Water Escape Talisman

Han Changming suddenly realized that these were Puppet Beasts capable of setting up formations. The Puppet Beasts sold by the Han Clan lacked this capability; such puppets required the crafter to be proficient in formations. While the Han Clan did have a second-tier formation master, they were limited to setting up simple second-tier formations and could not integrate them into a Puppet Beast.

Competition for these three Puppet Beasts was intense, and they were eventually purchased by the Mu Clan for a high price of five thousand spirit stones.

Han Changming felt deeply envious. The first grand finale item had sold for five thousand spirit stones, so the subsequent items would surely fetch even higher prices.

"A set of flying swords, nine in total, each being a low-grade second-tier magical artifact. Fellow Daoists who practice the sword path, do not miss this. The starting price is two thousand spirit stones, with each increment no less than three hundred."

The man in the gold robe took out a cyan brocade box half a zhang long, containing nine shimmering cyan flying swords.

"Two thousand!"

"Two thousand three!"

"Two thousand six!"

Bidding voices rang out incessantly; the power of a set of magical artifacts was far greater than that of a single piece.

Sword cultivators were known as invincible among their peers, and possessing a good set of flying swords could greatly enhance a sword cultivator's strength. Of course, one did not have to be a sword cultivator to bid on this set.

The Han Clan possessed a sword manual called the Azure Glass Sword Art, which could be practiced from the Qi Refining realm to the Foundation Establishment realm, and several clansmen were currently practicing it.

When Han Changming was choosing his cultivation technique, he had been somewhat tempted, but the Azure Glass Sword Art had a slow cultivation speed. The Han Clan had possessed this manual for over four hundred years, yet none of the clansmen who practiced it had ever reached the Foundation Establishment realm.

A technique's power only manifests when it matches the practitioner's aptitude.

The Han Clan had an elder in charge of instruction, Han Daoyang, who was twelfth in the "Dao" generation. He guided the younger generation to ensure they took fewer detours. Before Han Changming chose his technique, Han Daoyang had advised him to cultivate an earth-attribute technique.

Cultivation families and sects all had elders in charge of instruction to prevent juniors from going astray. Unlike rogue cultivators who would simply practice whatever technique they could get their hands on that matched their attribute—which not only resulted in slow progress but also made advancing difficult—rogue cultivators would break their heads trying to join a sect just to have someone to guide them.

This set of flying swords was eventually auctioned off to the Chen Clan for the high price of sixty-five hundred spirit stones.

Han Changming was not surprised. If he remembered correctly, the head of the Chen Clan, Chen Hongming, was a sword cultivator with formidable strength, and many members of the Chen Clan practiced sword techniques.

"A high-grade second-tier alchemy furnace, the Purple Flame Furnace, crafted by Master Lu. It provides a certain bonus to alchemy, so alchemists should not miss this. The starting price is two thousand spirit stones, with each increment no less than five hundred."

The man in the gold robe pointed to a purple furnace and announced loudly.

"A furnace crafted by Master Lu will certainly not be bad. Two thousand!"

"Two thousand five!"

"Three thousand!"

Competition for this high-grade second-tier alchemy furnace was fierce. To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools; having a good alchemy furnace was crucial for any alchemist.

Han Changming was not surprised. Master Lu was one of the few third-tier artifact refiners in the Red Algae Sea, and the quality of a furnace crafted by a third-tier refiner was beyond question.

Master Lu's full name was Lu Zhonghao. He was a rogue cultivator in the Golden Core realm, but he was reclusive and obsessed with the art of artifact refining. All four major powers wanted to win him over.

"A furnace crafted by Master Lu—this is a good item. I bid five thousand."

A hearty voice rang out.

Han Changming followed the source of the voice and saw a handsome young man in red robes, with a black crow pattern on his clothing.

The Lu Clan of Black Crow Island, a cultivation family with a Golden Core cultivator, was famous in the Red Algae Sea for its alchemy.

"You think you can take a furnace crafted by Master Lu with just five thousand spirit stones? Ridiculous. I bid six thousand." A woman's voice, filled with mockery, suddenly rang out.

The young man in red turned cold, looked in a certain direction, and saw a beautiful woman in her thirties wearing a green dress. Her clothing bore a mountain and river pattern, the emblem of the Great Void Sect. The Great Void Sect and Black Crow Island were two of the four major powers in the Red Algae Sea.

The Great Void Sect and Black Crow Island had been old enemies for years. Both sides had clashed privately many times, resulting in countless casualties.

It was said that the leader of the Great Void Sect had died at the hands of the Lu Clan, and the head of the Lu Clan had also died at the hands of the Great Void Sect. The two sides were locked in a blood feud. However, fearing the other powers, they had exercised some restraint. If disciples of the Great Void Sect and the Lu Clan met outside the marketplace, they would fight fiercely, a sight many cultivators had witnessed with their own eyes.

The young man in red narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Seven thousand."

"Eight thousand."

The woman in the green dress spoke calmly, showing no intention of backing down.

"Nine thousand."

Nine thousand spirit stones far exceeded the price of a high-grade second-tier alchemy furnace.

The woman in the green dress sneered and did not continue bidding.

The young man in red won the high-grade second-tier alchemy furnace for the high price of nine thousand spirit stones.

After the furnace was auctioned off, a maid in a red dress walked onto the circular high platform carrying a red tray.

The man in the gold robe lifted the red silk cloth, revealing a foot-long cyan jade shuttle, shimmering with spiritual light.

"A high-grade second-tier flying artifact, the Wind Chasing Shuttle. Its flight speed is extremely fast. The starting price is three thousand spirit stones, with each increment no less than five hundred."

The sea was vast and boundless, rich in monster resources, and there were many cultivators. Murder and treasure-snatching happened from time to time. If one had a high-quality flying artifact, it would be easier to escape when encountering strong enemies.

The bidding was intense. Interestingly, the disciples of the Great Void Sect and the Lu Clan of Black Crow Island were once again undermining each other, driving up the price.

This Wind Chasing Shuttle was eventually purchased by a disciple of the Great Void Sect for eighty-five hundred spirit stones.

Had the bidding been normal, it would not have cost nearly that much.

"Seven Foundation Establishment Pills, to be auctioned separately. The starting price is ten thousand, with each increment no less than one thousand."

The man in the gold robe pointed at the seven blue porcelain bottles on the wooden table and spoke in a loud voice.

The moment the Foundation Establishment Pill appeared, a commotion broke out among the cultivators present, and the eyes of the Qi Refining cultivators turned burning hot.

For a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, taking a Foundation Establishment Pill significantly increases the chances of a successful Foundation Establishment. Most Foundation Establishment cultivators rely on these pills to advance; those with extraordinary talent who do not require them are extremely rare, one in ten thousand.

The competition for the Foundation Establishment Pill was incredibly fierce, and the price climbed steadily.

Han Deling began bidding and secured one Foundation Establishment Pill for the high price of forty-three thousand spirit stones. The Chen Clan spent a staggering eighty-nine thousand spirit stones to win two pills, while the Mu Clan and the Fire Cloud Sect each took home two.

After the Foundation Establishment Pills were auctioned off, the man in the gold robe cupped his hands toward the cultivators and said with a smile, "This concludes our auction. Thank you all for attending, and we hope you will grace us with your presence at our next event."

With the auction over, the cultivators left in an orderly fashion under the guidance of the attendants.

Han Changming and Han Changjiong figured the alchemy examination must have concluded as well, so they left the Treasure Competition Palace and headed straight for the Earth Fire Hall.

Thanks to Song for the tip.