In his small courtyard, Wei Zhong held the High-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill he had just bought.
More than half of the three hundred-plus Spirit Stones he had just earned vanished in the blink of an eye, making Wei Zhong sigh at how difficult the Immortal Path was.
Forget it. I'll just do my best at the auction.
Considering the scale of this auction, Wei Zhong wondered whether to attend as Spirit Farmer Wei Zhong or Rogue Cultivator Chu He.
Wei Zhong had cultivated his identity as a spirit farmer for many years and had built some connections within the Yan family. Even if he obtained certain precious spirit items, he would be somewhat safer on Yan family territory.
If he went as Rogue Cultivator Chu He, there might well be several fights after the auction.
Wei Zhong should be the one to go.
Wei Zhong can't count on getting the Life Extending Pill at the auction. Given how rare it is, who knows how many people have their eyes on it.
I'll be more than satisfied if I can buy some Healing Pills.
High-level Qi Refining cultivators had lifespans of at least a hundred and fifty years, at least half again as long as ordinary mortals. Those who lived long could even reach a hundred and seventy or eighty.
But Wei Zhong's lifespan limit was only barely a hundred and thirty-seven.
The martial arts he had practiced in his early years had ultimately been somewhat too eager for quick success. The injuries incurred in the mortal world had severely affected his later path of cultivation.
If he could buy some pills for Foundation Strengthening, that would be excellent.
Once he treated the injuries all over his body, he would no longer need to worry about his lifespan for the time being.
Nor would he need to repeatedly lower his cultivation level. If someone with ulterior motives noticed, it could bring trouble.
He could also conveniently blame this matter of his lifespan on treating his injuries.
It was hardly reasonable for a dying old man to keep "sitting up from the dead."
That way, he could peacefully farm for a few more years in the Yan family's territory.
Three days later, the Yan family residence had gained many visiting cultivators. Tomorrow would be the auspicious day of the auction.
The cultivators drawn here began trading among themselves. For a time, the outskirts of the Yan family residence had practically become a marketplace, with many cultivators mingling among the fish and dragons. Two or three Rogue Cultivators had already died.
To maintain order and stability, the Yan family simply marked out an area for visiting cultivators to trade in, and dispatched clan disciples to patrol it daily to uphold the Yan family's dignity.
"How much is this Motley Parrot?"
Wei Zhong spoke to the old man behind the stall.
Before him sat a birdcage half a meter tall, containing three birds.
Two had snowy white feathers and looked exceptionally spirited. The other was mixed with no fewer than six or seven colors—black, red, gray, and more—and was clearly of impure bloodline.
The stall owner looked like a middle-aged man. His long beard hung all the way to his chest. Seeing Wei Zhong inquire about the multicolored bird, he looked somewhat surprised.
"This is a variant among White Feather Parrots, suspected to have undergone a bloodline mutation. One hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and it's yours, Fellow Daoist."
Wei Zhong shook his head. The man was clearly trying to fool him as a greenhorn.
"Ten Spirit Stones. Don't think that's cheap, Fellow Daoist. An ordinary White Feather Parrot only costs fifty Spirit Stones.
"This mottled one is most likely descended from a White Feather Parrot and an ordinary bird. Its eyes are dull, unlike the other two, which are lively and alert. It will probably fall out of the ranks of spirit beasts altogether."
White Feather Parrots were ordinarily only first-rank spirit beasts, equivalent to the Qi Refining realm. Their strength was average; they had neither combat ability nor any other special talent.
Only their snowy feathers were strikingly beautiful, and they possessed a hint of cleverness. They were considered among the more intelligent common spirit beasts, beloved by cultivators and classified as ornamental spirit beasts.
Wei Zhong's words immediately made the other man's expression turn ugly.
Looks like I was right.
"Forty Spirit Stones. Fellow Daoist, I really can't go any lower."
He seemed eager to sell it, and his next offer was nearly half the previous one.
Wei Zhong held up both hands.
"Ten Spirit Stones."
The stall owner still seemed unwilling.
"Thirty..."
Wei Zhong turned and left at once.
He had only found the parrot's motley colors somewhat endearing and wanted to keep it in his courtyard as a little companion to relieve boredom. He had no intention of spending Spirit Stones to raise it as a spirit beast.
Seeing Wei Zhong leave without hesitation, the stall owner finally panicked.
"Wait, Fellow Daoist..."
A moment later, Wei Zhong walked through the marketplace carrying a smaller birdcage. Inside was that very Motley Parrot.
After making a round of the entire marketplace, Wei Zhong discovered that there were indeed quite a few good things there. Naturally, their prices were also anything but cheap.
There were even more Rogue Cultivators asking prices like lions opening their jaws. Wei Zhong saw one holding up an unknown black fragment, claiming it was a fragment of a magic treasure that might contain the inheritance of some Core Formation Cultivator, priced at five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
Magic treasures were artifacts of the third rank and above, and only Core Formation Cultivators could use them with ease.
Wei Zhong had never seen one, so he could not judge.
The other cultivators merely scoffed at it.
Five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones? Even a spirit farmer like me would need five or six years of going without food or drink to earn that much. Who would spend money on this thing?
Wei Zhong turned and left. Even if the stall owner's words were true, so what? It was only a tiny fragment. What use was it to him? With those Spirit Stones, he would be better off buying several bottles of pills to improve his cultivation.
As for the inheritance of a Core Formation Cultivator, Wei Zhong did not think he had that kind of luck.
Even when drawing cards in his previous life, he had always gotten nothing but clear skies for ten thousand miles. How could he dare try this sort of gamble?
But on second thought, did being transported here mean he possessed such fortune?
Wei Zhong shook his head. After arriving here, he had only had three days left to live.
He had a little fortune, but not much.
Returning to his residence, Wei Zhong hung the parrot's cage in the courtyard.
He had no spirit beasts, nor did he possess any method for commanding them. The stall owner had also sold methods of that sort, but their prices were far from pretty. Buying from the Yan family would be more economical.
He flicked two grains of Spirit Rice from his fingers. The parrot flapped its wings twice and picked them up in its beak.
"Mm, you know how to eat by yourself, so you're not too stupid. Your feathers are a motley mix, so I'll call you Nine Colors.
"Nine Colors, chives. This name makes it feel as though I've returned to my previous life."
Wei Zhong turned and returned to his room. Nine Colors watched his departing back without the slightest reaction. Only after he was completely out of sight did it turn its head toward the large tree in the courtyard.
It went blank...
The next day, crowds surged through the Yan family residence as cultivators all headed toward the auction venue.
Even the spirit farmers working in the fields were no exception. Seeing Wei Zhong following the crowd, the spirit farmers who knew him greeted him.
Having farmed in the Yan family's territory for several decades and possessing eighth-level Qi Refining cultivation, he could be considered someone of standing.
Wei Zhong nodded in return but did not step forward to chat, maintaining the persona his predecessor had always kept.
After entering the venue, Wei Zhong was stopped by a young cultivator.
Seeing Wei Zhong release the spiritual pressure of a high-level Qi Refining cultivator, Yan Qiyu's gaze gained a measure of respect.
"Senior, please pay the two-Spirit-Stone entrance fee."
Wei Zhong handed over two Spirit Stones with practiced ease and received a token from him.
Kan, A, seventy-six. It seemed this auction was truly on a grand scale.
Behind Wei Zhong, Yan Qiyu stopped another cultivator and spoke the same words. The latter's face reddened, and he seemed somewhat angry...
Two Spirit Stones were not much, but they had not been blown in on the wind.
This method of collecting an entrance fee barred those without much wealth from the venue, serving as a round of screening.
But the Yan family had surely made a fortune merely from collecting Spirit Stones this time.
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