The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Hou Wanshan stared at the row of stunning beauties in front of him, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

He was a man of considerable experience, having seen all kinds of beauties. Yet, each of these women before him was a stunning beauty, each with her own unique charm!

In particular, each person exudes a different aura, and any one of them is an exceptional individual.

Looking at this group of people, Hou Wanshan didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

He was happy that there was finally someone who could rival Wanling Palace; but he was worried because he always felt that the young man in front of him was unreliable, using his woman as bait, and if something went wrong, that would be terrible.

However, it seems there are no other options at the moment.

Hou Wanshan gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I'll send a message to Xuanming right away, saying that a new batch of top-quality goods has arrived at the Marquis of Beiyuan's residence, and I invite him to come and inspect the goods in person."

"Wait," Shen Yifei called out to him, "when you pass on the message, add one sentence."

"Add what?"

"Tell him that there are a few rare items in this batch of goods that come from another world, and that their bloodlines are somewhat special. Tell him to come quickly."

Hou Wanshan glanced at him and understood Shen Yifei's meaning. Xuanming was greedy for credit, and upon hearing about rare items from another world, he definitely wouldn't be able to resist.

He dared not delay and immediately went to make arrangements.

The messenger set off overnight towards the Palace of All Souls.

Shen Yifei then discussed with the others how to deal with Xuanming!

The news came back quickly.

Xuanming personally replied to the letter, saying that he would come to Beiyuan City to inspect the goods tomorrow afternoon.

When Hou Wanshan came to find Shen Yifei with the letter, Shen Yifei was squatting in the backyard, training Shi San to practice transformations with Liu Mengli.

Shen Yifei took the letter from Hou Wanshan, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Just two people? This Xuanming is quite arrogant."

"He never accompanies more than three people when inspecting goods. With his mid-stage Ascension cultivation, he certainly has the confidence to roam freely in this Spirit Ruins," Hou Wanshan said in a deep voice. "Young Master Shen, he's coming tomorrow. Surely our arrangements can't lead to any unforeseen circumstances?"

Although Hou Wanshan wanted to fight against Wanling Palace, he had been oppressed for so many years, and his fear of Wanling Palace had taken root in his heart.

Although his cultivation level was comparable to Xuanming's, his inner fear would greatly diminish his strength.

Shen Yifei knew Hou Wanshan's worries and patted him on the shoulder. "Lord Hou, don't worry, I know what I'm doing! Gather your men and guard the outer perimeter. Don't let them escape! Tomorrow, I'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

The next morning, Shen Yifei had already changed into the attire of a servant of the Marquis of Beiyuan's mansion. He and Shi San stood by the side gate of the mansion, waiting for Xuanming to arrive.

Originally, Shen Yifei did not intend to let Shi San show up, fearing that something might happen to him, but Liu Mengli insisted that he follow Shen Yifei.

They say you'll always be a coward if you never experience big events!

Shen Yifei reluctantly agreed, instructing Shi San not to say anything more and to obediently follow him.

At noon, a streak of gray-black light descended from the distant horizon and landed in front of the Marquis's mansion.

The light dissipated, revealing three people.

The leader was dressed in a long black robe, with a ferocious scorpion pattern embroidered on the hem.

Half of his face was covered by a mask, making it impossible to see his features. He had three long wisps of beard on his chin, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light that sent chills down one's spine at first glance.

Behind him were a man and a woman.

The man was tall and burly, carrying a thick-backed machete on his back, his face expressionless; the woman wore a thin veil, with a bone flute at her waist, her eyes exuding a bewitching charm.

The visitor was none other than Xuanming, the steward of the Wanling Palace.

Shen Yifei peeked through the crack in the door a few times, then dared not look any longer.

He couldn't see through Xuanming's cultivation level at all; after all, the gap between him and Xuanming was too great.

Hou Wanshan came out from the main hall with a beaming smile, "Lord Xuanming, you've come from afar, you must be tired! Please come in, the food and wine are ready!"

Xuanming glanced at Hou Wanshan indifferently. "Lord Hou, I heard you've just received a new batch of rare goods. Please take a look at them first; we can skip the food and drinks."

"You're right, sir!" Hou Wanshan nodded repeatedly, stepping aside to make way. "The goods are in the backyard, sir. Please follow me."

Xuanming didn't stand on ceremony and strode through the front hall toward the backyard.

The woman behind him paused slightly as she passed Shen Yifei, turning her head slightly to glance at him.

Shen Yifei's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface, wearing a blank expression, like a truly unsophisticated servant.

The woman glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to follow him.

Shen Yifei's heart tightened; the woman's gaze was like a boning knife, stabbing him deeply in the heart.

This woman is no pushover; her magical artifact is a bone flute, which might very well be something that attacks the divine sense.

I'll try it out with her using my big bell later and see who's stronger!

Hou Wanshan led Xuanming through the front hall and straight to the back courtyard. The courtyard was converted from the old storeroom of the Marquis of Beiyuan's mansion. It was surrounded by high walls and had only one passage for entry and exit, making it a natural fortified city.

Hou Wanshan kept rambling on about how rare this batch of goods was and how much effort it took to get them from another realm.

Xuanming simply hummed in response.

In the center of the backyard stood three rows of iron cages, each containing a dozen or so women, all with downcast eyes and thinly dressed. Several of them bore scars, clearly having suffered hardships.

On the chopping board outside the cage lay several young spirit beasts, their hooves bound, their mouths stuffed with cloth, barely alive.

Several tables were set up in front of the cage. Shen Yifei, Shi San, and two other servants followed behind, set out the tea, and then retreated to a corner of the courtyard to wait.

Xuanming stood with his hands behind his back in front of the iron cage, his gaze sweeping over the female cultivators one by one, as if he were looking at livestock.

"Hmm... Raise your head," Xuanming said to a woman.

The woman raised her head slightly, her eyes displaying both fear and shyness in a perfectly balanced way.

Needless to say, her appearance was stunning; her delicate face carried a seductive expression, and even the woman with the bone flute could see jealousy in her eyes.

Xuanming narrowed his eyes, walked halfway around the cage, and clicked his tongue twice: "Good stuff, truly good stuff. This aura is rare and clean, carrying the scent of ancient demons; it's top-grade!"

Shen Yifei, listening from the corner, couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Liu Mengli's acting was simply superb.

Her aura was perfectly concealed, and her expression was so pitiful that it was hard not to feel sorry for her.

Xuanming walked to the second cage. Hai Xue'er was squatting inside this one. Hai Xue'er was already beautiful and aloof, and with her aura concealed, she looked like a naive young cultivator.

Xuanming glanced at it and nodded: "This one is not bad either, it has the bloodline of the demon race."

The third cage contains Ink Dye.

Mo Ran is the princess of Bei Ming, with a cold and aloof temperament. Xuan Ming nodded repeatedly: "This batch of goods is indeed excellent. When the palace master opens the furnace, I will definitely put in a good word for you."

Hou Wanshan smiled obsequiously, "It's all for the Palace Master's sake, it's only right, it's only right."

Next, Xuanming looked at a few more female cultivators. These were just there to make up the numbers, and they were much worse than the previous ones.

Xuanming, finding the scene uninteresting, approached Hou Wanshan, who, seeing the opportunity, said, "My lord, there's one more exceptional item, specially reserved for you..."

Xuanming's spirits lifted. "Oh, there are even top-quality ones? I'll have to take a good look!"

Hou Wanshan shouted to Shen Yifei and his servants, "Go and push that cage out!"

Then, he said to Xuanming, "My lord, please have some tea first. Wait a moment, and this one will surely satisfy you!"