I've already become a god, and you're telling me about the ancient demon invasion?

"The Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit." Master Ziyang's voice rang out at the right moment, carrying an undeniable certainty. "This fruit originates from the Lingmiao Garden and matures only after being nourished by the innate fire spirit for ten thousand years. Its effects are surely already known to those of you fellow Daoists present who are proficient in fire-based Daoist arts or have broad knowledge."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the cultivators whose auras were noticeably more intense, and continued, "This fruit contains the purest and most refined innate fire elemental power and boundless vitality. For fellow cultivators practicing fire-attribute techniques, consuming and refining it can be equivalent to decades of arduous cultivation, saving a great deal of time and effort. More importantly, its barrier-breaking effect is quite effective in breaking through minor realm bottlenecks within the Nascent Soul stage."

The name "Lingmiao Garden," the title "Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit," and the efficacy personally described by Master Ziyang already make the value of this item self-evident. Especially for those fire-attribute Nascent Soul cultivators who are stuck in a bottleneck and eager to break through, as well as some alchemy masters who need such rare treasures to refine heaven-defying pills, the attraction of this item is fatal.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere noticeably intensified. Several Nascent Soul cultivators practicing fire-attribute techniques had sharpened their gazes considerably. The elder from Fire Dragon Island in the Five Dragon Sea even began to breathe heavily. Even several powerful demons, such as the demon cultivator radiating a scorching aura, revealed a determined gleam in their eyes.

Master Ziyang was very satisfied with the reaction from the audience. Without further ado, he announced loudly, "One ten-thousand-year-old Vermilion Fruit, starting price—one hundred and fifty high-grade spirit stones! Each bid must be at least ten high-grade spirit stones! Now, begin!"

Upon hearing the words "Lingmiao Garden," Wang Tianlong immediately understood. He naturally knew this place; it was an extremely famous, naturally formed, top-tier spiritual herb secret realm in the human realm. It was said that the spiritual energy within it had its own cycle, and the unique environment was extremely suitable for the growth of spiritual herbs, with their lifespan often measured in thousands or even tens of thousands of years. This garden was jointly managed by several top forces in the human realm (including the Kunwu Alliance, the Great Jin Royal Family, and the Ten Thousand Demon Valley of the Demon Clan, etc.), and was usually heavily guarded. Furthermore, there were cultivators from Medicine King Mountain who specialized in this art and resided there to carefully tend to it. The vast majority of the spiritual herbs produced in the garden were consumed internally by these top forces, with only a very small amount occasionally leaking out; each one was a rare and precious treasure.

This "Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit" possesses immense medicinal power and is indeed a treasure for fire-attribute cultivators. However, Wang Tianlong primarily cultivates wind-attribute techniques, and while this item has a nourishing effect on him, it is far from sufficient to help him break through the crucial bottleneck of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm. After a brief consideration, he completely abandoned his bidding intentions and decided to remain an observer.

Beside him, Master Qingmu's breathing quickened slightly. His old friend, renowned for his alchemy, had an uncontrollable longing in his eyes. To Master Qingmu, this ten-thousand-year-old Vermilion Fruit was not only a precious medicine for enhancing cultivation, but also the core ingredient for refining a legendary "Crimson Sun Barrier-Breaking Pill" that could help Nascent Soul cultivators break through minor bottlenecks! Its value far exceeded what spirit stones could simply measure.

The bidding process became fierce from the very beginning.

"One hundred and sixty!" A hoarse voice rang out first, coming from a figure shrouded in a red cloak in the corner of the hall, whose aura was obscure and scorching.

"One hundred and eighty!" Someone immediately raised the price; it was an old man with red hair from the Tian Sha Continent, radiating desert-like heat.

"Two hundred!" Aoki Shonin finally couldn't help but announce his price, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

"Two hundred and thirty!" A domineering voice rang out, overshadowing the previous bidders. Everyone looked towards the figure, which was none other than the Crimson Fire Immortal, the island lord of Fire Dragon Island in the Five Dragon Sea. His hair and beard were entirely red, and his complexion was ruddy, but upon closer inspection, one could discern a deep weariness and vicissitude hidden in the depths of his eyes—the unique marks of a cultivator nearing the end of their lifespan and with no hope of achieving the Great Dao. He had come this time carrying almost all of his life's savings, with a clear objective.

"Two hundred and fifty!" Another chilling voice followed, carrying the distinctive stench of demon cultivators. The speaker was the Fire Python King from the demon cultivator camp. His true form was a Crimson Flame Python that had cultivated for thousands of years, and his desire for such fire-type sacred fruits stemmed from the depths of his bloodline.

Driven by several key competitors, the price quickly broke through the 300 high-grade spirit stones mark. At this price point, some Nascent Soul cultivators with slightly less financial resources or who did not specialize in fire-based cultivation began to shake their heads and withdraw. The competition mainly focused on Crimson Fire True Man, Fire Python King, and two or three other determined contenders.

When the price climbed to "three hundred and twenty," a struggle and helplessness flashed across Master Qingmu's face, ultimately turning into a barely audible sigh as he slumped back in his chair, choosing to give up. Three hundred and twenty high-grade spirit stones were already a burden that a mid-sized force like "Hundred Herbs Valley" could hardly bear. He couldn't exhaust the sect's resources for his own alchemy pursuits. The identity of a Grandmaster Alchemist seemed so powerless in the face of absolute wealth.

After that, the battlefield completely turned into a two-man show between the Crimson Fire Immortal and the Fire Python King.

"Three hundred and fifty!" Crimson Fire Immortal's beard and hair stood on end, his voice booming, but his breathing was already somewhat unsteady.

"Three hundred and eighty!" The Fire Python King stood firm, his vertical pupils flashing with cold light. His immense demonic power permeated the hall, making the air scorching and viscous.

"Four hundred!" True Man Crimson Fire practically roared, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at the Vermilion Fruit on the stage. This was the limit of his acceptable price.

The Fire Python King let out a sneer, his voice hoarse and grating: "Four hundred spirit stones! Hmph! Old ghost Crimson Fire, I think you've gone senile! Your lifespan is coming to an end, your time is up, are you buying this Vermilion Fruit to take into your coffin and turn to ashes with you? Why waste such a spiritual object!" These words were extremely vicious, directly hitting Crimson Fire True Man's sore spot, intending to disturb his mind.

Upon hearing this, True Immortal Crimson Fire did not fly into a rage. Instead, he abruptly turned his head, his gaze like two tangible flames shooting towards the Fire Python King, and shouted sternly, "You shameless worm! Shut your stinking mouth! Even if I were to buy you and throw you into the Five Dragon Sea to feed the fish, I would never let you, this scaly and horned beast, touch a single drop of it! What use am I to you!"

His heart was filled with grief and indignation, yet he was sustained by an unwavering belief. He was not fighting for this item to prolong his own life (the Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit had no miraculous effect on extending lifespan), but for his personal disciple who had just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and was regarded as the future hope of the sect! He wanted to pave the way for his disciple before he passed away, so that the lineage of Fire Dragon Island would not be cut off! This profound gratitude to his master and sense of responsibility to the sect made him burst forth with astonishing determination.

"Four hundred and twenty!"

"Four hundred and fifty!"

"Four hundred and eighty!"

"five hundred!"

The price skyrocketed amidst the tense standoff between the two, with each bid drawing the attention of everyone present. This far exceeded the usual value of a ten-thousand-year-old elixir; it was more like a contest of pride and conviction.

When True Immortal Crimson Fire trembled as he announced the breathtakingly high price of "five hundred and thirty high-grade spirit stones," the entire hall fell silent. All eyes were fixed on the Fire Python King. The Fire Python King's face was ashen, and his demonic energy surged violently, clearly at its limit. He stared intently at True Immortal Crimson Fire, then glanced at the tempting vermilion fruit on the platform, finally letting out a cold snort through gritted teeth, and sat down heavily, remaining silent. Though unwilling, he needed to conserve his strength for any treasures more suitable for the demon race's bloodline that might appear later.

"Five hundred and thirty high-grade spirit stones! For the first time!"

"Five hundred and thirty high-grade spirit stones! For the second time!"

"Five hundred and thirty high-grade spirit stones... Third time! Sold!"

Master Ziyang brought down the jade mallet with a heavy thud, the crisp sound echoing throughout the hall.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Chi Huo, your wish has come true!" True Person Zi Yang nodded slightly to True Person Chi Huo.