Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

"In all my years, this is the first time I’ve ever seen something like this happen right before my eyes. It’s truly been an eye-opener."

"Yeah, I’ve only ever heard of two great clans going to war over a beautiful woman. But now, it’s actually the other way around."

"They say that in the distant Great Xuan Dynasty, after every imperial examination, wealthy and noble houses rush to snatch up promising scholars as sons-in-law. But I never imagined it would happen here too!"

"That spineless fool! He’s a disgrace to the sons of the Golden Clan!"

"But for some reason, I’m so envious of Fang Yang..."

The buzz of discussion in the auction hall was like the ceaseless tide of the sea.

An event like this was simply too astonishing.

Especially since it involved the Sen, currently the most powerful clan in the Grand Army!

Cradling her Wind Snow Sparrow, Lin Tianxue’s gaze was profound:

’With the Essence of the Thunder Carp Spiritual Object, Fang Yang will surely be able to evolve into a Grade-A Carp Eagle Spirit Body and gain its transformative abilities.

From now on, among his peers in the Changkong clan, Fang Yang will be truly invincible.’

It wasn’t that Lin Tianxue was overlooking Sen Wei.

Rather, an existence like Sen Wei was destined to be compared not with her peers, but with long-established elders, or even with the legendary Great Saints.

Sen Wei was, for all intents and purposes, a young Great Saint!

And no matter how brilliant Fang Yang was, he merely had the potential to become a Great Saint; he was no match for her.

"I had heard before how formidable Fang Yang’s Celestial Eagle Cross Spear killing move was."

Dongfang Moran lowered his gaze in contemplation. "After he refines the Essence of the Thunder Carp Spiritual Object, I wonder how high his combat power can rise. Tier Three Elementary? Or Tier Three Middle?"

"Luck with the ladies is still luck. It seems this kid is blessed with great fortune..." Ji Juyun mused thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, in Private Room A-2 on the third floor.

The atmosphere where the Qing clan’s contingent was located was somber.

At that moment, Qingfei felt as if she had been soundly slapped across the face.

All their efforts over the past several days now seemed like a joke, effortlessly crushed by the Sen clan.

"It doesn’t feel good to be used as a pawn, but it’s not your fault. Just focus on your cultivation," Qingkong said, comforting Qingfei with a gentle smile as he stroked her head.

If Qingkong wasn’t mistaken, their group was just part of the performance.

The goal of this little play was to allow Sen Hui to safely gift the Essence of the Thunder Carp Spiritual Object and make Fang Yang feel indebted, drawing him into their fold.

The method was a bit childish, but it already revealed a profound level of scheming.

’This doesn’t seem like Sen Yue’s handiwork, and Sen Hui would never have thought of it. Then... it must have been Sen Wei,’ a realization dawned on Qingkong.

「Meanwhile.」

In the adjacent Private Room A-3.

Chen Ying slumped weakly into her chair, looking utterly defeated.

She understood that she had lost to Sen Hui yet again.

The outcome left a bitter taste in her mouth. If not for her intense pride, she would have stormed out long ago.

"Let’s go. There’s nothing left worth seeing in this auction," Chen Kui sighed, leading his younger sister, Chen Ying, away.

Before she left, Chen Ying cast one last long look toward Fang Yang’s private room.

A defiant flame still burned in her eyes.

The Chen clan’s contingent wasn’t the only one to leave the auction; the Zhang clan’s group departed at the same moment.

Humiliating!

Utterly humiliating!

In the past, their Zhang clan had almost always held the upper hand over the Fang clan in every respect.

But now, ever since Fang Yang had burst onto the scene, everything was the complete opposite!

’What a lucky bastard. But I don’t believe your luck will last a lifetime.’

Zhang Le, Zhang Qi, and the others were consumed by envy, jealousy, and hatred over the treatment Fang Yang received.

Their feeling of humiliation intensified, especially when they recalled how Zhang Ye had been targeted by the Lin clan and forced to give up on the Thunder Sparrow Essence Spiritual Object.

Even Zhang Ye himself had begun to harbor a deep resentment for Fang Yang.

Perhaps the road ahead would be very difficult for Fang Yang.

But his own path was already fraught with difficulty. How could he even think about the future?

"Fang Yang... oh, Fang Yang..." Zhang Ye muttered to himself.

For a fleeting moment, he actually wanted to run from his competition with Fang Yang, to willingly admit his inferiority.

Fortunately, in the next instant, he took a deep breath and quickly suppressed this thought that was powerful enough to shake his Dao Heart.

...

The auction continued, and one by one, Sacred Objects like the Reverse Scale of a Flood Dragon appeared, drawing gasps of amazement from everyone inside and outside the hall.

But amidst it all, the fact that Fang Yang had obtained the Essence of the Thunder Carp Spiritual Object without spending a single copper coin was even more stunning.

During this auction, Fang Yang’s already considerable fame spread even further, becoming a shocking topic of conversation for everyone.

The tale of two "favored daughters of heaven," Sen Hui and Chen Ying, clashing with each other just to win his favor was simply too fantastical to be believed.

The story spread not only through the front-line army, but also throughout the clan grounds of the Changkong.

「The Changkong Clan.」

「Fanliu Blessed Land.」

A light drizzle fell from the sky, tapping against the lake’s surface and sending out small ripples.

The fish in the water all swarmed around the small pavilion in the middle of the lake, fighting over the handfuls of medicinal bait and spirit seeds being scattered by the person within.

"Sister, thank you for your help. If you hadn’t stepped in, that Chen Ying would probably still be pestering Ah Yang," Sen Hui said, standing up to pick up the purple clay teapot and pour some tea for Sen Wei.

"As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters," Sen Wei said with a smile, taking another handful of medicinal bait and spirit seeds and casually tossing them into the lake.

The fish in the lake scrambled for them even more fiercely.

Seeing this, a sense of satisfaction washed over Sen Wei.

’Cyan Aura, Chen Ying, Fang Yang... they are all just fish in my lake, forced to scramble for the bait I deign to offer!’

"Hee hee, of course I’m happy! Fang Yang sent me three letters to thank me!" Sen Hui’s eyes curved into smiling crescents.

At this moment, her heart felt as sweet as honey.

She had even eaten two extra-large bowls of rice!

Sen Wei simply looked on at her younger sister with a doting expression.

’Honestly, if my sister didn’t like Fang Yang, I would have already thought about playing with him like a toy, just to amuse myself.

That’s why I know Fang Yang’s character perfectly. He’s a Flying Eagle—fickle and difficult to tame. I must be prepared for a long tug-of-war.

And that Chen Ying, with her proud and fiery temperament, would absolutely not give up and accept defeat so easily.

But no matter what, I will be the perfect strategist for my dear sister Sen Hui.

After this incident, the overall situation is basically set.’

...

「Night.」

Brilliant silver moonlight shone upon Fang Yang’s face.

He stood on the deck, hands clasped behind his back, head raised to gaze at the night sky.

He was lost in thought.

He was a very rational person and was well aware of his own limitations.

So when the conflict between Sen Hui and Chen Ying occurred, he didn’t become conceited and think himself peerless.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that a great hand was pushing this whole affair from behind the scenes.

And nine times out of ten, that hand belonged to the Sen clan.

’But what’s the purpose of doing all this?’

’What could I possibly have that’s worth them scheming for?’

’It can’t really be because they want me and Sen Hui to get together, can it?’

A series of questions surfaced in Fang Yang’s mind.

Ever suspicious, he was reluctant to believe that anyone would be genuinely kind to him with no ulterior motives.

But in the end, his gaze turned inward to the ball of light representing his [Fortune Seeking and Disaster Aversion] talent, which floated in his mind.

In that instant, a sense of confidence was born in his heart.

He took a deep breath, turned on his heel, and returned to his cabin inside the Flying Boat.

He was going to refine the Essence of the Thunder Carp Spiritual Object and evolve his Spirit Body!