"Six hundred and sixty-six Spirit Stones, are there any higher bids?"

"Six hundred and sixty-six, any higher?"

"Six hundred and sixty-six, going once more?"

He Shuixiu called out three consecutive times, yet no one raised their voice to compete.

A price of six hundred and sixty-six Spirit Stones was already somewhat inflated, though not by an absurd margin. The flying vessel's true value hovered around six hundred and fifty.

"Since no one is raising the bid, congratulations to this Fellow Daoist. The Purple Dragon Cloud Boat is yours."

The bejeweled youth smoothly secured the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat.

Throughout the venue, countless greedy gazes locked onto the ostentatious youth.

"Next, we present the second lot. This item is the Primordial Yang Herb. I need not waste breath introducing its effects—those who know, naturally understand."

"Bidding commences now. Starting price: one Spirit Stone."

The second lot was a far cry from the first in terms of grandeur.

The Primordial Yang Herb was an exceedingly rare medicinal plant, boasting the miraculous effect of restoring youthful vigor and stoking masculine yang. Even a frail octogenarian who consumed it would rise with surging virility.

Furthermore, this herb was exceptionally beneficial for cultivators practicing certain unorthodox techniques.

This spiritual plant likewise sparked a frenzy of bidding, ultimately claimed by an ashen-faced cultivator with hollow, floating vital energy.

The subsequent items placed on the auction block were all trivial trinkets of little worth.

Xu Changshou, Su Miaomiao, and Li Linhao refrained from bidding. Yang Jieyuan only struck once, purchasing a medicinal herb meant to replenish vital blood and Qi.

"Now, I ask everyone to turn their attention to the tenth lot."

"I wager that none of the esteemed guests present have laid eyes on such an item. Shall we guess its true nature?"

At this moment, a maidservant ascended the dais bearing a tray. It was draped in a red cloth woven with restrictive formations, completely shielding the contents from divine sense and prying eyes.

He Shuixiu smiled mysteriously and reached out, sweeping the red cloth aside.

Xu Changshou lifted his gaze, only to see a ragged, ancient beast hide resting on the tray, faint ripples of talismanic patterns pulsing across its surface.

"This is... a Flight Talisman!"

Xu Changshou was deeply shaken.

He never imagined that this would be a Flight Talisman, possessing the exact same fundamental resonance as the Windwalk Talisman he had inscribed upon the single-horned green wolf hide.

However, this Flight Talisman felt incredibly archaic, like an ancient relic weathered by the passing of countless eons.

He had assumed such spirit talismans were his exclusive monopoly, arts only he could draft. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect the Ten Thousand Immortals Pavilion to possess one.

"What on earth is this?"

"Is it some manifestation of a divine ability?"

"It must be an ancient cultivation method."

"How bizarre, it pulses with talismanic fluctuations."

"What exactly is it?"

Endless murmurs rolled through the gathered crowd, yet not a single person could accurately identify the artifact.

Naturally, Xu Changshou knew, but he would absolutely keep his mouth shut.

"Cough, cough!"

A sudden cough echoed from one of the elevated private booths. It was a clear signal that a Foundation Establishment Senior was about to speak. Sensing the oppressive spiritual pressure, the venue rapidly fell into a deathly silence.

"If this old man's deduction is not mistaken, this should be an ancient spirit talisman."

The instant the Senior cultivator's words fell, the hall erupted into a chaotic clamor.

"How could that be?"

"Are not all spirit talismans inscribed on Yellow Hemp Paper? How could there be a spirit talisman drawn on beast hide?"

"Indeed, it defies all logic."

"Utterly unbelievable."

"No, this is absolutely not a spirit talisman. Spirit talismans do not manifest like this."

Many began to openly doubt the Foundation Establishment Senior, seemingly refusing to accept that a mere beast hide could serve as a spirit talisman.

Xu Changshou glanced at his companions. Su Miaomiao, Li Linhao, Yang Jieyuan, and the others all wore expressions of sheer bewilderment.

It was evident that none of them had ever laid eyes upon a spirit talisman drafted on beast hide.

"Fellow Daoists, please quiet down. The Dao Brother who spoke just now is correct—this is, in fact, a spirit talisman."

He Shuixiu's confirmation immediately quelled the uproar. All eyes locked onto her with burning anticipation, waiting for an explanation.

He Shuixiu continued, "To speak the truth, before laying eyes on this beast hide for the first time, I was just as ignorant as everyone here. I did not recognize it as a spirit talisman. Yet, it truly is one, and there is a profound history behind it."

"What kind of history?"

"We are eager to hear the details."

"Senior He, please speak! What is the story?"

Everyone's curiosity had been thoroughly ignited.

He Shuixiu smiled faintly. "According to ancient immortal records, during the primordial era, there existed a terrifyingly powerful talisman-crafting lineage. Every member of this clan was an Expert in myriad esoteric spirit talismans, possessing tyrannical strength. They once utterly dominated their epoch, reigning supreme over the entire world of Cultivation.

Later, for reasons lost to time, that mighty lineage collapsed, and the orthodox Dao of talismans decayed alongside them."

Hearing this, a heavy emotion struck Xu Changshou's heart, a sudden, inexplicable sorrow stinging his nose.

During his childhood, he had experienced a bizarre dream where he witnessed a supreme expert of the Xu family named Xu Gan.

The Xu family in his dream had suffered a vicious bloodline seal, forcing their absolute decline.

It was immediately after that dream that he managed to Awaken the Bloodline Jade Talisman.

Could it be that the fallen talisman lineage He Shuixiu spoke of was the very same Xu family from his dream? The true origin of his own bloodline?

"According to the legends, the spirit talismans produced by that clan primarily utilized beast hides as their spiritual vessels. Furthermore, they commanded techniques to inscribe spirit talismans upon spirit wood, jade vessels, immortal metals, and even directly upon Magical Artifacts."

"Impossible! Senior He, this Junior vehemently refuses to believe such a claim. How could talismans be drawn upon Magical Artifacts?"

A Qi Condensation cultivator loudly refuted He Shuixiu's recounting.

He Shuixiu was not angered in the slightest. She merely chuckled, "Perhaps you are correct. Yet, that is what the ancient myths dictate. As for the truth, it has long been buried by the river of time. We cannot even say for certain if this specific spirit talisman shares any karma with that clan."

Xu Changshou rose to his feet, cupping his fists respectfully. "Senior He, do you know the surname of that ancient clan?"

He Shuixiu shook her head upon hearing his inquiry. "I do not. It is likely that too many epochs have passed. Records of their existence are nothing more than fragmented whispers scattered across rotting ancient texts."

"Many thanks, Senior He."

Xu Changshou took his seat once more, unavoidably sinking into deep contemplation.

The Xu family in his vision had supposedly been sealed for a hundred thousand years, dictated to suffer in the mortal dust until a hundred millennia passed before their bloodline could step onto the path of Cultivation once more.

If he truly was a descendant of that mythic lineage, then the chasm of time separating his current era from Xu Gan's epoch was definitely far greater than a mere hundred thousand years. It could be hundreds of thousands, millions, or even an unfathomable eternity.

A hundred thousand years, while vast, was not enough for the world of Cultivation to completely erase all memory of a supreme clan.

But regardless of how many eons had turned to dust, one thing remained certain.

In his generation, it was only by a stroke of Fated Chance that he had crossed paths with Cultivation, thereby managing to Awaken the Bloodline Jade Talisman.

Otherwise, the Bloodline Jade Talisman would have remained dormant, waiting endlessly for some future descendant of the Xu family to unseal its karmic lock.

Now that Xu Changshou had formally stepped into the bloody reality of the Cultivation world, his perspective and experiential knowledge were entirely reborn.

Reflecting on it with his current insight, the Xu family from his dreams was almost certainly real.

And he, without a doubt, carried the authentic bloodline of that ancient Xu family.

As to whether there were other survivors of the Xu family, or scattered branch bloodlines clinging to life across the realms, that remained an absolute mystery.

"Alright, alright, Fellow Daoists, we have strayed too far from the Dao. Let us resume the auction."

"I neglected to properly introduce the item. This is a Flight Talisman."