"It seems rather ordinary compared to regular auctions. How could Xu Daojun have specially brought us here to see something unique?" asked Liu, a woman among the dressed-up men. "Rest assured! Though auctions here are frequent—occurring every few days or weeks—there are several special items that appear consistently. While they may not be the most expensive, they are indeed hard to find in the Inner Stellar Sea." Xu Yun spoke with a touch of mystery, but upon seeing Han Li approach, he smiled warmly at him. Han Li nodded casually and then asked a question that slightly surprised Xu Yun. "Xu Daojun, how many cultivators reside in Black Stone City? It doesn't appear to have many." "Your eyes are truly sharp, Qu Brother! Besides a few inns where guests can temporarily stay, Black Stone City generally lacks permanent resident cultivators. Higher-level cultivators usually maintain their own abodes on other islands." The lower-level cultivators gathered into small villages and towns, living side by side with ordinary folk. The cultivators from Black Stone City came primarily to trade goods, and the more junior the cultivators, the more frequently they traveled. Xu Yun frankly admitted this. "Isn't it true that only cultivators at the Foundation Stage or above can survive in the outer sea? How then are there so many ordinary people and Qi Circulation Stage cultivators?" The well-dressed man remained silent for a moment, posing a question that even Han Li found puzzling. "You've hit the key point, Brother Yi. This is one of the most significant differences between Qi Yuan Island and the other beast-islands." "On the other beast-islands, high-level cultivators are specifically dispatched to hunt beasts and are usually sent via teleportation. Once they accumulate sufficient harvests, they return to the Inner Stellar Sea. However, on Qi Yuan Island, several years after the discovery of the Sea Depths, local powers discovered several stone ore deposits on nearby islands and established additional sources of raw materials needed for cultivation—enabling them to achieve self-sufficiency." Thus, some cultivators have come with their families, naturally giving rise to ordinary humans and lower-tier cultivators. I've heard that the powers governing Black Stone City are gradually shifting their primary resources from the Inner Stellar Sea to this region. In a few tens of thousands of years, this place might well become the second Inner Stellar Sea. Still, aside from Black Stone City, most human and cultivator villages on the other islands lack absolute security. Smaller villages are frequently wiped out by sudden, high-tier beast creatures. In fact, this is simply following the path our ancestors took when they first arrived in the Inner Stellar Sea." Xu Yun spoke calmly. Yet this statement left everyone stunned. "Doesn't the Star Palace or any other power pay attention to what's happening here?" the well-dressed man exhaled, asking seriously. "This place still hasn't reached the level of prosperity comparable to the Inner Stellar Sea. Moreover, the sheer size of the Inner Stellar Sea alone keeps them busy—how could they possibly find time to attend to this region?" They hoped that these powerful factions would concentrate their main strength and attention here on Qi Yuan Island. Otherwise, the Inner Stellar Sea would surely be even more chaotic now. Xu Yun sneered, clearly still annoyed by the sudden closure of the teleportation arrays by the Star Palace. The group of young officers listened carefully and nodded in agreement, exchanging glances before dropping the subject altogether. As junior cultivators, they had better keep their heads down and avoid getting involved in the intricacies among the various factions—otherwise, they might end up in trouble. After selling a few artifacts and raw materials, an older man in blue robes approached the elder overseeing the auction, holding a crimson silk box in his hands. Inside was a large, round orb, white with a purple hue, the size of a clenched fist. Xu Yun's eyes lit up at this development. "Ladies and gentlemen, please pay close attention—the next item to be presented is one of the most significant auction pieces from Qi Yuan Island: the young eggs of the mythical beasts. Among these, several are particularly rare. In the Inner Stellar Sea, these would command premium prices in terms of spiritual stones, but here on Qi Yuan Island, they are offered at much more affordable rates." Since most young eggs—except for certain special ones—cannot pass through the teleportation arrays, they typically end up as lifeless eggs once carried by humans. Therefore, whenever rare mythical beast eggs come to light, senior cultivators who are well-informed about Qi渊 Island often specially teleport to Black Stone City to bid for them. After successfully hatching the magical beasts, they spend time nurturing them until they reach a stage suitable for teleportation before returning to the Inner Stellar Sea. "Beast eggs!" The well-dressed man suddenly brightened. Cultivating a high-level mythical beast—this has long been his dream. The others also showed signs of excitement. Thus, they too would soon have the opportunity to own their own magical beasts. Finding a good one in the Inner Stellar Sea was no easy task! The young egg of the Mythical Purple Cloud Eagle—a fourth-tier earth-element mythical beast upon maturity—has steel-like feathers that are as hard as iron. Though it can only perform a simple shield spell, its flight speed is exceptionally fast, rivaling that of upper-tier flying artifacts. A pair of sharp claws could easily tear through the protective aura of a Foundation Stage cultivator. It's a rare kind of beast indeed—absolutely the top choice for Foundation Stage cultivators. Starting price: 2,000 spiritual stones, with increments of 100. Bidding begins!" The elder seemed confident in this egg, offering only a brief introduction before promptly launching the auction. Indeed, several cultivators below immediately showed interest, placing bids as soon as the elder finished speaking. While a fourth-tier beast was of little significance to Dan Stage cultivators, it was perfectly suited for the Foundation Stage ones. Higher-tier spiritual beasts, though, were not only costly but also had much longer maturation periods—even with secret techniques to accelerate growth, the Foundation Stage cultivators simply couldn't wait. "2,500 spiritual stones!" "2,700!" "3,000!" ...The egg of the Purple Cloud Eagle quickly surpassed 3,000 stones, ultimately selling for 3,300 stones, purchased with great enthusiasm by a female cultivator. "Indeed, much cheaper than the inner stellar sea. If it were in Tianxing City, such a flight beast egg would surely cost at least five thousand spiritual stones!" The middle-aged man with a serious face stared at the egg in the female cultivator's hands, murmuring softly. Everyone else, including the well-dressed man, now looked bright and eager. Xu Yun watched this scene with a calm, unimpressed smile. Then, the elder sold off an egg from a third-tier and another from a fourth-tier beast at a solid price, concluding the egg auction. "What on earth is this?" Liu夫人's face suddenly paled, and everyone else looked equally astonished. For now, standing beside the auctioneer were two young, beautiful women. Though both were only at the second or third stage of Qi cultivation, they were genuine cultivators. Yet, the way they were presented—humble and respectfully led in—indicated that these very women had just been auctioned off as the new items. Xu Yun showed no surprise at this development, but instead gestured with his eyes for the others to listen to what the elder had to say. "Below are four low-tier Qi cultivation furnace vessels. Each has only mastered the fundamental Five Elements techniques and is a perfect, unblemished body. However, according to their request, the cultivators bidding for them must possess at least Mid-Base Stage cultivation. The starting price is two thousand灵stones per person. The auction begins now..." But if the furnace pedestal is at the Foundation Stage, I'd be willing to spend even more spirit stones." "You're dreaming. You think you're a Condensation Stage cultivator? Don't forget the rules here—Foundation Stage furnace pedestals are simply out of our reach. Even if we're allowed to take one, the price would be so high that it'd be more economical to simply buy a high-quality spirit beast egg." ...Hearing this exchange, although still amazed, the astonishment on Han Li's face gradually faded. He had heard before that certain factions secretly cultivated young female cultivators specifically as furnace pedestals, and even some senior cultivators treated these young women as gifts, sending them back and forth. But no matter how true that might be, there had never been any public auction of female cultivator furnace pedestals within the Inner Stellar Sea. This very practice truly startled him. The expressions of the well-dressed men also calmed down. After all, the existence of furnace pedestals was well known throughout the cultivation world. Yet Lady Liu and another young woman, also female, still appeared somewhat uneasy. "None of you need be surprised. These women all volunteered to serve as furnace vessels for others—no one was forced to do so. Most of them possess mediocre spiritual roots, making it difficult for them to advance through ordinary cultivation methods. With no distinguished ancestors in their families to rely on, and with each of the various factions viewing them as less valuable, they are unwilling to invest in their cultivation. As a result, they have no interest in ordinary, mundane work among the mortal populations. And venturing out to hunt demonic beasts is often a death sentence. Only after achieving a modest level of cultivation do they willingly step forward to serve as furnace vessels for more advanced male cultivators. This not only brings them substantial spiritual stones to their families but also establishes a solid personal foundation. Should they win over the favor of a male cultivator and become a secondary consort or attendant, they may well open up new opportunities." Of course, there are high-level female cultivators with excellent spiritual root potential who willingly serve as others' furnace vessels due to various reasons. However, such furnace vessels are not open to lower-level male cultivators in bidding. This kind of auction event rarely occurs at this level." Xu Yun spoke slowly, as if this had long become a matter of routine.