The Auction

"Come, come, try the Golden Jade Spirit Wine I just acquired. I specially asked someone to buy it from neighboring Silver River County. They say it originally came from a rather famous winemaking Aristocratic Clan in Zhou Commandery."

Jinge loved wine, and Yang Tianyou naturally knew of this fondness. Ever since they had become friends, Jinge brought a jug of Spirit Wine for him to sample whenever he came to visit.

This Spirit Wine was a bluish gold. A rich aroma wafted up from the cup, and just one sniff stirred the Spiritual Power within him.

Clearly, this Golden Jade Spirit Wine was highly beneficial to Metal-Attribute Spiritual Power.

Yang Tianyou raised the cup and drained it in one gulp. It tasted fiery at first, followed by a delicate fragrance that lingered on his palate.

Once in his stomach, it quickly transformed into a stream of pure Spiritual Power that seeped into his limbs and bones.

"Excellent wine! No wonder you're so fond of it, Brother Jin!"

Yang Tianyou was generous with his praise, and he meant every word. The Golden Jade Spirit Wine was indeed excellent. Drinking it day after day would greatly benefit his cultivation.

"Since it's good wine, keep it. I have another jar of it at home."

Chuckling softly, Jinge handed Yang Tianyou the jug, which was still more than half full.

Yang Tianyou accepted it and handed Jinge a First-Tier Middle-Grade Talisman in return. Smiling, he said, "I recently obtained a Talisman Canon containing several ingenious Talismans. This is one of them. Please accept it and have a look, Brother Jin!"

"Haha, good! If even you speak so highly of this Talisman, Brother Yang, I must study it."

The two chatted for a while longer before Jinge said, "Brother Yang, besides coming to drink with you, I also came to remind you not to forget the Golden Moon Pavilion auction a month from now. As far as I know, there's a batch of Body Cultivator resources among the lots this time. They're quite hard to come by, so don't miss out!"

"Body Cultivator resources? Truly?"

Yang Tianyou's eyes lit up, and a note of excitement entered his voice.

"Of course. Would I lie to you?"

"In that case, I certainly won't miss it."

Jinge laughed and produced an invitation bearing three large characters: "Honored Guest Pavilion."

"What's this?"

A thought stirred in Yang Tianyou's mind, and he asked uncertainly.

"It's an invitation for honored guests at the Golden Moon Pavilion auction. Bring it and come straight to private room number three."

"The Honored Guest Pavilion..."

Yang Tianyou gave his friend a long look. In the end, he said nothing and accepted the invitation.

He knew Jinge was no ordinary man, but Yang Tianyou did not know which faction he belonged to.

Still, as a friend, he could hardly press for answers if Jinge did not offer them himself. That was the most basic courtesy.

The two then exchanged insights and experiences in Talisman Crafting for a while longer before Jinge took his leave.

In his room, Yang Tianyou took stock of his assets. Since he was going to the auction, he first had to bring enough Spirit Stones.

Over the past three years, Yang Tianyou's Talisman Crafting skills had steadily improved, and his success rate had left others in the dust, far surpassing Talisman Makers of the same grade.

On average, Yang Tianyou could make one or two First-Tier Superior-Grade Talismans each month.

The market price of a First-Tier Superior-Grade Talisman generally fluctuated between one hundred and two hundred Spirit Stones.

The Talismans Yang Tianyou made were all of good quality, but limited by the strength of his Spiritual Power, their power generally fell between the seventh and eighth layers of Qi Refining. Each Talisman sold for around one hundred and thirty Spirit Stones on average.

But Yang Tianyou's profit margin was high. He earned roughly sixty or seventy Spirit Stones on each Talisman.

In three years, he had made over thirty First-Tier Superior-Grade Talismans. He kept more than ten for his own use and sold all the rest.

After deducting the cost of the Talismans he had kept, his daily cultivation expenses, and the Spirit Stones spent raising Fengling, Yang Tianyou had more than four thousand Spirit Stones left.

Of course, he had not earned so many Spirit Stones from drawing Talismans alone. His share of the mine's proceeds, his Lineage allowance, help from his parents, and some earlier savings also accounted for a considerable portion.

All of that added up to a full four thousand Spirit Stones and more.

It was no small fortune. Yang Tianyou's annual allowance was only eighty Spirit Stones. In other words, living on his allowance alone, without eating, drinking, or cultivating, he would have needed fifty years to save that many Spirit Stones.

It was little wonder that cultivators in the Cultivation World were in the habit of mastering a craft.

With a craft to rely on, even if they lacked Yang Tianyou's terrifying ability to earn Spirit Stones, they could greatly ease their financial burdens and smooth their Dao Paths.

With more than four thousand Spirit Stones to his name, Yang Tianyou was full of confidence and anticipation for the coming Golden Moon Pavilion auction.

A month later, Yang Tianyou finished his morning cultivation and headed to the Golden Moon Pavilion with Fengling.

The Golden Moon Pavilion was a Three Rivers Sect shop. Aside from its daily sales and purchases of Cultivation Resources, its greatest attractions were the small auction held every two years and the grand auction held every ten.

The small auction catered to Qi Refining cultivators and some Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

The grand auction catered to Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Golden Core Cultivators.

The auction about to be held was the small one, held every two years.

There had been an auction two years ago as well, but Yang Tianyou had been dirt poor then, with only a few hundred Spirit Stones to his name. Naturally, he had not come here to make himself uncomfortable.

Things were different now. With a large sum of Spirit Stones in hand, even his steps seemed lighter.

It was early morning, and the rising sun cast patches of golden light that complemented the Golden Moon Pavilion's luxurious architecture, making it look even more stately.

Following the crowd, Yang Tianyou entered the Golden Moon Pavilion and went straight up to the second floor. After he showed his invitation, an attendant at the Early Qi Refining stage led him to private room number three.

When he opened the door, Jinge was already sitting there, enjoying some wine. Several pieces of roasted Demon Beast meat on the table gave off a mouthwatering aroma. They were clearly prepared for Fengling.

"Awoo..."

Fengling's eyes lit up, and he called out to Jinge.

"He says thank you for the treat,"

Yang Tianyou told Jinge.

"You're welcome, you're welcome! If you like it, I'll have them bring you more!"

Jinge spoke with a broad smile. Over the past three years, he had grown familiar with Fengling and often brought him food.

The auction had yet to begin, so the two chatted, mostly discussing their various experiences with Talisman Crafting and things they had seen and heard.

Jinge did most of the talking about the latter, while Yang Tianyou listened attentively.

As for the former, Yang Tianyou had more to say. Before he knew it, his Talisman Crafting skills had far surpassed Jinge's.

In fact, if he had not been limited by the strength of his Spiritual Power, Yang Tianyou could have made Talismans with attack power comparable to that of a Qi Refining cultivator at Great Perfection long ago.

But he had now broken through, and he had not been idle over the past month. After stabilizing his cultivation, he immediately made a Blazing Gold Talisman.

The Blazing Gold Talisman was among the finest First-Tier Talismans and had both metal and fire attributes. According to the Yang Household Talisman Canon, it was one of the most powerful First-Tier Talismans.

He just didn't know who the Talisman would be used on in the future.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, half an hour had gone by, and all the expected guests had arrived. Through the private room's window, Yang Tianyou saw that the seats below were packed, with hardly an empty one to be found.