Second-tier Low-grade Ice Spirit Grass

At Hu Yidao's suggestion, after buying what he needed, Lu Wanyuan followed him to the Central Plaza of the market.

Of course, they both concealed their identities, wrapping themselves up from head to toe. Each wore a black conical hat and a mask.

With such tight precautions, Lu Wanyuan figured no one would recognize him.

It wasn't as if anyone would lift his black veil just to get a good look at his face.

If he really did run into someone so unreasonable, then there'd be nothing for it but to fight.

After all, anyone who would do such a thing was basically ignoring his precautions.

If that was the case, then they'd just have to fight.

The reason he'd gone to such lengths was simple.

He was only here to learn a little and broaden his horizons, not to stir up trouble.

Still, this was just a matter of "never harbor ill intentions, but never let your guard down," especially in this perilous Cultivation World!

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Lu, dressed like this, no one will have any idea who we are. But with our stature, do you really think anyone would recognize us anyway?"

Hu Yidao said helplessly.

"Haha, you're overthinking it, Fellow Daoist Hu. Our main concern is not to cause trouble. With our limited means, there aren't many troubles we can afford to get into. Simply keeping others from bothering us is already a tremendous blessing!"

Lu Wanyuan glanced at him and explained.

At that, Hu Yidao nodded, clearly agreeing.

Then the two hurried on their way, reaching their destination before long.

The moment he saw the place, he recognized it.

He'd been here before, back when he'd come to rent a house.

But at the time, all his attention had been on finding a place to rent.

After all, if they hadn't found a place, he and his wife would have been forced to live outside the market. That would have been disastrous.

So he hadn't had the mind to pay attention to any of the other buildings nearby.

The Auction house stood not far in front of the market's administration office.

It was a magnificent, three-story building.

Built of blue bricks and green tiles, it resembled a vast flying-goose pagoda. Dragons and phoenixes adorned its walls, while birds and beasts seemed to cover every inch.

A long line had already formed outside, with people waiting to enter the Auction.

Seeing this, the two quickly joined the queue. They had no idea when the line might close, especially if the venue filled up.

Half an hour later, it was finally their turn. They reached the reception desk at the entrance.

Several attendants stood waiting on either side, while another sat behind a table, collecting Spirit Stones.

The line moved quickly. They only had to set their Spirit Stones on the table before heading into the venue.

Watching the steady stream of people pass through, Lu Wanyuan realized each person paid fifteen Spirit Stones. Even with just a thousand people, that would add up to fifteen thousand. And there had to be at least ten thousand people in the line already. What a damn racket!

Lu Wanyuan hadn't expected a single Auction to make so much money from tickets alone.

It seemed that hosting large-scale events was the fastest way to rake it in.

Poor him, working from dawn till dusk and barely earning ten thousand Spirit Stones a year.

Thinking about it left him speechless. The platform really was holding him back.

If the Lu Family grew powerful in the future, they could host an Auction too. And when that time came, he'd make sure it was even better.

The thought filled him with anticipation. Then he looked at Hu Yidao ahead of him.

Hu Yidao looked pained as he reached into his robes for fifteen Spirit Stones.

He'd even trembled a little while taking them out, but in the end, he pulled them free and handed them to the attendant before going inside to wait for Lu Wanyuan.

Lu Wanyuan couldn't help sighing. If he didn't have the Golden Finger Entry, he'd probably be just like this fellow, agonizing over every single Spirit Stone.

As the old saying went, poverty really did blunt a man's ambition!

He followed close behind, casually taking fifteen Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and handing them to the attendant.

He'd come here to broaden his horizons, after all. He wasn't going to skimp on a few Spirit Stones. The hardest days were already behind him.

Hu Yidao saw Lu Wanyuan casually take out the Spirit Stones and place them on the table before walking inside.

A gleam flashed in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

Lu Wanyuan didn't notice any of it.

He was too stunned by the sight before him. He'd never been anywhere so lavish.

The space opened up before them, stretching at least ten thousand square meters. The venue was packed with people, and the whole place buzzed with excitement!

The ceiling soared high overhead, studded with countless magical lamps. Below, the venue was as bright as day.

The two of them were on the first level of the venue, the Open-air Venue.

Lu Wanyuan noticed plenty of people going up the passageways to the second and third floors.

He'd wanted to take a look upstairs too. After all, the higher you stood, the farther you could see, and he'd have been able to look down over the entire Auction venue. The view had to be something else.

But before he could take a step, Hu Yidao stopped him.

Hu Yidao explained that only people with VIP cards could go up there. The upper floors weren't open-air like the first; they had private rooms with excellent soundproofing and privacy.

"How about we spend a little more and buy two VIP cards?"

At Lu Wanyuan's suggestion, Hu Yidao smiled at him.

"Forget it. VIP cards aren't that easy to get. Some are reserved for the major powers."

"After all, an Auction like this is basically a stage for those major powers to show off their wealth and strength, and intimidate their enemies."

"As for the rest, you need to spend at least five thousand Spirit Stones here to get a VIP card."

"Damn, that's a lot of Spirit Stones. Forget it. I'll just watch from the open-air seating!"

Lu Wanyuan said helplessly.

He had ten thousand Spirit Stones in his Storage Ring, but there was no reason to waste them. Besides, he'd only come to broaden his horizons. He didn't really want to buy anything.

Even the Ice Spirit Grass he wanted might show up here, but with the few Spirit Stones he had, he might not be able to afford it anyway.

Thinking of that, he felt more at ease.

He headed toward the Open-air Venue, found an empty seat, and sat down to wait for the Auction to begin.

Still, he couldn't help feeling a little regretful. He really didn't have enough Spirit Stones. He'd have to work harder to earn more.

Then, when he had enough, he'd be able to spend freely without worrying about running out!

What he didn't know was that when he'd said he wanted a VIP card, another faint gleam had flashed in Hu Yidao's eyes.

He'd never imagined that his former ordinary neighbor could change so much in just over a year. Lu Wanyuan seemed to be living quite comfortably.

The fact that he'd even considered buying a VIP card showed he must have a fair number of Spirit Stones.

Meanwhile, Hu Yidao had been in the Cultivation World for nearly forty years and was still stuck in the same rut. It truly frustrated him.

He'd agonized over paying the entry fee, while Lu Wanyuan had seemed completely at ease. That alone showed Lu Wanyuan was no ordinary man.

The contrast stirred something in him.

Lu Wanyuan didn't notice Hu Yidao's reaction at all. His eyes were fixed on the stage.

More than twenty tall, beautiful women in cheongsams stood in a neat line on the Auction stage.

Each held a tray covered with red cloth, standing straight and poised, their ample bosoms quite a sight.

Before long, a vigorous, imposing old man walked onto the stage from backstage.

He tapped the bell beside him with his hand.

Ding!

A clear note rang out across the venue.

The noisy crowd fell silent at once!

The old man cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Welcome, fellow Daoists. I'm Luo Zexuan, the auctioneer for this Auction."

"Some of you may already know me, while others are new and meeting me for the first time."

"But that doesn't matter. I hope everyone can take home the items they want."

"However, let me make one thing clear: anyone who dares to cause trouble here will face the wrath of the Four Seas Alliance!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful Foundation Establishment peak spiritual pressure swept through the venue like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves!

Lu Wanyuan's face went pale. It felt as if a heavy hammer had slammed into his chest, nearly cracking him open. His whole body went limp, and he could barely sit upright.

The pressure had come on so suddenly, but it disappeared just as quickly, vanishing without a trace.

It was clearly meant as a warning!

He looked at Hu Yidao beside him and saw that he was in even worse shape, nearly collapsed in his seat, utterly drained of strength.

"All right, enough with the formalities. I'm sure you're all getting impatient. Let the Auction begin!"

Luo Zexuan adjusted his topknot, swept his gaze around the venue, and spoke loudly.

"Fellow Daoists, please take note. Here is our first lot: ten fifty-year-old Second-tier Low-grade Ice Spirit Grass plants, brought here by the Four Seas Alliance from the North Ice Plain, thousands of miles away..."

The moment he heard "Ice Spirit Grass," Lu Wanyuan's heart jolted. He couldn't focus on another word Luo Zexuan said.

Ice Spirit Grass was the Spiritual Medicine he'd been dreaming of for ages. For nearly two years, he'd searched every medicine shop and store in the market, and even posted a search task, but he'd heard nothing.

Ice Spirit Grass was the Spiritual Medicine he needed to cultivate the Fire Control Art. Without it, he couldn't cultivate the technique.

And without it, he couldn't control the Earth Vein Fire. That would limit the Lu Family's achievements in Alchemy and Artifact Refining.

With Ice Spirit Grass, the Lu Family could cultivate the Fire Control Art and control the Earth Vein Fire. If they were lucky enough to encounter Immortal Fires or Exotic Fires in the future, they could even use the technique to subdue them.

Of course, he hadn't even dared to dream of that. For now, he only wanted to use the Fire Control Art to control the Earth Vein Fire and put it to work in industries like Artifact Refining and Alchemy.

That would make the Lu Family far more competitive in those fields.

So Ice Spirit Grass had been the Spiritual Medicine he'd long awaited. He'd never expected it to appear at this Auction.

Since it had, he would bring it home, no matter the cost.