He ended up holding his tongue and offered an explanation.
"It's not some kind of role-play; we're genuinely master and disciples."
"Genuine master and disciples?"
Gu Shuai's mouth hung open for a while before he managed to utter that.
"If you're truly master and disciples, then that's not something we should encourage."
He put on a stern expression, while Ye Yun's lips twitched.
"Are you asking for a beating?"
This guy just wouldn't let it go.
Fortunately, Gu Shuai then smiled and said, "Please don't be angry, esteemed sir. I was just joking, just a jest. It seems I misunderstood."
Ye Yun nodded and said calmly,
"So, we are not kindred spirits. If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Seeing him about to depart, Gu Shuai quickly stepped forward and presented a purple crystal card.
"However, meeting you is fate. This Purple Crystal Card is a token of our Red Dust Mountain."
"With this card, you'll receive a seventy percent discount on any consumption at any Red Dust Pavilion throughout the Heavenly Domain. You can also get early access to new items."
Ye Yun initially had no intention of accepting it, but the words that followed piqued his interest.
"Furthermore, esteemed sir, with this card, should you ever find yourself in trouble, you can seek assistance from any Red Dust Pavilion."
"You can even bring it directly to Red Dust Mountain, and we will provide all the help within our capacity."
The earlier part of the offer sounded more like a VIP card for a pleasure house, but the latter part made Ye Yun's expression turn serious.
Ye Yun didn't reach out for the card, instead asking in a deep voice, "It is said that one does not accept favors without a reason. Do you have something you wish to ask of me?"
He had expected that the other party might be trying to leverage the favor of Red Dust Mountain to solicit his help with something.
To his surprise, the other man let out a hearty laugh and said, "What are you saying? Didn't I just say that I simply wish to befriend you?"
"After all, in the Heavenly Domain, more friends means more paths, wouldn't you agree?"
Gu Shuai's hearty laughter left Ye Yun somewhat bewildered.
This wasn't the plot he had expected. Shouldn't the other party be coveting Lin Xueyan and the others, then acting arrogantly and being dramatically put in their place by him...
Instead, the other party was practically groveling, leaving him utterly unsure of how to react.
After a moment of thought, Ye Yun finally nodded.
"Indeed. Then I shall accept it."
Although he didn't know the other party's true intentions, as the saying goes, one doesn't refuse a smiling face. Since the other party was so amiable, he didn't mind making a friend.
What he had said earlier was also true; more friends meant more paths, especially given his current predicament.
After accepting the Purple Crystal Card, Ye Yun sheathed his Divine Abyss Sword, a smile appearing on his face.
"I am Ye Yun, the..."
Just as he was about to introduce himself, he heard shouting from below.
"Esteemed guests, the auction is about to begin. Please proceed inside!"
Hearing this, Gu Shuai smiled and said,
"Brother Ye, the auction is starting. Let's head in first, and we can have a proper chat after it concludes."
"Very well, let's do that."
Ye Yun nodded.
As their two groups arrived at the area for checking invitations, Gu Shuai smiled and said,
"Brother Ye, please, you first."
"Thank you."
Ye Yun didn't decline. He took out his invitation and showed it to the guards at the entrance.
After a thorough inspection, the guard nodded and said,
"Esteemed guest, please proceed to the end of the passage with your invitation, and you will be teleported to your private room!"
"Understood."
The guards quickly parted ways, and Ye Yun, with Lin Xueyan and the others, entered the passage.
As the light flashed, they disappeared into the passage.
Gu Shuai and his group followed, and after their invitations were checked, they too entered the passage.
At this point, Chunhua, who was beside Gu Shuai, couldn't help but ask,
"Your Holy Sonship, I truly don't understand. You only have one Purple Crystal Card, why are you trying so hard to curry favor with that person?"
Others might not know, but the people of Red Dust Mountain understood what the Purple Crystal Card signified.
It was essentially proof of VIP status at the highest level of Red Dust Mountain, and every holder of a Purple Crystal Card was someone of great significance to the mountain.
Qiu Yue, standing beside her, also expressed her confusion, "Yes, even if you think highly of him, you shouldn't have given away the Purple Crystal Card, should you?"
In response to their doubts, Gu Shuai gently pinched their faces and said with a smile,
"You should both know that my immortal divine ability is the Pseudo Heavenly Eye of Destiny."
"I can discern the talent level and the Heavenly Destiny Weight (Destiny Value) of female cultivators of similar cultivation."
"As for the individuals accompanying him, you might not realize, but not only do they possess exceptional talent, their Heavenly Destiny Weight is terrifyingly high."
"Do you think it's a coincidence that he can take so many disciples, all of whom are exceptionally talented and extremely important to the world?"
In fact, a significant part of his earlier shock stemmed from this very point.
Even any single girl accompanying him had a Heavenly Destiny Weight far exceeding that of the Saintesses Red Dust Mountain had ever encountered, which he found utterly unbelievable.
Hearing this, Chunhua still couldn't help but say,
"But what if it's all just a coincidence?"
Gu Shuai shook his head, "Then that would be even more terrifying. It would mean he is a person of great fortune."
"A person's strength can be overcome, but if one's fortune is immense, even the heavens might not be able to touch them..."
He couldn't help but take a deep breath at this point.
"Someone of his caliber, if you offend him, you must kill him as soon as possible, no matter the cost. But if you befriend him..."
Qiu Yue looked at him curiously and asked, "And if you befriend him?"
"Duh."
Gu Shuai grinned and said, "If you befriend him, of course you should fawn over him!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
At this moment, whether it was the guards or the female cultivators in his arms, their expressions were somewhat strange.
After a long pause, Qiu Yue said quietly, "Your Holy Sonship, how can you say such shameless words with a straight face?"
As Gu Shuai's immortal companions, not his servants, they felt it was appropriate to retort when necessary.
Gu Shuai glared at her and pinched her face twice.
"You're being mischievous again. It seems I'll have to teach you a good lesson when we get back."
"I heard that senior brother has developed a new magical artifact, and its power is terrifying..."
However, she was not afraid of Gu Shuai's threat; instead, her face showed anticipation.
"Alright, then let's see who gets the last laugh."
As cultivators of Red Dust Mountain, they were all enthusiastic about inventing special magical artifacts to aid in their cultivation.
Therefore, they were not afraid of even the most powerful artifacts and considered them commonplace.
This kind of life in Red Dust Mountain was yearned for, even dreamed of, by countless people throughout the Heavenly Domain.
...
Inside private room number eighty-nine.
Ye Yun and the others were teleported here and were surprised by the elegant decor of the room.
They had initially thought the auction would be held in the main hall, but it seemed the treatment here was quite good.
Looking out the large window beside them, they could see the grand auction stage in the distance, and the numerous windows surrounding it, resembling a honeycomb.
Clearly, each window represented a private room, and by estimation, there were several thousand such rooms.
"This auction is quite something..."
Moreover, at the entrance stood a woman in a white uniform. Upon seeing them, she bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, honored guest. I am your attendant for this private room. If you have any needs during the auction, please inform me directly."
She was clearly well-trained, and her speech and demeanor were exceptionally graceful, exuding a unique charm.
It made one have no doubt that they would indeed fulfill any request.
After hearing her words, Ye Yun's lips curved upwards.
"Speaking of which, I do have an important matter that requires your assistance..."