Auction Finale

"Two hundred fifty."

"Two hundred sixty."

Compared to the earlier spirit beasts, the bidding for the Mystic Water Turtle Egg was rather subdued, with only a few factions making offers.

"Three hundred twenty... three hundred forty... three hundred fifty..."

The bids came slower and slower.

"Three hundred eighty!"

After waiting for a long time, Lan Chang'an finally made his move.

He was somewhat interested in the Mystic Water Turtle Egg, but he was not determined to obtain it. If the price went too high, he would simply let it go.

"Three hundred eighty Spirit Stones. Any higher bids? This is a spirit beast with an Earth Grade Bloodline!"

The Feather Robe Old Man swept his gaze around the room.

In the end, the venue fell deathly silent. No one competed further.

The vast number of cultivators were no fools. A weak Earth Grade spirit beast egg that grew slowly—even if it hatched, its prospects remained uncertain.

"Sold for three hundred eighty Spirit Stones! The Mystic Water Turtle Egg goes to the fellow Daoist in VIP Booth Number Seven."

Lan Chang'an was a little surprised. He had actually obtained the Mystic Water Turtle Egg so smoothly?

As a Talisman Master, he drew two salaries and earned extra income on the side, so it was normal for him to possess considerable wealth.

But it could not be too outrageous. Spending several hundred Spirit Stones was already close to his limit, and that was with the support of a Lineage behind him.

"Looks like this item is fated with me."

Lan Chang'an smiled knowingly.

Mu Xiuyun could not help pondering this. She knew Lan Chang'an's cultivation method possessed the healing secret art of Miraculous Touch Reviving Spring.

If he used it on the Mystic Water Turtle Egg, perhaps he could raise a Mystic Water Turtle with a normal physique, then make a small profit.

The Mu Family higher-ups did not understand why Lan Chang'an had bought the Mystic Water Turtle Egg, but they did not stop him.

"Even if Lan Chang'an has taken a First-Order Longevity Pill, as long as he fails to achieve Foundation Establishment, he will not live to see the Mystic Water Turtle grow up. By then, this turtle may perhaps become our Mu Family's Clan-Protecting Spirit Beast."

Mu Maode calculated silently.

"Talisman Master Lu, please come collect the Mystic Water Turtle Egg. This little lady has a few details to explain."

A crisp, sweet young woman's voice came from the stage.

It was Zhou Qingxuan speaking.

Seeing that the final buyer was Lan Chang'an, Zhou Qingxuan's expression showed slight surprise.

Mystic Water Turtles were suitable for cultivation factions to purchase and nurture over dozens of generations. For an individual, they were as tasteless as chicken ribs.

Hearing this, Lan Chang'an headed toward the auction stage.

During this process, he sensed several streams of divine sense sweep over him, though each lingered only briefly.

Those who could project divine sense outward were naturally in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Hmm?

Lan Chang'an sharply detected one familiar stream of divine sense among them. It was wicked and unpredictable, sending a chill through his body.

"Liang Shaotian? He actually came to Bamboo Leaf Mountain to join the excitement? He truly had the gall to defy heaven!"

Lan Chang'an was secretly startled.

That person's divine sense flashed past in an instant, and he could not determine its location.

"Talisman Master Lu, this is the Mystic Water Turtle Egg, along with a set of cultivation materials."

Zhou Qingxuan handed the turtle egg and a Jade Cylinder to Lan Chang'an.

Lan Chang'an casually handed over the Spirit Stones.

After the transaction was completed.

Zhou Qingxuan blinked her lovely eyes. A trace of craftiness flashed through them as she probed, "Talisman Master Lu, since you bought the Mystic Water Turtle Egg, do you have any insights into raising it?"

Zhou Qingxuan knew the condition of this Mystic Water Turtle Egg inside and out.

Do not be fooled by its low selling price.

The life signs within the egg were weak. Successfully hatching it would still require a tremendous cost.

The Zhou Family's Beast Tamers had naturally assessed it rigorously before deciding to sell the egg.

Zhou Qingxuan guessed that Lan Chang'an either did not know the truth and had bought it in a hot-headed impulse, or he had some hidden reason and possessed a method unknown to others.

"Haha! Miss Zhou is overthinking it. Don't the cultivators in the Marketplace call Lu the 'Turtle Talisman Master'? So Lu simply bought a turtle spirit pet to make the title real."

Lan Chang'an laughed mockingly, with a hint of self-deprecation.

Zhou Qingxuan let out a "pfft." Her light laughter was as crisp as a wind chime, her bright eyes sparkling as her chest rose and fell slightly.

The auction was still ongoing, so she did not ask any further questions.

Lan Chang'an returned to the VIP booth, took out the Jade Cylinder Zhou Qingxuan had given him, pressed it to his forehead, and sent his divine sense inside to examine it.

After looking through it, his expression turned unsightly.

Seeing this, the Mu Family higher-ups guessed that he had likely suffered a hidden loss from buying the turtle egg.

"Lan Chang'an, a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. There are not so many bargains to be had in the Cultivation World."

Mu Renlong spoke earnestly, offering his judgment.

Lan Chang'an was still a young man after all. Though alert and steady, greed was something even old monsters who had lived for centuries could not restrain.

Lan Chang'an gave a quiet "Mm" and remained silent.

The Jade Cylinder Zhou Qingxuan had given him detailed the Mystic Water Turtle Egg's information and symptoms, as well as what price had to be paid to hatch it.

The expense far exceeded its auction price!

By ordinary standards, Lan Chang'an had indeed been taken advantage of by the Zhou Family.

Half an hour later, the Zhou Family's spirit beast auction ended.

Zhou Qingxuan left the auction stage and returned to a VIP booth at the very center.

"Qingxuan, you performed quite well in this spirit beast auction."

A handsome Middle-aged Scholar in the VIP booth said with a smile.

"Uncle Jingxuan, it was only an auction. It was much easier than taming vicious exotic beasts."

Facing the Foundation Establishment Middle-aged Scholar, Zhou Qingxuan spoke playfully and sat down with ease.

The Middle-aged Scholar was named Zhou Jingxuan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Zhou Family.

The auction entered its latter half, and the items that appeared grew increasingly high-grade.

Bidding amounts easily reached several hundred or even over a thousand.

Foundation Establishment cultivators participated in the bidding more and more frequently.

"The Top-Grade Magic Item, Cold Moon Blade, possesses peerless power. When wielded by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it can release up to seven Cold Moon light blades at once. A Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator dies instantly upon contact, while an ordinary Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator would struggle to withstand it. Under moonlight, this blade's power can rise by another thirty percent!"

"The starting price is one thousand Spirit Stones, with each increase no less than fifty."

"One thousand one hundred!"

"One thousand two hundred!"

"One thousand five hundred!"

Every bidder for the powerful Top-Grade Magic Item Cold Moon Blade was in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Even the Maple Leaf Huang Family joined the bidding.

If Qi Refining Late-Stage cultivators with profound magic power could barely wield High-Grade Magic Items, then Top-Grade Magic Items belonged wholly within the domain of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"One thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones!"

In the end, this Top-Grade Magic Item was purchased by a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Beast Taming Zhou Family.

That was Zhou Jingxuan, the Middle-aged Scholar beside Zhou Qingxuan.

After the Top-Grade Magic Item, the climax dipped slightly.

The auction brought out the Qi Refining Late-Stage Rank-Breaking Pill, the Jade Azure Pill, as well as the Blood Spirit Pill, which increased Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation. The latter was also won by the Zhou Family's Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The auction entered its closing movement.

Representatives of every faction perked up and focused on the Grand Finale Items of this auction.

"Esteemed guests, as everyone has long awaited, the second-to-last auction item of this auction is the Grand Finale Item—the Foundation Establishment Pill!"

The Feather Robe Old Man's voice became impassioned.

The atmosphere in the hall immediately turned tense and oppressive.

Two Foundation Establishment cultivators personally escorted the jade bottle containing the Foundation Establishment Pill onto a tray.

One of them was an elderly man in his seventies, Huang Changling, the Huang Family Old Ancestor whom Lan Chang'an had seen when entering the auction.

The other was a middle-aged man in heavy armor, exuding an aura of grim killing intent.

"Old man need not explain the use of the Foundation Establishment Pill. It can increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment and strengthen the challenger's Dantian and meridians, greatly improving safety."

The Feather Robe Old Man's voice echoed through the auction hall.

"This Foundation Establishment Pill has slight flaws, but is broadly sound. It has been verified by the Pill Alliance and is estimated to increase the success rate by fifteen percent."

"Fifteen percent?"

The various factions present pondered this, but they were still greatly tempted.

A normal-quality Foundation Establishment Pill could increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment by twenty percent.

Fifteen percent was not much worse in medicinal effect.

"This Foundation Establishment Pill has a starting price of two thousand Spirit Stones, with each increase no less than one hundred."

The Feather Robe Old Man announced loudly.

"Two thousand two hundred!"

"Two thousand three hundred!"

"Two thousand five hundred!"

The price rose continuously. Only after reaching three thousand Spirit Stones did the pace of bidding slow down.

The Mu Family higher-ups could not help sighing and gave up competing.

Ten years ago, Mu Renlong had secretly attempted Foundation Establishment, and the Lineage had paid an enormous price.

Though the Mu Family had recovered some of its vitality over the years, buying another Foundation Establishment Pill regardless of cost would be unwise.

Having a Foundation Establishment Pill did not guarantee success.

What was more, this Foundation Establishment Pill had slight flaws.

Even if they bought it, they would face the risk of it being stolen, perhaps even bringing disaster upon the Lineage.

"Four thousand Spirit Stones! Any higher bids?"

In the end, the price of this Foundation Establishment Pill settled at a staggering figure.

Some factions present could naturally have offered a higher price.

But it was not worth it.

Several thousand Spirit Stones in exchange for a fifteen-percent increase in odds could very well go down the drain, all while bearing the risks involved.

"The Yu River Ning Family?"

"This remote Lineage actually obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill."

Under the attention of all the factions, a red-faced old man took a man and a woman onto the stage to conduct the transaction.

The red-faced old man was in the Foundation Establishment Realm. His aura was waning and steeped in the twilight air of old age; clearly, his lifespan was nearing its end.

The man and woman behind him were at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and Qi Refining Eighth Layer respectively.

The man was a burly middle-aged fellow wearing beast-hide magic robes; the woman was a graceful, voluptuous beauty in a green dress.

"Old Ning, congratulations to your noble Lineage for obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill. A joyous occasion indeed."

Huang Changling, the elderly Old Ancestor, smiled as he cupped his hands.

After handing over the Spirit Stones.

The red-faced old man pleaded, "Fellow Daoist Changling, could you allow my foolish grandson to make his breakthrough on Bamboo Leaf Mountain's Second-Order Spiritual Vein? We are willing to pay Spirit Stones."

To charge into the Foundation Establishment Realm, one needed a Second-Order Spiritual Vein. Otherwise, with insufficient spiritual pressure, the stage of liquefying magic power could easily fail.

The Ning Family naturally had a Second-Order Spiritual Vein, but they feared that delays might breed complications on the road, which was why they made this request.

"No!"

Huang Changling's expression changed, and he rejected it decisively.

"It is not that Huang is devoid of human feeling. Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm draws an enormous amount of heaven and earth spiritual energy. Bamboo Leaf Mountain's Second-Order Spiritual Vein concerns the operational stability of the Marketplace's Second-Order Protective Array. In these extraordinary times, I hope Fellow Daoist Ning will understand."