Chapter 140: Chapter 141: Foundation Establishment Pill Auction
As the auction price was called out, Qiuxianyun appeared with a three-foot-long fish tank in hand.
This fish tank was made entirely of white jade, carved with spirit patterns all over it.
Through the white jade, one could see inside the tank a huge, cyan-green Cold Jade Tadpole!
With a flick of Qiuxianyun’s fingers, a Water Arrow Technique shot toward the tadpole.
The next moment, the water arrow collided head-on with an Ice Arrow Technique, instantly shattering it, and the ice arrow even seemed to have a tendency to shoot towards Qiuxianyun.
The Cold Jade Tadpole appeared exceptionally violent.
At this time, Qiuxianyun dropped a spirit talisman, and the large tank flashed with spiritual light, sealing the Cold Jade Tadpole along with the Ice Arrow Technique.
"Starting bid for the Cold Jade Toad juvenile is 1000 Spirit Stones, with a minimum increment of ten Spirit Stones!" Qiuxianyun announced.
"One thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"
"One thousand two hundred Spirit Stones!"
...
The price of Spirit Stones continued to surge, leaving even Ye Jingcheng feeling tempted at this moment.
He currently lacked a Wood Attribute Spirit Beast. Although this Cold Jade Toad had Ice and Wind attributes, its potential was decent, making it a good purchase to either keep or sell to the clan.
Moreover, at this moment, the Treasure Book flashed with light, showing two scenes indicating that the Cold Jade Toad could still undergo two more bloodline advancements.
Although not as good as the Golden Scale Beast, in Ye Jingcheng’s view, it was still quite commendable.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford it!
As time passed, bids for the Cold Jade Tadpole reached 2300 Spirit Stones.
Although such large markets were abundant with treasures, including Spirit Beast cubs, there were also many knowledgeable about Spirit Beasts.
Unless severely injured and dying, it was nearly impossible for Ye Jingcheng to get a bargain.
He had come that day to gain experience at the auction. If he bid on the first item, no one would suspect, but surely Xu Haoshui of the Xu Family and the two brothers from the Li Family would have doubts.
Ye Jingcheng understood these nuances well.
The Cold Jade Tadpole ultimately fetched a high price of 2400 Spirit Stones.
Normally, Cold Jade Tadpoles are valued between 1600 to 1800 Spirit Stones.
But Qiuxianyun’s demonstration compelled people to purchase at a premium.
It’s not difficult for the Ice Arrow Technique to break the Water Arrow Technique, but the problem is that this Cold Jade Tadpole is still a juvenile, and it shattered Qiuxianyun’s Water Arrow Technique.
Even according to the Ye Family’s valuation methods, it indeed commands a premium of about one or two percent.
For Ye Jingcheng, he could even accept a premium of one or two times.
Beside him, Ye Haiyi glanced at Ye Jingcheng, relieved to see that the latter hadn’t bid at all.
He knew Ye Jingcheng’s cultivation technique and understood that a cultivator’s opportunities must sometimes be seized. Yet, Ye Jingcheng’s willpower in this situation was most commendable.
"Tier One High-Grade Spirit Medicine Cold Jade Grass, a hundred years old, starting bid at 200 Spirit Stones!"
With the second auction item, the level was apparently a bit lower.
Qiuxianyun unveiled a jade box, revealing a piece of grass as white as jade inside the box.
Qiuxianyun then took out a mirror, sprinkling some water droplets on it.
The next moment, it turned into a layer of ice.
"Minimum bid increase is five Spirit Stones!" Qiuxianyun’s professionalism was superb, far surpassing the coquettish behavior of Taichang Market’s auctioneers.
Master Qiu’s every detail was meticulously handled.
Of course, it’s not that Taichang Market’s auctioneers were bad. After all, their audience was different, comprising Foundation Establishment clans and loose cultivators at the Qi Refining Peak.
If Master Qiu went to Taichang Market, the effect might not be as good, who knows.
The Cold Jade Grass apparently came from the same cold pool as the juvenile Cold Jade Toad.
This Cold Jade Grass eventually sold for 380 Spirit Stones.
This was about what Ye Jingcheng had estimated.
Qiuxianyun was clearly not very satisfied with this price, as he waved his hand again, and a servant brought up a jade plate. Upon removing the brocade cloth from the jade plate, it revealed a blue aquatic plant.
This aquatic plant exuded spiritual light, accompanied by wisps of fog condensing.
Ye Jingcheng’s breathing couldn’t help but become rapid.
This spirit grass was precisely the Water Cloud Grass he had been searching for.
The water cloud grass’s age can easily be judged by its length: if it reaches a foot in length with more than three leaves, it has a hundred years of age.
The water cloud grass before his eyes clearly met these criteria.
"Tier One Top-Grade Spirit Grass Water Cloud Grass, a hundred years old, grows thirty years for one leaf, reaching a foot in a hundred years. It is a universal alchemical material for water attribute, useful in many pill formulas, as an auxiliary material for Tier Two Water Cloud Pill, among others..."
Qiuxianyun continued to introduce, and with his extensive experience as an alchemy master, his explanations were very thorough.
Ye Jingcheng, however, looked somewhat displeased given the thorough explanation would lead to fierce competition in the auction.
Unlike with spirit beasts, Ye Jingcheng’s current identity of Tang Haobo, possessing both Water and Fire Spirit Roots, made purchasing water attribute spirit medicines perfectly normal.
Therefore, this time he was determined to win.
"Alright, no more introductions needed. This Water Cloud Grass starts at 500 Spirit Stones, with a minimum increment of five!"
"Five hundred ten!"
"Five hundred twenty!"
...
The bidding was very lively, but there were only a few significant increases in price.
"Eight hundred fifty spirit stones!" Ye Jingcheng also directly skipped many prices and offered a high bid.
"Nine hundred spirit stones!" Another voice sounded, making Ye Jingcheng frown.
It was the cultivator from the Purple Mansion room on the second floor, and it was Xu Haoshui, whose voice Ye Jingcheng knew very well.
"Nine hundred and five!" After hesitating for a moment, Ye Jingcheng raised the bid again.
"Nine hundred fifty!" Xu Haoshui didn’t hesitate for a moment.
Ye Jingcheng wanted to continue bidding but noticed Ye Haiyi watching him.
At this time, a voice from the loose cultivators nearby also called out:
"Nine hundred eighty spirit stones!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Jingcheng immediately understood and bid nine hundred eighty-five. After the loose cultivator bid nine hundred ninety, Ye Jingcheng reluctantly gave up and sat down.
What made Ye Jingcheng’s eyes sharp was that Xu Haoshui indeed did not raise the bid again!
It was as if he was just competing with Ye Jingcheng.
This made Ye Jingcheng narrow his eyes slightly.
"Next up for auction is a Tier One Top-Grade Magical Artifact, this treasure is called the Starlight Mountain-Opening Axe. The axe handle incorporates black pattern wood, the axe tip includes starlight stones, and it is quenched with sinking iron. The axe alone weighs a thousand jins, and under the starry sky, this axe can automatically absorb starlight and become invisible!"
As the auction continued, more Tier One Top-Grade Magical Artifacts gradually appeared, each immensely powerful.
Watching these made Ye Jingcheng repeatedly vigilant.
In future confrontations with enemy cultivators, one must be more cautious. Otherwise, these treasures could be immensely powerful even in the hands of a Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer cultivator.
...
In the second-floor private room, Xu Wencheng from the Xu family looked at Xu Haoshui, somewhat surprised, knowing that in his memory, Xu Haoshui was not a cultivator who randomly placed bids.
"Fourth Uncle, this involves some matters that I am unable to disclose, but I suspect that person’s identity as a loose cultivator!"
"You suspect?"
"Yes, I think he is a member of the Ye Clan we’re looking for. They might also be here for the Purple Mansion Jade Liquid!"
"Just now, I wanted to test his spirit stone limit!"
"He left an impression on the wall earlier. Although he wore a Spirit-Blocking Robe, loose cultivators’ robes often have some flaws, and I happen to excel in a Spiritual Eye technique!" Xu Haoshui spoke leisurely.
In this auction hall, the private rooms had arrays, so he wasn’t worried about being overheard.
"Oh!" Xu Wencheng responded thoughtfully.
"The Chu family and the Ye clan are intriguing, whereas the Chen and Li families appear much more straightforward!"
"Fourth Uncle, they are straightforward because they’ve witnessed our Xu family’s strength. They can’t afford to be reckless. As for the Mo family, they’re just wasting the prestige of the Purple Mansion clan!" Xu Haoshui scoffed.
"Haoshui, you must change this attitude of yours. Don’t underestimate any family. Remember, even when dealing with a Qi Cultivation clan, you must apply ten parts of your mind and eleven parts of your strength. Many ants can bite an elephant to death. The family cultivates you not to be a stepping stone for others!"
"Especially against established families like the Mo family and the Ye clan..." Xu Wencheng immediately advised.
Hearing this, Xu Haoshui repeatedly bowed his head in acknowledgment, though his eyes remained defiant. The more he understood his own family’s strength, the more audacious and confident he became.
"Nonetheless, let them compete today. Additionally, I want to see if they have enough spirit stones by the end of the auction!" Xu Wencheng chuckled coldly.
...
The auction continued, and after dozens of Tier One Top-Grade Magical Artifacts were auctioned off, Qiuxianyun clapped his hands again.
A total of ten female cultivators dressed in thin purple gauze came up, each carrying a jade tray.
"Everyone, now comes the most exciting part, the Foundation Establishment Pill auction!"
"This time, there are fifty Foundation Establishment Pills. The first ten will be auctioned individually, and the remaining forty will be sold in pairs!"
Qiuxianyun took a tray, unveiled the brocade cloth, revealing five jade bottles, each containing a gold-colored pill.
He opened one jade bottle, and a thick spiritual energy burst out, sweeping towards the audience.
Qiuxianyun sealed the jade bottle back:
"The auction for the first Foundation Establishment Pill begins, with a starting bid of eight thousand. Each increase must be no less than one hundred spirit stones!"
"Nine thousand!"
"Ten thousand!"
At this moment, Ye Jingcheng saw those loose cultivators almost go insane!
The price soared rapidly.
Ye Jingcheng understood that these loose cultivators were worried that clan cultivators would make a move, leaving them with no chance.
At this moment, Ye Haiyi also started bidding:
"Fourteen thousand spirit stones!"
Ye Jingcheng suddenly realized that they too were now loose cultivators...
"Fifteen thousand spirit stones!" Even though Ye Haiyi bid so high, someone still outbid him.
As loose cultivators, they could only bid on individual pills. If they managed to win two, they wouldn’t dare leave Taichang Market.
"Sixteen thousand spirit stones!" Ye Haiyi spoke again, raising the bid by another thousand spirit stones.
"Seventeen thousand spirit stones!" The bidding cultivator simultaneously spoke.
Ye Haiyi slumped into his chair, looked at Ye Jingcheng, as if inquiring about Ye Jingcheng’s spirit stones, then fell silent.
Even so, the price of the Foundation Establishment Pill continued to rise.
In the end, it was auctioned for a high price of eighteen thousand three hundred spirit stones.