Heavenly Heart Begonia: Blood Stained Rakshasa City (Part One)
"I don't have any Phoenix Bloodline Fairy feathers, but who knows, I might get some in the future? Besides, even if I don't need them for the next few years, I can just kill a few Fairy with Phoenix Bloodline when I reach the Deity Transformation stage. I believe Phoenix Feather Wings can fetch a pretty good price then," Zhuge Xiang said, waving his hand dismissively at Su Huayu's question.
His words made Mizheng and Su Huayu look at him with some envy. The Nascent Deity Transformation stage can be said to be the realm that all Cultivator dream of, and it is also the common pursuit of all Cultivator. Only someone who has comprehended the Zhuge Xiang Sword Intent would dare to say that he has broken through to the Deity Transformation stage so casually.
However, from Zhuge Xiang's perspective, breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage is not a problem. The Phoenix Feather Wings Blueprint will indeed be a very good way for Zhuge Xiang to make money in the future.
With 50,000 Spirit Stone Coin as an investment, Zhuge Xiang didn't hesitate at all. It would be best if he could find the materials to refine it. If not, he would still be able to kill Fairy in the future, and the value of the blueprint would far exceed 50,000 Spirit Stone Coin. No matter how you look at it, Zhuge Xiang wouldn't lose money.
The Auction's gavel fell quickly, as if afraid Zhuge Xiang would change his mind. Zhuge Xiang acquired the Phoenix Feather Wings Flying Magic Artifact Blueprint for 50,000 Spirit Stone Coin.
Following the blueprints for this Flying Magic Artifact, the other highlight auction items were also presented one after another. This Auction was indeed quite large in scale, with the final items including even Fairy Essence Blood, broken magical Treasure Artifact, powerful martial arts Skill, and secret medicines that could enhance combat power for a short time...
The final auction items were all of excellent quality, especially the surviving Treasure Artifact, which fetched a sky-high price of 150,000 Spirit Stone Coin. However, Zhuge Xiang showed no interest in bidding on any of these items.
Of the remaining Treasure Artifact weapons, he possessed the Poisonous Flood Dragon Spear, and the Sword of Slaughter was sufficient for his needs. He also had Pill to increase his attack power. As for martial arts Skill? Zhuge Xiang already had quite a few Skill of his own.
Aside from the initial Flying Magic Artifact Blueprint, none of the so-called "final auction items" particularly appealed to Zhuge Xiang, and he didn't make a single bid. Eight of the nine final auction items had already been sold, and the last item finally arrived belatedly.
A red jade box was carefully brought out; the final item for auction, naturally, was the grand finale. Looking at the red jade box, which was about half a meter tall, many people held their breath. What could this last item be? Could it be more precious than a broken magical Treasure Artifact or a powerful martial art?
"Distinguished guests, today's auction item is the last and also the best piece in this auction," the auctioneer's voice became much louder.
"The last item up for auction is a material," the auctioneer announced. Upon hearing this, many people secretly rolled their eyes, their interest waning considerably. A material? Whether it's a material for Pill or a material for Magic Artifact, it requires Pill Alchemist and Artifact Forger, which is inherently very troublesome.
However, the host's next words caused an uproar among everyone at the Auction: "Although this is a medicinal herb, and its efficacy can be perfectly utilized in the hands of Pill Alchemist, it can also be ingested directly, because this herb is none other than the Heavenly Heart Begonia, known as the Soul Flower."
Heavenly Heart Begonia! The Soul Flower!
As soon as the Auction finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in uproar. To these people, the Heavenly Heart Begonia was like a Thousand Year Ginseng to Beggar. As far as Cultivator were concerned, they had all heard of the Heavenly Heart Begonia, but for the vast majority of Cultivator in the world, it was a rare and precious Immortal-grade Item that was hard to come by.
The Heavenly Heart Begonia cannot heal physical injuries, increase cultivation, or detoxify. However, it possesses an extraordinary ability: to heal wounds of the Heavenly Heart Begonia. As a medicinal herb capable of healing Soul Injury, the Heavenly Heart Begonia is known as the Soul Flower.
It's not just because of its miraculous medicinal effects, but more importantly because the Heavenly Heart Begonia has extremely demanding growing conditions, and it's almost impossible to see wild ones. It must be cultivated artificially, and the growing conditions are not soil and water, but corpses!
Excellent! Heavenly Heart Begonia! This Soul Flower grows from human corpses.
First, a Cultivator at the Deity Transformation stage is needed to Refining Qi to Spirit, using Divine Sense as nourishment to meet the growth requirements of the Heavenly Heart Begonia.
Secondly, a Deity Transformation Stage Cultivator must be pure of heart, utterly virtuous and truthful, in order to cultivate a sacred and enchanting flower like the Heavenly Heart Begonia. Only if these conditions are met will the Heavenly Heart Begonia have a one percent chance of growing out of the space between the eyebrows of a human corpse.
The corpse of Deity Transformation Stage Cultivator is not so easy to find. Moreover, the Cultivation World is a world where the strong prey on the weak. To reach the Deity Transformation stage, one must also have a pure heart and be utterly virtuous and truthful. This is even more difficult than ascending to heaven. Even so, only if these conditions are met is there a one percent chance that the Heavenly Heart Begonia will grow. The preciousness of the Heavenly Heart Begonia is self-evident. For anyone whose soul has been wounded, the Heavenly Heart Begonia is the best Healing elixir.
In battles between Cultivator, the methods are endless, and all sorts of injuries are naturally inflicted. However, if we were to talk about the most difficult injury to heal, the one that is most difficult to recover from would be the one on the bed of the soul. At best, it causes Memory disorder; at worst, it causes the soul to collapse, and one will never be able to reincarnate.
The red jade box slowly opened, revealing a translucent, jade-colored begonia, shimmering and swaying gently. A strange fragrance wafted out, invigorating the spirit and calming the mind; the mere scent had such an effect.
Everyone craned their necks, some even standing up in excitement. The Heavenly Heart Begonia filled everyone's eyes with intense greed.
Such an Immortal-grade Item flower, even without any damage to the soul, can greatly enhance the power of the soul and spirit when consumed. For Qi Refining Stage Cultivator, it strengthens their soul and spirit, increasing their chances of breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage by at least 30% to 40%.
"Alright, this is the first time in my life I've ever seen such Immortal-grade Item as the Heavenly Heart Begonia. The legends surrounding it are endless, so I won't waste any more time. This Heavenly Heart Begonia was brought out by a disciple of the Ghost Taming Sect and entrusted to our Auction House. The starting price is one Spirit Stone Coin. Everyone can place their bids now," the host said, raising his hand to signal that the bidding could begin.
The Ghost Taming Sect!? Upon hearing this, Zhuge Xiang suddenly realized. No wonder, only a sect like the Heavenly Heart Begonia Ghost Taming Sect would put in the effort to cultivate the Heavenly Heart Begonia, and only the Ghost Taming Sect has the ability and technology to cultivate it.
The Ghost Taming Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects of the Great Qin Empire, is, as its name suggests, a sect that uses the manipulation of Fierce Spirit and ghosts as a means of cultivation. Therefore, it places great importance on the soul, and naturally, the Ghost Taming Sect has an indispensable reserve of flowers and plants like the Heavenly Heart Begonia.
As for the starting bid of only one Spirit Stone Coin? Clearly, the disciple of the Ghost Taming Sect seems to be short of money, which also indicates that he is determined to sell this Heavenly Heart Begonia no matter what.
"I'll offer 1,000 Spirit Stone Coin to get the ball rolling," someone couldn't resist bidding first after a brief silence.
"One thousand Spirit Stone Coin? You dare to bid? I'll bid five thousand!" Immediately after that, a second bid rang out.
Soon, bids poured in, and the price soared: five thousand, ten thousand, twenty thousand...
In the VIP Room, upon seeing the Heavenly Heart Begonia, both Mizheng and Su Huayu were captivated. However, they knew that such a rare Immortal-grade Item would fetch an astronomical price at auction, and with only a few dozen low-grade Spirit Stone on them, it would be far from enough.
"Heavenly Heart Begonia? That's quite a good thing. It would be best if I could get it, but if not..." Zhuge Xiang murmured to himself, stroking his chin. As he thought this, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
Hearing the rising and falling bids below, the price of the Heavenly Heart Begonia had risen to 50,000 Spirit Stone Coin. Zhuge Xiang immediately declared, "140,000 Spirit Stone Coin!"
Upon hearing this, the previously noisy Auction fell silent instantly. Although everyone knew that the price of the Heavenly Heart Begonia would not be low, the audacity of raising the price from 50,000 Spirit Stone Coin to 140,000, surpassing the sky-high price of almost 100,000 Spirit Stone Coin, Human Heart. Such a price also made many people back down.
Many observant individuals recognized Zhuge Xiang's voice. Since taking a picture of the blueprint for the Flying Magic Artifact, Zhuge Xiang had not made a move. This time, his action was indeed astonishing.
"This guy is really rich and powerful. I'll have to meet him sometime and see who he is," said a man in his thirties in another VIP Room. He was wearing Blood-Red Robe and his voice was sharp, like a Steel Needles. His eyes were filled with hostility.
"That's fine, let's strike out those who aren't qualified first," a man in another VIP Room said with a soft laugh, his handsome features as striking as a woman's, gently waving a Pink Paper Fan in his hand.
"Hehe, no matter who it is, this Heavenly Heart Begonia is mine. I've been stuck at the Tenth Layer of Return to Simplicity Realm for ten years," said one of the more powerful cultivators, his eyes flashing with malice as he bared his teeth.
Regardless of other people's opinions, 140,000 Spirit Stone Coin was already Zhuge Xiang's limit. As expected, this price shocked many people and caused the entire Auction fall into silence for quite some time.
However, it was impossible to acquire a Heavenly Heart Begonia with just 140,000 Spirit Stone Coin. Soon, someone else followed Zhuge Xiang's lead and offered 150,000 Spirit Stone Coin...
The bidding wasn't as intense as before, but the price steadily increased. Everyone was bidding back and forth until, in the end, the price of the Heavenly Heart Begonia even soared to a terrifying level of 300,000 Spirit Stone Coin.
Zhuge Xiang sat calmly, a placid smile on his face, and said to Su Huayu and Mizheng, "After the auction, you two go back to the Inn to rest. I'm going out for a stroll to enjoy the night view of Rakshasa City." (To be continued...)
P. S.: The factory renovation is temporarily on hold. I'm booking tickets tomorrow and heading to Shanghai the day after to buy machinery. I'm incredibly busy...