NOVEL NEXT Chapter 141: The Grand Auction
Three Years Later.
As Baize Immortal City’s decennial grand auction approached, the flow of people within the city noticeably increased.
Private exchange gatherings also surged, becoming more frequent and fervent than ever before.
Seizing this rare opportunity, Fang Xi managed to offload some conspicuous stolen goods, raising his spirit stone count to seven thousand!
Feeling elated after handling his gains, Fang Xi headed straight to the rogue cultivators’ market area, browsing through each stall one by one.
Although he had never stumbled upon any hidden treasures, it’s always good to dream - who knows when fortune might strike?!
“Selling high-grade magical artifacts at bargain prices…”
“Specialties from the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, come take a look…”
“Premium paper talismans, top-quality!”
As he browsed, Fang Xi helplessly realized his luck was not with him today! With knowledge of the four arts of cultivation and his divine sense, he could instantly appraise the value of items on each stall. His conclusion: there were hardly any opportunities to find hidden gems!
“No wonder finding bargains has become legendary; it’s precisely due to their extreme rarity…”
“Ah well, I might as well stick to purchasing at auctions for quality goods…”
Fang Xi was about to leave when suddenly, his gaze caught on a paper talisman stall.
“Looking for talismans, Daoist friend? Everything here is top-quality!” proclaimed a woman in her fifties from behind the stall.
“Not bad indeed…” Fang Xi picked up a ‘Cold Wind Talisman’, feeling its sturdy texture and appreciating the smooth, refined strokes on the talisman. Without a doubt, this was a premium item!
“What’s the price?”
“This tier-one high-grade Cold Wind Talisman summons icy gusts, freezing your enemies over a wide area. The cost is twenty-five spirit stones!” the elderly woman quoted promptly.
The old woman promptly and skillfully quoted the price.
With her temples frosted white and deep crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, one could still faintly discern traces of her youthful beauty.
“If you purchase five or more, there’s a discount!” Seeing Fang Xi take out spirit stones, the elderly woman quickly added with a smile, almost sounding ingratiating.
‘Time truly is as ruthless as a butcher’s knife…’ Fang Xi observed this scene and couldn’t help but lament internally, ‘Even Lu Zhi, the fiery-tempered goddess from Qingzhu Mountain Market, has become so business-minded now…’
Indeed, Fang Xi had recognized her.
The woman selling these paper talismans was none other than Chen Ping’s unrequited love interest—the widow of Symbol Master Zong—Lu Zhi herself!
“Meeting an old acquaintance, yet it seems Goddess Lu does not recognize me…” Fang Xi suddenly chuckled softly.
Since he was simply strolling through the market and not here to sell illicit goods, he hadn’t assumed Daoist Mu’s persona this time, revealing his true identity instead.
“Hmm?” Lu Zhi abruptly lifted her head, gazing at the young man who exuded grace like an elegant orchid amidst jade trees. A hint of uncertainty and surprise flickered in her eyes.
The face did seem somewhat familiar to her. Drawing upon a cultivator’s exceptional memory, she finally traced this sense of recognition amidst her numbness: “You are…from Qingzhu Mountain Market…the spirit farmer?”
“Indeed,” Fang Xi smiled warmly. “It has been many years since we last met. How have you fared, Fellow Daoist Lu?”
Lu Zhi suddenly felt a pang of shame. Despite wasting numerous years, she remained at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, growing older and past her prime. In contrast, the youthful appearance before her had not aged, with a cultivation base surpassing hers, already reaching Late Stage Qi Refinement!
This realization amplified Lu Zhi’s sense of how drastically circumstances had changed.
“Sigh… I’ve managed somehow.” A multitude of emotions welled up within her, yet they all condensed into a single sigh.
“Oh, by the way, how is Fellow Daoist Chen Ping doing? During the chaos at the market back then, I could only hastily flee for my life, unsure of his fate…” Fang Xi expressed regretfully.
“Yes, he considered you a friend too… He now…”
A deeper bitterness filled Lu Zhi’s expression as she continued, “He’s managing alright, but due to important commitments, it’s difficult for him to venture out…”
‘Oh? It seems this Lu Zhi had quite a good relationship with Chen Ping. Does she remain unaware of the truth behind his blood sacrifice to awaken a spiritual body?’
Fang Xi’s heart stirred upon hearing this.
“As for Chen Ping’s friends, Nine Profound Reverend reached the end of his longevity and passed away, while Di Qi couldn’t escape calamity and perished during the market chaos…”
Lu Zhi unexpectedly knew about Chen Ping’s mischievous companions, causing Fang Xi’s heart to tremble.
Nine Profound Reverend was fortunate enough to survive the market chaos but ultimately succumbed to the limits of his longevity.
Di Qi met an even worse fate, falling directly amidst the turmoil. Whether he was merely caught as collateral damage or it stemmed from his own greed remains unknown…
“Sigh… After decades of immortal cultivation, half my old acquaintances have faded away.”
With a lament, Fang Xi turned to Lu Zhi and said, “If you see Brother Chen someday, please convey my greetings.”
“Mother…” At that moment, a tall cultivator clad in black approached. His cultivation base was at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, exuding faintly malevolent energy. He glared at Fang Xi and asked, “Who is this person?”
“He’s a former friend of mine…” Lu Zhi shook her head, reluctant to elaborate further. “Did you bring the materials I requested?”
“Of course, they’re all here!” The black-clothed cultivator hastily produced his bag of holding.
Evening approached.
The rogue cultivators began packing up their stalls, ready to return for meditation and cultivation.
Lu Zhi similarly stored her paper talismans into her bag of holding, walking slowly. As she entered an alleyway, she spotted Fang Xi waiting there.
“Fellow Daoist Lu, your earlier words seemed to hold more unsaid meaning.”
Fang Xi stood with arms crossed, evidently having anticipated this meeting.
Looking around cautiously to ensure they were alone, Lu Zhi stepped closer and whispered, “Chen Ping mentioned you as his close friend, so I’ll trust you once… Chen Ping’s situation is dire; he’s imprisoned somewhere, forced to draw talismans day and night. His longevity has been severely depleted, leaving him with only a couple of years at most…”
This revelation did not surprise Fang Xi at all. With Chen Ping possessing a Blood Symbol Spirit Body, naturally adept in the Dao of Talismans, it was likely that his talisman crafting skills had already advanced to tier-2—a truly exceptional tool for exploitation!
Encountering a powerful clan would inevitably lead to relentless exploitation until death!
“Could it be the Verdant Xue Clan?” Fang Xi speculated.
He speculated.
The Verdant Xu Clan, backing the Mingqing Pavilion, was likely involved. Initially, even Goddess Yunmeng belonged to their influence. Considering all this, they seemed the most probable captors of Chen Ping.
“You know?!” Lu Zhi exclaimed, taken aback.
“I have some suspicions, but unfortunately, my strength is insufficient to rescue this old friend…” Fang Xi sighed deeply and turned to leave.
His sole purpose in waiting here had been to inquire about his old friend’s well-being. Chen Ping had treated him kindly in the past, and if within his power, Fang Xi wouldn’t have hesitated to help.
However… he himself had not yet reached Foundation Establishment.
The Verdant Xu Clan boasted Foundation Establishment-level might, making the disparity between them too vast. All Fang Xi could do was offer his regrets…
As Lu Zhi watched Fang Xi depart, she didn’t express any resentment; instead, she let out a soft sigh. Even as a cultivator, she had encountered numerous situations beyond her control - such is the harsh reality of life…
“Considering his age, Chen Ping is slightly older than me. He exhausted thirty years of longevity to upgrade the Barrier Breaking Talisman, and now with another thirty years passed, he should only be nearing eighty… Why has his condition deteriorated so suddenly?”
“Oh right, I forgot that if the Xu Clan pressured him once, they could do it again… Could it be they forced Chen Ping to enhance yet another unique paper talisman, leading to such depletion of his longevity?”
Fang Xi couldn’t help but feel chilled by the ruthless tactics employed by these Foundation Establishment aristocratic families.
They truly exploited their tools until every last drop was榨ed out!
At Mistwillow Alley,
“Fellow Daoist Fang, wonderful news!” As Fang Xi approached, Su Lie spotted him immediately and exclaimed, “Remember you asked me about trade gatherings? I’ve found one taking place at the teahouse, where there might be Beryl Spirit Liquid for sale… Of course, the seller mentioned that if the bids don’t meet their expectations, they’ll send it to the grand auction instead.”
“Many thanks, Daoist friend! Please lead the way; let me meet the seller first!”
Fang Xi responded with equal enthusiasm, clasping his hands respectfully.
During these three years, he hadn’t gone entirely unrewarded. As “Daoist Mu,” he had successfully acquired ten drops of Beryl Spirit Liquid and a 200-year-old Dragon Transformation Ginseng from a large merchant firm.
However, when it comes to auxiliary ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill, more is always better, so this opportunity couldn’t be missed.
Accompanied by Su Lie, they promptly headed to the exchange meeting and located the seller.
After a confidential negotiation, Fang Xi paid a satisfactory amount of spirit stones and obtained half a bottle of Beryl Spirit Liquid.
‘Ah, now I have enough Beryl Spirit Liquid; only the Dragon Transformation Ginseng quantity remains short!’ Fang Xi thought, secretly delighted as he awaited the grand auction.
Gathering only auxiliary materials was significantly easier than those arduously seeking tier-2 monster cores, making him less conspicuous among Peak Qi Refinement cultivators.
‘In truth, if I exchanged using tier-2 monster cores, I could instantly gather all necessary auxiliary materials…’
‘The issue is…it would attract far too much attention.’
Fang Xi’s plan to hunt monsters for cores continued to evolve, all leading up to the grand auction!
One month later.
Fang Xi, disguised as Daoist Mu, entered the Inner City and approached the grand auction house located at the foot of White Peak Mountain.
“Sir, you hold a private booth invitation. Please follow me!”
With a charming smile, a servant girl escorted Fang Xi to the second floor of the auction venue.
Numerous elevated platforms overlooked the entire auction hall from above.
“The private booths ensure absolute confidentiality for our guests. After bidding successfully on any item, it can be directly delivered to your booth for transaction…”
As they walked, the servant girl introduced the facilities and rules of the auction house.
“Not bad… quite considerate,” Fang Xi nodded, impressed by Baize Immortal City’s attentiveness towards its customers.
He took a seat in his assigned booth, quietly awaiting the start of the auction.
After about an hour, most seats on the first level were filled.
The resounding strike of a copper gong signaled the entrance of a middle-aged cultivator. With a commanding presence, he strode onto the stage dressed in a purple magic robe. His round face exuded affluence and amiability, yet his eyes resembled deep, serene pools, conveying authority without anger.
“Is this individual presiding over the auction?” A subtle murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd.
“The eighteenth disciple of True Person Bai Feng—Ouyang Zhen?!” Fang Xi also felt anticipation building within him.
As a disciple of a Core Formation patriarch, Ouyang Zhen displayed an impressive cultivation base, reaching late-stage Foundation Establishment, clearly dominating the aura in the room!
“Many thanks for gracing us with your presence. The grand auction shall now commence!” Ouyang Zhen’s voice echoed in the ears of every cultivator present. “The first item up for bid—the mid-grade spirit artifact ‘Jade Cloud Five Mist Silk’ - capable of defense, flight, entrapment, and attack… Starting price: one thousand two hundred spirit stones!”