"I’ll be resting here for the next few days. Don’t you dare disturb me, or else..." With that, the Snake Emperor bit down on Shen Haoran’s arm. The intense pain made Shen Haoran gasp.

At this, Shen Haoran could only manage a wry smile. ’I’ve really landed myself in huge trouble this time,’ he thought. ’I’m carrying around a ticking time bomb, and I have no idea when this temperamental Snake Emperor might decide to kill me!’

"Lord Snake Emperor, it feels a bit awkward to just keep calling you that. Now that you have a human form, you should have a human name. You have such a cold air about you... how about I call you Xue Ling?" Shen Haoran suggested softly.

"Hmph. You humans are so meddlesome. My name is Snake Emperor, and you will only call me Snake Emperor!" the Snake Emperor said coldly from within his sleeve.

"Alright, Xue Ling!" Shen Haoran replied with a smile. In the next instant, another jolt of intense pain shot through him...

In the end, the Snake Emperor was no match for Shen Haoran’s shamelessness and could only choose to ignore it. And so, the Snake Emperor was officially renamed Xue Ling...

With that little episode concluded, Shen Haoran once again closed his eyes to cultivate. The battle for the Divine Martial Blood Pool was imminent and promised to be a bitter struggle, so he didn’t dare to slack off. And while Shen Haoran was cultivating, the world outside—Divine Martial City—was undergoing a world-shaking transformation.

...

The next morning, Shen Haoran was awakened by a commotion from outside. He slowly opened his eyes, frowning slightly, and walked to the window to look out. He wasn’t prepared for what he saw. In just a single night, Divine Martial City had become packed to the brim. The once-sparse crowds in the market had transformed into a veritable sea of people. Every teahouse, restaurant, brothel, and inn, as well as the bustling marketplace itself, was teeming with Martial Artists. Peering into the distance, he could even see tents pitched for miles around the city walls.

Stunned by the sight, Shen Haoran shut the window in bewilderment and walked out of the room.

He pushed open the door to find the hallway bustling with staff from the Celestial Martial Auction House, all scurrying back and forth with anxious looks on their faces, as if concerned about some major event. This only made Shen Haoran more confused. He quickened his pace and headed toward Luo Xiaowen’s room.

When he reached Luo Xiaowen’s room, Han Xu and Murong Wanqing were inside, discussing something. They all stopped when they saw Shen Haoran arrive.

"I was starting to think you planned to cultivate all the way until the Divine Martial Realm opens!" Luo Xiaowen said with some surprise upon seeing him.

Shen Haoran gave a wry smile and shook his head. "That was the plan, but I was woken up by all the noise outside this morning."

"How did so many Martial Artists suddenly show up in Divine Martial City overnight? And everyone at the Celestial Martial Auction House seems to be frantically busy. What’s going on?" Shen Haoran asked.

Hearing Shen Haoran’s questions, Luo Xiaowen answered without a second thought, "What else could it be? News that the Divine Martial Blood Pool is about to open got out. A treasure ground like this naturally attracts the attention of countless Martial Artists, and it has drawn them all here. Overnight, the streets and alleys of Divine Martial City have been flooded with Martial Artists who traveled from thousands of miles away. They’ve even taken over the local residents’ living quarters. Those who arrived late can only set up tents outside Divine Martial City and wait for the Divine Martial Blood Pool to open!

"And of course, the Celestial Martial Auction House has to seize this business opportunity. With so many Martial Artists gathered, we can hold an auction and make a killing. After all, it would be a real shame to let all this foot traffic go to waste!"

After hearing Luo Xiaowen’s words, Shen Haoran finally began to appreciate just how great the allure of the Divine Martial Blood Pool was to these Martial Artists. They had filled the entire Divine Martial City in a single night, and there were still six long days until the Blood Pool opened. He couldn’t begin to imagine what a grand spectacle it would be by then!

’And the Celestial Martial Auction House really lives up to its name,’ he thought. ’They never let a single opportunity to make money slip by.’ 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Say, Little Brother Haoran, why don’t you get in on this and make a little money yourself?" Luo Xiaowen said, looking at Shen Haoran as if trying to pull him into the venture.

At her words, Shen Haoran mulled it over for a moment, then nodded. ’Since the Celestial Martial Auction House is providing the platform, I should definitely make good use of it. I might not have any treasures on me, but I’m still an Alchemist. This way, I can earn some money for the things I need and also build my reputation. I might even be able to recruit a few powerful experts, which would be perfect for when I need to eradicate the Hehuan Sect. It’s a plan to kill two birds with one stone!’

"Alright, then. Help me prepare some Spirit Medicine!" After a moment’s thought, Shen Haoran took out a piece of paper, fluently wrote down dozens of medicinal herbs, and handed it to Luo Xiaowen.

Luo Xiaowen glanced at the list of Spirit Medicine and nodded. They weren’t especially rare, just the ingredients for refining an ordinary Calm Spirit Pill. When she realized what elixir Shen Haoran planned to make, she looked at him with new appreciation. She hadn’t expected him to have such a good head for business, to know exactly which elixir would be the most useful at this time.

’All those Martial Artists are surely here for the Divine Martial Blood Pool; they all want to enter the Blood Pool to cultivate. A Calm Spirit Pill allows one to quickly calm their Heart Spirit and enter a state of Cultivation, boosting the effects of training in the Blood Pool by twenty to thirty percent. And a Calm Spirit Pill is only a Fourth Grade Elixir, so the required Spirit Medicine isn’t rare. This is how you get the biggest return for the lowest cost!’

After receiving the list from Shen Haoran, Luo Xiaowen quickly went to make the arrangements. The Celestial Martial Auction House was always incredibly efficient; within a few dozen minutes, all the Spirit Medicine Shen Haoran required had been delivered.

With the Spirit Medicine in hand, Shen Haoran wasted no time. The auction was fast approaching, and he had to refine a batch of elixirs before it began.

"Find me a quiet Alchemy Room," Shen Haoran said. The last thing an alchemist needed was a disturbance, and with all the commotion outside, there was no way he could calm his mind enough to perform Alchemy in his own room.

"Alright. Come on, I’ll take you to our Celestial Martial Auction House’s private Alchemy Room. I guarantee you’ll love it!" Luo Xiaowen said with a light laugh, then led Shen Haoran down into the auction house’s lower levels.

Upon arriving at the Celestial Martial Auction House’s underground Alchemy Room, Shen Haoran was stunned by the sight before him. In front of him stood a crimson stone chamber covered in black, intricate patterns. A wave of scorching heat washed over him, mingled with a faint, clean fragrance that was instantly refreshing and seemed to banish all fatigue.

"Is this... Fire Gemstone, a Gathering Fire Array, and Concentration Incense? The Celestial Martial Auction House really lives up to its name. Such extravagance!" Shen Haoran exclaimed in awe.