder from the Fenghua Sect looked genuinely surprised. The Hundred Flowers Sect didn't belong to this cultivation realm.

The fact that they had traveled from afar to be here made it obvious—they were also here for the Moonlight Spirit Water. This put the Fenghua Sect elder in a tricky position.

While the Hundred Flowers Sect's overall strength was average among the major sects, it was a uniquely peculiar sect—composed entirely of female cultivators who cultivated through fragrance. These scents could aid cultivation, which made many male cultivators regard marrying a Hundred Flowers Sect disciple as a mark of great fortune.

The development model of the Hundred Blossoms Sect had led to an astonishingly vast network of connections—so much so that almost no one dared to offend them.

That was precisely why the presence of someone from the Hundred Blossoms Sect vying for the Moonlit Purifying Water made even a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Wind Grace Sect feel troubled. However, in the world of cultivation, encountering a rare treasure meant one would inevitably have to fight for it.

"…This fragrance…"

Gu Mo inhaled the faint, delicate scent, and felt his mind become significantly clearer. The sensation reminded him of Chu Feifei—the unique fragrance that emanated from her body had a similar effect. However, this particular aroma seemed to have only one function, whereas Chu Feifei's fragrance had multiple layered effects.

That said, in terms of range, the fragrance of this Hundred Blossoms Sect fairy was clearly more powerful. At this moment, her scent had enveloped the entire main city.

Moreover, the fact that the City Lord personally came out to greet her indicated that she was also a Nascent Soul cultivator. While other Nascent Soul cultivators used their oppressive auras to establish dominance, this fairy from the Hundred Blossoms Sect used fragrance instead. This alone put her a cut above the two previous Nascent Soul cultivators.

"This Hundred Blossoms Sect… might be a good fit for Chu Feifei," Gu Mo thought to himself. Though he had never heard of the Hundred Blossoms Sect and knew nothing about its inner workings, judging by this fairy alone, she was clearly a master of the Dao of Fragrance. If Chu Feifei could become her disciple, it would undoubtedly be a great opportunity.

But Gu Mo had no idea where Chu Feifei was at the moment. Although he had previously spotted Yuan Niya, for safety reasons, now wasn't the time to make contact.

"I'll let Senior Sister Yuan handle this," Gu Mo decided. He knew Yuan Niya was also in the main city, and she'd surely noticed the arrival of the Hundred Blossoms Sect fairy.

On another street leading to the auction house, Yuan Niya caught a whiff of the fragrance, and a sudden thought flashed through her now-clear mind: if Chu Feifei's unique scent could suppress heartfire, then perhaps this Nascent Soul cultivator from the Hundred Blossoms Sect could do the same.

If they could invite this Hundred Blossoms Sect fairy to intervene, perhaps she could dispel the heartfire that plagued her master.

But inviting a Nascent Soul cultivator to act was no easy task—Qinglu Sect no longer had that kind of standing. If their Nascent Soul ancestor were still alive, a peer-level request might have been possible. Now, though, Qinglu Sect likely couldn't even secure an audience with her.

"Elder, do you know anything about this Hundred Blossoms Sect?" Yuan Niya suddenly asked the Core Formation elder beside her.

"That's an overseas sect—I don't know much," the elder replied, shaking his head. Ever since Qinglu Sect's Nascent Soul ancestor had fallen, their influence had drastically diminished, and they no longer had the resources to keep up with foreign affairs, let alone distant overseas sects.

"Let's go buy some information, then." Yuan Niya quickly ran toward a certain building in the main city—there were naturally places here that specialized in selling intelligence.

Soon, Yuan Niya returned holding a report and began reading through the newly acquired information on the Hundred Blossoms Sect.

Her urgency stemmed from a desire to figure out exactly what kind of sect the Hundred Blossoms Sect was—whether it was a reputable one or not.

"Whew…"

A moment later, Yuan Niya let out a long breath of relief. She now believed her master could be saved—the Hundred Blossoms Sect was reportedly a sect that cultivated through fragrance, and its internal atmosphere seemed quite positive.

With that, Yuan Niya felt she could confidently recommend Chu Feifei to that Nascent Soul fairy. Given Chu Feifei's special fragrant physique, she would be an ideal candidate to practice the sect's cultivation techniques.

Just as Gu Mo had guessed, upon discovering the Nascent Soul fairy from the Hundred Blossoms Sect, Yuan Niya immediately thought of Chu Feifei.

At present, Qinglu Sect had no cultivation methods suitable for Chu Feifei, which severely limited her progress. If she could become a disciple of the Hundred Blossoms Sect, it would be immensely beneficial to her path of cultivation.

Moreover, Qinglu Sect could leverage the recommendation of a talented disciple to request assistance from the Hundred Blossoms Sect in saving Zhuo Suzhu.

It was a win-win situation.

Now the only question was: how to get close to the Nascent Soul fairy from the Hundred Blossoms Sect. Powerhouses of her level weren't exactly easy to approach.

"Elder, I'll leave the auction to you," Yuan Niya said, handing a storage pouch to the elder beside her. She planned to return and retrieve a personal belonging of Chu Feifei's—something imbued with her unique fragrance, which would surely attract the fairy's attention.

But she quickly shook her head—using an undergarment seemed rather improper. A personal accessory would be more appropriate.

As for bringing Chu Feifei directly, Yuan Niya dismissed that idea. Chu Feifei's cultivation was too low, and her fragrance was a bit too conspicuous. Although she'd learned an entry-level breath-concealing technique, it wasn't enough to fool high-level cultivators.

And right now, the city was packed with high-ranking cultivators—if Chu Feifei came here, she'd be discovered in no time, which would create major complications.

"You silly girl, don't go running around at a time like this," the Core Formation elder quickly tried to stop her.

"Don't worry, Elder. Right now, everyone's attention is on the grand auction—nothing will happen." Yuan Niya knew that if they missed this chance, her master's heartfire would become virtually impossible to cure. Even if they won a treasure at the auction that could suppress heartfire, it would only be a temporary fix—it couldn't eliminate it completely.

But if the Hundred Blossoms Sect fairy intervened, there was a strong chance the heartfire could be fully purged. And beyond that, this could be a golden opportunity for Chu Feifei.

Since Qinglu Sect could no longer support her growth, joining the Hundred Blossoms Sect would be the best possible outcome.

"…Alright then."

Seeing Yuan Niya's firm attitude, the Core Formation elder knew he couldn't dissuade her and sighed deeply.

In fact, the elder had already vaguely guessed her intent. Not many people knew of Chu Feifei's special physique, but as a Core Formation elder, he had some inkling. If Yuan Niya's plan succeeded, this could very well be a turning point for Qinglu Sect.

After the Hundred Blossoms Sect fairy arrived, several local Nascent Soul cultivators also made their appearance. This grand auction had attracted five Nascent Soul cultivators in total—the most seen in recent years.

"I wonder if this auction will set a new bidding record," some cultivators speculated upon hearing that five Nascent Soul cultivators were present.

"I doubt it. Surpassing the price of the Nascent Soul Pill is going to be tough," said some of the older cultivators, who still remembered the frenzied scene when the pill first appeared at auction years ago.

And then there was the time a spiritual artifact showed up—that, too, caused an explosive bidding war. Such a spectacle might very well unfold again today.

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