Auction

"Puppet Technique was also an art that could make money while sitting at home!"

Li Chang'an's face lit up with delight.

Among the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, Puppet Technique ranked among the very best.

When cultivators explored those Ancient Ruins or Predecessors' Cave Mansions, they inevitably needed Puppets to scout ahead.

When fighting others.

Having one more Puppet could also give them one more advantage.

"A good Puppet never had to worry about finding buyers."

Li Chang'an's eyes shone as he stared at the contents of the Hexagram Image.

What truly delighted him was the grade of this Puppet Inheritance.

High-grade First Tier!

The Talisman Inheritance he currently possessed was only Mid-grade First Tier.

Apart from marrying into the Zheng Family, he still had not found another way to obtain high-grade Talisman Inheritance.

"I'll soon be able to draw Premium Grade mid-grade Talismans. By then, my Talisman skills will have temporarily reached their limit."

Li Chang'an pondered.

Before obtaining high-grade Talisman Inheritance, he could learn Puppet Technique in the meantime.

In any case, he had enough energy now.

He had not learned Feng Shui technique earlier because its grade was too low, and it did not align with his cultivation philosophy.

The next day.

Early in the morning.

The atmosphere in the Marketplace was already exceptionally lively.

Almost everyone was discussing the Auction that was about to begin.

At noon.

The Auction officially began.

The person presiding over it was a kindly old man.

"Fellow Daoists, the first auction item is a Cloud Breaking Pill."

At once, the breathing of many cultivators present grew several shades heavier.

Countless gazes converged on the pill bottle.

The Cloud Breaking Pill was a high-grade First Tier pill. Its required medicinal ingredients were incredibly precious, and it had only one effect—assisting with a breakthrough!

The transition from the sixth to the seventh layer of Qi Refining was the dividing line between the Mid Qi Refining and late Qi Refining stages.

It was exceedingly difficult to cross.

Many cultivators remained trapped before this pass their entire lives, unable to break through until death.

Yet the Cloud Breaking Pill could greatly reduce the difficulty of breaking through.

Moreover, it had few side effects.

"This Cloud Breaking Pill was made by a Second-tier Alchemist of my Zheng Family. It is a Premium Grade Cloud Breaking Pill!"

"The starting price is three hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Each bid must increase the price by at least ten!"

The moment his voice fell.

Someone immediately called out a price of three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.

But another person soon shouted four hundred.

One party after another called out, with each number higher than the last. The atmosphere of the entire Auction grew increasingly heated.

Li Chang'an sat silently in a corner without saying a word.

"I probably won't need a Breakthrough Pill."

He had heard before.

It was best not to use pills to break through from the sixth to the seventh layer of Qi Refining.

Doing so would reduce one's innate potential.

When breaking through to Foundation Establishment in the future, one might encounter problems.

However.

Many people did not even dare hope to establish their foundation. They only sought the cultivation of the late Qi Refining stage.

In the end, this Premium Grade Cloud Breaking Pill sold for the sky-high price of nine hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.

"Fellow Daoists, the second auction item is a Low-grade First Tier technique."

"Gu Insect Inheritance!"

"The starting price..."

Soon, one item after another was auctioned off.

Not every item was so valuable. Some were worth considerably less.

After roughly two quarters of an hour.

A Puppet was brought onto the stage.

"Finally."

Li Chang'an's gaze sharpened as he carefully examined it.

It was a human-shaped Puppet that was pitch-black from head to toe.

He could not tell what material it was made of.

Its surface bore numerous marks left by sharp and blunt weapons. Only half its head remained, and its limbs were also horribly mangled, as though it had endured an utterly brutal battle.

The old man introduced it with a smile.

"This Puppet was discovered by us in a Secret Realm. After appraisal, its grade has reached High-grade First Tier."

"What? High-grade First Tier?"

At those words, the eyes of many cultivators lit up.

The auction catalog previously provided had only listed a Puppet. It had not said that it was High-grade First Tier.

A Puppet of this grade.

If controlled properly.

It was enough to fight a late Qi Refining cultivator!

But someone soon raised a question.

"Senior, this Puppet is so badly damaged. Can it still display the strength of a High-grade First Tier Puppet?"

"Young friend has a sharp eye!"

The old man smiled, then began a detailed introduction.

"If this Puppet were complete, it could indeed be considered High-grade First Tier. But now it is terribly damaged and cannot be controlled normally. It can barely be considered a First-tier Low-grade Puppet."

"However..."

The old man's tone shifted. "My Zheng Family has no accomplished Puppet Master. Perhaps we may have overlooked something. After all, this item was excavated from a Secret Realm. It may conceal some secret from the Ancient Times."

"If any of you know an accomplished Puppet Master, you may purchase this Puppet and have them examine it carefully."

What he meant was that there might be a chance to find a hidden treasure.

Such things had happened before.

Someone had once purchased a fragment of a magical artifact from an Ancient Secret Realm at a low price during an Auction, only to discover that the fragment contained a Storage Space filled with countless immensely valuable treasures!

But everyone immediately lost interest, and few were willing to gamble.

The reason was simple.

The chance of finding a hidden treasure was far too low!

After another round of introduction, the old man announced the price.

"This Puppet has a base price of thirty Spirit Stones. Each bid must increase the price by at least one Spirit Stone."

Among the many auction items this time, this Puppet's starting price was considered very low.

It was probably only there to fill out the numbers.

Scattered bids rang out from the crowd, somewhat chilly and nothing like the earlier fervor.

In the end.

Li Chang'an also began bidding.

"Fifty-seven Spirit Stones!"

The moment he spoke.

An astonished gaze was cast from the Private Room at the very top of the Auction.

"Hm? What does he want this thing for? Could he be trying his luck?"

Zheng Qingqing was inside this Private Room, and a trace of surprise appeared on her pretty face.

Beside her.

Sat a young woman dressed in a white gown.

The young woman's features were exquisite, her eyes lively, and her gaze also fell upon Li Chang'an below.

"Sister Qingqing, is he the Li Chang'an you told me about?"

"Yes."

Zheng Qingqing gave a slight nod, then asked the young woman,

"Ling'er, what do you think of him?"

"His looks are fairly decent."

The young woman's name was Zheng Ling'er.

She was sixteen years old, petite and charming, and Zheng Qingqing's younger female cousin.

She was also a cultivator with a Low-grade Spirit Root.

Zheng Qingqing planned to play matchmaker for her and Li Chang'an, bringing the two together.

But Zheng Ling'er knitted her brows slightly, seemingly dissatisfied.

"Sister Qingqing, his only passable quality is his appearance. His aptitude is truly ordinary."

The requirements for a partner in the Cultivation World were similar to those in the Secular World, though there were also slight differences.

Appearance was only secondary.

What truly mattered was a person's aptitude and cultivation.

Zheng Qingqing smiled gently and patiently persuaded her. "Ling'er, Li Chang'an has a Low-grade Spirit Root, and so do you. Your cultivation talents are similar. The two of you are actually quite well suited."

"Sister Qingqing, how can you calculate it that way?"

Zheng Ling'er pouted, looking slightly aggrieved.

"Although I only have a Low-grade Spirit Root, I should at least make an effort to find a Dao Companion with a Mid-grade Spirit Root, right?"