The auction was still going, but Fang Qingyuan was in a foul mood. ’I should have just bid the starting price,’ he thought. Spending an extra five Top-grade Spirit Stones was really bothering him.
What he didn’t understand was why no one seed eager to buy the Sea Spirit Whale’s heart, even though it could increase a Spirit Beast’s chances of advancing.
The auctioneer on stage was still trying to sell the next Sea Spirit Whale heart. Seizing the opportunity, Fang Qingyuan sent a voice transmission to Shen Wan Jun, who wasn’t far away.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, is there so kind of hidden danger with these Sea Spirit Whale hearts?"
Shen Wan Jun was the owner of a Sea Beast Ship that specialized in hunting, so she was well-versed in all matters concerning the ocean’s various beasts. Given her earlier gesture of goodwill in explaining the He Family’s background, Fang Qingyuan decided to ask her directly.
After receiving Fang Qingyuan’s voice transmission, Shen Wan Jun smiled faintly. Her eyes flickered toward him as she sent her reply:
"There’s nothing wrong with the Sea Spirit Whale’s heart. It’s just that the Iron Wind Beast Taming Sect has thods that are even more effective than consuming it. More importantly, those thods are cheaper."
Fang Qingyuan’s expression darkened at her words. ’When it cos to unlocking a Spirit Beast’s potential, is there any sect more proficient than a Beast Taming Sect?’
But he was here to investigate the secrets of the Iron Wind Beast Taming Sect’s forr Sect Leader. He couldn’t just show up right under the noses of their disciples.
Even if the Iron Wind Beast Taming Sect had a special thod to help his sea beast, Yinbao, advance, Fang Qingyuan had no intention of going to them and handing Yinbao over.
’If I did that, wouldn’t my cover be completely blown?’
After all, the fact that he owned Yinbao, a Flying Manta Ray, was common knowledge back in the Southern Border.
At this thought, the gloom in Fang Qingyuan’s heart lessened. The Iron Wind Beast Taming Sect’s thods might be good, but he couldn’t use them. Therefore, as far as he was concerned, they might as well not exist. No point dwelling on it.
But that wasn’t all. Shen Wan Jun continued:
"Also, Sea Spirit Whales live in the deep sea their entire lives, so their hearts are exceptionally powerful and packed with dicinal potency. But because of this, if a sea beast’s body isn’t strong enough, it can’t handle the nourishnt and there’s a risk it will just explode and die. Compared to the Beast Taming Sect’s thods, it’s not very controllable."
’So there’s another catch.’ No wonder everyone was so unenthusiastic. Besides, a price of over twenty Top-grade Spirit Stones for a re one-in-ten chance of advancent seed like a poor deal.
However, this wasn’t a major issue for him. He could have the Bee Queen add so supplentary ingredients to the Sea Spirit Whale’s heart to make its dicinal power release more gently.
Besides, as a Flying Manta Ray, Yinbao was known for its abundant vitality among sea beasts. Its Life Essence Qi was seven or eight tis stronger than that of other sea beasts.
’In that case,’ he thought, ’the Sea Spirit Whale’s heart is actually a perfect fit for Yinbao. Just one might not be enough to guarantee success; a second one would be much safer.’
With this in mind, Fang Qingyuan sent a voice transmission to thank Shen Wan Jun. He had only been here for a few years; his knowledge of sea beast spiritual materials was truly no match for soone like her who made a living from them.
On stage, the auctioneer was now taking bids for the last Sea Spirit Whale heart. Of the previous four, Fang Qingyuan’s bid was still the highest; the other three had sold for twenty-one or twenty-two Top-grade Spirit Stones each.
The auctioneer said a few more words, but the Cultivators below showed little interest. Those who wanted one had already bought it, and those who had no need for it weren’t about to spend over twenty Top-grade Spirit Stones on sothing useless to them.
Seeing that the heart was about to go unsold, Fang Qingyuan spoke up:
"Twenty Top-grade Spirit Stones."
"Excellent! Sold! Congratulations once again to this Fellow Daoist!"
The auctioneer on stage looked delighted and loudly congratulated Fang Qingyuan.
’Maybe I should have bid eighteen,’ Fang Qingyuan thought, his expression unchanging as he inwardly grumbled.
...
As the auction drew to a close, the items grew progressively better. Tier Three Spiritual Materials appeared one after another, as did several items like Magical Treasure Embryos and Talisman Treasures.
Unfortunately, every one of these items started at three hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones and went up. The most expensive of them, a Magical Treasure Embryo, ultimately sold for the astronomical price of nine hundred seventy-eight Top-grade Spirit Stones.
A Magical Treasure is a Third-rank Magical Artifact, but because the gap between them and Second-order Magical Artifacts is so vast, everyone simply calls them "Magical Treasures" instead.
A Magical Treasure is the most valuable possession of a Golden Core cultivator. Unlike First and Second Rank Magical Artifacts, whose power and potential are fixed from the mont they are created, a Magical Treasure can be drawn into a Cultivator’s body to be nurtured. Over ti, its power will grow ever stronger.
A Magical Treasure Embryo is the newly forged, primordial form of a Magical Treasure. It simply hasn’t been nurtured with the core qi of a Golden Core cultivator, so its power hasn’t reached its peak.
But even compared to a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, a Magical Treasure Embryo is vastly superior. Generally, only those at Foundation Establishnt Late-Stage Perfection, or even Fake Pill Cultivators, can hope to acquire one.
Fang Qingyuan watched with envy as these Spiritual Objects were sold. Unfortunately, his current identity was that of a Loose Cultivator with no backing. Even though he had over a thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones stored in his Immortal Mansion right now, he couldn’t take them out to use.
’If only I were still the Vice Master of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect,’ he thought. Recalling the days when he was surrounded by attendants, Fang Qingyuan felt a pang of lancholy.
"Fellow Daoist Jia, the auction is over. Let’s et on the upper deck in two hours. We’ll leave together."
Shen Wan Jun had sent a voice transmission to Fang Qingyuan, reminding him of the ti and place for their departure.
Fang Qingyuan nodded to show he understood. The auction was over, and many Cultivators were already leaving the floor. The more impatient ones had already flown off the He Family’s great ship.
Most Cultivators were now carrying the spiritual materials they had won, making them easy targets. Fang Qingyuan chose to leave with Shen Wan Jun; with nearly ten Foundation Establishnt Cultivators on one ship, their safety would be more or less guaranteed.
At this auction, Fang Qingyuan had only purchased the two Sea Spirit Whale hearts, coming away with nothing else.
Even so, he had spent forty-five Top-grade Spirit Stones, which was over his budget.
The two hearts had already been delivered to him halfway through the auction. Now, Fang Qingyuan just needed to see if his bid in the silent auction had been successful.
With the auction over, the Cyan Sparrow was no longer following him, which was a relief. Having soone tailing his every move always made Fang Qingyuan uncomfortable.
Arriving at the silent auction area on the third floor, Fang Qingyuan learned the results. As luck would have it, he was the highest bidder for the Tier Three Fire Date.
Feeling a bit perplexed, Fang Qingyuan paid the Spirit Stones and received a date the size of a fist that resembled Fire Jade.
As he slled the Fire Date’s crisp fragrance, a thought flashed through his mind. ’Did I overpay again?’
...
Two hours later, Fang Qingyuan t up with Shen Wan Jun as planned. She had also won several items she needed, and it seed her wealth had grown considerably after cooperating with the Beast Taming Sect in the recent battle.
The *Tufeng* detached from the He Family’s great ship and set a swift course for Iron Wind Island.
Fang Qingyuan stood on the deck, silently on guard. He fully extended his spiritual sense, blanketing the sea for thirty to forty li in every direction.
Even the depths below the surface were under his surveillance.
The journey was only a hundred-odd li, but to Fang Qingyuan, it felt like an eternity. The mont he set foot on Iron Wind Island again, he imdiately bid farewell to Shen Wan Jun and hurried back to his small courtyard.
There, he activated his protective array and entered his Immortal Mansion.
Inside the Immortal Mansion, Yinbao was contentedly soaking in a puddle, taking a mud bath. It had sared mud all over its body.
Ever since Jinbao and the young bird had fallen into a deep slumber, it had been trying to find ways to amuse itself.
Recalling the days in the Southern Border when countless beautiful female manta rays would swarm around it, vying for its affection, Yinbao’s tail began to swish faster.
Suddenly, it sensed Fang Qingyuan’s spiritual presence. When it opened its eyes, it saw Fang Qingyuan staring at it with a strange expression.
Yinbao jolted, scrambled up, and sidled up to Fang Qingyuan.
Fang Qingyuan patted Yinbao’s large head and said to it,
"Old friend, it’s ti you put in so effort. Don’t be like , just lying around all day. I can afford to lie around for a few hundred years, but how long can you?"
Yinbao narrowed its eyes and lowered its head in sha before Fang Qingyuan. But the very next day, it was back to happily lying around.
’I, Yinbao, just want to lie flat. Nothing anyone says can change that.’
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