The morning mist of the Three Elents Immortal City had yet to dissipate. Outside the Chen Clan Auction House, cultivators descended from their spiritual lights at the doorway.
The gilded plaque hanging on the vermilion door glead under the morning sun, and the stone lions guarding either side held luminous beads in their mouths, casting flickering reflections of the passing cultivators.
Today’s auction house was ten tis more lively than usual. Just the queue of cultivators waiting to enter stretched from the street corner to the alley’s end, including several late-stage Foundation Establishnt or even Foundation Establishnt Perfection cultivators, each with irrepressible anticipation on their faces.
Inside the auction house, it was even more crowded with noise.
The main hall on the first floor had over a thousand seats, all occupied, with the murmurs of cultivators blending into a hum. Occasionally, spiritual power fluctuations spread from the crowd.
The seventy-two private rooms on the second floor had tightly closed windows, from which emanated powerful auras, clearly belonging to Golden Core cultivators.
At the third quarter of the Chen Hour, the beaded curtain behind the auction platform rose with a "swish," and Chen Xixing stepped onto the stage.
He wore a dark patterned brocade robe, with a well-crafted earth-yellow jade pendant at his waist. Though his aura of fake pill cultivation was not as majestic as a Golden Core cultivator’s, it carried an invisible weight.
Years ago, he failed to break through to the Golden Core stage and eventually chose to refine the Unihorn Demon King’s Core, assisted by the Tier Three Auxiliary Pill refined by Chen Sheng. He spent the last two years stabilizing his Fake Pill realm.
Such cultivation was not considered high, but having been at the helm of the Chen Clan for many years, his presence on stage exuded a command of the situation.
"Chairman Chen himself is on stage today, it seems the final auction item is extraordinary!"
"I heard the Chen Clan Comrce Association just annexed the ’Treasure Pavilion’ in the west of the city last month. Now their influence in the Immortal City is second only to the top ten auction houses."
"It’s not just the comrce association. Have you seen how even late-stage Golden Core cultivators are courteous to Chairman Chen? He’s backed by the Micro-Image Grandmaster!"
Whispers arose from all corners of the hall. Chen Xixing acted as if he hadn’t heard, rely raising his hand to quiet the raucous hall in an instant.
As the chief steward of the Chen Clan and the eldest son of the Micro-Image Grandmaster, even with just a Fake Pill cultivation, no one dared to act recklessly at his hosted events.
After all, the Micro-Image Grandmaster was a leading figure in the realm-breaking domain, and most cultivators sought ways to associate with him. Who would dare offend?
Besides, this place was the Three Elents Immortal City, the stronghold of the Daoist Sect. With the Micro-Image Grandmaster’s connections in the sect...hardly anyone would overstep.
"Today’s auction items, thank you all for waiting."
Chen Xixing’s voice, amplified by spiritual power, reached every corner clearly. "Without further ado, let the auction begin!"
With his command, the first attendant walked onto the stage carrying a tray.
As soon as the "Ice Soul Bead" on the tray was revealed, a stir erupted in the hall.
This Tier Two High Grade Spirit Bead emitted a faint blue light, capable of stabilizing water spiritual power for Foundation Establishnt cultivators. Instantly, seven or eight cultivators raised their paddles simultaneously.
"Five hundred middle grade spirit stones!"
"Eight hundred!"
"I’ll offer one thousand!"
The price skyrocketed like a rocket, eventually being acquired by a blue-robed cultivator for one thousand five hundred middle grade spirit stones.
Soon after, the peak Tier Two "Cyan Pattern Shield" and Tier Three Lower Grade "Wind Spirit Grass" were successively brought forth, each inciting fierce bidding.
Undercover bidders mingling in the crowd deftly raised bids, at tis feigning disputes, at other tis pretending to give up, heating up the atmosphere.
Each ti an item was sold, the steward responsible for the gavel loudly announced the sale, the crisp gavel sound intertwined with the cultivators’ exclamations, imrsing the entire auction house in a fervent atmosphere.
In a private room on the east side of the second floor, three Golden Core cultivators sipped spirit tea.
The leading cultivator in green put down his teacup, his gaze passing through the window to the stage below:
"Chen Clan’s thods are becoming more proficient. While these Tier Two spiritual objects may not be top-notch, each is practical. They’ve clearly done their howork."
The red-faced cultivator beside him chuckled:
"Backed by the Micro-Image Grandmaster, countless Golden Core cultivators try to affiliate with him. With Chen Clan offspring engaging in marriages with other families, would they lack avenues for these Tier Two items?"
The other person stroked his beard and said:
"I’m more interested in the ’surprise’ Chairman Chen ntioned. Last month I inquired through the Pill Vein, reportedly the Micro-Image Grandmaster, during secluded cultivation, crafted a new pill..."
Ti passed slowly, soon nearing its end.
The lights on the auction platform suddenly dimd, leaving only the Spirit Gathering Lamp illuminating Chen Xixing’s figure, heightening the solemnity.
He personally presented a purple sandalwood tray lined with bright yellow brocade. In the center lay a translucent white jade bottle, vaguely revealing the rolling blue glow inside.
"Everyone," Chen Xixing’s voice carried a barely perceptible excitent, "this is the final auction item of the session—the Taiqing Dust Transformation Pill."
At the ntion of these three words, several gasps arose from the second-floor private rooms.
Chen Xixing paused, then continued:
"This pill ranks as Tier Three Top Level, personally improved by my father, who invested three months’ effort in refining it. For mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, consuming this pill offers a fifty percent chance to break through the bottleneck and advance to the late-stage!"
"Boom!"
The hall instantly erupted. The composure on the cultivators’ faces vanished, replaced by incredulous shock.
"A fifty percent chance? How is that possible!"
"I bought a ’Barrier-Breaking Pill’ three years ago, and the seller claid a twenty percent chance, but it didn’t even touch the bottleneck!"
"A Pill Formula improved by the Micro-Image Grandmaster... no wonder it has such miraculous effects!"
Almost simultaneously, the windows of the second-floor box opened, and seven or eight Golden Core auras burst forth, unabashedly eager.
A Golden Core Cultivator in a purple robe suddenly stood up, his voice trembling slightly with excitent:
"Chairman Chen, is this true?"
Chen Xixing smiled faintly, raised his hand, and poured out a pill from the Jade Bottle.
The deep blue pill shimred with fine Pill Patterns under the lamp’s glow, and a refreshing dicinal fragrance instantly filled the room, causing the Spiritual Power within the cultivators to stir involuntarily.
"This pill can be verified." Chen Xixing handed the pill to the certifier next to him. "The Elder of the Dan Vein from the Three Elents Dao Sect has vouched for its authenticity, leaving no room for doubt."
The white-haired old man at the certification seat stood up, holding a Pill Mirror to examine the pill, and announced loudly:
"The Pill Patterns are pure; it’s indeed a Tier Three Top Level Taiqing Dust Transformation Pill, with effects as described by Chairman Chen!"
No one doubted further as a green-robed cultivator was the first to raise his placard: "One hundred thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones!"
"One hundred twenty thousand!"
"One hundred fifty thousand!"
"Two hundred thousand!"
The price skyrocketed like a rocket, breaking through three hundred thousand in the blink of an eye.
Several Mid-Stage Golden Core cultivators on the second floor turned red-eyed, their Divine Senses colliding in the air with invisible sparks.
"Three hundred fifty thousand!" the purple-robed cultivator gritted out, his Purple Thunder Spiritual Power nearly materializing.
"Three hundred seventy thousand!" ca a cold call from another box, clearly determined to obtain it at any cost.
The purple-robed cultivator slamd the table, ready to raise his bid further, but his junior brother stopped him:
"Senior Brother, three hundred seventy thousand is the limit; going higher, even mortgaging an ore vein won’t be enough. Even advancing to the late stage won’t be worth it..."
He stared at the Jade Bottle on stage, eyes full of reluctance, and finally sat back dejectedly.
"Three hundred seventy thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones, going once!"
"Three hundred seventy thousand, going twice!"
"Sold!"
The crisp sound of the gavel falling left the entire auction house silent for a mont, followed by an explosion of thunderous discussions.
"Three hundred seventy thousand, that’s at least as much as a Tier Three Spirit Vein Ore."
"What do you know? For Golden Core cultivators, breakthroughs in realm are a hundred tis more important than Spirit Stones! Besides, this is a pill from the Micro-Image Grandmaster, absolutely worth the price!"
More intriguing were the implications behind the pill, as a Golden Core cultivator whispered:
"To be able to refine a Tier Three Top Level pill ans the Micro-Image Grandmaster is already a Tier Three Top Level Alchemist! Another giant is erging from the Dan Vein!"
"I heard he’s not even three hundred years old; achieving this at such an age, he might very well reach for Tier Four Grandmaster in the future!"
"Tier Four Grandmaster... the Daoist Sect currently has only one. If he truly achieves it, he’ll undoubtedly beco the helm of the Dan Vein’s future!"
As the conversation gradually shifted from the pill to Chen Sheng, it was filled with reverence and speculation.
So said he possessed mystical treasures capable of glimpsing the secrets of the Alchemy Dao... others said he had a unique bloodline, with several offspring possessing Earth Grade Spiritual Roots... and so marveled at his caution—since joining the Daoist Sect, he had never stepped out of the Three Elents Immortal City.
An old cultivator lanted:
"Such a calm and steady deanor is well-suited for delving into the Alchemy Dao."
"Those sword cultivators who indulge in fighting lack this kind of composure. In my opinion, the Micro-Image Grandmaster will eventually beco a Tier Four Grandmaster sooner or later!"
Soone nearby chid in: "I wonder about the Micro-Image Grandmaster’s qualifications. Is there any hope for him to form a Nascent Soul?"
The old cultivator nodded:
"It shouldn’t be lacking; among his offspring are quite a few with Earth Grade Spiritual Roots."
"Moreover, he himself is a Mid-Stage Golden Core Cultivator, and this was after a misstep in his youth, forming a Fake Pill. Otherwise, he should have already broken through to the Late-stage Golden Core."
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