Lying Low While Cultivating Immortality in Two Worlds Chapter 99

"Welco, fellow Daoists, to the black market auction."

Once the two late-stage Foundation Establishnt powers had taken their positions, layers of multicolored restrictive light flared to life, converging upon the semicircular high platform.

A woman in a purple skirt appeared, her gaze misty and alluring, every movent radiating mature charm. She floated gracefully and offered a courteous salute to the surroundings.

"That person... seems to be Jiang Ziyan, an elder of the Jiang Family?" A perfect ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator murmured below.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd of Qi Refining cultivators. So stared with undisguised lust, clearly caught in her charm technique.

"Very well, enough talk. This humble one will now begin auctioning the first item: Jade Marrow Pill! This pill assists..."

Jiang Ziyan smiled sweetly and launched into the sale of the pills.

Fang Qing glanced down at the shocked expressions among the Qi Refining cultivators, then at the booklet in his hand, and could only shake his head.

These Qi Refining cultivators had at most heard vague rumors of Foundation Establishnt Pills. They had no idea how many truly valuable items this auction held. Their astonishnt was complete.

Yet in the eyes of the Foundation Establishnt cultivators seated in the private boxes, these auction items were laid bare, nothing special at all.

In fact, rely possessing this catalog allowed one to calmly plan ambushes, force rivals to spend vast sums of spirit stones in advance, and more.

"Second-rank Myriad Longevity Turtle Egg, starting at only five hundred spirit stones! Its temperant is gentle, making it the ideal spirit beast for guarding a household or inheriting a clan lineage..."

Jiang Ziyan's voice carried a subtle seductive lilt. "With just a small investnt now, your family may one day possess a second-rank guardian spirit beast comparable to those of my Jiang Family. Opportunity knocks but once. Do not let it slip away!"

The auction hall fell into sudden silence.

Clearly, Fang Qing was not the only clever one present. Foundation Establishnt cultivators had no interest in the turtle egg, while for Qi Refining cultivators it was too expensive. Most critically, even if they bought it, they might not live long enough to see it mature!

Jiang Ziyan inwardly cursed the clan elder who had insisted on putting the Myriad Longevity Turtle Egg up for auction.

The elder had hoped her charm and the excitent of the auction would offload this slow-moving item.

But no matter how silver-tongued she was, cultivators were generally shrewd calculators. Few would make such a foolish purchase.

That old fool should have set the price lower. Then perhaps so ignorant rogue cultivator might have taken the bait...

Just as Jiang Ziyan's smile began to falter, a timid voice spoke up. "Five hundred spirit stones..."

"Good! Five hundred spirit stones going once... twice... three tis... sold! Congratulations to this young lady on obtaining a second-rank spirit beast egg!"

Jiang Ziyan spoke at lightning speed, afraid the rogue cultivator might change his mind.

"Hmm?"

Fang Qing swept his divine sense over and discovered it was the grandfather and granddaughter pair he had seen at the auction entrance. Sohow they had managed to get inside again.

What surprised him even more was that this pair seed to possess considerable wealth.

They appeared inexperienced in the ways of the world. Had they been fortunate enough to inherit an ancestor's legacy, or stumbled upon so other opportunity?

'Wealth displayed openly brings disaster rather than fortune.'

Fang Qing could clearly sense that several cultivators had already developed greedy intentions toward the grandfather and granddaughter.

Perhaps many present would transform into robbery cultivators after the auction ended.

"The next item is one of the highlights of this auction: an ancient wind escape secret technique—Xun Wind Shadowless Escape!"

"This technique originates from an ancient cultivator relic and consists of seven layers. Unfortunately, the stone tablets recording the final three layers were damaged in battle. Even so, it remains a rare and valuable escape art, one that even Core Formation ancestors could cultivate..."

Perhaps the previous item had been too cold, so Jiang Ziyan quietly adjusted the order, bringing forward a headliner to heat up the atmosphere.

"Wind escape techniques are naturally excellent for pursuing enemies or fleeing for one's life. The only pity is that one requires a wind-attribute spiritual root or a corresponding spiritual body to even begin practicing."

Among the knowledgeable late-stage Qi Refining cultivators below, many shook their heads and sighed.

"It is uncertain whether this technique can be cultivated by us Qi Refining cultivators at all."

Another perfect ninth-layer cultivator frowned, clearly hesitant.

They had been drawn here by rumors that Foundation Establishnt Pills would appear at this auction. Every spirit stone had to be saved for the end.

Spending on a re secret technique was simply not worth it.

"This escape art is extrely exquisite. For Qi Refining cultivators, as long as one's dharma body is strong and one has cultivated one or two layers of body refinent, mastering the first layer poses no great difficulty..."

On the platform, Jiang Ziyan finished her introduction and subtly turned her gaze toward the various private boxes.

She knew full well that the true competitors for this item were the Foundation Establishnt cultivators seated within those boxes. "Ancient secret technique—Xun Wind Shadowless Escape. Starting bid: two thousand spirit stones. Each raise must be at least one hundred spirit stones!"

The atmosphere in the boxes remained quiet for a mont before a gentle voice rang out. "Two thousand spirit stones!"

"Two thousand one hundred!"

Mainly two boxes were competing, and the price quickly climbed to three thousand.

Box No. 3 on the Earth tier belonged to the Howling Wind Fortress. It was said that the fortress ancestor's Wang Xiaofeng possessed a wind-attribute spiritual body. No wonder they showed strong interest in this technique.

The other box likely belonged to the rogue cultivator pill master Yuan Danshi. He was a second-rank fire-thod alchemy grandmaster. Although he cultivated a fire-attribute technique, he had a beloved daughter with an outstanding wind-attribute spiritual root.

Jiang Ziyan flashed through the intelligence in her mind: in the end, Yuan Danshi should win it, with the price falling sowhere between three thousand five hundred and seven hundred spirit stones.

She was an experienced auctioneer and had a rough estimate of every important guest's strength and wealth.

The key point was that the Howling Wind Fortress Ancestor had an entire family clan to support. He truly could not spare too many spirit stones.

Sure enough!

After the bid from Earth Box No. 3 reached three thousand five hundred spirit stones, they chose to withdraw.

Just as Jiang Ziyan thought the matter settled, another voice rang out from a box. "Three thousand seven hundred spirit stones!"

"Hmm?"

Jiang Ziyan's heart stirred. She recalled the intelligence gathered by the serving maids below: an unfamiliar Foundation Establishnt cultivator... yet his mana was exceptionally powerful, suspected to be a mid-stage Foundation Establishnt expert!

Fang Qing, having converted to the [Lou tal] Dao Foundation, was only at the early stage of Dao Foundation. Yet on Verdant Jade Island, his mana appeared overwhelmingly strong and was directly mistaken for mid-stage Foundation Establishnt.

"Three thousand eight hundred!"

"Three thousand nine hundred!"

"Four thousand!"

"Four thousand one hundred!"

Inside the other box, Yuan Danshi—with his hair and eyebrows blazing red—sensed the calm confidence in his opponent's voice. He could only sigh and give up the bidding.

"Four thousand one hundred spirit stones! Congratulations to the senior in Human Box No. 7 for obtaining this ancient secret technique."

Jiang Ziyan's smile grew even brighter. The more spirit stones an item fetched, the greater the benefit to the Jiang Family—and to her personally as well.

Fang Qing found none of the subsequent auction items worth his attention. Even the mid-grade spiritual artifacts on offer paled in comparison to his Hundred Souls Banner by who knew how many tis over.

He grew drowsy from waiting until finally Jiang Ziyan's voice rang out again. "Second-rank superior spirit herb: Qionghua Branch! This spiritual herb serves not only as the main ingredient for nurous second-rank pills but can also be consud directly to increase a cultivator's mana. Alternatively, after decoction, it may be used for body refinent or to feed spirit beasts. Starting bid: one thousand seven hundred spirit stones!"

"One thousand eight hundred!"

"One thousand nine hundred!"

Yuan Danshi's eyes lit up the mont he saw the Qionghua Branch.

A second-rank superior treasure herb held great appeal for him.

Moreover, only in his hands could its value be maximized. "Two thousand! I bid two thousand spirit stones!"

"Two thousand one hundred spirit stones!"

At that mont, the young voice from Human Box No. 7 spoke again—unhurried, carrying an air of absolute determination.

This ti Yuan Danshi did not back down. He continued raising the price until it neared four thousand spirit stones, at which point he almost suspected the opponent was a shill planted by the auction house.

Forget it. Four thousand spirit stones already exceeded the Qionghua Branch's true worth. Even if I refined pills with it, I might end up at a loss. Let wait and see you make a fool of yourself.

Yuan Danshi gritted his teeth and stopped bidding.

Otherwise, if the other side suddenly withdrew, he would be the one left holding the bag.

"Four thousand spirit stones! Congratulations to the senior in Human Box No. 7 for obtaining the second-rank superior spirit herb—Qionghua Branch!"

Jiang Ziyan grew even more excited. This senior truly possessed astonishing wealth. He had already spent nearly ten thousand spirit stones.

Such lavish spending made even her feel a little... stirred.

At that mont, inside another private box.

"What is going on? Yuan Danshi I can understand, but how did another unfamiliar Foundation Establishnt cultivator appear?"

A tall, white-haired old man with ugly features questioned a black-robed middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man possessed early Foundation Establishnt cultivation, yet he shrank before the elder. "I... I don't know either. According to my information, Qin Ruxue was very interested in this item. She might have co in person, or perhaps... she entrusted a fellow sect mber to bid on her behalf?"

This middle-aged man was none other than the ancestor of the Spirit Shell Zhou Family—Zhou Mingjing.

And the ugly old man beside him was none other than Lu Qianfan of the Sea-Destroying Alliance!

Clearly, the Spirit Shell Zhou Family had secretly pledged allegiance to the Sea-Destroying Alliance and had even laid a killing trap targeting Qin Ruxue, who ranked high on the black list.

They simply had not expected that no big fish would arrive—only inexplicable strangers.

"Never mind. From this old man's observation, that person's cultivation is at most mid-stage Foundation Establishnt. After the auction ends, you will accompany this old man to deal with him!"

A cold glint flashed in Lu Qianfan's eyes. "Have you prepared your Scent-Seeking Insects?"

"Of course. This brood of Scent-Seeking Insects has been raised on Qionghua Branches since they were young. Their sensitivity to its aura is unmatched. Within a hundred li, they will never lose the trail!"

Zhou Mingjing took out a spirit shell and swore an oath.

"Hmm. Do your job well. The Alliance will not treat you unfairly. Once we take this person and extract his essence blood, this old man will bestow upon you a secret technique to help you break through to mid-stage Foundation Establishnt with ease."

Lu Qianfan sat back down and waited patiently.

After breaking through to late Foundation Establishnt, his mana and divine sense had greatly increased. Even his puppet-control arts had advanced considerably. His strength had more than doubled.

Within the Blue Sea Sect, as long as it was not Ruan Zhixuan, he feared no one!

Even if he encountered a core Foundation Establishnt disciple wielding a talisman treasure, he could use puppets to pin them down and escape without issue.

At this mont, the auction had officially entered its most intense phase—the Foundation Establishnt Pill auction!

"The final item: Foundation Establishnt Pill!"

Jiang Ziyan's voice carried a slight tremble. "This pill has been appraised by an authenticator and is undoubtedly genuine. It increases a perfect ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator's chance of successful Foundation Establishnt by thirty percent and protects the ridians, ensuring survival even if the attempt fails. Starting bid: five thousand spirit stones!"