Chapter 321: Grand Auction (Catching up on 13 overdue chapters)
Chapter 321: Grand Auction (Catching up on 13 overdue chapters)
Over the next dozen days, Fang Xi meditated and cultivated Qi Refinement in the guest villa's immortal's cave at night, while during the day he would come out to stroll around, purchasing some spirit herbs and spiritual items he needed.
Currently, his array and talisman techniques had both reached the third-tier, but his alchemy skill was still a bit lacking, primarily due to a shortage of various spirit herbs and pill formulas.
However, after arriving in the Yuan Kingdom, cultivation resources of all kinds were much more abundant, and he was quite confident he could elevate his alchemy further.
During this time, Fang Xi ambitiously browsed the various rogue cultivator stalls, hoping to snatch a bargain with his discerning eye, or even with his 'Purple Qi Heavenly Eye' technique.
Alas, perhaps due to a lack of sufficient fortune, he still gained nothing.
Those rogue cultivators were all very shrewd. Aside from swindling people with fakes, they tightly held onto anything they weren't sure about, daring to quote outrageous sky-high prices.
After a few attempts, Fang Xi gave up on the idea of finding bargains.
After all, the terrible consequences from his last successful bargain-hunting were hardly pleasant memories.
On this day, just as dawn was breaking, Sky-Suspension Mountain Market became incredibly bustling.
Large numbers of cultivators, wielding escape lights, or riding spirit beasts and flying carriages, entered the market city.
Among these cultivators, even Qi Refinement cultivators were rare; most were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and Core Formation cultivators were not uncommon.
CLANG!
Accompanying a clear and resonant chime of a bell, a flash of light appeared within the immortal's cave, and Fang Xi emerged.
At this moment, he wore a bamboo hat, with black gauze hanging down on all sides, concealing his face, looking very much like a marauding cultivator.
However, there were countless cultivators around him dressed similarly, so he didn't stand out.
"The Sky-Suspension Mountain Grand Auction is finally about to begin."
Fang Xi murmured to himself, and followed the crowd, arriving outside the grand auction hall.
"Welcome, Senior. . ."
Guarding the main entrance were precisely two Foundation Establishment cultivators, and their cultivation had both reached the late-stage of Foundation Establishment.
Their Divine Consciousness swept over him, and finding Fang Xi's cultivation unfathomable, they immediately became much more respectful. After checking Fang Xi's token, they said: "Senior, you are in Room Yi-16, please enter!"
Fang Xi entered the grand auction hall, and saw that the first floor was entirely open seating, while the second floor had many private boxes.
Various restrictive light formations flickered back and forth, creating a somewhat dazzling effect.
'I wonder if such a grand auction has a Nascent Soul cultivator presiding over it. . . '
He murmured to himself, ascended to the second floor, found his private box, used his token to open the restriction, and walked in.
Suddenly, silence fell on all sides!
The original clamor of the auction hall was completely isolated by the wall's restrictions.
The furnishings within the private box were also quite simple, with only a table and a chair, and some spirit tea and spirit fruits.
Fang Xi sat on the chair, closing his eyes to rest his mind, peacefully awaiting the auction's opening.
Time passed, an unknown duration.
Suddenly, a clear and resonant gong sound rang out.
Fang Xi opened his eyes, and saw that on the high platform in the center of the auction hall, an old man in a purple robe, with a refined and lean appearance, had appeared at some unknown time.
The old man's eyes were like lightning, and anyone swept by his gaze felt their hearts empty, overwhelmed by a sense of awe.
"It's Tiansha Laoren!"
"This is a Core Formation Perfected cultivator. . . and one of the few rogue cultivators in the Yuan Kingdom that absolutely cannot be provoked. . ."
"To think, the Green Leaf Merchant Guild actually managed to invite him out. . ."
The surrounding cultivators whispered amongst themselves, their whispers caught by Fang Xi's Divine Consciousness.
Only then did he realize that this 'Tiansha Laoren' had been famous for nearly three hundred years, and possessed several formidable combat divine abilities, making him almost the top Core Formation cultivator in the Yuan Kingdom.
'No wonder even I felt a sense of awe; he truly is a powerful expert among Core Formation cultivators. . . Alas, his end is near. . . '
Fang Xi sighed inwardly.
All fame is fleeting; only a long life is real.
He didn't even need the Withered Glory Chant to know at a glance that this man's end was near, his physical body was decaying, and he had no more chance of advancing to the Nascent Soul realm.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that he had no choice but to consider his descendants and disciples, accepting the Green Leaf Merchant Guild's invitation and employment.
"This assembly will be personally hosted by this old man. . ."
Tiansha Laoren swept his gaze around, his voice like a broken gong.
However, cultivators didn't pay attention to such trivialities; this person's cultivation being sufficient to command the hall was the most important thing.
"Alright, without further ado. . . Let us now begin the auction for the first item!"
Tiansha Laoren clapped his hands, and a group of ten maidservants came forward, each holding a tray. On each tray was a jade bottle, containing a single azure pill.
"Ten Foundation Establishment Pills, each starting at three thousand Spirit Stones! Now, let us begin with the first set."
No sooner had Tiansha Laoren finished speaking, than someone eagerly shouted out a bid.
After all, Foundation Establishment Pills were necessities for any faction, and one could never have too many.
Inside a certain "Jia-type" private box.
"To think that old fiend Tiansha would deign to lower himself so, he truly gave us quite a surprise. . ."
Bi Old Ghost and Yan Ruyu, along with several Core Formation cultivators from the merchant guild, sat together, watching the auction unfolding below.
As Core Formation cultivators of the merchant guild, their presence in the private box at this time was naturally as guests.
Bi Old Ghost sighed with emotion: "That old fiend Tiansha has always been arrogant, I wonder why he's acting like this. . ."
Another red-faced burly man shook his head regretfully.
"Of course, it's because this person's end is near, yet he has a group of incompetent descendants and disciples, who can only seek our merchant guild's protection. It's just a pity that. . . although Tiansha Laoren's cultivation is sufficient, his skill at hosting auctions and stirring up the atmosphere is still a bit rusty. . ."
"Heh heh. . . It doesn't really matter; this little sister has already spotted the Core Formation cultivators from the Hunyuan Sect and the Red Blood Cult. When these two groups clash, they'll stir up three feet of waves even without wind. . . " Yan Ruyu chuckled charmingly: "This little sister even deliberately adjusted the positions of their private boxes to be closer. . ."
"Haha, Fairy Yu is truly wise."
Several Core Formation cultivators exclaimed in admiration.
"Fairy Yu, why have you come here? What item has caught your eye? " Bi Old Ghost's eyes, with their double pupils, flickered, and he suddenly asked: "Could it be you're also here for that last item?"
"Of course not," Yan Ruyu replied, "this concubine has merely taken a fancy to a spirit pill. . ."
Yan Ruyu's smile remained unchanged: "Although that finale item tempts me greatly, my financial means are hardly sufficient. . ."
...
Inside the private box.
Fang Xi yawned idly.
After the auction of the opening ten Foundation Establishment Pills, another batch of pills, arrays, talismans, and artifacts came up in rotation, all of them rare and exquisite items seldom seen outside, fetching considerable prices.
Among them were also interspersed special items like puppets and demon beast eggs.
Alas, ever since he had browsed around the Primordial Demon Sect's mystic realm, there were few spiritual items left that could truly attract Fang Xi's interest.
"A third-tier mid-grade artifact—the Sharp Gold Ring!"
At this moment, Tiansha Laoren below was introducing a shimmering golden artifact.
"This ring was primarily forged from 'Western Extreme White Gold', and a bit of 'Profound Iron Essence' was blended in. Its durability is absolutely among the best for artifacts. . . It has been imbued with several wondrous restrictions, making it versatile for both offense and defense. It is a rare masterpiece, with a starting bid of three hundred thousand Spirit Stones!"
Evidently, only Core Formation cultivators could afford such an artifact.
"This treasure, haha, it's exactly what I need. . . I bid three hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones!"
A gruff voice came from a certain private box.
"Three hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones? Did the Hunyuan Sect lose a few spirit stone mines, that they've even cut down on the offerings to their Core Formation elders? Heh heh. . . I bid four hundred thousand Spirit Stones!"
A sinister voice suddenly came from another private box.
"Red Blood Cult Dharma Protector — Luo Qian! You're actually here as well. " The gruff voice clearly carried a tone of shock and fury.
"Cough, cough. . ."
Tiansha Laoren gave a cough, and his Core Formation Perfected spiritual power continuously spread throughout the auction hall.
Around the auction platform, crimson pillars of light soared into the sky, and countless restrictive runes flickered within them, appearing truly extraordinary.
"In this auction, origins and backgrounds are irrelevant. You two, please do not disturb the other guests."
Tiansha Laoren stated calmly.
"Heavenly Flame Four Fiends Array. . . Good, very good. . . I bid four hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones! " the gruff burly man said viciously.
"Four hundred and fifty thousand. " Luo Qian immediately raised the price.
The other Core Formation cultivators, unwilling to get entangled in the dispute between these two major sects, all seemed to give up on this auction one after another.
Soon, this 'Sharp Gold Ring' artifact, under the bidding war between the two, reached the high price of five hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
"Five hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones. If you bid any higher, I shall humbly concede this artifact to you!"
Finally, that gruff voice carried a hint of resolve. Fang Xi almost imagined the figure of a burly man with bloodshot eyes, his face flushed red.
"Heh heh. . . Since Brother Zhang is so fond of it, I shall do you this favor regarding this Sharp Gold Ring, haha. . . I just wonder if Your Excellency has that many Spirit Stones on you?"
Luo Qian's voice rang out.
Evidently, this price had already exceeded the value of an ordinary third-tier mid-grade artifact. If he continued to bid, he might really end up stuck with it.
Furthermore, the cultivation method he practiced was not metal-attributed, so if he acquired this artifact, it would truly just gather dust.
Thus, he still chose to stop while he was ahead.
"Hmph, you don't need to worry about that. Bring the artifact to my private box for the transaction."
The cultivator surnamed Zhang snorted coldly, seemingly a bit vexed.
After all, his beloved artifact had been driven to such a high price, requiring him to shed quite a bit of 'blood'.
...
"And now. . . for the next item to be auctioned, it can be considered the grand finale of this auction—a single Profound Origin Cleansing Pill. It can assist early-stage Core Formation cultivators in breaking through bottlenecks. The starting bid is four hundred thousand Spirit Stones, and each increase in bid must not be less than one thousand Spirit Stones."
Tiansha Laoren smiled, his eyes narrowed, and had a maidservant present a tray. Upon it, strikingly, lay the pill Fang Xi had provided!
"What? It's actually this kind of pill?"
Inside the private boxes, many Core Formation cultivators suddenly rose to their feet, their faces tinged with a fervent expression.
After achieving Core Formation, the progression of spiritual power becomes even more arduous. There were many who had not advanced for decades, or even centuries.
Among the Core Formation cultivators of the Yuan Kingdom, most lingered in the early-stage of Core Formation. Thus, this pill had extremely broad applicability, and was furiously sought after.
Fang Xi watched as its price soared, finally being bought at the price of six hundred and eighty thousand Spirit Stones by a Core Formation cultivator whose voice was magnetic and gender-neutral; he wasn't sure if it was the female cultivator surnamed Yan.
However, whether the other party would achieve their wish was none of Fang Xi's concern.
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