Auction

At dusk, on the bed.

Huang Wangyou leaned against Chen Sheng's shoulder as the husband and wife talked about the trivial matters of daily life.

Thanks to Chen Sheng's years of effort and diligent supervision,

although Huang Wangyou was lazy, she had at least not given up cultivation.

Two years ago, she had officially broken through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

At that moment,

Huang Wangyou suddenly spoke.

"Brother Yun, the Qingmu Merchant Association sent over an invitation."

"In three months, they'll be holding their grand auction, which only comes once every ten years. I heard a Foundation Establishment Pill will be appearing this time."

Chen Sheng shook his head.

"It might just be a gimmick."

"But we shouldn't even think about the Foundation Establishment Pill. Even if there really is one, the three great families will snap it all up."

"Still, since it only happens once every ten years, there may be a few more Foundation Establishment spirit items this time."

Huang Wangyou sighed softly.

"We can only look at Foundation Establishment spirit items. We can't afford them either."

"Anything connected to advancing to Foundation Establishment costs a fortune."

As the household's chief steward, Huang Wangyou knew their expenses very well.

Thanks to the Top-grade Yi Fa Pills, the Pill Workshop's annual income had stabilized at around three thousand Spirit Stones.

That was an extremely high figure, enough to buy one or two ordinary Top-grade Dharma Artifacts.

But Foundation Establishment spirit items cost even more.

With prices starting at twenty or thirty thousand Spirit Stones, they would need to save for ten years even if they neither ate nor drank.

But neither eating nor drinking was impossible.

The family's daily cultivation, Dharma Artifacts, robes, and Huang Yueyang's research into the Way of Alchemy—

every last one of them required money.

Chen Sheng chuckled.

"We can save up slowly. Chen'er is still young; perhaps he'll have a chance in the future."

"Let's go take a look together. Even if we can't afford anything, it'll still broaden our horizons."

Huang Wangyou nodded at his words.

Then something occurred to her, and she said,

"By the way, Brother Yun, do you remember the Pulse-Protecting Pill from the last auction?"

Chen Sheng immediately raised a brow.

"How could I not? It was only a first-grade pill, yet it cost three thousand Spirit Stones each. That was frightening."

Huang Wangyou smiled softly.

"It can preserve your life. It's worth the price."

For most cultivators,

Foundation Establishment meant staking everything on a desperate gamble, with the resolve to die.

There were only two possible outcomes: death or success!

The Pulse-Protecting Pill

had been developed by an Alchemy Master.

It was specifically meant to protect the meridians throughout the body and preserve one's life after a failed attempt at Foundation Establishment.

Chen Sheng nodded.

"However, the Pulse-Protecting Pill also has its drawbacks."

"As the saying goes, the first burst of effort is strongest, the second weakens, and the third is exhausted."

"Once you take this pill, much of your drive to advance will be lost, and the chances of breaking through will fall even further."

Huang Wangyou smiled.

"Without Foundation Establishment spirit items to assist us, the odds are already low. What difference does it make if they get a little lower?"

"If you ask me, when that time comes, we should buy a Pulse-Protecting Pill."

"Whether we succeed or not is another matter. Preserving our lives is what matters most."

Chen Sheng took her hand, their palms pressed together, and felt the warmth of her palm.

"Alright. We'll do as you say."

"When we reach Qi Condensation Perfection, we'll take a Pulse-Protecting Pill. At least we'll preserve our lives."

Huang Wangyou was immediately delighted.

That was precisely why she had brought up the Pulse-Protecting Pill.

She knew her husband's heart was strongly set on the Dao.

If he did not attempt it at least once, he would never be reconciled to it.

But given the couple's aptitude, their chances of success were exceedingly low.

Therefore,

Huang Wangyou set her expectations very low.

She did not seek success in advancing, only that they might preserve their lives.

Another two months passed.

Chen Sheng sat cross-legged on a cattail mat.

Before him sat a purple wooden box, containing several indigo pills—the Yi Fa Pills.

Over the past two months,

he had taken seven Yi Fa Pills in succession, reaching the limit for this pill.

At that moment,

his aura was far beyond that of someone who had just entered the Qi Condensation Seventh Level.

His mana was rich and abundant, already at the late stage of the seventh level and nearing its peak.

Chen Sheng looked inward at the mana filling his Dantian and sighed softly.

"Taking pills really is faster!"

"It saved me a full seven or eight years."

When he circulated his Qi Refinement Hand Seal again, he found many congested blockages in his meridians, making his whole body feel uncomfortable.

He knew this was caused by accumulated pill toxins and impurities.

After slowly circulating two Heavenly Cycles, he felt a little better.

"I'll first spend a few years consolidating my cultivation and expelling the pill toxins and impurities from my body."

"Once I reach the Qi Condensation Eighth Layer, I'll seek out other Mana-Increasing Pills."

Chen Sheng slowly made his plans.

Time passed, and another month went by.

The day of the auction had arrived.

One invitation allowed three people to enter.

Qingmu Treasure Tower.

Countless pearls were set into the ebony dome, illuminating the pavilion as brightly as day.

The air was filled with the mingled scent of expensive incense.

Huang Yueyang, Chen Sheng, and Huang Wangyou presented their invitation and entered the auction.

The moment the three sat down,

they could sense a multitude of auras of varying strength interweaving from all directions.

There were very few cultivators in the early or middle stages of Qi Refinement. Most were Qi Condensation Late-stage cultivators, along with quite a few experts at Qi Condensation Great Perfection.

There were many familiar faces from the various Market Towns.

There were also some Black Robes with their faces covered, unwilling to reveal their identities.

Several profound auras also emanated from the private rooms to the east.

"Great Foundation Establishment cultivators!"

Chen Sheng and the other two exchanged glances.

They immediately knew that the rumor of the Foundation Establishment Pill was most likely true.

Within a thousand li, there were fewer than five named Foundation Establishment cultivators.

They had likely all come.

The auction was hosted by a hunched old man leaning on a cane.

His aura was equally profound; he was clearly a Foundation Establishment expert as well.

"This old man is Sun Nanbing, the Qingmu Merchant Association's seventh shopkeeper. I will be hosting this auction."

With an expert of that caliber presiding, the crowd below immediately fell silent.

The auction soon began.

Dharma Artifacts, spiritual materials, Talismans...

All sorts of items were displayed in dazzling abundance and passed through the auction like flowing water.

Bids rose and fell continuously from below.

Chen Sheng raised his paddle three times in total.

He succeeded twice and failed once.

In the end, he spent thirteen hundred Spirit Stones to purchase a set of Top-grade Sword Arts.

He then spent another eight hundred and seventy Spirit Stones to buy his wife a Beauty-Preserving Pill.

Huang Yueyang took interest in a Pill Formula, but the price was too high, and he could only give up.

At the very end,

came the auction for the Foundation Establishment spirit items and the Foundation Establishment Pill.

A total of four Foundation Establishment spirit items were offered.

Three of them fell into the hands of distinguished guests in the private rooms.

Only one went to a Black Robe cultivator below.

Of the four Foundation Establishment spirit items,

the cheapest was Azure Spirit Water, which could cleanse a cultivator's qi and blood and increase the chance of Foundation Establishment by ten percent.

It was sold for twenty-three thousand Spirit Stones.

The most expensive spirit item was the Triple Origin Divine Pill, a second-grade pill.

This pill could help a cultivator develop divine sense and increase the chance of Foundation Establishment by fifteen percent. It sold for thirty-one thousand Spirit Stones.

The final climax was the Foundation Establishment Pill, the auction's grand finale!

"This Foundation Establishment Pill was refined by Master Guyuan. It retains eighty percent of its medicinal potency and can increase the chance of Foundation Establishment by thirty-five percent."

"The starting price is forty thousand Spirit Stones!"

The moment it appeared, no one in the main hall made a sound.

Only bids from the private rooms remained.

"Forty-one thousand!"

"Forty-two thousand!"

"Forty-six thousand!"...

Each bid was steady and cold.

Every increase drew gasps from the crowd.

In the end, the Yuquan Zhou Clan secured it for the staggering sum of sixty-seven thousand Spirit Stones.

The fierce bidding left Chen Sheng and the other two greatly impressed.

Inside one private room,

a White-Browed Elder snorted.

"Old Ghost Zhou doesn't have long to live. He wants to make one last desperate gamble? It won't be so easy!"

After the auction ended,

only Huang Wangyou seemed somewhat unhappy.

"There wasn't even a Pulse-Protecting Pill this time!"

Chen Sheng smiled softly.

"It isn't a Foundation Establishment Pill. It rarely appears at auction, but we'll come across one eventually."