My Crazy Upgrade System

Yi Tianyun looked at the woman, a sense of familiarity washing over him, as if he had seen her somewhere before. However, he was certain he had never met her, but he must have seen someone who looked remarkably similar to her; otherwise, the resemblance wouldn’t be so uncanny.

"Miss Li..." The female attendants all greeted her respectfully when they saw her approach.

Miss Li?

A flash of realization hit Yi Tianyun. Now he knew why the woman looked so familiar. ’Is she Li Tianlong’s granddaughter? Or his daughter?’

Seeing Yi Tianyun studying her so intently, the woman smiled and said, "Sir, is there something on my face?"

"There’s nothing wrong, but your words have certainly caught my attention," Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile. "Take me to a VIP room so I can learn more."

"Of course. Please, follow me." The stunningly beautiful woman made a welcoming gesture, indicating for Yi Tianyun to come with her.

After they left, the attendants’ expressions turned to displeasure, and they watched Miss Li’s departing figure with a hint of disgust.

"Tch! I can’t believe she came over to handle him personally and stole my customer! If I’d known the details of the auction, that deal would have been mine!"

"Shh, not so loud! It’ll be bad if we’re overheard... Pavilion Master Li has several children, and she has the worst aptitude for Divine Runes, so she can only help out here. If she can’t even manage this, won’t she just be cast aside?"

"Just because she’s cast aside, that gives her the right to steal my client?" The attendant shot her companion a look. "If she weren’t Pavilion Master Li’s daughter, I would have dealt with her long ago. That status is the only reason she’s even allowed to be here."

"Alright, that’s enough. It’s not good to be overheard..."

"Even if I don’t say it, you think no one else does? Everyone else is so accomplished. Her cultivation is weak, and she can’t even use Divine Runes. Anyone else would have been kicked out long ago!"

They complained incessantly like bitter shrews. Yi Tianyun overheard their entire conversation; though they spoke quietly, he still caught every word. Li Ya, who was leading the way, flinched slightly but said nothing, continuing to walk forward.

Yi Tianyun was sure she had heard it, and very clearly at that. Although Li Ya’s cultivation wasn’t high, she was still at the second layer of the Core Formation Stage. In an ordinary faction, that level of cultivation would be considered quite good, but in the Star Pavilion, it was rather average.

Moreover, Li Ya wasn’t young anymore; she looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, which was by no means a tender age. Most importantly, she was the daughter of Pavilion Master Li, which set a different standard and created a stark contrast. The conversation he had just overheard was the best proof of that.

Under Li Ya’s guidance, they arrived at a VIP room. Even though Yi Tianyun hadn’t paid any fee, his simple request to purchase Jade Spirit Stones was enough to grant him entry for a detailed discussion.

"Please, have a seat, Sir." Li Ya gestured for Yi Tianyun to sit, then sat down herself, a faint smile on her face. "You mentioned earlier that you need to buy large, very complete Jade Spirit Stones?"

"Correct. The more complete, the better. At least fifty or sixty jin or more." As Yi Tianyun spoke, he sized up Li Ya. ’She must be Li Tianlong’s youngest daughter.’

"That’s no problem. Coincidentally, someone is auctioning a large batch of very complete Jade Spirit Stones. There are at least five pieces that are over two hundred jin each." Li Ya smiled. "I wonder if this shipment will be to your satisfaction?"

"Satisfied? I’m very satisfied!" Yi Tianyun’s eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed. The more complete the better; if they were too big, he could cut them, but if they were too small, he couldn’t merge them.

"However, the issue is that the seller hopes to sell them all at once, not just a small portion or piece by piece," Li Ya said. "I wonder, can you afford the price?"

"No problem. That’s not an issue at all. As long as the goods are top quality, nothing is an issue," Yi Tianyun said nonchalantly.

He wasn’t short on money right now. After plundering the treasures of so many sects, how could he possibly be poor?

"In that case, this will be simple." Li Ya’s eyes brightened. She continued, "However, the seller doesn’t want Gold or Elixir Pills. They require payment in Soul Artifacts. Is that acceptable?"

Gold had been a viable currency in the past, but not anymore, especially when dealing with Jade Spirit Stones. Jade Spirit Stones themselves were practically a form of currency, making Gold seem worthless. The higher one went, the more advanced the currency needed to be.

For example, Spirit Stones were the most widely circulated currency, while Jade Spirit Stones were a higher-grade currency. The Spiritual Power contained within them was much denser, so their price was naturally higher.

"No problem," Yi Tianyun’s reply was simple and direct. He could refine Soul Artifacts himself, so he had nothing to worry about.

"If I may be so bold as to ask," Li Ya inquired, "are you perhaps purchasing these Jade Spirit Stones to set up some kind of grand formation?"

Large blocks of Jade Spirit Stone were certainly not currency. If they were used for circulation, it would make no sense to auction them here. Fundamentally, large Jade Spirit Stones had one primary purpose: to be used as Energy Stones to power a grand formation.

"That’s right. Is there a problem?" Yi Tianyun didn’t evade the question. That was the primary use for these things, after all. Unless someone was carving them into statues to display at home, in which case, he had nothing to say.

"No problem at all... I just wanted to ask, if you have a decent understanding of Divine Runes, Sir, you could join our Star Pavilion!" Li Ya immediately tried to recruit him. "If you join the Star Pavilion as an Honored Guest Elder, we will absolutely treat you well. I trust you know the foundation of our Star Pavilion. It is definitely not lacking!"

She had immediately started trying to recruit him. Yi Tianyun understood perfectly; she was trying to earn merit for herself. The more people she recruited—much like a solicitor—the more it proved her own ability, especially if she could bring in a powerful expert.

"That won’t be necessary for now. I’m just here to buy a few things," Yi Tianyun declined the invitation.

Anyone with ability was always invited, without exception.

"I see..." A glimmer of disappointment flashed in Li Ya’s beautiful eyes. She quickly added, "In that case, could I please confirm your current assets? Just a portion will do. We worry about people intentionally causing trouble."

"No problem." Yi Tianyun understood their reasoning. With a flash from the Storage Ring on his hand, he casually tossed three high-grade Soul Artifacts onto the floor. "This is just a small portion. Will it do?"

He had left a good deal of his treasures back at the Merak Sect, but he still kept plenty with him. He had planned to come here to purchase Jade Spirit Stones from the start, so how could he not have prepared some funds?

"It will!" Li Ya’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Then please allow me to guide you to the auction’s VIP room. I hope you can purchase something to your liking!"