Formations and Inner Cores

The Auction began, and an elderly man in purple robes walked onto the auction platform. His cultivation was impressively at the Foundation Establishment Realm, and the Foundation Establishment Late Stage at that.

"I am Du Wensheng of the Three Rivers Sect, and I will be hosting this Golden Moon Pavilion Auction... Now, let the bidding begin for the first Spirit Item."

As his voice fell, an attendant stepped forward and placed the first Spirit Item on the bluestone table beside him.

It was a Precious Sword gleaming with cold light. Wisps of Water Attribute Spiritual Qi coiled and danced around its blade like little snakes.

"The Blue Gang Sword is a Second-Rank Low-Grade Law Artifact, refined primarily from the Tier 2 Spirit Material deepwater mystic crystal. It possesses formidable offensive power, and the Tier 2 Water Attribute Law Technique Water-Splitting Sword Gang is engraved on its blade. It is a rare, top-quality Law Artifact."

"The starting bid is five hundred Spirit Stones, with each increase no less than twenty. Now, let the bidding begin!"

The first item up for auction was a Tier 2 Law Artifact. Clearly, the Golden Moon Pavilion had brought it out to get things off to a flying start, as was customary at auctions.

In private room number three, Yang Tianyou gazed at the Blue Gang Sword with considerable longing. As a Tier 2 Law Artifact, it was bound to be extremely powerful. Unfortunately, even if he managed to buy it, he would be unable to unleash its full power. He was better off sticking to a First-Tier Superior-Grade Law Artifact.

The gap between major realms was no small matter. Middle Qi Refinement cultivators could still fully activate First-Tier Superior-Grade Law Artifacts.

But even a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining could not fully activate a Tier 2 Law Artifact. The gap between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was simply too great.

It was not just a gap in Spiritual Power, but an all-around disparity in the Fleshly Body, meridians, foundation, soul, and more. Moreover, the difference was crushing and nearly impossible to bridge.

As a result, a Qi Refining cultivator using a Tier 2 Law Artifact would be like a child swinging a sledgehammer. It might not improve his combat strength by much, and could instead put him in danger.

Suppressing the stirring in his heart, Yang Tianyou calmly watched the cultivators compete for the Blue Gang Sword.

"Six hundred Spirit Stones!"

"I bid seven hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Eight hundred!"

"One thousand Spirit Stones!"

"One thousand and fifty!"

"One thousand one hundred!"

The usual market price for a Second-Rank Low-Grade Law Artifact was between eight hundred and fifteen hundred Spirit Stones.

The Blue Gang Sword was a top-quality specimen among Second-Rank Low-Grade Law Artifacts, so its price rose quickly. In the end, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator took it home for thirteen hundred Spirit Stones.

"The second item is the Essence Fire Flying Shuttle, a First-Tier Superior-Grade Fire Attribute offensive Law Artifact... The starting bid is two hundred Spirit Stones, with each increase no less than five Spirit Stones.

"Now, let the bidding begin!"

Compared with the first item, the Blue Gang Sword, the Essence Fire Flying Shuttle was undoubtedly worth far less.

Yet the bidding for the Essence Fire Flying Shuttle was far more heated than it had been for the Blue Gang Sword.

At the end of the day, most cultivators in this world were at the lower levels. Cultivators in the Qi Refining Period, in particular, were as numerous as hairs on an ox.

Besides, this small auction, held once every two years, was intended for Qi Refining cultivators and some cultivators at the early and middle stages of Foundation Establishment. The former accounted for more than ninety-five percent of those present.

Thus, competition for Spirit Items suited to the Qi Refining Period was noticeably fiercer.

"Two hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"

"Two hundred and eighty!"

"I bid three hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Three hundred and ten!"

"Four hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"

"Four hundred and seventy!"

In the end, a Fire Attribute Qi Refining cultivator gritted his teeth and secured the Essence Fire Flying Shuttle.

Though it pained him greatly to pay the Spirit Stones, the heat naturally radiating from the Law Artifact made his face light up with a smile once he picked it up from the bluestone table.

"The third item..."

The Auction continued. Yang Tianyou encountered no Spirit Items that caught his eye, so he kept from bidding until the eighth item appeared.

"The Formation Disc for the Three-Origin Spirit Gathering Formation, a First-Tier Superior-Grade Formation. It can increase a Late Qi Refinement cultivator's cultivation speed by ten percent, but only those with a powerful Fleshly Body can use it. Please bid with caution.

"The starting bid is three hundred Spirit Stones, with each increase no less than ten Spirit Stones. Now, let the bidding begin!"

Of the four arts of cultivation—Pill, Formation, Artifact, and Talisman—Formations were the most expensive on average and more difficult to learn.

The Three-Origin Spirit Gathering Formation could increase a Qi Refining cultivator's cultivation speed by ten percent, which was already hard to come by. Accumulated over days and months, the difference could not be underestimated.

Having just broken through to the Qi Refining seventh layer, Yang Tianyou needed just such a Spirit Item to improve his cultivation without side effects. Now that he had encountered one, he naturally would not let it slip by.

"Four hundred Spirit Stones!"

He raised the bid by a hundred Spirit Stones at once, his tone declaring his determination to win.

But this had little effect. There were many Late Qi Refinement cultivators present, and although the Three-Origin Spirit Gathering Formation required a strong Fleshly Body, that was not difficult to manage.

Swallowing special Pills, using Talismans that strengthened the Fleshly Body, and other methods could all do the trick. For that very reason, competition for the Three-Origin Spirit Gathering Formation was fierce.

Everyone wanted to enter the Great Perfection of Qi Refining as soon as possible. For every day sooner they reached it, they had that much more hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

"I bid five hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Five hundred and fifty!"

"Six hundred!"

"Seven hundred Spirit Stones!"

The price soared, quickly reaching seven hundred Spirit Stones. That was enough to buy a very good First-Tier Superior-Grade Law Artifact, yet it still fell short for the Three-Origin Spirit Gathering Formation.

Yang Tianyou had long anticipated this. His expression unchanged, he raised the bid by two hundred Spirit Stones at once.

"Nine hundred Spirit Stones!"

The sudden increase scared off the vast majority of his competitors. Faced with such a high price, those who remained did not dare raise it by much.

"Nine hundred and thirty Spirit Stones!"

"Nine hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"

The price rose slowly, and Yang Tianyou spoke again. "One thousand Spirit Stones!"

This time, no one bid against him. In the end, Yang Tianyou secured the Three-Origin Spirit Gathering Formation for the high price of one thousand Spirit Stones.

Guests in the private rooms did not have to collect their purchases on the spot; someone would deliver them.

Not long after he won the Formation, a knock came at the door. An attendant stood outside with his purchase. Yang Tianyou paid the Spirit Stones and took the Formation Disc in his hands to examine it.

It was circular, roughly a foot in diameter, and covered in densely packed Array Marks. There were also three small holes in the disc for inserting Formation Flags.

If Yang Tianyou found Formation Flags suited to the disc, the Three-Origin Spirit Gathering Formation's effect could be improved further.

After examining it for a while, Yang Tianyou put the Formation Disc away and continued watching the Auction.

Item after item was bought by cultivators who needed it. Not a single one went unsold.

When the twenty-third item came up, Yang Tianyou once again found something he wanted.

"The twenty-third item is the Inner Core of a First-Tier Superior-Grade Demon Beast, the Dark Moon Netherwolf. This Inner Core is brimming with essence, making it a rare Spirit Item for either Alchemy or Artifact Refining.

"The starting bid is eighty Spirit Stones, with each increase no less than five Spirit Stones. Now, let the bidding begin!"

"Oh, a Dark Moon Netherwolf's Inner Core. This would be perfect for Fengling!"

"Mm, I was thinking the same thing. With this Inner Core, Fengling should be able to break through to Late Qi Refinement soon."

Smiling, Yang Tianyou called out a bid.

"One hundred Spirit Stones!"