It wasn't like there was no way to increase the age of this rare five-thousand-year-old Infernal Delicate Apricot. Bringing it to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well would certainly help. Of course, he could also just kill the soul beast guarding the ten-thousand-year Infernal Delicate Apricot and seize the herb for Meng Hongchen to consume. But leaving it alive to continue growing and generating additional value was far better than ending its potential all at once. The Infernal Delicate Apricot could continuously produce highly valuable Blazing Jelly, after all.
Meng Hongchen looked at Huo Yuhao, her gaze tinged with a trace of emotion. Though spending ten billion gold soul coins here didn't mean much to him, the fact that he had immediately bid without hesitation the moment he saw an herb crucial to her made her heart feel warm.
Now that the five-thousand-year Infernal Delicate Apricot had found its new owner, the auction—which had already lasted five hours—entered its intermission. Many guests stood up to stretch or excuse themselves.
Of course, this intermission was a chance to relax for some—but for others, or rather, one person in particular, it was a moment of dread.
The noblewoman from the north who had earlier offended Huo Yuhao during the bidding for the Ice Jade Scorpion Tail Bone was now deeply uneasy in her booth. Although the man with the Grand Worship Token had not taken any action so far, that very silence was what frightened her most.
Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. Clenching her fists and suppressing her anxiety, she rose, stepped into the hallway, and walked toward Huo Yuhao's room. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, then knocked on the door.
"Come in."
With Huo Yuhao's extraordinary spiritual perception, he had already sensed her approach before she even knocked. As soon as her knuckles tapped the door, he smoothly spoke the words.
The woman's heart skipped a beat. 'He knew I was coming?' Her nerves tightened. With trembling hands, she gripped the handle and slowly pushed the door open.
Both Meng Hongchen and the Auspicious Beast looked toward the door with curiosity. When it opened, they saw a mature woman, elegantly dressed, with long legs and striking, icy-blue hair and eyes.
Huo Yuhao also turned to look at her, locking eyes with hers.
To be honest, when the woman saw that the booth contained what looked like two barely fourteen-year-old youths and a little girl, she was completely stunned.
'What? These kids... are the ones holding the Grand Worship Token?'
But the token couldn't be faked. And the voice that had said "Come in" was identical to the one that had bid in the auction.
She didn't dare question further. Ignoring her own status, she immediately knelt before the only male present—Huo Yuhao—lowered her head, and said,
"My lord, please forgive my offense!"
Huo Yuhao slowly turned toward her, his expression calm and imposing.
"Forgiveness? What offense are you referring to?"
The icy-blue-haired woman was briefly stunned, but quickly realized this might be a test. Flustered, she hurriedly replied,
"When I was unable to outbid you, I resorted to some dishonorable means, disrupting what should have been your uncontested win for that auction item…"
Truthfully, the image of a mature woman kneeling before a teenage boy while calling herself "this humble girl" was quite the spectacle. Meng Hongchen and the Auspicious Beast, both watching on the side, felt awkward witnessing it.
Huo Yuhao, however, kept a serious demeanor—almost like he was roleplaying.
"Your name?"
The woman raised her head, only to meet Huo Yuhao's golden, dignified gaze. Unable to bear its intensity, she quickly looked away.
"This humble girl's name is Shuang Lingjun, a minor countess from the north."
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly.
'Shuang Lingjun, huh? She must be from the famous Shuang family of the northern Sun Moon Empire. No wonder she could afford to bid three hundred million.'
Before coming north, Huo Yuhao had looked into the major powers in the region. Most of the great families in the northern Sun Moon Empire had inherited spirit abilities, typically ice-based. For instance, the Duke Leng family wielded the Frostmoon Spirit.
As for the Shuang family's inherited spirit, it was the Extreme North Ice Fox—a powerful ice-type beast martial soul. Shuang Lingjun's enchanting, fox-like appearance matched that legacy.
"Heh, don't let this happen again. I'm not so petty as to hold a grudge over something that merely dampened my mood."
Under the oppressive presence Huo Yuhao now projected, Shuang Lingjun didn't even dare to breathe too heavily. When she heard those words of forgiveness, she finally let out a long breath and gratefully said,
"My lord is truly magnanimous. This humble girl is deeply grateful!"
"If there's nothing else, you may leave now."
"Thank you, my lord."
Shuang Lingjun stood, respectfully bowed to him once more, and turned to leave without saying another word.
As Huo Yuhao watched her retreating figure, his gaze lingered on her icy-blue hair. He could clearly feel the potent ice-elemental aura from her.
'The Extreme North Ice Fox… that's no ordinary beast martial soul. Her bloodline must be exceptionally pure.'
"Wait."
Startled by his voice, Shuang Lingjun froze in her tracks and stiffly turned around, her voice trembling.
"Is there something else, my lord?"
Huo Yuhao cleared his throat. He wasn't expecting much, but still decided to ask on the off chance she might know.
"Do you know of any method to purify the bloodline of beast martial souls from the Extreme North?"
Shuang Lingjun sighed in relief. 'So it's not something serious.' But then she blinked. 'Wait, is he asking for help with something? If I can assist him, I might earn a favor from someone this powerful!'
She wasn't about to miss such a golden opportunity.
After thinking for a moment, she said,
"To enhance bloodline purity? My lord, I don't know how it works for other beast martial souls from the Extreme North. But our Shuang family has a special alchemical method that produces a pill called the Jade Ice Pill. It greatly purifies the bloodline of those with the Extreme North Ice Fox martial soul."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to find a lead here for purifying Meng Hongchen's Zhuqing Ice Toad martial soul bloodline.
(End of Chapter)
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