After that bid, Yan Zaizen didn't feel like bidding on anything else. He just continued to drink some wine while he watched the proceedings. Bai Lufeng had long since broken out of his stupor, his gaze had hints of shame. Having lost his mind just earlier, he felt that he was burdening Yan Zaizen and Tao. He grew up in Grux, a slave-centric country, and yet...the moment he saw someone enslaved, he flared up with unstable emotions.
This led to Yan Zaizen bidding two hundred heavenly drops for a person. The amount of wealth may exceed his eighteen generations life worth and then some. Tao didn't say anything, just watching Bai Lufeng. Deep within Bai Lufeng's eyes, there was a stable sensation of comfort. Despite his eyes of shame and guilt, his measured distance between Yan Zaizen grew even closer.
At this moment, Bai Lufeng's subconscious actions revealed his deep relief and profound gratefulness. Yan Zaizen noticed this too. He could tell that parts of Bai Lufeng's psyche had stabilized, the cracks were mending.
Sometimes, seeing someone avert an unfortunate fate you suffered helped. This was one of those cases.
Just this alone was worth two hundred heavenly drops. After all, with his strength, what were two hundred drops? Just temporary drops in the ocean of his future. The realmship was worth nearly a hundred thousand heavenly drops, so he didn't feel like he lost much. After all, it's not like he can't earn more using...particular methods.
The water-attributed heavenly shrine he placed on auction was soon presented. He wondered if he could make up his losses.
The Shangyang Auction came to an end. The heavenly shrine was sold for one hundred and fifty-three heavenly drops. This made up some of his loss, it made him feel slightly better.
After claiming the two objects he won, Bai Lufeng was placed in the Meteor Ring to refine the Seventh State Earth Pill. With his current mental state, it was probably better for him to do so sooner rather than later.
Yan Zaizen and Tao left the water planet and entered the Deluge Realm's outer space. Personally, Yan Zaizen felt unreasonably uncomfortable in the Rain Flow City with their societal standards. After Yan Zaizen gave Yu Shi his goodbye, they departed quickly. At the moment, they were lingering within the realm's frozen raindrops. On the deck of the ship was the woman with mind-boggling sized breasts.
Yan Zaizen clothed her in whatever he could find, but she was pretty much in an half-conscious state. To prevent any perversions, Yan Zaizen had Pinaka place those clothes on her body. Tao only clicked his teeth at this. However, his eyes never left her chest.
"She truly has an unreasonable set…" Yan Zaizen commented, looking at the white-haired woman laying on the deck.
"And they seem so firm and perky, should that even be possible at that size?" Tao, as a scholar, felt that his understanding of anatomical physiques was severely lacking at the moment. Yan Zaizen chuckled lightly, "There are races with six arms, wings, and even gills that aren't gills, lungs that aren't lungs, and here you are questioning if a big chest is possible."
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Tao awkwardly smiled. Attempting to change the subject, "what will we do with her?" This question caused Yan Zaizen's brows to furrow in contemplation. Obviously, Yan Zaizen wasn't the type to indulge in things she was bought for. His expression suddenly turned depressed.
He recalled that he was already fifteen hundred years old yet still a virgin. Not only that, he's condensed his Astral Soul, reached the True Essence Realm, and has a body cultivation that could rival those who harness the power of the heavens...and yet…
Rubbing his chin, Tao suggested, "You could use her to become a man, you know." After those words were spoken, his eyes traced the white-haired woman's outline once more. She had long legs, long white hair that reached her feet, soft jade-like skin, and a toned body with the right curves and thickness. Not to mention, her breasts were so full that even if Yan Zaizen used his two hands, he probably wouldn't be able to grasp one completely.
He was curious about how she looked. With her white hair, her facial features were obscured. Even in the water, all they could see were traces of her countenance and nothing more.
"I have principles, you know. Willingly or never," Yan Zaizen declared proudly with his chest puffed out. He wanted love and willingness in his man-becoming-moment. With a slave, it's nearly impossible to get one of those things, let alone both. He also wanted it to be mutually consensual. The discomfort of forcing a woman to become his would feel horrendous. It could shatter his pride as a man, perhaps even his Mortal Dao.
Tao absentmindedly nodded, obviously predicting Yan Zaizen's response. After all, he knew Yan Zaizen's standards were simply unreasonable. He may say he wanted two things, but he wanted so much more. Beauty, talent, wealth, personality, and such. If you added those in, it's unlikely he'll find someone. After all, anyone with such would have incredibly high standards as well. The chance they didn't already have someone in mind made it even more difficult.
"Urgh…mhhm," The white-haired woman softly moaned. Tao jumped, his heart racing. He stepped back towards Yan Zaizen, looking at the woman with deep curiosity and interest. He knew that Yan Zaizen didn't restrain her true-essence or vital energy, and albeit she may be weak at the moment, she could easily kill him in her current state with a slap. After all, her body was still physically strong.
Pushing her hair away, her snowy-white eyes opened to see Yan Zaizen and Tao dozens of meters away from her. She was initially confused, her mind trying to recall her circumstances, and then, as if the situation dawned on her, she shot upwards and bared her sharp canine teeth. She was about to strike when a profound sensation of weakness and emptiness erupted from both her soul and body.
Yan Zaizen was shocked. This woman's eyes weren't like a divine beast. She had pupils. Not to mention, she had white eyes, but they were a clearer and denser white than the normal whites of a person's eyes. They were like pale, white snow. He couldn't help but feel mesmerized by them.
"My...my heavenly shrine!!" The woman shrieked, holding her dantian with heavy despair. Her eyes turned towards Yan Zaizen to reveal a deep killing intent, but she knew that in her current state, killing Yan Zaizen would be impossible, let alone escaping. "Where's my heavenly shrine?!" She weakly roared, her sharp canines were bared in full.
Looking at her appearance, she truly was a beauty. She had sharp eyes and a slightly curved nose that made her look cute as a puppy. Her pearly white teeth were perfect with a pink tongue and slightly red, puffy lips. They seemed to elicit a desire to kiss them deeply.
"Haaaa…" Yan Zaizen sighed. If he wasn't such a gentleman, wouldn't this woman be his?
"You were captured by someone else. I bought you for two hundred heavenly drops at the Shangyang Auction. I have no idea where your heavenly shrine is, nor do I have any intention to harm you. I don't even intend to keep you as a servant. In fact, you can go." Yan Zaizen pointed towards the side of the realmship at the end. His explanation was rapid-fire and filled with helplessness at the situation.
The white-haired woman's eyes flickered, clearly trying to process what Yan Zaizen just said. She looked towards the side to see the outer space area of the Deluge Realm. She looked at the realmship beneath her. Turning, she saw Yan Zaizen and Tao looking at her with varying expressions. Yan Zaizen looked tired while Tao tried to keep his emotions hidden.
Understanding her situation, she checked her newly given clothes. They were incredibly tight around the chest area. After all, it was difficult to find clothes that fit her. Yan Zaizen found what he could.
Squinting her eyes, she took a deep breath, sat down, closed her eyes, and started meditating. She wanted to figure out her current bodily condition. Only after a few minutes, did she open her eyes with profound sadness. Her heavenly shrine was taken and her soul was damaged as a result. To heal this, she'll likely be wasting an extraordinary amount of time, not to mention, with the extraction, her current remaining lifeforce was severed by twenty percent permanently. Even if she somehow regained her shrine, this lifeforce will not return.
Originally, Lang Xue was a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator with a Perfect Aurora Soul and first-floor Heavenly Genesis rivaling body cultivation. Now, her body's vital energy was severely weakened and her heavenly cultivation was stolen. If she could recover, she'd only have the strength of a late-True Essence Realm in both body and qi cultivation.
"We have to go, so, can you leave?" Yan Zaizen was getting impatient. If it wasn't for the fact she was a beauty, he would've already thrown her overboard. Her fate would then be her own. If she gets captured again, what was it to him? It's not like he would treat her like a slave or give her to Tao. After all, his purpose was to free her for Bai Lufeng, not protect her for life or even for a minute.
Lang Xue's brows furrowed in agitation. She was a beauty and in a weak situation, but this man, regardless of how handsome he was, wanted to do away with her at the earliest second. She felt deep grievance. Also, she didn't understand why Yan Zaizen saved her just to let her go so carelessly. What was the point in spending two hundred heavenly drops?!
"My name's Lang Xue." Introducing herself, she brushed aside strands of her white hair, "you saved me, so I owe you. I'll repay your heavenly drops and give you other things if you can help me and bring me back home." Her words were filled with an alluring tone that could elicit a man's inner fire.
"..." Yan Zaizen was silent.
"!!!" Tao's inner fire blazed.
"What do you say?" Her smile was filled with confidence despite her weakness. If someone saw her, they would feel all sorts of emotions.
"No." Yan Zaizen waved his hand with furrowed brows, a burst of true-essence surged outwards and sent her overboard before she could even speak. "Let's go." He turned away, heading to the helm.
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[Author's Note]: [Update]: Two chapter releases will restart on Friday next week[July.20th]. It'll be a ten chapter release for next week with one for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Then, the eight bonus chapters from earlier this month will be released on Monday[July.23rd] in a Mass Release, and sixteen standard restarts after.
Any further changes will be announced at the end of Volume 3. Thank you all for so much patience and support! I am truly touched, grateful, and feel empowered by all of your words!